Friday, May 13, 2016

Summer Inspirations


Papertrey's May release countdown continues today with a fantastic collection of summer-themed products. Heather has designed a most adorable whale set, Betsy is adding summer/pool/beach accessories to her Dress Up Dolls collection, and Nichole brings us a stylish seashell set.  I've got lots to share today!

All of the new products will be available at 10 pm ET on May 15 in the Papertrey Ink store.



Heather's darling whale, which is the centerpiece of her Keep Swimming stamp set, was perfect for my small celebration ensemble. I'm thinking baby shower or birthday party. The card could be used as an invitation and the treat sack could be a party favor. Or either could stand alone! I kept them pretty generic.


For the card, I stamped an Enchanted Evening card base with white doodle waves from Betsy's What the Doodle: Waves set. I love the pattern this adds along the edges!



On the main white panel, I sponged the waves and splashes using a stencil from the new Sun & Surf Stencil Collection. With the stencil still in place, I spritzed on some clear shimmer spray. It came out a little more splotchy than I wanted, but I worked with it anyway. The wavy lines are from Keep Swimming, as is the water spout.

The sentiment is from Erin Lincoln's Colorful Words stamp set. I stamped the word "celebrate" in black ink, then filled in the coloring areas with a dark blue Copic marker. The white dots were done with a white gel pen. I'm really liking this set! Great sentiments in a nice large size, and those open areas are fun to fill with color!


For the treat sack, I stamped a Tag Sale #2  die-cut with the same wave image that I used on the card above (from What the Doodle: Wave), then wrapped the tag over the sack, and topped with a whale and a sentiment strip (from Keep Swimming).

By the way, the little EOS whale in the first photo was a silly notion that came to me as I waited for my daughter to put on some lip balm before bed the other night. She probably thought I was a little nuts when I said, "hey, that could totally be a whale!" 


Stamps: Keep Swimming, What the Doodle: Waves, Colorful Words

Dies: Keep SwimmingTag Sale #2

Ink: Aqua Mist, Blueberry Sky, Hawaiian Shores, Enchanted Evening, True Black, Fresh Snow

Paper: Enchanted Evening, Hawaiian Shores, Stamper's Select White

Other: Sun & Surf Stencil Collection, white linen thread, Blueberry Sky baker's twine, Psst Shimmer Spritz, gray striped paper sack





Each month, I fall in love all over again with Betsy's Dress Up Dolls and their darling, DARLING accessories. This month we have Dress Up Dolls: Summer Fun, with super fun things like bathing suits, a snorkel mask, watermelon, a beach ball, sunglasses, and so much more.



This little fellow is supposed to be my youngest son, Gabriel. His birthday was in late April, but he's waiting to have his birthday party until after the temperatures warm and the pools open. These will be cute invitations, even if they are more beach than pool! "Make a Splash at Gabe's Birthday Bash"!



When he saw this, his comment was "I don't have any hair!" I suppose I should go back and re-color the hair for more contrast. I was joking with my daughter (who also likes to color with Copics) that we should give him a sunburn, too (he's never had much of a real sunburn, despite his super fair skin)!

The background was die-cut with the Cover Plate: Waves die. The bottom two sections are lightly inked in Classic Kraft, then stamped in Kraft with sand using the new Sand Swatch stamp set. The middle strips are inked in Tropical Teal, splashed with water and spritzed with white mist. The top strip is inked in Blueberry Sky.


Stamps: Dress Up Dolls: Basics; Dress Up Dolls: Summer Fun

Dies: Dress Up Dolls: Basics; Dress Up Dolls: Summer FunCover Plate: Waves, Fillable Frames #11

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Versafine; PTI Classic Kraft, Tropical Teal, Blueberry Sky

Paper: Stamper's Select White card stock; vellum card stock

Other: Copic markers, liquid glue, foam tape, white embossing powder




And now to switch gears from all that cuteness! I made this for my dad for Father's Day. I think his favorite place in the world is the beach, so the whole nautical theme is perfect for him!



