Thursday, August 26, 2010

The Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC44



Well...This is an 'unusual' inspiration photo
for The Play Date Cafe, is it not?!
Time to shake things up a bit and
get really creative!  Are you ready?
It's the first...
'colour horribilis' challenge!

Sarah Anderson is our host with the
creative idea for this week, so let's just see
what this is all about.....

"Are there any colours that don't go together?  That clash?
The very talented Penny Bearcroft from Life is a Fountain
and I discussed this one day at one of my workshops.
Penny thought it would be fun to play with a few colours that
most would think were, well...not so lovely together : ) 
I thought this would make a fun challenge and asked Penny to come up with some.
 Well...here they are!
Now I happen to think they do go together,
and Penny's proved it .... just take a look at her creation!


So are there any colours that don't go together?
Or is it just the tones of the colours that don't work out?
So while you're creating with these colours, we'd love you to ponder this question.
See what you come up with for colours that don't go well together.
We'd love to hear your ideas, but make sure you complete
this challenge
in navy blue, hot pink and mustard yellow."


This week we welcome back Elise Durenberger
back to The Cafe as our Guest Designer.
We hope you have been as inspired by her
fabulous creativity as much as our design team have.
Make sure you put Mamacow Creations on
your favorites list and visit often.
Here is what Elise did with this week's
'unique' color challenge.....


So glad to have another great prize package
from Memory Box Stamps



Here is what you could win...

'Rhubarb Tart' paper collection


'Seed Stems' Stamp Set

We are sad to be saying goodbye to one of our
design team members this week.
As the 6 month term has come and gone already,
it unfortunately passes all too quickly.
Stephanie Kraft has been such a wonderful friend
and creative partner to the rest of our team and we
know she has been an inspiration to you as well.
We hope she doesn't mind that we shared her final
thoughts for our team with you...
"I made this week's card especially for all of you, 
my sweet PDCC teammates
sending hugs and smiles, though not saying goodbye!"

Thanks Steph for being such an inspiration to all of us.
We look forward to seeing what wonderfully creative
things are next for you.....



Here's what the rest of our designers have done to inspire you.....

Savannah O'Gwynn ~ Savannahland2

Ruby McGuire ~ Ruby 2 Shoes Design

Lisa Somerville ~ Splendiferous Creations

 
Suzanne Czosek ~ Suzz's Stamping Spot

Senior Designer
Julie Ranae ~ Julie's Open Window


Please follow the rules carefully to enter.
Deadline for prizes is 11:59pm EST on Tuesday
The 'Cup of the Week' will be announced during the next challenge.
ALL SKILL LEVELS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PLAY! 
We want you to enjoy this challenge. 
Interpret the colors the way you see them. 
We do not use specific card stock color names or brands.
Break out of the box and have fun! 
The main requirement is:
PDCC COLORS BE THE 
FOCUS OF YOUR SUBMISSION
When using additional colors, please limit them to neutrals. 
You are welcome to combine challenges, 
but we do ask that:
 1. The PDCC name and/or photo is used
2. OUR colors are the focus of the card.
 
See complete rules on sidebar at left




The Fab 4
The Cream in our Coffee
and
THE CUP of the WEEK


Another record player challenge has come to a close.
A very warm thank you to all who entered.
This challenge is only successful because of YOU
so please, PLEASE play with us again!

This Week's Fab 4...
(in alphabetical order)


The Fab can proudly display the
'I Made the Fab 4'
badge on their blogs!


The Cream in our Coffee...
( honorable mentions in random order )

 
This group can proudly display the
'Cream in Our Coffee'
badge on their blogs!

and


The Cup of the Week...


Dana Gustafson  ~ Paper Daydream
 
Dana wins the prize package from


and can proudly display the 'Cup of the Week' Badge.
 
Dana will also be eligible to be a
guest designer here in The Cafe.

Dana, please contact Julie Ranae at julieranae@hotmail.com
with your mailing address to receive your prize.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

The Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC43



It is August and here in the US, we are in the
'dog days' of summer.  Some of the hottest weather
on record calls for some refreshing.......
'colors'
don't you think?!

Senior Designer Julie Ranae is this week's host...

"I have to say that when I saw this photo
(courtesy of Marthastewart.com)
I fell in love.  I am such a fan of lime greens and
lighter shades of blue together, so add a deep accent
of green and I am good to go!"



It's always so great to welcome brand new sponsors
to our challenge and this week, we are thrilled to have

Creative Inspirations Paints
"Creative Inspirations is a family-owned business that offers
a quality iridescent craft paint in 55 vibrant colors.
You will make your projects sparkle with our
non-toxic, water-based paints 
which work wonderfully on most surfaces.
Just shake, open and create!
Just in time for the holidays, we have
Limited Edition colors in:
Beige, Ivory, Burgundy and Denium.
Please visit our blog
and find our full range of products on our website

This week's fabby prize:
your choice of
12 jars of Creative Inspirations Paints
We are also very happy to have a variety of
the Creative Inspirations DT playing along with us this week!
Again, check out their blog here for more inspiration
using this week's PDCC colors.

