A Valentine for The Paper Players


After time off for the holidays, The Paper Players are back with their weekly challenges. For Challenge 29, it’s Valentines! I hope that you enjoy my inspiration card, featuring Stampin’ Up!’s Be My Valentine stamp.

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Cherry delight! “Be My Valentine” was inked with Cherry Cobbler and stamped onto Naturals Ivory card stock. It was inked a second time and stamped onto Shimmery White card stock. The Shimmery White flowers and banner were then snipped out and used to adorn the Naturals Ivory heart. In addition, Basic Pearls were added as accents, and the edges were distressed with Soft Suede ink.
  • Frame it! Distressed and fussy cut, this image from Notably Ornate is the perfect frame for the Be My Valentine heart!
  • Gilded Roses! Gilding the new Vintage Flower Adornments is easy! Simply coat the edges of the petals using a VersaMarker, and heat emboss with Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder!
  • Burnished beauty! The Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder “pops” after embossing with Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder. Just brayer on VersaMark, sprinkle with embossing powder, and heat!
The result is an old-fashioned beauty, and the first of several Valentines I will be showcasing in the upcoming weeks! If vintage is not your cup of tea, just wait! I will be stepping out of my comfort zone to feature some “cute” Valentines, too!

A Muffy Emergency

What was going to be a fun, light-hearted post about The Twins and their adventures, has taken a different twist, in light of a puppy emergency Saturday evening. Poor, poor Muffy Lyn!


(Muffy Resting Comfortably after Her Pain Medication)

Muffy possibly fractured the growth plate in her left front leg. During our supper this evening, she and Brody were tusseling on the couch, when they both fell off. I saw it all happen, as if it were in slow motion. Muffy’s front leg was splayed out at an awkward angle and all 40 pounds of Brody landed on top of it. We immediately called the vet, (Dr. Remmers was on call), who met us at the office within 10 minutes. She took two x-rays, and cannot say yes or no as to whether the growth plate is fractured, so she is erring on the side of caution. There is soft tissue trauma and bruising. The good news is that there is no separation of the bone, if it is indeed fractured. The bad news is that if it does separate, they will have to do surgery to put the bone back in place and actually pin it in position. Dr. Remmers said that this is a horrible operation. The next few days are critical. Muffy is not to jump…try telling that to a five-month-old Boxer puppy. If the elbow swells more or if she starts to favor her leg more, we have instructions to call the vet immediately. Muffy’s leg does not have a splint on it, because the vet said that with a fracture of the growth plate, a splint can do more harm than good. On the bright side, Muffy’s behavior was excellent. She sat and stayed for the x-rays. Hurray for Obedience School! She is scheduled for her first show on February 19th.

As always, your comments are very important to me. I read them all, and if you have a blog, I do try to leave comments in return. Of course, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away. And if you find it in your hearts, could you please say wee doggy prayer for Muffy the Boxer? Until next time…


Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7

Stamp Sets: Be My Valentine (122045—Occasions Mini), Notably Ornate (W 117098; C 120561); Inks: Cherry Cobbler (119669), Early Espresso (119670), Soft Suede (115657), VersaMark (102283), VersaMarker (100901); Card Stock: Naturals Ivory (101849), Shimmery White (101910), Very Vanilla (101650), Brushed Gold (102935), Cherry Cobbler (119685); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (121809—Occasions Mini), Heat Tool (100005), Brayer (102395), Sponge Dauber (102892); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247), Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding (120992—Occasions Mini), Victoria Crochet Trim (118481), Vintage Flower Adornments (121879), Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109129)

Stylish Blogger and My Top Picks from the Mini

Recently I was honored by Diane at Rubber ‘n Rafters and Sabriena at Little Miss Scrapalicious with the Stylish Blogger Award. Today I would like to thank both Diane and Sabriena for their kindness. You might remember that a few weeks ago I had been tagged with this same award from Nikki of Bond Girl Creations. One of the stipulations is that I need to share eight things about myself. Here are the original eight facts I shared, and here are eight more:

