confetti by lexi

celebrating the past, present and future: 2007

i started off as a papertrey ink customer with nichole’s very first stamp set in 2007, staying up late for every reveal, following the design team members, submitting entries for guest star stamper - the works! in fact, my blog is very much tied to papertrey ink, beginning in january 2007, about a month before the release of paper tray and filled with so much of that first year of stamps before i spent time on a couple of other design teams. so I definitely wanted to play along during today’s walk down memory lane. 

some of my favorite sets that year were the various labels sets. hershey's nugget labels were one of my first and often projects when i found stamping several years prior. i stamped "it's a girl chocolates" to give to visitors and staff at the hospital when both of my girls were born, and again for most of my friends, chocolates for back to school teacher gifts, various holidays, you name it! i absolutely loved nichole’s new take on the idea, and couldn't wait to add it to my bag of tricks. I was particularly excited about limitless labels and the coordinating year-round possibilities, so with valentine’s day around the corner, i decided to stamp some labels and relive the sweet magic!

i often gave them in bags or set them out in bowls, but i also enjoyed creating custom class valentines for my girls to give to their classmates, so i pulled out my punny valentine, also released in december 2007, and whipped one up. nuts for you valentine - i just love this squirrel! 

and of course i used the cute nugget tins papertrey carries as well. in fact, i paired the two sets together in a tin for a round of "guest star stamper" back in the day and received honorable mention. i also found a halloween blast from the past nugget project using the label stamp from spooky sweets for another 'mention...

so fun! now that i have showcased how this product from the past has remained a classic, it's your turn to share your ideas for the future! stop by nichole's blog to share a new project you make with this product, or just share a creation that is somehow inspired by what i made. get crafting and enter today so you can be eligible for a fantastic prize!

enjoy the trip down memory lane - ten years, wow! i'll be back a little later in the series to share my favorite pieces of confetti sets beginning with 2012 when i started designing. until then...

happy stamping!
:) 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

i scream, you scream...

we all scream for ice cream! happy national ice cream day! i barely made it, but did you know that, while today is national ice cream day, the whole month of july is national ice cream month? so let the celebration continue! i pulled together a collage of some of my favorite ice cream projects. ice cream is very inspiring...

i've posted the green/boy version of this invite before, but i never got around to sharing the pink version, so here it is up close, with sweet wording for a special one year old. ice cream is always a good party theme - change the flavor, change the phrase - this invite is easy to personalize!

of course, there was a matching cake just like for the green one. don't worry, ice cream was served, too!

another fun favorite is ice cream cone cupcakes. no actual ice cream here - but it was a hit for my daughter's birthday snack way back when and we got a few double takes as we walked them in!

moving on to the calorie free variety. we went through a heavy painting phase several years ago, which led to a fun gallery wall in my studio. the wall has filled out quite a bit since the original post, but the ice cream cone is still a definite fave!

and last, but not least, i can't forget to mention comfort food and comfort food additions, companion stamp sets highlighting the perfect pint, with a bowl and spoon to serve it up, and some fun and comforting sayings! you can see more fun cards on pinterest here and here. i'm sure i've missed a sweet project or two, but this is a start! and remember it's not just a day, it's the whole month...

yum!
:) lexi

papertrey + 8 project favorites

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

merry kiss-mas in review

wow! what a merry whirlwind of a week with kisses all around! my desk is covered in red and green and mistletoe and i love it. i had so much fun creating with this set. cards, tags, and even decor items - such great possibilities! the design team knocked it out the park as usual, but i especially loved erin's treat boxes, including one with chocolate kisses! i thought of pairing the phrase with red and green kisses when they came out, but i completely forgot that there was a chocolate kiss image in scent-imentals. which already lives here. and now i have more to stamp...!