It is time to reveal the newest addition
to The Play Date Cafe Design Team
and we are super excited indeed!
Just what makes a
'Private Blend' Designer?
This is a player who, from week to week,
stands out with an innovative and inspiring style.
It is by invitation-only from our senior design team
  and can happen at any time for an open-ended period.

Our newest Private Blend Designer is...


Congratulations to Andrea!  We look forward to her
joining us for her first challenge as a PBD, Sept 2nd.

This week's guest designer has been one of the most
popular 'guys' we have had in The Cafe.  We already had
Paul Browning scheduled for two weeks in the month of
August and it's a good thing we did because you made
it clear with your comments that you loved having him here.
Paul...we can't thank you enough for your support
all the way from the UK and we want you to know that
you are welcome back anytime, sir!



Here's what the rest of our designers have done to inspire you.....

Suzanne Czosek ~ Suzz's Stamping Spot

Savannah O'Gwynn ~ Savannahland2

Stephanie Kraft ~ HandKrafted by Stephanie

Ruby McGuire ~ Ruby 2 Shoes Design

Lisa Somerville ~ Splendiferous Creations

Senior Designer 
Sarah Anderson ~ The Art of Moodling



Please follow the rules carefully to enter.
Deadline for prizes is 11:59pm EST on Tuesday
The 'Cup of the Week' will be announced during the next challenge.
ALL SKILL LEVELS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PLAY! 
We want you to enjoy this challenge. 
Interpret the colors the way you see them. 
We do not use specific card stock color names or brands.
Break out of the box and have fun! 
The main requirement is:
PDCC COLORS BE THE 
FOCUS OF YOUR SUBMISSION
When using additional colors, please limit them to neutrals. 
You are welcome to combine challenges, 
but we do ask that:
 1. The PDCC name and/or photo is used
2. OUR colors are the focus of the card.
 
See complete rules on sidebar at left


The Fab 4
The Cream in our Coffee
and
THE CUP of the WEEK


Another record player challenge has come to a close.
A very warm thank you to all who entered.
This challenge is only successful because of YOU
so please, PLEASE play with us again!

This Week's Fab 4...
(in alphabetical order)


The Fab can proudly display the
'I Made the Fab 4'
badge on their blogs!


The Cream in our Coffee...
( honorable mentions in random order )

 
This group can proudly display the
'Cream in Our Coffee'
badge on their blogs!

and


The Cup of the Week...


Annette Green ~ My Creative Journey
 
Annette wins the prize package from



and can proudly display the 'Cup of the Week' Badge.
 
Annette will also be eligible to be a
guest designer here in The Cafe.

Annette, please contact Julie Ranae at julieranae@hotmail.com
with your mailing address to receive your prize.


Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC42



Here we are at challenge #42.
Do you realize we are just 10 weeks away from our  
One Year Anniversary
here at The Play Date Cafe??!!
There's no waiting until our 100th challenge to have
a big celebration, so make sure you mark your
calendars for October 21st and help us celebrate!

Here's something else...
Next week we will be revealing the next
Private Blend Designer
for 2010...who will it be?
Make sure you stay tuned!

Miss Sarah is our Senior Designer host this week.

She has been on 'holiday' on The Isle of Wight for
the past couple weeks, so we haven't been able to
catch up with her long enough to find out her thoughts
behind this 'color story'.  But how fun is this photo?
We know you'll have fun creating with these 'earthy' colors.


We are really happy to have another prize
package from one of our favorite sponsors,


and here is what you could win...


 'Little Birdie' stamps

'Fernbrae' paper collection


We are really excited about our next  
Guest Designer.
We have always loved her entries to
our challenge and as a past
'Cup of the Week'
she definitely earned it!
We welcome...
Elise Durenberger.

"I live on a small-ish ranch in gorgeous Sonoma County,
California.  I spend my days wrangling two kids
(who aren't exactly little anymore *sob*!),
one over-sized kid (that would be my husband),
5 horses, 4 dogs, 2 cats and one happy, but dusty little home.
I'm a fine artist by trade and education and these days I 
specialize in Animal Portraiture.
In my 'free time', I'm a rabid paper crafter, who dreams in
hues of ink, glitter, card stock and stamps!
I've been completely transformed by the power and
creative-shared experience of Blogland.
I'm beyond honored to be guest designing for
The Play Date Cafe, as it is one of my favorite
challenge destinations.  I am always so moved by the
breadth of samples the super talented design team
put together week after week.  I hope to add to that
experience for all of you while I am here."



Here's what the rest of our designers have done to inspire you.....

