It’s Thursday and time to play at PPA! This week the Pals at Pals Paper Arts have planned a Clean and Simple challenge entitled “Living in the Material World”. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a Clean and Simple card using ribbon or fabric. I opted to use ribbon, and one of my favorite stamps of all time…Dasher! It’s quick, easy, and hopefully elegant and classy, too! Won’t you join us this week? We have BLOG CANDY… I can’t wait to see what you create!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

• Don’t forget your buddy! When heat embossing, don’t forget to swipe an Embossing Buddy over the surface of your paper before stamping. This will reduce the dreaded embossing freckles!
• Did you forget? Don’t fret! Camouflage those “freckles” with a smooch…Smooch Spritz, that is!
• Remember your pals, too! I use the Embossing Buddy on the inside of my Powder Pals. Excess embossing powder is returned easily into its container!
• Three second rule! I inked Dasher in VersaMark and stamped him onto Whisper White card stock. When stamping in VersaMark, leave your stamp in contact with the card stock for several seconds for the best possible transfer of ink. It really does make a difference in the quality of your heat embossed image. Try it! Dasher was then heat embossed with Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder.
• Diamonds and Pearls! Dasher’s antlers dazzle with Basic Pearls and Rhinestones! And what better way to accent embossed Northern Flurry snowflakes than with a few of these jewels!
• The finishing touch! A Basic Black satin bow, smooched with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz, adds a touch of class and elegance!

I personally love the look of the matted Dasher, but if you are in a pinch for time, this card looks great with only the Dasher mat, making it a viable option if you need to make several to send to family and friends.
The Puppies Need Middle Names

Brody the Boxer wanted me to alert everyone that he will be offering Brody Blog Candy, just as soon as Mom gets it photographed, in celebration of his “Big Boy Ears”! His handler, Michelle Cramblett, thinks he looks “amazing”. I think they look like very big ears…but I was assured that he will grow into them. The Boxer Twins are growing up so fast. Brody has trained me well, so he is nearly “potty-proofed”. Little Muffy, on the other hand, isn’t quite there yet…although she has not made a mistake today! On the other hand, Muffy is doing much better at her leash training, and walks most of the time on a loose lead. Plus she is learning how to use SNAIL Adhesive…at least I think that was what she was trying to do when I found her with it! Brody, on the other hand, prefers Crystal Effects. (Don’t even ask about that mess! How I wished he had a middle name that day.) They are both going to be such great little stampers!

If you have ever thought about becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, there is no time like the present! What could be better than 50% savings on the Stampin’ Up! Starter Kit? Let me share the details with you!

• You can select from the Standard Starter Kit OR the Digital Starter Kit for the same low price of $87.50. To view the contents of these kits, click HERE.
• You can customize your kit by substituting items of equal or lesser value, including items from the Holiday Mini! Get the stamp sets, ink pads and paper YOU want!
• There are no strings attached! Upon purchase of the Starter Kit, you are NOT required to purchase anything else. You are not required to sell or hold workshops…unless that is what you want to do! The choice is yours, and the Kit is yours to keep regardless of your decision.
• You will receive discounts and benefits through March 31, 2011. This means you will be able to participate in the Occasions Mini preorder!
• To extend your benefits and continue to receive the demonstrator discount, you would only need to sell $300 in product by March 31. This means you would continue to receive benefits through June! Only $300 of product sales per quarter will keep you an active demonstrator.
• If you decide that this is not for you, there is never a penalty to drop.
• By becoming a member of The Schach Pack you will have access to a private blog where you will receive daily updates and support. I will be available to answer all of your questions and serve as your mentor!
• And think of the fun we could have at Convention!

What a great opportunity! For only $87.50 plus tax(shipping is free), the Starter Kit provides you with over $300 in products. Many of you regularly order this much in product…why not take the plunge, whittle down that Wish List, take advantage of the next preorder, and receive 30% off of your first order of $150 of product? Wouldn’t this be a great way to treat yourself to the products you love? Please email me if you have questions. And if you are ready to join, let me know…I will provide you with my recruiting password!

Pals Paper Arts Sneak Peek

Well, there is no disguising what this is! However, there is more to this card than what you see! Tune in Thursday for the full reveal! In the meantime, why not check out this week’s PPA Artist Picks? Until next time…

Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up 24/7

Welcome to another Paper Players Challenge! This week we have a color challenge and I got to select the colors! ‘Tis the season to be working on our holiday cards, so I picked what I think is a classic Christmas color combination:

• Texture! When wide margins of card base will show, go for the textured card stock! The linen-like appearance adds warmth and elegance!
• Neutrals! The warm tone of Naturals Ivory card stock coordinates perfectly with Deck the Halls. To add even more texture, I zipped a piece through the Big Shot with the Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. For slight contrast, I stamped the “Peace on Earth” sentiment from the Peaceful Season Hostess Level 2 set from the Holiday Mini onto Very Vanilla.
• All that glitters isn’t gold! In this case, it is Champagne…Champagne Glass Glitter, that is! Did you know that over time, the finish will slightly tarnish, giving an aged appearance to your cards and projects? To adhere, I simply use Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue.
• It’s all about the details! Sing along with me! Basic Pearls on boughs of holly! Falalalalalalalala! Scrunchy ribbon sure looks jolly! Falalalalalalalala! Use your Spritzer to add speckles! Falalalalalalalalala! See how they resemble freckles! Falalalalalalalala! (Need a refresher on how I scrunch my ribbon? Click here for a video tutorial from my archives.)

I hope that you enjoyed today’s card as much as I enjoyed creating it! And I hope that you will join us at The Paper Players! So leave me a comment, and then pull out these holiday colors and start creating! As always, if you ever have a question about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away! Until next time…

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Stamp Set: Peaceful Season (W 120819; C 121124—Holiday Mini); Ink: Early Espresso (119670), Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker (120973); Designer Series Paper: Deck the Halls (120810—Holiday Mini); Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler Textured (119690), Naturals Ivory (101849), Brushed Gold (102935), Very Vanilla (101650); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (116824), Heat Tool (100005), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430), Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247), Champagne Glass Glitter (120997—Holiday Mini), Cherry Cobbler 1/2″ Seam Binding (120992—Holiday Mini)