{capture the moment}

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Christmas is right around the corner, my dear friends.

The gifts are all wrapped and under the tree.  Packages have been shipped to loved ones far away.  The last of the groceries needed for holiday meals and festivities have been purchased and tucked away in the pantry and refrigerators.  The turkey has almost completely thawed.  Company has safely arrived to celebrate with us.  The children are asleep in their beds, dreaming of what wonders will await them when they wake up on Christmas morning.  Such an amazing warmth fills my heart tonight, something I wanted to capture and engrave in my memory forever.

This is also a time of reflection in a way.  Looking back over the past year and being grateful for what you've been given.  Which brings me to a heartfelt message I would like to share with each and every one of you.  A special thank you that is almost too expansive to express.

Thank you for visiting me here and showing an interest in what I have to share. It is still unfathomable to me the reaches that this blog has found since I started it more than three years ago.

Thank you for all of your kind words & comments (I read every single one!).  You lift me up, you motivate me to reach higher, YOU, my friends, inspire me.

Thank you for expressing your enthusiasm and excitement.  It's contagious and inspires not only me, but others as well.  The joy of stamping is something that is spreading across the craft industry before my very eyes and each of you should be proud to know that you played a part in that!

Thank you for stamping.  For getting those new images inky.  For trying a new technique we might focus on one week.  For using & ENJOYING this hobby.  Nothing fills my heart with more joy than to see what you create with the basics & inspiration provided here and throughout the Papertrey family.

Thank you for being a positive force in my life.  I tell everyone that will listen what a wonderful group of customers we have built over the years.  Many of you have become like family to me and I will never, ever be able to adequately express my gratitude.

So during this holiday season, I wanted to be sure to thank you.  A from-the-bottom-of-my-heart kind of thank you.  For stopping by, for being there, for your support, for your genuine kindness, for the love of this hobby that we share.

YOU are truly one of my Christmas blessings.  I wish you wonderful moments of celebration during the coming days.  Time with family & friends and many happy memories made.  May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace, the gladness of Christmas give you hope & the warmth of Christmas grant you love.

Free Downloads...

Just to let you know, I spent a few hours today archiving the free downloads that have been offered here on the blog over the last few years.  What a trip down memory lane!

You can access this list by clicking the "Free Downloads" button in the right hand sidebar...

or just CLICK HERE.

Enjoy!

The day after...

Here we are, another release come and gone!  It's hard to believe that 2010 is right around the corner! 

I hope you enjoyed the past weeks festivities as much as I did.  It was so fun to put Christmas colors aside and work on projects that were bright, pink & girly!  As I've mentioned before, one of the first things I love to do after a new release is take a peek into the design team gallery!  It is always *so* fun to see what they have created with the stamps, especially with my very own sets because they always seem to come up with amazing ideas that I had never even considered when designing the images!  As new tradition holds, I thought I would share a few of my very favorite projects with you today.  Just to keep you inspired!

Debbie Olson used several different pattern strips from Simple Valentine to create the background for this stunning card.  I love how she was able to achieve a perfect balance by having a very simple focal point paired with a busy background.  And who could not love that little touch of glitter?

Geny Cassady used several bits of the new Simple Valentine paper to create small squares to adorn the cover of her card.  I love how she added random buttons to the squares to help break up all the straight lines.  Also, the clever use of the sentiments from the coordinating Simple Valentine stamp set as a border around the focal point was genius.  Adding the small hearts between each word just made it that much better.

 

Heather Nichols created this fun & cheery card with Blooming Button Bits & Polka Dot Basics II.  I love how she grounded the flower stems with the white border-punched cardstock and then utilized that as the perfect resting place for the sentiment.  The little button at the end of the ribbon tab was such a nice touch as well!

 
Becky Oehlers went in a really nontraditional direction with her Simple Valentine color scheme, going with a turquoise glitter along with white and black accents.  I love how she only stamped the pattern on the lower portion of the center block and divided the two halves with her black satin ribbon.  I cannot get over how perfect her glittering is either!  :)

Melissa Phillips totally went vintage with Say It With Style and I love the outcome.  the color scheme of Scarlet Jewel & True Black is totally to die for as well!  I always love the little touches and details she adds to her projects and am sure to take studious notes so I can attempt to recreate them later on!

Kim Hughes turned some predictable images from Blooming Button Bits and turned them into something I hadn't planned on when I originally designed the set.  She used flower pot upside down to make it look more like the upper portion of a vase.  Then she excluded a single stem from the stem trio and made it appear to be coming out of the vase.  Pair that with a single bloom added to the top and you have a delightful combination!  I also love how she curved the sentiment stamp to create a unique banner!

Lisa Johnson showcased Blooming Button Bits as well.  I am TOTALLY in love with the way she stamped the flower trio onto a circle of cardstock and then added the leaves underneath that.  Talk about a time saver!  By utilizing the circle rather than individually hand-cut blooms, you are still able to gain that gorgeous layered look but in a quarter of the time!

Niki Estes did lots of fun layering with the Simple Valentine papers along with Say It With Style.  I love the black stitching accents she added in between the strips.  They really make a bold statement (and why don't I ever think to use anything other than white thread in my machine? lol!)

Michelle Wooderson paired up last year's Heart Prints with Say It With Style.  She also used several bits and pieces from the Simple Valentine paper pad.  I love how she threw in a few borders from Borders & Corners Hearts as well.  The layering and colors are just so pretty and feminine!

