{capture the moment}

1

Another addition to our sales line-up for tonight's release is WHITE CARDSTOCK!!!  I am so excited about this!  We searched far and wide for THE best white cardstock and finally found a perfect match!  It is super smooth, accepts ink beautifully (the color remains SO vivid!) and is luxuriously thick (110lb vs. Stampin' Up!'s 80lb.!!!).  It makes sturdy card bases.  Because of it's thickness, you also have a little less bleed through occurring when you use markers or heavier inks. I love this stuff and am SO hooked!  And I know you will be too once you try it!  The price is right, 40 (8 1/2 x 11) sheets for $6 (that works out to be 15-cents a sheet!).  So for today's project I wanted to allow our NEW white cardstock to take center stage and create some beautiful patterned paper!

This vibrant pattern is made of ladybugs and flowers from the new Papertrey set being released tonight (midnight EST).  The variegated color on the wings was created by utilizing the rock n' roll technique with more mustard & pumpkin pie classic inks from SU!.  The dotted stamp was done in burnt umber.

I ended up adding a little detail that I LOVED and will be sure to do again!  I stamped the flowers from the new release in mustard and then stamped the sunburst image (from Butterfly Kisses) with pumpkin ink.  As a final touch, the dot from the new release set was added to the center using burnt umber.  Think of all the colors you could do this in!

1. Now that I had my paper made, I decided to create a little box that I learned the steps for when I was a child.  I used to make them out of pages ripped from magazines or wrapping paper.  Now I have a little more sophistication in the choice of my materials, but the pattern is still the same!  For this particular size box, start with  your cardstock cut to 8 1/2" square.   Draw a line with a ruler in pencil from corner to corner, forming an "X".

2. Using a bone folder, fold one corner to the center point of the "X".

3. Fold the edge of your previous fold so it meets the center pencil line.

4. Unfold your previous folds.  You are left with a set of horizontal creases.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the remaining three corners.  When completed you will have a series of creases that form a grid.

6. You will make four cuts with scissors.  Pick two opposing corners.  Create a tab that is 2 blocks wide and two blocks high (not including the "point") by make one snip on either side of your determined crease grid.  Repeat the same snips on the opposing corner.

7. Fold the opposing corners that have not been altered to the center point of your "X".

8. Fold them in half again, creating the first two "sides" of your box.

9. Fold the ends of the sides inward, forming the base of the remaining two sides.

10. Fold the tabs created in step 6 over the side bases created in step 9.  The point of the step 6 tabs will meat at the center of the "X"

11. Now you have completed your box lid!  Lined and everything, without any extra effort!!!

12.  For the bottom, just repeat all of the above steps, except your beginning cardstock should measure 8-3/8" square.

The fun thing about these boxes is that you can make them any size, it just depends on the beginning measurements of your cardstock square.  (Always make your box bottom cardstock square about 1/8" smaller than the one used in creating your lid, depending on the thickness of the cardstock.) For the itty bitty one shown here, I started out with a 3-3/4" square for the lid and 3-5/8" square for the bottom.  There are lots of things you can DO with the boxes as well.  You could make a set of nesting boxes.  You can tie them with ribbon or add tags.  You could make box bands, like the one I showed yesterday on the card box.  The possibilities are only limited by your imagination! 

2

We have an exciting new product to offer you along with our upcoming stamp release Monday night!  Papertrey's packaging has gained just about as much attention as it's stamp images!  Now you will be able to package up your handmade creations in the same innovative way!  We will be selling packages of ten clear boxes, perfectly sized for A2 envelopes and their coordinating cards (4 1/4 x 5 1/2"), for only $6.  That works out to a mere 60-cents per box.  When we decided to offer these, I thought about how cool it would be to have the option to create a matching box band for a set of cards, especially when selling them or giving them as a gift.

