Hello Baby for the PPA and Baby Boxer Pix

It’s Thursday…and what a glorious Thursday it is! Not only is it time for the Pals Paper Arts challenge, but I also have a hint about exciting changes that will be taking place at the PPA. Plus, I have exciting news of my own. I AM GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!! Now that I have your attention, I really am going to have a baby…a new fur-baby! When I saw these “happy” colors of Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise and Melon Mambo for today’s color challenge, I knew that I had to create a happy card! And what could be happier than the birth of the newest member of the Schach family? So let’s get the design tips out of the way so I can share the details about our new Boxer baby and give you a sneak peek at just one of the changes that will be occurring next week at Pals Paper Arts.

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Let the colors dictate the mood of your card! Happy colors should be used to make happy cards!
  • The odds have it! Threes or fives are more pleasing to the eye…a design basic which has been used by interior designers for years. Three balloons, three bows, three elements on the button…all of these add balance!
  • Canine Couture! Even Scotties love to be well dressed. A few Basic Pearls transform this collar from drab to fab. And notice how many pearls there are…three!
  • Scallops, scallops everywhere! The Scallop Edge Border Punch was used to punch…you guessed it…three borders that compliment the large Scallop Square.
  • Button envy! Two tiny tags welcoming our new addition were punched using the Jewelry Tag punch and spiffied up with a Basic Pearl. These were then threaded onto a safety pin from Vintage Trinkets and adhered to a Daffodil Delight button using a Mini Glue Dot. So easy…and the perfect touch to any baby card!
As I hinted yesterday, I used no spritzing, smooching, distressing, tearing, daubing or…embossing! So, I really felt out of my comfort zone with this card. However, I did use two of my favorite new products: Basic Pearls and Vintage Trinkets! Remember, at the PPA you are welcome to play with any supplies…not just Stampin’ Up! And if you don’t have these same colors…feel free to substitute with similar colors! Come and join in the fun! And speaking of fun…here is a hint at just one of the changes that will be happening at Pals Paper Arts next week. How cool is this!

And Now for My Exciting Baby News:

Many of you were by my side as I shared my sorrow at the passing of my beloved Missy the Boxer. Your words comforted me then, and they still bring me comfort even today. Yes, there are those people who undoubtedly said, “She was just a dog”. These are the same people whose lives have never been touched by the love of “just a dog”. Over the last six months, my family has anguished over the question of whether to bring another baby into our midst. And happily that question has been answered. “Muffin” was born 8-09-10. We have the second female pick of the litter out of five females and three males. While I would have loved a flashy, brindle female…as would the first pick person…there was only one little girl with “bling”. Most of the girls are similar in their markings to their daddy, Ch. Happy Tails Dart Impact. I have “brand-new-just-dried-off” baby pictures to share with you. We have narrowed our choice to these three…one of them will be Muffy the Boxer! We just have to wait to see who is selected first, and then we will have a tough selection to make! Hey…maybe we will just have to adopt both of them. But wait! If odds are better, as we have seen with today’s card, maybe we will have to add a third…right? Even interior designers know that things look better in threes…even Boxers!

I will leave you today with baby pictures. Take a quick peek, then head on over to Pals Paper Arts for more inspiration! Tomorrow: Blog Candy. Until next time…


Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7

Stamp Set: Friends Fur-ever (W 117008; C 120504), Tiny Tags (W 118091; C 118592); Ink: Jet Black StazOn (101406); Stampin’ Write Markers: Melon Mambo (121074), Basic Black (100082), Tempting Turquoise (100058); Designer Series Paper: Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, and Tempting Turquoise from the Brights Patterns Paper Stack (117155); Card Stock: Melon Mambo textured (119930), Tempting Turquoise smooth (102067), Whisper White (100730); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Scallop Square Bigz Clear Die (115950), Scallop Edge Border Punch (119882), Jewelry Tag Punch (117190); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247), Vintage Trinkets (118764), Daffodil Delight 1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon (119254), Daffodil Delight Button from the Brights Collection Designer Button (119747)

Pals Paper Arts Peek of the Week

It’s time for the Pals Paper Arts “Peek of the Week”, where I give you a tiny glimpse at my inspiration card for the upcoming challenge. For a change, this actually qualifies as a HUGE peek instead of a tiny one! And as you can see, there is no embossing (gasp), no distressing (double gasp), and no spritzing with the Color Spritzer Tool (triple gasp). It is definitely not my usual vintage or shabby chic style, for sure! And Thursday’s post will be filled with interesting revelations, other than just the rest of my card. Hmmm! What could it be! You will just have to make certain that you tune in Thursday to see!

