Play Date Cafe Challenge #160

Hiya!

Welcome to this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge. This week we have some beautiful wintry colors for you: mountain top, icy blue, and snowflake.

And here is the card that I created:

For this card, I used the Four Framed Snowflakes set from Hero Arts. I added a little glitter and some white ink. I like the tile look of this, especially with the sparkle.

You can join us by linking up your creation over at The Play Date Cafe Blog. You have through Tuesday, December 11th to play along. While you're there, you can check out the Cup of the Week prize from our fabulous challenge sponsor, ScrapbookPal.com!

Cricut
Cartridges

Thank you for sponsoring us this week, ScrapbookPal.com!

Have a super day!


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Recipe
STAMPS: Four Framed Snowflakes - Hero Arts
CARDSTOCK: Fine Linen, Rustic White - PTI; Bordering Blue - SU!
INK: Buckaroo Blue, Whisper White - SU!
OTHER: Blue Topaz Glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts

Thank You

Just stopping in on a lazy Sunday to say hello and share my creation for this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge. I love lazy Sundays, when the chores are all taken care of and there's nothing to do but a little of this and a little of that. We are having a sunny day here today (which is pretty rare for winter in Pittsburgh) and while it is still chilly outside, seeing the sun makes all the difference.

This week's color story at the Play Date Cafe was a beautiful pairing of blue and green, with some cream thrown in for good measure. I love all the frosty interpretations of these colors that the challenge participants posted. Here is the color story for this week:

And my take..

Nothing like some fussy cutting to make me happy! These cute matryoshka dolls from Hero Arts have been sitting in my 'new things I should use' basket for oh.. probably six months. Finally got around to using them!

I have the trio of woodblock stamps (that I cannot located on the HA website), but these gals are also available in the Dolls Clear Design set. I just stamped them a bunch of times on different patterned paper and cut all the bits out.

The sentiment is from a set called Perfectly Penned from Stampin' Up!. I know, I haven't used anything from them in quite a while. I do think the sentiment pairs up well with the dolls, though.

Some other details here and there to finish it off. Can you resist a smile at those cute faces?

And finally..

It is here! I spent Friday night pulling out all the bits and pieces and laying everything out. I have the cards all divvied up into a divided storage tray I picked up on sale at JoAnn's. I have some pictures ready, and have jotted some notes down in my calendar. I'll be ready to hit the ground running when the page protectors come back in stock. Until then, I'll just collect things and work on the journaling cards so I can just pop 'em in.

Thank you all for your overwhelmingly positive response and support of me taking on Project Life. I am super excited!

Hope you have a sun-filled, lazy Sunday too!

Anya

Recipe
STAMPS: Russian Dolls (here in the Dolls Clear Design set) - Hero Arts; Perfectly Penned - Stampin' Up!; Text It - Waltzingmouse Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Vintage Cream, Fine Linen - Papertrey Ink; Sage Shadow - Stampin' Up!
PATTERNED PAPER: Fly a Kite, The Thrift Shop - October Afternoon
INK: Pebble - Amuse|Studio; Onyx Black VersaFine - Tsukineko; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Dotted Scallop Punch - EK Success; Eggshell Ribbon - Hug Snug; Adhesive Pearls; Sewing Machine

Keep in Touch

Hello, sweets. How are you today? I'm having a weird hide under the desk and leave me alone kind of day. I need to work on my stress-repelling force field.

Let's talk good stuff instead, ok? How about this week's Tuesday Trigger?

I saw this, loved it, and took it in a totally different direction.

My first thought when I saw all those numbers all laid out, all different colors, was keys (makes complete sense). Specifically, this Antique Keys background stamp from Hero Arts. I busted out my very neglected Stampin' Write markers and colored the keys on the stamp, huffed on it, then stamped it on my cardstock. Um, I kind of love it. I know I completely neglected the whole number part of that photo, but sometimes you just gotta go where the mojo takes you!

I used the typewriter again to type out my sentiment - keep in touch.. keep.. KEYp.. get it? I hope so, or you'll think I've lost it for sure.

...

So I was thinking about Project Life and was going to ask you guys what you thought but then I went ahead and ordered the stuff anyway. But I'll still ask you.

I have always liked the idea behind scrapbooking and am in awe of those of you that scrap. I really never thought it was for me, though, because (and I know I'm off base, but ideas are sometimes hard to change) I don't have any children. I just didn't think I'd have enough to fill a scrapbook. Sure, Bill and I travel here and there, but the other 50 weeks out of the year are pretty much wash, rinse, repeat. Yawn, right? But I just love the look of Michelle Wooderson's and Ali Edwards' Project Life layouts. Normal, everyday pictures with some other stuff splashed here and there, I loved the simplicity of it. Write only as much as you need or want to.

So I started thinking about this week. This week we replaced our kitchen faucet. The stupid project took 3 days, and it might not mean a thing to you, but it is a recurring theme in our lives: updating our house is a painful struggle. I thought of the task of de-Christmasifying, something that will likely be happening in our house in the coming week or so. The cute petite snowball cake I bought from a bakery this week that had the most amazing (and unexpected) raspberry filling in it. This weekend we're going to a minor league hockey game with my brother and his girlfriend.

