I have several wonderful things to share with you today – a recap of my birthday (are you sick of hearing about it yet?), a card I made for The Paper Players PP126 Challenge and some really great news.
Let’s start with the good news. Yesterday I was asked to be a Guest Designer for The Paper Players during the first six months of 2013. How awesome is that?! I’ve been following their card challenges for quite a while and am so honored by the appointment. This is the first time I will participate in a design team, and I know you’ll be there with me through it.
And now for the Paper Players Challenge. This week’s challenge is to make a clean & simple (CAS) project that incorporates a snowflake. The challenge inspired me to make this beautiful Christmas wreath. Don’t see a snowflake? Look closer. It’s there. 
Still don’t see it? The snowflake I used is from Every Little Bit, a set I’ve been using quite a bit this Holiday Season. The snowflake is the fourth image on the second row:
I twice stamped the little snowflake in a circle using Garden Green. Here’s how I did it. I punched a circle with my 2-1/2″ Circle punch and cropped a 3-3/4″ square of Very Vanilla card stock. I placed both on my light box (I purchased this from Stampin’ Up! about 10 years ago): 
It’s difficult to showcase this with a picture, but when the light box is turned on, I can see the circle underneath the Very Vanilla. I used that image to stamp my snowflakes in a perfect circle.
With an adorable bow with 3/8″ Taffeta Ribbon, there’s not much more to add to this card. Clean and simple at its simplest.
Stamp Sets: Every Little Bit, Petite Pairs Inks: Garden Green, Riding Hood Red Papers: Garden Green, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla Accessories: 3/8″ Taffeta Ribbon, 3/16″ Corner punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals
The last thing I have to share with you – a recap of my birthday celebration. This weekend was truly special. Family and friends were in town to celebrate with me for the weekend. I enjoyed delicious homemade meals, amazing dinners out (my annual birthday dinner at Annie’s Thai Castle – yum) and a carrot cake to top all birthday cakes. And I’ll be stamping with Mom and Pam today. Does it get any better than that?
Here’s a quick picture from my birthday dinner last night. I’m trying to “smile through the tears” after receiving a pair of Stampin’ Up! craft scissors from Pam:
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Brian
Good morning, Brian!
Sounds like your birthday was a truly great one with family and friends and lots if celebrating and with yummy food as well!
And a BIG congratulations on being asked to be on the design team! Not surprised to hear, though, as you are so gifted. Love your first clean & simple submission. The light box certainly gave you that perfectly shaped wreath.
LOVE the birthday picture! Thanks for sharing a picture if that “birthday” smile.
{gasp!} I sure would love those scissors! Sounds like a fantastic Birthday weekend was celebrated! Many congrats on your Design Team adventure we look forward to your creations!
Welcome to the 40 something club!!!!! CONGRATS on being on the “design team”…you will be awesome!
WOW, congratulations Brian, on being asked to join the PP design team!! I know you will be awesome and I’m looking forward to seeing your designs. I’m so glad you had a great time on your birthday, I can see the joy in your expression holding those scissors.
Brian … one could never tire of hearing of your birthday celebration. We should celebrate you all year long! I will have to start following the PP challenge in your honor! 2013 is going to be an amazing year!
Sound the trumpets!! What a blessed day you had. It was a day I bet you didn’t want to end. Each day with you is an adventure. I always look forward to what you have to share with us each day. Your PP design team news is fabulous! I know your designs will not disappoint. Go get em!
Sounds like a great birthday! Awesome! Also congrats on your appointment to the paper players…now that you’re 40, there will be many perks. LOL! Pam is such a snazzy upline, you are reallly blessed. Have a great week Mr. Stampin’ 40 something Brian! 🙂
Duh! Forgot to mention the card! Loving the light box idea to keep you on track with your shape. And the snowflake you chose was genius again. You can really vision projects into being that no one else could ever. And you keep them clean and simple too! I love the wreath, simple but classy! Great project!
