{capture the moment}

Oldies Yet Goldies...

Since it has been all about Valentine's Day this release, I thought it might be fun to revisit some older sets that you may not have added to your collection yet along with some of my personal favorite project ideas.  Will you join me for a short walk down memory lane?

These heartfelt muffins use the heart-shaped strawberry image from My Punny Valentine.  So cute, easy AND yummy!
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This mini-book made with Sweet Love and contained in a heart tin is a wonderfully thoughtful way to let a special teacher know how highly your child thinks of them, and that you appreciate their efforts as well.
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This ensemble is perfect for any man in your life that you would like to celebrate in a subtle way.  Sometimes I have trouble with things to do for my husband on the big day, and this served as the perfect solution.
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I have always loved this coffee filter favor that I created using Borders & Corners Hearts.  Coffee filters are inexpensive and easy to stamp on, making this a project for anyone at any skill level!
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This scalloped Nugget Wrap is SO easy to create and really dresses up the popular candy with hardly any effort at all.  And with the versatility of Limitless Labels, you could make the same project to suit a variety of different occasions!
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It's always fun to look back on things I have done in the past and I hope that something you have seen this week has given you inspiration to do something special this Valentine's Day!

Introducing Raspberry Fizz

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Raspberry Fizz was actually developed at CHA this past summer.  My dearest friend, Dawn McVey, had been hinting at a "nice deep fuchsia" for a very long time.  We attended the show together and she presented me with a not-so-subtle bag of goodies, all in shades of this deep fuchsia that she really wanted to see some to life in the Papertrey line-up. Needless to say, I loved the color and we instantly agreed on the name Raspberry Fizz.  Don't you just love it!  I keep repeating the name over an over out loud, it just rolls off the tongue in such a fun way!  And so we now add this new color to our collection, and we are so thrilled with how it turned out.  I think Raspberry Fizz is one of our best yet!  All five ribbons, palette ink and cardstock will be available in this color beginning tonight at midnight EST!
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Introducing Fresh Snow

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While we have been carrying Stamper's Select White cardstock for some time now, we thought it was about time to introduce some additional coordinating products for you to use.  So this month we are proud to be bringing you a total of four ribbons along the perfect white ink that I spoke about earlier this week.  The ribbons include the satin, grosgrain & twill that you have become accustomed to.  But we also threw something new in this month, a luxurious 1/4-inch velvet!
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I just LOVE this ribbon!  It is so soft and easy to work with.  It really adds a touch of elegance to any project that you decide to add it to.  It is so substantial that it even looks good as a border with no tying involved.
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I already told you a bit about the coordinating Fresh Snow pigment ink earlier this week and how much I love it, but I thought I would provide you with a bit of a visual as to how it compares with our Vintage Cream pigment ink and the Palette New Canvas ink.  As you can see, both the Fresh Snow & Vintage Cream give good coverage and there is a definite difference in color between the two.  The Palette New Canvas provides a much softer look.  One additional tidbit you might like to know is that Heather Nichols (yes, the white ink queen herself!) chose the final version of the white ink we are carrying!  She's been using it for several months and has given it her seal of approval, and you just can't argue with the queen!  I know that you will love all of these additions to our product line as much as I do once you try them out! 

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Be sure to stop by and visit Debbie's blog today to see what she did with Love Songs!

Lisa has one more additional project to share with you as well!

Candice has a few more things to share about her new set,  Forest Friends

Lauren has anothe rpeek at her templates along with the reveal of a new packaging product we are carrying this month!

Sweets for the Sweet

Myself along with the rest of the Papertrey Design Team have prepared an amazing collection of Valentine ideas for you today!  As photos of each of the designer's projects trickled into my inbox this past week, I was left feeling truly amazed and inspired by their ingenuity.

For my little project, I decided to play around with our exclusive small heart tins.  I designed these tins to be nice & deep to hold a variety of different treats with plenty of room to spare  All of the heart tins I had seen in the past were shallow and therefore limiting as far as what you could put inside.  This unique depth really opens the door for so many possibilities. 
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When talking to Julie during a recent meeting, she came up with the amazing idea of using the upper lip of the tin itself as a cookie cutter, therefore making heart-shaped cookies that would stack perfectly in the tin.  I promptly envisioned how amazing those coordinating elements would look together, and just knew I needed to execute it with this release!  From some experimentation, I found that a shortbread recipe is the only way to go since it doesn't have any rising agents and therefore the cookies remains the same size after baking, ensuring a perfect fit in the tin.  Here is the recipe that I used.  You need no special ingredients and they are super yummy too!

