Grand Ampersand & Holiday Cheer Day Two

Hey there! Thanks for joining me for day two of the Papertrey Ink September countdown. I'm back today to bring you more of my new sets... Holiday Cheer and Grand Ampersand. These fun new sets have lots of possibilities! From the looks of it, it sound as if some of you are as excited about these sets as I am! 

Holiday Cheer is a clean and modern Christmas set.  It includes 3 main image stamps, 5 filler dots and 5 sentiments. Holiday Cheer will be available for purchase through Papertrey Ink, beginning September 15th, for the price of $15. Coordinating dies will also be available then.  

Be sure to stop by Nichole Heady's blog for more samples and a look at the dies.

Now onto today's peeks...

Using the same images as yesterday I created a one layer (super mail friendly) card.

This time around I featured the small filler dots and an additional sentiment, that fits nicely either next to "Merry Christmas" (as pictured above) or placed inside the card.

Here's yet another one-layer card!  This one features another image from Holiday Cheer... a trio of hanging ornaments.  I quickly stamped them in a Christmassy color combo and finished it off with a sentiment.

Grand Ampersand is a versatile sentiment set that can be used for holiday cards, or even carried through to the rest of the year with several other applications.  It includes 8 ampersand images, 4 other coordinating images and 19 build-able words/phrases. Grand Ampersand will be available for purchase through Papertrey Ink, beginning September 15th, for the price of $15. Coordinating dies will also be available then.  

Be sure to stop by Nichole Heady's blog for more samples and a look at the dies.

Today's peeks...

I began by hand stamping a pattern onto the card base using a few of the ampersand included in this set.

Using three of the words included in Grand Ampersand I was able to create the phrase "Now and Always".  Perfect for a loved one, anniversary or wedding.

Here's yet another ampersand love card.  A simple white layout featuring a pop of color.

I die cut the ampersands (using the coordinating die) from white cardstock and attached them directly to the card base.  Die cut and stamped an additional ampersand, attached it to the card base with dimensional adhesive and then finished it off with a "Me" and "You".

Well, that concludes today's look at Holiday Cheer and Grand Ampersand. Just remember... these stamp set and coordinating dies will be available for purchase through Papertrey Ink, beginning September 15th. In the mean time, I'd love to know what you think, so please feel free to share!

Now, be sure to visit Nichole Heady for new peeks. Also, Heather Nichols, Dawn McVey, Melissa Bickford, Erin Lincoln, Lexi Daly and Lizzie Jones have peeks to share with you of their newest sets for the month.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Maile

Introducing Grand Ampersand & Holiday Cheer

I'm back this month with the newest addition to my Stamping Simply line up for the September Papertrey Ink release. I couldn't be more thrilled to introduce to you ... Grand Ampersand and Holiday Cheer.  Today I'll be sharing a brief look at this new set of mine and in the following days I'll go into a bit more detail about each. In the meantime, keep in mind that Grand Ampersand and Holiday Cheer will be available for purchase beginning September 15th at Papertrey Ink.

Now onto today's creation...

Here's a little sample of Grand Ampersand.  This card features one of the many ampersands included in the set.  "To Have" and "To Hold" was stamped on either side of it to complete a heartfelt sentiment, perfect for a wedding card.  There are a number of different build-able sentiments included in this versatile set, you're sure to love the options!

The sentiment panel was mounted on top of an impressed card base, using one of the new impression plates coming out this month, at Papertrey Ink.  More info on this product can be found on Nichole's blog.  To class up this wedding card I added a few clear rhinestones.

Now onto a completely new theme... Christmas.  Yep, it's that time again!  I've got a new set coming out that will help make the process of cranking out Christmas cards pretty simple.  I bring you... Holiday Cheer.

This Christmas tree trio is only one of the image stamps included in this set.  I decided to stamp it three times in different colors and reassemble with some dimensional adhesive.  Then finished the card off with a sentiment and a touch of glitter.

That's it from me today, but I've got a lot more to share in the coming days. So, I hope you'll join me for the remainder of the countdown!  Let me know what you think!

