Poppy Paperie

Spring is in the Air

We've had an exceptionally warm winter here resulting in an early Spring! I was shocked the other day when I drove down the street and the Cherry Blossoms were in their full glory! They seemed to glow as the sun shone through. That vision was the inspiration for today's card, and all it's sweet details, for this months Papertrey Ink Sr. Design Team challenge! (Yep... you guessed it, Spring is the theme!)

This little 4.25 x 4.25 inch card is sweet and delicate... with a touch of elegance... and full of spring!

  

I used Asian Fusion to build the vellum background as well as the focal image. Sweet Blush ink and cardstock are perfect for the softness I wanted. The sentiment is from the Communique Sentiments mini set. I chose a few of the elements intentionally. The vellum carries the same type of glow as the flower branches from the Cherry Blossom tree... giving the card a light and airy feel. The peals also add to the glow.
 

I kept with the delicate theme by using Papertrey Ink's 1/4" Silk Ribbon. Oh My WORD... this is such a sweet and decedent trim!
 

I used the Polka Dot Basics II impression plate to add fullness... like the blooming tree. And the Kraft base??? can you guess? Yep... wood branches.

Another fun detail is how the Small Scalloped die cut Vellum coordinates with the punched focal image. 

I have to admit... spring colors that are bright and cheery are usually my thing... but going softer this time was really fun!

Here are the links to the other Sr. Dt members, Nichole and our guest designer Kelly Purkey!

• Betsy Veldman
• Heather Nichols
• Michelle Wooderson
• Dawn McVey
• Nichole Heady
• Kelly Purkey

You are truly in for a treat!

Just a little reminder... you have a few more days to join in on the first Poppy Seed challenge! (see the previous post) Thanks for poppying by friends!

 

• Stamps- Asian Fusion, Communique Sentiments
• Ink- Sweet Blush, Dark Chocolate
• Paper- Sweet Blush, Vintage Cream, Kraft, Vellum
• Other- Polka Dot Basics II impression plate , Small Scalloped die, Silk ribbon, Flower Punch (Blue Marvy), Zva Creative single pearls.

Poppy Seed Challenge

I've been wanting to start this challenge for some time now... But life has kept me on my toes. Since my 4 year Blog anniversary is this week I thought I would try it out ... to see if you all are interested in playing along. So let's test the waters! :)

Introducing...

          

My hope with these occasional challenges is to provide little seeds of inspiration for you!

• There will be very little structure... just 3 "seeds" to start with. The seeds I'm talking about are simply elements in three different categories. Color, embellishment and an image element. There will usually be just one of each of these seeds that will be required to participate. (So I would ever required you to used 20 gems or something like that! LOL!)
• I will have a Mr. Linky in the challenge post for you to enter. You will need to make sure that you enter the URL that is specific to your post/gallery page so I can tell which project you are entering.
•  Anything goes... card, pages, altered, tags... whatever comes!
• It would be great if you could copy the challenge image into your blog post, if you have a blog, to inspire others to participate. Everyone learns more when more participate!
• I will try to post challenges at least twice a month and you will have a week to enter! This is such a great way to sprout inspiration when you need it. 
• Five (5) entrants will be highlighted on my blog, showing your great projects and linking back to your blog/gallery.

Here is the official, first ever, Poppy Seed Challenge ....

      

For the first week I chose these three seeds... Crystals (which could be a Rhinestone too or even a gem brad!), a flower image and the use of light yellow.  Here is a little, quick card using these elements.

  

As you can see, the Light Yellow I used does not take main stage! See... it just needs to be there! (btw... you just might spy this little card in an ad soon! Let me know if you do!)

So... whatcha waiting for??? I can't wait to see what you make!!!

You can enter as many projects as you like... just make sure you provide your specific URL where we can see it on the web!

Are you excited??? I sure am! Feel free to ask any questions about this by commenting on this post. I will answer them directly within the comment section. :)

Thanks for poppying by friends!

