{capture the moment}

Design Team Changes

Our Design Team here at Papertrey Ink is a bit like family.  Once you're on board, we consider you a "lifer"!  But every once in a while there is a time for change and today I have a few announcements regarding just that.

Michelle Wooderson has been with us for several years and she has opted to step down from her position on the Senior Design Team and take on a lighter roll alongside Debbie Olson.  Michelle will still be creating a few projects every release, but she will no longer be participating in the group challenges and countdown festivities.  As many of you know, Michelle has two beautiful girls (her "Reds"!) that are growing up fast and she wishes to dedicate more time to them at this busy stage in their lives!  We will certainly miss the contribution of Michelle's amazing talents and creativity to the various challenges tackled by the Senior Team, but I am so pleased that she is staying on with us in a capacity that works better for her schedule.

The talented Maile Belles will be taking on the vacant position within the Senior Design Team and all of the new responsibilities with it.  Her clean & modern style will provide an even more versatile array of projects to each challenge and I know we all can learn so much from her.  Her clever creativity and unique perspective will certainly beneficial to all of us in this new capacity.

New to the team is Ashley Cannon Newell, stamper extraordinaire!  She will now hold a position on our Release Team and delight your creative side with amazing creations each and every month during Release Week!  I have had the pleasure of meeting Ashley in person and her personality & style leave a lasting mark.  She is unique, bold and a true trendsetter.  Her photography skills are absolutely amazing and I just know her projects will leave you feeling incredibly inspired!  Welcome, Ashley!

We look forward to continuing to provide you with the best inspiration in the business through these amazing gals along with all of our other existing designers!

Make It Monday #39: Multi-stamp Background Building

Today we are taking a closer look at a project from the past and showing you how to recreate it step-by-step.  Back in August I showed you a background that I created with multiple stamps and colors.  In this week's video I provide you with tips and tricks on how to create your own custom backgrounds that can easily be mistaken for purchased designer papers!

Here are some still shots of this week's project.

• Step 1: Leaves in Ripe Avocado ink (image from Harvest Berries)
• Step 2: Large flowers in Terracotta Tile ink (image from Flower Fusion #7)
• Step 3: Small leaves in Ripe Avocado ink (image from Harvest Berries)
• Step 4: Small flowers in Orange Zest ink (image from Flower Fusion #7)
• Step 5:  Outlined dot in Summer Sunrise ink (image from Flower Fusion #7)
• Step 6: Small dot trio clusters added to flower centers using fine tip pen

Here are some other backgrounds I have created in the past and a step-by-step breakdown of their stamps & colors.

• Step 1: Leaves in True Black ink (image from Harvest Berries)
• Step 2: Large flowers in VersaMark ink (image from Flower Fusion #7)
• Step 3: Small outlined flowers in Fresh Snow ink (image from Flower Fusion #7)
• Step 4:  Dot trio in True Black ink (image from Harvest Berries)

• Step 1: Large snowflake frame in Pure Poppy ink (image from Tag-its #8)
• Step 2: Medium snowflake in frame centers in Aqua Mist ink (image from Tag-its #8)
• Step 3: Small snowflakes in Simply Chartreuse ink (image from Winter Cheer)
• Step 4:  Small dot in Raspberry Fizz ink (image from Polka Dot Basics)

• Step 1: Outlined dots in True Black ink (image from Polka Dot Basics)
• Step 2: Striped dot in Simply Chartreuse ink (image from Boy Basics: Simple Circles)
• Step 3: Striped trio dot in Summer Sunrise ink (image from Boy Basics: Simple Circles)
• Step 4:  Outlined dot in Orange Zest ink (image from Boy Basics: Simple Circles)
• Step 5: Star dot in Aqua Mist ink (image from Boy Basics: Simple Circles)

• Step 1: Scalloped frame in Ripe Avocado ink (image from Tag-its #1)
• Step 2: Large medallion in frame centers in Simply Chartreuse ink (image from Giga Guidelines)
• Step 3: Large medallion again in between frames in VersaMark ink (image from Giga Guidelines)

• Step 1: Cups in Fresh Snow ink (images from Warm Happiness & Warm Happiness Too)
• Step 2: Cup details in Pure Poppy ink (images from Warm Happiness & Warm Happiness Too)

• Step 1: Large leaves in Spring Moss ink (image from Turning a New Leaf)
• Step 2: Small flowers in Lemon Tart ink (image from Beautiful Blooms II)
• Step 3: Small flower centers in New Leaf ink (image from Beautiful Blooms II)
• Step 4:  Single leaf in New Leaf ink (image from Turning a New Leaf)

• Step 1: Large solid teardrops in Aqua Mist ink and medium solid teardrops in Simply Chartreuse ink, working in vertical rows (images from Modern Basics)
• Step 2: Large teardrop outlines over large solid teardrops in Hawaiian Shores ink (image from Modern Basics)
• Step 3: Small teardrop outlines over medium solid teardrops in Ripe Avocado ink (image from Modern Basics)
• Step 4:  Polka dot teardrops in large solid teardrops in Hawaiian Shores ink (image from Modern Basics)
• Step 4:  Small solid teardrops in medium solid teardrops in Ripe Avocado ink (image from Modern Basics)
  

• Step 1: Gifts stamped in alternating Ripe Avocado, Orange Zest and Summer Sunrise inks (images from Make a Wish Additions)
• Step 2: Ribbons in Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz and Hawaiian Shores inks (images from Make a Wish Additions)

• Step 1: Large medallion in Aqua Mist ink (image from Giga Guide Lines)
• Step 2: Small medallion in centers of large medallion in Spring Moss ink (image from Guide Lines Two)
• Step 3: Small medallion in between large in Spring Moss ink (image from Guide Lines Two)
• note:  All done on Guide Lines Grid cardstock to help with lining up.

If you are joining along this week, here are the details concerning the Make It Monday Challenge.

--A new Make It Monday Challenge & video will go up every Monday morning at 9am EST.

--Create a project utilizing your take on the challenge.  Your project must use at least one Papertrey product and feature this multi-stamp background building technique.

--Post your project on your blog, in your gallery or on any other photo-hosting site (such as photobucket or flickr).

--Add your project to our --->InLinkz List HERE<---

--You will have until 7am, Monday, November 7th, to add your link to the list to be eligible to win.  And you can enter as many times as you like.

--We will be tweeting and posting on our Facebook page every night (between 5-9pm EST) highlighting a Featured Project.  These tweets/Facebook postings will just be a shout-out regarding projects that caught our eye.  The tweets/Facebook postings no longer have any special merit regarding the actual contest.

--One randomly selected winner will be chosen from ALL the entries on Monday, November 7th, after 7am.  The winner will be posted here on this blog post, on Twitter and Facebook.  The randomly selected winner will get to select a FREE Papertrey stamp set of their choice!

 Good luck to everyone and we look forward to seeing your projects!

And this week's winner is Elena, #33. Congrats Elena! Please contact customer service with your stamp set choice and mailing information. Thank you to everyone who participated!

October 2011 Blog Hop

Welcome everyone to the October Papertrey Blog Hop!  We are so thrilled to see you here!  First, the challenge...

 
{photo credit}

For this month's blog hop inspiration we've selected something with a bit of an autumn flair.  The fabric selections and pattern combinations used on these petite pumpkins are a prime way to jump-start a fabulous fall paper project.  Use the colors as your inspiration, or perhaps focus on the patterns  You can also utilize pumpkins or maybe some felt die-cut leaves.  Whatever you choose, you are sure to have amazing results!  We look forward to seeing your projects!

I have included an inlinkz list below for you to add your link to your blog hop project.  This new type of link list will allow you to select a thumbnail to go along with your link, making it easy to go back and find a project later that might have perked your interest.  

You have until 11:30pm EST tonight (October 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, tomorrow morning.  We look forward to seeing all of your creations!

EDITED TO ADD RANDOMLY SELECTED WINNERS:

Jen Carvajal created this beautiful framed artwork using felt and fabric to piece together a stunning fall pumpkin.  I love detail of the brown buttons on the stem and the balance she created with the green strip in the background.

Terri E. pieced together a large pumpkin focal point with various patterned papers.  I love the way she allowed the pumpkin to really pop by using a Dark Chocolate card front.

Lynda Marquez used basic geometrics paired with pretty polka dots to create a fun everyday type of greeting that could be used year-round.  The addition of buttons on a few of her well-placed swatches was the perfect finishing touch!

Congratulations to all three winners!  Be sure to send an email off to customer service with your free stamp set selection as well as your shipping information!  A big thank you to everyone who played along!  There were so many fabulous creations this month!

October Blog Hop Today!

Today 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! 

The Blog Hop is an ALL DAY EVENT!  A new link list will be posted here on my blog at 10am EST and you can add your link anytime up until 11:30pm EST.  And don't worry if you aren't going to get a chance to make a project and play along, there will be a contest for non-participants as well over in our forum in the designated thread. I hope that I will see many of your familiar faces over here today! 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 today, October 25th, beginning @ 10am EST. 

 
You will explore individual blogs through a thread here, on my blog, beginning at 10am EST today. 

 A day dedicated to seeking inspiration through projects utilizing Papertrey Ink products. 

 
 
{photo credit}

For this month's blog hop inspiration we've selected something with a bit of an autumn flair.  The fabric selections and pattern combinations used on these petite pumpkins are a prime way to jump-start a fabulous fall paper project.  Use the colors as your inspiration, or perhaps focus on the patterns  You can also utilize pumpkins or maybe some felt die-cut leaves.  Whatever you choose, you are sure to have amazing results!  We look forward to seeing your projects!

 

 -Participating bloggers can add their link to the appropriate list here anytime between 10am EST and 11:30pm EST today, October 25th within the link list that will be posted.The title of your post should be "Papertrey October Blog Hop Challenge".

-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 Wednesday morning 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 in the morning within 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 a bit later today and we hope to see you there!

Make It Monday #38: Brayer and Impression Plate Techniques

Betsy's here today to push the creative envelope again, in the way only she can. We so love it. She's breaking out her brayer and impression plates to create some amazing backgrounds. Hope you'll join us this week in our challenge.

Stills of Betsy's project: 

If you are joining along this week, here are the details concerning the Make It Monday Challenge.

--A new Make It Monday Challenge & video will go up every Monday morning at 9am EST.

--Create a project utilizing your take on the challenge.  Your project must use at least one Papertrey product and feature this brayer/impression plate technique.

--Post your project on your blog, in your gallery or on any other photo-hosting site (such as photobucket or flickr).

--Add your project to our --->InLinkz List HERE<---

--You will have until 7am, Monday, October 31st, to add your link to the list to be eligible to win.  And you can enter as many times as you like.

--We will be tweeting and posting on our Facebook page every night (between 5-9pm EST) highlighting a Featured Project.  These tweets/Facebook postings will just be a shout-out regarding projects that caught our eye.  The tweets/Facebook postings no longer have any special merit regarding the actual contest.

--One randomly selected winner will be chosen from ALL the entries on Monday, October 31st, after 7am.  The winner will be posted here on this blog post, on Twitter and Facebook.  The randomly selected winner will get to select a FREE Papertrey stamp set of their choice!

 Good luck to everyone and we look forward to seeing your projects!

 Editted to add: Congrats to Greta, #55, for her beautiful interpretation of this challenge. Greta, please contact Customer Service with your mailing information and stamp set choice! Thank you to all of the participants - you inspire us!

Make It Monday #37: Layered Mats and Frames

The one thing that stood out in the October Release projects by the Design Team is how Papertrey Ink dies can be layered and build upon to create unique frames and focal points. Dawn McVey's video gives you lots of pointers to acheieve this look on your own. Happy crafting!

