welcome, welcome! it's anniversary time for papertrey ink - eight years, can you believe it?! i’m so excited to be back for a fourth year of designing stamps under my pieces of confetti line. having been a customer and fan from the very first set nichole offered, this continues to be a pinch-me kind of job! when i looked back at my projects from last year, i had trouble picking my top eight - it’s like picking a favorite child! So, to be fair and because i designed eight sets last year, i decided to choose one from each set. looking at each line up of countdown cards brought back all the memories of creating them. one memory stands out stronger than the others, and that is my participation in stamp-a-faire. first, i was blown away by how much everyone loved the trapper keeper card! and second, it was my first time stamping on camera. oh, if only i’d saved the outtakes - actually it was probably a good thing my digital memory was limited by a sick laptop at the time, because, really, nobody needs to see me throwing a stamp fit! my daughter plugged herself into her headphones to tune me out - and she was in the next room! in the end, i loved sharing my projects with you and look forward to challenging myself to create more videos in the year to come! so, let's talk favorites, as numbered above, in order of their debut, linked to both the original post and the stamp set...
1. hooray! hooray! happy birthday | modern cross quilt
i picked this card because i love a fun banner card. this one features two banner strands, one with crosses cut from silver paper, the other cut and stamped. this card also stood out from the rest of the group because of the bright happy colors paired with shiny silver and lots of white space. light, bright, white makes me happy!
2. welcome baby! | rattled
speaking of white space, i had to include at least one of my white die cut cards. rattled really lent itself to this look. the white on white adds interest while allowing the full color focal die cut to pop - it's literally popped up too! (i go through a lot of foam tape.)
3. eat at your own risk candy bar | haunted borders
while i mostly make cards, i love non-card projects like this candy bar. a stamp that says "eat at your own risk" has to be used on food, right?! (tip: most candy bars have a single label these days, with big logos and color, so cover the label with foil first before adding your stamped one for a more finished look.)
4. totally awesome trapper keeper | stamp-a-faire 1980s kit
oh, the trapper keeper card - who knew?! this was so much fun to put together. and i absolutely loved seeing so many of you get excited about it! the whole project, from designing the product to curating the pinboard and playlist to creating projects, was like, totally awesome - i heart the 80s!
5. if friends were flowers | merry kiss-mas!
you might think this is an odd choice from merry kiss-mas! where's the christmas? but that's exactly why i picked it. i love thinking "outside of the set" and using images in completely unexpected ways. also, the focal panel started out as a mess up - i left it on my desk instead of tossing it and it spoke to me! plus, i really love chalkboard art and yellow is my favorite color. (bonus: there's another fun banner card in the same post!)
6. hip, hip, hooray! happy birthday | give me a hand
i really had trouble picking a favorite from give me a hand - i kept going back and forth between this one and the silhouette one in the same post. ultimately, i chose this one because of the layout and the details - the sleeves and accessories add such fun color opportunities. but i do love the silhouette look - enough to devote a whole post to it.
7. make a wish | hey, cupcake!
this card didn't make it into the official countdown last month, so i thought it needed a little extra attention. i die cut a template and "frosted" the cupcake with molding paste, pressing in confetti sprinkles before it dried. i also added glossy accents to the candle and brushed glitter into the center of the flame. texture, shine, and shimmer - little details, big impact!
8. zap, bam, wow, celebrate now! | zappy birthday + comic strip cover plate & patterned paper
again, these projects are still so new, but this card takes the win because it showcases all of the fun product in the collection - stamps, dies, cover plate, patterned paper - and it's a shaker card too! as soon as i designed the different pieces, i knew i was going to create this card. from a card design standpoint, i love the depth of having details on the inside as well as on top. it's super!
wow, what a year! did i pick the right ones? did you have a stand out favorite that didn't make the list? were you inspired to create a spin off along the way? please share in the comments! as i said above, i'm so thrilled to be back for another year creating pieces of confetti stamp sets. and i thank you so much for your visits and comments and excitement along the way! coincidentally, it's also my own eighth anniversary of blogging. although, i've been stamping and designing stationery much longer, i began blogging in january of 2007, right before that first papertrey ink set! sometimes i get a bit overwhelmed with my print design work - when it rains, it pours, and that's not a bad problem to have. but i absolutely love when i have a release month so that i can step away from the software and just play with my stamps! i'm off to check out the rest of the team faves --> let the party begin...
:) lexi
