Paper Players Challenge # 7 – Growing Green

Hi Everyone.  Happy Saturday night.

If it's Saturday, then it must be the Paper Players challenge reveal:-)  Tonight's card features several new goodies.  Two new stamp sets, new brads and an encore of DSP.

The challenge this week is a sketch challenge.  Lesley created a great sketch for us.  It's very versatile and I know that you will have fun using it. 

You can pop along to the design team blogs to see their fabulous creations:

Corie - shows you a little monochromatic "style"

LeAnne – take a little trip out west with LeAnne

Lesley - watercolor wonder

Marlene - beautiful bird and butterfly

Don't forget to join us and play along.

I got to this card after 4 different attempts at creating a card.  What I realized was that I was trying to force-fit a stamp set that I wanted to use into the sketch.  The thing I learned?  Let the sketch guide you – don't go in with a preconceived idea because sometimes the shape of the stamp and the sketch ….. well, they just don't gel!

It might have taken me a while to get to where I did, but I was so pleased with the final result.  I ended up looking at the shape of the sketch and then determining what stamp set I had that would allow me to fill the space.  I know I have said this already, but I am going to say it again… I LOVE WILD WASABI!  

I absolutely loved coloring this sketch.  I also loved the monochromatic feel of the final result.  Many of my regular readers have asked me what I use for inspiration…. in this case, I googled "maidenhern fern pics" and came up with this botanical print.  That's what drove the coloring for the focal image.  I loved this botanical print, as it used more colors than a normal photograph does.  So, I kept this image on my screen whilst I painted the fern frond.  Now, I am VERY partial to Maidenhair ferns.  My old house had a lot of these gorgeous ferns.  I love the soft, almost delicate leaves.  Leaves that reflect many shades of green when seen in daylight.

Card recipe:

• Card stock:  Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, Very Vanilla
• Stamps:  Growing Green, Perfect Punches (sentiment)
• Accessories:  Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Antique Brads (love these Antique Brads!), Woodland Walk (DSP)
• Tools:  Scallop Oval punch, dimensionals, snail, cutting tool (I generally use the SU table top cutter)

Card instructions:

• Cut Garden Green card stock to 10 1/2 x 5 1/4.  This gives a finished card of 5 1/4" square.  I scored and folded this card with the fold at the top of the card.
• Cut the Woodland Walk DSP to 5" square and cut a piece of Very Vanilla satin ribbon to fit around the front of the DSP and just under the sides.  Adhere ribbon to the underside of the DSP.  Then adhere this layer to Garden Green card base using snail
• Cut two layers of Garden Green.  one at 3 1/4" x 4 1/4" and another at 2 7/8 x 3 7/8
• Cut Wild Wasabi layer at 4 1/8 x 3 1/8.
• Adhere Wild Wasabi layer in between the two Garden Green layers using Snail
• Ink the Maidenhair Fern stamp and stamp onto a layer of Very Vanilla.  I cut my layer to 2 3/4 x 3 3/4.  (I purposefully made the Wild Wasabi layer a little wider than the Garden Green layers.)
• I colored the fern frond image using three different green inks to bring in both the Garden Green, the Wild Wasabi and also a third green to try to help blend the two greens.
• I stamped the "thanks" sentiment from the Perfect Punches set onto Very Vanilla and punched out using the Oval punch.
• The Very Vanilla frond layer is adhered to the green layers using dimensionals
• I then added three of the new Antique Brads to match Lesley's sketch

Tips:

• I HATE and I mean REALLY hate sticking brads through paper.  So, I always cut off the legs of the brads.  I do that with my craft scissors.  But.. if you are going to do that, remember to separate the legs and cut them off at the base, one at a time.  Hold on to the leg that you are cutting to stop if flying off where you don't want it to go.  If you cut off the legs, you can adhere the brads exactly where you want them and not have to worry about the brad legs being central.
• When adhering a sentiment to a raised panel that also happens to rest against the card base, use snail on the side attached to the raised panel, and dimensionals on the side that attaches to the card base.  In this case, I used to dimensionals on top of each other on the right hand side of the punched sentiment.  This ensures that it lays flat.
• The great thing about this card is that from a distance (where you would normally see it) there is great depth because of the different color greens.  It's much harder to see close up.
• Which leads me to my final tip… when creating cards.  Put them on a flat horizontal surface at eye level and walk away from them.  That's how they are normally seen.  Yep, we look at them close up when we open the envelope, but after that, they are normally seen at a distance.  So, creating a card that holds up to both is what you are aiming for.

On a personal note:  Lou is home and his trip was very uneventful.  YAY!!! Amazing.  However, if was WAAAAAYY too hot to sit outside for dinner.  In fact, I went to the Farmer's Market this morning and it was over 80 degrees and it wasn't even 8 am.  It's now throwing it down with rain, is still very warm and incredible humid.

I did get some time in my stamping space today and made two cute cards.  I cant wait to share them with you.  One of them uses a color scheme I know I have not used before…… Pumpkin Pie, Night of Navy, Pear Pizzazz and Very Vanilla.  Both the layout, and the color scheme were for challenges.  I can't wait to show you what I did with it.  I also got to use my markers for coloring – a great form of meditation for me!

I hope to get a little more time in my space tomorrow.

Before I go, I really wanted to share a picture with you.  I was sorting out the cards for the charity card drive.  However, Mr Bilbo decided he needed to vet them…. luckily I had emptied the boxes.  (It was also the day that some of my new goodies arrived… as you can see from the new large scallop circle punch!)

Isn't he just gorgeous though?…. He is my constant companion.  He has grown so much since we saw him as a tiny little kitten. Bilbo Baggins is a Norwegian Forest Cat.  The wegies don't mature until they reach 5 years old.  Bilbo is only just 3 years old.  So, he and his brother (Sam, who is very camera shy), still have two years before they become adults.  Bilbo has the BIGGEST paws – especially considering he's a skinny little cat under all that fur.  Bilbo is also the insect hunter.  Every night he does the rounds of the basement looking for unwary spiders.  he HATES and I mean HATES spiders.  (Garfield anyone?)

Prayers as usual for Trish, Germaine, T, Pri and Rach.  Looks like Arthur and Jim are on the mend, which is great news!

As always, thank you so much for spending time in my little are of the stamping blogosphere.  Your visits and your support are greatly appreciated.

Have a fabulous Sunday everyone.  Remember to smile at a stranger – it may change their live.

Hugs

Jaydee