Meet the Guest Designers

The Paper Players are thrilled to introduce our Guest Designers for the first six months of 2013.  From classic to contemporary...from clean and simple to distressed and dirty...these designers will inspire you with their creations.  Here are the "Fab Five" to tell you a little about themselves:

Justin Krieger

JK Cards 

My name is Justin Krieger and I’m techie that does computer consulting. I live in Long Island, NY and I have a wonderful daughter Taylor and Mini Schnauzer Winston. I have always done some kind of paper crafting ever since I was little when I made entire car dashboards out of oaktag. I discovered my love of card making in January of 2010 while watching a show on PBS. I saw them make a waterfall card and I thought "I can do that!"  So I went out and got some supplies and made one. My friend introduced me to Stampin’ Up! in August of that year, and I became an Independent Demonstrator in September. I am completely hooked and take some time to make something every day. It relaxes me and is my wind down at the end of the day!

Sandy Mathis

Stamp with Sandy

I'm a wife, mom to three adult kids and servant to my rescued kitty, Oreo. I've always loved crafts of all sorts but I'm totally addicted to paper crafting. I love to create scrapbook pages and cards, and I have classes every month to share my passion with others. Some of my other hobbies include cooking, jewelery making, gardening, reading and exercise. Life is way too short for all of my interests but I manage to fit them in most of the time. I’m very excited to be a guest designer at The Paper Players!

 Brian King

Stamp' with Brian 

An accountant by day and an enthusiastic paper crafter by night, Brian spends his free time stamping, thinking about stamping, talking about stamping, writing about stamping and laughing about stamping.  A second time Stampin' Up! demonstrator (first between 2002 and 2005), Brian rejoined in 2012 and is having the time of his life!  He loves his one-on-one interactions with his customers in his Atlanta workshops and classes.  He also loves his online friendships with his vocal blog readers and with other Pals (he is a member of Stampin' Pretty Pals).  Brian describes his style as "clean and simple" but loves to venture into new territories.

Jen Nelson

The Tiny Blue Butterfly 

Hi, I’m Jen and I live just north of Manchester in the UK. I'm an accountant by day and a crafter by night... with a little help from my two furry friends …Jack and Levi.  My other half thinks I have way to much crafty stash... but it's an addiction.  What can I say?  Plus what would I use the spare room for if it wasn't my studio! I’ve been blogging for about 2 years, but crafting of some type for as long as I can remember. When I’m not crafting or counting beans, you can either find me behind my camera or underwater in scuba gear somewhere in the Red Sea! I am so honoured to be invited to join this fabulous design team and cannot wait to work with this fabulous team for the next 6 months.

Amy O'Neill

Amy's Paper Crafts 

I live in McKinney, Texas (a great small town just north of Dallas), and I have three children. I was a CPA before kids, and I have been blessed to be able to stay at home with them as they grow. I've been married to a wonderful man, who is supportive of my paper crafting addiction, for 17 years. I have loved paper crafting since I was a child. I started with scrapbooking when I was in high school and picked it up again when I had my first child.  I never thought I was very creative until a friend introduced me to Stampin' Up! eleven years ago, and then I found a new love and passion, which gets stronger every year.  I still love to scrapbook, but find that I spend much more time making cards.  I am really excited about getting to work with the Paper Players team. I love what the designers create every week, and I have so enjoyed playing along with the challenges since I discovered the Paper Players site.

The Paper Players are excited to have all of them on board!  Here is to a crafty and creative New Year to everyone! We will see you next Sunday with our first challenge of 2013...A theme challenge from Ann! Until next time...

Winners for Challenge #126: Ann's Snowflake Challenge

Ho! Ho! Ho! What wonderful eye candy you gave to The Paper Players for Challenge #126: Ann's Clean and Simple Snowflake challenge.  A big thank you goes out to all of you who took time out of your busy holiday preparations to join us!  With over 100 wonderful entries to choose from, the Design Team had a difficult task selecting their winners.

