{capture the moment}

1

Tonight is the night we've all been waiting for!  The BIG reveal will happen at midnight EST at Papertrey's website.  I have to say that this particular new release is one of my personal favorites thus far.  I have wanted reverse images like this for years and it is so exciting to have been able to bring my vision to a reality.  This set has been such a joy to play with, and I know there are just so many other inventive, creative uses that YOU will come up with once you receive your own.

This unique project I created uses a technique I like to call "Double Vision Vellum Window".

1. Stamp reverse dandelion image onto vellum.  (A darker, richer ink would be best.)

2. Flip vellum over, with reverse dandelion image side down.  (You will still be able to see the reverse image, just a more muted version.)  Stamp non-reverse dandelion at the edge of the reverse image.  The result is that extra dandelion appears to be a shade darker, when in reality it is just on the opposite side of the vellum.

3. Draw a stem extending from the dandelion with pencil.  Pierce holes the length of the stem.  Use an anywhere hole punch to add holes to the centers of all three flowers.

I added a few finishing touches...
-pierced the stems for the other two flowers as well.
-cut a few leaves from green cardstock to help unify all three flowers.
-cut a window in the front of my orange card and adhered the floral vellum accent to the back.
-trimmed a white frame slightly smaller than the window in the orange card base to adhere to the inside of the cover, covering up the adhesive of the vellum AND adding a nice detail visible from the front.
-the thanks sentiment was matted with green cardstock and trimmed with scalloped scissors.

Just wait until you see all of the BEAUTIFUL projects the design team has come up with for this set.  You will just be oozing with creativity after perusing all the new gallery pages!  And don't forget, we will also be announcing the latest Guest Star Stamper!  I look forward to seeing you all tonight!

Ink: Pumpkin Pie & Old Olive Classic Inks SU!
Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Paper: green & orange cardstocks from Bazzill, confetti white from SU!
Other: peach brads from Chatterbox, scalloped scissors from Paper Studio, small oval punch SU!

2

Only 2 days to go until the reveal of Papertrey's latest release!  I am really looking forward to seeing what all of YOU create with this set once you receive it.  It has SO many possibilities and inspires lots of PLAY!

Speaking of playing, I was playing around with this spiral flower reverse image from the yet-to-be-released set.  I looked at the "blockish" nature of the stamp and thought to create a faux spectrum pad look.  Meanwhile, at the same time I knocked out three cards all at once!

1. Stamp reverse spiral floral image in three different shades of pink.

2. Cut all three out along their outlines.  You want to make sure that you cut right on the lines, so as all three images come out exactly the same size.  My preferred method for something this precise is to use a clear ruler and craft knife.

3.  Stack all three cut out images on top of each other.  Using the ruler and craft knife, cut the blocks into thirds at the same time.  Not only does cutting them simultaneously save effort, but it also ensures that they are all cut  at the exact same increments.

4. Mix & match the block pieces and reassemble onto white cardstock blocks.  If you use ALL the pieces, you will end up with focal points for THREE cards, with no more effort than it was to create one!

5. To create my sentiment accent, I wanted to find a punch or die to perfectly coordinate with the size of "smile" (one of twelve words in this set).  Here is a quick little tip that I love doing with clear stamps.  Just apply your stamp to the "outline" on the top of your punch or die cut.  You will be able to tell instantly as to whether or not it will be a perfect fit.

Here is my finished project. The background is stamped with a matching non-reversed spiral flower. I then just matted some ribbon with white cardstock and trimmed the edges with scalloped scissors.   

I added Heidi Swapp flower jewels to the centers of the flowers.  LOVE those! Think of how fun it would be to make this exact card in other colors.  Just pull three shades of your favorite color from your ink pad rack for your stamping, pick your darkest color to use as your cardstock base to set off the focal point.  I would love to see what you come up with!

Ink: Rose Red, Regal Rose & Cameo Coral Classic Pads SU!
Stamps: Papertrey Ink
Paper: Rose Red cardstock from SU!
Other: Pink polka dot ribbon from American Crafts via Hobby Lobby only, tab punch from SU!, scalloped scissors from Paper Studio, Flower Jewels from Heidi Swapp.

