Margaret Moody

PPA121 - CAS Elements of Style Challenge

It's Thursday and this week's challenge at Pals Paper Arts is a CAS "Elements of Style" Challenge (PPA121) using PEARLS!  My card features a single snowflake enhanced with a bit of glitter and a handful of polished pearls!  The non-traditional color palette offers a fresh and contemporary change from the usual holiday colors!  In keeping with the challenge, the layout is clean and simple, yet very elegant!

Polish up your pearls and join me and my fellow PPA Design Team members and this week's featured artist, Nicole Watt!  Everyone is invited to play the PPA challenge using your favorite paper crafting brands and supplies.  Our challenge is not exclusive to Stampin’ Up! products only!  Click here for more details on how to play at PPA!   I can't wait to see what you create!

All supplies are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Four the Holidays
Paper:  Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Crumb Cake
Tools:  Big Shot Die Cut machine, Sizzlits Snowflake Set #2, Stamp-a-ma-jig, 1/2" corner rounder
Extras:  Crystal glitter (my embellishment stash), adhesive pearls (my embellishment stash), Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, clear gel adhesive, Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive

PPA117 - CAS Elements of Style Challenge

We're all wrapped up this week at Pals Paper Arts as we host a CAS Elements of Style Challenge (PPA117) using ribbon!  So get out your rolls, spools, scraps, hanks, and snippets of the glorious stuff and create a Clean and Simple card for the challenge!

This Halloween card was a quick and easy creation that starts with a clean base of white!  It features just the right amount of ribbon to complement the black die-cut letters!  Punched circles were stamped with background stamps to add to the bold and graphic design!  Contemporary, fun, and oh so simple!

Now it's your turn!  See what my fellow PPA Design Team members and this week's featured artist, Nina Dee, have done with their ribbon by clicking here!  I'm sure you'll be inspired!

All supplies are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  A to Z, Dot, Dot, Dot, Solid Stripes
Paper:  Pumpkin Pie, Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Versamark Watermark
Tools:  1-3/8" Circle Punch, Big Shot, Sizzix Timeless Type Alphabet Junior Sizzlits dies, 1/2" corner rounder (We R Memory Keepers)
Extras:  5/8" Basic Black Satin Ribbon, Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

PPA112 - CAS Element of Style - Lace

It's Thursday and that means it's time for another challenge at Pals Paper Arts!  This week, we're offering you the opportunity to "play along" by featuring Lace in our CAS Element of  Style Challenge (PPA112)!  Embroidered lace, crocheted lace, black lace, white lace, or even paper lace...the possibilities are endless! 

I chose to make another Halloween-themed card to share this week that features a punched paper lace border in black!  The black paper lace adds a Gothic-style touch to this fresh Halloween color combo of gray, green, and purple (I love it) while adding a contemporary flair to the very traditional layout!  Stamped elements were heat embossed to add an extra bit of "oomph" to the design and highlighted with a bit of green adhesive bling!  Clean and simple, but glamorously spooky, if I must say so myself!

Need a little bit inspiration?  Check out the lacy creations of my fellow PPA Design Team members and this week's featured artist, Martha Stewart!   So, get out your lace and your supplies and get busy!  As Tim Gunn would say, "Make it work!"  Join us on the PPA runway and strut your stuff!  I can't wait to see what you create!

All supplies are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Style Beautiful, Wicked Cool, Four Frames
Paper:  Basic Gray, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black card stock
Ink:  Black Pigment Ink (Color Box)
Tools: Hand-held basic hole punch (office supply store), Stamp-a-ma-jig, Gothic Clover Punch - Punch Pack, Designer Label Punch, Eyelet Border Punch, heat gun, clear embossing powder
Extras:  5/8" Old Olive Satin Ribbon, Rich Razzleberry button - Designer Buttons:  Brights Collection, Basic Black flower button - Designer Buttons:  Neutrals Collection, adhesive pearl (my embellishment stash), green adhesive rhinestones (my embellishment stash), Sticky Strip, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

PPA108 - Soften the Edges

Pals Paper Arts is hosting a CAS Elements of Style challenge (PPA108) this week and we're asking you to "Soften the Edges"!  My card for this week's challenge was fast, easy, and fun to make!  I used punches to soften the edges of this simple yet contemporary Halloween card!  A few strips of patterned paper, a trio of buttons, and a simple greeting and you're done!  This design could easily be adapted for so many different occasions!  It literally took less than 10 minutes to put together! 