Let's take a look at what caught the eye of the Design Team for A Cut Above:

And the Design Team's selections for A Cut Above are....

1. Jaydee's Choice: Bonnie's CAS snowflake set my heart a flutter! The red snowflake ribbon and dot embossed background were just perfect with the shimmery snowflake. Stunning card! Congrats, Bonnie	2. Nance's choice: Cornelia's one-layer card is STUNNING!  I love how the snowflakes appear to be falling and the colors are ice-a-rific!  Congrats Cornelia!	3. LeAnne's Choice: Lisa's card with it's cute festive drinks surrounded by snowflakes made me giggle! Congrats on the pick, Lisa!
4. Anne Marie's Choice: Marisa's card is fun, festive and all 'round FABULOUS! Love the bold sentiment and all of the great details. Congrats Marisa!	5. Helen's Choice: A fantastic CAS card & the clever use of the tiny snowflake to create this pretty wreath really caught my attention. Bravo, Brian! :)

And now, Ann's Choice for Headliner is...

Vicki Burdick

It's a Stamp Thing

When I saw the talented Vicki Burdick's card, it immediately evoked memories of one of my favorite songs, "Winter Wonderland".  Please indulge me, as I pay tribute to Vicki with this little ditty.  You can sing it along with me, if you would like.

           In the meadow Vicki built a snowman, using a digi image from Birdie Brown. 

She colored it carefully with Copics, and now she wears our Headliner crown!

Visit her blog, she'll inspire.

All her work, you'll admire.

I'm happy to say, "Congrats go her way"

Stampin' in a Winter Wonderland!

I hope you will all join us tomorrow when we introduce you to our new Design Team, up close and personal!  Our challenges resume on January 6th, with a Theme Challenge from Ann.

There's Lots of Time to Play in Ann's Snowflake Challenge

There is still time to play in Challenge #126:  Ann's Clean and Simple Snowflake Challenge!

  To see the original post and to view the Design Team inspiration cards, click HERE!  We can't wait to see what you create! And remember, due to the holidays, we have extended the deadline.  The challenge ends Friday, December 28th at Noon, PDT!

Challenge #126: Ann's Clean and Simple Challenge

Greetings from all of us at The Paper Players! Today we reveal our final challenge of 2012.  It's a bittersweet occasion as we say good-by to our current Guest Designers:  Amy White, Dawn Easton, Helen Heil and Jen Arkfeld.  We will miss their creativity and talent.  However, their departure means that it is time to say hello to our new Guest Designers for the first six months of 2013.  We welcome Amy O'Neill, Brian King, Jen Nelson, Justin Krieger and Sandy Mathis to The Paper Player family.  They will begin their duties in January.  

Now on to the challenge!

Ann has created a Clean and Simple Challenge to finish up the year.  The twist is to make certain that your project features a snowflake.  And remember...if it is Clean and Simple to you, it is Clean and Simple to us.  At The Paper Players we are all about the fun!  Let's see what the Design Team has prepared for your inspiration:

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Amy White

Helen Heil

Dawn Easton

Jen Arkfeld 

Because of the holidays, we are extending our challenge until December 28th at Noon (PST).  Winners will be announced on Saturday, December 29th.  Meet the new Guest Designers on Sunday, December 30th!  Our 2013 challenges will begin again on January 6th.  Until then, may you have the happiest of holidays and a safe and joyous New Year!  Until next time...

Winners for Challenge #125 - Nance's colours

What a wonderful job you all did with our colors of fire and ice.  A big thank you goes out to all of you who who took time out of your holiday preparations to join us! With so many wonderful entries to choose from, the Design Team had a difficult task selecting their winners.

Let's take a look at what caught the eye of the Design Team for A Cut Above:

And now, Nance's Choice for Headliner is...

Vicki Burdick !!

It's a Stamp Thing

Happy sigh.  The peaceful meadow that Vicki created is so crisp I can feel the cool air, so serene I can hear the birds twittering in the tree and so full of sparkle that it's a winter wonderland!  Bravo Vicki, for finding the perfect balance with our cool and warm color combination--worthy of the title as this week's Headliner!