Follow Lexi Daly's board pieces of confetti: merry kiss-mas on Pinterest.

speaking of design team projects, as with every pieces of confetti release, i've pinned their projects and mine to a dedicated board. i'll continue to add any i create or come across, so be sure to follow it if you want them to show up in your feed. and if you make a merry kiss-mas! project you'd like me to add, just leave a comment with a link. of course, that goes for any of my sets - i love to see what you make!! hugs & kisses...

merry kiss-mas!
:) lexi

p.s. now i need to get halloween up in my house! my holidays are all over the place, lol...

release day bonus post!

yay! we made it to release day! the full reveal, including merry kiss-mas!, has been posted on nichole's blog and the papertrey ink store will be stocked and ready for shoppers at 10pm eastern time. as always, i still had a couple ideas floating around in my head, and here they are. first up, a mistletoe wreath gift tag. the wreath card on the inspiration board from my archives has been nagging at me and i finally had time to give it a merry kiss-mas tag twist. after stamping a large scrap of cardstock with mistletoe repeatedly, i punched my wreath using two circle punches (inner circle first is easier), stamped extra outlined berries in the open spaces around the wreath, and dabbed them all with a white paint pen. once assembled, the wreath covers the instant photo die 2 window just right and the sentiment is a perfect fit below. the end result - clean and simple, and super cute!

next, i wanted to use that funny "vegas" sentiment again - this time with xoxo somewhere near the mistletoe. with both of these cards, i've gravitated back to my non-standard christmas colors, but red and green are feautured prominently as well. i love red and green, but i really do like to mix it up a bit. a few xoxo's scattered below the mistletoe imply kissing going on and an arrow points us in the right direction to leave it all under the mistletoe! hmmm, this might be a funny card to give to someone who lived it up at the office party! don't include photos or they might think it's a blackmail note!!

and finally, i have a stamp-a-faire era kit reminder...

as originally promised, the popular stamp-a-faire 2014 era kits will be available for individual sale tonight at 10pm eastern, exclusively at papertrey ink. these kits will only be available until december 31st, 2014 (11:30pm eastern), so be sure to get yours before the time machine expires at the end of the year! here's a look at my 1980s kit - you can visit nichole's blog for further details and pricing on the era kits from the other designers. and the papers from each kit will also be available - packaged together as a complete collection! i'm so excited about that myself!!

before you go, here are the cards i created for stamp-a-faire to give you an idea of some of what you can create too. remember how the trapper keeper cards stole the show? good times! 2 good + 2 be = 4 gotten!

be sure to stop by nichole's blog for the product release details and the design team's release in review and contest. be careful, though. they have the power to make wish lists go from long to longer, lol!

happy shopping!
:) lexi

 

outside the christmas box...

welcome back to the final day of the papertrey ink october countdown to new stamps, including merry kiss-mas from me. today i wanted to challenge myself to create non christmas cards using this very christmas set! first up, two birthday cards. every time i have a die cut shape that could work for a banner, i create a card with this layout and these bows are no exception. a bow birthday banner had to happen! each bow is two layers with the baker's twine sandwiched in between. the ends are looped and hung over shiny black brads found in my bottomless studio. but, instead of sticking the brads through the paper, i bent both prongs the same way and tucked them behind the layer. i used the same colors i used the other day because they were on my desk, but colors could easily be changed match the recipient or season and sentiments for any occasion would work - even christmas!

next, i put a bow on a box! to create the present, i scored lines 1/4" apart diagonally across a 1-3/4" square - just big enough to stamp the xoxo's in rows to create the look of wrapping paper. it's hard to tell in the picture (thanks to late night photography!), but i covered the bow in glossy accents so that it had a little extra dazzle and shine. either of the two bows would work for this idea and again, colors could be changed to match the recipient. it could also be created for christmas too, but this time: hugs & kisses, birthday wishes! 

so the bows were kind of the easy answer to this challenge, but did you know the mistletoe has an alterego too? the image reminds me of dried flowers hung upside down, so that's exactly what i made it look like! i used the smallest flowers in betsy's brushstrokes kit, stamped and colored a little more with copics to get the edges, and pressed a stylus into the center on a foam pad. any small flower die or embellishments would work as well. assembled with a twine line stamped accross the frame and a bow of the same, now it's a stem of flowers hanging up to dry. if friends were flowers, i'd pick you - an oldie but goodie from green thumb!

and then there was take two, which actually started as take one. if you follow me on instragram you may have seen the simple black and white "leftover" i posted. the sentiment had smudged when i was working on the christmas tag for yesterday's post, so i had to redo it, but i cropped it and kept the mistletoe portion for another possible project. i almost added the flower die cuts to this one, but then moved on with the card above with other desk leftovers. when i came back to this one, i played around with "chalk" flowers, which started to match what had been in mind first - a chalk drawing of the hanging flowers. in the end, i like them both - same idea, different look. i really had fun adding the little details to the chalkboard! so there you have it, christmas stamps, but not just for christmas! and that's it for the countdown, too - i'll probably pop back in with a bonus post tomorrow and then the stamps will be availiable tomorrow night - yay! but first, it's another group day for the design team - head over to nichole for all the details and links. melissa has a post up with her new set as well...

enjoy!
:) lexi

tie one on!

hi! it's day four - just two days until merry kiss-mas and the rest of the papertrey ink october release are revealed and in the shop. as you can see from my inspiration pics, today i'm focusing on tags and embellishments that you can make with the mistletoe, particularly the die - things to tie up or tie on! (photo sources, clockwise from top left: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6/center)

first up, a felt bundle of mistletoe - one of the first things i thought of when designing the die! i cut four, added small pearls for the berries, and attached them to each other using floral tape and wire. two face the front, and two face the back so that you can see berries on both sides if hung from a doorway. i left the wire long enough to bend down to create a hook and added a red and green string bow and hanging loop to finish it off. one other thing i did before attaching them to each other was to clip apart the leaves where it made sense to gain a little more natural movement. i designed the stamp with overlapping branches for depth when stamped alone, but was careful to have places where it would be easy to separate leaves for projects like this. one clip on the right, two on the left - use the image as a guide to see where the leaves meet but don't overlap that much, and then round out your cuts gently. this little bundle would also make a great present embellishment!

speaking of presents, next up i have two gift tags. first, a mistletoe bundle created from two paper die cuts tied to the top of instant photo die 2, which was cut three times and stacked. i love the two photo dies and this layout is one i've done before, placing an element right over the photo space, leaving it open. as for the mistletoe, i wanted the results to be less stiff than card stock usually is, so i softened the paper by rubbing it on the edge of my desk and breaking the fibers down a bit. once flattened it was much softer and more pliable and has a soft wrinkled texture, which makes it easier to manipulate the leaves without creasing and adds interest to the bundle. the large verse in the set fills the lower part of the photo frame nicely. i can't wait to find the perfect gift for this little card!

for the second gift tag, i had to create a faux chalkboard tag based on the print in my inspiration set - and because i thought the image would look cool that way after being stamped in red and green all week! black card stock; white embossed mistletoe, twine tie, and sentiment; additional offset stampings of each with white pigment ink, and lots of fun "chalk" smudges with more white ink and a paper towel - and voila! the back is blank, ready for another stamped sentiment or a personal note. this design would also be great on a full card.

and finally, a mini mistletoe garland inspired by the one above, which is probably bigger. originally i intended to create this in felt, but my order didn't arrive in time. i wanted it to look different from the first project, so instead of using the same felt again (actually you could make several of those and string them together!), i went shopping around my studio and found some printable canvas pages. not as soft as the felt and not as flimsy as regular fabric; stiff, but definitely more pliable than card stock. stamping did not work well because of the texture, and i wanted to be able to snip the leaves apart like with the felt, so having them fully colored (i used a copic) was better anyway. they look a little like gingham, but that's just the texture showing through. 

for the berries, i was running low on pearls, so i went looking for something else fun to try and came accross a pack of air dry clay. it was super easy to roll the tiny balls, which i adhered with glossy accents and the end result is so cool! i added a second die cut without berries behind each one to build them up a bit. to the second from the end, i also added a small tag with a mini clothespin. i cut it to fit the sentiment and punched the top corners with a tag punch. i can't wait to add this (and the felt bundle above) to my christmas decorations this year! and just like i said with the felt one, a single sprig and a tag done this way would also make a great gift embellishment as well. so what do you think? so much fun, it's addictive! there's one more countdown day and i still have lots more ideas, so c'mon back tomorrow to see. meanwhile, it's group post day so head over to nichole for the details and links. melissa has a post up with her new set as well.

hugs & kisses!
:) lexi

candy colored christmas kisses

today is day three of the countdown to christmas kisses, aka the papertrey ink october release, including my new set merry kiss-mas! so far i've created projects with a simple, traditional red, green, & white, and then a vintage inspired red, green, & cream. today, i decided to play with some of my favorite christmas color combos. so i went looking through my blog archives and photo files for inspiration from christmas past and the above "candy colored" projects led the way. still christmas-y, but a little less traditional. here's where these colors took me...

