Serene Snowflakes for The Paper Players Color Challenge

The Paper Players know that stampers are busy this time of year getting ready for the holidays. To make this challenge an easy one in which to participate, YOU select the color combination….it’s the “Your Favorite Color Combination Challenge”! The goal is to simply showcase your favorite color combination for a specific type of card. For example, you may like Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive for Christmas, or Brushed Silver, Shimmery White and Brushed Gold for anniversaries. How easy is that? All we ask is that you post a new project. Since I still needed to make a few Christmas cards, I selected Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, and a Neutral…my favorite combination for holiday cards. I can’t wait to check out all of your favorites!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • The Midas touch! Nothing adds elegance to a card like a touch of gold embossing! The large Serene Snowflake image was stamped in VersaMark onto Naturals Ivory card stock and heat embossed with Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder. Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke Stampin’ Write Markers add a touch of color.
  • Layers! The Serene Snowflakes 3″ circle was layered upon a Cherry Cobbler Scalloped Circle created by using the Big Shot and the Scalloped Circle Bigz Die. The Always Artichoke Deck the Halls Top Note die was trimmed and layered onto a Cherry Cobbler Top Note. Even more layering occurs with the Decorative Label and Designer Label Punches.
  • Distress! All edges were distressed with Soft Suede ink, while a Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker was paired with a Color Spritzer Tool to add speckles.
  • Glitz and Glam! Basic Pearls adorn the Scallop Circle, while Champagne Glass Glitter encircles the central image.
  • The finishing touch! The “Swirly Snowflake” from Serene Snowflakes was heat embossed with Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder and colored with Stampin’ Write Markers. It was snipped out and popped up in the center of the Large Serene Snowflake. A Basic Pearl was added to its center.

Have you ever ran out of a supply in the middle of a card? Well, that happened to me with this card. I had envisioned a beautiful double Cherry Cobbler bow, but alas I did not have enough Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding. Then I thought I would just scrunchy up some ribbon. But as you can see, there was not enough to adequately scrunch or pleat. I did take a quick picture of it before I removed that section of the ribbon. You can get an idea of how it will look when I get in my new supply of Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding…only it will be much fuller!

Which do you like best…plain or pleated? Please let me know by leaving me a comment.
I hope that you enjoyed my favorite Christmas Color Combination! I can hardly wait to see your favorite color combinations. And remember, I am only an email away if you have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use. Until next time…

Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7

Stamp Sets: Serene Snowflakes (115438), Teeny Tiny Wishes (115370); Inks: VersaMark (102283), Soft Suede (115657), Early Espresso (119670); Stampin’ Write Markers: Always Artichoke (105113), Cherry Cobbler (119681), Soft Suede (120973); Designer Series Paper: Deck the Halls (120810); Card Stock: Naturals Ivory (101849), Cherry Cobbler (119685); Tools: Big Shot (113439), 3″ Circle Originals Die (122125), Scallop Circle Bigz Die (113468), Top Note Bigz Die (113463, ) Modern Label Punch (119849), Designer Label Punch (119862), Decorative Label Punch (120907), Paper Snips (103579), Tombow Adhesive (110755), Sponge Dauber (102892), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Heat Tool (100005), Embossing Buddy (103083), Powder Pals (102197); Glitz and Glam: Cherry Cobbler 1/2″ Seam Binding (120992), Victoria Crochet Trim (118481), Champagne Glass Glitter (120997), Basic Pearls (119247), Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109129)

The Shop with Schach “Muffy Madness Sale” and More

Need to stretch that holiday dollar? Even Ebinezer Scrooge wouldn’t be able to resist these sales and promotions! Check out ways in which your dollar will get you even more, including the fabulous “Shop with Schach Muffy Madness Sale”!

Shop with Schach “Muffy Madness Sale”
At the Schach house, in order to maintain harmony between the Boxer Twins, we try to keep things equal. Well, Brody celebrated with “Brody’s Blog Candy” a few week’s ago, and Muffy refuses to be outdone! For five days only, beginning today and running through December 14th , it’s the “Muffy Madness Sale”. Here are the details:

  • For every $50 in product you spend (before shipping and taxes), you will receive your choice of any ONE of the following fabulous Stampin’ Up! items: Basic Pearls, Basic Rhinestones, Glimmer Brads, 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbon. (These items were personally selected by Muffy herself, based on her experience with Mom’s cards.)
  • At the $150 product level, not only will you receive three of the above items FREE, you will also receive a FREE Level 1 Hostess Set and hostess benefits.
  • Simply order on-line, and I will email you to find out your choice of free item. I will send you your item in a separate mailing. Please allow 2 – 3 weeks for delivery…unless items are on backorder! OR email your order to me, with your preference, and I will have the free item shipped directly with your order!

