Dawn McVey has a super fun & funky set coming out this month that you will definitely want to get your hands on! It's chock full of background building possibilities, focal images and unique sentiments in a fabulous font that is nothing like anything else Papertrey has featured before! You won't want to miss all of Dawn's samples on her blog beginning on the 10th! Just a few short days away!
This is the month where we are *officially* releasing the stamp set we gave to all of our cruise attendees in October. Candice Aguilar did a wonderful job illustrating this classic nautical themed set. You are just going to love all of the elements!
Lisa Johnson has another amazing set to introduce to you this month. Not only is this set unique; it's stylish and so versatile, as all of Lisa's sets are. She put a lot of time into developing coordinating sentiments that will keep you grabbing for this set over and over again! The samples I have begun to see created by the design team with this set have been AMAZING! Just wait until you see the official unveiling next week!
It's hard to believe that the July release will be here in just a few short days! I am so unbelievably excited about the products we have lined up for you this month! This month's release includes this new floral set that I designed. Perfect for those like to color AND those that don't! If you notice, this particular bloom has a simple exterior outline, making it easy to cut it our after it is stamped on your favorite colored cardstock! Also, Debbie Olson has personally let me know that her fingers were getting antsy as she was waiting for her stamps to arrive so she could put her coloring skills to the test! Either way, I know this will be a set that you will all LOVE!
Two very dear & dedicated customers, Kate & Steph, recently created an entire blog dedicated to Papertrey fans in the UK & the rest of Europe called A Passion for Papertrey. It is a wonderful testimony to all of our wonderful customers abroad. They put a lot of time into the design of the site and update it regularly with Papertrey projects and other chit chat.
They even have monthly challenges with Papertrey Prizes!
There's also help available for finding someone to share orders with to save on the cost of shipping!
I think any of you that happen to live on that side of the ocean will enjoy the close-knit camaraderie found there! I'm truly honored that Kate & Steph invest so much of their time into the upkeep of the site! It is truly destined to become an invaluable resource for our foreign friends!
David & I recently finished up some projects around the kitchen that we have been meaning to do for ages. Even though I am an avid cook, my kitchen is teensy-tinsy, so space is of a premium. My vast collection of both tea and spices were literally overflowing one of my cabinets, to the point where every time I opened it, things were falling out of it! I decided that switching all of them over to universal containers would make it so much easier to store them.
I ended up using our 8 oz. round clear top tins to store them all. They are a bit on the larger side because I buy most of my spices in bulk, but the average spice container would fit in the 4 oz. making it a lot more economical for this type of organization.
I designed the labels just in the regular Avery Address Label template found in Microsoft Word. I used the clear address labels (#18660) that they sell because they tend to be a bit more waterproof, which is a good characteristic to have in the kitchen. The labels can be found at any big box or office supply store. Or you can order them directly from Avery HERE.
David built me a simple shelving system that fit on the back of our narrow pantry door to hold all of the tins. If any of you decide to take on a project like this, I found after a bit of trial and error that it is best to alphabetize the spices. Since they are all in similar tins, it can be difficult to find something if they aren't in a particular order. Since I have alphabetized them, it is a cinch to find things when I need them and easy to put them back where I got them.
I ended up using our tea tins for my vast loose leaf tea collection. The lids on these tins have an airtight seal so it will keep my teas nice and fresh, therefore a longer shelf life. For these labels, I chose to use a white shipping label (#8163). They fit the large tins well and left plenty of room for some fancy embellishing. I created mine on the computer, but it would be just as easy to stamp them with some of your favorite decorative stamp images.
The majority of my teas are from Mountain Rose Herb Company. My sister used to work there and always gave me teas as gifts. They are an organic company and have an amazing selection. If you are an avid tea drinker, you should check it out!
It has been SO nice to have these menacing areas of my kitchen nice and orderly! Sometimes I feel like I am in someones else's kitchen! I hope maybe today's post inspires you to tackle an area of your house that could do with a bit of organization. I still have a lot to do myself in a few other spaces in my house, especially the ol' studio. What is the worst problem area in your house?
I've mentioned many times in the past how fascinating it is to me the way so many handcrafts and their individual supplies are now merging into one another. One of which is fabric. This pliable medium is SO fun and easy to incorporate into paper crafting, offering you so many new levels of exploration with the supplies you already have on hand.
