Papertrey Ink September Release Countdown - Day 5

Well, Blogland, here we are on the fifth and final day of this month's Papertrey Ink release countdown. I've had so much fun sharing my projects with you this week. Sharing is good for the soul, I think. Thank you all for spending this week with me. But it's not over yet! I still have a handful of cards 'n such to share so let's get started!

My first two cards today once again incorporate heat embossing on cork. One additional tip I wanted to share in regards to this technique: have a white pen handy to fix any imperfections in the embossing. Cork is inherently a smidgen pitty and uneven, so you're likely going to have a few little spots that would benefit from some touch-up action.

The first card focuses on the ginger fella from Gingerbread Lane. He was stamped and die cut (following the same method I outlined yesterday) before being adhered to a Tag-its #2 circle and set aside. Next I worked on stamping the pattern on my Half & Half die. First, I trimmed the edges of the die about 1/16"each and then I stamped the small loopy image from the set along with a narrowish line image from Faux Ribbon. I love the resulting pattern. It feels both Christmassy as well as a little barber pole-esque. Fun! I adhered my patterned Half & Half die to a full-size Pure Poppy piece and set that aside for a moment.

Next, I stamped the polka dots on my card front and heat embossed the sentiment. Twine was wrapped around the base a few times before being tied in a bow below the sentiment. The Half & Half strip was added to the card front with foam tape and the gingerbread circle was mounted with more...you guessed it...foam tape. I should buy stock.

My second card today features the house from Gingerbread Lane on a windowy construction. I began by measuring and cutting my window in my base and the corresponding layer. Tip: It's easier to get even borders if you cut your layer just a little bit big. That way you have wiggle room to trim as needed.

Next, I lightly traced the outline of the window into the card's interior so I would know where to do my additional stamping. I stamped my grounding shadow (sort of a Rock & Roll technique with one ink color on only the edges) and my interior sentiment before erasing my tracing lines. I stamped and die cut my house and colored in the door and roof tiles/gumdrops with a marker. Then I adhered the house to the inside of the card, right in the middle of the grounding oval.

Stamping the front layer was next. I started with the dashed lines in A Little Argyle and then overstamped with the snowflakes in Snowflake Medley (available September 15th). My sentiment was stamped after the snowflakes had a moment to dry. That whole layer was then mounted to the front of the card with foam tape. I added bits of Loop de Loop border and a couple of pearls to finish the card.

My final project of this countdown is a poinsettia pillow box made with the Essential Pillow Box die and Lovely Layers. I've wanted to create something like this since the moment I first saw Lovely Layers.

I started by die cutting my box from Kraft cardstock and stamping it with Background Basics: Wrought Iron. Next, I cut two of the largest flower layer from Pure Poppy stock. I stamped those with the leaf vein image and attached them together with large glittered brads (that were originally silver, but I colored them with a marker - they aren't quite so orange in real life). Then I stamped the vein images onto the Spring Moss leaves and adhered those to the back side of the flower. I curled all of the petals and then adhered it to my pillow box.

Then I cut a sentiment banner and stamped it with a greeting from Wreath for All Seasons. I adhered one end under the poinsettia and curved it into an "S" shape so it would look like it was flowing. I anchored it with Scor-Tape ever so slightly at the fold so it would be more secure.

Well, that's all for me this countdown. I truly hope you've enjoyed spending time with me this week and I hope to see you all again soon. Have fun shopping tomorrow night. I'll be somewhere around hour 13 of a street festival when the release goes live, so think of me, half-asleep under a vendor's tent, while you're comfortably shopping from home. Ha! I kid...sort of.

And make sure to visit with Nichole Heady, Heather Nichols, Dawn McVey, Betsy Veldman, Melissa Phillips, Maile Belles, Ashley Cannon Newell, Cristina Kowalczyk, Danielle Flanders, Erin Lincoln, Jess Witty, Melissa Bickford, and Tiffany Pastor for more inspiration.

Have fun and I'll see you soon!

Recipes:
Christmas Wishes Card:
Cardstock: Ripe Avocado, Pure Poppy - Papertrey Ink; white
Stamps: Gingerbread Lane (available September 15th), Faux Ribbon, Polka Dot Basics, Tag-Its #2 - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss Pigment - Papertrey Ink; VersaMark - Tsukineko
Other: Rustic Jute Button Twine, Gingerbread Lane Dies (available September 15th), Half & Half Dies - Papertrey Ink; Cork; Foam Tape - Scotch; White Embossing Powder - Filigree; Circle Dies - Quickutz

Cork House Card:
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Rustic White, Pure Poppy - Papertrey Ink

Stamps: Gingerbread Lane (available September 15th), Snowflake Medley (available September 15th), Sunflower Bouquet, A Little Argyle - Papertrey Ink

Ink: Fresh Snow, Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist Pigment - Papertrey Ink; Burnt Umber - Palette; VersaMark - Tsukineko

Other: Gingerbread Lane Dies (available September 15th), Loop de Loop Die (available September 15th), Mat Stack 3 Die, Mat Stack 3 Layerz Die - Papertrey Ink; Pearls - Mark Richards; Red Marker; Cork; Foam Tape - Scotch; White Embossing Powder - Filigree

Poinsettia Pillow Box:
Cardstock: Classic Kraft, Pure Poppy, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; white

Stamps: Lovely Layers, Wreath For All Seasons, Background Basics: Wrought Iron - Papertrey Ink 

Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink

Other: Essential Pillow Box (available September 15th), Lovely Layers Dies - Papertrey Ink; Glittered Brads - Making Memories; square punch; Scor-Tape; Yellow Marker - Copic