Paper Smooches April Guest Designer - week 4

Hi, everybody!  I'm back to share the final cards for my guest designer spot at the Paper Smooches blog this month. Boy, I tell ya', 4 weeks just flew by.  It's crazy...

For this first card, I knew I wanted to use the little coconut drink from the Get Outta Town stamp set.  And from the moment I laid eyes on that stamp, I knew I wanted to flock that little coconut.  I also wanted to incorporate some embossing on this card.  It just so happens that the embossing folder I chose looks an awful lot like the circle of dots from the Potpourri set.  So I combined all of those things to create this paper yummy:

I stamped the circle of dots using Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Antique Linen for a very subtle look. I stamped the coconut drink and colored it in using Prismacolor markers.  Then I added Fun Flock to the coconut:

I stamped the sentiment, added some machine stitching, and finished it off with baker's twine.  Here's another view of the flocked coconut:

For the second card, I wanted to create a card for Mother's Day coming up, or any day you want to show your mom how much you appreciate her.  I stamped and embossed the hibiscus from Get Outta Town several times, masking some parts and popping up others.  I colored them all in with Prismacolor markers.  For the sentiment, I used the "thanks" from Simply Said along with "mom" from Pretty Momma.

Here's a closer view of the flowers:

Thank you so much for looking!  I had such a blast being a guest designer for Kim Hughes and Paper Smooches Stamps.  I am so honored to have been chosen for this!

Card 1 is playing along here:

Creative Inspirations Challenge 160: Anything Goes

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #118: No patterned paper

Ooh-la-la Creations Challenge #103: Bold & Bright

Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Challenge

The Ribbon Carousel Challenge RCC50: Anything Goes

Card 2 is playing along here:

Creative Inspirations Challenge 160: Anything Goes

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #118: No patterned paper

Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge PWC203: Clean and Simple

Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes Challenge

Lily Pad Cards April's Virginia's View Challenge  

The Ribbon Carousel Challenge RCC50: Anything Goes

Card 1 supplies: cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), The Paper Company (blue), Core'dinations (green); embossing folder: Lifestyle Crafts; circle die: Spellbinders; die cut/embossing machine: Cuttlebug by ProvoCraft; stamps: Paper Smooches; ink: Tsukineko (black), Ranger (Antique Linen); markers: Prismacolor; flocking: Stampendous; Glossy Accents (flocking adhesive): Ranger; baker's twine: Divine Twine; sewing machine: Kenmore; thread: Singer; dimensional adhesive: American Crafts

Card 2 supplies: cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Recollections (black); stamps: Paper Smooches; ink: Tsukineko; embossing powder: Hampton Art; markers: Prismacolor; scallop edge punch: EK Success; ribbon: Hobby Lobby; dimensional adhesive: American Crafts

Paper Smooches April Guest Designer, week 3 (pic heavy)

Happy Thursday! I can't believe it's already the third week of my term as April's guest designer for Paper Smooches Stamps. I guess time truly does fly when you're having fun! Today I'm here to show you the cards that Kim featured on the blog yesterday. The first card, I made intending to be a wedding card, but you could also use it as a retirement card for someone special. Now for the paper yummies:

I created this card using the large "flower" from the Potpourri set, and the solid circle (sun/moon) from the Get Outta Town set. I stamped the large flowers in white ink, then stamped the circle four times in each center using navy ink. With a craft knife, I cut each flower out completely. I adhered a layer of navy polka dot paper under the kraft cardstock, filling in the negative space. Then I adhered only the center of each flower back in it's respective place. I curled each petal up, and added a pearl to each center. Here's a close up:

I combined two sentiments from the Simply Said set, and stamped one in white and the other (embossed) in navy. You can see that here:

I just love that patterned paper peeking through from behind the flowers.

And speaking of flowers, here is the second card Kim featured this week. I actually made two versions of this card, and the first is the one featured on the Paper Smooches blog:

To create the flowers on this card, I lightly free-handed some stems with a pencil to figure out my placement. Then, I used the solid heart stamp from the Pretty Momma set to make a flower, stamping the heart eight times per color. I stamped the sentiment from Simply Said, then erased the parts of the pencil lines that intersected the sentiment. I used green thread to machine stitch stems over the remaining pencil lines, and added a matching button to the center of each flower.