I hope you will all join us tomorrow when the queen of pearls, Ann Schach, hosts our CAS  challenge and has a big announcement to share...see you then!

There's Still Time to Play in Challenge #125: Nance's Color Challenge

There is still time to play in Challenge #125 - Nance's Color Challenge.  To see the original post and to view the Design Team inspiration cards, click HERE!  We can't wait to see what you create! But hurry...the challenge ends Friday, December 14th at Noon, PDT!

 

And don't forget our Design Team Call !!!

 
Are you crazy about stamping?  Are you a real team player?  If you answered "yes",  we are looking for you!  The Paper Players are looking for our next group of Guest Designers! The application process is simple.  If you are interested, submit a project for this challenge and put the initials "GD" after your name on your entry.  Five Guest Designers will be selected.  Winners will be announced on Sunday, December 16th.  One Guest Designer entry per person, please.  Read about our expectations In This Post.

Challenge #125 - Colours from Nance

Hi everyone, Nance here!  What a fun challenge last week with all the snowmen, women and children!  As always, we are so happy you continue to join in the fun here at The Paper Players.  This week, I am delighted to host a colour challenge with one of my favorite combinations: 

This combination is really very versatile and can work for so many occasions: winter, holidays, birthdays even masculine!  You'll see as many variations from our creative design team.  But, before we get to that....

***Special Announcement (It's the last week!)***

If you are crazy about stamping and a real team player, we're looking for you!  The Paper Players are looking for our next group of Guest Designers! The application process is simple.  If you're interested, submit a project for this week's challenge (it's your last chance!) and put the initials GD after your name on your entry. Five Guest Designers will be selected from all the entries and winners will be announced on Sunday, December 16th.  One Guest Designer entry per person, please.

The Paper Players are a true team and it takes teamwork to get the job done!  Here's what we expect from our Guest Designers:

1. Create a project once a week using our weekly challenges as inspiration
2. Post your project in a public forum such as a blog, SCS, website, etc.
3. Provide meaningful comments on teammates' and participants' projects each week.
4. Select one Cut Above for the winner's post each week.
5. Commit to your duties as a Guest Designer for 6 months beginning January 6, 2013.

We look forward to seeing your work!

Now, on to some fabulous inspiration from our Design Team:

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Amy White

Dawn Easton

Helen Heil

Jen Arkfeld 

(off this week)

Jaydee

(off this week)

Winners for Challenge #124: Ann's Theme Challenge

Big and small, short and tall! Elegant and country! Boy, did we ever have a variety of snowmen appear in our challenge this week! A big thank you goes out to all of you who participated! With so many wonderful entries to choose from, the Design Team had a difficult task ahead of them in selecting their winners.

Let's take a look at what caught the eye of the Design Team for A Cut Above:

And now, Ann's Choice for Headliner is:

Gisela

Craftin' Zone

Gisela's little box of chocolates, with its delightful snowman tag, is adorable! With rhinestone buttons and a sparkly snowflake, this little snowperson is blinged to the nines! Congratulations, Gisela, on being my choice for Headliner this week!

I hope you will all join us tomorrow when the fabulous Nance Leedy will treat us to a yummy color challenge.  See you then!

There's Still Time to Play in Challenge #124 - Ann's Theme Challenge

There is still time to play in Challenge #124 - Ann's Theme Challenge.  To see the original post and to view the Design Team inspiration cards, click HERE!  We can't wait to see what you create! But hurry...the challenge ends Friday, December 7th at Noon, PDT!

 

And don't forget our Design Team Call !!!

 
Are you crazy about stamping?  Are you a real team player?  If you answered "yes",  we are looking for you!  The Paper Players are looking for our next group of Guest Designers! The application process is simple.  If you are interested, submit a project for any of 4 challenges (PP122, PP123, PP124 or PP125) and put the initials "GD" after your name on your entry.  We are currently on challenge 123.  Five Guest Designers will be selected.  Winners will be announced on Sunday, December 16th.  One Guest Designer entry per person, please.  Read about our expectations In This Post.

