{capture the moment}

Senior Design Team Challenge: Dearest Dad

It's hard to believe that the first of June has already arrived.  And of course, one of the most momentous occasions this month is Father's Day, Sunday, June 20th!  I have challenged myself and the team to get creative with how they are celebrating that special man in their lives this year, sharing ideas that you can utilize yourself.

I always like to do something nice for David on this special holiday.  He's such a wonderful father & role model to our children... words just never seem to be enough to convey how much it means to me to have a partner that is so dedicated to this important role.  (I did a post about him last year expanding upon my thoughts & feelings, which you can read HERE). 

I have seen silhouettes making a comeback over the past few months and I thought it would be so meaningful for David to have some freezing the children's sweet little profiles, in this moment. Perfect to adorn the walls in our new home that will hopefully be completed by Christmas!

So let me show you how some of your paper crafting supplies paired with a few simple steps can create treasured keepsakes, perfect for Dad!

 

To begin, I took profile shots of all three kids in front of a blank wall.  They all cooperated pretty well...except Ethan thought it was a pretty lame idea and thought he should make a grouchy face!

Next, I opened my photos in my photo editing software and increased the contrast so I could easily see the profile line more clearly.  You don't have to do this step if you aren't familiar with editing photos, but it does help streamline the process a bit.

I printed out the photos to the size I wanted and used a bit of adhesive in each of the four corners to tack the photo down onto a piece of True Black cardstock.  I then used a nice, sharp craft knife to cut through both layers, tracing around the edge of the profile line.  If there are any little places that have any extra zigs or zags, you can use an emery board or sanding block to remove them.

I matted each of the silhouettes in an 11" x 14" white frame that has a 5" x 7" opening.  I got the frames at Target very inexpensively.  This is the finished frame featuring Hannah.

This depicts little Ethan.  Notice how I had each of the kids sign their name to the lower right-hand corner of their silhouette.  I also added their age and the date.

And lat but not least, here's Owen!  I love how you can tell he was smiling, even with it being just a silhouette!  Such a great memory piece!

    

Here's all three of the frames together on the wall.  I really think David is going to enjoy having these.  And they make such a great decor statement as well!

 

Of course, these need to be wrapped and ready to go in style.

 

I stacked all three of the frames on top of one another and tied them together with SImply Chartreuse Twill.  I made a tag using Fillable Frames #4 stamp set & coordinating die, stamped in Simply Chartreuse ink.  I also brushed just a bit of the Tea Dye Duo around the edges.  I used Rustic Button Twine to tie the tag in place as well as accent it with a Simply Chartreuse button.

The card is a simple little project, but I know it is something that David will just love.

The sentiment, from Father Knows Best, is stamped on another die-cut & stamped version of Fillable Frames #4.  It is always fun to cut portion of a frame off like this, giving you more options and versatility.

Three Simply Chartreuse buttons are attached to the upper corner with glue dots.  They help to balance out the heaviness of the frame.

The focal point was created with Background Basics: Text Style and the silhouette image from Through the Trees.  I stamped the text repeatedly on the background with Simply Chartreuse ink, then stamped the trees with Versamark ink on top of that.  I sprinkled on some clear Filigree embossing powder and heat to set.  The magic then happens when you rub Simply Chartreuse ink over the trees in soft circular motions, making the image pop from the text.  One of my favorite techniques!

   

I think this all adds up to a wonderful gift that David will enjoy for years to come!  Not to mention easy and economical too!  That wraps it up for my project... now you get to embark on a journey through all of the other talented designer's work!  Enjoy this celebration of fatherhood!

 
 

CLICK HERE to see more from Betsy Veldman.

 

CLICK HERE to see more from Dawn McVey.

 

CLICK HERE to see more from Heather Nichols.

 

CLICK HERE to see more from Lisa Johnson.

 

CLICK HERE to see more from Michelle Wooderson.

 

CLICK HERE to see more from Ashley Cannon-Newell.  This is her last assignment with us as a Distinguished Guest Designer.  Be sure to let Ashley know how much you enjoyed her time with us!  It has been such an honor to have her onboard for this short time!

And just to provide you with a few more ideas, here are some other posts that may interest you...

CLICK HERE to see a special mini-album I created for David in 2006, complete with a list of fatherly quotes that might come in handy for you when creating your own version of the project.

CLICK HERE to revisit the group post the entire team participated in a few months ago, entitled Boys to Men.  It features tips & tricks for creating masculine themed projects with ease, which can help give you confidence when creating projects perfect for dad.

