Introducing Gem Inspirations

Good morning, friends, and welcome to the first group post in the Papertrey Ink December countdown (all new products being introduced today will be available on December 15th at 10pm)! Today we're introducing two stamp sets and several dies that embrace the gemstone trend.

Gemstones have been all the rage lately and it's no wonder why. These natural works of art are so versatile! They're great for birthdays, thank you notes, even love letters! The sets we're featuring this morning are sure to get you excited about designing with gems. Let's get on to some projects!

How about we start with the card showcasing the new Cover Plate: Gem Stone and Betsy's You're A Gem stamp set. This is such a gorgeous cover plate. You're going to love it! I began by sponging Lovely Lady, Hibiscus Burst, and Raspberry Fizz inks onto a piece of white cardstock. I die cut that using the new cover plate die and trimmed off the outer frame, leaving just the large gemstone outline behind. Then, I colored over the gem using a clear Wink of Stella pen to give it some shimmer.

Next, I die cut another cover plate shape, this time from self-adhesive fun foam. I adhered that to the back of the cardstock gemstone and attached the whole piece to a white card base, trimming away the excess. Then, I coated the entire gem surface with Glossy Accents. The result is shiny and sparkly and oh so lovely. I finished the card by stamping one of the focal words from You're A Gem into the center of the stone and then adding the companion sentiment that I heat embossed on a Smokey Shadow die cut banner. The card is simple, but you don't need much when you're rocking a stone that size. How many carats do you think that would even be?!

My second card today pairs the outline gems from You're A Gem with the sentiments from Erin's new Charmed set. This set is such a great way to customize birthday cards for your recipient's birth month!

I began by heat embossing the gems onto watercolor paper with white powder. Next, I loosely painted the gems using a mix of watercolors and shimmer spray. That combo gave the gems a beautiful, subtle shimmer that I just love. I also added splatters in varying hues of the same pink color for some additional depth.

Once that panel was dry, I stamped the sentiment in Raspberry Fizz ink and mounted it to a white card base with foam tape. The card could still use a bit of luster, so I die cut the simple rectangular frame using the new Charmed Frame. I wanted to add a bit of richness, so I used Luxe Silver Adhesive paper that I'd attached to white cardstock. The metallic silver frame really pops against that pink, doesn't it?

Well, that's all for me today. Make sure to check in with Nichole, Amy, Ashley, Betsy, Danielle, Dawn, Heather, Kay, Laurie, Melissa, Erin, and Maile for more of this month's fabulous release. I'll see you again soon!

Recipes:
You're A Gem Card
Stamps: You're A Gem - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Smokey Shadow - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: Lovely Lady, Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz - Papertrey Ink; VersaMark - Tsukineko
Other: Cover Plate: Gem Stone, Tag Sale #10 - Papertrey Ink; White Embossing Powder - Filigree; Glossy Accents - Ranger; Wink Of Stella Pen - Tsukineko; Fun Foam

October Birthday Card
Stamps: Charmed, You're A Gem - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Luxe Silver Adhesive Sheets - Papertrey Ink; Watercolor Paper - Ranger; white
Ink: Raspberry Fizz - Papertrey Ink; VersaMark - Tsukineko
Other: Charmed Frame - Papertrey Ink; White Embossing Powder - Filigree; Foam Tape - Scotch; Watercolors - Gansai Tambi; Pearl Shimmer Spray - Tattered Angels