Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #115

I haven't played the Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge in quite a while!  I have the link to Taylored Expressions in the Challenge section of my blog and have admired the sketches from afar.  But this week, I was really drawn to the sketch there and decided to play along.  Here is the sketch we were to work with!

I decided to go for some vibrant colours!  I used some Melon Mambo DSP and some Bashful Blue DSP from the Sweet Pea Pack that was in the last mini catalogue!  I used some Not Quite Navy as the base of my card and worked from there.  This is a clean and simple card, it is supposed to be a masculine card, which I think works with Melon Mambo!  I love this neat motorcycle image from SU! and the sentiment is from Garden Greetings, a retired SU! set.

I thought about doing some paper piercing around the main white panel but didn't like the busy look that created.  I'm always drawn to the clean and simple lines!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Smiles,

Lesley :)

Meet Jeannie-Guest Paper Player for June

This is Jeannie and she is our Guest Paper Player for June!  We are looking forward to having Jeannie on our team.  She is full of energy and her creations are just beautiful! 

I asked Jeanne to write a short bio about herself this morning. 

This is what she sent. 

Jeannie of Jeannie's Happy World

Hi! My name is Jeannie Kupsh and I will be the June Guest Designer on Always Playing With Paper! *squeal!* I'm so excited and honored to have been chosen this month, as there was some seriously talented competition! Although I am a New Yorker born and bred, I currently call Georgia home and will soon be moving to ITALY!!!!!!! This is all thanks to my awesome soldier husband Thomas, who has been making me a proud Army wife for 8 years. Together we have our daughter Isabella who will soon be six. I was introduced to stamping in January 2009 and I was hooked immediately! This isn't a mere hobby with me - it's a lifelong obsession, lol!!! I love having the ability to create beautiful artwork, even though I lack the artistic talent to draw or paint! Plus there is always a new technique to learn, challenge to enter, and products to explore!

Thank you so much to the Paper Players for choosing me this month!! It's time to get our crafting on!!! Woooo Hoooo!!!!

Be sure to visit Jeannie's Blog Jeannie's Happy World to see her work and to have a giggle!  She has one wicked sense of humour and I love it!!  I am sure you will too!

See you on Sunday June 6th for our first challenge!

Smiles,
Lesley :)

Guest Paper Player for June

Before we reveal the Guest Paper Player for June, we would like to share the amazing creations of all the applicants! If you click on their blog name below the card, it will take you directly to their blog. I have added them here in the order of their application!  We would like to thank all the ladies for the beautiful creations that you shared with us this past week! Your talent and passion made it so difficult to choose.

Renee

Stamping for Sanity

Doris

The Stamping Tower

Irit

Irit Shalom's Designs

Robbie

Inkedx2

Jeanne

Jeannie's Happy World

Karen

Karen's Kreative Kards

Paula

Paw Prints

Karen

Dreaming and Creating

Marlene

Hands On

Our Guest Paper Player for June is:
Jeannie

Congratulations Jeannie!

Thank you to all the ladies who shared their talent with us! Each month we will invite one Guest Designer onto the Paper Player Team and we will be choosing the Monthly Guest Designer from our participants!

Our challenge blog starts officially on Sunday, June 6th.  We have a fun challenge all lined-up and ready to go!  We hope to see you all then!

Smiles,

Lesley and the Paper Players

Clean and Simple FTL#92 and The Play Date Cafe Challenge #31

Another post!  Wow!  I love Friday night afterwork! I wanted to play along with the Clean and Simple Fall-To-Layout this week!  I love it!  I changed the dimensions a bit, I didn't make a square card but went with an A2 card.

I also loved the colours at The Play Date Cafe!  I knew immediately that I had to ink up my Watercolour Trio set! Oh I love this set and I love that it is a Clear Mount Set from SU! The new Clear Mount Sets are awesome because they take up such little room in my stamp area! I can't wait to see the new stamps coming out in July in the new Catalogue!!! 

So I put the two challenges together and came up with a clean and simple card!  I went for a simple Whisper White and Elegant Eggplant card.  Then I used my Stampin' Write Markers to ink up my flowers in the set.  Then I huffed and stamped!  I used the Scallop Circles #2 Die and the Big Shot.  I also used my Circle Scissors Plus to make the centre.  The white panel of paper behind the circles, is put through my paper crimper.  It was so challenging taking a photo of this white card!  The light really bounces off it!  Here it is at another angle.