CLICK HERE to see Debbie Olson's special stationery set that is perfectly suited for dad.

Aren't everyones creations just amazing?  I am confident that we have prepared you with the inspiration to create special gifts for all of the special father figures in your life!  I hope that you are able to take one of these ideas (or two or three) and give them a unique twist to make them your own!  Happy Father's Day everyone!

FATHER'S DAY CARD 

• STAMPS: Father Knows best (sentiment), Background Basics Text Style, Through the Trees, Fillable Frames #4
  
• INK: Simply Chartreuse, True Black, Tea Dye Duo, VersaMark, Vintage Cream
  
• PAPER: Kraft, Rustic Cream
  
• OTHER: Simply Chartreuse buttons & twill, Rustic Jute Button Twine, Fillable Frames #4 die, Woodgrain Impression Plate, Clear Filigree Embossing Powder, foam dimensionals
  
• FINISHED SIZE: 4.25" x 5.5"

Papertrey Ink May Blog Hop

First of all, I want to welcome everyone to the May 2010 Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!  It is so exciting to see so many of you here!

  

This month's blog hop is all about fabulous felt! We know you love this addition to our product line-up and we would love to see what you are doing with it! From borders to focal points, paper crafts to sewing projects. Hair accessories to home decor accents. Cards to scrapbook layouts. We want to see it all!

I have included a Mister Linky list below for you to add your link to your felt project. You have until 11:30pm EST tonight (May 25th) to add your link to this list. THREE random participants will be selected to win a FREE Papertrey Ink stamp set of their choice and announced both here and over in the Papertrey Ink forum shortly after midnight. We look forward to seeing all of your projects! And good luck to everyone!

The time has now come to announce the three randomly selected winners from the list of amazing participants...

 Cammie created an amazing set of shoe clips with the felt flowers she created.

Mariah created the most ADORABLE hair clips for two of the cutest girls around! 

Emm was inspired by a children's touch & feel book for the belly of her teddy bear focal point.

Cammie, Mariah & Emm, be sure to contact customer service with your free stamp set choice as well as your shipping information!  Thank you to everyone for playing along!  Such an amazing amount of inspiration was shared tonight!

May Blog Hop TONIGHT!

Tonight we are excited to present the BIG monthly Blog Hop that Papertrey Ink hosts for all of it's talented customers to show off their skills! We are doing things a bit different this month with the link list being hosted here on my blog at 8pm EST with a Mister Linky list, rather than a thread on our forum for that purpose. But not to worry, the contest for non-participants as well as all the chit chat will still be going on over in our forum in the designated thread. I hope that I will see many of your familiar faces over here tonight! I look forward to seeing all of your creativity!

All of our customers who enjoy sharing inspiration & artwork with their peers through their personal blogs.

The actual Blog Hop will take place tonight, May 25th, beginning @ 8pm EST.

You will explore individual blogs through a thread HERE on my blog beginning at 8pm EST tonight.

 An evening dedicated to seeking inspiration through projects utilizing Papertrey Ink products.

...........................................................................................................

 

This month's blog hop is all about fabulous felt! We know you love this addition to our product line-up and we would love to see what you are doing with it! From borders to focal points, paper crafts to sewing projects. Hair accessories to home decor accents. Cards to scrapbook layouts. We want to see it all!

 -Bloggers will post their projects on their individual blogs between 5pm EST and 7:55pm EST. The title of your post should be "Papertrey May Blog Hop Challenge".

-Participating bloggers need post a link to their project in the post labeled "May Blog Hop" that will begin at 8pm EST on Nichole's Blog. (no pre-registration is required). A Mister Linky list will be included at the bottom of the post, and this is where you will need to add your link in order to be qualified. -Customers & participants alike can peruse all of the links and absorb all of the amazing inspiration that will be shared! -After you have made your way through the list, simply return to our forum and participate in all of the fun! -You can chit chat with everyone in the Blog Hop forum! Take this time to praise your peers efforts, discuss anything new you might have learned and which projects really offered something unique! -The three random blogger participant winners will be announced at midnight EST on our forum and highlighted here on my blog! -You can enter our Blog Hop Forum contest. There will be a special thread posted in our forum specifically for this purpose asking a question. Please only post once, as the winner will be picked via the Random Number Generator. The forum contest will end at midnight EST and the winner announced at the end of the contest thread. -Create a project while you are here, using the new inspiration you have gathered from the Blog Hop. You can post your projects in the gallery, even if you do not have a blog! We are looking forward to all the fun tonight and we hope to see you there!

