{capture the moment}

Design Team Changes

Our Design Team here at Papertrey Ink is a bit like family.  Once you're on board, we consider you a "lifer"!  But every once in a while there is a time for change and today I have a few announcements regarding just that.

Michelle Wooderson has been with us for several years and she has opted to step down from her position on the Senior Design Team and take on a lighter roll alongside Debbie Olson.  Michelle will still be creating a few projects every release, but she will no longer be participating in the group challenges and countdown festivities.  As many of you know, Michelle has two beautiful girls (her "Reds"!) that are growing up fast and she wishes to dedicate more time to them at this busy stage in their lives!  We will certainly miss the contribution of Michelle's amazing talents and creativity to the various challenges tackled by the Senior Team, but I am so pleased that she is staying on with us in a capacity that works better for her schedule.

The talented Maile Belles will be taking on the vacant position within the Senior Design Team and all of the new responsibilities with it.  Her clean & modern style will provide an even more versatile array of projects to each challenge and I know we all can learn so much from her.  Her clever creativity and unique perspective will certainly beneficial to all of us in this new capacity.

New to the team is Ashley Cannon Newell, stamper extraordinaire!  She will now hold a position on our Release Team and delight your creative side with amazing creations each and every month during Release Week!  I have had the pleasure of meeting Ashley in person and her personality & style leave a lasting mark.  She is unique, bold and a true trendsetter.  Her photography skills are absolutely amazing and I just know her projects will leave you feeling incredibly inspired!  Welcome, Ashley!

We look forward to continuing to provide you with the best inspiration in the business through these amazing gals along with all of our other existing designers!

Make It Monday #39: Multi-stamp Background Building

Today we are taking a closer look at a project from the past and showing you how to recreate it step-by-step.  Back in August I showed you a background that I created with multiple stamps and colors.  In this week's video I provide you with tips and tricks on how to create your own custom backgrounds that can easily be mistaken for purchased designer papers!

Here are some still shots of this week's project.

• Step 1: Leaves in Ripe Avocado ink (image from Harvest Berries)
• Step 2: Large flowers in Terracotta Tile ink (image from Flower Fusion #7)
• Step 3: Small leaves in Ripe Avocado ink (image from Harvest Berries)
• Step 4: Small flowers in Orange Zest ink (image from Flower Fusion #7)
• Step 5:  Outlined dot in Summer Sunrise ink (image from Flower Fusion #7)
• Step 6: Small dot trio clusters added to flower centers using fine tip pen

Here are some other backgrounds I have created in the past and a step-by-step breakdown of their stamps & colors.

• Step 1: Leaves in True Black ink (image from Harvest Berries)
• Step 2: Large flowers in VersaMark ink (image from Flower Fusion #7)
• Step 3: Small outlined flowers in Fresh Snow ink (image from Flower Fusion #7)
• Step 4:  Dot trio in True Black ink (image from Harvest Berries)

• Step 1: Large snowflake frame in Pure Poppy ink (image from Tag-its #8)
• Step 2: Medium snowflake in frame centers in Aqua Mist ink (image from Tag-its #8)
• Step 3: Small snowflakes in Simply Chartreuse ink (image from Winter Cheer)
• Step 4:  Small dot in Raspberry Fizz ink (image from Polka Dot Basics)

• Step 1: Outlined dots in True Black ink (image from Polka Dot Basics)
• Step 2: Striped dot in Simply Chartreuse ink (image from Boy Basics: Simple Circles)
• Step 3: Striped trio dot in Summer Sunrise ink (image from Boy Basics: Simple Circles)
• Step 4:  Outlined dot in Orange Zest ink (image from Boy Basics: Simple Circles)
• Step 5: Star dot in Aqua Mist ink (image from Boy Basics: Simple Circles)

• Step 1: Scalloped frame in Ripe Avocado ink (image from Tag-its #1)
• Step 2: Large medallion in frame centers in Simply Chartreuse ink (image from Giga Guidelines)
• Step 3: Large medallion again in between frames in VersaMark ink (image from Giga Guidelines)

• Step 1: Cups in Fresh Snow ink (images from Warm Happiness & Warm Happiness Too)
• Step 2: Cup details in Pure Poppy ink (images from Warm Happiness & Warm Happiness Too)

