{capture the moment}

Embellish It! Senior Challenge

Embellishments are the finishing touch that can bring a project from mediocre to amazing in just a matter of minutes, but they also can get to be expensive, especially some of the more intricate versions available on the market today.  This month I have challenged the senior design team to take the path that Michelle Wooderson has explored lately (such as demonstrated in her posts HERE and HERE) and create their own embellishments with supply basics in their stash.  Not only is Michelle's whole idea fun & economical, it also allows you to customize color & style to give you coordination possibilities for nearly any type of project.

I thought I would start you off with my new little exploration, the world of crocheted flowers.  There are several big-name manufacturers that carry these little homespun beauties, but they can run anywhere from 50-75 cents each and the color selection can tend to be quite limiting.  I decided to go on the hunt for a crochet pattern I could use to create my own, but after hours and hours of research and trial runs, I never found anything that I was completely happy with.  So I combined several aspects from different patterns that I liked and created my own method.  It's quick, easy and inexpensive to build your own little stash of crocheted flowers, ready to use in your paper crafting adventures.

I have created a step by step tutorial that even a beginner could follow along with. 

 

• 4 yards DMC cotton embroidery floss (about half a standard package)
• US size 2 crochet hook

You will notice that I decided to use DMC embroidery floss instead of the traditional crochet thread.  I chose this merely for the color availability.  I was able to find the floss in all of the Papertrey colors and with that as a resource I will be able to create these flowers to coordinate with all of my projects. 

If you would like to see my list of PTI/DMC numbers, you can access it HERE.

ABBREVIATIONS

(you can click on each stitch for step-by-step video tutorials that I located)

ch= chain stitch

sl st= slip stitch

sc= single crochet

dc= double crochet

3dc= three double crochets in same stitch

Step 1: ch 5. Join with sl st to form ring.

Step 2: Add 10 sc through ring.

Step 3: sl st to top of first sc.

Step 4: create a small petal in the first sc using the following pattern (sc, 3dc, sc). 

Step 5: continue creating a small petal in every other sc with the same pattern (creating 5 petals total).  sl st to join with first sc of first petal.  You can stop here and fasten off for a small flower that measures approximately 1-inch in diameter.  Or you can continue to create a more elaborate 2-layer flower.

Step 6: flipping to the back of the flower, sc down through base opening of small petal.

Step 7: ch 3, and sc through next petal base opening.  

Step 8: repeat 4 more times in each opening. sl st through first sc, creating a series of 5 loops total.

Step 9: create a large petal in the first loop using the following pattern (sc, 5dc, sc).

 

step 10: continue creating a large petal in each of the remaining 4 loops with the same pattern. sl st to join with first sc of first petal.  COMPLETE!  These really only take a matter of minutes to put together, and once you have the hang of it, it's something you can do while watching tv or waiting in the doctor's office. 

The perfect finishing touch for the center is one of our vintage buttons. 

(click the image for an enlarged view)

Here is a quick little card I put together using my handmade flower and a few of my favorite stamp sets: Birds of a Feather for the sentiment, Beyond Basic Borders for the border and Background Basics: Text Style to accent the leaves I cut from cardstock (inspired by a recent post by Dawn).  

I'm looking forward to using these little beauties in the future.  I mean, what's not to love?  They are even post office friendly! 

OTHER FUN FLOWER RESOURCES...

Here are some other interesting resources that I stumbled on along the way that I thought you may find of interest.

Crochet Pattern Central shares an entire library of flower patterns, all for free!

You can register to receive the Lion Brand Yarn Newsletter yourself HERE.  Every week they provide a new flower pattern!

If you like to do things by the book, THIS ONE is an awesome resource.

Now for even more AMAZING, economical embellishment options, be sure to check out what the rest of the gals have done!!!

CLICK HERE to read more from  Heather Nichols

 

CLICK HERE to read more from Lisa Johnson

CLICK HERE to read more from Becky Oehlers

CLICK HERE to read more from Lauren Meader

CLICK HERE to read more from Michelle Wooderson

CLICK HERE to read more from Kelly Lunceford

On a side note, I wanted to take a moment to thank Kelly for particpating with us for the past two months as our Distinguished Guest Designer!  She has inspired me SO much in the different ways to utilize our products and she has been an absolute joy to work with.  We are thrilled that she will be continuing on with us in her participation within the Timeless Template Team.  Look for more of her work during the upcoming countdown week and in the future!  Thank you, Kelly!!!

