A Fall Wreath


It’s Sunday and time to reveal my Paper Players inspiration card. This week we are hosting a color challenge highlighting the beautiful, rich colors of fall: Old Olive, More Mustard, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso. If you do not have these colors, feel free to substitute with colors of similar hue. What is important is that you join us and have fun! I can’t wait to see what you create!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Coordination is key! When working with multiple patterns, look for colors and textures that coordinate. Stampin’ Up!’s Autumn Spice Specialty Designer Series Paper is a perfect example with its fall designs and colors!

  • Stamp on pattern paper for a delightful change! Here the sentiment from Day of Gratitude is stamped directly onto a piece of More Mustard paper from the Autumn Spice Collection.

  • Layer upon layers for dimension! The sentiment is punched using the Decorative Label Punch, and then layered upon Cajun Craze and Early Espresso. Leaves are layered upon leaves! Ribbon is layered upon ribbon! Each layer adds depth and visual interest.

  • Distress and spritz! The Color Spritzer Tool and Early Espresso Stampin’ Write Marker instantly ages and warms the design, as does the sponging around the edges of the layers and leaves.

  • Crazy about Cajun Craze? Create Cajun Craze grosgrain ribbon by tinting Very Vanilla ribbon with Cajun Craze Ink and a Sponge Dauber…or a Cajun Craze Stampin’ Write Marker.

  • A touch of the unexpected! Instead of buttons and twine, try Basic Pearls!
The leaves used on this card were watercolored using Blender Pens and ink. I have been asked many times how I create my watercolored images. I hope that this tutorial helps. I will apologize for the fact that it is in two parts. You will learn why as you watch. And don’t expect any fancy bells and whistles…I haven’t learned how to edit yet! So enjoy these tutorials in all of their unedited glory!

Remember, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away! And please, won’t you leave me a comment before you go? Until next time…

Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7
Stamp Sets: Autumn Splendor (116503), Day of Gratitude (W 120835; C 121148); Inks: Old Olive (102277), More Mustard (103162), Cajun Craze (119671), Early Espresso (119670), Soft Suede (115657), Early Espresso Stampin’ Write Marker (119680), Crumb Cake Stampin’ Write Marker (120967), Old Olive Stampin’ Write Marker (100079), Cajun Craze Stampin’ Write Marker (119678); Designer Series Paper: Autumn Spice (120808—Holiday Mini); Card Stock: Early Espresso (119686), Cajun Craze(119684); Tools: Decorative Label Punch (120907—Holiday Mini), Paper Snips (103579), Sponge Dauber (102892), Blender Pens (102845), Color Spritzer Tool (107066); Glitz and Glam: Old Olive 1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon (119256), Very Vanilla 5/8″ Grosgrain Ribbon (109055), Basic Pearls (119247)

A Sneak Peek for The Paper Players

The Paper Players have a wonderful challenge scheduled for tomorrow! And to pique your interest I am treating you to a sneak peek at my Design Team inspiration card. It’s distressed! It’s watercolored! It’s been spritzed! It’s everything I love to do! Plus, I will be sharing my first video tutorial … Watercoloring with Blender Pens! So please join me on Sunday when the challenge goes live!

In the mood for a challenge right now? Don’t forget Pals Paper Arts awesome color challenge. You have until Noon CST Tuesday to link your Tempting Turquoise, So Saffron and Old Olive creations. You could be one of the next Pals Artist Picks!
Do Any of These Scenerios Fit You?

  • I have a Wish List that’s a mile long.
  • I would love to earn a few extra dollars each month to help pay for (insert YOUR desire here).
  • I want to share my creativity with others.
  • I would like to have access to a private blog where I can learn more about techniques and tips.
  • I think it would be great to take advantage of pre-orders.
  • I think it would be fun to go to Convention and hang-out with Ann! (OK…maybe I am stretching this a bit…but Convention IS fabulous!)
  • I would like this FREE tote!

If you answered “YES” to any of the above, EMAIL ME today to learn how you can become a member of The Schach Pack, my downline group of Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. Imagine the possibilities! If you are ready to join now and receive immediate benefits, CLICK HERE, and then click on JOIN NOW! My recruiting password is: stampinschach.

Thanks for stopping by today and taking a look at my Paper Player Preview! I hope that you will join me tomorrow for the reveal and tutorial! Remember, your comments and questions are important to me! Until next time…

Make-Overs…A Quick and Easy Card Update


Have you ever been in this situation? You make a card, but then you never send it? Well that was the situation I was in. I had created the lovely card below for the May Dirty Dozen “How Does Your Garden Grow” gallery. Yet, I never sent it. Usually I make cards without specific sentiments so I can use them for any occasion. But not this time. I had placed the “From Our Home to Yours” sentiment, from the now retired “Bella’s Bloom” set, on the front of this particular card. Why did I do that? My home is never sending out anything to anyone else’s home! However, I always have a need for Thank You cards. So…taking a tip from all of those home and beauty make-over articles, I decided to give this card a make-over, switching out retired product with new, while still using the original card base and watercolored image from “A Peace Within”. Since it always takes me longer to design a card than to actually construct it, the make-over flew together in a matter of minutes!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Save time and product! The original textured Very Vanilla card stock was easily removed from the Brushed Gold mat. I left the gold mat in place and covered it with “Wasabi and Vanilla” Polk Dot paper from the Woodland Walk collection. Less formal…more fresh and funky!
  • I removed the water colored image from its original matting, and layered it onto the same polka dot pattern. It was then matted onto Chocolate Chip.
  • Since the horizontal panel featured retired designer paper and ribbon, a new one was quickly created from the coordinating “Very Vanilla Multicolored Polka Dot” pattern from Woodland Walk and Chocolate Chip card stock. Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon, now retired, was replaced with Early Espresso. A snippet of Daffodil Delight 1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon was added for a “pop” of color and to accentuate the yellow flowers in the basket.
  • The “Thank You” sentiment from With All My Heart was inked with Wild Wasabi and Early Espresso Stampin’ Write Markers. A Basic Pearl accent was added. A new Wild Wasabi Scallop Oval was punched, paper pierced, and layered onto the original Chocolate Chip Wide Oval. Easy!
I saved resources by re-using some of the paper, and I definitely saved time by starting with my original design. Yes…I could have just switched the sentiment, but as a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, I do want to send out cards that feature our current product! As for the textured Very Vanilla mat…you will see it again. I saved it for use another card!
Today’s card featured water coloring with Blender Pens and Inks. Because of the many requests that I have received asking me about this technique, I have prepared a video tutorial for you. It will be available on Sunday’s post. And before you get too excited, I will say that there is definitely a learning curve with editing these videos. However, just like water coloring, practice makes perfect, and I sure that I will improve!
Your comments are very important to me, so please let me know what you think about today’s cards. And remember, if you have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, don’t hesitate to email me! Until next time…

Coming Soon:

  • Saturday…The Paper Players Sneak Peek
  • Sunday…The Paper Players Design Team Inspiration Card
  • Sunday…Water Coloring with Blender Pens Video Tutorial
  • Monday…A “Muffy the Boxer” Puppy Video Update
  • Tuesday…The Pals Gigantic Halloween Blog Hop

Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up 24/7
Stamp Sets: A Peace Within, With All My Heart; Inks: Pretty in Pink, Perfect Plum, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Sahara Sand, Creamy Caramel; Designer Series Paper: Woodland Walk; Card Stock: Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi, Very Vanilla; Tools: Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Blender Pens, Paper Piercer; Glitz and Glam: Early Espresso Satin Ribbon, Daffodil Delight 1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon, Basic Pearls