 

 

• Stamps- Life, Communiques Sentiments, Vintage labels 
• Ink- True Black
• Paper- New Leaf, White, Lemon Tart
• Other- Marvy Clear Stamp Markers, Zva Creative Crystals

Stamp It! Cards blog hop

I love stamping. Just wanted to make sure you knew that... just in case I've been keeping it a secret! LOL! Today I get to share in a fun blog hop celebrating the most recent issue of my favorite stamping magazine... Stamp It! Cards!!!

Keep reading.... 'cause you might just get to win something!

 

This is a special issue by Paper Crafts Magazine and if you love stamping... you need to snag it NOW!!!Did you know that my very first publication was with Paper Crafts Magazine? And guess what... it was from entering the Stamping Royalty contest! (Again with the stamping huh! LOL!) I was screaming when I got the call. The poor editor must have needed a hearing aid. When I told her it would be my first time being published she was so surprised... which is another warm memory. I Highly recommend you entering the Stamping Royalty contest... you never know until you try! (And Cath has a little challenge going on over there too, The Olympics of Stamping, with the same themes as the contest... fun fun!)
OK... so I mentioned that there would be an opportunity to win somthin'. Here are the deets. There are 12 blogs (Moxie Fab and the 11 top contributors to this special issue) to hop to and you get 12 opportunities to post a comment to each one... each comment enters you  for the opportunity to win some stamps!!! TWELVE... yes 12 stamp sets from My Cute Stamps! (Holy cow... I want to enter! LOL!) You can check them out over on the Moxie Fab Blog!!!

Here is a little card I created in celebration of Stamp It! Cards Week! (Click on any of the photos to see more detail!)

 

It's been very sunny here in Anacortes. So I wanted to translate that to a cheery & bright card. It's been a little while since I stamped my fun chair image from On My Couch and I felt inspired!

 

Wouldn't you smile if you received this card? I love the punniness of this sentiment too. hee hee. It's always fun to highlight a sentiment using Zva Creative Crystals too.

I used Papertrey Ink's Orange Zest, Spring Rain and Lemon Tart Ink and Cardstock to bring it all to life.

I love adding little details to my cards. Notice the white gel pen dots on the pillows... or the stamped polka dots that coordinate with the bottom Lemon Tart stamped strip! (I used Polka Dot Basics II) SO FUN!!!

Now it's time to hop and comment for your chance to win!!! Oh, you are in for a treat too!

• Betsy Veldman
• Dawn McVey
• Debbie Olson
• Julia Stainton
• Kimberly Crawford
• Latisha Yoast
• Lisa Johnson- you made it here!
• Maile Belles
• Sarah Martina Parker
• Teri Anderson
• Tina Fussell
  
• Moxie Fab
  

Don't forget to enter a comment here also for a chance to win those cute stamps!!!

Thanks for poppying by friends!

 

Some fun news!

You might have noticed over the past years how much I love using Pebbles Inc. Shimmer Chalks.

 

I created a super cute flower Fairy here,  A quiet play tin here, a background here and Colored the inside of a flower here. You also saw on my last Papertrey Ink countdown that I used them to create a lovely vase with flowers (Here) and used some of their patterned paper with my Butterfly card here. Needless to say... I'm sort of a fan of Pebbles.

Every year that I attend CHA I make it a point to check out their booth. It's always bright and cheery and full of cuteness. This year when I popped by I couldn't help but gush over their super fun patterned paper and chipboard images. Needless to say... one thing led to another and I've officially joined the Pebbles Team!!! Here is the official announcement on the Pebbles blog!

I'm so VERY excited to be joining their team and to be working with such amazing designers. (Lynn Ghahary was just promoted to be the DT coordinator! Congrats Lynn!) I have been blessed to be able to work with some of the best companies in the industry... Pebbles is no exception! (Won't their products be lovely combined with my Papertrey Ink and Marvy goodies! yum!)  I can't wait to share more with you using their fun products! I

Thanks for poppying by my friends!

