Pals Paper Arts Colour Challenge

Well, our One Night in Bethlehem 2013 is history now, but everything went very well, and contrary to my worst fears, I didn't forget anything important.  My cast played their parts admirably and we received lots of positive feedback!  But, oh my, am I tired!  I chose sleep over a blog post yesterday and I'm sorry for that, but I think sleep would have won the contest even if I had tried. The cold weather was a bit of a challenge, but the crowds were down a bit so we were able to move them through quickly with no one having to brave the cold for long, save our intrepid shepherds, who were watching over their little flock outside all day.  I'll have to show you some photos later.

After Saturday's sad post, I had another bit of bad news.  My former neighbour's father passed away just recently, so I created a sympathy card for her and her husband.  I used the Pals Paper Arts Challenge #182  for the colour scheme:  Elegant Eggplant, Smoky Slate and Very Vanilla.

Here's my card:

• I find those three colours very classy together.  I did stamp off the Smoky Slate to make it the lighter of the two colours for 2 Step Stamping purposes.
• The DSP is from the Regals Collection Designer Series Paper Stack.  Those paper stacks are SO handy when none of the current DSP has the colour you're working with.
• My favourite 2-Step Stamping set, Stippled Blossoms, creates the elegant display.

• Oops, I forgot to resize that photo and it took forever to load and I almost fell asleep again!
• I decided to go for a diagonal ribbon look like I sometimes do on presents.  This is 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon in Very Vanilla.
• The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes - your go-to set for any occasion card! 
• Tiny seed pearls from Pearls Basic Jewels create the center of the large flower, while the smaller flowers have the medium sized pearls for their more solid center.

Thanks for dropping by today, and I hope your Monday treats you well!

• Stippled Blossoms
• Stippled Blossoms Clear-Mount Stamp Set
• Teeny Tiny Wishes Wood-mount Stamp Set
• Teeny Tiny Wishes Clear-Mount Stamp Set
• Designer Series Paper Patterns Stack - Regals Collection
• Elegant Eggplant 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Smoky Slate 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
• Very Vanilla 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Elegant Eggplant Classic Stampin' Pad
• Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad
• Basic Pearls Jewel Accents
• Very Vanilla 1/2 Inch Seam Binding Ribbon
• Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

You Had a Bad Day!

I did not have a good day yesterday!  I wanted to get so much done, getting ready to go away on holidays, but nothing cooperated!  The phone rang, and rang, and the computer would not do what I wanted it to.  To top it all off, as I was feverishly working in my "Computer Cave", the doorbell rang and it was a new customer I met through my Stampin' Up webpage!  I was a bit baffled at first until I realized I had totally forgotten that she was coming to have her first beginner's class tonight.  Can you say "RED-FACED"?  I was in my working grubbies, with nothing prepared!  I apologized profusely, but felt so idiotic! She was very gracious and we talked a little about Stampin' Up, I showed her my samples and she left, having thankfully confirmed our next date for a beginner's class.  Thank you, Tami, for being so understanding!  

                                                                                                  This was me!

I bet you can't top that one! I guess I just have too much going on right now!  Anyway, I wanted to share another Sympathy card I made this week, again for the friend who lost her father, but this one was from my husband and I personally.  Sympathy cards are always difficult to make, but Stampin' Up has some lovely images and sentiments to make it easier.  Here is my card:

I love the soft, comforting Wisteria Wonder for a card like this.  Paired with Elegant Eggplant for emphasis, you get a very classy look.  And I LOVE the Epic Day DSP that comes in the This and That Bundle!  Isn't it gorgeous?  My new favourite!  But if you want it, you'd better order it soon, because it will no longer be available after April 30!  The image is from the Best of Flowers, the 25th Anniversary set for March. I inked up the hydrangea with Stampin' Write Markers in Wisteria Wonder and Lucky Limeade and stamped it on Whisper White card stock.  Loving Thoughts makes a beautifully elegant sentiment!  I think it's interesting that the Scallop Dot Ribbon in Elegant Eggplant doesn't look too flippant here!  It suits the subdued look of the card as a whole.

And on the subject of ribbon and other accessories, have you checked the Retiring Product lists posted yesterday?  Are your wish list favourites among them?  Better make plans to put in an order!  Use the Hostess Code QKSCZFZK  when submitting it and you could be the Mystery Hostess who gets all the hostess rewards from any orders submitted between April 24 and April 30th!

Here are the Retired Products Lists again:

Retiring Stamp Sets

Retiring Accessories

Accessories already sold out are the following:  The products that have already sold out are: 8 1/2" x 11" card stock in More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze; 12 x 12 card stock in Pretty in Pink; First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper; Watercolour Wonder Crayons in Subtles and Brights;  Stampin' Ink Refills in More Mustard, Pretty in Pink, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Regal Rose, Bravo Burgundy, Certainly Celery, River Rock and Baja Breeze; Watercolour Pencils; and the Story Time DVD Digital Content

Well I hope your Wednesday was way better than mine.  Thankfully, today is a brand new day with no mistakes in it....yet!

Stamps:  Best of Flowers (c133342); Loving Thoughts (w125843; c125845)
Paper:  Epic Day DSP (130814); Wisteria Wonder (122922), Elegant Eggplant (105126) and Whisper White (100730) card stock
Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Elegant Eggplant (126969); Stampin' Write Markers in Wisteria Wonder and  Lucky Limeade (123002 - in In Colour bundle)
Accessories:  1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon in Elegant Eggplant (124143)(now 40% off until supply is gone)
Tools:  Oval Collection Framelits (129381); Scallop Trim Border Punch (118402)

Epic Day DSP

Scallop Trim Border Punch

Ovals Collection Framelits

Loving Thoughts Stamp Set

Best of Flowers Stamp Set

Help! I Need Paper!

Help!  I need paper!  I'm trying to wait patiently for my Stampin' Up order and its new load of card stock and I know it will come soon, but I'm being forced to use paper that I don't normally choose.

My card stock storage.  I made it out of wire storage cubes.  If you want more information on how to make one, let me know by leaving a comment.

 But it's good to stretch oneself and I had quite a few pieces of Wisteria Wonder and Elegant Eggplant, so I thought I'd look for some DSP that would go with them. Now THAT was a challenge, but I found some Beau Chateau that would do, and my new You Are Loved stamp set and away I went.  Here's the outcome:

I really like the way they turned out.  I had a little trouble with the sentiment, getting it to ink evenly and completely, because it was a new stamp.  After I cleaned it with StazOn cleaner to take off the film that most new stamps have from manufacturing, I was able to get a fully inked image.  I used some Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon for some colour pop, but softened it a bit with a layer of Victorian Crochet trim underneath.

Finally, a few pearls for some soft pizazz, and voila!



Happy Thursday!