• Step 1: Large leaves in Spring Moss ink (image from Turning a New Leaf)
• Step 2: Small flowers in Lemon Tart ink (image from Beautiful Blooms II)
• Step 3: Small flower centers in New Leaf ink (image from Beautiful Blooms II)
• Step 4:  Single leaf in New Leaf ink (image from Turning a New Leaf)

• Step 1: Large solid teardrops in Aqua Mist ink and medium solid teardrops in Simply Chartreuse ink, working in vertical rows (images from Modern Basics)
• Step 2: Large teardrop outlines over large solid teardrops in Hawaiian Shores ink (image from Modern Basics)
• Step 3: Small teardrop outlines over medium solid teardrops in Ripe Avocado ink (image from Modern Basics)
• Step 4:  Polka dot teardrops in large solid teardrops in Hawaiian Shores ink (image from Modern Basics)
• Step 4:  Small solid teardrops in medium solid teardrops in Ripe Avocado ink (image from Modern Basics)
  

• Step 1: Gifts stamped in alternating Ripe Avocado, Orange Zest and Summer Sunrise inks (images from Make a Wish Additions)
• Step 2: Ribbons in Pure Poppy, Raspberry Fizz and Hawaiian Shores inks (images from Make a Wish Additions)

• Step 1: Large medallion in Aqua Mist ink (image from Giga Guide Lines)
• Step 2: Small medallion in centers of large medallion in Spring Moss ink (image from Guide Lines Two)
• Step 3: Small medallion in between large in Spring Moss ink (image from Guide Lines Two)
• note:  All done on Guide Lines Grid cardstock to help with lining up.

If you are joining along this week, here are the details concerning the Make It Monday Challenge.

--A new Make It Monday Challenge & video will go up every Monday morning at 9am EST.

--Create a project utilizing your take on the challenge.  Your project must use at least one Papertrey product and feature this multi-stamp background building technique.

--Post your project on your blog, in your gallery or on any other photo-hosting site (such as photobucket or flickr).

--Add your project to our --->InLinkz List HERE<---

--You will have until 7am, Monday, November 7th, to add your link to the list to be eligible to win.  And you can enter as many times as you like.

--We will be tweeting and posting on our Facebook page every night (between 5-9pm EST) highlighting a Featured Project.  These tweets/Facebook postings will just be a shout-out regarding projects that caught our eye.  The tweets/Facebook postings no longer have any special merit regarding the actual contest.

--One randomly selected winner will be chosen from ALL the entries on Monday, November 7th, after 7am.  The winner will be posted here on this blog post, on Twitter and Facebook.  The randomly selected winner will get to select a FREE Papertrey stamp set of their choice!

 Good luck to everyone and we look forward to seeing your projects!

And this week's winner is Elena, #33. Congrats Elena! Please contact customer service with your stamp set choice and mailing information. Thank you to everyone who participated!

October 2011 Blog Hop

Welcome everyone to the October Papertrey Blog Hop!  We are so thrilled to see you here!  First, the challenge...

 
{photo credit}

For this month's blog hop inspiration we've selected something with a bit of an autumn flair.  The fabric selections and pattern combinations used on these petite pumpkins are a prime way to jump-start a fabulous fall paper project.  Use the colors as your inspiration, or perhaps focus on the patterns  You can also utilize pumpkins or maybe some felt die-cut leaves.  Whatever you choose, you are sure to have amazing results!  We look forward to seeing your projects!

I have included an inlinkz list below for you to add your link to your blog hop project.  This new type of link list will allow you to select a thumbnail to go along with your link, making it easy to go back and find a project later that might have perked your interest.  

You have until 11:30pm EST tonight (October 25th) to add your link to this list.  THREE random participants will be selected to win a FREE Papertrey Ink stamp set of their choice.  They will be announced and highlighted here, on my blog, tomorrow morning.  We look forward to seeing all of your creations!

EDITED TO ADD RANDOMLY SELECTED WINNERS:

Jen Carvajal created this beautiful framed artwork using felt and fabric to piece together a stunning fall pumpkin.  I love detail of the brown buttons on the stem and the balance she created with the green strip in the background.

Terri E. pieced together a large pumpkin focal point with various patterned papers.  I love the way she allowed the pumpkin to really pop by using a Dark Chocolate card front.