Lisa Somerville ~ Splendiferous Creations

Suzanne Czosek ~ Suzz's Stamping Spot

Savannah O'Gwynn ~ Savannahland2

Ruby McGuire ~ Ruby 2 Shoes Design

Senior Designer
Julie Ranae ~ Julie's Open Window




Please follow the rules carefully to enter.
Deadline for prizes is 11:59pm EST on Tuesday
The 'Cup of the Week' will be announced during the next challenge.
ALL SKILL LEVELS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PLAY! 
We want you to enjoy this challenge. 
Interpret the colors the way you see them. 
We do not use specific card stock color names or brands.
Break out of the box and have fun! 
The main requirement is:
PDCC COLORS BE THE 
FOCUS OF YOUR SUBMISSION
When using additional colors, please limit them to neutrals. 
You are welcome to combine challenges, 
but we do ask that:
 1. The PDCC name and/or photo is used
2. OUR colors are the focus of the card.
 
See complete rules on sidebar at left



The Fab 4
The Cream in our Coffee
and
THE CUP of the WEEK


Another record player challenge has come to a close.
A very warm thank you to all who entered.
This challenge is only successful because of YOU
so please, PLEASE play with us again!

This Week's Fab 4...
(in alphabetical order)


The Fab can proudly display the
'I Made the Fab 4'
badge on their blogs!


The Cream in our Coffee...
( honorable mentions in random order )

 
This group can proudly display the
'Cream in Our Coffee'
badge on their blogs!

and


The Cup of the Week...

 

Nicky Hsu ~ Craft-Coffee-Cat
 
Nicky wins the 'paper grab bag' from

and can proudly display the 'Cup of the Week' Badge.
 
Nicky will also be eligible to be a
guest designer here in The Cafe.

Nicky, please contact Julie Ranae at julieranae@hotmail.com
with your mailing address to receive your prize.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The Play Date Cafe Challenge PDCC41



The Play Date Cafe welcomes you to
the next stop on our tour around the world...
Positano, Italy.
Julie Ranae is your host this week and here
are her thoughts on this destination...

"I first became aware of this magnificent city while
watching one of my favorite movies
'Under the Tuscan Sun'.
I watch this movie quite often while I am
creating because I think the scenery is so inspiring.
I definitely have this place on my 'dream' list of
places to travel.  I hope you enjoy the
color palette taken from this fabulous hillside."

This week, we have a very, very special
guest designer in The Cafe.  If you have played
our challenge for any length of time, you will recognize
this person as one of your 'fellow players' and we
mean that literally.  He has been a friend to our
challenge from the beginning and most recently was
the designer behind the badges that you all get to
display on your blogs.
Please welcome this week's 
Guest Designer
Paul Browning.


"I live in the Northwest of the UK,
with my Civil Partner Nick and one overly
pampered Tabby Cat, Basil.  I studied graphic
design when I left school and began a small
sign making business.  In my spare time, I drifted
into art after reading Julia Cameron's 
'The Artist's Way'.  When I caught Anna Griffin
on QVC and saw how she used design principles
in crafts, I was hooked!
At a local event, I was introduced to the
'inky world' of altered art and my crafting took
a whole new turn.  Recently though, after taking a
Cathy Zielske workshop, I rediscovered my passion
for design.  I'd suddenly felt as if I'd been given permission
to work with 'clean and graphic' techniques.
You are most welcome to pop by and see my
renewed style of crafting on my little ol' blog,

Here's what the rest of our designers have done to inspire you.....

Ruby McGuire ~ Ruby 2 Shoes Design

Lisa Somerville ~ Splendiferous Creations

Suzanne Czosek ~ Suzz's Stamping Spot

Savannah O'Gwynn ~ Savannahland2
 
Senior Designer 
Sarah Anderson ~ The Art of Moodling


Please follow the rules carefully to enter.
Deadline for prizes is 11:59pm EST on Tuesday
The 'Cup of the Week' will be announced during the next challenge.
ALL SKILL LEVELS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PLAY! 
We want you to enjoy this challenge. 
Interpret the colors the way you see them. 
We do not use specific card stock color names or brands.
Break out of the box and have fun! 
The main requirement is:
PDCC COLORS BE THE 
FOCUS OF YOUR SUBMISSION
When using additional colors, please limit them to neutrals. 
You are welcome to combine challenges, 
but we do ask that:
 1. The PDCC name and/or photo is used
2. OUR colors are the focus of the card.
 
See complete rules on sidebar at left



The Fab 4
The Cream in our Coffee
and
THE CUP of the WEEK


Another record player challenge has come to a close.
A very warm thank you to all who entered.
This challenge is only successful because of YOU
so please, PLEASE play with us again!

This Week's Fab 4...
(in alphabetical order)

Jinny Newlin ~ Soaring
Nat ~ Simply Sweet Stamping

The Fab can proudly display the
'I Made the Fab 4'
badge on their blogs!


The Cream in our Coffee...
( honorable mentions in random order )

 
This group can proudly display the
'Cream in Our Coffee'
badge on their blogs!

and


The Cup of the Week...


Sharon ~ Inklined to Stamp
 
Sharon wins the wonderful stamp set from


and can proudly display the 'Cup of the Week' Badge.
 
Sharon will also be eligible to be a
guest designer here in The Cafe.

Sharon, please contact Julie Ranae at julieranae@hotmail.com
with your mailing address to receive your prize.