A Snowman for The Paper Players

The Paper Players are hosting a sketch challenge this week. Since I have been making some “not cute” cards, according to my husband, I decided to try my best to create something that possessed a “cuteness” factor. So I turned to my collection of stamps and pulled out A Cute Christmas. After all, if it has cute in the title, it has to produce cute cards, right? Have fun with this week’s sketch!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • One-two-three! Using a Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker, I selectively stamped the “Snowman” image from A Cute Christmas. For a touch of whimsy, I matted the top two images at an angle! Sometimes “wonky” is good!
  • Retro-mania! Real Red and Baja Breeze Stampin’ Write Markers were used to color this little guy’s scarf. See how it coordinates with the delightful retro-style paper from the Candy Cane Christmas collection? Don’t you just love those red glitter polka dots!
  • Add a flake for goodness sake! What could be prettier than a punched snowflake? That’s easy. A punched snowflake with a Real Red Glimmer Brad for its center! Notice how the shimmer coordinates with the paper?
  • Don’t let your sentiment fall flat! Add dimension with dimensionals! The focus is on the sentiment when it is popped up on a Stampin’ Dimensional.
  • Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you have to ink it! By using a Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker, I inked up only the “Greetings” section of the Season’s Greetings stamp from Four the Holidays. The result is a card that can be used any time during the winter season!
I was such a good girl with this card. No scary spiders. No dirtying up the edges with brown ink…I used Baja Breeze! And, what’s this? No Color Spritzer Tool? Well…what’s the verdict? “Cute” or “Not Cute”. I am anxious to hear what you think! And remember, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I make or the techniques that I use, please email me. I am always willing to help! And coming up next week…another video tutorial! Until next time…
Stamp Set: A Cute Christmas (W 120825; C 121133), Four the Holidays (116921); Ink: Baja Breeze (111833); Stampin’ Write Markers: Basic Black (100082), Real Red (100052), Baja Breeze (120965); Designer Series Paper: Candy Cane Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper (120809—Holiday Mini); Card Stock: Whisper White (100730), Baja Breeze (111352), Real Red (102482); Tools: 1-1/4″ Square Punch (119865), 1-3/8″ Square Punch (119877), Snowflake Punch (119852), 1-3/4″ x 7/8″ Oval Punch (119855), Scallop Oval Punch (119856); Glitz and Glam: Glimmer Brights Brads (121006—Holiday Mini), Whisper White Satin Ribbon (119958), Real Red 1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon (119251)

Paper Players Sneak Peek


I had fun creating my card for the upcoming Paper Player’s challenge, which will be revealed Sunday. After the spider card on Thursday, my husband asked me why I never make “cute” cards. Well, this will be my attempt at…cute! Join me this Sunday and you can be the judge! And there is still time to play in this week’s color challenge of More Mustard, Old Olive, Early Espresso and Cajun Craze! The link closes at 6:00 PST Saturday.

Have you played along with the latest Pals Paper Arts challenge? You can’t beat this week’s theme…Halloween! You have until Noon (CST) Tuesday, September 21st, to link your creation. We’ll announce our Pals Paper Artist Picks Wednesday, September 22nd. I know that I have said it many times before, but challenges are excellent ways to improve our papercrafting skills, while having fun!

Would you love to have this lovely tote? It can be yours simply by signing up to become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator before October 18th. By signing up to become a member of The Schach Pack, you will receive the Greenhouse Gala Tote for free (a $39.95 value). If you are like me, you love receiving a good value! The Standard Starter Kit is valued at more than $310, yet costs only $175. Adding on the tote increases that to more than $350 for half price! And who doesn’t like receiving a discount on their Stampin’ Up! products, which is just one of the many perks of being a demonstrator! I would love to talk with you about becoming a member of the Stampin’ Up! family. Please email me, and we can discuss how you can get this tote headed your way!
Ready to host your own workshop? Email me to set a date. If you are located in the central/southeastern Iowa or west/central Illinois area, I am available to travel for in-home workshops or classes. Not close by? Email me about my virtual workshops! I hope to hear from you soon! Until next time…


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Simply Schach Single Layer Thank You


A very good teacher friend of mine is getting married next month, and I was invited to a late afternoon bridal shower for her yesterday. At about 1:00, I decided that I wanted to add a little something extra to her shower gift. Since her wedding colors and reception decorations revolve around an autumn theme, I decided to stamp a set of Thank You cards for her. After all, a new bride can never have too many! However, since I only had a few hours to complete my task, I knew that whatever I was going to design had to be quick and easy…and I needed to have the supplies on hand. So armed with the Autumn Splendor set stamp, a few ink pads, and card stock, I stamped up twelve cards. A simple gift card completed the set. Wrapped in plain brown paper, with Early Espresso 1-1/4″ Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and a fancy bow, it was an adorable little extra to add to my original gift!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • I’m late…I’m late…for a very important date! To save time I cut all of the paper, scored it, and then stamped all of the leaves of each color…assembly line style! Cajun Craze, More Mustard and Early Espresso were my inks of choice! Each card is slightly different, which makes them even more special!
  • Random stamping! Remember to stamp some images off the edge! And do not obsess too much about image placement…the result will be carefree and natural!
  • Stamp-a-ma-jig! For perfect sentiment placement, the Stamp-a-ma-jig is a must! This sentiment, from Thank You Kindly was stamped in Early Espresso.
  • Confetti and Crumb Cake! Confetti White card stock forms a perfect canvas when stamping single layer cards! The “confetti” forms such a pretty background. In the case of Crumb Cake, a few spritzes with the Color Spritzer Tool and an Early Espresso Stampin’ Write Marker, add confetti in a flash!
  • Complete the set with a cute little 3″ x 3″ card and coordinating envelope!
Answers to Questions
Yesterday’s post and tutorial generated a few questions about the Distressing Essentials Kit, which is found on page 195 of the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog. The inks that are in this kit are Stampin’ Spot size and include Tea Stain, Mahogany, Charcoal and Navy. The kit comes with a 1″ x 1-1/2″ flat stamp which can be used to apply the ink to the paper. After application to the paper, they can be blended with water. I, however, prefer to apply them with Stampin’ Sponges. I hope this helps! And if you have more questions, please email me. I am more than happy to help!
And if you have any questions about the quick and easy cards presented today, don’t hesitate to email me! And of course, remember your comments are very important to me. Until next time…


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Stamp Set: Autumn Splendor (116503); Inks: Early Espresso (119670), More Mustard (103162), Cajun Craze (119671), Early Espresso Stampin’ Write Marker (119680); Card Stock: Confetti White (102028), Crumb Cake (120953); Tools: Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Stamp-a-ma-jig (101049); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247)