 

 

Challenge #124 - Ann's Theme Challenge

Welcome to this week's Paper Players Challenge!  This week's hostess, Ann, has a theme challenge for us.  With the official start of winter right around the corner, what could be more fitting than a "Snowman" theme! So pull out those favorite snowmen stamps, and let the winter fun begin!

***Special Announcement (yep, we're still looking!)***

If you are crazy about stamping and a real team player, we're looking for you!  The Paper Players are looking for our next group of Guest Designers! The application process is simple.  If you're interested, submit a project for any of the next 2 challenges (PP124 or PP125) and put the initials "GD" after your name on your entry. Five Guest Designers will be selected from all the entries and winners will be announced on Sunday, December 16th.  One Guest Designer entry per person, please.

The Paper Players are a true team and it takes teamwork to get the job done!  Here's what we expect from our Guest Designers:

1. Create a project once a week using our weekly challenges as inspiration
2. Post your project in a public forum such as a blog, SCS, website, etc.
3. Provide meaningful comments on teammates' and participants' projects each week.
4. Select one Cut Above for the winner's post each week.
5. Commit to your duties as a Guest Designer for 6 months beginning January 6, 2013.

We look forward to seeing your work!

Now, on to some fabulous inspiration from our Design Team:

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Amy White

Dawn Easton

Helen Heil

 

 Jen Arkfeld 

Here's a quick recap of our challenge rules: 

1. Please link your card to no more than three challenges, TOTAL. 

2. Please include our graphic and a direct link back to our challenge 

3. Please link directly to your card. 

4. Have FUN! Please link up your creation here! 

All stamping products are welcome! Thanks for joining the Paper Players this week. This linky will close on Friday, December 7th at NOON (PST).

Challenge #123 Winners

Hi Everyone. Once again, you made it really hard for the design team to choose their winners. Thanks to all of you for really rocking my sketch. We really do appreciate you playing along with us.

Here's what caught the eye of the design team this week as their Cut Above choices:

1. Ann's Choice: With its elegant paisley paper and richly colored poinsettia, Loll's card is an opulent treat for the eyes! Congrats, Loll, on being my pick this week!	2. Amy's choice: Amy's fabulous card has so many great details that won me over! The pearl-embellished ornaments, glimmer brads, embossing and ribbon all add up to a lovely rich card!	3. LeAnne's Choice: Vicki used one of my favorite winter images, and used it in such a pretty way! Her glimmer paper-matted sentiment adds just the right amount of zing! Congrats, Vicki!	4. Dawn's Choice: Allison's FUN Valentine card! It's so inspiring to see something fresh. The pretty highlighted heart is wonderful!! Congrats, Allison!
5. Nance's choice: Lynn's merry & bright color scheme and bold graphic design caught my eye immediately! Love her clever take on the sketch...love it all! Congrats, Lynn!	6. Helen's Choice: I was captivated by Gisela's gorgeous creation, with its elegant colour scheme, pretty trims & clever background treatment! Congrats, Gisela!	7. Jen's Choice: Jen's softly colored trees set on the glittery snow really do evoke a sense of Peace. Such a calm and clean card! Love it Jen!

And now, my choice for HEADLINER this week is Julie of Stamping with Julie. 

 I fell in love with Julie's unexpected black and white hybrid Christmas card.  The crispness of the black snowflakes against the white card stock and the basic rhinestones is stunning.  The black satin ribbon bow is beautiful and adds another level of elegance to an already elegant card.  The embossed background adds a fabulous level of dimension behind the focal layer.  A perfectly composed card that I kept returning to again and again.  Congratulations, Julie for being my Headliner this week. We hope you will proudly display your winner's badge on your blog.

 Don't forget to come back tomorrow.  The fabulous Ann has a great theme challenge for you all.

Jaydee