It's always somewhat sad to see the holidays come to a close. But on the other hand, it is always nice to get back into a normal routine! I've received several emails from those of you who were lucky enough to get a Papertrey gift certificate as a gift, wanting to know what my favorite, must-have Papertrey products are in order to help you narrow down your wish list! I thought the question was deserving of a blog post, so here it goes!
CLICK directly on each of the large headings to be linked directly to the products mentioned!
Polka Dot Basics
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How do I love thee, let me count the ways! This set is never very far from my reach when I am stamping. It pretty much lies right next to my adhesive and paper trimmer, really, it's that important! Not only do I have six different polka dot styles at my disposal, but the set is also fun & super easy to use. In fact, there are very few projects where I don't use one of the images! If you do not have this set in your collection yet, you are missing out!!!
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Guide Lines
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Another basic that I turn to quite often. (Just in case you missed the original introduction to this set and the tutorial on the easiest way to use it, you can find it HERE).I love using the individual elements as focal points since they coordinate so easily with a 3/4" square punch. I love using it to create custom backgrounds for each project. I guess I just overall love discovering new ways to use this amazingly versatile set! Every time I pick it up I am able to create something totally new and different. Anything that provides me with variety like that is worth every penny of its cost!
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Recipe Box stamp set & Recipe Cards
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I think this is one of my favorites just because I am so passionate about cooking & organization, and this fills a need for me in both areas. I've already used the stamp set to create my own recipe organization system along with several little gifts. And of course, the organization system wouldn't work nearly so smoothly without the coordinating box & recipe cards. I love that I can permanently use the same style & size recipe cards without having to change mid-stream. Having that continuity will really help me to maintain my ever growing collection of recipes, and I seriously need all the help I can get!
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Raspberry Fizz
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This is my absolute favorite color that we released this year. It is SO incredibly rich and so much more versatile than I intended. It is deep enough that it can be elegant an go so well with many earth tones and all your favorite deep colors. But on the flip side it can be made to look bright and cheerful by pairing it with brighter hues. I could seriously just eat the Raspberry Fizz ribbons; they are just so yummy!
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My Timeless Templates
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Love, love, love these. In a way, they have really changed the way I paper craft. I always used to pick up interesting candy & other small goodies, thinking I would one day come up with some interesting & clever packaging for them. And there they would sit, because let's be honest! Coming up with packaging templates on your own can be really time consuming and such a trial by error kind of deal! Now that Lauren's printable templates have been introduced, I have been pulling those tid bits & treats out and just deciding which one of the Timeless Templates would be the perfect fit, then click & print! It's inexpensive, easy and in the end provides such a wonderful first impression to the recipient of the gift!
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Bitty Baby Blessings
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This was one of my favorite image based sets that we released this year. I love the versatility of the size of all the cute little animals. The larger images are big enough that they work well with paper piecing, yet small enough that they are not a chore to color in. The bitty versions of the images are perfect to use on nugget labels, adorn envelopes, embellish ribbons and so much more. And I myself have used the set in its entirety for so much other than baby projects.. The images a perfect for children of any age when paired with the right sentiment. The bunny will even work well on spring and Easter projects in the next few months!
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Floral Frenzy
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If you are in need of a basic floral set and do not yet own this one, I highly recommend it. It is neutral enough in it's basic design that it can be utilized for a multitude of styles and looks successful. Whether it be vintage, modern, rustic, clean & simple, these images can take on whatever persona you wish. And as I said earlier, versatility is a characteristic I find to be very valuable in my craft space.
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Ocean Tides
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This is my second favorite color release this year. I love Ocean Tides paired with so many of our other colors... Ripe Avocado, Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Berry Sorbet, Dark Chocolate and so many more. It is a color that has no gender boundaries because it can be made to look either feminine or masculine. Ocean Tides is one color that I am constantly restocking in both cardstock & ribbons!
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Quilter's Sampler & 3/4" square punch
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This was probably the stamp set that I felt the most excitement about releasing this year. (If you missed my introduction of Quilter's Sampler, you can see it HERE). I love this set because of many of the characteristics I have outlined above with other favorites. Versatility, since I can use it for feminine, masculine or gender neutral cards along with almost any occasion. I also like that I can use the quilt blocks as either a focal point or background. The blocks are easy to punch out with the coordinating 3/4" square punch, so I can create quilts of any size or shape I desire. And most of all the set really quenches my ongoing desire to quilt with fabric. It's like I get to participate in this long lost art, only in a quick & easy format that I am already familiar with.
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1.5" wide Scor-tape
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So many people have asked me over the years what I use to adhere paper or cardstock to the outside of tins without having trouble with it coming off down the road. This extra wide Scor-tape is the PERFECT answer and something I can't live without when it come to any alteration projects. Because it's so wide, it takes less yardage to get the job done. Many of our smaller tins are about 1.5" high, so one strip of this tape with hold any paper permanently in place. I prefer using this tape to liquid glues such as Mod-Podge because it is cleaner, easier and there is no drying time required. And no matter how thick the cardstock you wrap around a tin, this tape with hold the best. One roll will be enough for dozens of projects! I highly recommend it!
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I hope you have enjoyed a few of my favorite things. Enjoy these last few days of the holiday weekend and be sure to try to get some stamping time in for yourself!!!
To help you get a good start on your stamping with the new year I am offering up not one but
TWO $50 Papertrey Gift Certificates!
Two lucky winners will be chosen at random from the comments left on this post! Just let us know what YOUR favorite 2008 product release from Papertrey has been and you can have a chance to win! Have fun and good luck!
--->THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
464 941
Timestamp: 2009-01-03 14:03:00 UTC
Comment #464 belongs to:
Comment #941 belongs to:
Congratulations to both Kay and Sandye! Please email customer service with your email address to have your $50 gift certificates sent to you! Enjoy your little Papertrey shopping splurge! And thanks to everyone else for playing!
Fine Print: This contest will close @ noon EST on January 2nd and the winners will be announced shortly thereafter. The winners will be chosen fromt he comments left on this specific post via the Random Number Generator. Please play nice, only one entry per person. Winners are responsible for emailing customer service with their email addresses in order to claim the prizes.
Now, doesn't that sound intriguing?!?!? I opted to go for some silver metallic leftovers that I saved from a gift I opened yesterday. As soon as I saw them, I thought they would look fabulous paired with Aqua Mist!
As I played around with these bits and pieces I finally ended up opting to just use a bit of the wrapping paper on my project. I found the best way to work with it was to securely adhere it to a piece of cardstock, trim it down to my desired size and then use a sanding block lightly around the edges. It gave the thin paper some great stability and made the entire piece look more like a panel. I ended up pulling out one of my old favorites, Sweet Love, to create the background for my card. Our new Fresh Snow ink showed up quite well on the Aqua Mist cardstock, creating a nice backdrop for my embellished silver panel.
I thought the colors lent themselves beautifully to a wedding card. The rhinestone buckles were a find from a recent trip to Hobby Lobby. Our Aqua Mist grosgrain ribbon was a perfect fit with the buckles and really added to the elegance of the project. I heat embossed the sentiment with Silver Filigree powder which captured every detail of the image and provided a really polished look. Upon completion, I decided the card needed just a little more bling, so I adhered just a few small rhinestones onto the ribbon to help accent the buckle and bring more attention to it as a focal point.
Hi- My favorite for 2008 were the Timeless Templates! What great ideas for everyone to use to make their specail gifts! Thanks for the chance to win the GC! Happy New Year everyone!!! Hugs Kay
Posted by: Kay Mespelt | December 27, 2008 at 05:22 AM