If you like this week's card, please leave me a comment!  I love hearing from you and appreciate all the wonderful feedback you share with me each week!

Now it's your turn!  See what my fellow PPA Design Team members and this week's featured artist, Nicole Watt, have done with this week's challenge!  Then, get out your supplies and get busy!  I can't wait to see what you make!

All supplies are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Grateful Greetings
Paper:  Basic Black, Basic Gray card stock; Frightful Sight Designer Series Paper
Ink:  Basic Black
Tools:  Stamp-a-ma-jig, 3/16" Corner Rounder Punch, Curly Label Punch
Extras:  Black buttons (my button collection), Mini Glue Dots

PPA104 - Elements of Style Challenge

This week's challenge at Pals Paper Arts is an Elements of Style challenge (PPA104) to use paper piercing on your card!  I stepped "outside of the box" a little, as I chose to use punches to create paper piercing for my card and made an eyelet border to complement the stamped images of the Style Beautiful set! 

Eyelet always makes me think of a trip to the fabric store; a trip I made many times with my mother, who was an avid seamstress!  I've always loved eyelet and had a lot of dresses growing up that were made from or trimmed with eyelet!  Crisp, white eyelet never looked better when layered over a pretty patterned fabric!  So, I layered my eyelet trim over a tailored stripe of Pear Pizzazz patterned paper!  Satin ribbon, a bow, and a few coordinating buttons finish off the entire ensemble!  Clean and simple, yet elegant and very stylish!

See what my fellow PPA Design Team members have created featuring paper piercing, along with this week's featured artisit, Nicole Watt, and get all the details for how to "play at PPA!"

In the meantime, if you like my card, please leave me a comment!  I love hearing from you!  Then, get out those supplies and get busy!  I can't wait to see what you create!

All supplies are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Style Beautiful
Paper:  Whisper White card stock; Patterns Stack Designer Series Paper - In Colors 2010-2012
Ink:  Pear Pizzazz
Tools:  Large Oval Punch, Slit Punch (retired), 3/8" circle punch (EK Success), 1/4" hole punch (office supply store)
Extras:  Green satin ribbon (my ribbon collection), Designer Buttons - Subtles Collection, White Baker's Twine, Sticky Strip

PPA99 - Elements of Style Challenge

It's time for another Elements of Style Challenge (PPA99) at Pals Paper Arts!  We're asking you to use stars this week as your element of style!  Big stars, little stars, shiny stars, lone stars!  Military stars, silver stars, gold stars, funky stars, Hollywood stars!  Just kidding!  Whatever makes your project "shine"!!!

Today's card features a white punched star on the emblem for United States Army Air Forces (a.k.a. the Air Corps, the predecessor of the U.S. Air Force) of World War II.  I created a replica of the embroidered patch AAF members wore on their uniforms (click on the photo to view the faux embroidery and scoring details).  One of those AAF servicemen happened to be my dad, who served in the Pacific Theatre division as an MP (Military Police)!

My dad was sentimental and saved pictures, personal journals, and newspaper clippings from his service during the war.  That's him on the right, showing his ever serious look in his senior picture of his high school yearbook.  Don't you think he looks a bit like Jimmy Stewart (It's A Wonderful Life; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington)?  He never talked about his war experiences, but he saved his memorabilia.  He's no longer living, but my brother and I plan to work on a scrapbook to share with our siblings and all of our children.  I plan to include the card in the scrapbook.  A simple pocket inside the card will hold a copy of his military service record.