Betsy Veldman used one of the flourishes from Vintage Labels in conjunction to Say It With Style.  I think their styles go together effortlessly and I look forward to trying the combo out myself.  One detail that I instantly took note of was the way she layered a single strip of the bitty heart pattern from Background Basics: Hearts underneath the "Smooches".  It adds just a touch of color and definition to the word without having to do any actual paper layering.  LOVE that!!!  Nice and clean & simple!!!

Many of you may have already seen these from the Tiny Treats: Valentine group post we did a few days ago, but I thought it would be worth highlighting them again, just because they were THAT good!

Lisa Johnson's Friends Forever card literally made me gasp out loud.  Oh, my goodness!  Could you just die over how cute that little cat and dog are together?

And of course there was Becky Oehlers' clean & simple notecard sets, complete with the punny sentiment on the flap of the envelope.  Totally will be recreating this for gifts at some point!

 

And last but not least is Dawn McVey's sweet little baby boy card.  I totally had a lightbulb moment when I saw those images in neat little borders like this.  Wouldn't they look so cute stamped on ribbon to tie a matching gift with?

I hope you enjoyed this little summary of the design team's best work from this month.  They are all so incredibly talented and willing to share thier craft with others!  If you haven't done so recently, be sure to stop by thier blogs today and leave them a little note of appreciation!  It will totally make thier day after all the work they put into this month's release admist all the holiday hustle & bustle! 

*Official* December Release Party Contest

We are so thrilled that so many of you decided to stop by tonight and participate in our festivities!  Want a shot at winning all of the stuff you've seen debuted this week during the countdown?  Just answer the following question to have your chance!

"What's your favorite love story?  It can be a movie, a book or even your own!"

Here's what is up for grabs...

The December I Want It All package (a $119 value!)

You have until 11:30pm EST to enter.  Please play nice, only one entry per person.  One winner will be randomly selected shortly before the release and announced at midnight here, in this post.  Winner is responsible for contacting Customer Service within 30 days to claim their prize.

Thank you once again and good luck to all of you!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

Congratulations, Kelle!  Please be sure to contact customer service to claim your prize package!  And thank you to everyone for sharing your favorite love stories!  There were a few books & movies mentioned that I hadn't heard of!  And so many sweet personal stories as well!  What a wonderful testament to Valentine's Day and love!

Introducing Say It With Style

I'm sure many of you have been tuning into Dawn McVey's blog all week to see the amazing projects she has been creating with her new sentiment set, Say It With Style.  The collection of oversized words paired with smaller companion sentiments is perfect for those that like versatility in their sets.  Not to mention the bold style statement they can make!

The details.

• Say It With Style will be available for sale on December 15th.
• It will retail for $24.
• Say It With Style contains a total of 21 stamps (14 large words/phrases and 7 smaller companion sentiments)

One of the fun things about bold sentiment sets like this is the ability to pair them with so many other images you already have in your collection, making them fresh & new again.

(click on photo above for a larger view) 

With this first project, I decided to pair it up with last months release, Big & Bold Wishes.  They are the PERFECT complement to one another. The small companion sentiments in Big & Bold Wishes work really well with the large words in Dawn's new Say It With Style set; so much so, you would almost think they were made for each other!  I alos wanted you to take note of this color combo...IN LOVE with this!  Smokey Shadow, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss & Vintage Cream.  Yummmmm!

 
I also used the large flourish from Big & Bold Wishes to frame the sentiments.  The style of the flourished frame works really well with the trendy font style Dawn chose for her set!  I just love the way all this stuff looks when put together!

You might have noticed some fun epoxy accents flanking either side of my focal point.  Believe it or not, I created these sophisticated little tidbits with a few Papertrey basics!

I used a pattern from the Black & White Basics patterned paper pad, 1/2-inch circle punch and our epoxy stickers.  Since my card uses Vintage Cream as it's neutral, I dabbed a little Chamomile Tea Dye ink onto the paper to take away the starkness of the white. 

I punched out one of the designs with the circle punch and adhered it to the back of an epoxy sticker.  I then adhered the epoxy sticker to our True Black Vintage Buttons.  It was fun to dig through the mix and find buttons that were the perfect size to accommodate the epoxy accents!  I love the way they turned out!

(click on photo above for a larger view)

Next up is a fun card I made pairing the new Blooming Button Bits set with Say It With Style.  I wanted it to have a slight vintage western feel

For a fun treatment of the "Fabulous" sentiment, I stamped it in Dark Chocolate on Vintage Cream cardstock then colored in the bottom portion only with a BG11 (Aqua Mist Trio) Copic marker.

I then went back in with the BG72 (Aqua Mist Trio) marker and colored the upper portion.  I just love, LOVE, love the way this turned out.  The graduated colors are so pretty together.

You can see the finished product looks fabulous with it's companion sentiment, also from Say It With Style.  I trimmed out both parts of the sentiments into strips and edged them with our Tea Dye Duo.  I added a few stitches with Rustic Jute Button Twine and tied the ends in a dainty bow.

You might have noticed that I didn't use buttons in the center of my flowers, but rather text circles.  This look was created by stamping the typewriter text from Background Basics: Text Style II onto kraft cardstock using Dark Chocolate ink.  I then used three circle punches (all from EK Success) 3/4", 5/8" & 1/2".

After sponging the edges a bit with Chai Tea Dye ink, I adhered them to the centers of my flowers.

One last closeup from this card... the rhinestone border came out nicely with an alternating medium and small rhinestone pattern.  I love the way it creates a lovely transition by placing the rhinestones right on the seam between the cream layer and the scalloped border.  I will definitely be doing this again!