for my first card, i used a lighter shade of green for the mistletoe, layered on a panel of aqua mist, with a pop of red for the bow. i wanted to try something different for the berries as well, and finally decided on betsy's yummy rainstones. the smallest in the tube is about the size of the berries, but some of them overlap in my drawing. so i simply placed three stones over each grouping on the stamped image - the pale green is so light that it doesn't show through much at all, and even then it's just a hint. i finished the card off with a strip of silver grid washi tape and another fun christmas kiss sentiment in teal - what happens under the mistletoe stays under the mistletoe! i just love that one!! the result: clean and simple christmas, with a fun modern twist.

i continued with light and bright for my second card, adding pink to the typical red and green. slightly more traditional than the color story above, but still eye catching in the sea of red and green that is christmas. i used the xoxo stamp in the set to create a simple pattern of pink on pink inside the instant photo die 1, stamping and layering die cuts of the mistletoe and ribbon hanger in green and red respectively. the sentiment repeats and completes the background in words - hugs & kisses, merry christmas! two stamps make these sentiments easy to place in different ways and use separately or in different colors. finally, clear glitter on the berries is the perfect finishing touch, and another great berry option. like the first, the overall look is clean and simple christmas, with a fun modern twist. so now, we have three personalities for these sweet leaves and berries. come back tomorrow to see what's next. but first, enjoy the goodies posted by nichole and the monthly moments gang today - a little october in october action! melissa is sharing more with her new product as well. btw, the naked christmas rock star in my inspiration collage above was inspired by a funny scene in one of my favorite christmas movies - do you know which one?

xoxo!
:) lexi

introducing merry kiss-mas!

welcome to day one of the october papertrey ink countdown to new stamps - and a first look at my newest pieces of confetti set, merry kiss-mas. which, along with the rest of this fabulous release will be available on october 15th. first of all, i thought i'd share a few of my inspiration images. in drawing this set, i really wanted to be true to traditional european mistletoe, with it's interesting branch structure, symmetrical leaves, and white berries nestled into the joints of the branches. (photo sources + cool info: mistletoe matters, the mistletoe pages, and mother earth news.) from a symbol of fertility in ancient druid times to kissing at christmas and offering peace and luck into the new year, mistletoe has a long history. i'll touch more on that during the week, but for now, how about a card or two?!

as always, i wanted to ease into my week of stamping with something quick and easy. a sprig of mistletoe in new leaf "tied" to the top right of a panel with the wrapped jute image, balanced by a double sentiment to the lower right in pure poppy. a little glitter pen keeps the berries white while adding a touch of interest and shine. the result? clean and simple, just the way i like it!

here, i decided on a centered sprig, tied up with the pretty bow and hanger, layered on red to match the bow. again, clean and simple. but these berries got my favorite shine treatment: glossy accents! i was very cautious with my squeezing so that my berries maintained their individual shapes.  (a little dab will do, as i always tell my first graders!) i love the translucent gloss - they look so much like the real inspiration!

and finally, the inside of the second card - the phrase that nichole included in the peek was a perfect addition to "meet me under the mistletoe." it's a great inside type of phrase, but it can be used on the outside too. i love versatility - pun intended! if you stopped by yesterday, you might wonder if i used my trusty rhyming dictionary on this verse - and the answer would be a definite yes! what do you think so far? i'll be back with more projects tomorrow, so don't forget to stop by. until then, be sure check out nichole's blog for all the scoop - she and ashley are showcasing merry kiss-mas! meliss, dawn, erin, and melissa all have posts up as well...

enjoy!
:) lexi

pin-spired: '80s rainbows

before i wrap up stamp-a-faire completely, i thought i should give this group of cards a bit of extra attention. they were tucked in at the end of the retro rainbow challenge video as extra pin-to-card rainbow inspiration, but the trapper keeper card kind of stole the show! that blew me away! anyway, these cards were also based on rainbow products straight from the 1980s, pinned on my "i heart the 80s" pinterest board...

i love this sweater from the 80s! when i was pinning and planning, it kept popping up in almost every search. it was the main reason i included the heart border in the 80s kit - so of course i had to make a card based on it. a rainbow of hearts toward the top portion of the panel like the sweater and rounded corners on the layer inspired by the puffy sleeves, finished off with the just for you sentiment from rattled. quick and easy, clean and simple - just the way i like it!