Now, let's just pause here for a moment, and let me issue an official

***SQUEAL ALERT***

for the second version of this card. No, really. I must.

Okay...are you ready?

I HEART THESE POM POMS!!! I made them using baker's twine, and just love everything about them! They match PERFECTLY and just add a little squeal factor to these flowers. And they were super simple to make. I used this tutorial that's all over Pinterest. Here's another view:

And the sentiment/stems:

Alright - thanks for sticking with me through all those pics! Have a great day!

Card 1 is playing along here:

Cupcake Craft Challenges #188: In the Deep End

Paper Pretties Monday Challenge: Embossing (I heat embossed the navy sentiment)

Paper Sundaes Challenge 116: Anything Goes

Card 2 is playing along here:

Lily Pad Cards Flower Challenge

Mojo Monday 237 Sketch

Ooh-la-la Creations Challenge 103: Bold & Bright

Pile It On #16: Pop It Up (I popped buttons up onto the middles of the pompom flowers)

The Ribbon Carousel Challenge RCC49: Color-a-licious with Totally Stampalicious

Sweet Stampin' Challenge: Girly But No Pink

Paper Smooches April Guest Designer, week 2

Hello, everybody! I'm here to share the cards for the second week of my guest designer term at the Paper Smooches blog. This week, Kim chose to feature these two cards, which were both made using the Get Outta Town stamp set. It's SO crazy cute! Lotsa great images and sentiments!

For the first card, I created a little island scene. My"island" is actually the oval around the cameo in the Pretty Momma set (which I used in last week's cards). I love finding other ways to use stamps! And if you'll look closely here, you'll see another example: the bird up in the sky is what I used to create the waves below. I just stamped him a bunch of times in succession, and fussy-cut each layer. I love the way it turned out. Now for the paper yummies:

So I've never really used watercolor paper, but I had some in my stash. So I pulled it out, and used it to make my sky background. But instead of using watercolor pencils, I used Tim Holtz distress ink and a blending tool to apply it to the paper. Then I went in with a water brush and randomly added some "clouds". I also used the cloud stamps from Paper Smooches Metropolis set. I stamped them in white ink, then colored them in with a white gel pen. I stamped and second-hand stamped the bird so one would look further away. Here's a closer view:

For my other card, I just HAD to use the cute luggage stamp. And it begged me to paper-piece it. The stamp itself is three stacked suitcases, but I just kept stacking them. First I stamped the Hip to be Square background onto the natural colored cardstock (very subtly - it may not be visible in the pictures). Then I stamped the luggage stamp three times, and fussy-cut the right edge of the cardstock along the lines of the luggage. Then I paper-pieced each suitcase using patterned paper from the Echo Park This & That Charming 6x6 pad. I colored the clasps and handles using Prismacolor markers. More paper yummies:

For the sentiment, I die-cut a ticket from ledger paper (from the same pad as the luggage) using a Papertrey Ink ticket strip die. I stamped the sentiment onto the ticket, and tied it on with baker's twine. Close-up:
I still can't believe I'm actually guest designer for Paper Smooches...although I am on a bit of a roll here lately with all kinds of exciting news coming my way. Stay tuned... :)

Card 1 is playing along with these challenges:

Lawnscaping Challenge 31: Coloring

Little Red Wagon Spring Colors Challenge

The Ribbon Carousel Sketch challenge

Card 2 is playing here:

Crafty Catz Challenge #127: CAS

Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge PWC201: 2 or more designer papers (I used 10!)