The challenge this month was to stamp on fabric and then integrate it into a project. While I was experimenting with some different techniques, I accidentally left the cap off of one of my Copic markers and it had bled onto the fabric I was working with. At first I was frustrated with what I had done to my work in progress, but then decided that I actually liked the look and would embrace the technique!
The fabric I used was an old white bed sheet that I have been saving for ages, thinking I would one day have a good use for it! If you don't have any old ones, you can get a new sheet at any big box store for a bout $5. I used a ruler and various Copic markers (aqua mist, ocean tides & spring rain) to create a series of stripes. I chose to use the broad tip, but either one would work depending on the final look you were going for. One thing I LOVE about this technique is the color coordination. Since I have Copics that coordinate with our colors, I am able to create stripes in dozens of different combinations that coordinate with our products too. What's not to love about that!
I love how *artistic* the stripes look, almost like some kind of watercolor paint technique, only without the mess! After I completed the stripes, I adhered a piece of white cardstock to the back of the fabric using Heat n' Bond. If you don't feel like getting the iron out, you could also use wide pieces of Scor-tape.
The cardstock provides some stability so that you are able to get a more defined cut and a bit of the embossed look when using Nestabilities. Here I have used Labels 1. You can run the fabric back and forth through your machine several times for a clean cut or just a few times for something it bit more rough, like I did here. I used my fingernail to pull a few of the threads loose around the edges to help reinforce that.
(click photo for a larger view)
Once the die-cut shape is integrated into a project, it really adds a little bit of zest that it would have been lacking without the pretty patterned fabric. The aqua mist cardstock was embossed with a paisley embossing folder from ProvoCraft. Spring Rain Twill was used as a border through the center of the card. Polka Dot Basics & Fresh Snow ink were used on the lower portion of the card.
(click photo for a larger view)
Spring Rain buttons and embroidery floss with a few bitty cardstock leaves thrown in, make up the focal point created on top of the die-cut fabric. The sentiment (from Vintage Picnic Sentiments) was stamped in True Black ink directly onto the fabric. Overall, just a fun little card to brighten someones day!
I challenged the senior design team to take a new look at fabric in their stash and incorporate it into a fun project. You won't believe some of the incredible things they have come up with!
To read more from Heather Nichols, CLICK HERE.
To read more from Lisa Johnson, CLICK HERE.
To read more from Michelle Wooderson, CLICK HERE.
To read more from Lauren Meader, CLICK HERE.
To read more from Becky Oehlers, CLICK HERE.
To read more from Wendy Sue Anderson, CLICK HERE.
Want more? Here are a few other projects I personally have done in the past that execute some of the ideas surrounding today's challenge...
To read more about these rustic fabric flowers, CLICK HERE.
To read more about how to construct this simple fabric purse, CLICK HERE.
To read more about stamping your own custom t-shirts, CLICK HERE.
I hope you enjoyed all of today's inspiration! So what are you waiting for! Go grab some fabric, experiment and have fun! You never know what you'll come up with! I'd love to see what you create! Please feel free to leave a link in the comments section!
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Vintage Picnic Sentiments
Ink: fresh snow, true black
Paper: aqua mist, spring moss, classic kraft, stamper's select white
Other: spring rain vintage buttons, spring rain twill, scalloped scissors (Fiskars), DMC embroidery floss, Labels 1 Nestabilities.
Finished Size: 4.25" x 5.5"
THIS is where I'll be for dinner Saturday night, along with three additional days & nights, basking in the Florida sun. David & I are going away on an *official* honeymoon, to compensate for the one we never had. This summer marks our ten year anniversary and he planned this special getaway to celebrate. I am really looking forward to it. The blog will be a bit quiet in my absence, but I will have plenty to share when I return the 25th!
Have a great week!
Well, it was another amazing batch of entries this month for Guest Star Stamper!!! I am really pleased to announce all the winners and honorable mentions!
Tracey Cuccia chose to use the popular black & white with color pop look that is so trendy right now. And I love the way that the trend pairs with Star Prints!!! The large flourish from Fancy Flourishes provided her with the perfect framework to *dangle the stars from. What a fun way to break in several different patterned starts from the set all at once too! I just love this project!!!