  

 

Die-cut Masking

I love masking in general and especially love incorporating the many Papertrey Ink background stamps into masked project. But sometimes it can be a lot of work to cut masks for multiple images for masking the front of a full card all at once. Papertrey Ink's new Die's are great for multi-masking... think Multi-tasking for masking! Heehee! I've got a few tips and step out suggestions that make it all SO much easier!

First thing is to die cut printer weight paper with my chosen die... I'm using the butterfly for the first project. You can use post it notes if you want too. I have a little note stack pad that I pull paper from. I was able to die cut four (4) pieces all at once!!! That cut my time down by about 80% not having to cut out three of what I needed. 

Before the cut...then after.
 

Next I used a tiny bit of tape runner adhesive to secure the butterflies to the white base.

 

 Now... you might be asking yourself WHY is she using that... wont it stay and rip when she removes it?

Check out the next photo!

 After stamping my Damask Designs background image, a mere three times, with Hibiscus Burst ink I heat set/dried everything. (I just like doing that with pigment ink so I can go really fast!) When I used the heat tool, the adhesive securing the butterfly die cuts loosened and they became easy to peel off.  I used an adhesive eraser to remove any stragglers. the result is a nice clean, unstamped space. I love my heat tool... seriously! It has a place that it hangs from on my desk... always plugged in and ready to go. I found that just having it ready made me lean toward more involved and fun techniques. (ETA: Leaving it plugged in is what works for me... if you have fire safety concerns you might un-plug it after each use. One commenter suggested keeping it plugged into a surge protector that can be switched off after use. You have to find what works for you!)

Next I stamped the focal image, from Butterfly Dreams, in the space that was masked or protected by the Die cut butterflies. I used Smokey Shadow ink for this.

  

I then colored the butterfly images with Copic Markers to really make them POP!
 

Here is the full card... Isn't it pretty! The butterflies seem to float! Love that! 

...and the side view.

So lovely! I just had to do one more card using this technique... I've shown a nice clean elegant one..

now for the cute!

I just love Egg hunt! The coordinating images are so fresh and sweet! I used it's coordinating Egg Die for cutting my masks.
 
 Here's the side view. :) 

I hope you've enjoyed today's post on Multi-Masking with die-cuts. Imagine all the possibilities and the anticipation of the shapes to come!

It's been so great to share my little tidbits about Masking... just to re-cap: cut multiple masks at once,  secure your masks with tape adhesive, use a heat tool to loosen adhesive, Stamp your background all at once. It's a snap! Let me know if you've been inspired and use these tips for your own project... I'd love to see!!!

Thanks for poppying by friends!

 

  

• Stamps- Butterfly Dreams, Damask Designs
• Ink- Hibiscus Burst, Smokey Shadow
• Paper- Hibiscus Burst, Smokey Shadow, White
• Other- Hibiscus Burst Satin ribbon, Zva Creative Gems, Copic Markers, Marvy Corner Rounder, Butterfly Die, Small Scalloped Border Die
  

 

• Stamps- Egg Hunt
  
• Ink- Melon Berry, Spring Rain, Spring Moss
  
• Paper- Spring Rain, White
• Other- Spring Rain gingham ribbon, Zva Creative Gems, Egg Die, Small Scalloped Border Die, Spring Moss Buttons
  

A change in color

We've been getting some work done on our house. First the siding had to be replaced... now it's being repainted. Picking a color was torture. Seriously! We went back and forth and I about just said to paint it white!

  

I'm not a girly girl... and tend to like earthy natural tones. It's hard to get a great photo of the color... think Medium Warm Grey. (it used to be almost a purple-ish light Grey.) My friends think I'm nuts because we live in the Northwest where there are many cloudy days. We live close to the ocean  and are in a historic town too.... so we have some preeeety interesting colors around here. (Aqua, Lime, pink etc.) There will be a nice bright white trim and our front porch will be all white though. I'm so excited to get my hanging baskets up in and all my bright flowers planted in the next month!