The Pixie Cottage Challenge 116: paper piecing

Paper Smooches April Guest Designer, week 1 (pic heavy)

Happy Wednesday, everybody! I'm SO EXCITED to be the guest designer for Paper Smooches Stamps this month! Paper Smooches is the first guest designer "gig" I've gotten (or put in for), so that makes it doubly exciting. The three April stamp releases are TOO CUTE (!) and even though the themes are much different, they work so well together. I made a total of eight cards (for the guest design spot - of course, I couldn't stop there though!), and Kim will be featuring 2 of them on the Paper Smooches blog every Wednesday of the month. The cards she chose for this week are featuring the Pretty Momma and Simply Said sets. Now for the paper yummies:

I just love how feminine the images on the Pretty Momma set are. I stamped the cameo onto this die cut frame, and added a strip of rhinestones for her necklace. And do you see that pink "paper" with the text printed on it, behind the cameo? That's product packaging! Yep, it's the backing from a package of trims. LOVE it! I machine stitched all the way around the frame with some natural quilting thread, and also stitched around the pink packaging and down the left side of the card:

In keeping with the vintage-y look, I used a strip of muslin instead of ribbon. I love the way it frays. I stamped the sentiment onto a rectangular die cut, and banner-cut the right side. I added this adorable rose brad and attached the sentiment to the bow. Here's another close-up:

Okay, on to the next card. Now, I'm not normally a butterfly kinda girl...although I don't really know why...? Anyway, when I saw this butterfly, I really loved it and couldn't wait to use it. I think partly because I'm a sucker for a scallop, and this butterfly has cute little scalloped edges on her wings. So I decided I wanted to make her as dainty as I possibly could, and paper-piece her onto white cardstock so those scallops would really pop. And yes, it was really fun to fussy cut those scallops and other little parts not one, two, or three, but FOUR times! Well...maybe not so fun...but TOTALLY worth it! I love the way they turned out! More paper yummies:

So, I stamped the butterfly a total of three times per color - once on the white cardstock and twice on each color of patterned paper. Once I paper-pieced each butterfly, I used a thin line of Tombow Mono multi-glue down the middle of each butterfly to attach it onto the stamped image below. Once they were all adhered, I machine-stitched across them. Then I raised each wing to give it more dimension and "flutter", and added some Stickles. Here's a close-up:

I finished off this card with some baker's twine and the cutest little buttons. I love how the tiny pink one fits right into the white, flower shaped button:

I am entering the first card in these challenges:

Moxie Fab World Don't Throw it Away Challenge (I used product packaging)

Lily Pad Cards Flower Challenge

ColourQ Challenge #131

Papercraft Star Anything Goes Challenge

I am entering the second card in these challenges:

CAS-ual Fridays CFC46: Name That Tune (inspired by "Butterfly" by Crazy Town)

Papercraft Star Anything Goes Challenge

Young Crafters Unite Challenge #8: Stitching or sewing

Thanks so much for looking!

Supplies (card 1): cardstock: Core'dinations; patterned paper, product packaging, die cuts, rose brad: The Girls' Paperie; stamps: Paper Smooches (Pretty Momma, Potpourri); ink: Tsukineko (black, green); bling: The Paper Studio; muslin: Roc-Lon; sanding block: Making Memories; sewing machine: Kenmore; quilting thread: Americana

Supplies (card 2): cardstock: Core'dinations (blue), The Paper Company (black), Georgia Pacific (white); patterned papers: DCWV; stamps: Paper Smooches (Pretty Momma, Simply Said); ink: Tsukineko; corner rounder, hole punch: We R Memory Keepers; scalloped edge punch: Martha Stewart; sanding block: Making Memories; baker's twine: Divine Twine; buttons: craft supply; sewing machine: Kenmore; thread: Singer; glitter glue: Ranger

Paper Smooches April Guest Designer

So, you all know that I LOVE Paper Smooches stamps, right? I mean, what's not to love? Kim Hughes does such a fantastic job of designing some of the cutest images out there, the graphic sets that Karolyn Loncon designs are fantastic, and the sentiments are so unique. And they all work together so well. Plus they stamp like a dream! Well...(insert drum roll here)...I am pleased (ecstatic really) to announce that I have been chosen as the guest designer for April! And let me tell ya, the April releases definitely do not disappoint. They are super cute! I cannot wait to get them and start creating! Hopefully, they'll appear in my mailbox tomorrow. I just had to share my good news. This will be my first guest designer/design team work ever (besides my LSS), and the fact that it's with Paper Smooches is just unbelievable to me. I can't wait to share all my Paper Smooches paper yummies!

P.S. To see the card that won, click here.