Autumn Splendor Wedding Program

Today I would like to share a wedding program that I recently designed. I was asked to incorporate the bride’s colors and theme. After discussing the options with her, she decided on leaves from the Autumn Splendor set, and the rich fall colors of More Mustard, Cajun Craze, and Always Artichoke. Because she wanted a touch of purple, I added Elegant Eggplant. The More Mustard leaf was stamped directly on the couple’s name, and to the left. (I removed the last names for this post.)

On the inside, each section of the tri-fold was also stamped with a More Mustard leaf. More Mustard ink was selected since it allowed the printing to show through. On the back, a More Mustard leaf was stamped at the bottom.

To hold the program together, a band was designed using Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, and Elegant Eggplant. Each piece of Early Espresso was placed on the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder so that the monogram, stamped using the Broadsheet Alphabet set, could be strategically placed over the center of the embossed “medallion”.

Designing for someone else can be a stressful task. My main goal in designing these programs was to make certain that the bride-to-be was happy with them. And in case you are wondering, Shannon was extremely pleased. As for me…can you believe that I wore a blister on my hand punching out all of those circles for the monograms? Who knew that stamping could be hazardous to your health!

Need to replenish your Stampin’ Up! supplies? Don’t forget that you can Order On-line from me 24/7. Plus, I would love to discuss both the business and hobby opportunities available to you as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator…now that I am retired I love that I am able to support my stamping habit! Plus, I love helping new demonstrators develop their own talent and business! Email me, and we will set up a time to talk!

“Ann is a wonderful friend and mentor. She is very helpful at keeping me up-to-date on Stampin’ Up! changes. She encourages me and supports me to help my business be the best it can be. She is also very creative and talented in her own business which inspires me to be the best I can be.” …Amy R.

If you have any questions about the projects that I create or the techniques that I use, remember…I am only an email away! Until next time…
Stamp Sets: Autumn Splendor (116503) Broadsheet Alphabet (W 118724; C 120585); Inks: More Mustard (103162), Cajun Craze (119671), Elegant Eggplant (105210), Always Artichoke (105219); Card Stock: Cajun Craze (119684), Early Espresso (119686), Elegant Eggplant (105126), Very Vanilla (101650); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (120175), 1-1/4″ Circle Punch (119861), 1-3/8″ Circle Punch (119860)

A Wish for Peace for The Paper Players

Welcome to The Paper Players Challenge #18. This week the Players are hosting a Monochromatic Challenge…and YOU get to pick the color family of your choice! How fun is that! I happened to select brown. I have always loved earthy colors! So I selected Crumb Cake and Early Espresso card stocks and a lovely Soft Suede pattern from the Deck the Halls Designer Series collection. The images from A Wish for Peace were perfect for the vintage feel I was trying to achieve. I hope that you will join us this week…it really doesn’t get much easier than this!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Trying for the vintage look? Try faux burning and paper curling. Stampin’ Up!’s Distressing Essentials Kit is a must. I simply used the Round File to break down the paper fibers in order to separate the Brushed Gold card stock into layers. Each layer was then curled around the file. An Antique Brad, adorned with two small Basic Pearls, decorates the corner. For more information about faux burning and distressing, check out this video.
  • Pearls and Pearlized Paint! Illuminate Top Coat Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink (that’s a mouthful), was applied to the boughs of the main evergreen tree to simulate snow. A variety of Basic Pearls adorn the treetops for a touch of “Vintage Glam”!

  • On the wings of a dove! The Dove’s wings were snipped with Paper Snips, and then curled up as if in flight. In addition, the dove was coated with Illuminate Top Coat for a touch of sparkle and shine!

  • A few more distressing details! The Color Spritzer and a Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker instantly aged the card with a few selected “sprinkles”. The wonderful water spots were added using the stamp from French Foliage. What’s the key to perfectly aged water spots? Ink the stamp in Soft Suede, stamp off once…and then stamp onto your card!

