Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge - Happy everything

Happy Monday to all!  I'm super excited because today kicks off the term for the new design team at the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge blog.  Kim has completely re-formatted the challenges, so instead of an inspiration photo every other week, you'll now be able to play along with a new challenge (and see tons of fabulous inspiration from the new DT) EVERY WEEK!  And the type of challenge will be varied as well.  Here are the types of challenges you can expect to see, starting tomorrow, and every Monday thereafter:

• Week 1: Trend Watch (inspiration based on a current trend)
• Week 2: Designer Drafts (sketch challenge)
• Week 3: Cool Shades (color combination challenge)
• Week 4: Picture Perfect (inspiration photo)

Each week will stay the same from month to month; when there is a fifth week in a month, the last week will be an extra week to participate for challenge 4.  Another exciting change is that the design team has been split into 2 groups.  Group 1 will be creating projects for the first and third weeks, and group 2 will have the second and fourth.  Here's the breakdown of the teams:

Group ONE (week 1/3): Kasia, Heather, Glenda, and Lori

Group TWO (week 2/4): Angeline, Kimberly (your's truly), Jackie, and Erica

Fun , right???  Plus, the amazingly talented Savannah is staying on the team, and will serve as coordinator.  She and Kim have truly outdone themselves with this new re-structuring.  I'm so excited to see what awesome projects come out of this!  I mean, just look at these cute new graphics!

Okay, onto the challenge for this week, the Trend Watch.  Even though I'm in group 2, I still created a card for today's challenge. It will be linked up to the challenge gallery rather than in the blog post itself.  The inspiration is this:

I love the cloud/sunshine trend that's so popular right now, and couldn't resist making a card based on this picture.  Now for the paper yummies:

The cloud is a sticker from the Echo Park "Little Boy" Collection Kit.  The yellow patterned paper is from the same collection, but it's normally yellow and white striped, so I colored it with Prismacolor markers for a yellow-on-yellow paper.  I die cut a circle to create my sun, and stamped a cute little face from the Alfresco stamp set.  I stitched along the edges of the cloud, and stamped a sentiment from Simply Said.  For the background (which looks better in person than it does photographed), I stamped the polka dots from the Geo-Graphic set and heat embossed them with white powder. You may be able to see it better here:

I hope you will play along with this challenge.  For each challenge, there will be a PS PRO. This PS PRO will receive a banner for their blog and a $30 credit to the Paper Smooches store.  You have until Sunday, May 13 at 11:59 PM EST to play along.

Did you know?  Paper Smooches is now on Pinterest! Come follow the entire team and company here!!! 

Thanks for looking!

I'm playing along here:

Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge: The Sky is the Limit

Supplies: cardstock: Georgia Pacific; patterned paper, sticker: Echo Park; stamps: Paper Smooches (Alfresco, Simply Said, Geo-Graphic); ink: Tsukineko (Versamark, Versafine Onyx Black); embossing powder: American Crafts; circle die: Nestabilities; die cut machine: Cuttlebug; markers: Prismacolor; ribbon: Michael's; sewing machine: Kenmore; thread: Singer; dimensional adhesive: American Crafts