Merry Everything for the Paper Players

Sweet and simple.  That’s how I like my cards.  With just the right layout or just the right color combination, we can make beautiful cards that still have a “wow” appeal.  That’s the approach I took when creating my project for this week’s sketch challenge at The Paper Players.  Sandy Mathis’ sketch was the perfect inspiration for a quick card.  Here’s my project:

And here’s Sandy’s fun sketch that inspired my card:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders

• Suite Seasons.  I adore a stamp set that’s filled with great sentiments.  While I, too, love fun images, I can always build a fun backdrop for a beautiful sentiment.  I immediately fell in love with the amazing sentiments in Suite Sayings (from this year’s Occasions and Annual Catalog) and jumped for joy when I saw Suite Seasons in the Holiday Catalog.  This “Merry Everything Happy Always” sentiment was a standout for me – how beautiful are the fonts and the balance of the sentiment.  It was made to be cropped with a ginormous circle.  Be sure to check out this amazing collection of gorgeous sentiments:
  

  Suite Seasons, Stampin’ Up!

• Painting with Markers.  The bold letters on this sentiment beg to be painted with Stampin’ Write Markers.  It’s a simple technique, really.  I used the brush tip of the Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green markers to swipe ink over the words, trying my best to get a single, thick swipe on each surface (if you double back, you can be left with streaks). Once my words and the bough were properly painted, I gave the image a big huff of breath and stamped it down.  Huffing re-moistens the ink on the stamp, so make sure you really breathe deep to push out a big, wet blast of air.  GOOD NEWS!  There are several sets of Stampin’ Write Markers offered as pairs in the Holiday Catalog – I used the pair of Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green to create this card.  Stock up on these colors before they are no longer available as pairs.
• Traditional.  Is there a more traditional color combination for Christmas than Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green and Crumb Cake?  I adore it.  The single pop of Whisper White creates a much-welcomed lightness on this card, pulling together these rich and classy colors.  If you like this combination of colors, too, feel free to save this:

Stamp Sets:  Suite Seasons  Papers:  Warmth & Cheer Designer Series Paper Stack, Crumb Cake, Garden Green, Thick Whisper White  Inks:  Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green Stampin’ Write Markers  Accessories:  Layering Circles Framelits Dies, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Suite Seasons Clear-Mount Stamp Set – 142209

Price: $20.00

Warmth & Cheer Designer Series Paper Stack – 141991

Price: $10.00

Layering Circle Framelits Dies – 141705

Price: $35.00

Cherry Cobbler & Garden Green Stampin’ Write Markers – 141972

Price: $7.00

Garden Green 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 102584

Price: $8.00

Crumb Cake 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 120953

Price: $8.00

Whisper White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Thick Cardstock – 140272

Price: $7.00

Supply List

I hope you’ll pop over to The Paper Players blog to see the cards by the design team members and to play along with this week’s challenge.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Brian

Mystery Grab Bag.  During December, I’m giving away bundles of Designer Series Papers, ribbon, embellishments and finished cards for every $50 you spend with me.  What you receive is a mystery, but I know you’ll love it!  Click below to read more: