{capture the moment}

Senior DT Challenge: Spiral Bouquet Revisited

After many requests from customers over the last few months, we are going to dedicate the net few Senior Design Team Challenges to revisiting older stamp sets.  Therefore breathing new life into them and inspiring you to dust them off and use them in new & fun ways.  This month I challenged them to focus on Spiral Bouquet.

Spiral Bouquet was released during the first year we were in business and I can remember it like it was just yesterday.  I put a lot of time & effort into this collection of images and I still love it just as much to this day.  There are many layering possibilities with this set.  The line images can be layered on top of the shadows.  Or you can of course use them separately, as you will see below with all of the team projects.  

CLICK HERE to read more from Betsy Veldman.

CLICK HERE to read more from Dawn McVey.

CLICK HERE to read more from Heather Nichols.

 

CLICK HERE to read more from Lisa Johnson.

CLICK HERE to read more from Michelle Wooderson.

Didn't the team do an AMAZING job revisiting this set?  It brought me such an incredible amount of joy to see all of these projects come together! Do you already own Spiral Bouquet?  Have you created anything fabulous with it that you would like to share a link to in the comments section of this post?  I would love to see it!   I hope you have been as inspired as I was and get the opportunity to create something fabulous!  Thanks for stopping by today!

July 2010 Papertrey Blog Hop

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

 
  

For this month's blog hop we are focusing on office supplies!  We want to see you incorporate all of those fun desk drawer fillers into your paper crafting projects.  This can include paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands, file folders, staples, binder rings, adhesive labels, post-it notes, index cards or whatever else you can dream up.  Reinvent these basic office staples to be hip and trendy additions to your projects!  We look forward to seeing your creations!

I have included a Mister Linky list below for you to add your link to your office supply project.  You have until 11:30pm EST tonight (July 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.  They will be announced and highlighted here, on my blog, shortly after midnight.  We look forward to seeing all of your creations!

EDITED TO ADD THE RANDOMLY SELECTED WINNERS!

 Piali created a beautiful show-stopper with her office-product card.  She combined the new set School Days with the Sunshine Impression Plate to create the perfect thank you card for teacher.  The little clip she added to the top of the tag was the perfect touch and invites the recipient to pull it out be interactive with the project.  I also love how she cut rickrack from cork as an accent for her pocket.  So cute!

 

Stacy wowed me with her clean and simple take on an office product card.  The mutli-colored strip of patterned paper through the center grabs your attention.  And what's not to love about the three customized tickets that are clipped at just the right angle.  The addition of the Book Print Impression Plate complements the graphic nature of the project too.  Fantastic job!

 

Jean customized her own paper clip with small flowers from her stash, allowing this popular office supply to feel at home on a "frilly" feminine card, such as this.  I love the way she layered the Year of Flowers: Violet image under the sentiment in a contrasting color.  Such a simple design detail that adds so much to the background of the sentiment.  The overall layout of this card is fabulous as well!

These winners need to email customer service with their shipping information and chosen FREE stamp set within 30 days. Thank you to everyone for playing along tonight!  ALL of your projects were amazing and I hope you have gained a lot of inspiration while you were here!  Have a wonderful night.

July 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 again 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.

 

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

 

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

 

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

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For this month's blog hop we are focusing on office supplies!  We want to see you incorporate all of those fun desk drawer fillers into your paper crafting projects.  This can include paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands, file folders, staples, binder rings, adhesive labels, post-it notes, index cards or whatever else you can dream up.  Reinvent these basic office staples to be hip and trendy additions to your projects!  We look forward to seeing your creations!

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

-Participating bloggers need post a link to their project in the post labeled "July Blog Hop" that will begin at 8pm EST on my 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 tomorrow morning in the 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!

Monday CHA Prep Notes

Things have been crazy around here as last minute preparations for CHA are underway.  (If you missed all the details about CHA, you can get all caught up HERE!)  I am so excited to see everything come together this year!  We have all worked so hard to make our booth a little slice of Papertrey heaven right in Chicago!

