Last Flight of the Swallowtail

Pals Paper Arts has a color challenge this week.  http://www.palspaperarts.com/

This card uses  the Swallowtail stamp from Stampin' Up!   I wanted to use this butterfly stamp before the season changes and our butterfly friends are on hiatus.

The butterfly is stamped on Naturals Ivory card stock in Early Espresso, then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  I then colored the butterfly with Midnight Muse and Crushed Curry using the Aqua Painter.  I drew in a border line with my Midnight Muse Stampin' Write Marker using the fine tip end.  I stamped some water spots in Crushed Curry using a stamp from Gorgeous Grunge.  The sentiment is from Really Good Greetings.

I hope you have time to play along at Pals Paper Arts this week and have some fun with this great color challenge.

PPA 169 A Sketch Challenge

The challenge at Pals Paper Arts this week is a sketch challenge.  Won't you try your hand at a creation this week?  Here is mine:

I really, really want to get my Christmas cards done early this year.  So, here is one of my ideas, inspired by Nicole Watt's sketch (above).  I used Smokey Slate card stock and Winter Frost Specialty DSP from the holiday catalog.  The images are from the Warmth  and Wonder Hostess Set and the sentiment is from Christmas Messages, both in the holiday catalog.  The ink is Bermuda Bay.  The "ornaments" on the tree are little drops of Dazzling Details Silver Sparkle. I finished up the design with 3 Bermuda Bay Candy Dots.

I hope you join us this week.  Happy Stamping!

PPA 168 A Sketch Challenge

This week's challenge at Pals Paper Arts is a Sketch Challenge:

Here is my card:

Card Stock:Very Vanilla and Basic Black

DSP: Modern Medley

Stamp Set: Million & One

Basic Jewels Rhinestones

Pals August Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us for the August Pals Blog Hop. Even though it's only August we want to provide some inspiration for your upcoming holiday projects. This month's blog hop will showcase new products from the 2013 Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog. We hope you enjoy seeing how we use the new stamps, new punches and other accessories!
You should have just left stop number 5 on the Pals Hop - Debbie Mageed at Secret Stamper.  If so, you are in the right spot.  If you get off track, the full blog lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all of the amazing creations.

One of the most fun items from the Holiday catalog is the Expressions Thinlets Dies Set.  Don't miss it!  The set consists of 3 expressions and one of them, the  "thankful" image, is the perfect focal point for this Thanksgiving Card.  The second new item I used is the 1.25" Burlap Ribbon.  The burlap is the background for the Early Espresso die cut.

The third new item used for this card is the Pretty Print Textured Embossing Folder.

The embossed card stock is the new in color, Baked Brown Sugar.

Its never too early to plan for the holidays, so whether you are looking for Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas designs, you are sure to be inspired both the Holiday Catalog and all the hoppers on the blog hop today.  Happy Stamping!

The next stop is Barb Furlong at The Love of Stamping stop number 7 on the Pals Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting – and I hope to see you next month!

1. Colleen Mollema at My Crafty Habit
2. Peggy Noe at Pretty Paper Cards
3. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
4. Angie Blake at Angie's Musings
5. Debbie Mageed at Secret Stamper
6. Diane Roberts at Score at Four and a Quarter  YOU ARE HERE
7. Barb Furlong at The Love of Stamping
8. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
9. Debra Simonis at Deb's Stampin' Grounds
10. Laurie Chilton at Stampin' Ink
11. Penny Nichols at Sierra Stampin!
12. Amy Williams at Stampin' on the Range
13. Shannon Jaramillo at Ezpeasycards
14. Nicole Watt at Pixel Maven's Retreat
15. Nancy Gleason at MyStampinSpace
16. Beth Beard at My Little Craft Blog
17. Linda Callahan at Stampin' Seasons
18. Patti MacLeith at Papercrafts by Patti
19. Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine
20. Kerry Willard Bray at Stampgoodness
21. Brian King at Stamp With Brian
22. Nicole Picadura at Scraps & Stamps
23. Kim Czenszak at Live Love Stamp
24. Rae Harper at Wild West Paper Arts
25. Michelle Gleeson at Stampin Mojo
26. Shannon Hokanson at Paper Works
27. Dawn Tidd at Tiddbits from Dawn
28. Lynn Kolcun at Stampin with Avery's Owlery
29. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin'
30. Martie Pollard at The Crafty Bandit

PPA 167 A Color Challenge

This week's challenge over at Pals Paper Arts is a color challenge.