(click on photo above for a larger view)

One last card for the day today... this one is dedicated to my little Hannah.  If you ask her what her favorite color is, she will tell you that it's "rainbow".  So whenever I make a card with a rainbow color scheme, I think of her!  (Plus she makes me smile, so the sentiment is appropriate!)

The background started with stamping one of the patterns found in the new Background Basics: Hearts stamp set with Fresh Snow ink onto Kraft cardstock.  I think this pattern is just SO cute!!!

I then used some Copic markers to randomly color in a few of the open heart spaces in the centers of the dots.  If you just lightly dab the very point of the marker three times (once in each *hump* and once at the point) within each heart, the white ink resists the markers just a bit which helps to contain the color and make your project look polished, even if you don't have a steady hand!

I stamped the Smile sentiment from Dawn's set with Pure Poppy ink, followed by the companion sentiment with True Black.  I used one of my Nestabilities Circle dies to cut out the sentiment grouping.  After adhering it to the bottom of my card, I trimmed the lower portion of the circle off.

To continue on with the rainbow theme, I used a 1/2"square punch (EK Success) to punch out swatches from (L-R) Ocean Tides, Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, Summer Sunrise, Orange Zest, Lemon Tart and Hibiscus Burst.  It needed a little bit of zing, so I added a length of Scor-tape to the rainbow border, obviously omitting the sentiment.

After I peeled away the paper backing, I sprinkled on some Prisma Glitter.  I love the look of a continuous sparkly border right over all the different colors of cardstock.  Isn't it so fun!  You will totally HAVE to try this the next time you are sitting down to stamp! :)

I hope you enjoyed today's projects as much as I did creating them!  Like I said at the beginning of my post, fresh sentiments like this can bring new life to your entire existing stamp collection!  We'd love to hear your feedback about Say It With Style!  Or even your comments in general about all of today's projects.   Leave a comment and let us know!  Just for taking the time to do so, we are offering up an AMAZING prize package...

• Say It With Style stamp set
  
• Big & Bold Wishes
  
• clear rhinestones
• prisma glitter
• 1/4" Scor-tape
  

This prize package has everything you need to make a lot of the projects shown today!!! You have until 11:30pm EST, Monday, December 14th to leave a comment and be eligible to win.  Please play nice, only one comment per person.  One winner will be randomly selected and announced before the release at midnight.  The winning announcement will be made on our December Release Winners page.

Want to see more of Say It With Style?  Stop by and visit Becky Oehlers today to see what she created using this set!

Dawn McVey has more using her new set as well!

Kim Hughes has another sample using her new Be My Valentine template collection.

Visit Heather Nichols today to see even more of Simple Valentine!

The moment we've all been waiting for!  Our new Distinguished Guest Designer, Jessica Witty, has a whopping three projects to show you using some of the new release stamp sets!

 

A complete list of supplies & dimensions for today's projects can be found HERE.

Introducing Background Basics: Hearts & Be My Valentine Template Collection

It's hard to believe that it is already Day 4 of the countdown!  December is flying by, isn't it?!?! 

I am super excited about my projects today because I got to play with the new templates that Kim Hughes has designed for Papertrey Ink, specifically the Be My Valentine Collection, part of the In Shape portion of the Click Simple library.  (Be sure to read the second post I did today regarding the details of the Click Simple below or CLICK HERE).  The In Shape concept is a collection of shapes that are provided to the customer in formats that are perfect for several different card making applications.  The ideas and concepts behind this are AMAZING and truly limitless.  We know that you all will LOVE this new direction we are taking with the templates!

Each of the In Shape selections (including this month's Be My Valentine Collection) will include a series of FOUR shapes surrounding a single theme along with our traditional design idea download with 5 project samples by our talented team. 

In this month's case, the theme is love & Valentine's Day.  You will get ALL FOUR shapes and ALL of each shapes formats (described below) in one tidy download for only $5.  Once you see all of the possibilities, you will see what a bargain this truly is! 

Each of the four shapes in a collection will have separate folders within the collection download.  Each shapes folder includes the following files:

 
A shaped card base, allowing you to make unique shaped cards with ease. 

A solid outline that can easily be re-sized and used as an accent or another paper layer for the shaped cards.  This will also include a "mirrored image", so when you print the template, it will be backwards, but this will allow the outline to be unseen from the front once you've completed your desires technique.

APPLICATIONS:

• Cut them out and use them as focal points or for masking techniques.
• Print the mirror image on the back of your paper and stack it on top of some type of cushion (fun foam, mousepad, etc...) and trace the lines with a stylus to achieve an elegant embossed look on the reverse side.
• Stamp them and embellish them to your hearts content!

A stitching template which can be easily re-sized to any dimensions you wish.  Sewing can add a wonderful homemade look to projects, so we have included a dotted outline of each shape for easy sewing or paper piercing.  The mirrored image is great for these techniques because the print will be on the back of your paper, so you can choose to poke each dot or skip a few along the way, adding to the versatility of each image.

APPLICATIONS:

• Pierce holes with paper piercer and hand stitch.
• Pierce holes and connect them with a pen to create faux stitching.
• Pierce holes then forgo any stitching for a more subtle look.

Pretty exciting, isn't it!  I've created a few projects today that will showcase a few of the aforementioned applications and just how much fun they can be!

This little number was SO fun to make and it allowed me to use up some scraps that I had laying on my desk!  Don't you just love it!

This is what the shaped card base started out as, cut from a single piece of Raspberry Fizz cardstock.  It's obvious that Kim puts a lot of thought into each of her template, which is especially notable here.  The bottom portion of the arrow extends exactly to the same level as the tip of the heart, allowing it to stand upright.  How's that for clever?