hearts and rainbows again - this time rainbows inside of hearts. i always wanted to find my name on pins like these, but there was never lexi or alexis. it's there sometimes now, but i was a trendsetter - or rather, my parents were! anyway, the minute i saw these, i wanted to place the rainbow die cuts from the 80s kit inside a heart, and the basic heart from limitless layers: hearts was perfect for the job. once created, it sat on my desk for a while and i would come back to it as i made card samples, but nothing was clicking, so there it sat. and then i started thinking tag, and eventually i pulled out the instant photo die 1. the heart fits just enough over the opening (with another on the back to finish it off), leaving the perfect space for a twine tie and a sentiment below (from rattled - again!). click, click, click!!

why can't postage stamps be cute like these anymore? i'm going to have to break down and design my own for that to happen, i think. but, for now, it was so fun to recreate these in card form with papertrey ink stamps! for the love and hearts design, i used trajan monogram and a heart from my cupid's arrow set - and fiskars postage stamp edge scissors from the basket i shared in my meet & greet clip! for the rainbow love design, i used watercolor wonder and wet paint stamps. once i figured out the right paintstroke to use, i manipulated it on the block to get the right swash back and forth. and i changed the sentiment to hello friend for a more general use card. that's a rainbow card after my own heart!

and finally, a rainbow assortment of wayfarers! i loved seeing all of these sunnies lined up and just had to recreate them with my sunglasses die and stamps from the 80s kit. i was working with the six basic colors on all of the other cards, so i stuck with that here as well, plus black. each one is die cut, stamped, and popped up on foam tape, then zig zagged along for added interest. i liked the yellow tones in the table, so i went with a similar yellow for my background panel - plus it's a nod to the sun. so radical dude! take that, trapper keeper card!!

:) lexi

gift card notes, take 2

hi there! i hope all of my papertrey ink stamping readers had a fun stamp-a-faire this weekend. it sounds like many of you really enjoyed a walk down memory lane during the 80s challenges. several of you have thanked me for all of my research, and to that, i have to repeat that it was more like memory fact checking than research, since my teen years and the 80s are one and the same! i'm popping in today by special request with a graphic to help with the gift card holder. my desk space on the video was tight, so it was hard to show my whole paper cutter and i kept forgetting to work at the top of it so more of the paper was on screen - my natural working habits kept taking over! so here is a graphic with directions to accompany the video, followed by the video itself, to have them in one place.

 

i tried to be as thorough as possible - i figured if i was creating it, i might as well do it right! if you have any questions or suggestions for the directions, please email me or leave a comment and i'll do my best to answer. my 13 year old was all over the note folding, especially these. she likes to give gift cards and wants me to make a bunch to have on hand for birthday parties. so, now i'll be making more! once you get the hang of making them, they're really fun and easy to personalize for a specific person or occasion. i'm thinking gift card notes for teachers would be cute - a note they'd love to intercept! thanks so much again for playing in the 80s with me...

it was, like, totally awesome!
:) lexi

i heart the 80s!

papertrey ink stamp-a-faire is finally here and if you're following along, you have officially landed back in the awesome 80s! grab a piece of candy...

crank up a classic mix... 

take a look at your surroundings...

Follow Lexi's board i heart the 80s on Pinterest.

and find out how to make these...

and more about these...

how to fold these...

and take them down a size...

i'm so excited and i just can't hide it! click on over to nichole's blog to see the full post, including two challenge videos and links to the same spotify playlist and pinterest board above. then bust a move to the forum to chat it up - let's party all night long!

see you there...
:) lexi

traveling through time

today, i have a little preview for my stamping readers. yesterday, nichole announced the details for this year's stamp-a-faire: time traveler, papertrey ink's online stamping event, to be held on august 23. and i'm so excited that you will be able to explore the 1980s with me! i had so much fun "researching" and creating for this. i was eleven to twenty during that decade, so i guess it was more of a walk down memory lane, lol! wayfarers, cassette tapes, rainbows, hearts & unicorns - like, totally awesome, to the max!! (and the sad realization that i'm vintage, but we won't talk about that!!) anyway, there will be seven total time periods to visit that day, aka seven time capsules to open and create with! you can get all the time traveling details from nichole's post yesterday, including information on kit pre-orders beginning tonight at 10:00 pm est. go check it out and start planning. maybe there's even a get together already in the works for your area. anybody want to come to new orleans?!