Lizzie Jones hand-crafted this INCREDIBLE wrath for the upcoming July 4th holiday! Talk about easy and inexpensive! A bit of ribbon and some paper and you are good to go! Having the coordinating punch makes it a snap to prepare all those stars for their masterpiece!
Kara Vrabel developed this adorable baby gift that includes a card and *wish in a bottle*. I really appreciated the clean simplicity of it and the heartfelt thoughts behind the special wish. Definitely something unique to bring to a baby shower!
Jennifer Holmes created a baby announcement that is so completely beautiful, it just makes me swoon! Every little detail is just perfect in every way, just like the 10 little perfect toes she is celebrating here!
Suzanne Dean used bright vibrant colors and our new Day at the Beach set to create this super summer-y ensemble. She adapted the Lolli-pop Along template to suit her needs beautifully. I love the colors she used for all of those tropical fruity drinks. And the little bit of shimmer & sparkle she added to them really took it up a notch as well.
Leigh Ann Baird got super creative and made these fun vintage style fans, perfect for those hot summer days out on the porch! Let Freedom Ring made the perfect patterns and accents fro her *cool* project!
Resqbarbie altered Recipe Wrap-Up to be the perfect postcard portfolio for her daughter to use while vacationing this summer. Images from Day at the Beach adorn the cover while the pockets inside hold everything she needs to keep in touch with friends & family.
Kelly Eubanks kept it simple with this sailboat card using Men of Life. I like the way she wrapped the twine around the turquoise mat along with the subtle distressing around the edges of the kraft card base.
Shannan Teubner made this pretty little number using Damask Designs paired with a sentiment from Mega Mixed Messages. the pattern she built is impeccable and I just love the stitching detail she added around the perimeter of the mat. The black stripes in the background really help to ground everything and maintain the focus on the patterned element. Well balanced and perfectly executed!
Travelingmama did this super sweet & simple card using the little chickie from Birds of a Feather. I'm thinking of all the images out there that you could create a similar card with for the same stunning results! In less than ten minutes nonetheless!
Regan D'Agostino used one of my favorite images for baby cards, the nest & eggs from Birds of a Feather. Her bow created with ripe avocado stitched ribbon is perfection (perhaps I need to beg her for some private lessons!)
Lisa Henke's colors and overall layout really caught my eye. Everything is perfectly balanced without being too much or too little. Plus, who can resist an adorable little strawberry trio from Green Thumb?
Catherine (Dancing Pear Designs) created this stunning flameless candle holder. Doesn't it just scream beachy summer to you? She assembled the For Keep{sake} box from clear cardstock. It was accented with Background Basics: Text Style. Fluffy fibers and silver sea-themed charms intertwine around the top of the delicate looking construction. The tag is stamped with Star Prints and is the perfect message to keep things low-key and take time to savor the days of summer.
We look forward to working with Catherine as a guest on our template team
this month! So if you liked her project today, you will be seeing more
from her in one of next month's new template design downloads!
Even though only one Template winner receives the top prize of earning the guest
position on our template team for this month, there are three other
wonderful projects that I thought deserved special mention!
Julia Aston designed this patriotic version of our Captured Card Case to be used as a fun cookie box, complete with a star shaped window. The same idea could be executed for a variety of holidays!
Tracey Cuccia used Basket Basics to create this elaborate money bouquet. Butterfly Kisses provided the perfect images to intermingle with the *cash* flowers. What a fun gift this would be to receive!
Yvette Farrell gave Let's Do Lunch a fun & fresh makeover! I loved all her bright colors and the way she creatively cut a flower to frame the latch. A perfect use for large buttons is integrating them into template projects, like Yvette did here. Lunch with all the *trimmings*!!!
So there you have it! Didn't everyone do an AMAZING job! I just feel so blessed to have so many talented stampers utilizing our images in so many fabulous ways. Thank you to each and every one of you for sharing your art with us!
Want to see your project highlighted here next month and perhaps win a prize? The categories for this month's Guest Star Stamper Contest can be found HERE! You have until July 13th to complete your projects, so you have plenty of time to think it over and put something fabulous together! I look forward to seeing all of your amazing entries!