Lynda Marquez used basic geometrics paired with pretty polka dots to create a fun everyday type of greeting that could be used year-round.  The addition of buttons on a few of her well-placed swatches was the perfect finishing touch!

Congratulations to all three winners!  Be sure to send an email off to customer service with your free stamp set selection as well as your shipping information!  A big thank you to everyone who played along!  There were so many fabulous creations this month!

October Blog Hop Today!

Today we are excited to present the BIG monthly Blog Hop that Papertrey Ink hosts for all of it's talented customers to show off their skills! 

The Blog Hop is an ALL DAY EVENT!  A new link list will be posted here on my blog at 10am EST and you can add your link anytime up until 11:30pm EST.  And don't worry if you aren't going to get a chance to make a project and play along, there will be a contest for non-participants as well over in our forum in the designated thread. I hope that I will see many of your familiar faces over here today! I look forward to seeing all of your creativity!

 
All of our customers who enjoy sharing inspiration & artwork with their peers through their personal blogs.

 
The actual Blog Hop will take place today, October 25th, beginning @ 10am EST. 

 
You will explore individual blogs through a thread here, on my blog, beginning at 10am EST today. 

 A day dedicated to seeking inspiration through projects utilizing Papertrey Ink products. 

 
 
{photo credit}

For this month's blog hop inspiration we've selected something with a bit of an autumn flair.  The fabric selections and pattern combinations used on these petite pumpkins are a prime way to jump-start a fabulous fall paper project.  Use the colors as your inspiration, or perhaps focus on the patterns  You can also utilize pumpkins or maybe some felt die-cut leaves.  Whatever you choose, you are sure to have amazing results!  We look forward to seeing your projects!

 

 -Participating bloggers can add their link to the appropriate list here anytime between 10am EST and 11:30pm EST today, October 25th within the link list that will be posted.The title of your post should be "Papertrey October Blog Hop Challenge".

-Customers & participants alike can peruse all of the links and absorb all of the amazing inspiration that will be shared!

-After you have made your way through the list, simply return to our forum and participate in all of the fun!

-You can chit chat with everyone in the Blog Hop forum! Take this time to praise your peers efforts, discuss anything new you might have learned and which projects really offered something unique!

-The three random blogger participant winners will be announced Wednesday morning on our forum and highlighted here on my blog!

-You can enter our Blog Hop Forum contest. There will be a special thread posted in our forum specifically for this purpose asking a question. Please only post once, as the winner will be picked via the Random Number Generator. The forum contest will end at midnight EST and the winner announced in the morning within the thread.

-Create a project while you are here, using the new inspiration you have gathered from the Blog Hop. You can post your projects in the gallery, even if you do not have a blog! We are looking forward to all the fun a bit later today and we hope to see you there!

Make It Monday #38: Brayer and Impression Plate Techniques

Betsy's here today to push the creative envelope again, in the way only she can. We so love it. She's breaking out her brayer and impression plates to create some amazing backgrounds. Hope you'll join us this week in our challenge.

Stills of Betsy's project: 

If you are joining along this week, here are the details concerning the Make It Monday Challenge.

--A new Make It Monday Challenge & video will go up every Monday morning at 9am EST.

--Create a project utilizing your take on the challenge.  Your project must use at least one Papertrey product and feature this brayer/impression plate technique.

--Post your project on your blog, in your gallery or on any other photo-hosting site (such as photobucket or flickr).

--Add your project to our --->InLinkz List HERE<---

--You will have until 7am, Monday, October 31st, to add your link to the list to be eligible to win.  And you can enter as many times as you like.

--We will be tweeting and posting on our Facebook page every night (between 5-9pm EST) highlighting a Featured Project.  These tweets/Facebook postings will just be a shout-out regarding projects that caught our eye.  The tweets/Facebook postings no longer have any special merit regarding the actual contest.

--One randomly selected winner will be chosen from ALL the entries on Monday, October 31st, after 7am.  The winner will be posted here on this blog post, on Twitter and Facebook.  The randomly selected winner will get to select a FREE Papertrey stamp set of their choice!

 Good luck to everyone and we look forward to seeing your projects!

 Editted to add: Congrats to Greta, #55, for her beautiful interpretation of this challenge. Greta, please contact Customer Service with your mailing information and stamp set choice! Thank you to all of the participants - you inspire us!