The day after & a BIG thank you

Good morning, everyone!  Happy release day!  First and foremost I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you.  I know that there have been many ups and downs over the last few days as we attempted to fully launch the new website for this release.  Going into this big change was definitely a stressful challenge for all of us behind the scenes. 

 The fact that all of our loyal customers have stuck with us through this time of change and have been so positive and uplifting has truly been one of the biggest blessings to me.  It showed me that you think of us as more than just a company.  You value what we have to share with you, and you'll always be there, rain or shine.  I have such an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for each and every one of you this morning.  Thank you SO much... for everything.

As I stated last night, we will be temporarily be running our old site until we are certain that server issues are sorted out with the new one.  Julie usually spends a full week creating all of the pages & organizing all of the images and information for the new products.  Last night she put together the impromptu front page in less than an hour just so you were able to purchase the items you've been wanting.

Julie will be working all day today to bring all of the web views and such to the status that you are accustomed to, with images and all of the details.  We anticipate everything to be prepared late tonight.  We appreciate your patience with the current set-up as Julie finishes the preparations.  In the interim, I have prepared a special page here on the blog so you are able to view all of the new release items in one place.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL NEW RELEASE IMAGES

 

Because of the switch back to the old site at the last minute, we were not able to get galleries prepared to display all of the design team's work with the latest release products.  That is something we will be tweaking throughout the coming days, however the team got together and posted many of their projects on their blogs last night.  I have linked to each of their posts below so that you can see all of the amazing goodies they have created, along with a featured personal favorite from each designer.

 

 

Betsy Veldman has several fabulous projects on her blog this morning, but my personal favorite is this one she did using the Year of Flowers: Lily of the Valley set.  I love how she made it look as though it was a seed packet through the frames opening.  And the coloring is just so soft and beautifully understated.  Just stunning

  

Dawn McVey wowed me with her take on Up, Up & Away.  I love how she did the whole card in shades of pink, even the clouds, and yet it looks so striking and put together.  I never would have tried that myself and Dawn is always so good about pushing me out of my color comfort zone when she does projects like this one!

 
Debbie Olson really embraced both the new Sunshine Impression Plate and Take Three: Summer stamp set.  With her refined simplicity, she really is able to allow the background take center stage.  And I have to nod to that beautiful bow & button treatment she created as well!

 
Erin Lincoln paired several of the sets from the Year of Flowers series to create this amazing project.  I love how she broke each flower into panels and did a soft coloring effect with colored pencils.  Reminds me of pages from old botanical books or something!  Love this!

 

Heather Nichols created a super bright and tropical card with the new Aloha stamp set.  The Raspberry Fizz paired up with the Kraft cardstock is just an awesome combination.  Especially with the way that Heather softened all of the edges with a few swipes of her white ink pad.  The muted coloring on the hibiscus ads just the right amount of color to maintain a vintage-like feel to the project.

 
Kim Hughes also used Aloha to create this festive card using both Dotty Biscotti patterned paper and the new Background Basics: Geometrics set.  I also love the rustic effect she was able to get with the Linen & Canvas Impression Plate.  Almost gives you the feeling of grasscloth that can be associated with all things tropical!

 

I simply adored Lisa Johnson's use of the new Get to the Point and Sentiments sets.  All of those arrows together paired with the bold sentiment choices from the companion sentiment set, combine to create a wonderfully unique card that will definitely catch anyone's eye.  The color scheme is just awesome as well.  Bright and super cheerful!

 

Maile Belles used the new Cloud Dies in a completely fabulous way on this card that also features the new balloon images from Up, Up & Away.  I love how she used the negative space with the dies in such a fun way.  It really accents the shapes of the clouds and just offers you even more versatility.

 

Melissa Phillips paired her classic feminine, vintage look with some of our felt, the new Eyelet Lace Border die and a heartfelt sentiment from Inside & Out: Thank You.  The stitching she added to the leaf with embroidery floss just made me swoon!  And I just adore the glittery border she was able to create with the eyelet lace!  Funny, but I hadn't thought to do that and it looks so fabulous!

 

Michelle Wooderson used images from both Up, Up & Away and Get to the Point stamp sets to create this amazingly vibrant card.  A few things that jumped right out at me was the way she added just a bit of glitter to the bottom of each cloud die-cut.  A little goes along way in this type of application and I think Michelle got it spot on!  I also love the way she used the tickets and arrow image along the side as a border.  It brings emphasis to the "Up" theme and I love that!