 

I thought it would be fun to document a little of the prep work behind the scenes.  Today I bring you images of the project that David and I took on yesterday.  (Excuse the quality of the photos, they are taken with my iphone since I didn't have my camera handy!) We picked up all of the booth fixtures we ordered to add to what we already had accumulated from last year.  This includes grid walls, shelving, hooks, pegs, fasteners and everything else we need to contain all the merchandise we are bringing. 

The booth this year is four times the size of last year's booth in an effort to accommodate everyone and alleviate lines.  We also doubled our check-out area with four cash registers instead of two.  

It is always so fascinating to see all of these boxes turned into something as tangible as a temporary "store"!  After opening all of these boxes and getting everything organized in the booth storage unit that we rent, we were beginning to get those first twinges of excitement that the big event will soon be here!

The Magic of Fairy Houses

As I have mentioned a few times over the past week, I just returned from a 2-1/2 week vacation on th eMaine coast visiting my family.  It is always so wonderful to go back and visit all the places I frequented when I was a child.  It's even more special to have the opportunity to share these places with my own children!  Today I thought I would share with you a famous Maine tradition that you may or may not be familiar with... fairy houses!

 

What is a fairy house you ask?  It is a small structure made for fairies to visit.  They are made out of natural, found objects from the great outdoors.  There are some rules for building a fairy house, and they can be very elaborate to very basic depending on the builder's age/skill level.  It all began for my family with a special book, "Fairy Houses...Everywhere" by Tracy Kane.  If you walk through many woodland parks, the backside of beaches and many other places in Maine, you will find these little fairy houses built by children and it is absolutely magical!  And it makes me so happy to see children being so creative!

 

(as a reminder, you can click on any of these photos for a larger view)

Hannah and I decided to build our own fairy house while we were at the beach one day.  We spent the whole afternoon collecting shells, driftwood, feathers & bark to create our special hideaway for the fairies.  It is a two-story home with an elaborate garden and outdoor eating area.  According to Hannah's research, these were all important things to incorporate into the home!

 

David snapped this shot while we were hard at work on our creation.  I love how you can see all the bits and pieces of the construction materials scattered around Hannah's knees.  So cute!

 

This is a shot of the side garden, complete with a little "pergola" so the fairies have some place to sit and enjoy the ocean view.

This is the set of table & chairs that Hannah created so they had somewhere to eat outside.  The backs of the chairs are made from razorback clam shells while the seats and table are made from flat rocks.  Hannah even "set" the table with acorn tops to serve as bowls for the fairies to eat from.

 
Here is a view from the top of the house.  You can see Hannah's handiwork with the clamshell path!  I have to add that when we went back to check on our fairy house a few days later, someone had built their own fairy house a few yards away from ours.  So fun to see the magic pass on!  Thanks for letting me share this today!  Have a wonderful night!

 
 

The morning after...

As tradition holds, the morning after the release is when I get the opportunity to scroll through all of the amazing work the design team has created with the new products.  This month was such a special treat and everyone hit it out of the park! I feel so lucky to be part of the magic every month that this team creates!  I hope you enjoy perusing through some of my favorites.

Betsy Veldman created this bright and colorful card using Birthday Bash Sentiments.  I instantly fell in love with the background she created with the blocked "Happy" from the set.  By staggering them like she did and alternating colors, she was able to create a really cool, unexpected effect.  I also loved the way she tied the ribbon, eluding to the shape of a birthday gift.  So clever!

Dawn McVey achieved a soft monochromatic look with her project using Year of Flowers: Larkspurs.  I love how she added just touches of a darker color to the centers of the flowers to help make them pop.  Using the Bitty Dot Basics paper instead of ribbon, complete with the trimmed "v" really stood out to me as another fantastic idea.  I always forget how stunning a circular focal point can look and was totally reminded of this with Dawn's project.

Debbie Olson paired School Time with the new Library Card to create this adorable teacher thank you card.  One of my favorite features is the way she used the school-style journaling line image from the set to create a road for the school buses.  By bending the long stamp before putting it on the block, you can manipulate it's shape.  Such a brilliant execution!  I also love the way that the button nestles so perfectly into the little notch of the Library Pocket die.  Debbie is always so good at adding these little details!