So that brings me to todays project.  I created this little set of ladybug cards with a matching box band (patterned paper is Tea Party from the  Play Collection by American Crafts).  The small floral strip running through the middle of both the card and box were stamped with a flower that is included in the new release stamp set. Little matching purple ladybugs added the perfect detail.   For a unique twist, the dotted layer for the ladybugs was stamped in brown rather than black.  Small twinkle stickers were added for a finishing touch.

Some of you have caught onto the fact that there are two sizes of ladybugs in this set, one large and one small.  But, have you also noticed the antennae on the ladybugs has changed with each project?  That is because there are three sets of antennae for each of the ladybugs!  You know I love being able to make choices when stamping!

One more quick note... I wanted to make you aware now that effective this weekend Papertrey has had to change it's shipping rates and policy.  I am sure many of you were already informed about the increase in regular postage rates through USPS, which in turn has had a major effect on our business.  You can read all the details about our revisions here.  The biggest change is that FREE shipping will now qualify for orders of $40 or more.  USPS has made a SIGNIFICANT increase to International Priority Mail rates, which hit Canada and the UK the hardest. Unfortunately we have no control over the postal service, but we can control the quality of our products and the speed at which we ship them out, and these characteristics will remain unchanged.  If you have any questions about our rate changes, please feel free to email Papertrey's customer service.

ETA: Our new clear card boxes hold approximately 12 cards and their matching envelopes; more if they are one layer cards.

3

If you are anything like me, you're always trying to find a way to incorporate all of that hoarded patterned paper into your stamping projects.  Today's  card  uses this main staple in a fun, inventive way.  Courtesy of Bethany Paull and the inspiration she gave me with this project she submitted last month for Guest Star Stamper. Thanks, Bethany!

To create this fun ladybug accent, I first stamped the dots/head/tail image with Noir Black Palette ink onto my patterned paper (all papers from Kewl Collection by Fancy Pants).  I also heat set it slightly to make the next step easier & neater.

I then stamped the solid wing image with Versamark on top of the dotted image.  I sprinkled on clear embossing powder.

I heat set the powder and then cut out the image.  I love how the subtle pattern shows through the clear embossed wings.

I was then able to incorporate my little bug into my finished project! This patterned paper technique would probably work best with smaller scale patterns since you can't see very much of them when all is said and done.  You could also play around with layering stamped images to add a patterned background to your wings.

4

So one of the most exciting things about this set is the "trail" stamp I designed!  See, there it is, the stamp we have all been waiting years for!  And the best part is that it coordinates well with Butterfly Kisses too!

I decided to take the trail a step further and create the ability to customize it.  So the new set includes a little "two dot" stamp.  The dots are the same size and spacing as those int he existing trail image.  You simply draw a custom path with pencil.  The path could be completely from scratch or be an extension of the stamped trail image, as shown here.

Then stamp the dots along the path.  It is surprising how much easier this is to do with two dots at a time rather than just one.  (I didn't incorporate more than two dots on this particular stamp so that the transition to curves is easier to achieve.)

After you have completed your "extension" just erase the lines!  I took it a step further and after I had matted my focal point,I extended the path off onto the red card base.

5

I know many of you have been waiting anxiously to get a sneak peek at Papertrey's May 15th stamp release.  So, without further ado, here is your first glimpse at a few things this set has to offer!

This ladybug image is my interpretation of the popular insect's infamous markings.  I divided the image into two quick steps that make it easy to achieve two colors.  The solid wings are stamped first, followed by a special "all-inclusive" stamp that has all the spots, head & tail, perfectly &  permanently placed!  On this particular project, I cut the main body out and raised it on foam dimensionals and then applied a thick layer of Crystal Effects.

And here's a little ribbon tip.  I hate trying to get knots to lay flat when wrapping ribbon around a card.  So I have a little shortcut I use all the time.  I adhere a strip of ribbon flat against my card front.  I then use a short scrap of the same ribbon and tie a single knot.  I trim the ends to the desired length and apply a glue dot directly to the back of the knot.

Then all that is left is to adhere it directly to the strip of ribbon on my card front!  It lays perfectly every time!