To embellish the front, I covered a piece of white cardstock with Scor-tape and randomly adhered lengths of ribbon as well as a few strips of some of Heather's new Simple Valentine paper.  I love these kinds of random projects... they allow you to let go and just PLAY!

I traced the edge of the card cover on the back of the cardstock and trimmed the shape out with very sharp scissors.  I just *love* the way this turned out.  Such a fun look.

I simply adhered the ribbon covered element to the cover and added a few other small accents to help convey the message I desired.

The sentiment is from Simple Valentine, stamped onto Stamper's Select White cardstock.  I attached one of our 1/2" epoxy stickers to a piece of Simple Valentine paper to create my own little embellishment.  A few Raspberry Fizz Vintage Buttons accent it as well.  Don't you just want to pull out all of your ribbon and make one of these right now?!?!  :)

This second project uses a new introduction to the Background Basics collection.  It's all about love and hearts!  With FOUR pattern strips included in this single-sheet set, you can't go wrong!

The details.

• Background Basics: Hearts will be available for sale on December 15th.
• It will retail for $15.
• Background Basics: Hearts includes a total of 4 pattern strips (3 heart themed, 1 text)

 
I don't know about you, but I always have a difficult time creating a masculine Valentine card for my husband.  I thought I would challenge myself to tackle that very thing today.

I figured the best way to approach it was to select a more masculine color scheme.  I chose Smokey Shadow, Scarlet Jewel, Fresh Snow and just a touch of Sweet Blush to soften it.

I knew I wanted to use the heart window shape that Kim designed, so I printed it onto Scarlet Jewel cardstock.  (While I am only using the solid line image for this project, I had to note that the card template that is included for this shape is AWESOME. It's a little 4x4 card with a window cut from the middle of it in this manner!  I cannot WAIT to use it!  Sorry, I digress!) I trimmed a bit around it to make it easier to work with while I was preparing it for stamping.

Since I had already shown the other patterns included in Background Basics: Hearts, I thought it would be a good time to use this one.  A text strip that features famous quotes about love in a combination of script and book fonts.  I love the vintage feel it adds.

I cut along the lines on the back side of the shape and adhered the pieces to my Smokey Shadow card cover.  I used a ruler & white gel pen to draw some *artistic* looking lines to frame the Scarlet Jewel heart accent.  I love how much it pops!

Last but not least, I heat embossed an appropriate sentiment from Dawn MscVey's Signature Greetings set.  A small punched heart created from Sweet Blush cardstock and a little Prisma Glitter was adhered in place with a foam dimensional.  I just love little details like that!  And I jsut love this card.  I can hardly wait to give it to David!

These projects took me back to my paper crafting roots, just plain fun to create.  It has been a while since I dabbled in shaped cards and since Kim's templates make it so easy, they are something that I am definitely going to start using more often!  We'd love to hear your feedback about both the Be My Valentine Collection and Background Basics: Hearts!  Or even your comments in general about all of today's projects.   Leave a comment and let us know!  Just for taking the time to do so, we are offering up an AMAZING prize package...

• Background Basics: Hearts stamp set
  
• Be My Valentine Template Collection
  
• Heart Prints stamp set
• Large & Small Heart punches
  

This prize package has everything you need to make a lot of the projects shown today!!! You have until 7am EST, Monday, December 14th to leave a comment and be eligible to win.  Please play nice, only one comment per person.  One winner will be randomly selected and announced the same day no later than noon EST.  The winning announcement will be made on our December Release Winners page.

Want to see more of Background Basics: Hearts?  Stop by and visit Michelle Wooderson today to see what she created using this set!

Kim Hughes has been busy all week providing additional card samples using her Be My Valentine Collection templates.  You can see them HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE!

Visit Heather Nichols today to see even more of Simple Valentine!

Dawn McVey has created some projects to share using her latest stamp set, Say it With Style.

Hugs & Kisses Card

Stamps: Simple Valentine (available December 15th)

Ink: True Black

Paper: Raspberry Fizz, Stamper's Select White, Simple Valentine paper pad

Other: Raspberry Fizz Vintage Buttons, 1/2" epoxy sticker, Hibiscus Burst embroidery floss (DMC), Be My Valentine Heart & Arrow template, Scor-tape, Hibiscus Burst twill, bitty dot & grosgrain ribbons, Raspberry Fizz satin, stitched & twill ribbons.

Finished Size: 5" x 5"

I Love You Card

Stamps: Background Basics: Hearts (available December 15th), Signature Greetings

Ink: True Black, Versamark

Paper: Smokey Shadow, Scarlet Jewel, Sweet Blush, Stamper's Select White

Other: Prisma Glitter, small heart punch (EK Success), white gel pen (signo uniball), White

Filigree Embossing Powder, Be My Valentine Heart Window template

Finished Size: 4.25" x 5.5"

Click Simple

I am super excited about today's post because I am able to show you all the amazing things we are doing with our new Click Simple library.  So many fun things, it has been difficult to contain myself for the last few weeks!

The Click Simple library will be a new area of our website dedicated to a variety of digital template downloads.  Current plans include...

• New Click Simple packaging templates, featuring concepts from a variety of designers.
• Shape templates contributed by Kim Hughes as well as other designers.
• The inclusion of the original My Timeless Templates.