Just thought I'd share the fun with my friends... thanks for poppying by!

 

Papertrey Ink Feb 2010 release

It's been a fantastically fun past few weeks as Papertrey ink has celebrated it's 3rd birthday! I've been so inspired by my fellow teammates as well as you all as you've participated in the fun games and challenges!

I thought I would quickly share a projects this month...

 

This card uses Dot Spot . It may just have a permanent home on my desk! I'm in love with it!

 

Butterfly Dreams is a set with so many style possibilities. I went for Graphic and Clean with this card and love the results!

Studio Style is a great set for any crafter. I made an accompanying tool holder using a ready to make item from Traditions Studio. I used clear embossing powder to create the BG paper.

  

Fillable frames #1 is a real steal for only $5 for the set! I LOVE IT!  Check out the unique color combo too. Plum Pudding, Scarlett Jewel and Lavender Moon. (I also used the Tin Types impression plate!)
 

Luck of the Irish is another quick must have set!
 

Year of the Flowers: Violet is a great interpretation of a this velvety flower. I LOVE the little details! This sweet tin is ready to give to someone in gratitude.
 

Lastly, I tried to mix things up a little with Take Tree: Spring. I love paint and thought I would incorporate a new trend, Canvas,  in an attempt to create a more artistic card. Something fun and different. Talk about cool texture too!

If you would like supply list details you can get all the info in the PTI gallery here.

I'd love to hear which of these are your favorite!!!

Make sure to hop around to the other DT member blogs to see their projects. They have absolutely BLOWN MY MIND!

Thanks for poppying by!

 

p.s. Hope you had a great Valentine's day!

Asian Fusion

Today I get to feature Melissa's newest Papertrey Ink stamp set , Asian Fusion! (Available Feb. 15th) It's an elegant and sweet set featuring several flower sprigs, vases, border strips and sentiments. Melissa chose perfect fonts too... as you will see in today's projects.

The first thing I thought of was a paper pieced vase.

  

I wanted a modern feel and as I looked back through all my Papertrey Ink pattern paper I noticed this lovely pattern from the Everyday Blessings pack. I decided to use a really simple color combination. Aqua Mist, True Black and Fresh Snow.  I noticed how easy this card would be to make into an ensemble for a gift set and just went for it!

 

This card uses Melon Berry elements and In Bloom paper. Notice the change in the gems though. I should also mention that all the edges of the vases and white are all sponges with their coordinating ink. You might also notice the use of the ink on the True Black card base. I love how the color still shows!
 

Here I change it up a little more by stamping the border image on Bitty Box Basics paper to create the vase.
 

Here is the ensemble. You can see how the layout is all the same, the borders all match, but the colors and sentiments are different! These were so fun to make! ETA: I like to line the inside of black based cards with a lighter cardstock or use a white gel pen for writing.

Next I wanted to go from elegant to sweet. I broke out my Pebbles Shimmer Chalks for this one.

 

First I stamped the vase in Fresh snow. Next I stamped the sprigs in VersaMark. I then lightly pounced the chalks onto the image using the smallest applicator puff that comes with the set. I also added a little shading to the vase. With a card like this I start by creating the focal image then build the card around that.

here is a close up of the chalked image! (click on any image to view larger version.)
 

isn't that fun how you can see a little of the sparkle! The chalk colors go so well with the Pretty Pastels paper too!

I hope you enjoyed today's cards! They were truly a blast to create!!!

Make sure to check out additional peeks from...

Nichole, using Asian Fusion... and a contest!

Heather Nichols showing her Egg hunt goodies!

Allie Miles, showing her Take Three: Spring.

Melissa Bickford, showing her Asian Fusion.

Dawn McVey showing her Color Couture line & Studio Style stamp set.

Niki Estes showing her new Butterfly Dreams set.

Kim Hughes, is showing her new In Shape templates; Spring Fling!

Thanks for poppying by friends!!!