Thanks for stopping by!
Smiles,
Lesley :)

Stamp-A-Holics #124 and Sketch'n'Colour #13

Hooray it is another week of the Stamp-A-Holics Challenge!!  This week we were given an awesome sketch by design team member Cynthia!  I love her clever sketch, it is open ended and so fun to play with!  Remember to play along we have three rules...

A card must be completed in 10 minutes

A scrapbook page in 20 minutes

A 3D item in 30 minutes

 

As soon as I saw the sketch, I knew that I had to use my new "Punched Posies" set from the Mini Summer Catalogue, it is the Hostess Level 2 set!  I also found a new challenge blog called "Sketch'n'Colour" and was intrigued by their great colour challenge this week!  So I decided to make a card!

Mr. Snappy, our phone and my watch dog for time, is all set at 7:05pm!  Mr. Snappy had to be convinced to play this week as I beat him last week...needless to say, it was difficult to get him to play!

I wanted to make a CAS (Clean and Simple) card! I cut all of my paper and had my inks ready to go, that took about 2 minutes!  Or so I thought!  My paper dimensions are: Pale Plum (A2 Size), Elegant Eggplant (3.75" x 5") and White (3.5" x 4.75").  Really simple!

And here is the finished product!  It took me a few stamping tries to get the flowers and the sentiment right where I wanted them!

But I am happy with the result...it was so out of my comfort zone to stamp the sentiment "askew" like this and directly onto the card front!

And here is Mr. Snappy looking SMUG!  I took 29 minutes to make this card! In my defense, I did have a quick phone call!!!  LOL! 

Thanks for stopping by! It is now YOUR turn to play along.  Please visit Carole'Anne's blog to link up your creation and be sure to visit the other DT member's projects!

Supplies:

Stamps: Punches Posies, Charming, Favourite Thoughts

Paper: Whisper White, Pale Plum, Elegant Eggplant

Ink: So Saffron, Old Olive, Basic Black, Pale Plum, Elegant Eggplant

Extras: Clear Blocks A, C, E, H

Supplies: Elegant Eggplant 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon

Curtain Call Colour Challenge #31 and CAS-Tastic Challenge #5

This week at the Curtain Call Colour Challenge, Stacey went for some springy colours and I must admit, it was the first time I have used Garden Green!  Over at CAS-tastic they are looking for a Touch of Green!! So I was in luck!  I used my Stampin' Write Markers on the stamp and huffed it when I was done.  I edged the flowers in Navy and the main petals are in Amethyst.  The flower heads are all in Pretty in Pink as is the ribbon below the sentiment.  I love this new sentiment set from the Summer Mini...it is called "Favourite Thoughts", it stamps nicely.

I am in love with my new stamp set!  I have wanted this "Inspired by Nature" set for such a long time!  This one is going to a good friend who is celebrating her birthday in a couple of weeks!

Thanks for stopping by!

Smiles,

Lesley :)

Stampin' 411 Sketch Challenge

I loved the sketch at Stampin' 411 this week!  I just had to play along.  I also received new goodies from SU! and I had to ink them up!!!  I used the set called "Inspired by Nature".  I have wanted this set for a long time, I think it is close to 2 years! So I finally took the plunge and bought it. 

I used Soft Suede, Melon Mambo and Pretty in Pink as my colours...I wanted the card to be fresh and bright!  My DSP is all Melon Mambo...some from the Patterns Pack and some from the Good Neighbours pack from SAB. 

I used my Stampin' Write Markers on the stamp itself, huffing on it.  I coloured the flowers in Pretty in Pink and then highlighted them with my Rose Red Marker...I like how it came out!!!  My sentiment is from "Short and Sweet", it fits perfectly in the Word Window Punch and the Modern Label Punch.

Thanks for stopping by!

Smiles,

Lesley :)

Guest Design Team Member Call (June)

Starting on Sunday, June 6th, I will be transforming my blog into a Challenge Blog!  I am so excited to be starting this!  My blog will still be "Always Playing With Paper" but now it will be home base for my lovely and talented Design Team known as the "Paper Players"!

Here are the FABULOUS Paper Players (in alphabetical order):

Corie of Corie's Creations
Jaydee of Jaydee's Stamping Space
LeAnne of Wee Inklings
Lesley of Always Playing with Paper (That's me!!)

