Homespun with Heart

Release day...

2016-11-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the night when all of the new releases (stamps, dies and such) are available for purchase at www.papertreyink.com! I have a few new sets to share with you.

Here I've used the new Dress Up Dolls: Winter Fun (snowflakes, snowman, mittens, scarf and snowballs) and the new Fill in the Blank stamp set (thank you background).

The background stitching die is cut with Noted: Scalloped A2 Vertical dies. "Warm Winter Wishes" was stamped with an older set, Two Feet Deep. I thought the saying would be cute with the snowman.

Warm Winter Wishes card:

STAMPS: Dress Up Dolls: Winter Fun, Fill In the Blank, Two Feet Deep

INK: Enchanted Evening, Hawaiian Shores,

PAPER: Hawaiian Shores, white

DIES: Noted A2 Vertical

OTHER: twine, dimensional adhesive.

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Next is the new What the Doodle: Piece of Cake and Keep It Simple: Birthday III stamps!

I've tucked the little cake inside the Window Cut Tag die.

Happy Birthday card:

STAMPS: What the Doodle: Piece of Cake, Keep It Simple: Birthday III

INK: Pure Poppy, Versamark

PAPER: Lavender Moon, New Leaf pattern pack

DIES: What the Doodle: Piece of Cake, Basic Cut Tag, Window Cut Tag

OTHER: white embossing powder, Copic markers.

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Also, I have some news to share with you all...

With great sadness, and after 6 years with Papertrey Ink, 10 full years of blogging and 1295 posts, I've decided to step down from crafting and all of my design teams.

As some of you might know, I went through a horrible, unexpected divorce last year. It was the roughest year of my life. Since then, I've hung on to crafting, as it was one of the things I enjoyed the most, and although it was very difficult to craft many days when I had to come up with my monthly projects...it did get me through some very hard times.

Since then, I've been picking up the pieces one day at a time. I bought my home and refinanced it in my name. I paid off my car. I met a wonderful guy who showed me that I'm worthy of being loved as I am. An unexpected opportunity came to me a couple of months ago, working with breast cancer patients. This past weekend, they asked me to become full time, working with these patients, scheduling their surgeries and following them for months as they go through their mastectomies and reconstructions. I love my patients! I feel as though my situation, having changed, is driving me with this desire to help others get through their difficult times! I hope to still have time here and there to make things when the inspiration strikes me, and will continue to post my projects when I'm able. I don't want to give up crafting all together. I hope you will continue to stop by now and then to say hello. I will miss my Papertrey Ink family tremendously! Papertrey Ink has been my life the past 6 years!

Paper crafters are the most kind and amazing people, and I'm so thankful for the friendships I've made over the past 10 years through this hobby.

Visit the amazing design team to see more projects with the November release! Love this group of girls!!

Amy Sheffer
Ashley Cannon Newell
Betsy Veldman
Dawn McVey
Heather Nichols
Kay Miller
Laurie Willison
Lizzie Jones
Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady

Invitation Inspiration...

2016-11-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today the Papertrey Ink team has more party stuff to show you! We are working with some new dies called Big Basics and the Invitation Basics stamp set. I've made a pre-teen girly party ensemble with an invitation and coordinating envelope and a tag.

The tag was cut with the new Basic Cut Tag and the Window Cut Tag. I stamped on the background tag (Basic Cut Tag) with the Invitation Basics with the balloons. I stamped the Wish Big sentiment with the For You stamps.

The invite is stamped with Invitation Basics and a die cut "You're Invited" is made with Big Basics: You're Invited dies.

The bow is made with the new Wrap It Up dies.

And last is a stamped envelope to match! I love these products and had so much fun with them!

Party Time Invitation, Envelope and Tag ensemble:

STAMPS: For You, Invitation Basics

INK: Lovely Lady, Bright Buttercup, Vintage Jadeite, Aqua Mist, True Black, Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz, Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest, Hawaiian Shores, New Leaf

PAPER: white, Sheer Basics Vellum, True Black Gingham

DIES: Big Basics: You're Invited, Basic Cut Tag, Window Cut Tag, Wrap It Up

OTHER: A2 envelope, sequins.

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Don't forget to shop November 15th at 10pm EST at Papertrey Ink to get all of the adorable new products we have been previewing this week! Stop by each of these blogs to see more:

Amy Sheffer
Ashley Cannon Newell
Betsy Veldman
Dawn McVey
Heather Nichols
Kay Miller
Laurie Willison
Lizzie Jones
Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady

Birthday Wrap Inspiration...

2016-11-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today we are previewing a new stamp set called For You and some tag dies and Wrap It Up dies! Let's get started! First I have coordinating tag and card set. I die cut the "happy" tag and colored the word with Copic markers in an ombre fashion with red, orange and yellow, then backed it with the pink/red Ombre Stripes paper. It's stamped with For You as well.

Then I have a coordinating card to go with it, with the same design, just a different sentiment from For You, and backed with a Noted: Scalloped Square die cut card base.

Coordinating Happy Birthday Card and Tag:

STAMPS: For You

INK: True Black

PAPER: white

DIES: For You

OTHER: Copic markers, stars from Studio Calico, twine.

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Next up are the new Wrap It Up dies, which include this square and adorable 3 layer bow that I cut from the star patterned Sheer Basics Vellum! I used For You again to stamp the sentiment.

I thought this would be fun for a gift card holder. I was going to add the tiny "to/from tag" in the set, but forgot before I took my photos! Darn it! You'll see more of the balloon stamp I used in tomorrow's post!

Don't you think this would make a cute pocket too for a party favor filled with colorful, fun goodies like these straws? A pocket could be made by just stitching or adhering the sides and bottom.

