Teapots, Fun Folds, and Paper Players

Evidently, I'm terrible at noting deadlines. I made this card based on a layout from the Friday Mashup sketch challenge, and I completely missed the challenge deadline! Lately, this has happened a few times more than I would like to admit.

Luckily, though, I also made this card for a color challenge: the lovely folks over at The Paper Players gave a gorgeous color combo this week, and so that's what inspired the details of this card.

I have to admit, this card was HARD to get through! I spent two hours hemming and hawing over details, colors, how to make the teapot stand out more, and on and on. Two hours, people!  ... Ahem. Anyway, I ended up just about giving up, and I set it aside overnight and came back to it later. In the end, I'm really pleased with how this card turned out. The tone-on-tone stack of teacups off to the left of the card? Definitely adds needed interest to the background, along with the small pearls in the upper right. Oh, I love little details.  :)

You want to see the best part, though?

It opens from the middle! I know, it's a really simple "fun folds" type of card (especially compared to some of the crazy, fancy cards I've seen!), but I was really inspired by the Fab Friday layout to make this card open like this. It's such a fun touch!

The details on the teapot are also pretty fun. It was watercolored in Baja Breeze (to match the DSP), with details highlighted in Rich Razzleberry. Tiny little Basic Pearls adorn the body of the teapot, and some Baker's Twine brings in the darker Island Indigo color, too. (And yes, the card is being held open with an egg carton. Hey, you work with what you've got.)


Here's the challenge info:

And, even though I missed it, the sketch from Friday Mashup:

Holiday Shimmer Hop! (Plus FM87)

To kick off the holiday season (welcome to December, everyone!), some fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators and I decided to get together and do a holiday blog hop. We've all created fantastic projects to show off some of our favorite products and techniques, so be sure to check out everyone's blogs. Our theme? Shimmer! Totally perfect for the holiday season, huh?

I couldn't pick just ONE sparkly project (how could I, with so many fun options?). So today I have TWO cheerful, festive, and sparkly projects to show you: a card and a gift.

The sparkle on my "Merry" card is just in small bursts, but I really love the touch of "something extra" it gives the image.

Here's a close-up so you can see the sparkle a little better.
Don't you just love it??

Card Supplies:

Paper: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, and Very Vanilla CS; Be of Good Cheer DSP

Stamps: Greetings of the Season, Beautiful Season

Ink: black StazOn (base image), Soft Suede (greeting); water colored with Gumball Green, Basic Grey, Soft Suede; Cherry Cobbler Stamp 'n' Write© Marker

Tools & Embellishments: Scallop Square die (on the Big Shot) and Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details, SNAIL adhesive (as always)

This next project is one I made for the Friday Mash Up challenge (FM87), which is to make a gift project and/or to use their inspiration photo. My project is a gift, and I used the silver glimmer paper like they did in their photo, so I kinda got both elements in there! I got the idea for the adorable candy tray from Stuck On Stampin's "12 Days of Christmas" projects from last year. So cute! The tag has a LOT of sparkle, thanks to the Glimmer Paper from Stampin' Up!, the tray is scored & folded cardstock, and the candy is simply wrapped with some of our Be of Good Cheer DSP. Perfect little stocking stuffer or neighbor gift, if I do say so myself!

Project Supplies:
Paper: Cherry Cobbler CS (tray base), Very Vanilla CS (tag), Be of Good Cheer DSP (wrappers), Silver Glimmer Paper (tag backing)
Ink & tools: Cherry Cobbler, Scoring board (tray), Large scallop circle punch, handheld (1/16") punch
Stamp: Tags 'Til Christmas
Other: Hershey's minis & "pretzel" cellophane bags (from the party store), Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, SNAIL adhesive (as always)

Hop Back: Julie Davidse

Hop Forward: Kris Kilkenny

Kindness Matters - and so do good friends

A few weeks ago, my old roommate came over and we spent a couple hours stamping together. This was probably my favorite card that came out of that stamp session, made with what is quickly becoming my current favorite stamp set. It  came together pretty quickly -- so quickly, in fact, that I'm using this as my swap card for a demonstrator meeting this week & making about 20 of them!

Stamps: Kindness Matters
Paper; Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Real Red
Embellishments & tools: Pearl Basic Jewels, Square Lattice BigShot texture folder, Labels Collection Framelits die