Stills from Dawn's project:

If you are joining along this week, here are the details concerning the Make It Monday Challenge.

--A new Make It Monday Challenge & video will go up every Monday morning at 9am EST.

--Create a project utilizing your take on the challenge.  Your project must use at least one Papertrey product and feature die cut frames.

--Post your project on your blog, in your gallery or on any other photo-hosting site (such as photobucket or flickr).

--Add your project to our --->InLinkz List HERE<---

--You will have until 7am, Monday, October 24th, to add your link to the list to be eligible to win.  And you can enter as many times as you like.

--We will be tweeting and posting on our Facebook page every night (between 5-9pm EST) highlighting a Featured Project.  These tweets/Facebook postings will just be a shout-out regarding projects that caught our eye.  The tweets/Facebook postings no longer have any special merit regarding the actual contest.

--One randomly selected winner will be chosen from ALL the entries on Monday, October 24th, after 7am.  The winner will be posted here on this blog post, on Twitter and Facebook.  The randomly selected winner will get to select a FREE Papertrey stamp set of their choice!

 Good luck to everyone and we look forward to seeing your projects!

Edited to add our winner! Sonia, #64, you're our winner for Make It Monday 37. Congrats! Please contact customer service with your name and mailing information to claim the stamp set of your choice.

The Day After...

As tradition holds, I like to share some of my favorite DT projects from this release the morning after.  I hope some of the art I selected leaves you as inspired as it did me!

Betsy Veldman made an amazing paper gift cone from Autumn Rose cardstock and adorned it with a glittered Damask Snowflake die-cut and Tag-its #9.  I just adore the paint treatment she used on the edges of the cone!

Danielle Flanders created this adorable framed art piece using the Shape Up Snowman die and Wonderful Words: Holiday.  The felt "peace" die-cut contributes to the warm fuzziness the project exudes.  Love the addition of the Funky Town patterned paper too!

Dawn McVey used a bright and bold color scheme of Aqua Mist & Raspberry Fizz on this stunning holiday card.  All the delectable layers of the poinsettia look so amazing and realistic!  The Christmas Poinsettia stamp set & dies pair up beautifully, making it easy to duplicate the same look as many times as you like in no time at all!

Debbie Olson took my breath away with her use of In the Meadow.  I love the way she cut down the In the Meadow dies to make her snowdrift accommodate a smaller area.  The colors are just wonderful as well.

Erin Lincoln used the Christmas Poinsettia dies in a clever way by using the negative space from the largest die.  The layers of felt in the center are simply amazing and textural.  I also love that she coordinated one of the sentiments from Christmas Poinsettia in one of the Photo Finishers dies.

Heather Nichols is always doing amazing things with Kraft cardstock and Copics, and this project is definitely no exception!  Such a simple design, but definitely not lacking in style.

Jessica Witty used the In the Meadow snowdrift dies to create rolling hills for her Star of Wonder card.    The small touches of gold embossing just pop from the blue.

Lisa Johnson amazed me with the coloring she did in the sky of this Star of Wonder project.  The way the palm trees and the camel create balance at the bottom, along with the In the Meadow snowdrift dies is just fabulously executed.

Maile Belles made magic with the new Faith & Hope stamp set.  She did some clear embossing on the mat with the leaf sprig from the set.  And I love how she die-cut Tag Sale #5 from the center to allow her pretty focal point to shine through.

Melissa Phillips used the new Front & Center die paired up with the Christmas Poinsettia stamp set and dies.  the mix of gingham, plaids & lace are fabulous additions to her gift packaging.

Michelle Wooderson followed through with a beautiful color scheme established by the expert coloring on the mug from Tremendous Treats: Christmas set.  The clever use of the Wonderful Words: Holiday word die as a mask towards the bottom is something I would definitely like to try my hand at.