Something For You Gift Card Holder:

STAMPS: For You, Invitation Basics, Polka Dot Basics III

INK: Lovely Lady, Bright Buttercup, Aqua Mist, True Black, Vintage Jadeite

PAPER: white

DIES: Wrap It Up

OTHER: gold tape, twine.
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Don't forget to shop on November 15th at 10pm EST at Papertrey Ink to get all of the new products we have been previewing this week! Stop by each of these blogs to see more:

Amy Sheffer
Ashley Cannon Newell
Betsy Veldman
Dawn McVey
Heather Nichols
Kay Miller
Laurie Willison
Lizzie Jones
Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady

Beautiful Inspiration...

2016-11-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today we are previewing a new stamp and coordinating die set called Better Together, a lovely floral set that works well colored, or just stamped on cardstock and patterned paper like I did on this first one!

The background here is made with the new Leaf & Sprig Frames, which you can use individually, but I kept them all together and just embossed the cardstock with all of them. The yellow frame was cut with the new Fill in the Blank dies, and the sentiment was stamped and embossed with red embossing powder. I need to remember to use colored embossing powder more often!

I Can't Thank You Enough card:

STAMPS: Better Together

INK: Versamark

PAPER: Sheer Basics Vellum, white, Lavender Moon pattner pack,
Harvest Gold pattern pack, Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist

DIES: Better Together

OTHER:

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This card was stamped with Better Together also, with no coloring.

I stamped the sentiment in the center and embossed it with white embossing powder, then stamped the florals in the corners. Simple and quick and can be made in any color!

People In Your Life card:

STAMPS: Better Together

INK: Hawaiian Shores

PAPER: Hawaiian Shores, Tropical Teal pattern pack

DIES: none

OTHER: white embossing powder.

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Last up is a card with the Better Together large flower cut from watercolor paper, then stamped and embossed. To color it, I painted it with watercolor paints. The sentiment is from the new Inspired: Mercy stamps and dies.

I tapped a few little drops of watercolor in the background as well. This one is really pretty in real life.

Mercy card:

STAMPS: Better Together

INK: Versarmark, True Black

PAPER: white

DIES: Better Together, Inspired: Mercy

OTHER: watercolor paints, sequins.

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Better Together will be available at 10pm EST at Papertrey Ink, along with the other new products shown today! Stop by each of these blogs to see more of this stamp set:

Amy Sheffer
Ashley Cannon Newell
Betsy Veldman
Dawn McVey
Heather Nichols
Kay Miller
Laurie Willison
Lizzie Jones
Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady

Splits: Happy Birthday...

2016-11-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today I get to show you a new stamp set by Papertrey Ink that is way funky and cool, a little out of my norm, but I had fun with it! It's called: Splits: Happy Birthday and will be available on Nov. 15th at 10pm EST for purchase at Papertrey Ink!

First up, I used the stamp set on vellum. It's hard to see in this photo, but I used the big striped vellum from this package of Sheer Basics Vellum underneath and stamped the Splits over the top. I added the new Big Basics: Wish Big die over the top with some red enamel dots and shiny blue stars from Studio Calico that I had in my stash. I also used a new die set to create the "stitches" called Noted: Scalloped A2 Vertical dies, coming soon! I really love how it frames out the design!

What do you think about the colors on this one? I kind of love them!

Wish Big card:

STAMPS: Splits: Happy Birthday

INK: Versamark

PAPER: Stormy Sea, Sheer Basics Vellum, Orange Zest

DIES: Noted: Scalloped A2 Vertical dies, Big Basics: Wish Big die

OTHER: enamel dots, white embossing powder.

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On the next card, I die cut and stamped the Splits: Happy Birthday frame with red ink and cut it in half. I added half of it on the top portion of the card and the other half on the bottom. I used the Noted dies again to cut the red portion and trimmed out the middle to form a focal point for the "Wish Big" sentiment.

This card would be easy to make in any color, for a boy or a girl.

Wish Big card:

STAMPS: Splits: Happy Birthday

INK: Pure Poppy

PAPER: Pure Poppy, Harvest Gold pattern pack, Enchanted Evening pattern pack

DIES: Big Basics: Wish Big, Splits: Happy Birthday, Noted A2 Vertical

OTHER: chipboard star by Pink Paislee, enamel dot.

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Last, but not least a more masculine card. I tried, folks! I tried!! This is as simple as I could get. Ha! I stamped and colored in the Splits frame die and added an Enchanted Evening patterned paper behind it with a white embossed saying with the Splits stamp for the sentiment.

Happy Birthday card:

STAMPS: Splits: Happy Birthday

INK: Enchanted Evening, Versamark

PAPER: Stormy Sea,

DIES: Splits: Happy Birthday

OTHER:

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Don't forget to shop tonight at 10pm EST on November 15th at Papertrey Ink to get all of the new products we will be previewing this week! Stop by Nichole Heady's blog to see more, and I'll be back each day through the 15th with more cards and things!

Table Service revisited...

2016-11-01T05:01:00.000-06:00

Here is an "oldie, but goodie" masking technique using the Table Service stamps by Papertrey Ink. I hope this will inspire you to break out your stamps and get creative! Masking off the sentiment is easy to do and creates a professional look to your cards. I'll show you how...

Step 1: Stamp sentiment in the center of the card first. I'm using the Table Service stamps by Papertrey Ink.

Step 2: Use a strip of thin paper to cover the sentiment.

Step 3: Stamp circles overlapping the sentiment. You can stamp a few, or fill in the whole card front with them.

Step 4: Remove the paper strip and stamp the flowers in all of the centers. (You can keep the scrap paper on if you need to, if there is not enough room for the flowers on the two ends.)

Step 5: Fill in all of the circles with the floral stamp and lace borders. (Mask off the sentiment again, if you need to, for any of the remaining lace borders inside the circles.)

On my second card, I just used 3 circles for a quick card, but used the same idea with a new color palette.

Simple, yet effective!

Visit the other Papertrey Ink senior design team members to see more with Table Service:

Betsy, Dawn, Heather and Melissa.

Also, see below for the October release post which has more projects made with the new stamps and dies that already came out on October 15th at Papertrey Ink!

More October release inspiration...

2016-11-01T05:00:00.000-06:00

Today the Papertrey Ink team is hosting one more blog hop to share more projects made with the October release products! You can get them now on the main Papertrey Ink web page HERE!