 
Niki Estes utilized her Copic coloring skills to create this amazing little masterpiece.  With Bitty Box patterned paper representing the hills and Spring Rain cardstock as the sky, she created the perfect backdrop for her colorful balloons.  I also love the way Niki nestled her sentiment in with the balloons.  Makes it look so much more at home and helps to connect everything together and make it cohesive to the eye.

 

Ashley Cannon Newell used the postcard image from Aloha to create this fabulous patterned paper for her background.  I love the way she paper pieced the floral element on the surfboard, showcasing you don't need to have coloring skills to make this set shine.  I also love the sparkle she added to the center of each hibiscus bloom, setting off the details.

Thank you once again for your patronage, support, patience, understanding and the love you have shared with us over the past few days.  We appreciate you more than I can express.  I hope you thoroughly enjoy the rest of your weekend and carve out some time to be creative!

*Official* May Release Party Contest

Hello, everyone!  Thank you so much for stopping by to participate in the festivities tonight!  We are so glad that you're here!

We have the "I Want It All" May Prize Package up for grabs today for one lucky comment!

"What is the best homemade gift you have ever received?"

You have until 11:30pm EST to let us know you're answer to this question.  One comment per person please.  One randomly selected winner will be announced shortly before midnight right here on this post.  Good luck to all of you and enjoy the rest of the night!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

Congratulations, Michele!  Please be sure to contact Customer Service with your shipping information so we can get your package out to you.

And thank you again to everyone for sticking with us during this time of transition.  We rally appreciate each and every one of you.

Tonight is the Night!

The night we have all been waiting for is finally here!  Can't you just feel the anticipation in the air!  Now is your chance to be one of the FIRST to get to play with all of the amazing paper crafting goodness that we are offering up this month!!!  I wanted to let you know a few things about tonight so you can know what to expect!

The release party begins at 10pm EST on our forum.
Be sure to stop by OUR FORUM and enjoy the camaraderie and chit chat about all of our new products.  It's fast-moving and a super duper way to pass the time until you can begin filling your cart.

You can't have a party without a contest.
Tonight we will feature a contest, HERE ON THE BLOG.  There is a post that will go live @ 10:30pm EST entitled "OFFICIAL Release Party Contest" with a question for you to answer.  Share your answer with us and you will be eligible to win:

Our "I Want It All" package
this includes the entire May Release!

The contest will close at 11:30pm EST and the winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator.  I will announce the lucky winner here before midnight!

Stamp Set Reveal @ 11pm EST

At 11pm EST I will reveal all of the stamp sets in their entirety here, on the blog.  This way you can have a little time to look at everything and make informed decisions about your purchases.

May Quick Picks/Collections!

Quick Picks will now be formatted as collections on the what's new page of the new website, including expanded options such a die collections.  I will be getting all the details about this month's collections and how they will function within the next few hours and I will edit this post accordingly! :)

Simply Chartreuse Cardstock Delay

The truck carrying our Simply Chartreuse cardstock is delayed and will not arrive until approx. May 21st, so it will be unavailable for purchase tonight.  However, all of the other Simply Chartreuse items including six ribbon styles, buttons, ink and felt WILL all be available!  Thank you for your understanding!

May in a Nutshell!

You can always see a linked review list for each release on my Previous Countdown page, HERE. But I have also added the list below, so it's easy to navigate while you are making your shopping decisions tonight.

Day 1: Up, Up & Away

Day 2: Get to the Point, Get to the Point Sentiments & Fillable Frames #4

Day 3: Just for You

Day 4: Year of Flowers: Lily of the Valley and Inside & Out: Thank You

Day 5: Aloha & Color Couture and Take Three: Summer & Background Basics: Geometrics

Group Post: Handmade & Homemade Just for You

Color Introduction: Simply Chartreuse

We look forward to seeing all of you tonight!!!

Introducing Take Three: Summer & Background Basics: Geometrics

Here we are!  The final day of the countdown!  So hard to believe!  I have some super exciting stamps and projects to introduce to you today.  Thanks for your patience with me as I took a little extra time to prepare everything for you!

There are TWO posts with TWO ways to win today, so be sure to scroll down all the way!

