Paper and Ink Imaginings

just playing with paper and ink

Tag Archives: PPA Challenge


by 4 Comments

Mother’s Day Tulips Card – PPA199

ppa199 mothers day

I am trying to work on a custom 50th birthday card, but the current Pals Paper Arts (PPA199) color challenge was swirling in my head. The colors are Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz, and So Saffron.

Tulips and butterflies worked for me! There is a touch of clear Wink of Stella on the butterfly wings, a slight shimmer that I could not capture with my camera. This stamp set is retired, but one that I will never give up. I just find it so versatile.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies: Stamps – Hero Arts, Stampin’ Up!, paper – Papertrey Ink White, Stampin’ Up! Pear Pizzazz, So Saffron, inks – Stampin’ Up! Calypso Coral, Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz, So Saffron, VersaFine Vintage Sepia, Wink of Stella clear, die – Stampin’ Up!, washi tape – Stampin’ Up!, twine – We R Memory Keepers.


by 8 Comments

Floral Birthday Card – PPA196

ppa196 birthday

Today’s card is for the latest Pals Paper Arts Challenge (PPA196). I was in the mood for a pattern in the style and colors of Lily Pulitzer, and my Orchid Opulence ink pad was in my line of sight as I started on this challenge.

Here is the sketch:

ppa196 sketchThanks for stopping by! Happy Monday!

Supplies: Stamps – Stampin’ Up!, paper – Stampin’ Up! Gable Green (retired), Orchid Opulence (retired), Shimmering White, Whisper White, inks – Stampin’ Up! Green Galore (retired), Orchid Opulence (retired), VersaFine Onyx Black, dies – Spellbinders (rectangles), Stampin’ Up! (butterfly), embossing folder – Stampin’ Up!, embossing powder – Filigree Fine Art Powder clear, twine – We R Memory Keepers.


by 4 Comments

Thanks Card – PPA195

ppa195 thanks

The latest Pals Paper Arts Challenge (PPA195) is a color challenge. The colors are Rose Red, So Saffron, and Wild Wasabi.

I colored the stamp with markers, and stamped on the white cardstock. Then I stamped again with VersaFine Onyx Black on to the individual colors and embossed. I fussy cut the vases to paper piece onto the white layer.

The “thanks” was die cut once out of Wild Wasabi, and twice out of my white scrap cardstock (Georgia Pacific, I get it at Sam’s Club). I glued all three layers together to give the word a little dimension.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies: Stamp – Stampendous, paper – Papertrey Ink White, Stampin’ Up! designer scrap (retired – only scrap of Wild Wasabi I could find), Rose Red, So Saffron, inks – Stampin’ Up! Rose Red, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, VersaFine Onyx Black, die – Taylored Expressions, embossing powder – Filigree Fine Art Powder clear, twine – Martha Stewart.


by 10 Comments

PPA192 and Simon Wednesday Challenge – Wedding Card

ppa192 wedding

I worked the current Pals Paper Arts Challenge (#192) and the Simon Wednesday Challenge together this week.

Here is the PPA192 sketch:

ppa192 sketchThe Simon Wednesday theme is “wedding or anniversary” this week. And the tin ceiling designer paper was just perfect. I really like the white and the off white together.

Funny, I had forgotten how much I LOVE gold embossing.

Supplies: Stamp – Stampin’ Up!, paper – Papertrey Ink White, Stampin’ Up! Brushed Gold, Webster’s Pages – Alison Kraft, ink – VersaFine Onyx Black, die – Lawn Fawn, embossing powder – Stampin’ Up! Detail Gold, organdy ribbon – JoAnn’s, oragandy and satin ribbon – ClearBags.


by 4 Comments

MOJO333 and PPA191 Birthday Card

mojo333 ppa191 v2

I combined the latest Mojo Monday challenge (MOJO333) and the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge (PPA191) today. The MOJO sketch put me in the mood for circles, so I went all out – retired designer paper with circles, an embossing folder with circles, faux copper coins.

Here is the MOJO333 sketch:

mojo333 sketch

Here are the PPA191 colors:

ppa191 colors

Supplies: Stamp – Stampin’ Up!, paper – Papertrey Ink White, Stampin’ Up! Brushed Copper (retired), designer paper (retired), Gumball Green, Pumpkin Pie, ink – VersaFine Onyx Black, embossing folders – Provo Craft, dies – Spellbinders, embossing powder – Filigree Fine Art Powder clear, grosgrain ribbon – Stampin’ Up! (retired).


by 6 Comments

PPA187 Birthday Card

ppa187 birthday

The current Pals Paper Arts color challenge (#187) is Real Red, Soft Sky, and Whisper White.

I was inspired by a card that Nicole Heady posted this week, during Papertrey Ink’s January release preview. You can view the card here: Nicole Heady’s Birthday Wish Card January 2014.