I hope you have all been inspired to start mass producing your own embellishments after all of the idea springboards that have been presented today!  We would love o see what you do!  Please feel free to leave a link in the comments section!  Happy stamping!

Supplies for my project, please visit individual team members blogs for complete instructions & supplies for their projects...

Stamps: Birds of a Feather, Beyond Basic Borders, Background Basics: Text Style

Ink: Vintage Cream (leaf border), True Black Detail (sentiment), Versamark (text leaves), Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo (card edges)

Paper: classic kraft, ripe avocado

Other: new leaf vintage button, needle & thread, handmade flower (directions above)

Finished Size: 4.25 x 5.5"

Sharing my bliss...

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  It's amazing how three consecutive days off can feel so much more like a vacation, rather than just a weekend!  What did you do to pass the time?

David and I hosted our second annual Fireworks & Fireflies party yesterday to commemorate the holiday.  Last year's party was a huge success despite the weather.  This year, the day started out rainy, but cleared up just in time for the festivities to begin.  I'm afraid David and I were too busy playing the roles of host & hostess to take any photos during the actual celebration, but I thought I would share some of the prep work we did around the house to prepare for our 50+ guests.

Earlier last week, we finally decided to put in the flagstone patio I have been wanting under our pergola. Owen & Hannah were real troopers and decided to pull up their sleeves (and pant legs) and *dig* in to help David with the task of removing all the sod.  A special soft memory embraced my heart as I got to see the three of them working together like that.  These two are developing into such thoughtful, helpful, passionate little people.  Sometimes I almost feel as though I will burst with the pride I feel as they show signs of growing up.  Do any of you identify with that with your own children?

After a few days of effort & hard work we had completed one more project to make our house *our* home.  This pergola, complete with swing, was a little project David designed & built for me last year.  Ever since I was a little girl I had dreamed of having a swing like this, dripping with lavender-colored wisteria blossoms.  As you can see, the wisteria is coming along quite nicely, and now that the patio is complete, I am perfectly content with my favorite tea sipping-star gazing-slow swinging spot. 

The first night it was finished, David walked out to enjoy the peacefulness of our new spot with me.  The stars filled the sky in all their wonder, hundreds of lightening bugs flashed off an on throughout our yard and the forest, the crickets chirped their early summer song all while David held my hand.  We were swaying in slow motion with the quiet, rhythmic creak of the swing, going back & forth, back & forth, all while barefoot and completely blissfully happy.  I know I have something special when I still feel like a teenager in love even after ten years.

While David was completing his *assignment* of a shot of the pergola for this post, he took a few more shots from around the yard that I thought I would share.  I am hopelessly in love with adirondack chairs.  Probably because they remind me of my home state of Maine so much.  We have these two sitting near the pergola garden.  I love to sit here to take in some sun and still keep an eye on the kids playing in the yard.  There is just something about sitting in these that instantly brings relaxation to your soul.  Potted pink geraniums sit between the two, just because one can never, ever have too many flowers to surround themselves with (especially pink ones)!

Just in time for the Memorial Day bash, we also put in a new horseshoe pit area.  David built some decking that holds the horseshoes when not in use and it also provides the perfect place to set a bucket full of ice cold beverages to have on hand to help beat the heat while the menfolk play so intently.  Oh, would you look at that... I wonder how those potted flowers got in the *manly-man* area of the yard? *wink* (well, at least they're not pink!)

We put in another small flagstone path through the garden off of our screen porch. It leads to a little firepit area that the kids love to spend a lot of time at in the summer evenings roasting marshmallows.  The path will ensure that they no longer walk ON my flowers, just through them!  I love little stone paths.  They kind of invite you, in a warm and cozy way, to follow along and see where they take you.  There may be a just a few other places around the property where we'll have to add some more of these beauties! (Don't tell David that I am already adding more things to his Honey-Do List!)