Erin Lincoln made a stunning project with Birthday Bash Sentiments as it's basis.  Our new Mat Stack 3 die paired with the label frame from All Booked Up is a perfect companion for it.  As I've stated before, all of the Mat Stack dies coordinate well with all of our 1.75" images, including this scalloped frame Erin used from Daily Designs.  The numbers forming the age are from Get to the Point.  I also have to mention that I am head over heels in love with this color combination!

Heather Nichols used several sets to create these adorable school name tags for her daughters.  She used the Mat Stack 3 die paired with the frame image from All Booked Up as the basis for her project.  School Time & School Time Additions make up the remainder of the details including the alphabet background, the apple, pencil and grade titles.  The ruler image from It's Official finishes it off nicely.  Love these tags and will totally have to make some for my kids backpacks this year!

Kim Hughes utililized It's Official to the fullest with this fun hip & modern take on a collage project.  I love how she combined all sorts of bright colors as she layered all of the fun images from this set.  She helped to ground the central "Just a Note" sentiment by stamping the black stars around it.  Awesome job, Kim!

Lisa Johnson created thesestunningly soft & beautiful project using the new Year of Flowers: Larkspurs set. She brought back a classic technique, by stamping the image with Versamark and then "pouncing" on it with chalks. I also love how she spotlighted a portion of the larkspurs image, another option rather tahn always using it as is.  Just so pretty to look at!

 
Maile Belles paired the new School Time set with our Book Print Impression Plate, achieving stunning results.  I love her use of the new Dark Chocolate Baker's Twine and they way it helps to ground the buttons.  Having a few different colors of buttons scattered around the image like this is fabulous too.  Love everything about this project!

 
Melissa Phillips made Just the Ticket come to life on this project.  I love how she stamped sentiments from Friendship Jar within the tickets, giving them even more mix & match possibilities. I love how she, however, used one of the Just the Ticket sentiments as the focal point for the upper portion of the project.  And note the Suse of the Spiral Notebook Page die.  I love the detail that this adds.

Michelle Wooderson created a beautiful pastel card using layers of tickets & tags, her signature style.  She used Just the Ticket stamp set to create her adorable ticket border.  I love how she only put a sentiment in the center ticket and used the other two to frame out her die-cut felt flowers.  She also used Fillable frames #6 on the tag of her card.  I really love the way trimmed a small scrap of patterned paper to fit within it's boundries to achieve a unique look.  Michelle's projects just always make me so happy!

Niki Estes used Just the Ticket and a handcrafted heart to create this love-themed card.  I love how she nestled Fancy Flourishes into the background to help support the large focal point image.  I also love how shw stitched on the buttons with a bright aqua floss to help integrate the background color into the focal point.

I hope you enjoyed all of this incredible inspiration today.  You can check out all of the new relesed products in our store HERE.  Thank you for stopping by today!  Now go do something creative!

*Official* July Release Party Contest

We are so excited to see SO many of you coming out tonight to visit us!  This has truly been one of the most highly anticipated reeleases in Papertrey history and we are thrilled to be able to experience this with you!

Here is your chance to WIN the July "I Want It All" Prize Package!  All you need to do is post your answer to the following question!

"What is your favorite book of all time and why?"

This contest will close at 11:30pm EST.  Only one comment per person please.  One randomly selected winner will be selected and announced here, within the body of this post, before midnight EST. Enjoy the party and good luck.

----THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!---

and the winner is...

Katie {choc0holic}

"I honestly can't choose just one. I have many favorites, for different reasons. Whether it be because of the memories made while reading "Goodnight Moon" with my children, the personal inspiration I receive while reading "The Book of Mormon", the trip back in time while reading "Pride and Prejudice", the feeling of feeling like I truly know the characters and could consider myself a friend while reading "Elm Creek Quilts", or just the pure enjoyment of reading while reading "Fablehaven." I honestly couldn't choose just one. I am so grateful for the countless authors who have captivated my attention over the years and as I begin to see my children feel that same love of reading, it is just priceless! "

Congratulations,Katie!  Please be sure to email customer service with your shipping information!  Thanks for stopping by everyone, and have a great night!

Tonight's 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 July 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.

July Quick Picks/Collections!

