Skaters for Pals Paper Arts


It’s Thursday, and time for our weekly Pals Paper Arts challenge! This week it’s a celebrity color challenge…and our Celebrity Guest Designer is none other than Julee Tilman – artist, owner and designer of Verve stamps, and the original Mojo Maker! Mojo Monday began as a simple card contest on her blog one Sunday in May, 2007. For a journey back through papercraft history, be sure to visit the archives of Julee’s blog, Poetic Artistry. The winners of these early challenges read like a who’s who in today’s stamping world! Although I am certainly not a “who’s who-er”, one of my proudest moments in stamping was being named one of the winners for Mojo 103. I saved the card, and never sent it!

Today’s challenge is a yummy confection of Early Espresso, Regal Rose and Pear Pizzazz! It is the first card that I have designed using the Winter Post set, which I recently purchased. I hope you enjoy the sparkly snowflakes and pearls. As for the winner of the Basic Pearls, bear with me through the Stampin’ Schach Design Tips! Enjoy!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Triple the shine! How did the Northern Frost Decorative Strip Snowflakes get so sparkly? Three coats of Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, that’s how! I brayered VersaMark ink on each of the snowflakes, and then heat embossed. I repeated this two more times, and finished each with a Pear Pizzazz Glimmer Brad. The uniquely colored snowflake in the middle was achieved by brayering Early Espresso ink over Regal Rose card stock, followed by a series of three heat embossings. (Hint: When heat embossing, I hold small pieces, such as these snowflakes, with tweezers. No scorched fingers this way!)

  • Brayer a background! The lovely Regal Rose sky was simply brayered onto Very Vanilla card stock. This was then zipped through the Big Shot with the Scallop Oval Frame Bigz die. A Stamp-a-ma-jig was used to perfectly place the Early Espresso trees from Lovely as a Tree. A little Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz adds a frosty sheen to the scene! The photograph does not do the Smooch justice!

  • Frame it! Early Espresso card stock was passed through the Big Shot, using the Scallop Oval Frame die once again. Basic Pearls accent the scallops.

  • Snip, snip, “pop”! The “Skaters” from Winter Post were inked using Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz, and Regal Rose Stampin’ Write Markers and stamped on to Very Vanilla card stock. They were popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals after being snipped out with Paper Snips.

  • A distressing situation! To tone down the lovely Pear Pizzazz Argyle pattern from Pawsitively Prints II Designer Series Paper, the edges were distressed with Soft Suede ink and a Sponge Dauber. A Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker and a Color Spritzer Tool add instant speckles. (Hint: Soft Suede provides a soft aged look. It is my choice of all of the “browns” for distressing.)
I was anxious to get your input on today’s card, as it is a color combination that I would not typically use, and certainly not for a seasonal card such as this one. But I think it works. What do you think? Of course, Basic Pearls were used in abundance. I just love them, and I hope that Commenter #28: Diane-Rubber ‘n Rafters will love them, too! And from the looks of her comment, I think she will:
Diane – Rubber ‘n Rafters said…
Can’t wait to see the whole card appear and then sit back to find out if my guess was even close. Usually I am NOT, but I love to guess anyway.

PEARLS???? Oh Ann…. be still my heart! Of all the prizes to win, those pearls are the best! How generous you are with blog candy. Thanks for a chance to win my favorite embellishment and THANKS for sharing.

Diane was the randomly selected winner of the Basic Pearls. So please, email your address within the next 48 hours, and I will get your Basic Pearls in the mail to you!
I had so much fun doing this, that in the spirit of the season, I have decided to have a little give-away each week of December…nothing huge, but fun anyway! Tune in next week to see what it will be!
So, leave me a comment and let me know what you think. And remember, if you ever have a question about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away! And please, head over to Pals Paper Arts and check out the fabulous Design Team cards! Until next time…


Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7Stamp Sets: Winter Post (111780), Lovely As a Tree (115026); Ink: VersaMark (102283), Early Espresso (119670), Regal Rose (105211), Soft Suede (115657); Stampin’ Write Markers: Early Espresso (119680), Pear Pizzazz (119801—Set of 5 In Colors), Regal Rose (105108); Designer Series Paper: Pawsitively Prints II (117396); Card Stock: Pear Pizzazz (119795), Regal Rose (105130), Early Espresso (119686), Very Vanilla (101650); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Frame, Oval Scallop Bigz Die (114521), Northern Frost Decorative Strip (120901—Holiday Mini), Decorative Strip Cutting Pads (113479), Decorative Strip Spacer Platform (113477), Paper Snips (103579), Brayer (102395), Sponge Dauber (102892), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Heat Tool (100005); Glitz and Glam: Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (118772), Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder (101930), Basic Pearls (119247), In Color Glimmer Brads (121005—Holiday Mini)

Sneak Peek and Free Pearls


It’s time for the traditional Wednesday sneak peek at my Pals Paper Arts inspiration card. The Design Team will be welcoming a very special celebrity Guest Artist this week, so please be sure to tune in Thursday to see what she has created for you. I will be the first to tell you that it will be spectacular! In the meantime, why not stop by the PPA to see the winners of last week’s sketch challenge?
Free Pearls
As you can tell, my card this week features one of my favorite Stampin’ Up! products, Basic Pearls. I was thrilled when Stampin’ Up! included them in their product line. Since this is the season for sharing, I would like to share my pearls with you. One lucky reader will be receiving a package of Basic Pearls. All you need to do is simply leave a comment on today’s post. I will randomly select the winner after midnight CST and post the winner on my blog Thursday. The winner will have 48 hours to email me an address.
New “Shop with Schach” Customer Rewards Program
The “Shop with Schach” Customer Rewards Program is my way of giving a little something back to my returning customers. For your loyalty, you can earn a FREE stamp set of your choice from any current Stampin’ Up! catalog!
Here are the details:
  • Place an on-line order OR email me your order.
  • Keep track of how much you spend on product before shipping and taxes.
  • When you reach $500 in product, email me the dates and amounts of your purchases, along with your choice of stamp set.
  • I will verify your orders, and send you your free stamp set.
  • The offer expires one year from your initial purchase. For example, if your first purchase was December 1, 2010 you would have until December 1, 2011 to purchase $500 and redeem your offer.
  • Remember, you will be responsible for tracking your own purchases and emailing me! It’s that easy!

I hope that you were intrigued enough by my little sneak peek to join me again tomorrow for the full reveal. And don’t forget, your comment earns you a chance at free pearls! Until next time…

Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7

Time is Running Out…Take Advantage of the Sales

The chance to take advantage of Stampin Up!’s Half Price Starter Kit ends tomorrow. Purchasing the Starter Kit does not mean that you have to have a workshop, or that you have to sell Stampin’ Up! Let me share my Stampin’ Up! story with you.

When I purchased the Starter Kit, I was interested in the discount. I had just started stamping, and I was impressed with the quality of Stampin’ Up!’s products. Twenty percent off my purchases, as well as 30% off my first qualifying order of $150, seemed too good to be true. I was thrilled to get so many awesome products in my Starter Kit…and the value is even greater today with the Half-Price Special.

I knew that with all of the things I wanted to buy, I would be able to meet the quarterly minimums ($300 per quarter), just with my own purchases, for at least a few quarters. I had no desire to sell Stampin’ Up! However, a friend with whom I worked, encouraged me to start a monthly Hostess Club. I started with six stampers at our first meeting. Of course, the rest is history, as they say. I found that I loved designing cards and teaching others how to re-create them. I was also introduced to blogging by my upline, and now I would be lost without my blog…simply because of the wonderful friendships I have forged. That is one of the rewards of stamping…you meet the nicest people. And remember, I only joined for the discount.

Yes, there is money that can be made through instant incomes and volume rebates. You can decide how much you want to earn and how hard you want to work. As for me, I have found a happy balance with my workshops, classes, and yes…my own purchases.

So with one day left to take advantage of this amazing sale, what is keeping you from trying out Stampin’ Up!? The products are yours to keep, and there is no penalty for dropping. If you decide that you want to maintain your benefits, you have until March 31st, to meet the minimums. Plus, I will be beside you every step of the way, to mentor you and to answer your questions. What do you have to lose? Please email me for more information, but hurry! We are running out of time. To find out more about this offer, check out this earlier post. I would love to have you as part of my stampin’ family! Think of the fun we could have at Convention! Until next time…