In the meantime, I have a PRE-CHALLENGE to get you all warmed up! We are looking for a Guest Paper Player for the month of June.  If you would be interested in being that person, please:

1. Create and post on your blog a NEW card, scrapbook layout, 3D item or other paper craft project and then add it to the linky below by Saturday, May 29th. 
2. Mention in your post why you would like to be June's Guest Paper Player!  
3. Your creation can be something you have created for another current challenge...please share any new paper project you'd like!

Eventhough we will be using all SU! products with our challenges, we welcome you to use whatever items you have with our weekly challenges! If you would like to be a Guest Paper Player, please use Stampin' Up Products.  Thank you for your understanding!

The Guest Paper Player will design 4 samples for the month of June based on our Challenges. Each week will be a different challenge.  You do need to have a blog to be a Guest Paper Player.

Here is the challenge rotation: (on Sundays)

Week #1: Theme (Birthday, Sympathy, Christmas, Etc.)
Week #2: Colour Challenge
Week #3: Sketch Challenge
Week #4: Paper Player Plus Challenge (A Technique or 3D Challenge)
Week #5: Anything Goes (Share a project of your choice)

In the next few weeks, I will be making some cosmetic changes to my blog, adding a new banner and some other fun stuff.  I will also be adding some pictures and bios of the Paper Players.

I will announce our June Guest Paper Player on Sunday, May 31st.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you get the chance to play along! 

Smiles,
Lesley :)

Just Add Ink #18

What a busy weekend I had!  I live in Canada and we just had our May long weekend!  My husband and I went to Sequim, Washington to visit friends and I had the chance to take a workshop with Sandi MacIver.  The workshop was fabulous and I have posted some photos HERE. 

I have also been working madly trying to get everything ready for my new challenge blog I am starting up!!  All info about that is HERE!

Now, onto my CAS Card!!!  I saw the simple sketch at Just Add Ink and quickly thought of my Sweet Scoops set!  I love that adorable new set and I inked it up in Taken with Teal, Melon Mambo and So Saffron.  I had a little piece of Melon Mambo DSP that needed to be used and suited the sketch perfectly!!

I am in need of Thank You cards as the end of the school year comes closer, there are so many people to thank who have helped out in the classroom this year!!  So I thought this sweet little summer set would be perfect for thank you cards!!  I added a little ribbon to the top of my card...just to "sweeten" the card a little more!  I wish I had that Polka Dot Melon Mambo Ribbon!  It is SO cute!!!  I used my Rose Red Ribbon with this card!!

Here it is at another angle!!  Thank you for stopping by! 

Smiles,

Lesley :)

Meet Jaydee (Paper Player Design Team Member)

e are starting up a new Challenge Blog right here on Sunday, June 6th. Please visit THIS POST for more details!  The fabulous design team will be known as "The Paper Players". Yesterday I introduced you to Paper Player LeAnne and today I would like to introduce you to another one of the Paper Players, Jaydee.  I have been an avid fan of Jaydee's blog and always enjoy her positive, upbeat outlook on life.  I was so excited when she agreed to come on board and design for this new challenge blog!  Her cards are clean and colourful, she is the master of simple yet gorgeous designs!  I have asked her to share a little about herself...

Jaydee of Jaydee's Stamping Space

My name is Jaydee. I live in Minnesota with my hubby and our menagerie of cats and assorted wildlife. I love the winters and hate the summers!

I made my first card at the age of 12. It was a Valentine's Day card for my high school crush... It was many decades later before I made my second one! I work full-time in the technology industry and that requires some very long hours. Escaping into my stamping space helps me relax and stay somewhat sane! I became a Stampin' Up! demonstrator 18 months ago when I realized that I was using more of their product than anyone else's and that I could share with others something that I loved so much - crafting.

I was born in England and have lived on 4 continents over my life. Crafting, traveling, wildlife, cooking, reading, interior design, music, history, philosophy and art are passions. I have a diploma in interior design and, like LeAnne, tried so hard to be "arty" at school. Alas, my brother got that gene - along with the skinny gene!

I was so honored when Lesley asked me to be a part of the talented group of Paper Players. I love seeing the creative ways that people use paper, scissors and glue and am very excited to see what you will be sharing with us over the coming weeks.

I look forward to getting to know you all better!

Be sure to visit Jaydee's blog Stampin' with Jaydee to see her clean and elegant designs! Don't forget, we have a PRE-CHALLENGE happening! We are looking for a Guest Designer for the month of June! Please visit THIS POST to see all the details. The main challenges start on Sunday, June 6th!