Happy Monday! Thanks for stopping by!

Edited 1/15/14:  Shut the front door! (in my best Stacy London voice) I got named one of the PPA Picks for this challenge. Thank you!

ppa pick badge

Supplies: Stamps – Stampin’ Up! (the circles are retired), paper – Stampin’ Up! Real Red, Soft Sky, Whisper White, inks – Stampin’ Up! Real Red, Soft Sky, VersaFine Onyx Black, enamel dots – Stampin’ Up!, embossing powder – Filigree Fine Art Powder clear.


by 10 Comments

PPA186 – Thank You Card

PPA186 thank you card

Pals Paper Arts posted their most recent color challenge (#186) just as I was starting on a thank you card to send to our very dear ex-neighbor (Good morning! I know you are reading with your coffee!) who moved away this past summer. I was already incorporating a photo of her dog, Josie (Josie has been gone a few years).

Odd, you say, to include a photo of someone’s dog on a thank you card? The segue here is that Offspring3 and I were talking about how much we miss the neighbors that moved, and then, of course, how much we miss Josie (we dog sat, pinch hit whenever necessary). My friend gave me permission to use this image (I took the photo, but Josie was her dog!) here on my blog.

The colors for the challenge are Island Indigo, Gold, and White. When I printed the photo of Josie (from 2009), the wallpaper really looked more Island Indigo than the actual green that it was in person.

Supplies: Paper – Papertrey Ink White, Stampin’ Up! Brushed Gold, Island Indigo, embossing folder – Provo Craft, embossing/die (butterfly) – Stampin’ Up!, corner punch – Stampin’ Up!, enamel dot – Stampin’ Up!, organdy ribbon – JoAnn’s.


by 2 Comments

PPA185 – I {heart} You Card

ppa185 love you card

Here is my card for the latest Pals Paper Arts sketch (PPA185).

Here is the sketch:

ppa185 sketch

I did think about adding sequins, wooden hearts or Swarovski crystals, but I wanted it to be more minimal.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies: Stamps – Lawn Fawn, Stampin’ Up!, paper – Papertrey Ink White, Stampin’ Up! Brushed Silver, Real Red, Smoky Slate, inks – VersaFine Satin Red, Smoky Gray, die – Lawn Fawn, embossing folder – Provo Craft, embossing powder – Filigree Fine Art Powder clear.


by 1 Comment

PPA182 Sympathy Card

ppa182 sympathy card

The Pals Paper Arts Challenge (PPA182) this week is a color challenge – Elegant Eggplant, Smoky Slate and Very Vanilla.

I added a little Wink of Stella to some of the blooms. The butterfly is cut from Curious Metallics Violette, it has a wonderful shimmer.

Supplies: Stamps – Papertrey Ink, Stampin’ Up!, paper – Curious Metallics Violetta, Stampin’ Up! Elegant Eggplant, Smoky Slate, Very Vanilla, inks – Stampin’ Up! Smokey Slate, VersaFine Onyx Black, Wink of Stella Clear, dies – Impression Obsession (butterfly), Stampin’ Up! (banner), metallic cord – PaperMart, embossing powder – Filigree Fine Art Powder clelar.


by 12 Comments

PPA181 and Fab Friday 32 Challenges – A Holiday Card

ppa181 fab friday 32

I combined the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge (PPA181) and the Fab Friday Challenge (Fab Friday 32).

The Fab Friday 32 colors are Coastal Cabana, Gumball Green and Real Red. Here is the PPA181 sketch:

ppa181 sketchThis card had a lot of layers of work! I will admit that I have thrown at least three iterations into the recycle pile (stamped badly, embossed too long,  dropped a marker while coloring, etc). I LOVE the result – the snowflakes from my new Impression Obsession die just make it perfect. It is too detailed and time consuming for mass production (because I know I would keep messing up along the way!).

The Wink of Stella is on the landscape lines. One of the green trees is fussy cut (no die) to add dimension, and the landscape lines were drawn with my French curve. Did you know that if you go over a pencil line with a Copic Marker, you can no longer erase the pencil line???

Edited 12/4/13: I got named one of the PPA Picks of the week! Thank you!!

ppa pick badge

Supplies: Stamps – Stampin’ Up!, paper – Papertrey Ink White, Recollections Glitter/Chevron paper (snowflakes), Stampin’ Up! Coastal Cabana, Gumball Green, Real Red, inks – Copic BG0000, R29, YR68, Stampin’ Up! Coastal Cabana, Gumball Green, VersaFine Onyx Black, Wink of Stella clear, embossing border – Provo Craft, photo corner punch – Stampin’ Up!, banner die – Stampin’ Up!, embossing powder – Filigree Fine Art Powder clear, twine – Martha Stewart.