Fanciful Finials - Day 5

Hello, Everyone, and welcome to the fifth and final day of the February Papertrey Ink Countdown! I have a couple of projects to show you today featuring Fanciful Finials (available tomorrow, February 15th). Today I wanted to try using Fanciful Finials without the Background Basics: Wrought Iron stamp set. While the sets were designed to coordinate, that doesn't mean you can't use one without the other. Fanciful Finials is perfect for creating small-scale backgrounds with a very architectural flair.

My first project today is a valentine. As today is Valentine's Day (the second most celebrated holiday worldwide; New Year's Day being first - cool right?! I read that yesterday). I thought it might be fun to put together one last valentine. I started by stamping my finials in Scarlet Jewel ink onto Autumn Rose cardstock.

Then I die cut my heart and stamped the frame and sentiment in the leftover negative space. The focal panel was tied with 1/4" silk ribbon and mounted to a Scarlet Jewel card base that had been textured with the Wrought Iron impression plate.

My second project is a trio of thank you cards that feature panels of a pattern I created with one of the finials. I used the open, wire-inspired finial on these cards.

I began by stamping the finial pattern on each of the different cardstocks using monochromatic ink pairings (Ripe Avocado ink on Simply Chartreuse Stock, Canyon Clay ink on Summer Sunrise stock, and Ocean Tides ink on Aqua Mist stock).

Then I went back and filled in the open area of each finial with a white gel pen. Once that had dried I went back over the white spaces and added adhesive and glitter to each one. The result looks much like the very expensive glittered patterned papers, but it didn't take me long at all!

The panels were then mounted to card bases that had been stamped and textured with the Linen & Canvas impression plate. A simple set of cards that really lets the finials shine.

Well, that's all I have for this countdown. Make sure to visit Nichole, Dawn, Heather, Maile, Erin, Ashley, Betsy, Cristina, Danielle, Jess, Melissa Phillips and Melissa Bickford for more inspiration. See you all again soon!

Valentine's Card Recipe:
Stamps: Fanciful Finials (available February 15th), Love Birds, Framed Out #11 - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Autumn Rose, Scarlet Jewel, Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Sweet Blush - Papertrey Ink
Other: Framed Out #11 Die, Wrought Iron Impression Plate, Small Scallops Border Die, 1/4" silk ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Foam Tape - Scotch

Thank You Trio Recipe:
Stamps: Fanciful Finials (available February 15th), Embroidered Blooms - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Summer Sunrise, Simply Chartreuse, Aqua Mist - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: Canyon Clay, Ripe Avocado, Ocean Tides - Papertrey Ink
Other: Linen & Canvas Impression Plate - Papertrey Ink; white gel pen - Sakura; glue pen - Zig; Fine Crystal Glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts; Foam Tape - Scotch

Fanciful Finials - Day 4

Welcome back to the February Papertrey Countdown, Friends! We're on Day 4 and I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying the projects. I've had fun putting together this week's posts, too. I thought, just for kicks, I'd revisit the card that really had me thinking of making the Background Basics: Wrought Iron into fences in the first place. Do you all remember this little ditty?

You can see the original post for this card HERE. I was so tickled with that card when I made it, so I thought it might be worth creating another version today.

For today's card I decided I wanted to switch things up a smidge, so I exchanged the vertical layout for a horizontal orientation and substituted a few of the colors. I began by stamping my flower stems onto Aqua Mist stock with Simply Chartreuse ink. I achieved the color variance by stamping twice between inkings. Then I hit that with the heat gun for a minute and put it aside. Doing so allowed me to ensure that my inks were good and dry before I tried the embossing. Otherwise you would end up with powder sticking in all sorts of places you don't want it.

I stamped my polka dots onto a Kraft base and die cut the flowers and grass strip. I stamped and heat embossed my sentiment and stamped my flowers onto their coordinating paper shapes. Then I stamped and heat embossed my fencing. That piece was then layered and mounted to my base with foam adhesive. The flowers were added (some with foam tape and others flat) and embellished with glitter. The whole thing sparkles so nicely!

