Snack Time with The Paper Players

Gooooood morning stampy friends!  Thanks to everyone who played along with Claire's fun color challenge last week, our gallery was small but mighty!  Today, the Paper Players are back with a great new challenge from the artistic Ann!

This was another time when I have SO MANY stamp sets I could use that it might have given me decision paralysis and then I ended up with two cards.  Last Friday was National Chocolate Chip Day (who knew that was a thing, but I approve), so I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and then I discovered later on Friday afternoon that National Chocolate Chip COOKIE Day is actually August 4, but I figured chocolate chip cookies count for National Chocolate Chip Day as well.  And Ryan got to gloat because he was right that Friday was National Chocolate Chip Day and not National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, so I'm glad to see they're teaching him the really important stuff at school.  Anyway, here's my card:

I bought the stamp set Roadies 19 from The Ink Road *just* for that greeting because my brother and I grew up eating raw cookie dough, which I realize may be a divisive subject but I thought this stamp was just hilarious.  I stamped the cookies from Nothing's Better Than and then put together a very simple CAS layout on a Pool Party card base, which I chose honestly because I was wearing a Pool Party-ish colored shirt when I made the card, and Pool Party looked good with Baked Brown Sugar and Early Espresso.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Nothing's Better Than, Roadies 19 from The Ink Road
Ink:  Baked Brown Sugar, Early Espresso
Paper:  Pool Party, Thick Basic White
Accessories:  Love You More Than dies, Stylish Shapes dies, Dimensionals

However, I had already made a different card for this challenge and I think it still deserves to be shared here, so take a look at a bonus card:

My dad and I like to share really silly puns ("dad jokes") with each other, and I will be mailing this card to him.  There was a Paper Pumpkin kit a while back that was based entirely on food puns, and I restarted my Paper Pumpkin subscription specifically to get that kit (and let's not talk about the 3-foot tall stack of other Paper Pumpkin kits that have not been opened, I conquered my FOMO and stopped my subscription again so at least that stack isn't getting any taller).  There's a little stamped image of an egg but I thought I could make a CAS fried egg out of cardstock, so that's what I did.  I die cut a circle for the yolk and then free-hand cut an amorphous shape for the egg white, sponged the edges of both pieces, and added a very simple greeting popped up on Dimensionals.  I chose a Basic Gray card base to look like a frying pan.

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  My Paper Pumpkin
Ink:  Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie
Paper:  Basic Gray, Basic White, Mango Melody
Accessories:  Dimensionals

Check out the other design team creations on the Paper Players blog, and you can hop through their individual blogs to leave some comments too:

The Paper Players Design Team

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Claire Broadwater

Joanne James

Anne Marie Hile

Ann Schach

Jan Clothier

Stef Perry

you are here --> Christy Stanford

And then upload your card at the Paper Players blog!  Keep in mind a few simple rules:
1.  Create a new paper project
2.  Upload your creation to your blog with a link back to us and provide a direct link to the post featuring your challenge submission
3.  Please link your card to no more than four challenges, TOTAL
4.  Have fun!

SUO Challenges: All About Christmas

Good morning stampy friends!  It is time once again for a new challenge from Stampin' Up! Only Challenges!

Our final challenge for the year is all about Christmas!  Break out your favorite holiday stamps and upload your card on the SUO Challenges blog in between making cookies and wrapping presents.  This challenge is running for the rest of the month so you've got time : )  Here's what I made:

I hadn't played with the Christmas Scottie bundle yet and it's SO cute!  Get it while you can, it is retiring.  Rather than stamping the pupper, I punched the shape out of black cardstock with some glitter paper for his festive bow, and put that on top of a fun candy cane pattern from the Sweetest Christmas DSP.

If you're running short on time, here's a quicker option:

Use the Memories & More cards for a super-quick card.  I heat embossed the cookies on the background (in my mind they're double chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips), but to make this even faster you could just put it on plain cardstock or a coordinating patterned paper.  I love that little singing reindeer!  Better yet, the Santa Express Memories & More cards are currently 50% off, and the coordinating Santa Express DSP is also on sale.

Don't forget to upload your Christmas card creations on the SUO Challenges blog.  Have fun!

Supplies, first card:
Stamps:  Christmas Scottie
Ink:  Sweet Sorbet
Paper:  Parakeet Party, Sweet Sorbet, Basic Black, Thick Basic White, Sweetest Christmas DSP, In Color ombre glimmer paper
Accessories:  Scottie dog punch, Stylish Shapes dies, In Color matte dots, Dimensionals

Supplies, second card:
Stamps:  Nothing's Better Than
Ink:  Versamark
Paper:  Pool Party, Early Espresso, Poppy Parade
Accessories:  White EP, Santa Express Memories & More cards, Dimensionals

Cocktail Hour

Mornin' y'all.  Looks like I'll be staying home today with a kid who's feeling kinda puny so I'm going to get my blog post done now and then go do some serious couch time with him.  Hopefully I can talk him into watching something we'll both like.