Score lines (made on the reverse side) spotlight the patch on a base of Army Green (a.k.a. Always Artichoke).  A very appropriate sentiment was printed on a band of Army Khaki (a.k.a. Crumb Cake) and highlighted on either side by antique brass brads.

My dad is without a doubt one of my "stars" and I'm proud of his service for our country's freedom!  We owe a great debt of gratitude to those who served in World War II, for had the circumstances been different, the world we know today certainly wouldn't be the same!  Thank you, Daddy, and all your fellow servicemen and servicewomen of WWII!

Gather your stars and "play along at PPA" with me and the rest of the PPA Design Team!  Click here for inspiration and details on how to play!  I can't wait to see what you create!

All supplies are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Paper:  Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, More Mustard, Poppy Parade, Whisper White card stock
Ink:  Night of Navy, More Mustard, Poppy Parade Stampin' Write Markers
Tools:  Big Shot, Sizzix 3" Circle die, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, 1/16" Handheld Circle Punch, Small Star Punch (retired), Paper Snips, scoring board (Scor-Pal), computer
Extras:  Antique brass brads - 3/16" Metallic Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Tombow Multi-Purpose Adhesive

Clean & Simple - PPA95 Challenge

It's time for another challenge at Pals Paper Arts and this week, we're hosting a CAS (Clean & Simple) Elements of Style Challenge featuring Brads (PPA95)!  Brads come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and finishes!  They can be added as a simple embellishment to enhance your creation or used as a featured focal point!  The decision is yours and the possibilities are endless!

My card showcases flower-shaped brads from Stampin' Up! used as a focal point on my Clean & Simple card.  This card was so easy to put together, but packs a lot of punch with the clean lines and bright colors against the contrasting black and white!  Best of all, it's quick and easy to make and can be adapted for any occasion by changing out the sentiment and/or the color scheme!  Simple, fast, and fun! 

Click here to see how the PPA Design Team  used brads on their creations and get details for how you can "play along at PPA"!  I can't wait to see what you create!

All supplies used are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Curly Cute
Paper:  Basic Black, Whisper White card stock; Tempting Turquoise Patterns Stack - Designer Series Paper Brights Collection
Ink:  Jet Black (StazOn)
Tools:  Crop-A-Dile, Stamp-a-ma-jig
Extras:  Flower Brads - Brights Collection, Stampin' Dimensionals

All Buttoned Up!

We're all "buttoned up" this week at Pals Paper Arts for our Elements of Style Challenge (PPA91) featuring buttons!  I don't know about you, but I LOVE buttons!!!  The perfect button can make or break an outfit!  If you're a papercrafter, I'm sure you've searched many times for that "perfect button" to add to your card!

Today's card is contemporary and clean and features buttons used as centers for the embossed flowers!  Different sizes and types of buttons create interest and balance.  Marbelized buttons, double circle buttons, and little flower buttons! The neutral textured background really makes the flowers "pop" off the card!  A tiny tag provides the simple sentiment and the perfect finishing touch!  Buttoned up and ready to go!  Bright, colorful, and FUN!

My fellow PPA Design Team members and this week's featured artist, the very talented Joanna Munster, are all "buttoned up" too!  Check out their button-embellished creations and get all the details for how you can "play at PPA"!

All supplies are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted:

Stamps:  Tiny Tags
Paper:  Tempting Turquoise, Pumpkin Pie, Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Whisper White card stock
Ink:  Early Espresso Stampin' Write Marker; Versamarker
Tools:  Sizzix Big Shot Die Cut machine, Cherry Blossom Stampin' Up! Embosslits die, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Jewelry Tag Punch
Extras:  Linen Thread; Tempting Turquoise button, Pumpkin Pie button, Real Red button, Old Olive button, Daffodil Delight button - Designer Buttons Brights Collection; Pretty in Pink button - Designer Buttons Subtles Collection; Mini Glue Dots, Sticky Strip