confetti by lexi

flashback friday :: happy mail

school is winding down and kids all over are gearing up for camp - and i've got some fun gear! so fun, that i repeat it year after year after year after year. camp is one of the few times that kids will write actual hand written letters. they have to. literally, as my girls consistently point out in their first letter home each summer. apparantly, that one is mandatory to get the pen rollling. but they always end up writing more as the days go by, especially now that they're older. camp stationery is flying out of my studio right now along with the popular coordinating clipboard box. it's a great size for stationery and supplies aplenty, plus drawing materials, summer reading and a mini ipod, if they're allowed to bring one - everything needed for quiet time. and it's a desk to write on, too! the request for this surprise birthday one was color, color, color - and i was told i nailed it. so much so that i got an order from the birthday girl's friend the very next day!

:) lexi

original post: july 31, 2007
take two: july 29, 2009
another one: april 20, 2011
even more: june 25, 2013

a streetcar to desire

lots of orders heading out the door this week, including my new streecar design. repeat requests are great, but i really love drawing something new! i can't believe i hadn't been asked for a streetcar before.

chugging along...
:) lexi

rattled in review

a week of frantic rattled stamping behind me, new stamps in the papertrey ink store as of last night! i would say i feel a bit of withdrawal now that it's over, but it's may and that means may madness - those weeks where school and summer start to blend together into a swirl of teacher gift and camp stationery orders, my girls' exam prep and assemblies, plus a may birthday. but once school is over and the slower pace of summer actually begins, i look forward to stamping more with my two latest releases.

i stamped a lot this month again. do you have a favorite? it's hard for me to pick just one, but i'm really partial to the two rattle shakers and the white die cut cards. when i designed the set, even when i sat down to work with it, i didn't imagine how many different looks i could create in one week. it's funny that way - it really takes getting into it, getting my fingers inky, stamping on my blotter pad or scraps, testing colors and supplies. i love it when ideas start to fall into place!

Follow Lexi's board pieces of confetti: rattled on Pinterest.

as with every pieces of confetti release, i've pinned my countdown projects, along with those from nichole and the design team, to a designated board on pinterest. if you've bought or are buying rattled, be sure to follow the board. i'll continue to add to it whenever i use the set. in fact, i try to pin any projects using my sets that i come across. seeing the stamps in action is the best part of designing them. have fun waiting for your orders and if you haven't bought it already, get it here!

happy stamping...
:) lexi

release day bonus rattle!

today is release day - yay! the may countdown is officially over, but i couldn't resist making one more card. the white on white die cuts with the girly pink rattle was such a hit the other day that i had to make a baby boy blue one. although i was going for the same look and using the same elements, i didn't want it to be identical, so i decided on a different layout. a "stripe" of rattles spaced evenly across the card, with the same pop of a stamped die cut rattle. welcome baby! and welcome new baby stamps (and more) tonight! nichole's got all the info you need to make your list and check it twice, and the members of the design team are sharing their release in review projects, which may require you to check your list again - they're good that way! so much great stuff to choose from and it all goes live tonight in the papertrey ink store at 10pm est...

happy shopping!
:) lexi

tag, you're it!

hello! we've made it to day five of the countdown to new stamps. everything in the papertrey ink may release will be available for purchase tomorrow night. but first, i have another look at rattled in action. today is all about gift cards. sometimes a small card or tag is needed for baby gifting, instead of or in addition to a standard card, and the images in rattled are just the right size. first up, two 3 x 3 mini cards. these are great when you want to write a small greeting or note inside. in the pink one above, you can see that the reverse image block is perfect for this size, layered on a slightly bigger square. i created a painted pink layer with gelatos, embossed the block in white on it, and added a little heart to rattle ball. quick and easy and ready for a baby girl!

for a boy version, i used the rattle and a sentiment without the block. i stamped a die cut rattle, added a banner with the sentiment to look like it was attached to it, and then grounded them both with washi tape in coordinating colors. ta da! just for you, baby boy!

next up, i have two tags. i took this opportunity to use up a few of the die cuts from the other day. the girl one above is pretty in pink and cream - clean and simple and very straightforward. i did tint the watercolor paper base with a light wash of pale pink from the gelatos i was using for the first card. one of the two sentiments included in the set would have worked as well, but i settled on congratulations from comfort food additions for variety.

and last, a boy tag.  for the rattle, i paired a solid die cut circle with a patterned paper handle and i was excited to discover that boy basics: simple circles is a great fit for the rattle ball - the star design was perfect for the look i was going for. and instead of a die cut ribbon, a real bow of natural jute thread. again, quick and easy and super cute! that's it from me today, but it's another group post day, so be sure to head over to nichole's blog for all the beautiful details and lots o' links. lizzie and melissa are sharing more with their new products as well. i'll try to be back with one last bonus post in honor of release day tomorrow, and more projects as time permits - so be sure to come back and visit...