Awesome alternative use of a stamp. I love that wreath!!! And, congrats on your DT appointment. I follow Paper Players and of course your blog. Looking forward to more awesome designs from you.
Congrats on being named to the design team! That is another blog I follow so now I will get to see you twice 🙂 Glad you had a Great Birthday! Love today’s card!! Very cute!!
Congratulations on your new adventure! Couldn’t think of anyone more deserving.
Wow. What a fabulous Birthday for you. Congratulations on being on the Design Team and for receiving the SU scissors.
How the heck did you come up with a wreath from a snowflake stamp? You continue to amaze me with your ingenuity and insight. The card is absolutely fantastic. I so prefer the simple cards to those that incorporate a gazillion different pieces of paper and way too much “stuff” on the front. Clean and simple to me is the most expressive. People know what I’m saying when I make and send a card. The thought isn’t buried under a bunch of “stuff”.
Congratulations on your design team appointment Brian. I hope you enjoy being on the team. I don’t know when you find time to fit it all in.
Well…..as you know when I saw they were looking for a new design team member I knew you would be perfect…listen my dear …they know talent when they see it!!!! Yay for you …we are so proud of you here in “THE KINGDOM” ….love what you did with this card …another one for the books …hey…that`s an idea …!!!! What a great birthday time you had . Oh the woder of it all !!!!
Later….
What a wonderful Birthday Bash held for you, Brian! I love the pic with the “tears of joy”! I shed one just looking at it…awesome gift! Congrats on being on the PP DT!! I have their badge on my blog and now I shall play along with you. Love your beautiful snowflake wreath card!! Mwah!
Wow, congratulations on being named a design team guest designer. You will rock it!
Thanks for the tip on using the light box to create the shape for your wreath, that’s genius!
Have a great week.
Happy day after your very special birthday!! How wonderful that you were treated so specially…royally by family and friends! And those shears…wow! You deserve them and much more! Congratulations for being selected to be on the Paper Players team…no big surprise…will be so fun to see your submissions…now you will have even more followers….what a great gift!
Oh, I totally forgot to comment on your lovely card…thank you for sharing your how-to instructions….very clever idea!
Brian, Congratulations! I am NOT surprised that the Paper Players asked YOU to be on their team! You rock! The card is awesome as always, and I have a light box and completely forgot about it! Guess I’ll have to try your idea! And I love the birthday picture…. so sweet! You are a dear…and we love you!
Happy Birthday again and Congrats again too! Hugs!
The design team, WOWEEEEEEEEEEEEE, congrats to you, and what a nice gift of scissors. I enjoy your work, and look forward daily to your blog and IDEAS….oh yeah!
Great idea on using the light box that’s moldering in the craft closet to make the wreath (or really anything) round! Thanks…and again, I’m so glad your day was special!
Very glad to hear such a great recap of your birthday weekend and HOW exciting to be part of the design team. Yeah, Brian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you guess how many exclamation points there were? Bet you can…
Brian…. firstly, happy birthday! Secondly, congratulations on joining us at the Paper Players, we are delighted to have you as part of the team. thirdly, love this card. What a perfect little wreath made with that itty bitty stamp! It must have taken ages to stamp that circle, but it was absolutely worth it!
So glad you joined us for your last post-DT challenge.
Jaydee
It sounds like you had an awesome birthday! Congrats on being named to the design team. You are very talented and deserve it.
Fabulous CAS card Brian! Your snowflake wreath is pure brilliance! Happy Birthday & congratulations on your GD spot with the Team. Thanks for playing along with The Paper Players. 🙂
Wow, Brian what a wonderful birthday weekend! Happy, happy birthday. What a fabulous wreath you created….from a bitty snowflake GENIUS! Delighted that you have joined our team and I look forward to stamping with you!
How clever, Brian! You are so creative! Welcome to the team!
First of all happy belated birthday, Brian! Thai food and craft scissors sound like a pretty fun time to me! (those scissors ROCK!) Welcome to the Players team! So looking forward to working with you. 🙂