One of the things we have been working on behind the scenes is the new formats that the templates will be available in, making them easier than ever to use.  It is our goal to have each template available for sale in three different formats.  To explain even further, each template will have THREE different buy buttons, one for each type of format.  Since there are so many elements & pieces to each template, we felt it would be easiest to give people JUST what they would use rather than several versions in one download which could tend to confuse a lot of customers.  So you would just need to decide which format is right for you and what kinds of tools & resources you prefer to utilize when paper crafting.

Our existing, popular printed format, which allows you to continue to print them from your home computer directly onto your cardstock.  These downloads will include all of the printable templates as well as our popular, in depth design idea download for inspiration.

SVG format, which works well with the popular Cricut digital cutter as long as you are also outfitted with the necessary Sure Cuts A Lot software.  This brings a whole new spin to the templates, allowing you to skip the hand-cutting and go straight to the assembly!  Purchasing this package will give you all of the template files in SVG format along with our popular, in depth design idea download for inspiration.

GSD format, which is compatible with the popular Silhouette digital cutter (or any other digital cutter that utilizes RoboCraft software). This too allows you to skip the hand-cutting and go straight to the assembly!  Purchasing this package will give you all of the template files in GSD format along with our popular, in depth design idea download for inspiration.

A few notes about the Click Simple library and this month's release...

*Unfortunately, we still have a few bugs to work out with both the SVG & GSD formats for the templates (and we want to make sure everything is running perfectly before making them available for sale).  Therefore, the two new templates being introduced this month will be available on release night in the IN PRINT format only. 

*The GSD and SVG formats should be ready before the next release in January and will be added to the store as soon as possible.  We will make an official announcement here on the blog as well as keep you informed via our newsletter when everything is ready.

*It is important to note that each file type is a separate purchase.  So if you know that you want to purchase these templates in either the SVG or GSD format, do not purchase the IN PRINT format on release night.  You will want to wait and buy the digital cutter versions at a later date so you do not have to pay twice.

*After everything involving these new file types has been fine tuned, we will gradually be making the Timeless Templates available in both the digital cutter file types.  Each month during release week we will keep you up to date and announce which of the Timeless Templates are newly reformatted.

We will be going into greater detail about all the tech talk involved with the new digital cutter formats in the course of the next few months, including tutorials complete with screen shots and what not.  This is going to be an amazing journey, opening up an entire new world of paper crafting to everyone!  Thank you for allowing us to share our excitement!

Introducing Tiny Treats: Valentine

This fun little valentine set is something I designed because of a need in my own life as a mother of small children.  A set geared towards the special little people in our lives who love to be involved in our paper crafting hobbies, as well as receive special handmade treats themselves that celebrate their achievements.  

The main image, a large circular tag/frame, coordinates perfectly with both the Circle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders) and the pink mega scalloped circle punch (Marvy), making it quick and easy to create tags and focal points with this set. 

All of the sentiments fit between the lines of the tag, while all the images fit in the open space above.  With these informal "guidelines" it is easy for children to help with projects for their friends and still end up with a super cute end result.  Many of the images & sentiments are versatile enough that they can be used year-round!

The details.

• Tiny Treats will be available for purchase on December 15th.
• It will retail for $24.
• Tiny Treats contains a total of 37 stamps (1 tag frame, 16 images and 20 sentiments).

Let me show you some of the possibilities this set holds!  I thought I would create one valentine treat as well as showcase a year-round application.  I'll start with the valentine, a little something Owen & I designed for him to exchange with his friends and classmates this year.

It all starts with a homemade peanut butter chocolate chunk cookie, tucked neatly into one of our small glassine bags.  All of Owen's friends LOVE to have homemade cookies when they come over, so he thought that they would make the perfect little treat for Valentine's Day as well.

 

A tag & a bit of ribbon seemed to be the easiest way to spiff them up a bit and give them a personal touch.  We actually opted to use something other than the tag frame that is included in the Tiny Treats stamp set.  The tag we chose is die cut from Spring Moss cardstock using the Cuttlebug A2 Die- Tag Alongs.  Don't you just love that little froggy?  I think he just looks so happy; makes you want to smile!

The flip side of the tag is stamped with the "to/from" stamp that is included in Tiny Treats.  I like to have my kids fill in the names themselves so the valentine is more personal.  Plus their handwriting is so adorable when they are little like this!

When designing projects like this to work on with your kids keep in mind all the fun things they can play with.  My kids in particular LOVE to get into glitter, so running a little strip of Scor-tape along the front of this tag and allowing Owen to add the glitter himself was perfect for us.  It is an easy way to have them participate without any messy adhesive or drying time required.  You might have noticed the small heart pattern at the bottom of the tag.  This was created with the new Background Basics: Hearts stamp set that will be introduced later on this week.  Super cute, isn't it!

 (click on above image for a larger view)

Now onto the year-round application I was talking about earlier.  I made this little card as a lunchbox note for Hannah.  She LOVES getting lunchbox notes, as well as dogs and anything with hearts, so this card is RIGHT up her alley!  It's scaled to fit in our 4x4 envelopes.

The bottom portion of the card front is stamped with another image from Background Basics: Hearts.  It is stamped in Fresh Snow ink followed up by a touch of color added to each heart with a R22 (Melon Berry) Copic Marker.

The tag frame is stamped in Melon Berry, with the dog and sentiment both stamped in Dark Chocolate.  As stated earlier in this post, this tag image coordinates perfect with the pink Mega Scalloped Circle punch from Marvy, which is what I used here.  I colored the heart on the tag with an R22 than the spots with E55 & E57 (Dark Chocolate).  A tiny bit of BG11 (Aqua Mist) and T1 (Smokey Shadow) were added around the outside edge of the dog and blended slightly with a colorless blender.