For those of you who want it all with just one click!  You can see the full list of quick picks as well as all of the other new merchandise that will be available tonight, HERE.

Updated CHA Inventory List

I have updated the CHA Inventory List page to show what items we are bringing from this release in addition to the items we already announced.  You can see the updated list HERE.

July 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: Just the Ticket

DAY 2: Fillable Frames #6 & Library Card

DAY 3: All Booked Up

DAY 4: Year of Flowers: Larkspurs & School Time/School Time Additions

DAY 5: It's Official & Birthday Bash Sentiments

Thanks for stopping by and we look forward to seeing all of you tonight!

 

Introducing Birthday Bash Sentiments

So, are you all ready for the final day of the countdown?  It's hard to believe that tonight is the night already!  Let me show you the last of our new products today, and don't forget to scroll all the way down because there are TWO exciting, inspiration filled posts today!

 

Alli Miles has been busy this week showcasing her brand new Birthday Bash Sentiments set. 

(In case you missed it, you can see her work with this set HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.)  

An AMAZING, must-have addition to any stamp collection!  We have had SO many requests for more birthday sentiments from our customers and Alli's new set fits the bill perfectly!  It features a whopping 14 birthday sentiments that you can mix and match with each other AND other sets in your collection.  Some of them are elegant, some funny, some bold and modern.  It all comes down to this affordable $15 set, catering to nearly any style birthday card you desire to create!

The details.

• Birthday Bash Sentiments will be available for purchase on July 15th.
  
• It will retail for $15.
  
• It contains a total of 17 stamps (14 sentiments and 3 small companion images).

 

In addition to this amazingly versatile stamp set, we are also bringing you the next in our series of border dies, XL Rickrack.  This border was designed by Dawn McVey as a follow-up to her successful original and smaller Rickrack die.  You will love the wider format of the new one which can accommodate fun stitching techniques and stamp customization possibilities. 

The details.

• The XL Rickrack Die will be available for purchase on July 15th.
  
• It will retail for $8.
  
• The XL Rickrack Die measures 8.5" long and 0.75" wide.

 
I also get to introduce two additional colors of our new Baker's Twine.  Last month we brought you Dark Chocolate and Pure Poppy.  This month we are bringing you Enchanted Evening and New Leaf!

The details.

• Enchanted Evening & New Leaf Baker's Twine will be available for purchase on July 15th.
  
• It will retail for $5.
  
• Enchanted Evening & New Leaf Baker's Twine will be sold in 20 yard increments on wooden spools.
  

I'm anxious to share all of my projects with you today!  So let's get started!

This first project uses one of my favorite previous sets that I haven't inked up for a while, Piece of Cake.  It was a perfect pair for one of Alli's new birthday sentiments.

I started by cutting Stamper's Select White cardstock with the Mat Stack 3 die.  I stamped the smallest set of Polka Dots from Polka Dot Basics in Spring Rain.  Then I added the cake with Aqua Mist ink.  The final touch was the flower with Hawaiian Shores and the leaves in Simply Chartreuse.  IT is so fun to build images like this.  Lots of possibilities are available.

As a fun little extra, I "piped" on some decorative frosting with my 2-way glue pen and sprinkled on some Prisma Glitter.  I also added a single clear rhinestone to the center of the flower.  Nothing like a little sparkle to pretty up a special cake!

I added the new mixed typeface birthday sentiment with True Black ink.  I love the look and style Alli achieved with this.  Very trendy!

One of the things I love about this new set is the ability it gives you to customize the sentiments for the recipient.  Here I was able to add "and many more" underneath the birthday sentiment.  Being able to add it on or leave it off is a huge selling point for me as a stamper.

The completed focal point is strong all by itself and I didn't feel the need to add any other layers or embellishing because of this.

I can only begin to imagine how many of my other sets will look great with this stylish set of birthday wishes!

 

I used the Sunshine Impression Plate on the Aqua Mist background for this card.  It's subtle texture is a perfect match for the focal point.

I bet this project would look fantastic in shades of pink too!

This project uses one of the more unique birthday sentiments in the set.

I started by stamping the "50" in Berry Sorbet using the numbers from Get to the Point.  "It's not just a number" (from Birthday Bash Sentiments) is added underneath it using Dark Chocolate ink.  