stay sweet & k.i.t.!!
:) lexi

flashback friday :: born to ride

in honor of father's day on sunday, i am flashing back to one of the many motorcycle man projects i've created for my dad. when stampin' up released the born to ride stamp set (oh so long ago!), i knew i'd get a lot of use out of it. and i have - note cards, a photo album, and luggage tags in addition to this framed artwork. it's fun to come up with new and different ways to use the same stamps - that's one of the best things about this hobby! there's still a little time for father's day crafting - what can i make with it next?

happy father's day weekend!
:) lexi

original post: june 17, 2008

designing with papertrey

it's anniversary time for papertrey ink - celebrating 7 years!! i actually have nichole's very first stamp set and can remember stamping with it while i waited for another release to go live. i started blogging just before that, so i guess i'm kind of celebrating 7 too - time really does fly! having been around in the background since the beginning, i'm thrilled to say that i'm back for a third year of designing stamps, with a handful of fun new sets to add to my pieces of confetti line up. it will be a few months before my next set is released, but until then, you can play with this fun little digi stamp, available on nichole's blog, along with images from each of the stamp designers. there's a contest and prizes - seven prizes!

diamonds and prisms have been popping up quite a bit lately - in ads, on fabrics, and of course on paper. so, i thought it would be fun to take the trend for a spin myself. i'm partial to diamonds, so i created a little cluster of various sized gems, blocked them in tiffany blue, and added a fun sentiment. since i thought carefully about layout and spacing in order to make the image versatile, i thought i'd share enough eye candy to demonstrate. first, above, i trimmed out the full image, leaving a white border. the sentiment is a perfect match to the rock candy stick - add a small happy valentine's day on the back and you have an easy valentine to mass produce!

with clean and simple image, it's no surprise that my cards are clean and simple too. aside from the fact that they usually are anyway, right? this second design, like the first, also features the image fully trimmed, but this time right up to the edge of the blue, no white frame. i stamped congratulations from comfort food additions right over the image and added a strip of patterned paper with black triangles to balance it out. a little golden yellow splatter (from grunge me) adds an additional pop of color. i toyed with adding something else, but what can i say, except that i really like white space!

and now, for the versatility i mentioned above - the digi, deconstructed! when designing the image, i spaced everything out so that the cluster of diamonds could easily be separated from the words. you can cut it in half, or use a 1" punch to punch out each side. i actually designed the block at just slightly over 1" x 2" so you can punch or trim with no white edge. once you cut them, you can use them on their own, or create a different layout like i did here. same sentiment, lots more rock! to highlight the sentiment, i popped it up on foam tape, while the gem squares lie flat against the blingy trim. glitter gold tape + diamonds = love!

and finally, i also made sure to leave enough space between the individual diamonds so that you can cut them all out without cutting through or too close to any of them. here, i've used just one, but i have a nice little pile on my desk waiting to find their way onto a project. this is the biggest of the four paired with a ring embellishment. the diamond is coated with fine clear glitter and popped up to match the height of the band. silver grid washi tape repeats the silver of the ring and a sentiment from just a kiss is just the right fit. 

so there you have it - 1 digi stamp, 4 looks. all without altering the image in any way on the computer. but you can! change the color, change the size, add to the sentiment, etc. what are you waiting for? go get the freebie download from nichole and play to win! while you're there, be sure to follow the links to all of the stamp designers' blogs to see what they've created, too - there's even a "new" introduction. have fun and if you digi with diamonds, i'd love to see!! many thanks again to papertrey ink for this fabulous opportunity and to you, my customers...

you rock!
:) lexi

stained glass in review

today is the day! nichole has revealed full product previews of everything in the september 2013 papertrey ink release, including my new pieces of confetti stamp set, stained glass. the new goodies are available for purchase now and the release party has been underway all day. as part of the festivities, the design team members have showcased their full round up of projects created with the new sets on their own blogs, too. of course, i love what they've done with stained glass...

ashley - clean and climple christmas cross

betsy - an amazing stained glass church window, complete with white siding!

cristina - stained glass manger on vellum - perfect purples & beautiful blues!

danielle - embossed panes of stained glass

dawn - merry christmas manger window - love the reds!

debbie - beautiful christmas angel in stained glass on vellum

erin - a window card with stained glass stamped on the inside - love the depth!

heather - rustic water colored window on kraft card stock - very pretty!

laura - soft & white + brilliant & bright - a lovely stained glass bookmark!

maile - clean & simple with a little extra - love the extension of the lines to the card front!

and we can't forget the introductions to stained glass from nichole and melissa earlier this week.