I used Coastal Cabana card stock for the card base and embossed chevron strip, Pistachio Pudding card stock for the cups stamped in Coastal Cabana Ink, and Crisp Cantaloupe and Pistachio Pudding DSP for the sleeves and covers, also stamped in Coastal Cabana.

Although this looks like a lot of fussy cutting, it goes very quickly and the design of the images in Stampin' Up!'s Perfect  Blend is very forgiving when it comes to snipping.

I wanted to illustrate the the idea of  "enough coffee" so I chose a card size of 8.5 X 3.75.  This meant that I could use a #10 business size envelope for my card, but I chose to make my own envelope using the DSP.

So, how about enjoying a few cups of coffee and then joining us in this week's challenge?  Hope to see you there.

Happy Stamping!

Fall Tile Trivet

This week the Paper Players theme challenge is anything bit a card!  I love it!  

Here is my entry. 

 This is a 5.75 X 5.75 square tile that I purchased at Lowe's.  I stamped the background with SU retired French Script.  I then stamped the leaves with SU Gently Falling stamp set using Early Espresso ink.  I colored the leaves with water color pencils.  I used a little bit of SU Dazzling Details here and there on the leaves.  I then sprayed the whole tile with Creative Imaginations Super Seal which seals and waterproofs.

Happy Stamping!

PPA 166

This week's challenge at Pals Paper Arts :

As you can see, my card base is Smokey Slate, with strips of Daffodil Delight and the DSP.  The flowers, from the Flower Shop Stamp Set, are stamped with Daffodil Delight, Strawberry Slush and Smokey Slate.  The Designer Series Paper (DSP) is from Quartrefancy Specialty.  The sentiment is from Perfectly Penned, stamped in Smokey Slate and heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder, with a row of Pearl Basic Jewels.  The flower centers are punched with the Boho Blossoms Punch in Daffodil Delight with Smokey Slate Candy Dot centers.  I hope you will share one of your designs with us at PPA this week.  

Happy Stamping. 

PPA 165

Here is the sketch for this week's challenge at Pals Paper Arts

Sometimes it is all about the paper.

Team 2 is challenging you with a sketch this week.  Have you seen Stampin' Up!'s DSP Soho Subway.  It is absolutely perfect for Scrap Booking and Journaling!  But, I wanted to challenge myself to use it in a greeting card so here it is:

In addition to the Soho Subway, I used Early Espresso as the base. The heart was punched with the SU Small Heart Punch.  I stamped "I" in the heart with SU Island Indigo Ink and the Designer Typeset Photopolymer stamp set.

Happy Stamping!

PPA 164

Here is the sketch for this week's challenge at Pals Paper Arts

I am a big fan of Christmas in July so I thought I would go with a Christmas theme and a simple design. (Maybe I will get a head start on my Christmas Cards this year)

Using the new in color Baked Brown Sugar as a base cardstock and the Season of Style Designer Series Paper Stack from the Holiday catalog, this card came together real quick.  I cut 3 banners from the stack colors and one from Whisper White.  The sentiment is from More Merry Messages #126400 (wood), #126402 (clear) a carry over from last year's catalog.

The ornament is from the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set, a carry over from last year's catalog, #128048 (wood) and #128051 (clear), stamped in Cherry Cobbler.  I tied a bow with the new Silver 1/8" Ribbon also from the Holiday Catalog.  If you are in need of a Holiday Catalog, email me and I will be sure to get one out to you ASAP.

Happy Stamping.

My Pity Party Cards

This week is Stampin' Up!'s Convention and  25 Year Celebration.  Unfortunately, I am unable to attend.

However, our good Pal Lori Martin, who was also unable to get to Convention this year, has put together a Pity Party for all of us who stayed behind.

We are creating 4 cards to express the following:

1. There's No Place Like Home
2. Green With Envy
3. Celebration Time
4. Oh, So Blue From Missing You

Here are my cards for the party:

This was my first green with envy card but I switched it out with this one:

I hope all our Pals are having a great time at convention!  Happy Stamping!