confetti by lexi

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happy easter chickies! it's spring break here, so princess "week" will continue on the flip side!!

:) lexi

princess from a far off land

today our princess is from a far off land. the request was for aladdin-inspired with a fun punch of color based on decorations they were planning to use. aladdin, but not too disney. i love using unusual color combinations, so this was really fun for me.

first up, the invitation. key ingredients in addition to fun color are pattern, cool shapes, jewels, and of course, a magic lamp and genie wishes.

a matching return address label is easy and eye catching. this is the first opportunity you have to set the scene, and little details like this are so fun - even before the envelope is opened!

similarly, if you're giving a party favor, a coordinating bag tag (or sticker) is another detail that really adds to the overall party design. and here's proof that party favors don't have to be over the top. how perfect and theme specific is this little bag of candy treasure?!

and finally, you can finish it all up with a matching note to say thanks when all is said and done. this one is a personalized fold over note, but like i mentioned yesterday, a fill in the blank version would be easy to create with the various design elements.

speaking of design elements, here is a look at several variations that i came up with along the way with the different pieces and parts. i can easily go crazy with options! some customers like picking and choosing, while others only want one or two fairly perfected choices. i like it both ways. clearly i was having fun with the details on this design. any one of them would be a great invitation, depending on how much color you want or what you want the focus to be. in fact, colors can be swapped around or changed completely to match your vision, too.

your wish is my command!
:) lexi

classic princess

today's princess invitation is all about my go to cinderella images. a glass slipper presented on a royal pillow with a magic wand - classic princess all the way. like the castle shape yesterday, a special cut edge is a detail that sets an invitation apart from others. the frame i chose for this one was a perfect way to include more color and add a fun touch of fancy. again, there are many options for phrases and fonts, depending on exactly what kind of royal princess party you're hosting. these are similar to yesterday's invite, but i've used many others over the years.

it's always fun to have matching stationery for thank you notes. here i used the same images for personalized fold over note cards. but i could also design them into the popular fill in the blank thank you note. once created, i use these images together or separately for a variety of things depending on the requests of the customer. for this party, i also created stickers for the favor bags, using only the wand and a simple thank you phrase. but, really, the sky's the limit - signage, food cards, water wraps, cupcake toppers, bag tags, t-shirt transfers, etc. i'm always game to try something new...

bibbidi bobbodi boo!
:) lexi

hear ye! hear ye! double take

i thought i'd try to continue my blogging streak by finally photographing and posting some of the invitations sitting in my share folder. and since several are princess related, i think i'll start with those and dub this "princess week" in hopes of following through! first up is a more blinged out and personalized version of an original simple castle cutout. the request was to start with the same basic invite, but add glitter and child-like drawings of princesses to match the girls, including the specific length of their cute red hair!

like the original, drop the drawbridge to reveal the party details. there is plenty of room for a variety of princess party phrase options, and lots of ways to decorate the castle to personalize it further. no matter what color or wording you go with, the cutout and drawbridge are really fun details for any sweet little princess - or prince or knight with a quick change of color and costume!

royally yours,
:) lexi

moments inked tips ~ going places

with my oldest nearing the end of junior year, and college decisions soon becoming a reality, we are beginning our search for the right school. i decided it was time to face the facts and get my planner involved in the process. we also hope to fit in a couple of other fun trips, so i blended the two together into a travel section and created a useful tracker to help me out. 

of course, every new section needs a fun custom divider, which is super easy to do with the full binder page die and fun patterned paper. for extra durability, i attached the patterned paper die cut to a cardstock one and added washi tape to the binder ring edge. i added a title tab using the mini tab die and stamped a fun sentiment from monthly moments: travel plans to highlight the purpose of the section.

to keep myself organized, i created a year at a glance tracker to plot out school holidays. i first saw this on instagram and immediately had to make one to fit the moments inked planner. weekends are highlighted in grey and there is enough room below the dates to add written notes. (pdf download and more ideas for using it below!) seeing the days off at a glance will be helpful as we plan various college visit trips and vacations around them - either traveling on those days off or extending a long weekend by adding on excused college visit days to those that are already free. the last day of school for this year and the first for next year are both circled and i used an orange pen to mark off when the girls go to camp. as you can see, we have our first college trip coming up on spring break! once things are marked off on this chart, it will also be easy to add them to the weekly spread where i do my day to day planning.

there is room along the top of the fold out chart to stamp or write a title in case you're using several of these for different reasons. i like words and icons, and monthly moments: travel plans had just what i needed!

next i created tabs for list making using the binder listed die. the first is "the list" - stamped using moments inked: listed - kind of an organized landing spot to list the various schools that we might like to visit. i chose to write these in pencil, so that i can erase and revise as necessary.

then, with that first trip looming, i created school journal pages on refill binder pages - lined, using more stamps from both listed and travel plans. three stamps on one block makes this task easy and quick! it will be great to have a dedicated spot to write down thoughts about the schools she likes and why to refer to as she makes future decisions.