1. I am a tea drinker. I prefer Irish and English Breakfast, Earl Grey and some flavored teas like Cherry Vanilla and Peach. But I also love Diet Mt. Dew!
2. I could listen to my son play his trumpet forever. Brady and I share a love of classical music. Brady gets his trumpet prowess from his father…I can’t read a note of music, although I always wished I could play an instrument.
3. Fall and winter are my favorite seasons. And I don’t mind snow as long as the highways stay clear.
4. I love a good mystery…whether it is a movie, television program, or a book.
5. My husband, Kim, does the laundry and a lot of the cooking in our household. He does a much better job than I do at both. This started as a necessity from when I was teaching, since I always had so much paperwork. I would grade papers and write up lesson plans, and he would start the meals and laundry. He discovered that he loves to cook. As for the laundrey…neither of us are thrilled with it!
6. Sad things…movies, songs, TV programs, books and even sad commercials, like those for the Humane Society, always make me cry. Brady and Kim are able to predict when the waterworks will turn on! I was even a mess when saying good-by to my sweet friends at the Stampin’ Up! convention. (Love you Mike, Ginger and Kylie!)
7. Teaching is my passion! Whether in a classroom filled with high school students, or on a stamping blog, I love sharing my knowledge with those that are eager to learn. I truly mean it when I say that I am only an email away if you have questions about the cards that I make or the techniques that I use.
8. I can always find the humour in any situation!
And now to pass the award on to eight more stampers…and there are so many deserving stampers out there! I could receive a million of these awards and never get everyone mentioned!
Please stop by and say “Hi!” to these talented stampers!
My Picks from the Occasions Mini
Everyone is always interested in what people are finding intriguing in the Occasions Mini. Although I may be a few days behind everyone else with my list, today is such a wonderful day for sharing. So, in no particular order, here are my favorite things:
Embellishments:
1. Seam Binding…all colors
Very Vanilla (120999)
Cherry Cobbler (120992)
Always Artichoke (121000)
Baja Breeze (122331)
Crumb Cake (122332)
Pear Pizzazz (122330)
Rose Red (121884)
2. Rosettes (118774)
3. Trinket Keys (121892) and Crowns (121891)
Designer Series Paper:
4. Springtime Vintage (121782)
5. Botanical Gazette (121783)
6. Sweet Stitches (121781)
Stamp Sets:
7. Nature Walk (W 121925; C 121997)
8. Easter Blossoms (W 121905; C 122057 )
9. Sew Suite (W 121933; C 122009)
Other:
10. Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (121809)
If you would like to order any of these products, please CLICK HERE.
Thank you for allowing me to share a little of my life with you today! I will be back tomorrow with my Paper Players Inspiration Card. After our break for the holidays, we’re back and ready to share our creativity with you! Until next time…

Quick and Easy Sew Suite Friend


A few day’s ago, I shared one of my creative goals for this year: Design more masculine cards. Today I am going to share a second of my goals with you: Create more quick and easy cards.

One of the questions that I am often asked is, “How long does it take you to create a card?” Many of my cards do take a lengthy amount of time, but in all honesty, the majority of my time is taken up in the design process. I think and think and think…and then something usually “clicks” and I have an “ah-ha” moment. However, I have always admired those people who can whip out fabulous cards in little or no time. So, as I said, one of my goals is to try and create a few cards each month that can be created in an hour or less. Today’s card meets that criteria. Designed around the Sew Suite collection, this all-occasion card features the Sweet Stitches Rub-Ons!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Rub-ons! The “Pattern Girls” in the Sweet Stitches Rub-On collection are perfect for watercoloring. I rubbed this sweet little girl onto Very Vanilla card stock, and then watercolored her with Blender Pens and the following inks: Pretty in Pink, Blush Blossom, Daffodil Delight, and Tempting Turquoise. It’s so easy!
  • Coordination! Like all of Stampin’ Up!’s Designer Series Paper, coordination is the key. Using the coordinated patterns and card stocks saves time…and looks oh, “sew suite”!
  • Paper work! Make the Designer Paper work for you! Notice how the stitching and needle parts of the Sweet Stitches pattern paper become an integral part of the card’s design.
  • Glitz and Glam: Even quick and easy cards deserve a little bling! A coordinating Sweet Stitches Fabric Designer Brad adds interest and texture. Its placement anchors the sentiment and image. Three miniature Basic Pearls adorn the neckline of the dress and each of the shoes.
Yes…it was hard for me not to pull out the Color Spritzer Tool, Sponge Daubers, and Seven Sided Tool. I was out of my comfort zone for sure. But it was also fun to finish a card while watching Oprah! So what do you think of today’s “Power Hour” card? Be sure to leave me a comment to let me know. And as always, if you have any questions about today’s card or any of the techniques that I use, I am only an email away! Until next time…


Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7

Stamp Set: You’re a Gem (W 122268; C 122270—Occasions Mini); Ink: Early Espresso (119670), Daffodil Delight (119667), Pretty in Pink (101301), Tempting Turquoise (100814), Blush Blossom Stampin’ Write Marker (100037); Designer Series Paper: Sweet Stitches (121781—Occasions Mini); Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650), Daffodil Delight (119683), Melon Mambo (115320), Tempting Turquoise (102067); Tools: Scallop Oval Punch (119856), 1-3/4″ x 7/8″ Oval Punch (119855); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247), Sweet Stitches Fabric Designer Brads (121880—Occasions Mini); Other: Sweet Stitches Rub-Ons (121887—Occasions Mini)