First up, I've used the new and gorgeous Botanical Blocks IV and Keep It Simple: Just a Note.

The Botanical Blocks stamp was stamped onto Classic Kraft cardstock and embossed with white embossing powder, then colored in with Copic markers. The sentiment was stamped onto vellum and embossed also, then stapled onto the card front.

Just a Note card:

STAMPS: Keep It Simple: Just a Note, Botanical Blocks IV

INK: Versamark

PAPER: Classic Kraft, patterned paper by Gossamer Blue, vellum

DIES: none

OTHER: white embossing powder, Copics, twine, staples.

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Next is Script Swirls: Christmas stamped onto the card.

After stamping the swirl font, I added the greenery from the same stamp set. I die cut a "merry" word from the Jingle All the Way set and painted it with Liquid Gold paint. The borders are cut with Layered Gift Bow dies.

Merry card:

STAMPS: Script Swirls: Christmas, Jingle All the Way

INK: True Black, New Leaf, Pure Poppy

PAPER: White cardstock

DIES: Layered Gift Bow dies, Jingle All the Way, Tag Sale #4

OTHER: Liquid Gold paint.

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Next is Paper Clippings: Joy to the World stamps and dies. I cut the whole piece out of white, then cut another one with Enchanted Evening paper to trim the words out and glued them over the top. It's backed with Silver Shimmer cardstock.

Last, I used the Paper Clippings: Joy to the World Detail dies to trim out the aqua world and banner. The little dots are made with glue.

Joy to the World card:

STAMPS: Paper Clippings: Joy to the World

INK: Aqua Mist

PAPER: White, Silver Shimmer, Aqua Mist, Enchanted Evening patterned paper

DIES: Paper Clippings: Joy to the World, Paper Clippings: Joy to the World Details

OTHER: glitter.

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This card is made with Inspired: Hope stamps and dies, Sprig Wreath stamps and dies, and the new Tiny Town Holiday Yard dies (trees).

The sentiment is embossed onto vellum, and the Hope word, wreath and trees were die cut and added over the top.

Hope card:

STAMPS: Sprig Wreath, Inspired: Hope

INK: Green Parakeet

PAPER: Spring Moss, Scarlet Jewel, Pure Poppy, patterned paper - Gossamer Blue

DIES: Sprig Wreath, Inspired: Hope, Tiny Town: Holiday Yard (trees)

OTHER: vellum, embossing powder, twine.

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Last, one more tag set with the Script Swirls: Christmas. I wanted to try them onto the Tag Sale #4 die.

The Jingle All the Way dies were used to create the gold words over the top, painted with Liquid Gold paint.

Tag set:

STAMPS: Script Swirls: Christmas, Jingle All the Way

INK: True Black, New Leaf, Pure Poppy

PAPER: white

DIES: Jingle All the Way, Tag Sale #4

OTHER: Liquid Gold paint, seam binding.

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Stop by each of these blogs to see more:

Amy Sheffer
Ashley Cannon Newell
Betsy Veldman
Dawn McVey
Heather Nichols
Kay Miller
Laurie Willison
Lizzie Jones
Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady

More September release inspiration...

2016-10-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

Today is the day! All of the new products that the Papertrey Ink team has been previewing this week will be available tonight at 10PM EST! I have one more card to share with you today with the new Splits: 'Tis the Season stamp and die set. Then stop back on November 1st to see more projects!

Here I've used the Sparkle & Shine patterned paper in the background (I've been using this a lot this release!). Then the Splits: 'Tis the Season is embossed on a piece of Sheer Basics Vellum onto a Tag Sale #4 die. Last I used the new Shaped Sayings: Christmas dies and colored them with Copic Markers to add the greenery and berries.

'Tis the Season:

STAMPS: 'Tis the Season

INK: Versamark

PAPER: Sparkle & Shine

DIES: Tag Sale #4

OTHER: copic markers, embossing powder.
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Visit Nichole Heady's blog to see more previews all this week!

Introducing the NEW! Make It Market: Holiday Hugs mini kit...

2016-10-14T05:00:00.000-06:00

Papertrey Ink will have a new mini kit available on Oct. 15th at 10pm EST called Make It Market: Holiday Hugs! This kit allows you to make these adorable snowmen and Santas that have arms that will wrap around any sort of smaller gift giving container....gift card envelopes, jars, etc. I've decided to use mine with a burlap bag. I think he turned out pretty cute. :)

The snowman is die cut and stamped, then I colored in his cheeks and nose with Copic markers. The mittens, hat, holly and tag were die cut using the dies in the kit and the pre-made papers. To get him to stay wrapped around the burlap bag, you'll definitely want to hot glue him and his arms to the bag. Fill with candies, or a gift card, etc. You probably could hang him on the tree as well. :)

Awww. He kind of makes my heart happy! (Or maybe I should say "she", since the lace and burlap sack sort of look like a skirt!) What fun products this month, huh?

Warm Holiday Hugs treat wrap:

STAMPS: Make It Market: Holiday Hugs mini kit

INK: Soft Granite by Hero Arts

PAPER: Make It Market: Holiday Hugs mini kit

DIES: Make It Market: Holiday Hugs mini kit

OTHER: Copic Markers, burlap bag, lace.
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Come back again tomorrow for more fun things,
and visit Nichole Heady's blog to see more previews all this week!

Sweet Holiday Inspirations...

2016-10-13T05:00:00.000-06:00

We are back with another countdown post for Papertrey Ink. Today I am showing you the new Sweet Holiday Wishes stamp and die collection coming out on Oct. 15th at 10pm EST!

I've made a quick card with these using the Noted: Scalloped Square die collection to create the card base.

This card can be added to any sort of baking goodies...cookie cutters, baked cookie exchanges, baked bread, etc. The disposable container I used was found at Target in the baking pan section, and the mini bundt cake (which was SO good, I might add...banana nut, but tasted like carrot cake with cream cheese frosting!) was found at Kneaders Bakery and fits perfectly into these containers!