Well, that's all for me today. I hope you've enjoyed today's card featuring Fanciful Finials. Thank you so much for visiting! Make sure to visit Nichole, Dawn, Heather, Maile, Erin, Ashley, Betsy, Cristina, Danielle, Jess, Melissa Phillips and Melissa Bickford for more inspiration. See you soon!

Recipe:

Stamps: Fanciful Finials (available February 15th), Background Basics: Wrought Iron, Fillable Frames Sentiments, Honey Bees, Mini Blooms (available February 15th) - Papertrey Ink

Cardstock: Classic Kraft, Aqua Mist, Rustic White, Simply Chartreuse - Papertrey Ink

Ink: Fresh Snow, Sweet Blush, Simply Chartreuse, Lemon Tart, Berry Sorbet - Papertrey Ink; VersaMark - Tsukineko

Other: Pinked Edge Die, Mini Blooms Die Collection (available February 15th) - Papertrey Ink; White Detail Embossing Powder - Filigree; Crystal Fine Glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts; Foam Tape - Scotch

Fanciful Finials - Day 3

Welcome back, friends! Today is Day 3 of the Papertrey Ink February Countdown and I have another project to share that highlights my new set, Fanciful Finials (available February 15th). Here we go!

I thought I might make a sympathy card today. Background Basics: Wrought Iron is nice for such cards because it allows you to keep the embellishment relatively simple. I also wanted to show that you don't have to fill in every fence post to get an impact from the finials.

I started by stamping my wrought iron strip onto a Kraft card base and added the short-stemmed finials with the open wire design. The finials are spaced to stamp every-other fence post. This spacing allows you to either leave some posts empty (as I have here) or fill in between with another finial.

Next I stamped a wreath from Wreath For All Seasons onto a Mat Stack 3 shape cut from Rustic White cardstock. That was adhered to my base and embellished with an embroidery floss bow. The sympathy sentiment was stamped on a Spring Moss strip and mounted to the base with foam tape. A duo of mini pearls finish the card.

I hope you've enjoyed today's card. I'll be back again tomorrow with another project featuring the new Fanciful Finials set. Make sure to visit Nichole, Dawn, Heather, Maile, Erin, and Melissa for more inspiration. Take care and I'll see you soon!

Recipe:
Stamps: Fanciful Finials (available February 15th), Background Basics: Wrought Iron, Through The Trees, Wreath For All Seasons - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Classic Kraft, Rustic White, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Fresh Snow, Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink
Other: Mat Stack 3 Layerz Die - Papertrey Ink; Adhesive Pearls - Mark Richards; Pink Embroidery Floss - DMC; Foam Tape - Scotch

Fanciful Finials - Day 2

Hello, Friends, and welcome to Day 2 of the Papertrey Ink February Countdown! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed yesterday's project using Fanciful Finials. I thought today I might switch things up a little bit and make a gifty item rather than another card. I also wanted to show you that the finials help create beautiful borders when paired with the Background Basics: Wrought Iron set. These finials are for so much more than just fences!

I'm calling today's project "No Sew Sachets." That's not 100% accurate because I did end up doing some hand sewing on mine, but that's completely optional. You can absolutely do this project without needles, thread, or a machine. If you want to add felt or fabric appliques you could easily use hot glue, fabric glue, or iron-on adhesive. The key is the small linen and canvas bags that you'll find starting February 15th in the new Boutique Bargains section of the Papertrey Ink website. These bags make creating fragrant little gifts a total snap!

I started by stamping my wrought iron strips and then added the finials (I used a piece of chipboard inside the bags while I stamped to make sure I had a nice, solid surface). On this bag (the canvas) I stamped the wrought iron strip with the solid lined sides toward the center and left the open sides toward the outside. That left a linear border through the center and it gave the top and bottom edges a much curvier appearance. I used the sort of arrow shaped finial in both stem lengths on this sachet.

The next step was hand sewing a Scarlet Jewel felt heart and Vintage Cream button to the bag using embroidery floss. I used small strips of 1/8" Scor Tape to keep the heart in place while I was stitching. I'm not going to lie - sewing from inside of a small bag is not easy, but I love the way these turned out!