and since this section is not only about school visits, i created another tab for places we want to go for fun. bonus points if we can work one of these trips into a college visit!

and like the college notes pages, i created a similar planning page to make note of the travel details. again, all of the journal stamps can fit on a single block for quick one pass stamping of multiple pages. are we there yet? i'm ready to go!

so back to the year at a glance fold out. there are so many ways you could use it. it's a great place to record anything you want to see spreadsheet style. if you're counting steps or miles, laps or lost pounds on your weekly or daily pages, you can compile them on their own year at a glance at the end of each month to tally them up and watch them grow. just stamp a new title and go! these are all from the newly released active symbols set.

the pdf file has cut lines for cutting and scoring with a paper cutter. then you can line it up with a binder page for hole punching. or you can score it along the score line and then cut it with the full binder page die, as long as you make sure the fold is just inside the right edge cut line. you'll probably also need to use a lighter weight cardstock or paper since you'll be cutting through two layers this way. if you're using the spiral planner system, it would work as well, but you won't need as much of a margin on the left edge. if you do plan on using it, i'd love to see or hear what you're tracking...

download year tracker 2016

let's go!
:) lexi

active symbols have arrived

i finally had time to put stamps to paper with the new moments inked: active symbols set that was part of papertrey ink's march release, so i thought i'd share how i'm using them. i have two high school daughters - one who plays soccer and one who dances. the soccer player is currently playing on her club team, and the dancer, attending classes as much as she can around a busy musical practice schedule, with extra classes being added for the senior division as we get closer to recital time. basically, they have two completely different schedules to keep track of and coordinate family dinners around when possible.

like with the everyday symbols from the february release, i stamped stickers to add to my planner. this time, i used 3/4" round multipurpose labels from office depot. you could use the same ones i used with the everyday symbols last month or stamp them on adhesive paper and punch them with a circle punch. for the soccer player, i stamped a page of soccer balls. and for my dancer, a page of dancers. there isn't a specific dance icon, but i thought the gymnast without the balance beam gave off a dancing vibe. i simply masked off the bottom edge of each row of labels and stamped the beam just below that edge, closing off the leg with my copic multiliner.

the circles fit just as well as the small rectangles and are also removable, making them easy to move if an activity is changed or cancelled. 

if it's not the usual time for any given activity, it's easy to add a planner banner below it to add additional details. i really like the mix of labels for different purposes.

next up, i wanted to make activity schedule dashboards. and because i've been so hooked on the dress up dolls, i decided to make dolls to match my girls! for the dancing daughter, i created a t-shirt using the same activity symbol i used for her dance class stickers. i masked off the doll's undies so that i could draw and color ankle tights and ballet slippers. 

for the soccer daughter, i added stripes and her number to the shirt, shortened and masked the jeans to create shorts, and drew and colored socks. and of course, she needed a soccer ball! i used the medium binder page die for the dashboards, adding washi tape along the binder edge in each of their colors and stamping their names at the top with pencilgrams. 

when i adhered the dress up dolls to the dashboards, i was sure not to put adhesive all the way to the top of the heads, so that i could slide mini sticky notes behind them. i opted to do it this way so that i could change them out if their schedules changed and not have to create a whole new dashboard. sliding them behind the heads helps to keep them from flapping up or bending. aren't they cute? i'm officially paper doll addicted!

and because i never got around to sharing my weekly spread last week, here it is. it was a busy one! i have more to share tomorrow, so 'til then...

happy planning!
:) lexi

luck o' the irish to ya!

i decided to try my hand at a little watercolor brush lettering today on a st. patrick's day inspired card. i need a lot more practice! but after quite a few tries, i finally ended up with a panel i liked. i was determined! isn't that a sweet phrase? once i decided on it, i knew that a heart turned four leaf clover was exactly what i needed. this particular die and stamp are from cupid's arrow. i have always loved the heart to shamrock trick!

once cut and stamped, i assembled the pieces on a punched circle for stability, finishing it off with a freehand stem and a green jewel. then i popped the whole thing up on foam tape nestled up against my watercolor sentiment. the kuretake gold paint is so pretty - it's hard to capture on film, but the shimmer is just perfect. a little green, a little gold, a lot of fun. happy st. patrick's day...

i hope it was magically delicious!
:) lexi

the flip card again - plus templates!

thanks so much for flipping over my clark kent superman flip card! it was my favorite, too. not surprisingly, i got several requests for the silhouette cut file or a template - ask and you shall receive! i'm new to silhouette (this is only my fourth project on it!) and i created the template in illustrator, using silhouette connect to cut it, which doesn't have a save as feature that i could find. so it took me a little bit to figure out how to get it in a right format for others to use. fingers crossed it works!