Sweet Holiday Wishes:

STAMPS: Sweet Holiday Wishes

INK: Lovely Lady, Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist

PAPER: white

DIES: Noted: Scalloped Square die, Sweet Holiday Wishes

OTHER: twine, sequin.
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Visit Nichole Heady's blog to see more previews all this week!

Quick Crafts for the Holidays...

2016-10-12T05:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Papertrey Ink blog hop! Today I am previewing the new Christmas Cuts dies and the Christmas Cuts Sentiments stamps! These will be available on Oct. 15th at 10pm EST.

To create these little tags, I cut each of the three dies in the Christmas Cuts dies and backed them with papers from the Sparkle & Shine pattern pack, then used the Christmas Cuts Sentiments to stamp the sentiments on the bottoms.

Copic markers were used to color in the ornaments and trees, and then glitter was added for snow.

Next is a card with the Christmas Cuts and Christmas Cuts Sentiments.

The tag is cut two times out of Classic Kraft cardstock and layered, then I colored it in with a Copic marker to add shadow the trees. I used the Holiday Greens set to add some rustic floral detail.

Gift Tags:

STAMPS: Christmas Cuts Sentiments

INK: True Black

PAPER: Sparkle & Shine

DIES: Christmas Cuts

OTHER: twine, Copic Markers, glitter.

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Peace On Earth card:

STAMPS: Holiday Greens, Christmas Cuts Sentiments, Spruce & Sprigs

INK: Dark Chocolate, Simply Chartreuse, Ripe Avocado

PAPER: Holiday Plaid, Fine Linen, Classic Kraft

DIES: Christmas Cuts, Holiday Greens

OTHER: glitter, Copic Markers, seam binding.

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Visit Nichole Heady's blog to see more sneak peeks all this week!

Introducing What the Doodle: Snowflakes...

2016-10-11T05:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the October countdown for Papertrey Ink! Today I get to show you a new stamp set and dies called What the Doodle: Snowflakes, which will be available for purchase October 15th at 10pm EST.

First, I've used the stamps only on this card set. I love the pretty detail on these stamps! I've also used the One Liners dies for the sentiments.

White embossing powder was used on the Dark Indigo cardstock, then I and added sequins in the centers and the One Liners over the top.

Peace and Joy cards:

STAMPS: What the Doodle: Snowflakes

INK: Versamark

PAPER: Dark Indigo

DIES: One Liners

OTHER: clear sequins.

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On the next card, I used both the stamps and dies and layered them all together to make a pretty layered snowflake.

The Pure Poppy + White striped patterned paper was covered with a stripe vellum from the Sheer Basics Vellum pack. To get the seam binding to stay on a diagonal, I punched half holes at the top and bottom of the card, this way the seam binding stays where I want it.

The One Liners were used again for the "joy" and stamped some of the doodle snowflakes on the vellum, then embossed them. I love how they look in white on the vellum.

JOY card:

STAMPS: What the Doodle: Snowflakes

INK: Versamark, Lovely Lady, Pure Poppy

PAPER: Pure Poppy + White patterned paper, Sheer Basics Vellum

DIES: One Liners, What the Doodle: Snowflakes

OTHER: seam binding, sequins.

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Next, I just used the What the Doodle: Snowflake dies and just added some glitter to it, then added it to a Sparkle & Shine patterned paper.

Between the patterned papers, I used the Heart Border dies upside down as a scallop. The red adds a bit of punch between the two lighter papers.

Sending a Little Holiday Sparkle card:

STAMPS: What the Doodle: Snowflakes

INK: Pure Poppy

PAPER: Sparkle & Shine patterned pack

DIES: What the Doodle: Snowflakes

OTHER: sequins.

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Visit Nichole Heady's blog to see more sneak peeks!

O'Tannenbaum revisited...

2016-10-01T05:00:00.000-06:00

Happy October! Today we are revisiting an older stamp set to give you new and fresh ideas! I'm using the O'Tannenbaum stamp set on these holiday tags and have mixed in a couple of other Papertrey Ink products.

I've started with the Basic Bookmark dies and the Tag Sale #4 die to create the bases.

First, on the O'Tannenbaum tag, I used the Cover Plate: Stripes Diagonal die and cut two of them, then overlapped the stripes to create a plaid! I used the Limitless Layers Oval die collection to trim the center from Luxe Gold Adhesive Sheets and stamped the center with O'Tannenbaum stamps.

Here I used a gold embossed deer from In the Meadow with a "Winter Wishes" sentiment from O'Tannenbaum to mix it up a bit.

"Let It Snow" was made with the O'Tannenbaum stamps, using the polkadot tree as the background, then I heat embossed a golden tree over the top. The parenthesis on the Holiday Wishes tag are from Simply Framed.

The Merry & Bright tag was again made with Basic Bookmark 2 die and the Cover Plate: Stripes diagonal over the top in True Black cardstock with the Limitless Layers: Oval dies over the top. Instead of stamping the pine branches as a tree, I stamped them all around the edges of the oval. On many of the tags, I added a gold reinforcer at the tops of the tags by punching a circle from the gold adhesive sheets and then punching another hole in the center of them. I love these gold adhesive sheets!

O'Tannenbaum tags:

STAMPS: O'Tannenbaum, In the Meadow, Simply Framed
INK: Pure Poppy, True Black, Green Parakeet
PAPER: white, True Black, Luxe Gold Adhesive Sheets
DIES: Basic Bookmark dies, Tag Sale #4

OTHER: seam binding, gold and white embossing powder, hole punches.

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Visit the other senior design team members for more ideas with O'Tannenbaum:
Betsy, Dawn, Heather, and Melissa.

Make It Market Post & Parcel kit...