Aren't they all just amazing?!?!?!  I love all of the unique holiday color schemes and the fun alternate uses for the dies!  Everyone is always just so fabulously creative!  I hope you enjoyed my picks and can take some inspiration from these projects today and create something fabulous.

*Official* October 2011 Release Party Contest

I am absolutely smitten with all of this month's new releases and I can tell by the excitement that some of you have shared with me that you are too!  A big thank you to each and every one of you who have joined us tonight during release festivities as well as the last five days of countdown fun!  

To finish up this exciting celebration, we're giving away a fabulous prize package tonight!  Practically the entire October release!  All you need to do to have your chance to win is post an answer to the following question in the comments section below.

Congratulations to Cassie K!  Please be sure to contact Customer Service with your shipping information so we can get this prize package out to you!  And thank you again to everyone who joined us tonight and played along!  Happy stamping!

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 all of the stamps from the October 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.

Release Ordering 101

I have added a new page of information that will tell you all about the details of ordering during the release, procedures & policies you should be aware of and more.  Whether your new here or a regular, I think you will all find this information helpful.  You can find this information HERE.

As a reminder, which is noted on the Release Ordering 101 page, if you have trouble accessing the front page of the store after midnight, you can try going in the "back door" by using this link:

http://www.papertreyink.com/index.html

October 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!

October 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: Tremendous Treats: Christmas, Shape Up Snowman Accessories

DAY 2: Tag-its #9, Winterberry & think Big Favorites #9

               Flower Fusion #9, Faith & Hope

DAY 3: Star of Wonder, Nativity Silhouettes & Additions

DAY 4: In the Meadow

DAY 5: Christmas Poinsettia, 2011 Holiday Tags & Wonderful Words: Holiday

October Release Winners.
Be sure to stop by our October Release Winners Page to see if you were one of the lucky folks to win a new release prize package!

Thank you so much for visiting throughout this exciting countdown and we look forward to seeing all of you later tonight!

Introducing NEW! Premium Dye Ink

After months and months of testing, we at Papertrey Ink are proud to introduce our new line of Premium Dye Inks!  Here is a short video introduction that explains a bit more about their attributes.

A full line of products will be available, including full-size pads, 1-inch cubes and 1/2 oz. refills.

1/2 oz. refills will retail for $4.

1-inch cubes for $2.

And full-size pads for $5.

This new pad shape fits naturally and comfortably in your hand.  The raised canvas surface makes it easy to use and works beautifully with direct to paper techniques.

The full-size pads are easy to store and they are even stackable.

The narrow end makes selective inking a breeze.

While the wide end gives you the ability to ink up larger images in no time flat.  The coverage with this premium dye ink is rich and will give your clear stamps amazingly thorough coverage.

Since these inks are water-based, they can be used for watercoloring.  Imagine having the Papertrey color spectrum at your fingertips for this beautiful coloring technique.

The new ink pads are slightly smaller than our original old pads, but the new shape and design is so much more user-friendly.

October 15th marks the official debut of four of our most popular colors, Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss and True Black.  The remainder of the colors will be coming soon!

Summary of Premium Dye Ink Features:

• Comfort hold shape
• Raised canvas surface
• Great for direct to paper techniques
• Wide end for large surface applications
• Narrow end for selective inking
• Easy to store & stackable
• Super quick drying time
• Can be used for watercoloring
• Cleans easily with water
• Minimal staining of stamps
• Available in Papertrey's exclusive colors
• Acid free for scrapbooking
• Made in the U.S.A.

EDITED TO ADD FAQ:

-Since this new dye ink is water soluble it is not waterproof or Copic friendly.  This is true for all the colors, including True Black.  We will continue carrying the Noir Palette ink pad for these purposes.

-You cannot purchase the new Premium Dye Ink Refills and apply them to your older original ink pads.  The ink that is currently in those pads will not mix with the new Premium Dye Ink and will not provide optimum results since it is a completely different formula.

-Dye inks traditionally do not stay wet enough to allow you to heat emboss with them.  This new Premium Dye Ink works the same way and dries practically instantly.