Isn’t that easy? Muffy believes in keeping it simple. AND these purchases WILL still qualify for Shop with Schach Rewards. But hurry….at Midnight CST, December 14th, the Muffy Madness Sale will end.

Holiday Bundle Promotion
You still have until December 16, 2010 to take advantage of the Holiday Bundle Promotion.

Select from bundles at 20 percent off retail price! Click Here to access the available options.

Filled with Love Promotion

Starting December 17, 2010-January 24, 2011, get a FREE package of Bitty Buttons–a $4.95 value–when you purchase the Filled with Love Bundle. Also included is the Filled with Love Stamp Set (your choice of clear or wood) and the exclusive Love Patterns Designer Series Paper!

If you have questions about any of these promotions, or if you have questions about the perfect products to purchase in order to make your favorite cards and projects, please email me! Until next time…

Emboss Resist for Pals Paper Arts

It’s Thursday and time to play at Pals Paper Arts! This week is an Inspiration Challenge based on this gorgeous photo collage of winter whites:
Pick up on the whites, the texture, the scenes or the bling! The sky is the limit! I took my cues from the winter scene, using “The Church and Trees” image from A Wish for Peace, adding embossed Snowflakes from the Northern Hearts Level 1 Hostess set and three- dimensional Snowflakes crafted from the Northern Frost Decorative Strip. My “winter whites” were a mix of Naturals Ivory, Very Vanilla, and Whisper White card stocks, with just a touch of Brushed Gold. Of course, my bling of choice were Basic Pearls! For texture, I used the emboss resist technique.
And did I mention that Pals Paper Arts is offering blog candy this week? The winner will receive an assortment of Stampin’ Up! products selected by our Design Team members. What fun to receive several packages filled with “Mystery Candy”! But you can’t win if you don’t play!
The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:
  • Don’t resist the Emboss Resist technique! It’s easy! For “The Church and Trees” scene, the image from A Wish for Peace was inked with VersaMark and stamped onto Naturals Ivory card stock. It was then heat embossed with White Stampin’ Emboss Powder. Next, a Stampin’ Sponge was used to apply Crumb Cake ink in a circular motion over the surface of the embossed image. Finally, a paper towel was used to buff the surface of the embossing, and to remove excess ink. Isn’t that easy? Hint: Use an Embossing Buddy to prevent the dreaded “Embossing Speckles”.
  • Snowflakes! The emboss resist Northern Hearts “Snowflakes” were prepared in exactly the same way as the church scene, with the exception of being stamped onto Whisper White card stock. A Crumb Cake Stampin’ Write Marker and a Color Spritzer Tool are combined to add glorious speckles to this matting layer.
  • Snowflake flowers! Very Vanilla card stock was zipped through the Big Shot with the Northern Frost Decorative Strip. The edges of the resulting snowflakes were distressed using Crumb Cake ink and a Sponge Dauber. They were then layered, using Stampin’ Dimensionals to pop up the top one. Basic Pearls were added to the centers, and then the edges of the top flake were pulled up.
  • The finishing touches! More Basic Pearls accent the embossed snowflakes and tree tops, while a bodacious Very Vanilla Satin Bow is added for balance. If you missed the video tutorial for making my quick and easy bow, here it is:
And so the mystery of this week’s peek has been solved. I hope that you weren’t disappointed in the reveal. And of course, if you have any questions about the techniques that I used in making this card, please do not hesitate to email me.
Your favorite embellishment comments yesterday were very, very interesting. Several of you mentioned brads, as well as ribbon, pearls, rhinestones and glitter! It just so happens that the winner of the Glimmer Brads, as selected randomly, loves the sparklies! The winner is:

#58 Pat

Pat said…
I love any embellishment that glitters: Glimmer Brads, Rhinestones, Dazzling Diamonds… And I never would have guessed that Pearls are your favorite! LOL

Pat, just email your address to me by Midnight, CST Saturday, and I will get your brads in the mail pronto! And if you did not win this week, don’t despair…I will offer another little goody with next week’s peek! Until next time…

Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7

Stamp Set: A Wish for Peace (111614), Northern Hearts Hostess Level 1 (W 120833; C 121145—Holiday Mini); Ink: VersaMark (102283), Crumb Cake (121030), Crumb Cake Stampin’ Write Marker (120967); Card Stock: Naturals Ivory (101849), Very Vanilla (101650), Whisper White (100730), Brushed Gold (102935); Tools: Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Heat Tool (100005), Sponge Dauber (102892), Big Shot (113439), Northern Frost Decorative Strip (120901—Holiday Mini), Decorative Strip Cutting Pads (113479), Decorative Strip Spacer Platform (113477), Corner Rounder (119871), Stampin’ Sponges (101610), Embossing Buddy (103083), White Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109132); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247), Very Vanilla 5/8″ Satin Ribbon (117291)