{capture the moment}

1

In honor of today's holiday, I thought I would share with you the valentine that I made for my hubby, David.  He has been so wonderful during the past year as I have embarked on my new adventures.  I wanted to be sure to make him a really special card to show him how much I care.  It's what I like to call an All-in-one Pocket card.  As always, I have created a template for you.  The pocket inside could hold anything from cash & gift cards to tags.  I created a large heart for David's card.  It was appropriate for the verse I found to go inside:

If words could fall like raindrops
From these lips of mine
And if I had a thousand years
I'd still run out of time
To express my love for you
I cannot even start
All the words now fail me
You have to read my heart.

-Jeff Thoren-

Download all_in_one_pocket_card_template.pdf

Our new stamp set will debut on our website tonight at midnight EST (www.papertreyink.com).  In conjunction with the stamp set, we will be unveiling our hand-picked design team and a fresh and funky gallery in which to display their work.  Through our designers we have a spectrum of styles to share with you, all achieved with this one stamp set.  They are:

Lisa Johnson
Heather Nichols
Debbie Olson
Amy Rysavy
Taylor VanBruggen

You won't want to miss out on all of the amazing projects we have on display.  And don't forget, you don't want to miss the opportunity to purchase the stamp set either!  We have plenty in stock, but in the case we do sell out, you can still place your order, with it shipping in 2-4 weeks.  Your credit card will not be charged until your order has shipped. With the versatility of this set, it will be worth the wait!

So don't forget!  TONIGHT MIDNIGHT EST! www.papertreyink.com!

2

I can hardly believe the big day is almost here!  In today's project I created faux ribbon on a masculine birthday card.  I masked (yes, I know I use this technique way too often, but it is so versatile!)off a stripe on the cover of a kraft card with typing paper.  I sponged in between the masks with white craft ink.  I removed the masks and that left me with my "naked ribbon".  I added stripes using not quite navy dye ink and the "stem" stamp from the set.  (A little hint when creating these stripes.  The stamp is not long enough to stretch across the entire width of the card, so I stamp once from each side, allowing the center to overlap.  Then when I add my sentiment accent, it covers the "overlap".)  I than added a few additional stripes with a white gel pen.  You could use the same technique with a variety of colors and patterns.  It is a great "bare bones" project that would be a perfect fit with just about any sentiment.

3

My inspiration today comes from Debbie Olson, a very talented stamper that I gain insight from often.  She has been using Liquid Applique on her recent projects, and I decided it was about time for me to find mine and play around with it.  I utilized the Liquid Applique in the centers of my flowers for this simple invitation.  One of my favorite things to do is chalk it after it has "risen" and been heat set.  I love how the chalk goes down into all of the nooks & crannies.  The color really brings out the texture.  I also tied ribbon around the "stems" of the flowers.  I do not like large holes to show where the ribbon has been inserted, so I just make two slits (one on either side of the stem) with a craft knife.  I then can bring the ends of the ribbon up and around the stem and tie into place.

4

Have I ever told you that I have this ribbon theory?  I've got one of the biggest ribbon collections around, and my GIGANTIC weakness is patterned ribbon.  Whether it be stripes, polka dots, florals or ginghams, I love it all.  My theory is that ribbon can help anyone out of a color rut.  I felt like I had done a lot of blue & green projects lately and that I needed to branch out.  So I dug through my ribbon stash and this particular striped version from American Crafts stood out to me.  I broke down the colors in the ribbon (Cool Caribbean, Really Rust & So Saffron) and decide to combine them to stamp patterned paper.  These are colors I NEVER would have combined if it weren't for my ribbon theory!  One other tip I would like to add is when you are creating an accent for a project, be sure to carry through your entire color combination to the end.  Notice I didn't stop with just saffron cardstock stamped with a rust sentiment.  I added the Caribbean blue star and a rust brad to finish it off.  When you carry all of your colors through to the end like this, it helps make for a more polished, put together finished product.

The template for this box is one passed out a SU! convention eons ago, and I am sure several of you already have it, but I thought I would pass it on for those of you who don't.  It is made from a 4x8-inch rectangle with a few simple score lines.  You'll love how easy it is if you haven't tried your hand at it yet.  Also, it's fun to make gift packaging triangular, rather than the traditional square!
Download triangle_box_template.pdf

5

Sometimes I like to challenge myself and just work with the basics,  cardstock & ink.  This is a 4 1/4 square ivory card.  I created a mask with a circle punch and laid it at the edge of the card.  I than stamped and sponged within the boundaries of the mask (I love masking!).  I removed the mask and stamped the sentiment.  It is heat embossed in gold.  I lightly antiqued the outside edges of the card for a finishing touch.  This photograph doesn't do this card justice, I wish you could see it in person! Someone asked  a few days ago how many images were included in this set.  I am proud to say 36 images.  And you won't believe the price!  I'll just keep you guessing in that department!

6

Do you have your new copy of Stamp It! magazine?  Page 86 features a little box I made using Indian influences.  I like the concept so well, I decided to reinterpret it for use with this stamp set.  I made myself a "Happy Thoughts" box to be used in place of a gratitude journal.  I have little slips of paper inside and a pencil.  My goal is to document at least one or two happy thoughts a day to add to the box.  I am going to display it on my bedside table.  That way the first thing I will see each morning when I wake up will be a reminder of how blessed I am.  No more getting up on the wrong side of the bed!  I tweaked the measurements of the template provided in Stamp It! slightly.  It is a little smaller than the original, so I have attached an updated version for your benefit.  Enjoy!
Download square_box_template.pdf

7

Today's project is simple, but versatile.  I used two of the sentiment stamps in the set to create some unique patterned paper.  Since they are acrylic stamps, it is very easy to line everything up PERFECTLY! I used the word window punch from Stampin' Up! to create a slot for my extra wide ribbon to feed through and hold the card shut.  For the inside I adhered a special good luck charm on foam dots.  I got several of these charms from my sister when she worked at an itty bitty gift shop in Rockland, Maine.  They had an old fashioned machine that you inserted a quarter, turned the crank and watched your quarter become pressed into a four leaf clover.  They were so adorable, I made sure she got me a few to keep on hand for card making!  So always keep your eyes out!   You never know where you'll find your next favorite card embellishment!

8

Have you ever thought about how much the back of a card gets neglected?  As one of our signature traits, every stamp set we sell will have a coordinating "handmade by" image included for the back.  While your at it, why not wrap you design all the way around to the back as well?  With this project I continued my stamped strip instead of trimming it at the top.  This adds a fun little twist to an area that is sometimes forgotten.  I also created an envelope with a coordinating lining.  I have found that it is best to make
your linings with ordinary typing weight paper.  They adhere more evenly and don't make the envelope too bulky.

9

Today's post is short and sweet (no pun intended!).  I simply cut a strip of typing paper, stamped the sentiment down the length and added red flowers as a finishing touch.  I removed the original word strip form this extra large Hershey's Kiss and inserted my version.  These would be great valentine's for all the children in your life!

10

This project is a tri-fold card that will impress the recipient, yet require very little production time.  The folds are inspired by a card I received while participating in a swap with Christina Crawford.  I knew you would be interested in the process used to make this little gem, so I created a pdf document that includes a template and instructions.  It is a great skeleton that can be modified in so many ways.  Keep it really interesting by changing the shape of the window punch each time you utilize the design.  I also used one of my favorite techniques on this card.  I stamped flowers using dye ink and then ran a moist paint brush over them.  It creates a soft watercolor look, and it helps to blend any unevenness you may have ended up
with during the stamping process.

Download trifold_card_template.pdf