Basic Shortbread Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Heat oven to 350-degrees. 

2. Cream together butter & sugar in large bowl.  Gradually add flour.  (If the dough is a bit crumbly, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons additional softened butter).

3. Roll dough 1/4-inch thick on lightly floured surface.  Cut into desired shapes.  Place 1/2-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. (I use a baking stone).

4. Bake about 20 minutes or until set.  Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

5. After cookies have cooled, decorate as desired.

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I decorated the cookies using a flood icing technique which I learned about by watching this video from Martha Stewart:

Royal Icing Technique Video

These cookies were my very first attempt at this type of thing, and I was really pleased with how easy it was.  It is definitely something I will be doing again soon!
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After completion, I was able to fit 4-5 cookies in each tin.  I was so pleased with how well they fit!  It almost looks as though a custom tin was created for my cookies, rather than the other way around!

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I thought a small valentine would be the perfect thing to complete the ensemble.  I repeated the design elements used on the tin to make this quick & easy card.  As I said yesterday, this 3x3 size is my favorite for little notes like this.
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The completed ensemble would be the perfect thing to send in to a teacher, friends & neighbors, co-workers, classmates or any one else special in your  life!

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Now, as I promised at the beginning of this post, the design team has also developed several different ideas to inspire you this Valentine's Day!  Please be sure to stop by each of their blogs today for all the details regarding their amazing concepts!!!

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Becky Oehlers turned one our exclusive large heart tins into a purse for her daughter!  The satin lining really  makes the project!
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Betsy Veldman created ice cream cone cupcakes with their own little keepsake boxes.  I love how she made her cupcakes match the stamp image, right down to the "cherry" on top!
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Dawn McVey created a tin full of love notes for someone special.  Her color combinations are FABULOUS!
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Debbie Olson shares a homemade treat in the large heart tin, making it look like something purchased at a luxury candy shoppe! 
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Geny Cassady made some homemade lollipops that look as good as they must taste.  She altered one of Lauren's new templates for this month to contain them!
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Heather Nichols painted & stamped the small heart tins surface directly for a really unique & rustic look.  I just loved this technique and cannot wait to try it out myself!
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Lauren Meader made colored chocolate lollipops, packaging them in her new Lolli-pop Along template being released this month.  I love the little picket fence detail!
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Lisa Johnson added some details to some lollipops of her own using her new set, Love Songs.  Be sure to stop by her blog to see the packaging she create to go with them!
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Melissa Phillips really stepped out of the box with this challenge and created some special hair bows for her little girl along with a keepsake heart tin.  Love this idea!
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Michelle Wooderson has become very passionate about fabric lately and developed this ensemble to feed the infatuation of other fabric-loving friends.
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Niki Estes created a special tin just for friends.  Her embellishment of one of our large heart tins is just out of the world!
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I hope you took the time to visit each designer's blog and give them a shout out for their hard work!  I am truly amazed when I see the results from an assignment like this.  They put so much thought and effort into bringing you fresh, fun ideas each and every month!  I know I am so thankful!

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Nichole's Supply List
Stamps: Heart Prints (available December 15th)
Ink: Pure Poppy Palette, Fresh Snow pigment (available December 15th)
Paper: Stamper's Select White, Pure Poppy
Other: Pure Poppy stitched ribbon, small heart tin, small heart punch from EK Sucess, Giga Scalloped Square Punch from Marvy, paper piercer, white brads from Doodlebug, foam dimensionals, Scor-tape (for adhering cardstock to tin)

Finished size: 3 x 3 inches (card), 2.5 x 2.25 inches (tin)

Introducing Love Songs

If you have been following along with us this week, you have probably already seen some of the amazing things that Lisa Johnson has created with her newest release, Love Songs.  Not only does this set feature adorable images, it also has a lot of sentimental value to it which many people will identify with.  To quote Lisa, "Love Songs is a fun valentines set of 38 stamps in which the images and sentiments are based on some of the most popular and memorable songs about love."  Now, what's not to love about that!