:) lexi

shake, rattle and roll!

it's day four of the papertrey ink countdown to new stamps, including my new set, rattled - and i decided to shake things up! haha, couldn't resist! anyway, a rattle is the perfect subject for a shaker card, don't you think? now, i wish i'd thought of this in the designing phase so we could have the circle frame die cut ready to go, but a smaller circle punch or die is all you need. i haven't made shaker cards for a really long time, so they weren't on my mind. but now, after seeing all the cool samples from betsy's shakers + sprinkles kit, i knew i had to make it happen. first up, a mix of patterned paper rattle pieces from yesterday's cutting spree, filled with chunky star and heart glitter to match, layered on the reverse image block and tilted for a fun layout. overall, pretty easy, but it packs a big punch!

next up, i decided to created a window shaker card with a stamped rattle on the reverse image block in the background. a window shaker like this isn't hard to create, and even though the rattle doesn't shake like the first, it's the perfect nod to how a rattle works. washi tape and washi tape paper made for a couple of quick design decisions, congratulations from comfort food additions, the perfect sentiment. the end result: clean, simple and cute!

and then, i had to make another rattle - it's just so fun to have a little working rattle on your card! i paired it up with the hello die cut from phrase play #3, released last month (and still on my messy desk!), creating a little puzzle pieced focal point with the different elements. i decided to leave off the usual ribbon die cut on the handle in favor of having the word overlap a little. finally, i added a punched heart for a new and different look. i hope these shakers make you smile! if you haven't already, head to nichole's blog for the ultimate baby inspiration and links to the dt members for a baby filled group post day. i can't wait to see what they've done with rattled! lizzie and melissa are sharing more with their new products as well.

see you tomorrow!
:) lexi

rattled cuts

welcome back for day three - halfway through the may countdown to new papertrey ink stamps, including my set, rattled. so far, i've focused on the rattle building stamps and the reverse image block stamp. and today is all about the dies. above, i left several die cuts blank for a white on white pattern, stamping one to stand out in the crowd, popped up for even more emphasis. but you're not limited to stamping them...

patterned paper is perfect too! the black and white pattern above reminded me of a lot of toys we had for my girls when they were babies - so of course it had to become a rattle. i began with a full die cut rattle in blue, adding the circle and ribbon on top of it. the leftover dot from the middle of the handle circle works great on the bow for a little extra detail.

and last, but not least, patterned paper x three! i kept coming back to this mix - together they're bold and bright, with just the right bit of sassy! to balance the busy, the rattle needed something calm, which ended up being the reverse block in light blue. it allows the bright colors to pop, while also providing a sentiment. like the last rattle, the yellow paper is a full rattle die cut, with the ball and ribbon layered on top. the ball portion is actually glued to several plain white circles for a bit of a 3d effect. these die cut rattles are addictive and now my desk is even messier!! you'll have to stop by tomorrow to see what bits and pieces end up on new cards. until then, be sure to check out nichole's blog for the monthly moments introductions and links to heather and the rest of the mm team - awesome collection! and dawn, erin, lizzie, and melissa are sharing more with their new products as well...

enjoy!
:) lexi

oh baby!

it's day two of the papertrey ink may countdown to new stamps, with another look at my new set, rattled, available for purchase on may 15. today is all about the reverse image block. with the rattle and sentiment all in one, it's the perfect focal image for quick and easy designs. first up, i used it in it's simplest form, with a die cut ribbon for added detail. i also went old school with my scallop punch. confession time: i still love my punches. dies are great for lots of things, but my sizzix is across the room and the punches are within arms reach. so if i have a good punch for the job, i just reach!

again, i started off with a simply stamped block image. this time, i trimmed rather than punched. (note to self: buy a 2" square!) thinking of my girls' old silver ball rattles, i popped up a silver mirrored die cut of the rattle over itself in the block image, finished off with a pink die cut bow. you can't really see it in the picture, but i spritzed the card stock with a shimmer spray to go with the shine of the rattle - and shimmer and shine, it does! the pink scalloped edge carries the darker pink over for another great girly touch.

and while i'm highlighting the reverse image block, i couldn't forget to show it to you with all the rattle bits and pieces stamped in. the result is a perfect colorful focal image - so quick and easy! a little strip of modern cross quilt cover plate from last month found it's way on there, too. i guess it's a positive thing that i haven't fully cleaned my desk since then! don't forget to come back tomorrow for rattled round three from the messy desk. until then, be sure to check out nichole's blog for today's scoop with dt members betsy, melis, and dawn. erin, heather, lizzie, and melissa are also sharing more with their new products, too.

happy mother's day!
:) lexi

introducing rattled!

welcome to day one of the papertrey ink may countdown, and a first look at my newest pieces of confetti stamp set, rattled, available on may 15! today is all about the rattle stamps - ball, stripe detail, handle, and bow. having separate elements makes it super easy to create cute, colorful rattles. blue and green above to welcome that cute new baby boy...

pinks and purples for a sweet little girl. the circle "knot" on the bow makes it easy to line up and rotate slightly for stamping a few extra ribbon layers.

and last, but not least, a trio of yellow baby rattles, with a colorful mix of pastel details. as usual, all three designs are super clean and simple with lots of white space - predictable, i know, but i love it! be sure to check out nichole's blog to see what else is in the spotlight today, along with heather, maile, and lauren. dawn, erin, lizzie, and melissa are all showing off their new product as well. and don't forget to come back tomorrow for another look at rattled!

happy saturday!
:) lexi

sneak peekin'

hi there! i'm back again this month with another pieces of confetti stamp set for papertrey ink, so i'm popping in quickly to share the sneak peek nichole posted today. i fully intended to blog more since spring break, but summer is quickly approaching (yay!), which means walking the tightline between end of school orders and wrap up events for my kids. and now, release week! at least that gets me posting like i should!! see you tomorrow...

:) lexi