First up is a new set from Alli Miles.  The second addition to her Take Three stamp collection.  Each quarter we will be releasing a new addition based upon the current season.  When the year is up, you will have a small collection of stamps that can carry you through nearly any occasion or holiday, and all very reasonably priced.

The Take Three stamp sets always include six images and a handful of complementary sentiments. Between the six image stamps there are actually TWO images, each positioned three ways within three reverse block stamps.  By having images available facing left, right and centered, you have options to use them all together or individually.

The details.

• Take Three: Summer will be available for purchase on May 15th.
  
• It will retail for $15.
  
• Take Three: Summer contains a total of 14 stamps (6 block images, 1 small accent flower and 7 sentiments).
  
• The sentiments in the Take Three: Spring stamp set are interchangeable with this month's addition and all other Take Three sets in the future.

The other set I have to introduce to you today is a fabulous background set from Melissa Bickford. Background Basics: Geometrics is an eclectic mix of different takes on basic geometric shapes.  They will prove to be a wonderful finishing touch to so many projects!

The details.

• Background Basics: Geometrics will be available for purchase on May 15th.
  
• It will retail for $15.
  
• Background Basics: Geometrics contains a total of 3 background building strips.

Now that I have all the introductions out of the way, let's get to the fun stuff!

This is my favorite card of the bunch, so I just simply HAD to share it with you first since I am so excited about it!

I stamped the three different orientations of the blossom block image, each in a different color on white cardstock.  I used Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist and Spring Rain.  I then trimmed the SIDES of each block even with the edge of the stamp images and adhered them to another piece of white cardstock, butting right up against one another.  I then used a ruler and craft knife to trim along the bottom of the strip to eliminate the curved corners and allow this to look like one cohesive block.

While trimming, I left about a half-inch of white cardstock on either end to use for glitter application later.  I applied Scor-tape to the ends and between the blocks and then sprinkled on glitter.

The finished result is just SO pretty!  Reminds me a tad of a paint swatch, but in an artistic, sparkley kind of way!

The thank you sentiment on the front cover is from Inside & Out: Thank You and it's stamped with Hawaiian Shores ink. 

Notice the use of the Woodgrain Impression Plate on the front cover?  I love the way this plate accents the design so well.  Plus, I'm always a fan of white on white like this, with just a little color pop!

This type of card could be done in a variety of colors so you could create your own little collection.  So fun to have on hand whenever you need to jot anyone a little note!

I accented the interior of the card a bit as well.  I stamped one of the floral blocks with Aqua Mist ink, then stamped the same thank you from the cover directly over the flower using Hawaiian Shores ink.  Underneath that I stamped one of my favorite sentiments from Inside & Out: Thank You using True Black ink.  Simple, but really jazzes the inside up!

My next card is a bit more vintage.  I was inspired by some colors I had seen together in a catalog.  Summer Sunrise, Spring Moss, Dark Chocolate & Vintage Cream!

I started with Vintage Cream cardstock and stamped it with various flowers from Beautiful Blooms II using Summer Sunrise and Spring Moss ink.  I then used the small daisy from Take Three: Summer, that coordinates with those found in the bird images, to add Dark chocolate accents.  I then swiped the edges with the Tea Dye Duo pads.  Last but not least, I ran the whole thing through my Big shot with the linen side of the Linen & Canvas Impressions Plate.

You might have noticed the fun vellum sentiment strip on this card.  People are always asking me about how to adhere vellum.  For this particular application, I cut the strip twice as long as the card is wide and wrapped the ends of the strip around to the back.  I then applied adhesive just to the portions on the back.  This hides the adhesive and the portion on the front remains crisp and unaltered!

This hides the adhesive and the portion on the front remains crisp and unaltered!

 

The bird block image was stamped with Dark Chocolate ink and adhered with foam dimensionals.


In this photo I wanted to point out how the small dark chocolate flowers in the bird image are brought out by the matching dark chocolate flowers I stamped on the background paper.  This is a design tip implement pretty regularly and you might have success with it if you don't already do it in your own process.

A fun, retro card that nearly anyone would love to receive!

Next, I have a sympathy card I created with a bit of white ink & Copic markers!

I started by stamping all three of the floral blocks onto kraft cardstock with Fresh Snow ink.

I used a YG95 Copic to color in the stems and leaves, and followed with R35 & R05 for the flower interiors.  One of my favorite things to do is color in the negative spaces of reverse images like this.  It adds such an unexpected touch and gives you more versatility with your images.

This sentiment that Alli included in Take Three: Summer is one of my favorites from the collection.  So much more heartfelt than just "with sympathy".