I looped some Aqua Mist Stitched Ribbon behind the tag as a pretty accent.  Love doing that.  Adds a nice little detail without going through the hassle of tying a bow.  I love the color combo of Aqua Mist & Melon Berry.  Definitely one of my all time favorites.

Now that you have seen a little of what I have done with this super cute set, why don't I show you what our amazingly talented design team has put together using the same set?  I challenged each of them to create a Valentine treat followed by showcasing a year-round application for this set.  You are going to LOVE everything they came up with!

To read more, visit Betsy Veldman's blog HERE!

To read more, visit Becky Oehlers' blog HERE!

To read more, visit Debbie Olson's blog HERE!

To read more, visit Geny Cassady's blog HERE!

To read more, visit Heather Nichols'  blog HERE!

To read more, visit Kim Hughes' blog HERE!

To read more, visit Lisa Johnson's blog HERE!

To read more, visit Melissa Phillips' blog HERE!

 To read more, visit Michelle Wooderson's blog HERE!

To read more, visit Niki Estes' blog HERE!

To read more, visit Dawn McVey's blog HERE!

Are you just in awe (like I am!)?  It is truly amazing to see so much talent in one place and I am honored to get to work with all of them!  And really, the stamp set isn't half bad either, if I do say so myself!  It really allows you to make quick, easy and CUTE projects with hardly any effort!  So what do you think of this new set?  It's kind of a new direction for Papertrey and we would love to know what you think of it. Leave a comment and let us know!  Just for taking the time to do so, we are offering up an AMAZING prize package...

• Tiny Treats stamp set
  
• Mega Scalloped Circle Punch
  
• 3 Small Heart Tins
  

This prize package has everything you need to get crafting with your kids and let them MAKE their own valentine projects!!! You have until 7am EST, Sunday, December 13th to leave a comment and be eligible to win.  Please play nice, only one comment per person.  One winner will be randomly selected and announced the same day no later than noon EST.  The winning announcement will be made on our December Release Winners page.

Visit Heather Nichols today to see even more of Simple Valentine!

Dawn McVey has created some projects to share using her latest stamp set, Say it With Style.

Kim Hughes has another peek at her Be My Valentine template collection!

And last but not least, Vanessa Menhorn, our guest template designer this month, has another peek at the new template, Do Me a Favor!

HOPPY VALENTINE

Stamps: Tiny Treats: Valentine (available December 15th)

Ink: Noir Black, Ripe Avocado

Paper: Spring Moss, Stamper's Select White

Other: Spring Moss Copic Trio, Pure Poppy Copic Trio, 1" circle punch (EK Success), 1/4" Scor-tape, Prisma Glitter, A2 Cuttlebug Die Tag Alongs, Pure Poppy Grosgrain Ribbon, Rustic Jute Button Twine, foam dimensionals, small glassine bag

Finished Size: 3" x 2" (tag)

DOGGONE CUTE CARD

Stamps: Tiny Treats: Valentine, Background Basics: Hearts (both available December 15th)

Ink: Dark Chocolate, Melon Berry, Fresh Snow

Paper: Classic Kraft, Stamper's Select White

Other: Aqua Mist Stitched Ribbon, R22 (Melon Berry), E55 & E57 (Dark Chocolate), BG11 (Aqua Mist) and T1 (Smokey Shadow) Copics, corner rounder punch, mega scalloped circle punch (Marvy)

Finished Size: 3.75" x 3.75"

Introducing Simple Valentine

Heather Nichols has done it again, and this time love is definitely in the air!  Simple Valentine is, in my opinion, the perfect all around "love" set.  With background builders, borders, focal points and sentiments galore, you will be prepared with a full arsenal of Valentine basics, which also go beyond into wedding, baby, anniversary and other "lovely" occasions.

The details.

• Simple Valentine will be available for sale on December 15th.
• It will retail for $24.
• Simple Valentine includes a total of 22 stamps (4 background builders/borders, 9 images and  9 sentiments).

One of the fun elements of surprise that Heather has developed for you to use along with her new stamp set is an entire pad of coordinating patterned paper! 

The details.

• The Simple Valentine 8x8 paper pad will be available for sale on December 15th.
• It will retail for $8.
• It includes six sheets each of six patterns (all in one unified scale).

Wow.  SO much cool stuff, huh?  I totally know how you feel.  I am giddy with excitement myself!  Just wait until you see all of the amazing things you can make when you pair the two of these together!  I thought I would start off with a project where I did just that!

(click above photo for a larger view)

This sweet little ensemble has been kept super simple so even the most novice stamper could easily recreate it!  Valentine's Day is right around the corner and this would be the perfect little wrap for someone special!

(click above photo for a larger view)

This little project is a smaller scale card, designed to coordinate with our 4x4 envelopes.  The cover was embellished with four (1.75") squares of paper cut from the Simple Valentine paper pad.  Each square has one corner rounded to create a pretty mat for the focal point. Sometimes simple can be just as impressive as something more complicated, and I think simple fits the bill perfectly here!

The box you saw in the ensemble above is called Do Me a Favor and it will be formally introduced through our new Click Simple library on December 15th (more about the new library later on this week!).  I personally designed this simple little box with ease of use in mind.  It is easy to mass produce and be used for favors (hence the name), class treats and much more.  It could also be the perfect thing to use when giving gift cards or other small presents.

I added a few pieces of Heather's new Simple Valentine paper as accents to the box I made today.  These two particular patterns are some of my favorites from the collection!  Don't you just love how bright and fun they are!