Grand Ampersand and Holiday Cheer will be available for purchase beginning September 15th at Papertrey Ink.  Now, be sure to visit Nichole Heady, Besty Veldman and Melissa Phillips for new peeks. Also, Heather Nichols, Dawn McVey, Melissa Bickford, Erin Lincoln, Lexi Daly and Lizzie Jones have peeks to share with you of their newest sets for the month.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Maile



To Have & To Hold Card...

Merry Christmas Card...

Perfectly Simple Lunch Notes

Thanks for joining me today for this weeks Papertrey Ink Design Team Tip!

Since the start of the school year, I have been enjoying dropping little hand written notes into my son's school lunch.  Typically I'll use a post-it-note, but these days I've been longing to make them a little more special.  So, today I have a lunch note idea that's simple as well as cute.

Check it out...  

The first time I place a note in my son's lunch he raved about how much he loved it and how much he loved me for doing so.  I'm now anxious to find out what he thinks of these!  This one features the adorable squirrel from the Nuts for You stamp set.  I'm sure he will get a kick out of this one.  :)

Here's How:  You can get about four notes from one sheet of cardstock.  Cut pieces to 2 3/4 x 8 1/2".  You'll also be needing the Spiral Notebook Page die.

Fold the cardstock strip over and place the fold right up to the top of the die. Be careful to keep the fold ever so slightly below the top cutting edge, you want it to stay intact.

Use some sort of removable adhesive to hold everything in place while die cutting.

Here's how they turn out, blank canvases ready for your personal touch.

This set my son is sure to love!  With the outside done, these little guys are ready for a handwritten message to be placed inside.

Love this message, it's simple enough for him to read and I know it will make him feel special.  I used the Apple Prints stamp set.

This final lunch note was created using the new Bubble Talk stamp set.

That's it from me today.  I hope you too will give these adorable notes a try.  Have fun!  Let me know if your kiddos enjoy them.

Thanks for stopping by.

Maile

Halloween Treats & Sweets Revisited

Hey everyone! Thanks for joining me today, for the September Papertrey Ink Senior DT Challenge. This time around we are bringing back Halloween Treats & Sweets stamp set and coordinating dies! It's been fun pulling out these supplies, because October will be here before we know it.  To me the ideal Halloween treat packing is one that's a cinch to recreate in multiple form, has options for slight variations between each treat and is adorable to boot.  These cute little button character boxes are just that!  I hope you enjoy them.  

Take a look...

This adorable little pillow box trio was assembled in no time.  :)

I used a combination of the Essential Pillow Box Die, Web Trio dies, the Halloween Treats & Sweets stamp set and coordinating dies.

For the bodies of each spooky creature... a large button.  This is the perfect use for those humongous buttons we never know what to do with.  :)

Both the spiders and bats were given two googly eyes of different sizes, adding to the spooky (or rather, cute) look.

For each pillow box I built it and decorated it with an assortment of pattern papers (canyon clay and plum pudding), cardstock (white, canyon clay and shimmer black) and buttons (black, canyon clay & royal velvet). This way they coordinated, but each had a different look to them.

Well, that's it from me today. Now be sure to visit the other Papertrey Ink senior design team girls for more Halloween Treats & Sweets stamp set and coordinating die goodness...

• Dawn McVey
• Betsy Veldman
• Heather Nichols
• Melissa Phillips

Thanks for stopping by today!

Maile

Recipe Remix

Hello and welcome!  So happy to have you join me on this very special Papertrey Ink Stamp-A-Faire event day!  I truly hope each of you have been enjoying today's festivities!  

Many of you Papertrey Ink fans out there have already submitted creations to the "Recipe Remix" event.  Here are the details quoted from Nichole's blog...

"We will have customers post projects that they have created in the past that they felt needed just a *little* something; a project that needs a diagnosis for one reason or another.   Customers should share their projects...  Each DT member will select a project to "remix" to and re-create the project using a bit of a different recipe, making changes that they feel benefit the project while staying true to your original concept."

The card I have chosen to work with was created by Diana.  Check out her adorable card below and on her blog here (in fact... check out her entire blog while you're there, you'll get an eye full of amazing inspiration). While viewing everyone's submission, I couldn't help but be drawn to Diana's card....

Diana's card truly needs no changes; but with her card as inspiration, I knew right away how to "remix" and re-create the project using a bit of a different recipe, yet staying true to her original concept.

Here's my recipe how...

•  I rotated the card from landscape to portrait.  Not that this improved Diana's design, but this is my favorite orientation for a card.  I felt I could play with the white space a bit easier this way.
• Diana heat embossed the base/leaf images using green embossing powder.  I chose to stamp the same images using ink (limeade ice) for a cleaner more crisp look.

•  Using the same Mini Blooms images as on the inspiration, I stamped them pretty much in the same formation.  Take Note:  I had carefully positioned the images so that they overlapped/extended past the edge of the card stock panel.  This simple technique is one that is often overlooked, but it can really make a big difference by extending the eye across the card.  Plus, it adds a little bit of the unexpected.
• I did use the same color combo as Diana... enchanted evening, lavender moon, sweet blush and green.  Take Note:  However, I did feel this card needed something to ground the design, a strong focal point that could draw the eye in.  I did this by creating a strong visual triangle using three navy flowers (vs. Diana's two).

• Instead of floating the sentiment in the center of the card I chose to nest it into the small bunch of blooms.  This helped balance it out with the larger bunching above.  Take Note:  By nesting your sentiments as closely to your images it becomes part of the design.  
• Diana's us of diagonally striped pattern paper was spot on, I repeated this look by using Lavender Moon striped pattern paper angled ever so slightly.
• The perfect finishing touch, as always, rhinestones!

Well, there you have it.  I hope you've enjoyed this "Recipe Remix" and that I've given each and every one of you a few useful tidbits of info.  Also, thank you Diana for such an inspiring original piece and I hope I've made you proud.

Now, head on over to Nichole Heady's blog for all the details about this challenge and be sure to stop by the design team girls' blogs to see their takes on this challenge too!

I hope you've had a wonderfully fun filled Stamp-A-Faire day, so glad you could stop by!

Maile

Merci Remix Card...

Stamps: Mini Blooms & Think Big Favorites #3

Ink: Enchanted Evening, Lavender Moon, Sweet Blush, Limeade Ice & True Black

Cardstock: White

Pattern Paper: Lavender Moon Pattern Pack

Others: Clear Rhinestones

Reason to Smile Freebie

Yay!  The Papertrey Ink Stamp-a-faire is only a day away!  Can't wait!

Before the big show gets on the road we have a few samples to share with you all using the new and gorgeous Reason to Smile stamp set.  

Here a little info on it...

• Reasons to Smile is limited edition set for this years Stamp-a-faire event.  It will never be made available for sale.
• Reasons to Smile will be made available to all customers on Stamp-a-faire Day, August 24th, as a freebie to all customers placing an order of $100 or more, limit one set per customer.
• Qualifying orders need to be placed between 7am EST and 11:30pmEST on August 24th in order to be eligible and receive the set.

Take a look at what I've come up with using this set...

This simple little number features the stems topped with Rock-n-Rolled flowers (in harvest gold and sweet blush inks) and all above a sweet sentiment.

Here's a little detail that's easy to miss in the photo above, but it looks super in real life.  I heat embossed the flower centers using clear embossing powder, it adds great texture and an unexpected detail.

For more samples using this set just head on over to Nichole Heady's blog.  See you all tomorrow!

Maile



Smile Card...

Stamps: Reason to Smile
Ink: Harvest Gold, Sweet Blush & True Black
Cardstock: White
Others: Clear Embossing Powder

Studio Calico August Kit Release

Hi there! This months Studio Calico kits are great! And so... I've got a lot to share with you. Today I bring you my cards from the Marks & Co kit release.  I've put to use the Marks & Co card kit and the Fitzgerald add on. 

So let me get started...

I wanted the focus of this card to be the banner. 

I used a few shades of aqua markers to color in the different phrases and then added a few pops of yellow around the banner.

A few paint splatters here and there make for a fun card! 

I finished the card off with a pattern paper strip and sentiment strips attached at an angle.

This sweet little card is made even sweeter with an adorable stack of ice cream scoops. 

As well as some pretty pattern paper and enamel dots to top everything off.

To add a more realistic look to this jar I stamped it onto vellum cardstock. 

Layered a few pretty stamped butterflies inside as well as a wood veneer one too. Finished the card with a whimsically place sentiment.

There you have it! Thanks for stopping by and have a super day!

Maile