Stampin' Sunshine-Bringing Sunshine to Every Day

PPA114-Heat Embossing

 

Today's Pals Paper Arts technique challenge is heat embossing, and I must say that I am enjoying it.  I'll admit that it's not a technique that I've used much in the past, but it's safe to say that it is one that I will be using more frequently.

The Big Shot and Top Note Die are my favorite go-to items, and for today's project I got to use them both.  I needed some fun little bags to take with me, and this challenge was perfect.  Embossing is a great way to add a wow factor to any project.  The hardest part of creating today's project was keeping Levi away from the embossing powder!!  As it was, he managed to grab the cover between his teeth and run away with it.  Silly kitty!!  Now I have to keep the open container of embossing powder out of the way until I can find that cover!!

I hope you have as much fun with heat embossing as I did.  And here's hoping that YOUR kitty doesn't run off with your tools!!

 

 

PPA112-Lace

 

I love lace.  I love anything frou frou and girly.  And I must admit, when I saw that this was a lace challenge, I thought of many things lace-related:  Leather and Lace by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley.  Chantilly Lace.  Lace cookies (YUM!!) Cagney and Lacey (c'mon, I couldn't leave THAT out!!)  Then, just when I was getting ready to create my card for this challenge, I realized something: I didn't have any lace for my card!!  Yikes!!  So I did what any good papercrafter would do: I improvised.  I have the Scallop Border Punch (which I love) and thought that it would help me make something a bit lace-ish (lace-ly?  lace-like?)  My first daring thought was that I would try it on some ribbon.  Why not?  Well, I can now tell you why not--because our punches were not made to go through ribbon!!  So, onto idea #2-do a trim with the Scallop Border Punch.  It was beautiful, but I just wasn't feeling the inspiration.  And then, as I always do in my time of need, I turned to my beloved Big Shot.  Surely I had something that was lace-like.  And I did.  I broke out my Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, and it created a look that was definitely reminiscent of one of my mom's old lace(like) tablecloths.  I then wanted to keep the rest of the card simple, so I used the butterfly stamp from Flower Fest, and punched it out with the Butterfly Punch.  I popped it up on the card with a Stampin' Dimensional, added a pearl, and voila, a lace-inspired card.  I'm really digging the simplicity.

Now, I'm off to iTunes to download Leather and Lace.  And maybe see if I can find a rerun of Cagney and Lacey.  Happy creating!!

PPA111-Sketchy

 

 
It's Thursday, and that means it's time for a Pals Paper Arts challenge.  This week's challenge is a sketch challenge from Margaret Moody.  And that makes me very happy!!

 

This is the gorgeous sketch that the Divine Miss M. gave to us this week.  The possibilities are endless.  I think I'm going to challenge myself to create at least one more card this week, using this same sketch.  Let's see how different the next card can be!!

Until then, I can't wait to see what you're inspired to create!!

Pals Fall Blog Hop

Welcome to the Pals Fall Hop! This month, we're featuring Fall and Halloween inspired projects! Enjoy the hop and the amazing creations that the Pals have come up with. You've likely hopped over from Rae Harper. I'm stop number 20 on the Pals Hop and I'm glad you hopped in! I'll help you "hop along" from blog to blog where you'll find great ideas for Fall and Halloween paper projects from the Stampin' Pretty Pals. Should you hop off course, simply click on any of the links in the Pals Hop Line-up below and you'll be back on track!

 

 

I'm not much of a Halloween gal, but I LOVE Fall!!  So anytime that I can pull out my fall colors and stamps, I'm a happy girl.  For this project, I used the Fancy Favor Bigz XL Die to make treat boxes in More Mustard, Cajun Craze, and Bravo Burgundy.  A little bit of coordinating DSP from the Regals Collection Paper Stack helps to dress up the treat boxes.  We get the best foliage here in Maine, so I wanted to be sure to work leaves into my project.  I stamped leaves from the Falling Leaves stamp set onto Old Olive card stock, using Old Olive ink, cut them out using the 1 1/4" Circle Punch, then adhered them to coordinating card stock cut out using the 1 3/8" Circle Punch.  I then put these on the front of the treat boxes, as well as using them to decorate the mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that are filling the boxes (not that peanut butter cups need decorating--they are a near-perfect food just the way they are!!) 

 

This quick and easy project can be used in several ways--to decorate a table, as a fun little treat for someone, and (my favorite) to hold my peanut butter cups to snack on while I catch up on episodes of Psych.  Use your best judgement, but I guarantee that whatever you do with them, they won't last long!!

 

Hop along for more inspiring ideas from Camila McManus, stop number 21 on the September Pals Hop! Thanks for "hopping" by!

 
                                                     
 

Jeanne Norris  http://www.mycreativeimpressions.com

Patt MacLeith  http://papercraftsbypatti.blogspot.com

Melanie Collins  http://oopsadaisy.typepad.com

Ann Schach  http://www.stampinchic.com

Mikki Sarkisyan  http://www.mikkiscreativecorner.blogspot.com

Leah O'Brien  http://www.leahobrien.com

Mary Fish  http://www.stampinpretty.com

Barb Furlong  http://www.theloveofstamping.com

Linda Fisher  http://lindas-stampinloft.blogspot.com

Mike Funke  http://stampin-style.typepad.com/stampin-style

Nancy Gleason  http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/mystampinspace/blog

Joan Norris  http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/clearlycreative/blog

Barbara Chatzkel  http://takeoutpaperarts.com

Kylie Nicolosi  http://kyliescraftycorner.blogspot.com

Cindy Hall  http://www.prettyimpact.com

Nina Dee  http://www.deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com

Sandie Conner  http://www.prettyprovisions.com

Nicole Watt  http://www.impressionsbynicole.com

Rae Harper  http://wildwestpaperarts.com

Debbie Pierce  http://www.stampinsunshine.com

Camila McManus  http://www.obxscrapbook.wordpress.com

Jason Casper  http://www.stampindad.com

 

 

A Colorful Challenge

 

 

This week's Pals Paper Arts challenge is a color challenge, and at first I found the color combination a bit, well, challenging!!  They're all gorgeous colors--Basic Gray goes great with Calypso Coral and great with Riding Hood Red, but do CC and RHR go well with each other? 

 

  

I found that by taking a color that I might be struggling to fit it (in this case it was the Riding Hood Red) and using it as an accent or for the sentiment, it helps to incorporate it where it might otherwise clash.  Which would have made me very sad, because Riding Hood Red is one of my favorite colors. 

One of my favorite things to do for a color challenge is to find some DSP that has one or more of the challenge colors in it, and use it to help pull the challenge together.  And Berry Blossom DSP was a delicious way to do that!!

I'm looking forward to seeing what you're inspired (or challenged!!) to create!!