The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

• Since I had no blackberry, strawberry, or cheese stamps (I originally thought it was a banana), I decided to go with color! I selected Very Vanilla, So Saffron, Concord Crush and Poppy Parade. Plus, I opted to go with a French theme, since when I think of cheese, I think of wine, which makes me think of France! Whew! Now I have a starting point for my card!
• Stamp your own designer paper! I inked the Circle stamp from Artistic Etchings with Concord Crush and randomly stamped onto So Saffron card stock. After a few little spritzes, using the Color Spritzer Tool and a Concord Crush Stampin’ Write Marker, the look is complete!
• Evening in Paris! The Eiffel Tower was inked in Concord Crush and stamped onto Very Vanilla. This time I spritzed with Crumb Cake, and distressed the edges in Concord Crush. After matting onto Poppy Parade and adding a few Basic Pearls, the image is ready. Except…the Poppy Parade looks a wee bit too orange. However, I just used my Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Write Marker and “reddened” it up a little!
• It’s all in the details! A fan-fold flower, complete with a Victoria crochet trim center and Antique Brad, makes the perfect accent for the left side of the card. This is balanced by the “Crown” tag on the right!

I hope that you enjoyed today’s card. And I hope that you will join us at the Paper Players challenge this week. Of course, if you have any questions about the cards that I make or the techniques which I use, don’t hesitate to email me. I am always happy to help. Until next time…

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Stamp Set: Artistic Etchings (W 118517; C 120573); Inks: Concord Crush (119785); Stampin’ Write Markers: Concord Crush (119801—In-Color Set), Crumb Cake (120967); Designer Series Paper: Designer Series Paper Pack-In Color Level 1 Hostess Gift (121028); Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650), Poppy Parade (119793), So Saffron (105118); Tools: 1-1/4″ Circle Punch (119861), 1-3/8″ Circle Punch (119860), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Crop-a-dile (108362), Sponge Daubers (102892) Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247), Victoria 5/8″ Crochet Trim (118481), Linen Thread (104199), Antique Brads (117273), Very Vanilla 5/8″ Grosgrain Ribbon (109055), Metallic Eyelets (105319)

Are you challenged by this week’s Pals Paper Arts Challenge (PPA56)? If so, that’s a good thing! I always told my students that if they were not challenged, they would never “grow” as a student. However, as a teacher in the classroom, I was always there to give my students helpful hints. So here is a stamping tip for you! Enjoy!

PPA 56 Inspiration Challenge Tip:
Narrow the scope of this week’s inspiration challenge. Simply focus on the bird or flower in the photo.

• Create with color!
• Stamp a bird, and even “bling” it if you like!
• Stamp a stem and a flower or two!
• Pick a punch!
• Build a border!

Anything goes and there’s still plenty of time to participate. It’s that easy! I know…old teachers never die…they just lose their class! But I could not help but pass along this PPA tip!

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The unveiling of the new Pals Paper Arts blog is today, and I hope that you love our chic, new look! The challenges have a twist to them and we have added four new ever-so-talented members to our Design Team. You can read all about it here. But first, lets talk about today’s inspiration card. This week the challenge is an inspiration challenge, using this lovely Oscar de la Renta photo:

There was so much happening in this photo, I didn’t even know where to start. After staring at this photo in wonder, and wondering how anyone could ever wear heels this high, I opted to draw my inspiration from the colors of the wall and the atomizer between the heels. I hope you will not only enjoy today’s card, but also today’s spotlight on technique…faux silk!

• When faced with an inspiration photo, remember all of your options: colors, shapes, textures, objects, or even ambiance! Because these colors were right up my alley, I opted to create in terms of color and texture! But I could not overlook the smidge of lace near the candle…and those shoes!
• Vintage Trinkets! The old scissors pictured made me think of sewing. What better excuse could there be to add snippets of Victoria lace trim, miniature buttons and those adorable vintage looking safety pins. And what a delightful way to add a pair of high heels, stamped using the Things I Love set, into the mix.
• Cajun Craze and More Mustard! The “Floral Image” from Day of Gratitude was inked with Cajun Craze and stamped onto More Mustard card stock, to emulate the colors of the atomizer. The Friends Are Flowers stamp, from Friends Never Fade was inked with Cajun Craze and stamped onto Very Vanilla. Then just the flower from the center was snipped out. This was stamped a second time onto More Mustard, and just the center of the flower was snipped out and adhered to the first flower. The flower was then sponged with More Mustard ink, and its edges were distressed with a little Soft Suede. The flower was then popped onto a Stampin’ Dimensional and adhered to the Day of Gratitude image. Basic Pearls complete the look!
• Waffle Paper! A piece of Early Espresso card stock was coated with Tombow Adhesive, and covered with Brown Waffle Paper. The look is instant texture which mimics the trunk!
• Fabulous Faux! While searching for inspiration, my eyes were continually drawn to the background wall. What a perfect place to use the Faux Silk technique! For those of you who are new to this technique, it is so quick and easy. Here is a pictorial of how I created the faux silk background:

Looking for more unique techniques? Splitcoaststampers has oodles! Remember, if you have any questions about today’s card, or the techniques that I use, I will gladly answer them! So, how did I do today? My favorite part of today’s card were the little high heels I attached with the vintage safety pin. How about you? I will be anxious to see what you create, and to read what you think about the new PPA! Until next time…

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