The sentiment was die-cut with last month's Shaped Sayings: Father's Day, then framed with a stitched circle from Shaker Shapes: Circle. To help with the nautical theme, I wrapped the circle frame with jute twine. The shells are from Nichole's Simple Seashells. These shells are really pretty! Each of the four shells can be completed with just three impressions. I can't wait to play around with all sorts of shell colors!


The background is watercolored Classic Kraft ink. The right edge is accented with jute string and a torn vellum edge.


Stamps: Simple Seashells


Ink: Ocean Tides, Enchanted Evening, Classic Kraft, Aqua Mist, Fresh Snow

Paper: Enchanted Evening, Ocean Tides, Stamper's Select White card stock; Sheer Basics vellum; watercolor paper

Other: jute string, foam tape, watercolor brush




For more Summer Inspirations, visit the Papertrey team:


Thursday, May 12, 2016

Introducing Floral Sketches & Classic Calligraphy


Papertrey's May release countdown is underway! I'm so excited about the new products! Today is the first big group post, and we are introducing Floral Sketches by Dawn McVey and Classic Calligraphy by Nichole Heady. Florals and calligraphy -- does it get any better?!

All of the new products will be available at 10 pm ET on May 15 in the Papertrey Ink store.



So, Nichole challenged the design team to think outside the box with color combos for today's post. I was browsing around Anthropologie one day and was inspired by the colors of this beautiful dress:

{image source: anthropologie}


How did I do?
This is definitely not a go-to floral combo for me, but it was so fun to re-create the look!

The medium flower is Spring Rain stamped over Hawaiian Shores (see Betsy's ink layering technique HERE), and the others are Mint Julep, Aqua Mist, and Tropical Teal. The leaves are the new Americana color! Sort of a rust red that I think can take on more red tones or more orange/brown tones depending on what's around it!


Stamps: Floral Sketches

Dies: Floral Sketches

Ink: Smokey Shadow, Aqua Mist, Mint Julep, Hawaiian Shores+Spring Rain, Tropical Teal, Americana, Scarlet Jewel

Paper: watercolor paper, Smokey Shadow card stock; Stamper's Select White card stock; 
True Black Stripe patterned paper

Other: Gansai Tambi watercolor paints, Heidi Swapp Color Shine black mist, 
black marker and air tool, foam tape, sequins





This next color combo is perhaps more traditionally floral, but again, it isn't one of my go-to combos. I was inspired by a dress again, this one at Modcloth:


{image source: modcloth}


Along the top, I stamped a two-tone sentiment from Calligraphy Classics using Winter Wisteria and Royal Velvet. You can see just a hint of the shimmer I added with a clear Wink of Stella brush pen.



The florals are done in purples, pinks, and reds. The bottom scallop was die-cut with the Edgers #3 die.


StampsFloral Sketches, Calligraphy Classics

DiesEdgers #3

Ink: Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, Lavender Moon, Winter Wisteria, Royal Velvet, Fresh Snow, Pure Poppy, Ameriana, New Leaf, Pinefeather

Paper: Stamper's Select White card stock; Hibiscus Burst card stock; linen vellum

Other: sequins, Raspberry Fizz baker's twine





While I had the stamps and ink out, I made another quick card (one layer!) in the same combo, this one with a much more light and airy feel. 


For the large flowers, I just stamped the detail line image without the solid flower base. I love the look!

The sentiment is stamped in Royal Velvet, then I added a drop shadow in Soft Stone by moving the sentiment stamp ever so slightly to the left and down.


StampsFloral Sketches, Calligraphy Classics

DiesEdgers #3

Ink: Raspberry Fizz, Winter Wisteria, Royal Velvet, Pure Poppy, New Leaf

Paper:  Stamper's Select White card stock

Other: corner rounder, sequins




For lots more Floral Sketches & Classic Calligraphy inspiration, visit the Papertrey team:




Thanks for visiting today!