2016-09-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

The next Make It Market Kit is entitled "Post & Parcel" will be released on October 1st. Betsy's big holiday kit is one of the most highly anticipated releases for our customers each year. The theme for this kit is mail, with hints of all things vintage and days gone by. With the dies you can create large 3D vintage letterboxes to hold small gifts, gift cards, treats and more. There are stamps and dies to create flat mailboxes perfect for card fronts and tags, complete with a working flag you can put up and down! There are gorgeous stencils that are just amazing and can be used in all kinds of ways to give your projects a bit of a mail flair. We cannot neglect to mention the beautiful papers, envelope dies, a separate trimmings kit and MORE! You will not want to miss out on this one!

POST & PARCEL KIT CONTENTS:

Post & Parcel stamp set & labels

Post & Parcel 8-1/2" x 11" paper collection (1 sheet each of 14 designs)

Post & Parcel stencil collection (set of 4)

Post & Parcel die collection

Post & Parcel Details die collection

Post & Parcel Accessories die collection

Total Retail Cost: $108

POST & PARCEL TRIMMINGS KIT CONTENTS

Airmail Twine (2 yards)
Teal Twine (2 yards)
Gray Striped Ribbon (2 yards)
Red/Blue Striped Ribbon (2 yards)
Light Blue Velvet Ribbon (2 yards)
Miniature Ming Pine Garland (5 feet)
Mini Screw Fasteners (1 package)
Mini Paper Clips (1 package)
Mini Mailbox
Airmail Washi Tape (1 roll)
Red Mini Clothespins (5 clothes pins)
Miniature Cardinals (2 Cardinals)
White Flocking (1/2 ounce)

Total Retail Cost: $32

There will be a limited number of these exclusive kits available, so be sure to get yours on Saturday! The "Post & Parcel" Kit will be available for sale beginning on October 1st at 10pm ET, only at Papertrey Ink. Read all the details on Nichole's blog or contact Customer Service with any questions.

First up, I have a cute little "mailbox" goodie box made with all of the kit goodies! The pieces are all cut with the dies in the kit.

There is a die that cuts the mailbox slot, and you can put it on the top of the lid or on the front of the box, or leave it off! The little lock is removable, so the lid opens. How cute is that!!! The details and thought put into this kit is just amazing.

These are just so adorable and would be fun to make to hold gift cards/small gifts/or for gifts for kids and teachers at school. I added a strip of the striped paper at the bottom for a bit more color on the front and an enamel dot from my stash.

Next up, I have two pockets that I made with the backer die from the box. I cut the blue piece (backer die), then added the front "Sending Love" piece. I die cut a bow, stamped it and added a flower over the top with a red enamel dot (from my stash) and a bird from kit. The backer die folds at the bottom, so I folded it up in the back and used it as a pocket. (See pic below.)

Don't you just love the papers and pieces in this kit? It really makes putting something together super easy...just cut them out and paste together!

The back of these have a pocket in which you could add a Christmas letter, photo, gift card or what not! I just slipped one of the pre-printed pieces in there for the photo.

And last, these are just little gift card holders that are die cut with the gift card die and the pre-printed papers. You can leave them as is, or dress them up with an extra bow die cut and such!

What do you think of this adorable kit? I apologize for the wait for my projects and hope you enjoyed them! Have a great weekend! Visit these gals to see more: Betsy Veldman (who also has a video on how to make these boxes!), Amy Sheffer, Heather Nichols, Melissa Phillips, and Kay Miller.

DT Tips: Golden Leaf Placecards...

2016-09-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

Today I have a little place card idea for you that you can replicate for your Thanksgiving table decor! These are quick, easy and so pretty and elegant. I've used Papertrey Ink's Enclosed: Leaf dies.

All of the leaves and veins were cut out of White Tag Stock, which is a really thick cardstock by Papertrey Ink, perfect for tags, so they don't bend and are nice and sturdy. Then I glued the veins onto the leaves and painted the entire thing with Liquid Leaf in gold by Plaid. It dries VERY quickly, so make sure you rinse your brush often...or just use a cheap foam brush that you can toss when you are done. The foam brush works great for dabbing the paint into all of the crevices.

To finish off the leaves, I cut the Tremendous Tags from Smokey Shadow cardstock and stamped them with Autumn Pumpkins sentiments and heat embossed them in white embossing powder. You could write your guests' names instead on these if you'd like, then tie them onto the gold leaf stems!

The ribbon I used to tie the little tags onto the leaves is a piece of seam binding from Zipperstop.com in Chalk White. When wet, it crinkles nicely!

The floral pick with the white pumpkin and other white/gold pumpkins in my photos were found at Walmart. Here is another leaf you can make with the Enclosed: Leaf dies with the basic leaf in the background and the grateful outline piece over the top. I adhered the leaf layers, then painted it with the gold gilding like the previous samples.

Thanksgiving is all about food, friends, and family...and what better way to make your guests feel welcome than a wonderful and pretty note to welcome them to the table. You could also frame these and use them for fall decor! I hope you enjoyed this post today! Have a great weekend!

Release day...

2016-09-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

Today is release day at Papertrey Ink, and that means all of the new products we have been previewing this week will be available at 10pm EST tonight! I have a few more things to show you. First up is Fancy Pants Holiday. I used the scroll frame from this set and trimmed it apart to frame the sentiment here.

Next are the Gifts of the Season stamps and dies on a little gift tag...

This cute frame is made with the new Splits: Merry & Bright stamps and dies. It's layered over a Fancy Flake and Chicken Scratch Gingham paper in lavender.

Tinsel was wrapped around the frame for a bit of sparkle, and I used Copics to color in around the green stamping.

Last is Dress Up Dolls: Elves and Elf Sentiments.

Let It Snow card:

STAMPS: Fancy Pants Holiday

INK: Stormy Sea

PAPER: Stormy Sea + White, Soft Granite, Aqua Mist and white,
Tropical Teal pattern pack

DIES: Fancy Pants Holiday, Christmas Cheer, Phrase Play #9,
Cover Plate: Pretty Frame

OTHER: sequins.