I used my handy black pen to utline the kraft focal point and accent the sentiment at the bottom of the card.  I love how bold and fresh this project turned out!  Don't you?

This little piece is sentiment-free, but makes up for that with it's cuteness factor!

I stamped one of the bird blocks with both Sweet Blush & Aqua Mist ink onto Rustic White cardstock.  I carefully cut out the Aqua Mist bird with scissors.

I layered the Aqua Mist bird right on top of the appropriate area on the Sweet Blush image.  Using a glue pen, I also added a few glitter highlights!

Did you notice the accent strip I used across the middle of the card?  That is actually STAMPED with the new grid image from Background Basics: Geometrics using Sweet Blush ink.  I love that I can now make this in any color combination I desire!

For the ribbon, I used the same technique from my Lily of the Valley post and colored along each side of the 3/8"silk ribbon with Copic markers.  It looks so soft and delicate and really helps to tie in the color scheme.

Last but certainly not least, I used the new Sunshine Impression Plate on the Aqua Mist background.  I think this added detail totally made the project!

I have one last card for you today.  This one is using a bird block image once again (but I can't help it!  I love, LOVE these little birdies!)

I started with the Mat Stack 2 die, cut from Rustic Cream cardstock.  I stamped across the center of it with another of the background building strips from Background Basics: Geometrics using Berry Sorbet ink.

The bird block was heat embossed with Filigree Clear embossing powder on Berry Sorbet cardstock.  I punched it out with the Super Jumbo Scalloped Square punch from Marvy.

On the Mat Stack, I ended up piercing a hole in the center of each of the circles that made up this pattern.  This little detail really added a lot to the project.

The background of the project is stamped with flowers from Beautiful Blooms II using Vintage Cream Ink.  The sentiment is from Up, Up & Away, stamped in True Black.

Aren't you just crazy about the possibilities that both of these sets have?  I know I will be getting a lot of use out of both of them!  We would love to hear your thoughts about both of these new sets.  As promised, I have a HUGE, over the top prize package for you to have a chance of winning!

• Take Three: Summer stamp set
• Background Basics: Geometrics stamp set

ALL of the May Release Dies & Impression Plates!

• Eyelet Lace Die
• Mat Stack 2 Die
• Up, Up & Away Die
• Clouds Die Set
• Fillable Frames #4 Die
  
• Linen & Canvas Impression Plate
• Sunshine Impression Plate

This prize package has a $90 value, so be sure to leave a comment so you can be entered to win!  But hurry, this contest ends at 11:30pm EST TONIGHT!  Only one comment per person please.  One randomly selected winner will be announced on our May Release Winners page by midnight EST.  Thanks for stopping back by today to catch a glimpse at this post!  We hope to see you at the party tonight!

Maile Belles has even more projects to share with you using these new sets!

Alli Miles is showcasing Take Three: Summer on her blog today.  You can see her other posts from this week HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

Melissa Bickford has a little something to share with her Background Basics: Geometrics set.  You can see her other posts from this week HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

Beth Silaika delves into her new set, Get to the Point.

Lisa Johnson has some exciting things to show you with her new set, Just for You.

Heather Nichols is showing the possibilities of Fillable Frames #4 today.

Ashley Cannon Newell has THREE projects to share with you today using the new release products!

 For complete supply lists and dimensions for all of today's projects, please CLICK HERE.

Introducing Aloha & May Color Couture

 

Dawn McVey has been one busy lady the past few months and has SO much goodness to share with you for the May release.  Not only just have a fun new stamp set, but another round of the printed Color Couture Embellishments & Inspiration Pages for the exclusive Color Couture Binder are ready to go.  Such an amazing resource to keep right at your fingertips!

Aloha is her latest set with super fun images that nod to Hawaii and all of the beauty & magic that the islands possess.  I haven't yet had the opportunity to go there myself, but I certainly hope to one day!

The details.

• Aloha will be available for purchase on May 15th.
  
• It will retail for $15.
  
• Aloha contains a total of stamps (3 images and 8 sentiments)

The new Color Couture package for May (Volumes 4-6) has oodles of fun borders, accents, sentiments & focal points that you can use for quick & easy cards.  Not to mention three more Color Swatch Dividers to inspire you with artful color combinations when you need a little push or just stuck in a color rut!

The details.

• Color Couture, Volumes 4-6, will be available for purchase on May 15th.
  
• It will retail for $12.
  