The sides of the box are inverted.  Pair this little design detail with the crisp folds and you have one pretty little box that is pleasing to the eye.  Any recipient would surely think it was purchased at a high-end boutique!

(click above photo for a larger view)

I tied the wrap closed with Pure Poppy Twill and a dainty little bow.  Don't you just love it?!?!?

The shape of this box is so fun & unique. Two sizes are included in the download for Do Me a Favor.  The small box is all in one piece and only requires one sheet of cardstock with the finished size being 3" tall and 3" wide.  The large box (which I have showcased here today) used two sheets of cardstock with the finished measurements being 4" tall and 4" wide.

You will surely find yourself turning to use Do Me a Favor over and over again.  It's handy for all sorts of things.  Not to mention that it is super fun to decorate!

Here's a little step by step visual to demonstrate how I built the image that appears on the tags used in my Valentine ensemble.  I started by stamping the solid heart with Hibiscus Burst, followed by the dotted outline with Raspberry Fizz.  I then added the smaller heart with Raspberry Fizz and the sentiment with True Black.  I love it when a stamp set affords me the opportunity to do all of this layering!  Not only is it fun to do, but the finished look is also quite impressive!

 

The finished tag was punched out using a 1.75" circle punch (EK Success).  I also used a 2-way glue pen to adhere a bit of Prisma Glitter to the center of the smallest heart.  Super sweet and super fun!

 

(click above photo for a larger view)

Now let's head in a different direction with one of my new favorite Valentine color combos, Sweet Blush, Scarlet Jewel and Kraft.  Gorgeous together, huh?

I stamped both the border and heart images with Fresh Snow ink and then colored them in with Copic markers.  Here's a little tip, whenever you are coloring on kraft cardstock like this, keep in mind that the colors will end up appearing much darker than you might anticipate.  I ended up using the Raspberry Fizz Copic Trio here to achieve the look I wanted.

 

I love the little doubled scalloped border I created for this project.  I did this by adhering 3/4" punched circles of Sweet Blush cardstock behind the edge of the kraft cardstock.  I then added a small strip of white cardstock that was trimmed with scalloped scissors (Paper Studio).  To finish, I applied a small bead of glue along it's edge with a 2-way glue pen and sprinkled on some Prisma Glitter.  I just love the way this turned out and look forward to trying it again soon.

(click above photo for a larger view)

Now I have a little card that proves that this new stamp set doesn't have to be limited to Valentine's Day.  How about a sweet little baby card?

I stamped this stunningly intricate border onto my Vintage Cream card base using Sweet Blush ink.  Can you see all the small dotted borders within the revers hearts?  Heather is always so detail oriented and I love that about her designs!  The larger heart is also stamped with Sweet Blush and it's trimmed out and adhered with a foam dimensional.  A single Sweet Blush Vintage Button is affixed to its center with Rustic Cream Button Twine.  The sentiment is from Bitty Baby Blessings and stamped in Smokey Shadow, a perfect fit for this card, being a bit softer on the eyes than black or brown.

(click above photo for a larger view)

I accented the stamped border with two score lines underneath it, created with my Scor-pal.  I also pinked the edge and added a layer of Sweet Blush cardstock underneath so it peeks out from under the edge.  So pretty, sweet and simple.  I love cards like this!

(click above photo for a larger view)

This last project is the most different from the others, but I love it all the same.  What can I say, I'm a simple kind of girl at heart (no pun intended!)!

 

I used the same dotted heart outline stamp from my first project, only this time I used Vintage Cream Ink and created a repetitive patten.  It is important to note that the hearts are laying horizontally rather than vertically which provides some contrast to the way the sentiment lays on this project.

The anniversary sentiment is from Damask Designs and fit in perfectly with this project.  It is stamped in Dark Chocolate ink to coordinate with the strip it is mounted on.  You could easily swap this saying out for something else, such as wedding or baby.  You could even substitute the color scheme for even more fun options.  Such a fun little card, right?

I hope you are as excited about Heather's new set as I am!  It has everything a stamper could want from a set dedicated to celebrating love!!!!  What did you think about all of today's projects?  Are you getting antsy to start some valentine projects now?  What types of projects do you normally do to celebrate the holiday?  Leave a comment and let us know what you think!  Just for taking the time to do so, we are offering up an AMAZING prize package...

• Simple Valentine stamp set
  
• Simple Valentine paper pad
  
• Prisma Glitter
  
• A random selection of Raspberry Fizz & Pure Poppy ribbons, buttons & cardstock!
  

This prize package has everything you need to get a head start on your valentine projects!!! You have until 7am EST, Saturday, December 12th to leave a comment and be eligible to win.  Please play nice, only one comment per person.  One winner will be randomly selected and announced the same day no later than noon EST.  The winning announcement will be made on our December Release Winners page.

Want to see more of Simple Valentine?  Visit Heather Nichols today to see what she's got up her sleeve!

Dawn McVey has created some projects to share using her latest stamp set, Say it With Style.

Kim Hughes is sharing a bit more about her new FABULOUS line of templates for the Click Simple library!

Four of the Click Simple gals have sneak peeks of the new December template collection, Be My Valentine.  Please be sure to stop by their blogs to see what they have to say about this super quick & easy wrap!

• Jennifer Holmes
• Laurie Schmidlin
• Geny Cassady
• Charmaine Ikach

And last but not least, Vanessa Menhorn, our guest template designer this month, has another peek at the new template, Do Me a Favor!

For a complete list of supplies and dimensions for all of today's projects, please CLICK HERE.