I then added the polka dot arrow from Get to the Point above and below the sentiment in Summer Sunrise ink.  Notice how the original stamp is a curved arrow?  Try stamping just the straight portion of it on your project like I did here for another look with the same stamp.

I created the background using Beautiful Blooms II using Berry Sorbet, Vintage Cream & Summer Sunrise inks.  One thing I like to try to do when I am stamping on a card cover that I know a large focal point will be added to is stamp the pattern mostly around the edges.  This is the only portion that will be visible so keep that as your focus.

I used a 2-way glue pen to add glitter to the "50" to help add emphasis to the central point of the card.

I think the finished product has a fun retro look!

There's nothing quite like a bright pink, girly birthday card.  Not only are they fun to make, but they are also fun to give!

To create my ticket embellishment, I die cut Sweet Blush cardstock with the Just the Ticket Border die.  I stamped one of the tickets with the star border from Just the Ticket in Hibiscus Burst.  I then added the date filler image with Sweet Blush ink. 

Birthday Bash Sentiments includes this fun "HB 2 U" image that I thought worked perfectly for placement on a ticket, among other things.  I stamped it with Hibiscus Burst ink at a slight angle.  I then wanted to add emphasis to the "2", so I used a button rim as my stamp, once again stamped with Hibiscus Burst.  Such a fun look!

The remainder of the tickets were stamped with images from Just the Ticket.  I stamped those in Sweet Blush so that the "HB 2 U" could remain at center stage.

I die-cut Stamper's Select White cardstock with the Spiral Notebook Page die and stamped the order invoice image from It's Official using Smokey Shadow ink.  I then built a cupcake image using Cupcake Collection.  Notice that I chose to use the star-shaped sprinkles on the cupcake to coordinate with the theme of my project.  The large star was punched from white cardstock and covered with Prisma Glitter.

Polka Dot BAsics II was used on the Hibiscus Burst background, stamped with Hibiscus Burst ink. 

This is a clean & simple card I created by using only elements from Birthday Bash Sentiments.

It all started with this super cool "blocked" happy image that Alli designed.  I stamped it four times in four different colors, Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise, Simply Chartreuse and Hawaiian Shores.

I then added this bold and clean "happy, happy birthday" image underneath all of them using True Black ink.

I used a black pen and ruler to draw a frame around the focal point.

The book Prints Impression Plate was used on the background to add some subtle detail.

I love the pops of color on a pure white card like this.  It just makes me...well...HAPPY! :)

This last project is perfect for someone with a sense of humor!

Recognize this little sheep?  He's from My Punny Valentine, a previously released set from several years ago!

The little guy is reinvented for this project when one of Alli's new sentiments joins his side!

The border for this project was created with the Bingo card from It's Official.  By omitting the top "Bingo" portion, I was able to create something that supports the whole theme of numbers & counting, just like my chosen sentiment.

 

To complete the card, I colored the "who" in with a red Copic marker.

I added numbers down the side using Simple Alphabet.  With a black pen, I crossed out each subsequent number before getting the recipients real "age".  I used my handy dandy rimmed button once again for a stamp to highlight the "30".

I looped Pure Poppy Baker's Twine around the focal point to help create my third element of red, keeping a visual triangle apparent. 

I hope this last project gave you a little chuckle!

I had so much fun digging out some older sets for today's post!  I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane!  And realized how Birthday Bash Sentiments will help you to reinvent EVERYTHING in your current stash!  What was your favorite project from today's post?  Did you see anything that you are anxious to try yourself?  We would love to hear from you!  You can have a shot at winning an amazing prize package just for sharing your thoughts!

• Birthday Bash Sentiments stamp set
  
• XL Rickrack die
  
• One spool each of Enchanted Evening, New Leaf, Dark Chocolate & Pure Poppy Baker's Twine
  
• Cupcake Collection stamp set
  
• Piece of Cake stamp set
  
• It's a Celebration stamp set
• Birthday Basics stamp set

This prize package has a value of $130, so you will want to be sure to leave your comment for a chance to win!  This contest will close tonight, Wednesday, July 14th at 11:30pm EST.  Only one comment per person please.  One randomly selected winner will be selected and announced by midnight EST on our July Release Winners page.  Good luck!