i'm also including a pdf file for those who want a template but don't have a silhouette machine. while the cut file is simply the card base because it's easier to cut the layers separately, the pdf file includes templates for layers like i did on my card, so silhouette users may want that file as well. when using the pdf for the card base in particular, i recommend printing it and cutting it out to use as a tracing template so that you don't have printed lines on your project. either way, once you cut out the card base, you simply score the top and bottom of both sides of the narrow strip that goes "through" the flip panel and fold. then stamp, embellish, and bam! watch the magic happen! speaking of watching the magic, in this case, a video is worth a thousand pictures, so i posted a 5-second flip on instagram the other day - click here if you missed it. i would love it if someone would let me know if the cut file works. if there are any glitches, i'll do my best to trouble shoot. and if you create something with it, please, please share your results and link here so others can create one too!

silhouette cut file: download flipcard template
pdf template file:  download flipcard template

happy flipping!
:) lexi

harry potter paper dolls!

i was hoping to have a moments inked post today for the group reveal, but my active symbols set didn't arrive until this afternoon, so as soon as i can get them into my planner, i will definitely share. but for now, i have a few pics i took yesterday with the harry potter dolls i posted on instagram. this was the idea i mentioned at at the end of my superhero post the other day. i was marathoning harry potter while working on those, and i kept seeing the cape as potential robes by cutting it away and putting it behind the doll. and you know how it is when you get an idea like that. you have to get it done. and then, the next thing you know you're looking through the various props and books you have to take fun pics with them. first up, they arrived at hogwarts - courtesy of a pop up book!

they'd better check who else is wandering around the grounds before they sneak out to save the day - thank you marauder's map!

rebel rule breakers! forming dumbledore's army despite professor umbridge's growing wall of proclamations.

how about some new gags from weasleys' wizard wheezes - puking pastilles, pygmy puff, love potion, anyone?

time for potions and a visit to professor slughorn so he can collect harry and cure ron from the love potion!

mischief managed! or should i say nerdiness revealed?! now that i have that out of my system, i'm off to print orders and stamp active symbols, lol!

:) lexi

superheroes galore!

good morning! the countdown to the papertrey ink march release is underway, and while i don't have new product this month, i am thrilled to be joining in to show off betsy's new dress up dolls: superhero set. i just couldn't wait to get my hands on it and do a mash up with my own superhero and zappy birthday products. talk about a perfect match! if nothing else, the comic strip paper collection is definitely a must have for creating a cool comic book look, like on the birthday card above. of course, the sentiments and sound bubbles from zappy birthday are super fun, too! and if you want to create comic strips in other colors, the cover plate: comic strip will help you do the trick. before i move on, don't you just love the headband and top bust detail to make the superhero more girly? little things like that are the best!

speaking of super fun, i had this instant vision of a flip card. a clark kent flip to superman - what could be better than that?! it took a while, but the payoff was so much fun. above, i give you clark on the outside using dress up dolls: basics. all business in his glasses, with two of the more simple comic strip patterns paired with a grid paper from pencil me in paper collection. i even doodled a tie on his t-shirt!

and then, bam! when you pull the blue edge open, the card flips to superman. you still see the papers from the outside, but i've added in both red and yellow for a more complete colorful comic book feel along with the sentiments that were hidden behind. super!

here's another look at the closed front without the envelope behind it. it's been a while since i've made one of these. i didn't have the right sized die to create the flip layer the die cut way. but with my new silhouette, i was able to create a perfectly cut card base.

i really wanted the finished card to be the standard 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 and have an open channel around the flip layer, neither of which i could find in my quick search for measurements and templates. but with a few scrap attempts and a little math, i figured out how to do both. it's so much fun to open and close - i feel the need to say "bam!" every time too, haha!

last, but not least, i have a birthday invitation. way back in the day, i created a birthday invitation with sizzix paper dolls to resemble my daughter and her american girl doll. (actually, we played with those paper dolls a lot!) having these new ones reminded me of that, so a superhero bday invite had to happen! i print many complete invitations, but even when i'm stamping one, i like to print the wording - i love rhymes and tying the look together with a fun font. this flat invite is 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 - again a typical invite size i work with and a good size for adding in the dress up doll and other details here specifically. i used the filled in comic strip patterned paper as my guide, and cut pieces of coordinating one color patterns to recreate the comic strip on a larger scale. i started with small scraps that i had on hand, and then measured here and there to perfect it and fit the pieces into place. i decked out my superhero, and added a strip of skyline and a few sound effects. the phone from heart-2-heart #4 was turned into a special super hotline with the tiny suit lightning bolt from the superhero doll set - i love those little details!! finally, the words were printed, fussy cut and popped up into place. now, i need a kid who wants a superhero party!! so that's it for now. i'm sure i'll be playing with these dolls plenty more. they're addictive! in fact, i had an idea while working on these that i just have to make happen today. but first, this is a group post day i can't miss - links and more on nichole's blog...

have a super day!
:) lexi

edited to add: the silhouette cut file and a pdf template for the flip card have been posted - click here!