3

As I said yesterday, I just LOVE all the techniques that become available with reverse images.  Today's project uses a technique I like to call Perfect Pearls Pull-off.

1. Stamp reverse floral image with Versamark, apply Perfect Pearls (or pigment powder of your choice) and brush away excess.

2. Ink swirl stamp from Butterfly Kisses (or other stamp of your choice) with Versamark and stamp onto "Pearlized" floral image.  When you lift up the stamp, you will lift off the powder with it.  Repeat this process until the swirl pattern covers the floral image, making sure to clean the powder from your stamp each time.  Spray a sealant (such as spray varnish or even hairspray) after you have completed this accent.

3. There is a frame stamp included in the upcoming Papertrey set that is just slightly larger than the reverse images.  I stamped this along with polka dots onto my card front using Versamark.  I brushed on the Perfect Pearls, removed the excess and sprayed it with sealant.

4.  I then assembled my card.  The floral accent was adhered with dimensional and a few silver embellishments were added as a finishing touch.  Notice also that I turned the focal point horizontally.  You can do this with all five reverse images in this set, therefore have more options in your designs.  This Perfect Pearls Pull-off technique is so fun!  And a great way to use neglected background stamps as well.  Here is a link to the Ranger tips & techniques sheet for other cool ways to utilize Perfect Pearls.

Ink: Versamark
Stamps: flower & swirl from Papertrey Ink, polka dots from Technique Tuesday
Paper: Old Olive & Cool Caribbean cardstock from SU!
Other: silver flower & brad from Nunn Designs, Girl Talk chram from Lasting Impressions, Turquoise Perfect Pearls from Ranger.

4

One thing I love about reverse images is the plethora of techniques that become available to use in conjunction with them.  One of my favorites is emboss resist. 

First I stamped french script onto my cardstock.  I then stamped my reverse fern image with Versamark and heat embossed with clear powder.

I then sponged olive ink over the image, allowing it to feather softly around the edges.  I made sure to "polish" the embossed area when I was done, making sure the excess ink was wiped away. 

This is such a fun technique that can be done with any of the five reverse images in the Papertrey set that will be released on Thursday.  A few of you have asked if a special sized block will be needed.  The large reverse images in this set measure 1.25 x 3 inches, so check through your stash and see if you have a block large enough.  If not, the largest block included in Papertrey's set of three will do just the trick.

Ink: Old Olive Dye ink from SU!, Versamark
Stamps: Papertrey, Script stamp from Hero Arts
Paper: confetti white from SU!, green from Bazzill
Other: Word Window punch from SU!, butto from DCWV, sewing maching

5

Another countdown has begun!  This NEW set from Papertrey is very different from previous releases.  It features reverse images, and is one of the first to do so with clear stamps. And don't forget to make a note in your weekly planner that this set goes live Thursday night (midnight EST)!

Today's project uses some fun star images.  Stars are all the rage right now, so I designed two basic symmetrical stars that can be used individually.  Then there is the reverse star block.  The two seperate stars can nest perfectly in the negative "star-shaped" space.

I decided to challenge myself and use one of my supplies that had been neglected for years.  After digging around, I stumbled onto my gold embossing powder.  I'm not a big fan of gold and don't use it often because of this.  I decided to play around and make that gold embossing powder something I loved!   I paired it with some warm, rich chocolate brown cardstock (Bazzill) along with cream for my neutral.  While I was going through my embellishments, I found this gold star charm, and I knew it would be he perfect finishing touch. 

I created the "star" trail on my background by drawing a free form path with pencil.  I stamped and embossed all the stars randomly and then added a few twinkle stickers.  I think all the elements combined to leave a magical, sparkly effect.

To create the loop for my star, I used the gold cord from Stampin' Up!  I started by punching a 1/16th inch hole in my star block.  I threaded the cord through to the front of the block and added the charm.  To make it easier to tie, I wrapped the cord around a pencil and tied a nice tight knot.  I then trimmed the ends and removed the pencil.  Viola, a perfect little loop!  I slid the knot to the back of my project as well, to give it an even cleaner look.

By the way, I edited my last post with some details about how the project was created.  If you were wondering about how it was done, be sure to check it out.