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True Gift of the Season tag:

STAMPS: Gifts of the Season

INK: Tropical Teal, New Leaf

PAPER: white, Classic Kraft

DIES: Tag Sale: Quilted

OTHER: twine.
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Merry & Bright card:

STAMPS: Splits: Merry & Bright

INK: New Leaf, Lavender Moon

PAPER: Chicken Scratch Gingham paper

DIES: Cover Plate: Pretty Frame

OTHER: Tinsel by Melissa Frances.
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Nice tag:

STAMPS: Dress Up Dolls: Elves and Elf Sentiments

INK: Pure Poppy, True Black

PAPER: white, Stormy Sea + White pattern pack

DIES: Tag Sale: Quilted, Phrase Play #9

OTHER: Copics, twine.
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Don't forget to shop 9/15/16 at 10pm EST at Papertrey Ink to get all of the new products we have been previewing this week! Stop by each of these blogs to see more:

Amy Sheffer
Ashley Cannon Newell
Betsy Veldman
Dawn McVey
Heather Nichols
Kay Miller
Laurie Willison
Lizzie Jones
Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady

Trimming the Tree...

2016-09-14T05:00:00.000-06:00

Good morning! Welcome to another blog hop for Papertrey Ink! We have some ornament inspiration for you today. First up are the new What the Doodle: Ornament stamps and dies! I used the two-layer dies to create the ornament and also used the greenery from this set as well. I stamped it and colored it in with a green Copic marker.
The sentiment is from this set also, it's stamped on a Tremendous Tags die, then trimmed down a bit skinnier to fit. The berries are from the new Holiday Greens stamps and dies. I created this as an ornament to hang on a tree, but I think these would be gorgeous on the cover of a mini book, or as home decor as well!

Merry and Bright Ornament:

STAMPS: Holiday Greens, What the Doodle: Ornament

INK: Pure Poppy, Lovely Lady, New Leaf

PAPER: Holiday Plaid, white

DIES: Holiday Greens, What the Doodle: Ornament, Tremendous Tags

OTHER: twine, seam binding, resin frame - Melissa Frances.

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The second ornament is made with Vintage Ornaments II and What the Doodle: Ornament.

These Vintage Ornaments are multi-step, so you can add more than one color to them! So pretty! I started with the dark outline and then filled in the pieces with the other stamps.

Love and Laughter Ornament:

STAMPS: Vintage Ornaments II, What the Doodle: Ornament

INK: New Leaf, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy

PAPER: Holiday Plaid, white

DIES: Vintage Ornaments II, What the Doodle: Ornament, Tremendous Tags

OTHER: twine, seam binding, resin frame - Melissa Frances, Copic markers, sequins.

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Next up are the new Stitched Ornaments: Classics dies (middle snowflake) and Stitched Ornaments: Sequins dies (pink background). These dies will cut the holes and the shape of the ornament. I didn't make a traditional ornament, as you will see on Nichole's blog with Erin's video, but I decided to make flat ones instead utilizing a big snowflake die!

The large felt teal snowflake center is made with the Stitched Ornaments: Embroidered die. I just stitched certain holes to create my own design. Behind the felt centers are Fancy Flakes dies, then I used Rustic Cream Button Twine as hangers at the top.

Here you can see the stitching up close. A bunch of these would make a cute set, don't you think? Or hang a tiny tag on them with a sentiment and use them as gift tags!

Felt Snowflake Ornaments:

PAPER: white

DIES: Fancy Flakes, Stitched Ornament: Classics, Stitched Ornaments: Sequins, Stitched Ornaments: Embroidered

OTHER: Rustic Cream button twine, white floss, Tropical Teal and Sweet Blush felt, sequins.

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Don't forget to shop 9/15/16 at 10pm EST at Papertrey Ink to get all of the new products we have been previewing this week! Stop by each of these blogs to see more:

Amy Sheffer
Ashley Cannon Newell
Betsy Veldman
Dawn McVey
Heather Nichols
Kay Miller
Laurie Willison
Lizzie Jones
Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady

Classic Holiday Inspirations...

2016-09-13T05:00:00.000-06:00

There is something nostalgic and heartwarming about classic Christmas images. They probably remind us of days gone by and memories from holidays past. I've found a few images that inspired my post today and bring back memories from my past holidays growing up! First is a pretty truck with gifts. This one reminded me of traveling 4 hours to see my grandparents for the holidays. Both sets of grandparents lived in Selby, South Dakota, so many Christmases we would travel there from Rapid City and spend the holidays with all of my cousins and aunts and uncles. My mom had 2 sisters and 1 brother, and my dad had 2 brothers and a sister, so we always had tons of cousins around. I loved having so many people around for the holidays! Now it feels so different just having a few people... I miss that very much!

(source)

The second image reminds me of the small town where my grandparents lived... how everyone knew each other, all went to the same church together and grew up together. My parents grew up there together and have been together since high school.

(source)

And the third image I found reminds me of my dad's parents' farm! I miss going there with the cousins and playing outside, investigating the barn and jumping hay bales. We had so much fun exploring.

(source)

It was fun to reminisce! I wish I could go back to that time again! Here are a couple of cards I made based on these photographs with a few new Papertrey Ink stamp sets...

This was made with the new Winter Village stamps and dies and is backed with the Cover Plate: In the Woods die cut. I love how the houses and church have multi-step stamping available so you can add shading to the buildings with a darker color on the side.

Peace on Earth card:

STAMPS: Winter Village

INK: Dark Chocolate, Simply Chartreuse, Soft Granite, Sweet Blush, Lovely Lady

PAPER: white

DIES: Winter Village, Cover Plate: In the Woods

OTHER: sequins.

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This next one was inspired by the cute mouse inspiration piece above. I used the new Christmas Critters stamps and dies and Christmas Critters Sentiments. My 11 year old would like this one!

The mouse and other small pieces were die cut with Christmas Critters, and I also used Tag Sale #4 (I use this one a lot), and the Basic Bookmark 2 die.

Holly Jolly Christmas card:

STAMPS: Christmas Critters, Christmas Critters Sentiment

INK: Aqua Mist, Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy, Classic Kraft, Enchanted Evening, Dark Chocolate

PAPER: Holiday Plaid, white and Pure Poppy cardstock

DIES: Tag Sale #4 die, Basic Bookmark 2 die

OTHER: sequins.