 

• Stamps- Asian Fusion
• Ink- Melon Berry, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, True Black
• Paper- Melon Berry, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, True Black, White, Everyday Blessings, Bitty Box Basics, In Bloom
• Other- Self adhesive gems by Zva, corner rounder by Marvy, Scallop edge die, synthetic sponge.
  

• Stamps- Asian Fusion
• Ink- Fresh Snow, VersaMark, True Black
  
• Paper-  White, Spring moss, Kraft, Pretty Pastels
  
• Other- Lavender moon ribbon, Pebbles Shimmer chalks, Scalloped Die
  

Egg Hunt

Welcome to one of the *official* stops on the Papertrey Egg Hunt!

Look closely and you may find

a hidden egg that's one-of-a-kind.

Perhaps there are more than one or maybe even none!

The challenge is yours, enjoy and have fun!

If you are starting out here, make sure that you stop by Nichole's Blog to read about all the details along with the GRAND Prize affiliated with this fun contest!

 

It's group post time again at Papertrey ink! Aren't you excited!!! I sure am! It's so fun to see everyone's projects and varying styles. Fun also for you to get a chance to win something

This month were are showing you some fun spring and Easter ensembles using Heather's new set, Egg Hunt! (Being released on Feb 15th)

Here is my contribution...

  

I wanted to play with emboss resist since I was sick during the challenge. Pine's butterfly image is so perfect for this!
 

look how the images just pop when ink is applies over the embossed areas!

 

Here is the little coordinating gift bag. Notice how I pulled over similar design elements. It doesn't look identical but an addition to the card! The new scallop dies are wonderful for tiring projects together too.
 

VersaMark is a terrific ink to use on Kraft or brown bag style products.

Egg Hunt is a super adorable set... I consider it a must have for Easter and Spring. I know I will be turning to it over and over again over the next few months!!!

Here are the links to the other DT blogs... check 'em out!

• Erin Lincoln
• Maile Belles
• Betsy Veldman
• Dawn McVey
• Debbie Olson
• Heather Nichols
• Kim Hughes
• Melissa Phillips
• Michelle Wooderson
• Nichole Heady
• Niki Estes

Thanks for poppying by!

 

 

• Stamps-Egg Hunt, Background Basics: Tin Types (available Feb 15th)
• Ink- VersaMark, Aqua Mist, Tea Die Duo
• Paper- Aqua Mist, Kraft, White
• Other- Silk Ribbon, White Embossing Powder, Zva Crystals, Marvy Scalloped Circle punch, Papertrey Ink scalloped border die, sponge, Kraft coffee bag.
  

Color Favorites

 I pretty much love natural looking things. I've never been one to have a favorite color. When Nichole asked the Papertrey InkDT to make something with out favorite color combo I sighed. How COULD I possibly choose? But I had to. So, here is what I came up with. Let me tell you why! You should wear your clothes, not your clothes wear you. Same goes for stamps, if you are a stamper. Stamps are the focal point and not an after thought. This combo is my little black dress of my color palette. Simple, natural and goes with everything! Seriously! Try it! (And... how fun is that graphic that Nichole gave me to share with you! Perfect huh!

 

I used Life as the focal stamp set. (um, yeah.... I know I've used it a lot... I love it though.) The satin ribbon is bunched up then sewn onto a strip of stamped cardstock. My favorite Papertrey embellishment, buttons, adorn the strip too. A little silk ribbon bow adds a finishing touch. Simple but elegant. Love that!

My little card front here is for a special give away that is going on over at Nichole's blog. Make sure to head over there to see what's up!

Thanks for poppying by! 

 

 

• Stamps- Life, Background Basics: Text Style
• Ink- True Black, Spring Moss, Tea Die Duo
• Paper- Spring Moss, Vintage Cream, True Black
• other- Vintage Buttons (Ripe Avocado, Cream), Button Twine, Marvy Circle Punch, Marvy Scalloped Blade/Trimmer, Silk Ribbon, Sewing Machine.