it's always so much fun to see what the team does with my little images. so many pretty creations and lots of great coloring techniques! so, now it's your turn - do you have a favorite?  any that you want to case as soon as you get the stamp set? i can't wait to see what you do too, so be sure to come back and share...

happy shopping!
:) lexi

year round stained glass

welcome to day five, the last day of the countdown! the papertrey ink september 2013 release, including stained glass, will be fully revealed and available for purchase tomorrow. but first, today, i have two quick and easy cards - and they're not christmas cards! the images in this "christmas" set can also be used for several other occasions, particularly the angel and the cross windows. for my first card, i used the angel window to welcome a sweet baby. and for today's coloring technique, i decided to use gelatos in a super easy way. you don't always have to color in every section of the window as i've been doing so far. sometimes it fun to try something a little out of the box. i simply swiped three pinks across a scrap piece of cardstock and blended them together for a ombre effect with a large watercolor brush. i wanted some of the streaks to show, so i didn't blend too much. once it was dry, i stamped the window and cut it out closely. and that's it - a cool look for a lot less effort than coloring! washi tape, sequins and a sentiment from baby face finish it off. welcome baby!

for my second card, i wanted to use the same technique with the cross, while kind of coloring it in. again i applied my gelato colors to a piece of scrap cardstock first - lines forming a cross in gold followed by streaks of blue coming out of the center of the cross. this time, when i blended the gelatos, i was careful not to blend the colors into each other much at all, blending the gold cross first, then gently blending the blue away from the cross in diagonal swipes like the image. this way, the colors don't get too muddy and the blending that does occur is soft. i made sure that i had a scrap that was a little longer than the image and positioned the horizontal line strategically, so that when i stamped my image, i could place the cross into the right position. the idea here is to follow the basic lines, but not necessarily to color the cross in perfectly. once i cut it out, i colored in the smallest cross in the center of the image with a gold paint pen for added interest. finish it off with congratulations (also from baby face) below the foam mounted window, and you have a card that would be perfect for a baptism, first communion, or confirmation. lots of possibilities!

wow, this week flew by - there's only one more day before the stamps are available! until then, check out nichole's blog for another group post day with links to the design team projects. lizzy and melissa are sharing more with their new products as well. i hope you've enjoyed the various stained glass coloring techniques these last five days. is there one you like best or that you can't wait to try? i'd love to know...

happy saturday!
:) lexi

stained glass ornaments

hello! welcome to day four of the papertrey ink september 2013 countdown to new stamps, and another look at my new set stained glass, available for purchase on the 15th. today, i have ornaments! and another cool stained glass technique - one that looks even more like the real thing...

it's a little easeir to see in the detail shot because they overlap and you can see right through. pretty cool, right? i stamped each of the windows on clear cardstock in versafine onyx black ink and embossed them with clear embossing powder. then i colored them in by filling the spaces with glossy accents tinted with dye ink refills. a little time consuming, but not difficult at all - and i love the results! the frames were made using the coordinating dies, two cuts per window, trimmed to the final size after sticking it all together. punch a hole, add some ribbon or cording, and the ornament is complete!

here's a progress shot along with a few tips. use scrap acetate or something non-porous as a pallette for your tinted glue. (you can toss it when you're done!) the glossy accents worked well because it's pretty fluid, but other similar glues would work too. start with small dots of ink when tinting. apply the tinted glue to the embossed image with a toothpick, kind of pushing it into the corners as you go. work fast! it starts drying and can get gummy in the process. if you had stray embossing powder speckles, the tinted glue covers it right up, so don't stress too much with the embossing. scribble on your pallette with a white paint pen and add the glossy accents to it for white glaze. the clear cardstock will warp when you heat it. try bending it back with your hands or press the finished ornaments in a book after they are completely dry. and finally, while the whole ornament is transparent, the "back" becomes the perfect front - the glass looks smother and you see less of the bubbles and streaks. these would look great decorating a package, hanging around a bottle of wine for your party or dinner hostess, or given as a little thought all on their own. you could also use the same technique on a window card similar to the one i posted on day one. hopefully you can tell how much fun i'm having with this set!

nichole and the creative team have lots to share today - it's group post day, so it's best to follow the design team links from there. plus melissa is sharing more with her new sets as well.  and don't forget to stop by tomorrow. there's one more day of countdown projects to go and i have a hint for you: there won't be any christmas cards in the mix...

t.g.i.f.!
:) lexi