• Color Couture, Volumes 4-6, contains 3 Color Swatch Dividers, 9 inspiration pages of projects (contributed by Dawn, Betsy Veldman & Melissa Phillips), and 15 pages of full-color embellishments.
  
• An exclusive binder designed to hold all of your pages together with style and easy reference is available for purchase separately HERE.
• This is an ongoing series.  A new printed collection will be introduced once each quarter, with the other two months of the quarter bringing you inexpensive downloadable materials to add to your binder for even more inspiration!

The colors used are as follows: 

Vol.4 (Hawaiian Shores, New Leaf, Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, White)  

 

Vol.5 (Raspberry Fizz, Orange Zest, Terracotta Tile, Ripe Avocado, White)

Vol.6 (Summer Sunrise, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate, Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist)

I thought I would go into a bit more detail about this fabulous product line today and show you just what you get! 

Here is what this cute little binder looks like with the first set (Volumes 1-3) and the new second set (Volumes 4-6) of pages look like assembled all together in the binder. The binder measures 9" x 7.5" so it has a relatively small footprint and is easy to store. Totally takes me to a happy place to see all that goodness together in one spot!

You'll notice that the Color Swatch Dividers

Here's an example of what the first part of a volume looks like.  You'll notice that the Color Swatch Divider is a bit taller than the other pages so that you can easily flip to any given section and browse all the color combinations with ease.

When you flip the Color Swatch Divider over, you will have the Embellishment pages using those colors ready to cut out and use.  There are five (yes, FIVE) Embellishment pages for each volume, with each page featuring several different elements that you can use for your projects.  I think they're fun to use as a quick jumping point because once you select one to use, all you need to pull out is the coordinating cardstock and perhaps a bit of ribbon to create a quick and easy project!

The third portion for a volume is a set of THREE Inspiration Pages, each featuring a full-color project, supply list and complete instructions.  There is one project each from Dawn herself, Betsy Veldman and Melissa Phillips in each and EVERY volume!  That means with the purchase of one collection (which contains three volumes) you get a whooping NINE project ideas using the very embellishments that you also receive in the package!

For those of you that are always requesting a Papertrey Idea Book, this is an excellent resource that gives you so many points of reference!  And don't forge that this is an ongoing series!  A new printed collection will be introduced once each quarter, with the other two months of the quarter bringing you inexpensive downloadable materials to add to your binder for even more inspiration!

I keep my binder sitting right next to my ink pad storage on my table top so I can grab it and use it as inspiration whenever I am stuck.  This is a fantastic product line that Dawn has invested lots of thought and time into and I know that anyone who purchases this will be so incredibly glad they did!

Now, enough of my chatter!  How about we get to a few projects?

I love, love, love this first card.  It's simple but striking and really captured the colors of Hawaii, giving it a tropical feel.

I started by stamping the Hibiscus image from Aloha all over my New Leaf cardstock using Fresh Snow ink.  I noticed that when dry, it almost takes a blue tone to it, so I decided incorporate some other blues into my project.

I put together a few fun dies to create a unique mat.  You will see here that I die cut the NEW! Mat Stack 2 die from Aqua Mist cardstock and the Beautiful Blooms die from Hawaiian Shores cardstock.

When you put them together, you end up with something like this.  I just adored how the flower layered behind the Mat Stack 2 just barely peeks out, giving you a pop of color.

I used my ribbon loop technique with Hawaiian Shores grosgrain ribbon behind the layers I just created.  The focal point sentiment is cut from none other than the Color Couture Vol. 6 collection of embellishments that I referenced earlier.  It set off my project perfectly and coordinated well with my color scheme.

Last but not least, I added a few New Leaf buttons with glue dots on either end of the Mat Stack 2 die-cut.  I've mentioned it before, but it bears repeating, this die shape is perfectly suited for buttons or embellishments because of the elongated tabs on each side.

This next card is totally tropical and super easy and simple to recreate!

I stamped the Hibiscus flower twice, once on my kraft card cover and once on a separate scrap of white cardstock.  I colored the leaves in on the kraft version using the Ripe Avocado Copic Trio.  On the second hibiscus, I colored the flower with  the Orange Zest Trio and accented the center with Pure Poppy markers.

I used a ruler and white gel pen to add a frame to the kraft card base.  I love doing this on simple projects like this because it really brings it the next level and it's such an easy technique to do.

I cut out the colored hibiscus and even cut apart the petals along the dividing lines.  I curved and cupped each petal slightly to give the flower a bit more dimension.