My final Dirty Dozen gallery has been uploaded, and it is ready for Sunday, when it will go live. It is hard to believe that six months have flown by this quickly. I would have never presumed that I would have ever been honored by being named a member of this incredibly talented group of stampers. My friend and mentor, Mary Fish, once described being a member of the Dirty Dozen, as her “dream gig”, and I will have to agree. I am just wondering when I will awaken from the dream…I will, however, have much more time available now for my own stamping endeavors. I have tons of new items from the Holiday Mini just waiting for me to create. I can hardly wait to share them with you!

There is Still Time to Book Your August Workshop

With Stampin’ Up!’s “Extra! Extra Hostess Promotion”, you can earn an extra $25 of FREE product for a qualifying workshop of $350 through August! Here is what recent hostess Staci R. emailed her friends after her first workshop: “We had such a good time Friday night and we learned so much that I have scheduled another Stampin’ Up! party!” Not only will you learn new and exciting techniques at a Stampin’ Schach workshop, you will have fun, too! Email me today to set a date!

Want to become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator and have fun while sharing your love of stamping? Do you have a huge Wish List and want to take advantage of a demonstrator discount? Ready to add to your income? Join my group today. Email me for more information!
Until next time…


Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7

Same Card…Two Looks for Always Playing with Paper


I am thrilled to be revealing this week’s card, or cards if you please, for the Paper Players Challenge. This week we are hosting a yummy color challenge combining Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, and Very Vanilla. If you do not have these colors, don’t despair! Just substitute with something similar. For my card, I inked up the three “Chair” images from Stampin’ Up!’s Have a Seat stamp set. Because of the almost austere lines of this set, I decided to keep my card simple in terms of embellishments. However, I could not resist trying it out with a big bow, too! Isn’t it amazing how different it looks? I hope that you enjoy this little slice of Cherry Vanilla Crumb Cake with an Espresso!


The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips:

  • Be a Big Shot hero! Early Espresso was zipped through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, while Very Vanilla was paired with the Perfect Polka Dots folder. A small piece of Early Espresso was punched with the Modern Label punch, then embossed using the Square Lattice folder.

  • Layer your labels! The “i miss you” sentiment from Three Little Words was inked with Early Espresso and stamped onto Crumb Cake card stock. After punching it out with the 1-3/8″ x 5/8″ Oval Punch, it was layered onto a 1″ Cherry Cobbler Circle which had been adhered to the Early Espresso Designer Label that had been previously texturized. But as you can see in Picture Two, this card looks perfectly fine sans sentiment.

  • Plain and simple! A snippet of Hemp Twine tied around 1-1/4″ Early Espresso Striped Grosgrain Ribbon is the perfect ribbon treatment for a simple look. Or if you like, dress it up with a voluptuous bow, as shown below!

  • Age instantly! The Color Spritzer Tool, paired with an Early Espresso Stampin’ Write Marker adds the perfect amount of speckling to the image mat, while the edges are gently distressed using a Sponge Dauber and Early Espresso ink.


So what do you think? Big Bow or Hemp Twine? Let me know in your comment! Isn’t it fun to see the difference! And if you have any questions about any of the techniques that I have used on this card, don’t hesitate to ask. I really do look forward to your emails.

I still have a few open dates in which to take advantage of Stampin’ Up!’s Hostess Promotion. Earn an extra $25 of free product for a qualifying workshop of $350 (before taxes and shipping)! Want to host a catalog party? That’s fine, too! Just email me for details! Until next time…


Click Here to Order Stampin’ Up! 24/7

Stamp Sets: Have a Seat (W 116696; C 120447), Three Little Words (113254); Ink: Early Espresso (119670), Early Espresso Stampin’ Write Marker (119680); Card Stock: Crumb Cake (120953), Early Espresso (119686), Cherry Cobbler (119685), Very Vanilla (101650); Tools: Big Shot (113439), Textured Impressions Embossing Folders: Vintage Wallpaper (120175), Square Lattice (119976), Perfect Polka Dots (117335); Punches: Designer Label (119862), 1″ Circle (119868), 1-3/8″ x 5/8″ Oval Punch (119863); Sponge Dauber (102892), Color Spritzer Tool (107066); Glitz and Glam: Hemp Twine (100982), Early Espresso 1 -1/4″ Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (119961)