For my project today, I thought I would show you a little something I plan on doing as a Valentine's Day surprise for my children this year!  It is a tradition that wake up in the morning on the big day with a special Valentine treat waiting beside their beds.  Last year it was a little mailbox with a few love notes in it and some candy.  This year I thought it would be fun to make Strawberry Marshmallow Cones!  Do you recognize the box that I packaged it in?  It is Papertrey's exclusive My Timeless Templates For Keep{sake} Box.  I just made the window a bit taller and created the lid from acetate rather than cardstock.  I stamped a polka-dot lining for the box with vintage cream ink onto berry sorbet cardstock. A small raised tray inside with a hole cut the diameter of the cone helps hold it in place perfectly.  I loved the way it worked out to use this template because it was quick and easy packaging, making the cone look like it is from a fancy bakery!
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To create this special delicacy, you simply make the standard Rice Crispy Treat recipe, only using strawberry marshmallows instead of the regular white ones.  Also, rather then pressing the mixture into a pan to form bars, you fill the cone and mold a small "scoop" on top.  A few sprinkles are the finishing touch!  I know my kids will LOVE eating these!  Wouldn't these be adorable to have as little favors for a birthday party or something too?!?!?
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The ice cream cone image from Lisa's new set is the perfect image to go along with this yummy little gift.  I used it along with the "all you need is love" sentiment circle.  Not only did it create the perfect frame for the cone image, but it also conveys my feelings for my family as well..all you need is love to keep a family happy & content!
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I think the cone & scoops look fabulous when cut out and put on foam dimensionals.  Their simple lines make it really easy to trim them out.  I accented the cone image with a few dabs of stickles ans a rhinestone.  A little sparkle always adds a little something special to a project!  Kind of like a string of pearls added to finish off your favorite outfit!
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The card is a mini 3x3 size.  I love this size when I am making things for my kids or their classmates.  Its quick and easy but also is just the right size for little hands.
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The tag on the box lid coordinates with focal point on the front of the card.  It's simply tied in place with a bit of hemp.
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I hope you enjoyed today's project!  If you haven't already, be sure to stop by Lisa's blog and see the projects she has created with this adorable set.  She's really hitting it out of the park this month!  We would love to hear your thoughts about Love Songs!  What do you think of the set?  Do you identify with any of the love songs she has referred to doing her countdown thus far?  Be sure and comment today for a chance to win your very own copy of...

Love Songs stamp set!

The Fine Print: One comment will be chosen randomly as the winner.  The winner will be announced around 11:30pm EST, Friday, December 12th right here at the end of this post. Please play nice, only one comment per person.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED! 

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

311	

And comment # 311 belongs to...

"Very cute, Nichole.  I'm lovin' this preview week...it is soooo fun getting a peak at the various sets and accessories. Thank you!"

Posted by: Kristyn Sinnott | December 12, 2008 at 01:15 PM

Congratulations, Kristyn!  Please email customer service with your shipping information so we can get your prize package out to you!  And thank you to everyone else for sharing your excitement with me about these sets!  I appreciate it so much!

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Don't forget, you can see another project created with Love Songs on Lisa's blog today!

Candice has a bit more to share with you about Forest Friends!

Lauren reveals some examples using the second template being released this month!
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Stamps: Love Songs (available December 15th), Polka Dot Basics
Ink: Vintage Cream, Berry Sorbet, Dark Chocolate palette, So Saffron SU! (cone)
Paper: Berry Sorbet, Vintage Cream
Other: Berry Sorbet stitched ribbon, 1-1/4" circle punch from EK Success, extra-jumbo scalloped circle punch from Marvy, acetate from Office Depot, hemp twine from Wal-Mart, adhesive rhinestone from Paper Studios, Star Dust Stickles from Ranger, foam dimensionals from Fiskars, Glue Dots (for adhering acetate box lid together), Scor-tape (for assembling box template)

Finished Size: 3 x 3 inches (card), 3 x 5.5 inches (box)