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Reverse Confetti May Release Hop



Today, the Reverse Confetti crew and special guests are celebrating both the May release (now available!) and Reverse Confetti's third birthday. Hope you'll join us for our celebration blog hop (see hop list below)!

All of the new products are now available in the Reverse Confetti store.


  


For my first project, I've put together a whimsical little celebration card featuring the balloons from Boxes 'n Balloons and the Falling Confetti Confetti Cuts die.

I "filled" the white balloon die-cut with the stamped confetti image from Celebrations and then heat embossed in gold. For the background, I die-cut the Falling Confetti into a light gray background and topped with some puffy white clouds that I die-cut with the Sun 'n Cloud Confetti Cuts die set.

The irregular scalloped borders along the top and bottom, die-cut using the Wonky Double Edge Scallop Border Confetti Cuts die, add to the whimsy.



Stamps: Boxes 'n Balloons, Celebrations

Confetti Cuts Dies: Boxes 'n Balloons, Falling Confetti, Sun 'n CloudsWonky Double Edge Scallop Border

Ink: Papertrey Aqua Mist, Hibiscus Burst, Versamark

Paper: PTI white, Fresh Snow Linen, Green Parakeet, Soft Stone, and Hibiscus Burst card stock, 

Other: gold embossing powder, black and white baker's twine



 






I'm super excited to share this fun and graphic design using the the Detailed Circles Confetti Cuts dies and other circular elements.

The first thing I did was to create the stitched circle lines on the background. To do this, I just ran the stitching-only die through several times, repositioning it randomly each time. (By the way, are you seeing baseballs, here? I did, too! You might be seeing a baseball card in the near future!)




The next step was to die-cut different size circles in different colors and patterns. All but the large gray circle were done with the Detailed Circles Confetti Cuts die set. I love the perimeter details that are on some of these circles! The large gray circle, by the way, was cut with one of the dies in the Circles 'n Scallops die set -- another go-to set for sure. The smallest (red/pink) circles were die-cut from one of the Party Time Quick Card Panels.

I also ran the green circles through my die-cutting machine a second time with the Falling Confetti Confetti Cuts die placed over it. I love the fun effect of this -- kind of swiss cheese-looking (hmmm -- another idea forms!)


The last step was to add a popped up sentiment banner, stamped with Celebrations, and some wood veneer stars.



Stamps: Celebrations

Confetti Cuts Dies: Detailed Circles, Circles 'n Scallops

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black

Paper: Party Time Quick Card Panels, PTI white, Green Parakeet,Smokey Shadow, and Aqua Mist card stock

Other: foam tape, wood veneer stars



 




I love the new Big Stripes Cover Panel, especially the built-in circle focal point. After die-cutting it, I added the stitching detail around the circle, which was done with the Detailed Circles die set. I stacked a few cover panels together to add enough depth for the shaker element. The white card base is lightly inked in aqua ink around the perimeter for a subtle contrast.



I topped the cover panel with some Linked Garland streamers in various pastel colors and stamped the congratulations sentiment from Celebrations onto one of the cover panel stripes.





Stamps: Celebrations

Confetti Cuts Dies: Big Stripes Cover Panel, Linked Garland, Detailed Circles

Ink: Papertrey Aqua Mist, Green Parakeet, and Pure Popy

Paper: PTI white card stock

Other: Pretty Pink Posh Springtime Sequins Mix, ink blending tool


 
 





For lots more May Release inspiration, hop along with the Reverse Confetti team and special birthday guests:
Laura Bassen, Fetti Friend
Diane Jaquan
Wanda Guess, 'Fetti Friend
Thanh Vo - 'Fetti Friend
Amy Sheffer (you are here)
Candi Billman - 'Fetti Friend

Thanks so much for joining us for Reverse Confetti's third birthday celebration. I hope you've enjoyed this release as much as I have!