And one last parting shot, our annual patriotic front porch decor.  Nothing like the red, white & blue taking center stage!

Thanks for letting me share a bit of my life outside of paper crafting with you today!  Once again, I hope you all had a wonderfully rejuvinating weekend!

May Honorable Mentions

After much delay, I am pleased to bring you this month's Guest Star Stamper winners and honorable mentions.  I decided it was time for a bit of a face lift and I will now be putting more emphasis on the winners themselves and limiting the honorable mentions to a "Top Trio".  In other words, three additional projects that deserved special mention.  I hope you enjoy the changes and take the opportunity to absorb some incredible inspiration from all of the hard work that these ladies put into their projects this month.  Without further ado...

Belinda (a.k.a. cadnileb) created this vibrant & colorful card (using Scattered Showers) that would be sure to brighten anyone's day!  I love EVERYTHING about this project!  The layout, the way the flowers are spilling out over the top of the boots, the angle at which the umbrella sits, the mixture of patterns.  She achieved a perfect balance by having the large bow opposing the large pink umbrella that extends to the right-side.  Everything is just fabulous, Belinda, from head to *toe*!

There were three additional projects that caught my eye...

Julia Aston used the Purse-onality Clutch template to make a little *Get Well Soon* gift set for someone special.  It includes tissues, cough drops and even homemade banana bread!

Anya created a unique raised border with the set, sprinkling in a few raindrops as a background.  The layering and dimension really stand out as a show-stopper!

Heather Jackman was clever enough to put umbrella top images together to form holiday ornaments.  In fact, they look so good, it took me a few moments to figure out which of our stamp sets she had used to create the project!

Jen Tapler achieved one of my favorite looks and made it look effortless, clean & simple.  Her color scheme was drawn from the tea bags included in this special gift box (Get a Handle On It) for her mother.  I love the use of Background Basics: Retro on the new leaf box band.  It hints towards an ethic theme in a subtle and stylish way.  The simple addition of the die-cut leaf extending over the edge of the box softens all of the straight edges and brings it to the next level.  The leaf also echos the pattern found on the teapot from Tea for Two.  Perfect execution, Jen!

Three other ladies incorporated tea in fun & interesting ways...

Dancing Pear Designs made this amazing tea caddy for an upcoming tea party her young daughter will be having. The way she used the teapots as "labels" for each of the section is just brilliant!  Also note the "button legs" she added to the bottom of the caddy, which was created from 4 For Keepsake templates adhered together.  A perfect finishing detail.

Chrissy recently hosted a Mother Daughter Tea and created several of these as favors.  She says the Rounded Wrap-Up template was the perfect size to hold biscotti and a few tea bags.  I loved the color combo she chose along with the way she kept things simple so they were easy to mass produce.

Aaron Brown found this fun frog shaped infuser to use as the basis for her project, which I assume inspired her fun & funky color scheme.  She chose to place some loose leaf tea in glassine bags in the front pocket of the Take Along Tote.

Maria Levy used All-Star Team to create this masculine gift card holder.  She used on of my favorite color combos, ocean tides & kraft, with a splash of pure poppy as an accent!  Using the pennant as a closure of sorts for the flap is a fun way to utilize the shape.  Integrating Fresh Alphabet to finish the sentiment "All Star Birthday" was a clever touch too!  Great job, Maria!

Not to diminish the quality & achievement behind Maria's win, but I am afraid there were no other entries for this category!  I was so disappointed to not have the opportunity to pick a Top Trio of projects using this incredibly fun & versatile stamp set!

Leigh Ann Baird made the most incredible recipe file as her entry in the Timeless Templates portion of the contest.  Utilizing three Filed With Flair templates together made the perfect basis for her project.  She created dividers for the recipe cards using our Recipe Box stamp set and filing system.  I love the way she cut out Recipe Box Label and added it to the front of the trio, adding a bit of a detail for the eye to stop at.  I can totally picture this on anyone's kitchen bookshelf, coordinated in their own color scheme.  I think it is clever & resourceful.  What a fun thing to fill for a bridal shower or house warming party too!  Amazing, amazing results, Leigh Ann! 