 

Maile Belles has whipped up some amazing projects using Birthday Bash Sentiments.

You will definitely want to stop by Alli Miles' blog today to see what she has create with her new set.

Heather Nichols has a few more projects to share with you using both of her new July releases.

Niki Estes will inspire you will her use of School Time & Additions.

BIRTHDAY CAKE CARD

• STAMPS: Birthday Bash Sentiments (available July 15th), Piece of Cake, Polka Dot Basics 
• INK: Spring Rain, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Simply Chartreuse, True Black
• PAPER: Stamper's Select White, Aqua Mist
• OTHER: Sunshine Impression Plate, Mat Stack 3 die, clear rhinestone (Kaiser Craft, Prisma Glitter, 2-way glue pen
• FINISHED SIZE: 4.25" x 5.5"

BIG 50 CARD

• STAMPS: Birthday Bash Sentiments (available July 15th), Get to the Point, Beautiful Blooms II
• INK: Vintage Cream, Summer Sunrise, Berry Sorbet, Dark Chocolate, Tea Dye Duo
• PAPER: Kraft, Vintage Cream
• OTHER: 2-way Glue Pen, Prisma Glitter
• FINISHED SIZE: 4.25" x 5.5"

BIRTHDAY TICKET CARD

• STAMPS: Birthday Bash Sentiments (available July 15th), Just the Ticket, Cupcake Collection, Polka Dot Basics II
• INK: Hibiscus Burst, Sweet Blush, Smokey Shadow
• PAPER: Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, Stamper's Select White
• OTHER: Just the Ticket Border Die, Spiral Notebook Page Die, Prisma Glitter, Xyron Sticker Maker, Fiskars Star Punch
• FINISHED SIZE: 4.25" x 5.5"

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARD

• STAMPS: Birthday Bash Sentiments (available July 15th)
• INK: Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise, Simply Chartreuse, Hawaiian Shores, True Black
• PAPER: Stamper's Select White
• OTHER: Book Print impression plate
• FINISHED SIZE: 4.25" x 5.5"

COUNTING SHEEP CARD

• STAMPS: Birthday Bash Sentiments, It's Official (available July 15th), My Punny Valentine, Simple Alphabet
• INK: Fresh Snow, True Black, Pure Poppy
• PAPER: Kraft, Pure Poppy, Stamper's Select White
• OTHER: Pure Poppy Baker's Twine, Red Copic Marker, corner chomper (We R Memory Keepers)
• FINISHED SIZE: 4.25" x 5.5"

Introducing It's Official & July Color Couture Download

 

Dawn McVey has been a busy lady once again and has some exciting things to debut for you with the July release!

First is her latest stamp set, It's Official.  This fantastic set is full of basic images that you can use for backgrounds, focal points, supporting images and mats.  You will love ALL of the amazing mix & match possibilities this set has with not only the other new sets for this month, but your entire stamp collection!

The details.

• It's Official will be available for purchase on July 15th
  
• It will retail for $24.
  
• It's Official contains a total of 17 stamps (1 bingo card, 1 order invoice, 1 ruler, 1 lined notebook paper border, 1 admit one ticket, 3 small companion images and 9 sentiments)
• The order invoice coordinates perfectly with the new Spiral Notebook Page die, available separately for $8.
• The ticket image from It's Official coordinates with the Just the Ticket Border die, available for purchase separately for $8.

To coordinate with the ticket image in this set, Dawn also designed an impression plate.  The repeated ticket motif is SO trendy right now and can be used for so many things!  Not to mention the amazing detail that it creates!  One side of the plate is horizontally oriented while the other side is vertical so you can cater to any type of project.

The details.

• The Admit One Impression Plate will be available for purchase on July 15th
  
• It will retail for $16.
  
• The Admit One Impression Plate is double sided and measures 4.5" x 5.75"
  

Now if that wasn't enough, how about a paper pad to match?  This collection of papers feature one of Dawn's fun color combinations of Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy, Berry Sorbet & Dark Chocolate!  You will love how you can use these patterns to coordinate with not only the It's Official stamp set, but other themes and styles in your repertoire too!