In the meantime, new card for today:

Couple of cocktails!  Amusingly enough, I found the perfect sentiment for my card in the Cup of Tea stamp set.  I generally don't drink alcohol (I just don't care for it), but two cheery cocktails seemed like the perfect fit for this week's Color Throwdown:

I used Tahitian Tide, Daffodil Delight, Gorgeous Grape, and Calypso Coral for my colors.  That sure is a fun inspo pic too!

As usual, I paired the Color Throwdown with this week's Freshly Made Sketch:

Love this one.  Okay, I'm off to be Dr. Mom for my kiddo.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Nothing's Better Than, Cup of Tea
Ink:  Tahitian Tide, Daffodil Delight, Gorgeous Grape, Calypso Coral, Versamark
Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Gorgeous Grape, Thick Basic White, Tahitian Tide & Calypso Coral DSP
Accessories:  Love You More Than dies, Stitched Rectangles dies, Wink of Stella, mini Dimensionals, White EP

Hangry

Well, I was supposed to have today off with Ryan at daycare, but now I have to go pick him up early.  Dangit.  I just finished my first card of the day, too.

Had to have another go at the Festive Friday challenge:

I used baked goods, brown, neutrals, and enamel dots.  Paired that with the sketch from CAS Colours & Sketches:

And now I need to switch out my laundry real fast and get out the door.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Nothing's Better Than, Lighthearted Lines
Ink:  Early Espresso, Cinnamon Cider
Paper:  Thick Basic White
Accessories:  In Color Enamel Dots

Deceptively Simple

Hey y'all!  Do you ever sit down to create something and it feels like your brain and/or your project just won't cooperate?  Yeah that was me yesterday.  I think it's worse when I know I have a finite amount of time to spend in my craft room and then panic because I'm "wasting" time trying to figure out what I'm doing.  So here's the card that took me two hours *rolls eyes*

I had a couple of challenges in mind and then I just couldn't figure out how to make them work for me but I think I got there in the end?  First up is the Inspired By Warm Winter challenge:

I just got a new (non-SU...shhhh!) stamp set with all kinds of supercute mugs and I couldn't wrap my brain around using that set (that SHOULD have been perfect with this inspo pic!) so I ended up with Nothing's Better Than from SU.  I think what was throwing my brain for a loop is the all-neutrals aspect of the inspiration picture, I just could NOT make it work in my head until I finally said FINE and used some Misty Moonlight.

Check out the Global Design Project sketch:

Once I finally got the colors and DSP sorted, this sketch made the card come together really fast.  Ya know, after I agonized over it for a while first :p  I bought a Starbucks mug to send to someone so this card is going in the package with the mug.  But man, was it a struggle to get it done...

Cheers, y'all!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Nothing's Better Than, Biggest Wish
Ink:  Misty Moonlight
Paper:  Early Espresso, Thick Basic Vanilla, In Good Taste DSP
Accessories:  Love You More Than dies, Rectangles Stitched dies, Dimensionals

SUO Challenges: The Initial Idea

Salutations and greetings, stampy friends!  It is time once more for a new challenge at SUO Challenges!

I came up with the idea for this week's challenge and I'm a bit nervous about it...the idea is to use your initial, not necessarily to create a card with your initial on it (though several of the design team did just that), but to choose your card elements based on what your initial is.  For example, Brenda might make a birthday card with Bermuda Bay and Bumblebee for her colors.  So here's what I made:

The inside of my card continues the sentiment:  And be awesome!  With a C for my first initial, I could have done a Christmas card or a cactus card (you know how I love my Flowering Cactus product medley), but I decided to go with COOKIES (chocolate chip cookies, even) and I used Coastal Cabana and Cinnamon Cider for my colors.  For one more C, I CASEd this card by Julie Dimatteo.  I love how she used one piece of DSP and showcased both sides!  My Coastal Cabana DSP is retired, but this idea would be super easy to use with ANY piece of double-sided patterned paper.

Hope the concept of the challenge doesn't scare you.  Please link up your card at the SUO Challenges blog!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Nothing's Better Than
Ink: Cinnamon Cider, Early Espresso
Paper:  Thick Basic White, Cinnamon Cider, Coastal Cabana DSP
Accessories:  Love You More Than dies, Wink of Stella

SUO Challenges: Gifts, Tags, Boxes, & Bags

Gooooood morning stampy friends!  It is time for a new challenge at SUO Challenges!