We look forward to working with Leigh Ann as a guest on our template team this month!  So if you liked her project today, you will be seeing more from her in one of next month's new template design downloads!

 

Even though only one Template winner receives the top prize of earning the guest position on our template team for this month, there are three other wonderful projects that I thought deserved special mention!

Terri Moore used our free sample download, Stocking Stuffer, to make this fun spring time boot, perfect for dressing up some spring flowers.  The bright pink tulips she used compliment the new leaf green of the boot perfectly.  The added handles that help reinforce the idea of wellies is such a nice touch!

Charmaine Ikach used clear cardstock to create a fun version of the Rounded Wrap-Up.  It turned out to be the perfect size to hold a special girly set of lip gloss.  The addition of the pink Little Lady tag is just SO adorable.  I don't know any little girl that would turn something like this away!

Tracey Cuccia decided to adapt Desk Top Organizer to hold a special rosary bead gift.  A verse from Everyday Blessings was the perfect addition for the lower corner of the insert she created for the box.  What a special & meaningful way to present such a heartfelt gift.  Certainly memorable.

So there you have it!  Didn't everyone do an AMAZING job!  I just feel so blessed to have so many talented stampers utilizing our images in so many fabulous ways.  Thank you to each and every one of you for sharing your art with us!

Want to see your project highlighted here next month and perhaps win a prize?  The categories for this month's Guest Star Stamper Contest can be found HERE!  You have until June 13th to complete your projects, so you have plenty of time to think it over and put something fabulous together!  I look forward to seeing all of your amazing entries!

*Official* May Release Party Contest!

I am so glad to see you here taking part in tonight's exciting festivities!  Welcome!

Now here's your change to win nearly everything you've seen during the countdown this week!  Just by leaving a comment with an answer to the following question...

"What would you like to see from Papertrey for the Christmas/winter holiday releases this year?"

This contest will close at 11:30pm EST.  One comment will be randomly chosen as the winner of our

May "I Want It All" package (a $181 value)!

The winner will be announced here shortly before midnight.  Please play nice, only one comment per person.

Good luck to all of you and we look forward to hearing your thoughts!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED...

 

Congratulations, Karen!  Please be sure to contact Customer Service with your shipping information so we can get your prize package out to you!

A big thank you to all of you that stopped by tonight to share your suggestions for our holiday releases.  We are already working behind the scenes on some exciting products for your favorite time of the year!  It is going to be the best ever!  Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Introducing Fancy Flourishes

We've heard you loud and clear over the past few months and after much anticipation, we are proud to bring you Fancy Flourishes.  Not too embellished, not too whimsical, not too formal, not too doodled.  Just right.  Fancy Flourishes contains 11 flourish images, including one extra large version that measures 4-1/2" wide (perfect for an entire card front).  Let's get right into the projects, shall we!

(click above photo for larger view)

This is one of my favorite flourishes in the set!  I paired it with one of the birds from Birds of a Feather, to represent a flight path.  (It would also go well with the month's new addition, Bird Watching!) I love how the addition of a simple flourish can communicate graceful movement like that.  I'm thinking it would work beautifully with butterflies and anything else that flies!

 

I pierced along two of the strokes that make up the flourish using my paper piercer.  I tried one version piercing directly on the line, and ended up much happier when I did it slightly below, as it's shown here.  Wouldn't this make a wonderful graduation card?

 

(click above photo for larger view)

You can always add supporting images to a flourish too.  This is the large flourish I referred to at the beginning of the post, measuring in at nearly 4.5" high!  I added some stamped flowers from Honey Bees.  It would be fun to go through all of Papertrey's floral sets and see which images would pair up well with this flourish too!

Tiny red rhinestones were added to the flower centers to accent the pure poppy card base.  I love the way the sentiment (from Heart Prints Sentiments) overlaps the flourish.  Just a perfect, simple card!

 

(click above photo for larger view)

Here's a pretty little card inspired by the roses I cut from my garden today. 

 

I love this flourish too!  Don't forget that you can always stamp these images *off* the edge of your card front.  I did that in my project above and it gave it a whole new look.