  • Finish with a flair! A beautiful Early Espresso satin bow adds the finishing touch. If you have not already done so…please check out my video tutorial for creating quick and easy bows!
I hope that you enjoyed today’s vintage card. I am interested in hearing what you think of it. So please, won’t you leave me a comment? And of course, if you have any questions about any of the techniques that I use, don’t hesitate to email me. I enjoy hearing from you! Until next time…

Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7
Stamp Sets: A Wish for Peace (111614), French Foliage (W 120845; C 121166—Holiday Mini); Inks: Early Espresso (119670), Soft Suede (115657), Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker (120973); Designer Series Paper: Deck the Halls (120810—Holiday Mini); Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650), Brushed Gold (102935), Early Espresso (119691), Crumb Cake (119929); Tools: Distressing Essentials Kit (118762), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Sponge Daubers (102892); Glitz and Glam: Early Espresso 5/8″ Satin Ribbon (119753), Basic Pearls (119247), Antique Brads (117273), Illuminate Top Coat Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink (121084)

A Peek at the Players and Blog Candy Winner

Two months ago, I was asked if I would be a Guest Designer for The Paper Players, an up and coming challenge blog. Impressed by the talented designers on this team and their amazing work, I agreed. A few weeks ago, Lesley Croghan, the team “leader”, asked if I would like to become a permanent member of this team, beginning this month. I happily said “Yes”. So what you have today is a peek at my first card as a bona fide member of The Paper Players Design Team. I hope that you will join us tomorrow for the reveal. Plus, you can still upload a card for this week’s challenge until 6:00 PST today!

If you are up to another challenge, you have until Tuesday at Noon CST to participate in the Pals Paper Arts Clean and Simple Button Challenge. Once again, as a member of this design team, I find myself surrounded by another amazing group of talented stampers. I am so lucky to have found myself on both of these design teams!

Questions and Answers

  • What original length of ribbon should I use to make my bow? I am a miser…so I usually use about 12″. But I have found that with wider ribbon it is easier to have it a little longer. Usually I wrap the ribbon around the template and then add an additional 5 – 6 inches. It won’t take long until you find a length which is best for you!

I know that this is a stamping blog, and I really should not stray too far off topic, but so many of you asked this question, so here it is:

  • When does Muffy get to come home? Muffy will be able to leave the breeder’s for her “forever home” on October 12th. However, my husband works during the week and he cannot get the day off. I am trying to convince him that I am a big girl and can drive by myself…with Muffy tucked safely into a carrier! You can bet that there will be plenty of pictures of her homecoming, as she will be a very important member of our family.

Blog Candy Winner

A big “thank-you” goes out to all of you that left comments this past week. I appreciated learning about the styles of cards that you like, as well as tutorials which would interest you. As determined by Random. org, the winner of the Blog Candy is:

#139 Colleen Dietrich

Your blog is lovely, Ann, and thanks for the bow tutorial video!

Colleen, please email your address to me by midnight, Sunday, and I will send out your yummy blog candy Monday! And if your were not a winner this time, I promise there will be more Blog Candy, just as delicious and calorie free later this month!

Hurry…time is running out on the special Greenhouse Gala Tote offer! Sign up to become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator by October 18th, and this delightful tote can be yours FREE! I would love to share with you all of the details about being a demonstrator and what it means to me. It has become my dream job since my retirement from teaching. I am able to set my own hours, and work as little as I want or as much as I want. And yes…I originally joined because I wanted the discount. But as I started teaching classes and conducting workshops, I found that I loved the interaction with fellow stampers who are as passionate about card making and scrapbooking as I am. If you would like to hear more about the business opportunities or the hobby benefits, as well as the other perks associated with being a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, please email me to set up a time when we can chat.

Now booking October and November Workshops …Email me to set up yours today! I am also available for customized technique classes.

And remember, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create or if you have questions about ordering the right Stampin’ Up! product for the job, please email me. Until next time…

Please Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7!