Thanks for stopping by!
Smiles, Lesley :)

Sandi MacIver's Workshop in Sequim Washington

We are home after a wonderful long weekend in Sequim, Washington!  We went over to Sequim to visit our friends Virginia and Winston.  I also went to meet Sandi MacIver!  She is one of the creators of the "Stamp-A-Holics" Design Team that I am a part of and we finally got to meet in person!  She is fabulous and so was her class!  Just look at all the beautiful projects we did!  Wow!  I have a few more to post but I have to retake some photos of them.  So I thought I would share a few of things we made!

This lovely lady is Candi!  I met her for the first time on Saturday and I was so astonished to find out that she had visited my blog and actually knew of me!  Wow!  That was pretty amazing!  The ladies I sat with were so much fun and I had a blast...laughing and eating chocolate with them!

My friend from Vancouver Island, Shelagh, has been friends with Sandi for over 20 years!  Small world!  And Candi above, is neighbours to our friends Virginia and Winston!  It is so amazing all the connections this

weekend!

Here we are all together!  (Left to right) Sandi, Shelagh and Me!

It was wonderful meeting you Sandi!  Your workshop was amazing!  I just loved your energy!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Smiles,

Lesley

Meet LeAnne (Paper Player Design Team Member)

We are starting up a new Challenge Blog right here on Sunday, June 6th.  The design team will be known as "The Paper Players".  I would like to introduce you to one of the Paper Players LeAnne Pugliese!  I was absolutely thrilled that LeAnne agreed to become a Paper Player.  She is in high demand on various challenge sites! She has become a dear blogging friend over the past few months and I love her work!  I have asked her to share a little about herself...

LeAnne of Wee Inklings

Hi everyone! My name is LeAnne Pugliese; I have been a crafter almost as long as I can remember. I love any kind of fabric and paper crafts! I discovered a passion for stamping and cardmaking about 10 years ago, and became a Stampin'Up! demonstrator because I loved to show others how much fun I was having! I think creating something, then giving it to another person, is a tangible way of saying that you care about them. When I was a little girl, I really wanted to be an artist....but unfortunately, I am not gifted in that area. Stamping is a great way to let someone else be the artist, but I get to color, create, and embellish that artwork in my own special style.

I have been married to John for 11 years, and I have a 27-year old daughter, Dana, and son-in-law Charlie, who will be making us grandparents for the first time in August! We live in beautiful southeastern Pennsylvania on land that three generations of my family farmed. I am also active in my church and love to cook, cross-stitch and be with family.

Be sure to visit LeAnne's blog Wee Inklings to see her gorgeous creations!  Don't forget, we have a PRE-CHALLENGE happening!  We are looking for a Guest Designer for the month of June!  Please visit THIS POST to see all the details.  The main challenges start on Sunday, June 6th!

Thanks for stopping by!

Smiles,

Lesley

Stamp-A-Holics Challenge #123

Another week has come and gone! I am back with another Stamp-A-Holics Challenge and this week we are challenging you to make a 10 minute card with the colours Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede and Whisper White.  I got the chance to choose the colours for this week!  I was so excited to use Suede!!  But then I had to sub in Kraft for Suede as my package from SU! didn't arrive in time for our challenge and so I had no Suede to play with!!  Ah!  The irony!  Oh well!

I went to the Clean and Simple Blog used the current Fall To Layout Challenge.  I changed the sketch a bit, I hope that it ok!!  I decided to use my White Craft Ink and my "Eastern Blooms" set.  I also used the sentiment from the set called "Bella's Bloom".  This was a super easy card to make and took me under the 10 minutes to make it.  No photos of Mr. Snappy tonight, he was too peeved that I won and he did not want a picture taken...hmm...sore loser! LOL!!!

Check out the rest of the Design Team's creations by visiting Carole'Anne's Blog and be sure to link up your creation there.  Hope you get the chance to play along with us this week! On a personal note, I am off to take a Card Workshop with our Design Team Leader Sandi McIver!!  She is offering an all day class in Sequim Washington on Saturday and I get to go!  Yahoo!!!  I will be taking my camera and hope to get some photos of the event!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Smiles, Lesley :)

Curtain Call Colour Challenge #30 and Unscripted Sketch Challenge #55

I stamped the flowers in white craft ink on some scraps of kraft paper. I then stamped the same flower on kraft paper again with black stazon and then coloured that flower with my Pumpkin Pie and Pretty in Pink Stampin' Write Markers.  Colouring on Kraft Paper adds an intensity to a colour!  I also used some Crystal Effects on the coloured flower to make it shine! Stacey's Curtain Call Challenge asked for these colours below.