 

There are a couple of smaller flourishes in the set to allow you to *add to* the larger ones.  Since the blocks and stamps are clear it is easy to place the add-on flourishes exactly where you need them.

 

The patterned paper I created for this project started with the rose from Garden of Life stamped in Hibiscus Burst.  I then over-stamped with one of the script backgrounds from Background Basics: Text Style using vintage cream ink.  I think that this helped to soften the vibrant color a bit and make it seem a bit more vintage in nature.  After completing those steps, I knew a little tea dye effect would be the perfect finishing touch!

I figured now would be as good a time as any to provide a tutorial on how to best use our new Vintage Touch: Tea Dye Duo inking system. Here's what I had to say about it earlier this week...

"This revolutionary antiquing ink system is a special product developed and manufactured exclusively for Papertrey Ink! In the past, whenever I want to add a vintage look to my cardstock, I would use a sponge to apply ink to the cardstock to achieve a softer look rather than harsh look that is achieved by brushing the ink pad to the paper. Until now that is!

Save yourself a step by using these specially formulated ink cubes that contain a tea dye ink perfect for antiquing almost anything! The unique sponge material that the ink pad's surface is made from allows you to achieve that soft sponged look directly to the paper with the ink pad! You can use both colors together for an even more realistic aged look. Just start with the lighter color first and follow up with a smaller layer of the darker hue. This two-toned layering provides realistic results that only take seconds to achieve!"

As you can see from the photo above, you receive two 1x1" ink cubes as part of this set.  The lighter of the two is called Chamomile, while the darker is called Chai.  These specific colors were designed to work best with both cream &and kraft cardstocks. But don't worry!  These two tea dye inks will not be alone for long!  We are already working on additional tea shades that will compliment other uses as well!

There are a few important things to remember when using these tea dye inks.  You don't want to use a whole lot of pressure when applying the ink to paper.  A soft easy swoop with your hand, moving towards the exterior edge of the cardstock will give you the best results.  The other thing to remember is that these inks are much darker wet than they are dry!  Just above, I have put together photos of before and after so you can see the change.  As the ink dries it is really absorbed into the paper and achieves a softer, true vintage look.

 

Now you could leave this alone, with just the chamomile layer in place.  But if you want to take it to the next level, adding a thinner layer of Chai will achieve just that.  You can see between the first & second photo of this process that the moistness of the Chamomile layer allows the Chai to absorb nicely and get that soft variegated look.  Isn't it such a great look?  and easy too, might I add!

You can use just the Chai tea dye ink on kraft carstock too!  It's pretty dramatic how dark it goes on and how light it ends up once it dries.  Now back to the flourishes!

A few of the design team members have already laid claim to the fact that this is one of their new favorites.  Did you catch these amazing projects shared earlier this week that use it?

CLICK HERE to see Dawn's full project.

CLICK HERE to see Lauren's full project.

CLICK HERE to see Lisa's full project.

I hope you are excited about this set as I am!  I think it will quickly become a popular classic and I am just thrilled that we are finally able to offer it this month!  Of course, I couldn't present you with such an exciting product without giving one away to one lucky visitor!  Leave a comment telling me what you think of Fancy Flourishes.  Were you one of the customers waiting for a set like this to be released?  Is there anything special you are looking forward to doing with it?  Here's what's up for grabs...

a FREE Fancy Flourishes stamp set!

You have until 11:30pm EST , (today) Thursday, May 14th, to share your thoughts here.  One comment will be randomly chosen to win this fun prize package.  The winner will be announced HERE on our May Prize Page, shortly before the release at midnight.  Please play nice, only one comment per person. 

Thanks for stopping by again today!  I look forward to seeing you all at the release party tonight!  I think it promises to be lively and full of excitement! 

 

Fancy Flourishes is a set right up Becky Oehler's alley!  Stop by her blog today to see what she created with it!

Lauren Meader has some last looks at the two new templates for May, just to make sure that you are 100% enticed!

Lisa Johnson has compiled some additional ideas using Let Freedom Ring that you won't want to miss!

Melissa Bickford put together a few projects that will seal the deal when making your purchasing choices for tonight!

 

View complete supply lists for all of the above projects HERE.