Introducing Blooming Button Bits

Ever since I introduced my Button Bits concept HERE, my creativity has been eagerly dissecting all of the everyday objects around me to see if it can be made with a button.  This month's introduction to the Button Bits line-up is a little different than the others.  It is a little less on the "adorable" side of the spectrum; more about a collection of wonderfully versatile, sophisticated images that can be used over and over again in a plethora of ways.

The details.

• Blooming Button Bits will be available for sale on December 15th.
• It will retail for $24.
• Blooming Button Bits contains a total of 19 stamps (8 images and 11 sentiments).

Let's get onto some fun projects!!!

(click photo above for a larger view)

This first project uses my favorite image from the set.  A beautiful, large fern-like arrangement that allows space for a pretty button trio.  I used a fun technique on this card that I thought I would show you a bit more about.  This is a cute little card that coordinates perfectly with our exclusive 4x4 envelopes.

I started by stamping one strip of the smallest dots from Polka Dot Basics II with Aqua Mist ink along the bottom of a 3.5" square of Stamper's Select White cardstock.  I am just head over heels in love with this new ink formula.  I like to re-ink my pad pretty often so I can achieve a nice vibrant color.  Yummm!

Next, I stamped the large fern image from Blooming Button Bits with Versamark ink, followed by a thorough sprinkling of our Filigree Clear Embossing Powder.  After a quick heat set, I was left with this.

 

As a final step, I sponged Aqua Mist ink in small circular motions over the image.  I love how this makes the image POP and you get the added effect of "polka-dotted" leaves!

I can't get enough of the sentiments for these Button Bits sets.  I love the font combination (well, I guess I better like it since I'm the one that picked it out! *wink*) and think it transitions beautifully with whatever style you are trying to achieve.  Plus, there are always unique little sentiments that say just how you feel.

I added a few Aqua Mist Vintage Buttons with glue dots to the appropriate "fill-in-the-blank" areas.  That's one of the things I love about the Button Bits collections.  Since the blanks are already incorporated into the images, I don't even have to think about placement.  Just put them where they are designed to go and you end up looking like a genius without fiddling over what should go where to give you a well-balanced design!

(click photo above for a larger view)

Now here's another fun project.  I think the bright and cheerful colors, the clear blue sky (complete with polka dots) supports the sentiment perfectly!

This stitched stem trio is perfect for building your own floral embellishments, whether it be from punched circles of paper, bits of felt or fabric or even a double layer of buttons.  The possibilities are literally endless!  I created this accent with just a few simple steps.  I stamped the stems first with Ripe Avocado ink.  I then stamped the polka dots (Polka Dot Basics II) with Spring Rain ink followed by a little direct to paper with the same ink pad to create a pretty graduated effect around the edges.  Next I added the floral embellishments.  These were created with some simple circle punches and Raspberry Fizz & Hibiscus Burst cardstock (3/4", 5/8" & 1/2" from EK Success).  Some beautiful opalescent vintage buttons in Raspberry Fizz & Hibiscus Burst finished them off.

I used Background Basics: Text Style II to stamp a small strip of Ripe Avocado cardstock that represents the grass in my little scene.  As a finishing touch, I scored two lines to form a border that accents the sentiment using my Scor-pal.  Such a happy little project!

(click photo above for a larger view)

This last card uses one of my new favorite color combos, Lemon Tart, Classic Kraft and Vintage Cram.  On this particular card I also threw in just a touch of Spring Moss.

Another lovely sentiment that conveys so much.  The butterfly (Martha Stewart) was punched from Lemon Tart cardstock and coated with Prisma Glitter.  Background Basics: Diamonds is stamped a few times across the bottom of the kraft card base.  The Upper Crest border punch (Fiskars) was used to create a nice transition from the sentiment strip to the card base.

I love this image (the pot & leaves are two separate images to make it easy to create this multi-colored look).  It's so sleek and simple.  And the strips in the post are such a nice detail.  It is so fun to play with this set, you just want to use each image over and over again to see what you can create!

I hope you have enjoyed today, the first stamp set introduction for the December countdown!  So what do you think about the new addition to the Button Bits line-up?  The coordination possibilities with ALL of the sets together is endless!  Not to mention the stunning projects you can create with it by itself! Which image from this set are you most excited to ink up? Leave a comment and let us know what you think!  Just for taking the time to do so, we are offering up an AMAZING prize package...

• Everyday Button Bits stamp set
• Holiday Button Bits stamp set
  
• Blooming Button Bits stamp set
• Our ENTIRE button collection (that's 23 bags & colors)
  

This prize package has over a $180 value, so be sure to play along!!! You have until 7am EST, Friday, December 11th to leave a comment and be eligible to win.  Please play nice, only one comment per person.  One winner will be randomly selected and announced the same day no later than noon EST.  The winning announcement will be made on our December Release Winners page.

Want to see more of Blooming Button Bits?  Visit Betsy Veldman today to see what she's got up her sleeve!

Dawn McVey has created some projects to share using her latest stamp set, Say it With Style.

Heather Nichols is showing her stuff with her new set, Simple Valentine.

Kim Hughes is sharing a bit more about her new FABULOUS line of templates for the Click Simple library!

Three of the Click Simple gals (along with our special Guest Star Stamper winner) have sneak peeks of the new December template, Do Me a Favor.  Please be sure to stop by their blogs to see what they have to say about this super quick & easy wrap!

• Melissa Phillips
• Jennifer Ellefson
• Kelly Lunceford
• Vanessa Menhorn

For a complete list of supplies and dimensions of today's projects, please CLICK HERE.