I just loved how it turned out and can imagine doing a whole collection of different colors!  The sentiment, "Thinking of you" is also from Aloha.  I love this font and I think it complements the images SO well!

Now, how about a teen birthday card?  Sometimes those teen boy projects can be tough. I thought this surf board image was just the thing to use as a jumping point for a project of that nature.  I colored the surf board with Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz, Ripe Avocado and just a touch of Orange Zest Copic Marker Trio.  I swiped my Aqua Mist ink pad around the exterior of the focal point to represent the clear blue sky.  The background was created with one of my old favorites, Dot Spot.

The sentiments I used are "Happy Birthday" from Handwritten Notes and "Surfer Dude" from Aloha.  Both of which are stamped in True Black ink.

The "sand" was created with kraft cardstock and stamped with Text Style using Dark Chocolate ink.  I swiped just a tad of Tea Dye Duo along the top edge and tied Rustic Jute Button Twine around the focal point a few times as a finishing accent.  It reminded me a bit of the hemp necklaces that can sometimes be seen on surfers.  I think any boy would love to receive this no matter the age, especially knowing that it was handmade for them!

This last card showcases the ADORABLE post card image that is included in the new Aloha set, as well as a few more Color Couture accents.  The background of this card was stamped with Gigs Guide Lines using Versamark ink.

The embellishments were cut our from the Color Couture Vol. 2 collection.  I thought the little postage stamp went well with my postcard image.  And I loved the colors in the flowers, as they were a jumping point for the entire projects color scheme.

The Sending Thanks sentiment (from Big & Bold Wishes) is stamped in Terracotta Tile, while the small sentiment underneath it is stamped in True Black.  The edges of the entire focal point block are swiped with the Tea Dye Duo pads.

I hope you enjoyed all of these projects.  Such a fun set of products to share with you today!  What are your initial thoughts of Aloha & Color Couture?  What kinds of projects do you think YOU would create?  We would love to hear your feedback!  Enter for a chance to win big just by leaving a comment today!  The prize package is amazing!!!

• Aloha stamp set
  
• Color Couture Binder
  
• Color Couture Inserts (Vol. 1-3)
  
• Color Couture Inserts (Vol. 4-6)
  
• First Fruits stamp set (won't the pineapple from this set go well with Aloha?!?!)
  

Isn't that a fantastic group of products?!?!?  Be sure to leave your comment before this contest closes tonight,Friday, May 14th, 11:30pm EST.  Only one comment per person please.  One randomly selected winner will be announced on our May Release Winners page by midnight EST.  Thanks for stopping by today and good luck!

 

You can see what Dawn McVey has done with both her Aloha stamp set and the new Color Couture embellishments HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE!

For complete supply lists & dimensions for all of today's projects, please CLICK HERE. 

Website & forum update (5pmEST)

The site has gone live, but you will notice that it's extremely slow at the moment because of some additional work & fine-tuning that needed to be done with the server.  We are anticipating it to be back up to full throttle around 8 or 9pm EST.

Thanks again for your patience!

Website & forum update (2pmEST)

Our web company has currently disabled the store front and is now switching servers and loading the brand new website!  There a few things that they wanted me to pass onto all of you!

***The new site should go live TODAY by approx. 4pm EST.***

CLICK HERE to visit our site.

STOP BY FOR A VISIT

We encourage you to stop by and browse, get to know the site and get comfortable with the new format. We also want to be able to conduct live load volume testing so we can be sure that we have prepared fully for the traffic expected on release night!  So tell all your friends and stamping cohorts to stop by and visit so we can have as much traffic as possible today to perform this testing!

SET UP YOUR NEW ACCOUNT

You will need to set up a new user account.  You can still use your current forum name however when you re-register on the new site, you will be emailed a temporary password. You will then be directed as to how you can make the password your own.  By setting up an account, you will be eligible for the Come Grow with Us program (anniversary set, viewable order history, order tracking and many other benefits.

PLEASE NOTE

You will be able to shop without an account, but purchases made without an account will not be "trackable" for our new database and would not count towards the qualification of next year's anniversary set.

IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS

The web team will be scouring the site thoroughly over the next 24 hours to ensure all the bugs are worked out before the release.  PLEASE refrain from contacting customer service if you notice anything is askew or not operating correctly.  The team will get to each modification in due time.

Thanks for your patience with us during this switchover period!  We promise, good things come to those that wait!  Have a great night!