And then I thought about my Mom and how much my family means to me, and even if I don't have children, I still have a family and I still have a life that is worth documenting - if anything, just for the pure fun of it. To look back in a year and say - remember when we went to replace the faucet and we had to do this, and then this, and the planets had to be perfectly aligned before it worked? These are the things that are my most favorite about the Project Life albums I've seen - the complete normal everyday stuff that is included. So my original question was to ask you guys what you thought, am I totally off? Should I take the plunge (which is a little late, since I bought the Clementine Core Kit this morning)? Are you sighing and rolling your eyes like my husband at the thought of me taking on another Project? Feedback, please! I want to hear your thoughts.

Ah. I feel so much better - thank you for listening! ;)

Anya

Recipe
STAMPS: Antique Keys - Hero Arts
CARDSTOCK: Ripe Avocado, Kraft, Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
PATTERNED PAPER: Fly a Kite - October Afternoon
INK: Antique Linen, Gathered Twigs Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Earth Elements, Rich Regals Stampin' Write Markers - Stampin' Up!; Tiny Attacher - Tim Holtz; Typewriter; Button

Fifty and Fabulous!

Hi sweeties! How are you?

I have a friend at work that is turning the big 5-0 this Thursday. She's a real cutie, and I wanted to make something special for her.

My starting point was this week's color challenge in The Play Date Cafe. Scrumptious, I tell you.

I started by stamping the Circle Lace stamp from Hero Arts for my pop of yellow - not too much, but definitely part of the design. Then I stamped one of the backgrounds from Text It, a favorite of mine when I want a little something.

I used Tim Holtz's Paper Rosette die as the base for my little award ribbon and then dusted off my Slice (Vintage Findings design card) to cut the numbers out. Then I glittered those babies up, because its a 50th birthday card, and glitter makes everything more special! The little polka dot banners are from the Bitty Banners set.

I pieced some words to finish my phrase - 'Fabulous' is from PTI's Say It With Style. I like to attach things like this a little wonky.. I think it adds a little whimsy.

So there you have it! A card for my fifty and fabulous friend!

Nice to see you here today, tomorrow it is challenge day for Serendipity. Have a great one!

Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Circle Lace - Hero Arts; Bitty Banners, Text It - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Say It With Style - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Pale Plum, Rich Razzleberry - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Marigold Morning, Rich Razzleberry - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Jasper Glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts; Paper Rosette die - Tim Holtz for Sizzix; Vintage Findings Design Card and Slice - Making Memories; sewing machine

So Fabby, Take Two

Hola chicas!

A week or so ago, I posted this card that I had made using some new Hero Arts stamps, remember? I made an off-hand comment about how pretty I thought it would be in some other colors, and, well.. here you go!


Buttery yellow.. so pretty with gray.

And a nice springy green.

Conveniently, there are three different silhouettes in the Three Silhouettes stamp set (go figure!) so I used each. Here are all three cards together, lined up soooo pretty. They really are lovely!

So glad to see you today. Hope your day is great!

Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Three Silhouettes, Circle Lace - Hero Arts; Very Vintage Labels No. 18, Frame It - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Barely Banana, Certainly Celery - Stampin' Up!; White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Going Gray, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi - Stampin' Up!; Old Paper Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Oval Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Perfect Pearl Perfect Pearls - Ranger Industries; Adhesive pearls - Recollections

So Fabby!

Hi chickies! Are you ready for the weekend? We're almost there.

I am so excited to share today's card with you - I had so much fun just playing!

I used the goodies I picked up this weekend at my LSS. As soon as I saw the card that Anna submitted for last week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge, I fell in love with the Three Silhouettes stamp set she used. I also came home with the Circle Lace stamp, another I've seen while surfing blogland.

The Very Vintage Labels No. 18 makes a perfect frame for this silhouette. The sentiment is from Frame It. Don't you just love the little pearl 'necklace'? I also added some splashes of Perfect Pearls for a little extra shimmer. Here, let me show you..

Shimmery goodness! I have major love for this card. I think it would be so pretty in yellow, too. (I just might do that!)

So glad to see you here today, sending you hugs!

Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Three Silhouettes, Circle Lace - Hero Arts; Very Vintage Labels No. 18, Frame It - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Blushing Bride - Stampin' Up!; White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Going Gray, Regal Rose - Stampin' Up!; Old Paper Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Oval Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Perfect Pearl Perfect Pearls - Ranger Industries; Adhesive pearls - Recollections

What a Doll!

Hi everyone! I hope you are having a great day. I am happy to report that I made something new last night! I love the opportunity to spend all evening creating in my little room, the house quiet around me, doggies asleep at my feet. It is good to feel productive.

This fun card was made using Hero Arts' Four Dolls stamp set. I colored the girls in with Copics. The patterned paper is retired Stampin' Up! called Haiku - what a perfect match, huh? I added some adhesive rhinestones and used my clear Sakura stardust pen to add some sparkle.

Now its off in the mail to my dear friend Julie, who is celebrating her birthday on Thursday. Julie is visiting from sunny CA later this month, so I am very excited to have that to look forward to.

Thank you for stopping by, I appreciate it! Have a wonderful day!

-Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Four Dolls - Hero Arts; Mega Mixed Messages - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Old Olive, So Saffron, Haiku patterned paper - Stampin' Up!; SS White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Old Olive - Stampin' Up!; Tuxedo Black Memento - Tsukineko
Misc: Copic markers; Adhesive Rhinestones; Sakura clear startdust gel pen