Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Paper Players #104, Christmas Stampin All Year Long #19 and Addicted to Stamps


Hello friends - so happy you've stopped by to visit me!  This card above represents a real challenge for me as you will see when you read more.  I used a stamp that I have had for quite a lonnnggg time and never - that's right NEVER - used.  In fact - I have only used the sentiment from this set and none of the other beautiful stamps.  I really liked this set as soon as I saw it, and I saw so many gorgeous creations that people made with it that I just had to have it.  Then when I got it I felt completely intimidated with what to actually do with with it!  Does that ever happen to any of you? I think part of it is that this is a very elegant set and most of my cards are not in the "elegant" venue. 

In any event... along comes this perfect challenge to help me - Christmas Stampin All Year Long #19 - No Inky Yet!  This challenges asks us to use a stamp that has never been used (or rarely been used) and get it inky to make a creation.  How perfect is that? I knew immediately what stamp set I would use.  But...I sat and stared at it for the longest time, struggling with what to do with it. Walked away from it for a day and then decided that I wanted to keep this as clean and simple as I could so I wouldn't be overwhelmed with what to combine with it (paper, embellishments, layout, etc.).  Clean and Simple does not come naturally to me either - but it seemed like a good choice.  A couple days later... Still looking at it and still creatively blocked!! 

So today I looked to see if there were some other challenges that I could combine to help inspire me in using this set.  And...lucky for me I did find two other challenges:  The Paper Players #104 - CAS using words as the focal point of your card (a sentiment, poem or verse as the main element)
and Addicted to Stamps - Clean & Simple (CAS) Challenge #1.  Suddenly the light bulb came on and I got an idea (LOVE when inspiration strikes!).  What you see above is the finished product - Whew!! 

If you are still with me, here's a close up of my sentiment and main element:
I first colored my stamp with SU markers (twice) and stamped in each corner, then I pulled the color out on the leaves and berries using a blender pen.  I stamped the sentiment and then used my Spellbinders small oval to cut it out.  After positioning it where I wanted it on the card, I then used the coordinating Spellbinder large oval and punched holes around the outer edge of that die.   I did manage to keep it CAS with lots of white space and minimal  layers and embellishments (just a few small red rhinestone berries).  You might have thought by now that you would have just chosen another stamp - I thought about it, believe me, but I really wanted to see if I could do it.  I'm so proud of myself - I kept it CAS and I used an elegant stamp that I have been intimidated by for quite a while!  Hope you like this card - and thanks for staying with me during this long post!  Hugs!!

Supplies (all from Stampin Up! except the Spellbinders): Cardstock - Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler and Riding Hood Red.  Stamp - Bells and Boughs (holly), colored with SU markers in Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler, and More Merry Messages (sentiment - new!) inked up with Cherry Cobbler. 


22 comments:

  1. Well! You certainly weren't missing out this time! Love it, lol. I really like this verse that you have used. Thanks so much for playing along at ATS xx

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  2. what a pretty Cas card , love the super design and your beautiful colouring. Thanks for sharing with us at Addicted to Stamps and good luck !

    Marie

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  3. Wow Danielle - this is beautiful. Well done on being first past the post at our challenge over at ATS. Don't think we've got that set over here in the UK but my spies tell me that the next catalogue will be the same for everyone in th e UK, USA and Australia.......'bout time I reckon!

    Karen x

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  4. Oh! This really is quite GORgeous. LOve your stamp. LOve your holly. LOve your colours...LOve everything lol....
    Chrissyxx

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  5. hello Danielle, this is so nice, your card is so elegante, i love it, thanks to participate to CSAYL, hope to see you next week, biz

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  6. I'm here again lol....
    Thank you soooo much for joining us this week at CSAYL.
    Chrissyxx

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  7. Way to stick in there and complete the challenge you gave yourself!! Maybe now, you have broken through and will be able to use this set again and again. You did a great job and the CAS layout lets those beautiful holy leaves shine. And great idea to use the die as a guide for the piercing (I wouldn't have been that brilliant!). Thanks for playing with CSAYL.

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    1. Hi Heather - I decided that now that I have used one of those stamps to use another and am working on that project now too :o) Thanks for your nice note!

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  8. Danielle, I am LOVING this gorgeous card!!! All that white space makes my heart happy!!! Gorgeous use of the sentiment and holly--thanks for joining us at CSAYL! :) PS: Don't give up on CAS--I almost did and I am SO glad someone told me to stick with it. So, stick with it! ;)

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    1. Thanks for your nice note and words of encouragement Mynnette! I'm thinking it must be like anything else - practice makes perfect (or at least a lot better! LOL)

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  9. This is truly CAS beautiful! I love that new sentiment. You won't believe this, but I had this set out today trying to come up with a card for my next stamp camp!!! I wish I had seen this earlier!!! Maybe I will case it for next time, it is really one of the prettiest I've seen! Thanks for playing with my "wordsmith" challenge this week!

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    1. Thanks so much LeAnne! I would be honored to have my card Cased by you. Hugs!

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  10. Hi Danielle - a beautiful CAS card so pretty and elegant. What's this I hear about buying stamps and then not using them??? I would never do that .........well almost never!
    Thanks for joining in this week at ATS - Jacqueline xx

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  11. Hi Danielle. Just popping in via ATS. Beautiful card. So elegant.
    Regards Florence x

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  12. Beautiful card, Danielle! Thanks for playing with us over at CSAYL!

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  13. Gorgeous card! Thanks for participating in CSAYL's challenge! Hope to see you again!!!
    ~DEANNE~

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  14. So glad you inked this one up! I agree, elegant describes this one best and you completely and totally pulled it off. Don't tell anyone else you were intimidated because no one would be able to tell!
    Thanks for joining us at CSAYL!!!

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  15. Hi, so stylish and lovely card!
    Thanks for sharing at CSAYL;-))m

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  16. Wow! Danielle - you did a wonderful job. I love all of it. The sentiment is great and I really like the piercing you did around the sentiment - it helps it stand out. The holly leaves are gorgeous too. Don't you feel like you've overcome the neglected stamp "disease"???

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  17. Danielle, what a fabulous sentiment and I love that you did the paper piercing around it to really highlight it. Awesome coloring. All round gorgeous card!
    So glad you joined the Paper Players this week
    Jaydee

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  18. Perfect CAS card Danielle reminds me of a Victorian Christmas card. Thanks for playing along with us this week at ATS
    Val x

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  19. An absolutely gorgeous CAS card -beautiful stamping and a wonderful sentiment. Someone will be very happy to receive this at Christmas! Thanks so much for joining us at Addicted to Stamps this week :)

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