 

A Papertrey Ink/CPS sketch challenge

This week Papertrey ink is sponsoring the CPS blog and I'm playing along. It's a great  sketch.

Here is my little interpretation of this week's sketch.

  

I decided to create a rolled flower center using two Marvy Punches. ( Extra Jumbo Flower & Super Jumbo Flower.) The background is stamped using Background Basics: Spots & Dots and the sentiment is from Asian Fusion (Being released this Feb 15th).
 

The flower is super easy to make. Just punch them out and roll the petals in your fingers until the paper starts to split. Peel the petal layers apart just to the edge of the center, revealing the paper fibers. I also inked the edges with Lemon Tart ink.

It was such a fun card to make... I hope you have gotten a bit of inspiration today! Make sure to drop by Nichole's blog for more announcements!

I've had a sicky bug so I'm sorry if my post is a little less talkative than usual. Silly bug got the best of me. We are re-siding and painting our house too... which makes resting difficult. (wanna guess the color?) I've gotten some antibiotics now, so things should be better soon! Poor Chris has been having to deal with a house full of sick girls! Go fishing my love... go as fast as you can! Escape! LOL!

Thanks for poppying by my friends!

  

 

  

• Stamps- Background Basics: Spots & Dots, Asian Fusion (available Feb 15th)
• Ink-Lemon Tart, Dark Chocolate
• Paper- Lemon Tart, Vintage Cream, Kraft
• other- Vintage Cream Buttons, Leaf ribbon, Button Twine, Marvy Flower punches, sewing machine

Birthday Bash Challenge

I feel so blessed to have had a few sets picked up for this years Papertrey Ink line up! I can't wait to share them with you throughout this year!

  Nichole has come up with some more fun!!! Here are the details- Each member of the  2010 Papertrey Stamp Designer Team has created a birthday image for you to download, print and utilize as an embellishment for a handmade birthday card, wishing Papertrey a happy birthday!  After creating your project, upload a photo of it to your blog or online gallery,  then proceed to Nichole's blog and link your photo there within the Mister Linky box provided.  You can enter one project for EACH designer's graphic, so you can have up to NINE entries total, meaning nine chances to win! 

Here is my little download for you to play with. I've actually got 3 versions of the same image... since I couldn't make up my mind which one I liked best I thought I'd just share them all!

 

Download Birthday graphic Lisa Johnson

I made a VERY quick card to share using my graphic for a little inspiration. :) 

I used some Copic markers to color and shade. Then added some glitter. You could easily color in the B portion too. Some really fun possibilities with this image. (Included is one that has no bow to use for a man card!)

So, a little about what to expect this year with my stamps. Well... There are a few familiar style sets that might surprise you. Oh... and I will officially have my first set for a certain specific holiday. I've continued to create both linear and solid images for you to play with. OH! And... one of my favorite things that I've mentioned on my blog a few time in the past year might just be in a set! It's going to be a GREAT year! Look for my first 2010 sets in a few months

Now GO! RUN and create!!! Don't delay, because you only have until Wednesday February 3rd, 7am EST to enter this contest!  An amazing prize package including SEVEN of the best selling stamp sets (a $159 value!) from Papertrey's designers is up for grabs, so you want to be sure to add your project to the list before the deadline arrives!  The randomly selected winner will be announced by noon the same day on the February Release Winners page.   MAKE SURE TO ENTER OVER AT NICHOLE's BLOG!!! Have fun and good luck!

1. Alli Miles

2. Becky Oehlers

3. Beth Silaika

4. Dawn McVey

5. Heather Nichols

6. Lisa Johnson (you're here!)

7. Melissa Bickford

8. Niki Estes

9. Tiffany Pastor

Thanks for poppying by!

 

• Stamps- Text Style II
• Cardstock- Hibiscus Burst, Spring Rain, White, Spring Rain
• Ink- Fresh Snow
• Other- Hibiscus Ribbon, Button, Button Twine, Glitter, Glue Pen.