On this bag (the linen) I stamped the wrought iron strips with the curvy edge toward the center which gives the pattern a much more linear, band-like appearance. I then finished the straight edge with the fleur de lis inspired finial. I used all one length (short stems) on this sachet.

The next step was hand sewing a white felt heart and Berry Sorbet button to the bag using embroidery floss. Unfortunately, Papertrey has not released Fresh Snow felt, so I used some Eco-felt I had on hand. I've learned that if you're using dies to cut through Eco-felt you'll have much more success if you use a small piece of cardstock between the felt and your cutting plate (so your sandwich in a Cuttlebug would be [from the bottom to top] A plate, B plate, cardstock, felt, die, C plate). The cardstock gives the die something to really sink its teeth into and the result is a much cleaner cut.

I filled both sachets with scent crystals that I picked up at my local craft store. You could also use dried flowers or potpourri.

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed my project. Make sure to visit Nichole, Betsy, Dawn, Heather, Maile, Erin, Ashley, Cristina, and Melissa for more inspiration. Take care and I'll see you tomorrow!

Recipe:

Stamps: Fanciful Finials (available February 15th), Background Basics: Wrought Iron

Ink: Ripe Avocado, Dark Chocolate (note: I used the original formulas of these inks because I know they are permanent when heat set; that may not have been necessary since they will probably never be wet, but I did so as a precaution) - Papertrey Ink

Other: Small Canvas Bag (available February 15th), Small Linen Bag (available February 15th), Scarlet Jewel Felt, Vintage Cream Button, Berry Sorbet Button, Framed Out #11 Die - Papertrey Ink; Pink and Light Green Embroidery Floss - DMC; White Felt - Eco-felt; Scor Tape 

Introducing Fanciful Finials

Good morning! Today is the first day of new stamp introductions for the February Papertrey Ink release. Before I get started I need to take a moment to thank all of you that have left such kind and thoughtful notes for me the past few days. Y'all really know how to make a girl feel like she's doing a few things right! I totally appreciate your enthusiasm and I'm so excited to be working with Papertrey and the entire community. Yay!

Well, this month I am introducing and showcasing a little add-on set I'm calling Fanciful Finials (available on February 15th). This set includes four finial designs in two heights (long stems and short stems) that will allow you to embellish your Background Basics: Wrought Iron fences. Shall we get started? Great!

My card today showcases the more intricate wrought iron strip along with one of the finial styles. I'm using both stem lengths here, so you can see how much interest the variance adds. I started by stamping my fence and then added my finials with just a few quick impressions. The finials are in strips of three to make stamping them super quick and easy to line up.

I added my birds and layered on a sentiment strip. The focal image was tied with 1/4" silk ribbon that I dyed with a Copic marker (R29). I added a few clouds and mounted my focal panel to an Aqua Mist base.

That's all for me today, but I'll be back again tomorrow with another project highlighting Fanciful Finials. In the meantime make sure to check in with Nichole, Betsy, Dawn, Heather, Maile, Erin, and Melissa. They're sure to have tons of inspiration for you to enjoy. See you soon!

Recipe:
Stamps: Fanciful Finials (available February 15th), Through The Trees, Fillable Frames Sentiments, Background Basics: Wrought Iron - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Soft Stone, Aqua Mist - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: Pure Poppy, True Black, Aqua Mist - Papertrey Ink
Other: 1/4" silk ribbon, Cloud 1 & 2 Die Collection - Papertrey Ink; R29 marker - Copic; Foam Tape - Scotch

February Sneak Peek & News

Good morning, All! So how have you been enjoying the Papertrey anniversary festivities? Big news and reveals everyday - what's not to love?!

Today Nichole peeked my upcoming addition to Background Basics: Wrought Iron (a little finials set that I hope you'll love) and announced the redesigned and expanded newsletter. I've been working on the newsletter for awhile and coming up in March you'll get a chance to see a fresh look with loads of exciting new features! Head over to Nichole's blog to see a preview of our new content. I can't wait to share!

Designing With Papertrey

Good morning and welcome to Day 2 of the Papertrey Ink 6th anniversary festivities! Today Nichole is introducing the Stamp Design Team.