 
And this time around it really was a challenge for me because we're doing 3D items (gifts, tags, boxes, and bags) and 3D is Not My Thing.  I had been mulling this challenge over in my mind for weeks (the DT has the list of challenges for usually several months in advance) and then, one day last week, I took the last two tea bags out of a tin and I had an idea.  I buy quite a bit of tea from Republic of Tea and I just hate to toss the tins when they're empty so...why not alter it?  Here is what I made:

So the tin is about 5 inches tall (not counting the top).  I peeled off the original label and discovered it was about 8 1/2" long, and I had the most recent Paper Pumpkin kit on my craft table so I grabbed one of the card fronts from that to wrap the cylinder.  If I had it to do over again I think I'd choose a regular patterned paper; the card front is heavier weight, more like cardstock, which makes it a little more difficult to wrap around a round object.  Definitely use some heavy-duty adhesive.  I added a cardstock band and then a stamped/die cut the main label part.

And then I filled it up with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, because who doesn't love those :)  I think this would be a cute little gift for Valentine's Day or anything else really--yeah I used Poppy Parade but there's no hearts so it's not strictly Valentine's Day themed.  Now I sorta wish I hadn't left all my other tins in storage but I've been collecting them for years and this is the first time I've actually done anything with one of them, haha!  I'm going to keep this in mind for when Ryan starts school, I think these would be cute for teacher's gifts.  Plus I never turn down an excuse to drink more tea.

So now it's your turn to make something three dimensional and share with us on the SUO Challenges blog.  If that is Not Your Thing either, be brave and try something new--I did, and I really liked what I ended up with!  Now I just need to concentrate on not eating all the peanut butter cups...

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Nothing's Better Than
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:  Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz, Basic Black, Thick Whisper White, card front from January 2021 My Paper Pumpkin kit
Accessories:  Layering Ovals dies, Love You More Than dies, black ribbon from January 2021 My Paper Pumpkin kit

SUO Challenges: What's Your Favorite?

Hey hey, it's time for a new challenge at SUO Challenges!

This time we're asking you to use your favorite stamps.  You could use your all-time favorite, your favorite new stamps, your favorite stamps in the current catalog...just something that you would call your favorite in some category!  I used my favorite stamps from when the new catalog debuted this summer, and also my two favorite new In Colors, and I made this:

Nothing's Better Than was tops on my list as soon as I saw it.  It's got cookies and chocolate and coffee (uh, they're teacups in my house) and cocktails all in a fun retro style and what's not to love?  I couldn't resist using my two favorite new In Colors, Just Jade and Cinnamon Cider, to make this card.  Who knew I'd go gaga over a shade of brown?  But it's just amazing, I love it.

So now you've seen my favorites, let's see what is tops on your list!  Upload your card creation at the SUO Challenges blog and have fun!

Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Nothing's Better Than
Ink:  Cinnamon Cider, Just Jade
Paper:  Just Jade, Early Espresso, Cinnamon Cider, Thick Whisper White, Early Espresso DSP
Accessories:  Stitched Shapes dies, Dimensionals

Coffee Talk

Ugh, yesterday was NOT a good day, but I'm hoping that today will be better.  I did manage to make a card yesterday though, and I inked up two more brand-new stamp sets!

The mug is from the set Nothing's Better Than and HOW did I make my first card with COFFEE CUPS and not the CHOCOLATE or the COOKIES?!  I don't even DRINK coffee!  But I thought they worked best with the color challenge I wanted to use.  I got Ornate Thanks on my first big catalog order as well; I didn't get the dies for it because I didn't think I would use them, but I love the font styles on the sentiments in the stamp set.

So three challenges for today!  Let's start with the Global Design Project sketch:

This was fun, I just stamped the mugs randomly on the card front until I liked it and thought I had enough of them.  Next up is the Hand Stamped Sentiments color challenge:

It's hard to tell the difference between Pool Party and Mint Macaron on my card, but I promise I used both.  The solid stamp on the mugs is Pool Party (with some Wink of Stella because I love it), and the steam is Pool Party stamped off once; the cardstock strip for the sentiment is Pool Party.  The little star accents are Mint Macaron.

Finally, here's the Paper Players theme challenge:

This gave me the excuse to ink up Ornate Thanks for the sentiment, and I still had lots of white space to keep this card CAS.  I do have lots of friends who drink coffee (and think that me and my hubs are weirdos because we don't) so I'm sure I'll have a use for this card soon.

Hope your day goes well, kids.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Nothing's Better Than, Ornate Thanks
Ink:  Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Mint Macaron, Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:  Thick Whisper White, Pool Party, Bermuda Bay DSP
Accessories:  Wink of Stella, Mini Dimensionals