The details.

• The It's Official paper pad will be available for purchase on July 15th
  
• It will retail for $8.
  
• The (8x8) It's Official paper pad contains 6 sheets each of 6 patterns, 36 sheets total.
  
• It coordinates with Simply Chartreuse, Berry Sorbet, Pure Poppy & Dark Chocolate.

 

On top of all this "official" goodness, Dawn is also introducing the July Color Couture Collection, which will be available for download and allow you to use it over and over again to your heart's content!  (If you want to learn more about the entire line of Color Couture products, you can read about it HERE) The printable papers this month are DIVINE and the file folder card templates are a perfect companion for all of the "office" style images being released this month!

The details.

• The new Color Couture Download will be available for purchase on July 15th
  
• It will retail for $5.
  
• The new Color Couture Download contains 6 File Folder Card Printable Templates, 2 File Folder Tab Printable Templates, 6 Patterned Printable Papers and 3 new Inspiration Inserts featuring project ideas from Melissa Phillips, Betsy Veldman & Dawn herself.
• The Color Couture Binder and companion printed items as well as additional downloads can be found in our store HERE.

Now that all of these formal introductions have been made, let's get onto some fun projects!

My first project is designed to show you that "office" themed projects can be soft and understated, just like this one is here.

I started by die-cutting the Spiral Notebook Page die from Stamper's Select White cardstock.  I then stamped this order invoice image onto it using Smokey Shadow ink.  Notice how the invoice coordinates perfectly with this die!

Next, I stamped the leaf image from Turning a New Leaf with Spring Moss ink.  The small flowers are from Beautiful Blooms II and they were stamped in Plum Pudding.  I love layering images on top of these cards like this.  You can build so much depth and detail.

To complete the focal point card, I added the herbal tea stamp in Spring Rain and the sentiment in True Black, both from Tea for Two.

I used the Admit One Impression plate here.  To give the pattern a softer look, I swiped my Fresh Snow ink pad across it's surface.  I am just head over heels in LOVE with this plate!

The Admit One cardstock was adhered in place to fill the entire cover.

For the teapot, I wanted a bit of a rustic look, so I inked it up with Spring Rain ink first, followed by Plum Pudding.  I really like how "antique" the teapot turned out!

I used the Tea for Two die with the teapot so I did not have to cut it out by hand.  I think I achieved the softness and I was going for at the beginning of this post, don't you?

Next is a little card that could be used for notecard sets for teachers gifts and so much more!

For the ruler, I first stamped Background Basics: Woodgrain with Versamark ink onto Kraft cardstock.  I then layered the ruler image on top of that using True Black ink.  To make the ruler appear to be a bit more vintage, I trimmed the bottom & top of the ruler just enough to eliminate the line that was there before.

Outlines Alphabet makes the perfect "school-style" alphabet.  Especially their use here stamped in Fresh Snow ink on Ripe Avocado cardstock.

The apple image is from Teacher's Apple.  The main portion of the apple is stamped in Pure Poppy, with the stem and leaf done in Dark Chocolate & Ripe Avocado respectively.  I also added the "original" stamp from It's Official in the mix.

What other uses can you see for this ruler?

This clever little file folder card is one of the cutest things I have ever seen and it is part of the July COlor Couture download I spoke of earlier in this post.

Dawn has done all the work for you with her series of easy-to-print- templates.  I printed this file folder right onto Vintage Cream cardstock.

The focal point for this project starts with the sales invoice image again.  This time I stamped it in Summer Sunrise ink onto Harvest Gold cardstock.  The Belated Birthday sentiment is from Birthday Bash Sentiments and it is stamped in Dark Chocolate.  The "Past Sue" and "To Be Filed" images are stamped in Pure Poppy.

I decided to use one of the small tickets from the new paper collection to complement my project.

The final focal portion of this project is adhered in place and supported by a paper clip. I thought the whole notion of "Past Due" paired with the Belated Birthday Sentiments would be a perfect combination.

The interior is a mix of Birthday Bash Sentiments & Birthday Basics.

A super fun card to make the next time you have a few spare moments!

This project uses one of my new found loves.  Printing downloadable paper onto our Vellum Cardstock.  