I feel so incredibly fortunate to find myself in the company of these talented ladies. Even one year into joining the team, I still have to pinch myself on the regular. I just want to take a moment to thank Nichole, Julie, and Jane for their patience, confidence, and kindness over the past year. I owe them so much. I also want to thank all of you. Your enthusiasm and support have been unbelievable. Seriously, somebody pinch me.

Ok, enough gushy stuff...let's get on to the fun!

Today's challenge is to create a project using one of the freebie images on the download you can find on Nichole's blog. Six lucky stampers will win a custom stamp set including a personalized address and "created by" stamp. How super cool is that?! The image I've designed for you to use today is the little candle trio.

On my first card I've die cut the candle image and mounted it to a polka dotty base embellished with a strip of decorative vellum, a bit of ribbon, and glittered flames.

On my second card I printed the candles directly on the base (you should be able to do something similar with photo editing software if you're so inclined) and added a layer of textured cardstock. A paper banner, some colored rhinestones, and glazed flames finished the whole thing off.

So what are you waiting for? Get on over to Nichole's blog to download the freebies and get cracking!

Birthday Card #1:
Cardstock: Berry Sorbet, Linen Vellum - Papertrey Ink; white
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Birthday Basics - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Frost White, True Black - Papertrey Ink; watermark ink - Tsukineko
Other: 1/4" silk ribbon, small scalloped edge die - Papertrey Ink; Y21 - Copic Marker; 1 3/4" circle die - Quickutz; crystal super fine glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts; Foam Tape - Scotch

Birthday Card #2:
Cardstock: Simply Chartreuse, Harvest Gold - Papertrey Ink; white
Stamps: Rhythm & Soul; Polka Dot Basics II - Papertrey Ink
Ink: True Black, Simply Chartreuse - Papertrey Ink
Other: By The Numbers Impression Plate - Papertrey Ink; 1 3/4" circle die - Quickutz; Glossy Accents - Ranger; rhinestones - Darice; BG78 - Copic Marker

Medallion Flowers

Greetings, Friends! It has been an ape-crazy couple of weeks. I've been working on all sorts of fun stuff that you'll see very soon as well as several client projects and save-the-dates for my sister's wedding. It's been bananas, people, and I'm sorry I haven't checked in for awhile.

One of the really fun things that kept me busy recently was a craft I did with a gaggle of giggly birthday party girls. My friend Amy's daughter celebrated her 8th birthday last weekend with nine of her closest pals and Amy asked if I'd be willing to do a craft with them (Amy is a super-talented sewing maven, but apparently doing a craft with your mom isn't as cool as doing a craft with someone else - go figure). I was thrilled to be a part of the festivities, so I packed up a crate of supplies and headed to the party ready to make medallion flowers with all of the girls.

My apologies for the iffy photo. We're in "where's-the-camera" mode again and it's all phone photos all the time up in here.

These are generally pretty easy, but they will require a little adult help for little hands. I used Nichole Heady's "Lazy Stamper Accordion Medallion" technique to make the flowers. To keep them stable we attached circles of cardstock to the back of each medallion and then mounted buttons to their centers using a couple layers of foam tape. I'm usually not a fan of "naked" buttons, but I thought trying to wield a needle and thread might be too much for the girls. If I made them again I would probably sew them on with embroidery floss or twine. We stuck lollipop sticks armed with ScorTape between the folds for our stems and embellished with a hand-cut paper leaf.

I've been imagining party decor made from these things (garlands, am I right?!). Or place cards at Easter; stuck in tiny terra cotta pots with names written on the flowers' leaves. So cute!

Well, thanks for joining me today. I'll be back before you know it. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Recipe:

Cardstock: Simply Chartreuse, Spring Rain (not visible), Summer Sunrise (not visible) - Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: Summer Sunrise Gingham - Papertrey Ink; old, old, old floral print and plaid - Chatterbox

Dies: 1 3/4" Limitless Layers Die Collection - Papertrey Ink; Nested Flowers Dies, Nested Circles Dies - Quickutz

Other: Pure Poppy button, Spring Rain button, Orange Zest button - Papertrey Ink; ScorTape - ScorPal; Foam Tape - Scotch; lollipop sticks