The sketch came from Unscripted Sketches. Another challenge I love to play along with but have not been able to for a couple of weeks!  I did use their sketch but cut the paper to be landscape rather than a portrait style. I hope that it ok? Here is the sketch they were asking us to play with this week. I really liked the clean simple lines of this sketch, I think it is one I will use again and again.

Spent all weekend planting flowers and doing laundry, the yard is starting to look wonderful, need to take some photos to share.  Well I am off to work!  Here is one more picture of the card from the "other" angle!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Smiles, Lesley :)

Pals Paper Arts and Stampin' 411

It's bright! It's bold! I tried the Stampin' 411 Sketch and the Colour Challenge at Pals to use Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise and Real Red. I love these bright colours and wish I had the Choo-Choo Set...it would have been adorable with these colours...and I think it would work nicely with these houses too! Hmm...next order maybe? Hehehe!

I moved the bow on the side...to the bottom corner...It is sure a lot of layers...

Thanks for stopping by!
Smiles, Lesley :)

Kissing and Thumping

I made these cards ages ago for a "Kissing and Thumping" technique class I was going to teach! I never got the chance because a flu bug got me and so these cards sat by the wayside, just waiting to be shared! So I thought today could be the day.  The Kissing and Thumping techniques are so easy and I love the look they create. Maybe I should put the tutorial online here...I am planting in my garden today and so we be outside for most of the day but I do have some projects that are half-finished...I have to get more time in the day!

Hope you are enjoying your Sunday!

Thanks for stopping by!
Smiles, Lesley :)

Colour Throwdown #92 and Tuesday Morning Sketches #45

I had the chance to stamp tonight and took it!  I have not had the chance to stamp very much this week and I missed a few of my favourite challenges!  The Tuesday Morning Sketches Blog had a terrific sketch and I played along with the Colour Throwdown this week!  When I saw them I knew I had to put them both together!

My oval is So Saffron with Vellum over it to make the Lillies from the Fifth Avenue Floral set pop!  I have not done that before but I like the muted Saffron!  My card base is Sage, I don't own any Baja Breeze yet but when it comes back it will be the first colour I will get! I love it!  The Kraft piece was embossed with the new Embossing Folder from the Summer mini...I love that too!

Maybe I should have made the card Old Olive and did the top layer of the card in Sage Shadow?  What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!
Smiles, Lesley :)

Stamp-A-Holics Challenge #122-3D Project

Thank you for dropping by my blog! For our current Stamp-A-Holics Challenge we are challenging you to create a 3D Item. There is only one catch! The 3D Item must be completed in 30 minutes!  I timed myself at 32 minutes tonight!  I wanted to try my Charming Set with some fun, bold colours!  I followed the directions found HERE for the 3D Hanging Treat Box on Splitcoast Stampers! It hangs on a Wine Bottle and it gets filled with goodies!

Here is Mr. Snappy...all ready to go!  It is 10:01pm...on Thursday night, last night to be exact! I have not had one night this week to work on this!!!  I have to get this done because I have to work in the wee hours...and teach my Grade 2/3 class!!

Here are my supplies...I am ready to go!

Following the first few steps gets me to this point!  I need to tape it together!!

My whole intention was to try something new...and I just couldn't get into it!  I made one of these hanging treat boxes for my Father's Day Club project this week and I loved how that turned out.  So I went with that idea again and made a little matching card this time.  The card fits in the treat box!!  The rose is a 3D rose I made with my Ornament Punch.  I thought I would add something to the photo to brighten up the shot!  Do you see the sheen on the projects?  I used Smooch Spritz in Vanilla Shimmer and I am in LOVE with that stuff!  Wow!  It really adds a fine shimmery sheen to a project!!

To get this all done, I forgot to photograph Mr. Snappy at the end of this project, so you will have to take my word that I spent 32 minutes on it!!!  Poor Mr. Snappy, he seemed quite vexed!

To play along this week, please visit Carole'Anne's Blog to find Mr. Linky!

Thanks for stopping by!
Smiles, Lesley :)