Here is how the same pattern looks when you print them on different materials.  From left to right Stamper's Select White, Vellum Cardstock, Kraft and Vintage Cream.  I love how each one looks totally different!

Here's a closeup of the velum cut down to size, did I mention how much I love these patterns printed on the vellum???

The bingo card is stamped in Aqua Mist ink.  The size of the bingo card is perfect for creating small scaled focal point area on a card front.

 
The finished focal point combines the Bingo Card from It's Offcial as well as a customized ticket by using components from Just the Ticket stamp set .

The finished project has a refreshing color scheme that I look forward to using more of in the future.  (Not to mention printing more of Dawn's papers on vellum cardstock too!)

I have one last card for you today.  This is something I created for David since he has been helping so much during this release with the kids and household chores..

I started with this long and skinny notebook border that I LOVE.  It measures 4.75 inches long, so it can accommodate a variety of different projects.

This sentiment is one of my favorites from Out on a Limb Revised.

I stamped the moon & stars in Smokey Shadow and decided they needed a bit of sparkle.  I applied adhesive with my 2-way glue pen and sprinkled on the Prisma glitter.

   

Well, I hope you enjoyed all of my creations today.  I certainly enjoyed working with all of these amazing products!  What do YOU think of everything presented today?  Do you have any favorites that can't want to get your hands on?  We want to hear your thoughts!  Leave a comment today for a chance to win an amazing prize package!

• It's Official stamp set
  
• Admit One impression plate
  
• It's Official paper pad
  
• Color Couture binder
  
• Color Couture binder inserts (Volumes 1-3)
  
• Color Couture binder inserts (Volumes 4-6)

This prize package has over an $80 value, so you will not want to miss out on your chance to win!  This contest closes today, Wednesday, July 14th at 11:30pm EST.  Only one comment per person please.  One randomly selected winner will be selected and announced by midnight EST on our July Release Winners page.

 

Be sure to visit Dawn's blog HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE to see all that she has created with all of these new products so far!

GET WELL SOON CARD

• STAMPS: It's Official (available July 15th), Turning a New Leaf, Beautiful Blooms II, Tea for Two
• INK: Fresh Snow, Smokey shadow, Spring Moss, Plum Pudding, Spring Rain, True Black
• PAPER: Kraft, Stamper's Select White
• OTHER: Admit One impression plate, Spiral Notebook Page Die, Tea for Two die, foam dimensionals
• FINISHED SIZE: 4.25" x 5.5"

ABC CARD

• STAMPS: It's Official (available July 15th), Outlines Alphabet, Teacher's Apple, Background Basics: Woodgrain
• INK: Fresh Snow, Versamark, True Black, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado
• PAPER: Kraft, Ripe Avocado, Stamper's Select White
• OTHER: 1.75" circle punch, foam dimensionals, sewing machine
• FINISHED SIZE: 4.25" x 5.5"

PAST DUE CARD

• STAMPS: It's Official, Birthday Bash Sentiments (available July 15th), Birthday Basics
• INK: Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy, Simply Chartreuse, Tea Dye Duo
• PAPER: Vintage Cream, Harvest Gold, It's Official paper pad
• OTHER: July Color Couture Download file folder template, paper clip
• FINISHED SIZE: 4.25" x 5.5"

CONGRATS CARD

• STAMPS: It's Official, Just the Ticket (available July 15th)
• INK: Fresh Snow, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores
• PAPER: Stamper's Select White, Hawaiian Shores, Vellum Cardstock printed with July Color Couture Download patterned paper
• OTHER: Just the Ticket Border Die, binder clip (Target)
• FINISHED SIZE: 4.25" x 5.5"

TO THE MOON & BACK CARD

• STAMPS: It's Official (available July 15th), Out on a Limb Revised, Out on a Limb Sentiments
• INK: Fresh Snow, Scarlet Jewel, True Black, Dark Chocolate, Smokey Shadow
• PAPER: Kraft, Rustic Cream, Scarlet Jewel
• OTHER: 2-way glue pen, Prisma Glitter, corner chomper (We R Memory Keepers)
• FINISHED SIZE: 4.75" x 5.5"