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Don't forget to shop 9/15/16 at 10pm EST at Papertrey Ink to get all of the new products we have been previewing this week! Stop by each of these blogs to see more:

Amy Sheffer
Ashley Cannon Newell
Betsy Veldman
Dawn McVey
Heather Nichols
Kay Miller
Laurie Willison
Lizzie Jones
Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady

Christmas Faith...

2016-09-12T05:00:00.000-06:00

Today the Papertrey Ink team is working on cards and projects with a "faith-based" theme, so we have some new stamps and dies to share with you coming soon to Papertrey Ink! I am really having fun this release with all of these beautiful new products!

First is A Thrill of Hope and the new Shine stamp set. I layered the sentiment over the Shine stamp and love this look; it's a pretty way to dress up a sentiment and make it "shine"! Ha!

Again, I used the Holiday Greens and Holiday Greens Borders stamps and dies from yesterday on this card also. I can't get enough of these!

Everything is stamped and layered onto the Mega Mat Stack 1 die.

May the Love of Jesus card:

STAMPS: Holiday Greens, Holiday Greens Borders, Shine, A Thrill of Hope

INK: Aqua Mist, Enchanted Evening, Simply Chartreuse, Olive Twist

PAPER: Holiday Plaid patterned paper, Enchanted Evening pattern pack

DIES: Holiday Greens, Holiday Greens Borders, Mega Mat Stack 1 die

OTHER: none.

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On my second card, I created a stamped wreath with the pine boughs from Holiday Greens again, then added some of the pinecones over the top, but stamped them in pretty colors to resemble flowers instead of pinecones.

The Inspired: Jesus die was twice from white cardstock and layered for a more raised effect, then stamped the sentiment from Inspired: Jesus tucked inside the word. Layering it over some of the flowers helps it stand out a bit more.

Jesus Is the Reason card:

STAMPS: Holiday Greens, Inspired: Jesus

INK: Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy, Lovely Lady

PAPER: white

DIES: Holiday Greens, Inspired: Jesus

OTHER: sequins.

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Last, but not least, is Christmas Faith.

For patterned papers, I mixed together a Stormy Sea + White dot and a Holiday Plaid red, then incorporated those two colors into my stamping.

All is Calm card:

STAMPS: Christmas Faith

INK: Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy, Ocean Tides, True Black

PAPER: white cardstock, Stormy Sea + White pattern pack, Holiday Plaid patterned paper

DIES: Christmas Faith, Tag Sale #4

OTHER: sequins, twine.

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All of the new products you've seen this week will be available 9/15/16 at 10pm EST at Papertrey Ink! Stop by each of the design team blogs to see more:

Amy Sheffer
Ashley Cannon Newell
Betsy Veldman
Dawn McVey
Heather Nichols
Kay Miller
Laurie Willison
Lizzie Jones
Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady

Introducing Holiday Greens and Holiday Greens Borders...

2016-09-11T05:00:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it's that time again? I'm back today with some new stamps and dies that will be released this month on the 15th at 10pm EST at PapertreyInk.com. Let's take a peek! I'm focusing on two stamp sets today: Holiday Greens and Holiday Greens Borders, looooove these so much!!

First up, I used the new Holiday Greens stamps and dies. I just stamped a bunch of pieces on their coordinating die cuts, then laid them out on a white base and rearranged them until I was happy with them.

The larger pine boughs are dipped in new Olive Twist ink, then the tips in Simply Chartreuse ink. "Happy Holidays" is stamped with the new Keep It Simple: Happy Holidays, and it's backed with paper from Holiday Plaid Patterned Paper. Don't you think those red berries could also be used as flowers? I'm getting more ideas as I type this out!

Happy Holidays card:

STAMPS: Holiday Greens, Keep It Simple: Happy Holidays

INK: Dark Chocolate, Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy, Classic Kraft, Olive Twist

PAPER: white, Holiday Plaid

DIES: Holiday Greens

OTHER: none.

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Next, a card with the new Holiday Greens Borders stamps and the new Holiday Swoosh stamps and dies (sentiment).

The pine border is stamped with Holiday Greens Borders, then I added some Holiday Greens over the top in Dark Chocolate, Olive Twist, Simply Chartreuse and Ocean Tides. Love this color combo. I trimmed the cardstock under the word to mimic the swoosh shape of the "Merry & Bright" and backed it with another

Holiday Plaid paper.

Merry & Bright card:

STAMPS: Holiday Greens, Holiday Greens Borders, Holiday Swoosh

INK: Dark Chocolate, Olive Twist, Simply Chartreuse, Ocean Tides

PAPER: Olive Twist, white, Holiday Plaid patterned paper

DIES: Holiday Greens, Holiday Swoosh

OTHER: sequins.

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Last is a quick one with more Holiday Greens stamps and the new Ombre Sentiments: Christmas stamps (sentiment). The sentiment and pines were dipped in Olive Twist ink, then Simply Chartreuse again.

Don't you just love how those pinecones look like flowers also? Very versatile, and I can't wait to show you another card tomorrow where I used more of the Holiday Greens and Borders!

Wishing You card:

STAMPS: Holiday Greens, Ombre Sentiments: Christmas

INK: Olive Twist, Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy

PAPER: white, Pure Poppy + White Basics

DIES: Holiday Greens

OTHER: none.

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Don't forget to shop 9/15/16 at 10pm EST at PapertreyInk.com to get all of the new products we will be previewing all this week! Stop by each of these blogs to see more:

Amy Sheffer, Betsy Veldman, Dawn McVey, Heather Nichols,
Lizzie Jones, Melissa Phillips, Nichole Heady

Make It Monday #260 video tutorial: From Black and White to Color...

2016-09-05T09:56:00.001-06:00

Good morning! Today is my day for another video tutorial! I have a fun technique for you to try that involves creating a black and white background, and then popping a portion of that up, coloring it and lining it up with the image underneath. Stop by Nichole's blog for the video HERE! Here are a couple of samples that I made to show this technique...

