The Paper Players 383 - Design Team Card

Welcome to a new challenge at The Paper Players. This week, Jaydee has a theme for us.

I see that the tulips in the graphic really grabbed the attention of the rest of the design team. For me, I know it's really spring when the camellias start to bloom so I got out the retired Avant Garden for this challenge. I know they're not really camellias but when they're stamped together like this, they do put me in mind of a laden camellia tree.

The Petal Burst embossing folder adds in a subtle touch of spring to the card as well.

We'd love to have you join us at The Paper Players this week. Here's a reminder of the rules of the challenge.

1. Create a NEW paper-craft project specifically for this challenge.
2. Upload your creation to your blog with a link back to us.
3. Please provide a direct link to the post featuring your challenge entry.
4. Please link your card to no more than four challenges, total. Entries linked to more than 4 challenges, including ours, will be deleted without notification.
5. Have fun!

Pop over to The Paper Players to see the creations of the rest of the Design Team.

If you live anywhere in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up demonstrator, I'd love to help you with ideas and Stampin' Up products. Sale-a-bration is on and there's a new Special Occasion Catalogue out. Please message me through my Facebook page, linked in the sidebar of this blog or leave a comment below. 

And, of course, you can shop with me from anywhere in New Zealand by clicking the SHOP NOW button in the sidebar of this blog.

Inspiration for this card also came from the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.

Update: Delighted to be a Perfect Princess at Freshly Made Sketches this week.

Ingredients - all products Stampin' Up

Card: Whisper White, Flirty Flamingo, Basic Black

Stamps: Avant Garden (retired), Perennial Birthday

Inks: Powder Pink, Flirty Flamingo, Wild Wasabi, Tuxedo Black, Versamark

Other: Petal Burst embossing folder, White embossing powder, rhinestones

Paper Players 337

There's a very pretty, layered sketch in the latest challenge from The Paper Players that I was keen to play with.

I'd been playing with the Detailed Dragonfly thinlits and had cut one of the small bumblebees in copper foil to see what it looked like because it was always being overlooked for the flashier dragonfly dies. While playing around with it, I came up with this card.

I like the bumble bees stamped onto Crumb Cake in the background. Their lacy wings are beautiful.

Update: Utterly delighted to be named Headliner at The Paper Players!

Ingredients

Card: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Old Olive, copper foil

Stamps: Avant Garden, Dragonfly Dreams, Labeller Alphabet

Inks: Daffodil Delight, So Saffron, Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso

Other: Honeycomb embossing folder, Detailed Dragonfly framelits, Circle framelits, Dimensionals

As You See It Challenge 146 - DT Card

Welcome to the new challenge at As You See It. This week, Amanda has given us a theme challenge: My Favourite Thing About Spring is....

This involved a bit of a shift in thinking for me, as in New Zealand we're moving rapidly into autumn and spring is a distant memory. 

There are many things to like about spring but I like the vitality and energy of it: the way that leaves pop out overnight, bulbs force their way out of the ground, flowers bud, the emerging riot of colour, the wind and showers of rain. 

My camellias are among the first things to flower in my garden. So my card is meant to bring those things to mind. The rather abstract flowers from Avant Garden are reminiscent of my various pink camellias. The Softly Falling embossing brings to mind the spring rains and echoes the dots in the centre panel. The angled mat adds to the sense of movement and energy of spring - along with a pop of spring greenery. 

I hope you can see and enjoy my vision of spring here but we'd all love to see how you see this challenge. You have until 11.55 p.m. on Wednesday April 5 PST to join us.

Ingredients

Card: Flirty Flamingo, Old Olive, Blushing Bride, Whisper White

Stamps: Avant Garden

Inks: Flirty Flamingo, Blushing Bride, Old Olive, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake

Other: Softly Falling embossing folder, Blushing Bride twine, dimensionals

Just Add Ink 350

Work has really been interfering with my crafting life lately and, as it's also classes week for me, crafting time has been in short supply. I got to it straight after work last night though to make a gift and card for a friend. She's a crafter too and I always make her a card then give it to her unwritten in so she has the choice of keeping it or using it for someone else. It's a bit of a joke between us.

For inspiration, I turned to one of my favourite challenge sites, Just Add Ink, where there is a sketch this week.

I also got out one of the Sale-abration items I received that I hadn't used before, Avant Garden. Now that I've used it, I'm only sorry it has sat unopened on my desk for so long!

I wasn't quite sure what to make of the horizontal line in the sketch but I've made it the place where the stamping stops.

I've added some touches of gold Wink of Stella to the stamens but it is hard to capture in the photo. 

I also made wee chocolate box, just the right size for six of those delicious Lindor chocolate balls. The dimensions for the box I cased from Pootles' triple creme egg window box here. 

Then I had a problem because I wanted to give her some glue and dimensionals as well. It turns out that dimensionals are packaged in a very annoying sized package that means they will not fit into things made on a gift bag punch board, so I had to custom make a gift bag to fit the glue, dimensionals and the chocolate box. 

It was a lot to fit into an after-work-but-before-bed session but I'm happy with the results. And so, I think, was my friend!

P.S. I did tidy up the ends of the pink ribbon once everything was safely stowed inside the bag.

I cut the ribbons generously because I'm pretty sure they'll end up in her stash drawer.

Ingredients (card only)

Card: Very Vanilla, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, vellum

Stamps: Avant Garden

Inks: Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso

Other: Natural trim ribbon, gold Wink of Stella, gold metallic shapes, Early Espresso marker to outline the sentiment, dimensionals.