Here I just left a border of black and white and colored the rest with Copics...

The next one utilizes the same technique, but the center is trimmed out and popped up and colored to give a pretty focal point!

What do you think? Will you give this technique a try? Be sure to watch the video at Nichole's blog and play along for your chance to win a gift card to Papertrey Ink this week!

From Black and White to Color cards:

STAMPS: Peonies on Parade, Give Thanks

INK: True Black

PAPER:White cardstock

DIES: Noted: Scalloped A1 die

OTHER: sequins, seam binding, Copic markers.

Little Bitty Bird revisited...

2016-09-01T05:00:00.000-06:00

Today's cards are made with Little Bitty Bird, a previously released stamp set by Papertrey Ink, which you can find HERE! I kept them rather simple this time...I hope that's ok...

First, I discovered that the little birds fit just right onto the inner portion of the Fabulous Frames die. Then I cut several more and created a background. The center one is cut from Stormy Sea + White patterned paper and popped up for dimension. I stamped the branch in Classic Kraft ink and colored it in with a light gray Copic marker W3, then stamped the bird in Melon Berry ink and colored it in with a light pink Copic marker RV21. The sentiment is stamped in Summer Sunrise ink.

Live Simply card:

STAMPS: Little Bitty Bird

INK: Classic Kraft, Melon Berry, Summer Sunrise

PAPER: white, Stormy Sea + White Basics Patterned Paper

DIES: Fabulous Frames

OTHER: Copics, twine, sequins.

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On the second card, I used the Fabulous Frames again and the birds, flowers and sentiment with Little Bitty Bird. The stamping is layered onto the Fabulous Frames die and a Center Style: Feminine frame in the background.

The stamped flowers are colored in with Copic markers. I love these little birds and think I'll make a bird background with all different colors! Wouldn't that be cute!

For You, Friend card:

STAMPS: Little Bitty Bird

INK: Summer Sunrise, Raspberry Fizz, New Leaf, Bright Buttercup, Aqua Mist, Stormy Sea

PAPER: white cardstock, New Leaf + White patterned Paper, Green Parakeet + White patterned paper

DIES: Fabulous Frames, Center Style: Feminine

OTHER: Copics, twine, sequins.

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Visit Betsy, Dawn, Heather and Melissa for more ideas with this set!

Nestled die cuts...

2016-08-31T12:15:00.000-06:00

While I'm awaiting my next Papertrey Ink box, full of new Christmas stamps and dies for the September release, I thought I would get you in the mood for the holidays a bit early! I have a new post up over at the Scrapbook Expo blog on "nestling your die cuts".

Pop over to the blog to see another beautiful sample I found online that demonstrates this technique as well!

Have a good day, and I will see you back here shortly!
Danielle

Adding a feminine touch to your autumn cards...

2016-08-26T05:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday to you all! As I was looking for inspiration for today's design team tips post, I found a scrapbooking page that really inspired me, which isn't out of the ordinary! I can always find little design details on scrapbook layouts that translate well to cards.

While studying this inspirational layout below, I realized that the reason I was drawn to it was because it had a feminine, light, layered feel to it. I usually tend to lean towards adding a feminine look to my cards and thought it would be fun to show you ways to add this look and feel to any card theme, including the autumnal cards that I've made for today's post!

First, how do you define feminine? To me, it's florals, light soft colors, layers, details, cheerful prints and patterns, swirly fonts, texture, gold/shiny accents, ruffles, soft curves, asymmetry.

I was drawn to the circular piece on the layout and loved how it was white on white, loved how the doily was folded over and clipped. I also liked the layers of the flower and sentiment and how it was all tucked together. Instead of the scalloped circle, I immediately thought of a doily. Papertrey Ink has the Parisian Lace Doily die, which is what I used here. There's nothing quite as feminine as a doily, right! You can also find them pre-made in big quantities in the baking section at the craft store. I die cut some of these and gathered some gingham paper. I also gathered my Color Pop Autumn mini kit and used the dies in the kit to trim out some of the leaves and flowers.

What makes a doily feminine? Lots of fine detail and the soft, round shape. I love the color of the wooden clothespin with the pink on the layout, but I wanted something flatter to allow for mailing, so I found some gold paper clips that I thought would work well for a fall card.

The doilies were simply folded over and clipped with the paper clip, then I tucked in a couple of flowers, leaves, a bountiful die cut and sentiment.

Inspired by the white-on-white in the layout, I added a Vintage Cream "Bountiful" die cut over the white doily and stamped a sentiment to go with it in gray with the Color Pop Autumn kit, very soft and subtle. Then to add a bit more color, I wanted to try the gingham in the background.

You can add a doily and a few layered details to a card on any occasion to make it feminine! Change out the backgrounds if you'd like to make them even softer and more dreamy and romantic. I hope you enjoyed this post. Have a creative day!

Bountiful cards:

STAMPS: Color Pop Autumn

INK: Stormy Sea

PAPER: Color Pop Autumn, Chicken Scratch Gingham, white and Vintage Cream cardstock

DIES: Color Pop Autumn, Parisian Lace Doily die

OTHER: paper clips, enamel dots.

Creative uses for stamps...

2016-08-25T09:47:00.002-06:00

This week at the Scrapbook Expo blog, I have a little post on looking at your stamps in a different way. Can you guess what stamp I used to create these corners that I used to make a frame around the sentiment?

Stop over to the Weekly Scrapper to read more, and leave a link with stamps you've used in unconventional ways...I'd love to see what you're making also!

Thank You card:

STAMPS: Pedal Pusher, Paper Clippings: Thankful For You by PTI

INK: Lovely Lady, Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy, Bright Buttercup, True Black by PTI

PAPER: white, Green Parakeet + White Basics

DIES: Die-Namics Four Way Chevron Cover Up by My Favorite Things

OTHER: seam binding, paper clip, sequins.