confetti by lexi

happy birthday, little monster!

hi! it's day three of the papertrey ink august release countdown and i have another look at my new set scared silly. as i said yesterday, scared silly is not just for halloween. kids especially will love these little guys! so, today i have a birthday card with the happy birthday sentiment i included in the set. i thought it would be fun to create a kind of rainbow monster for this one, using different colors on different pieces and parts. 

i ended up with a harvest gold body, summer sunrise arms and legs, a pure poppy mouth, green parakeet nose, and hawaiian shores eyes. color really does make me happy! i added the happy birthday monster sign to one hand and balloons to the other, both in neutrals so as not to compete with the colorful monster - soft stone and smokey shadow for the sign and white with soft stone stars for the balloons. i covered the balloons in clear glitter for a little extra texture and bling. 

one other detail you may have noticed is that i used two of the same feet and placed them to make it look like he was walking. it's fun to play around with the pieces to see what new combos work! what do you think? do you have a favorite monster so far? come back tomorrow for one last post - with two cards! until then, be sure to head over to the papertrey ink blog to see what's being featured today...

happy stamping!
:) lexi

 

all new product, including scared silly, will be available for purchase on august 15th! 

moments inked in review

hello! it's the seventh of the month, which means it's my turn to guest on the papertrey ink blog with your monthly moments inked planner feature. january is the start of a new year in most respects, but in terms of papertrey ink releases and products, it’s actually the end of the year. 

so as we gear up for new things to come in papertrey’s new year beginning next month, I thought it would be a good time to look back at the products and printables that can help you continue to use your moments inked binders, dies and stamps well into the future.

plus, i'm introducing you to corinna, who has so generously designed printable pages for 2018 to fit the unique size of the moments inked binder - in the coordinating colors we've come to love, no less!

so go check out the full post on the papertrey ink blog and bookmark it for your future plans. and don't forget: moments inked stamps aren't just for planners and dates!

happy planning *and* stamping!
:) lexi

 

plan it & stamp it!

year tracker 2018

hello! it's the seventh of the month, which means it's my turn to guest on the (new!) papertrey ink blog with your monthly moments inked planner feature. today, before the year ends, i have the annual year at a glance tracker, updated for 2018.

i've included the same features you've gotten used to from the last two years: the year on the top right corner, weekends in gray for easy identification, room to stamp or write below the day numbers, and a slightly larger margin at the top for a title and stamped touches.

once again, i'm tracking school holidays and college visits - i can't believe it's already time for round two! what will you track? head over to the new! papertrey ink blog for the full post, including the printable download...

happy planning!
:) lexi

 

plan it!

nested binder tabs

hello! it's the seventh of the month, which means it's my turn to guest on nichole's blog with your monthly moments inked planner feature. today, I'm sharing a little trick for creating nested binder tabs.

a cutting trick with a single die!

of course, i added a little stamp party on the back, too - #plannernerd!! head on over to nichole's blog for the full post and how to...

happy planning!
:) lexi

 

plan it!

christmas in october

good morning! it's the seventh of the month, which means it's my turn to guest on nichole's blog with your monthly moments inked planner feature. today, I'm sharing part two of the christmas cheer holiday planning section that i began in july.

 

 

this includes five additional pages for more detailed, finish line type plans - december is quickly approaching!!

 

so head on over to nichole's blog for the full post, including links to download the new set of christmas planning pages for yourself.

happy planning!
:) lexi

 

plan it!

moments inked motivational minis

good morning! it's the seventh of the month today, which means it's my turn to guest on nichole's blog with your monthly moments inked planner feature. with back to school and busy schedules in mind, i pulled a few moments inked stamp sets together along with some basic supplies to create a few motivational minis...

small note cards to secretly tuck into a lunchbox, backpack, pocket, or briefcase to let someone know you're thinking of them when they find them later that day.

from motivational work messages to reminders of love to celebrating a day or event, moments inked motivational minis are fresh and fun. head on over to nichole's blog to see them up close and read the full post...

happy planning!
:) lexi

 

make it!

currently this month...

good morning! it's the seventh of the month today, which means it's my turn to guest on nichole's blog with your monthly moments inked planner feature. i've been on a roll this summer with fun new printables, and today is no exception...

i designed a simple monthly journal page based on "currently" prompts similar to those used in bullet journals and other planners.

then i printed up a few and stamped them to match the monthly color combos - thanks to the handy color guide in the front!

it's the perfect new journaling addition to the monthly sections of my planner. so head on over to nichole's blog for the full post, including links to download the currently monthly journal page for yourself...

happy planning!
:) lexi

plan it!

christmas in july

good morning! it's the seventh of the month today, which means it's my turn to guest on nichole's blog with your monthly moments inked planner feature. today, I'm celebrating christmas in july and getting a head start on my holiday plans.

this includes a dedicated section in my planner and printable pages of course!

so head on over to nichole's blog for the full post, including links to download the christmas planning pages for yourself.

happy planning!
:) lexi

 

plan it!

summer plans

good morning! it's the seventh of the month today, which means it's my turn to guest on nichole's blog with your monthly moments inked planner feature. Today, I'm taking the stamps out of the planner and putting them to use on a display calendar.

i've opted for a printed clipboard calendar for summer, but the same ideas can apply to any wall calendar.

as always, i started with a sticker stamping session to have enough on hand to add all the dates and places.

the end result is a calendar that i can hang in a common area for all to see what's up at a glance. head on over to nichole's blog for the full post, including a free summer clipboard calendar printable!

happy summer!
:) lexi

 

plan it:

InLinkz.com

it's planner time!

good morning! it's the seventh of the month today, which means it's my turn to guest on nichole's blog with your monthly moments inked planner focus. this month, i have new stamps to showcase. yay!

with moments inked: day by day lists (available may 15th) you can create both fun and functional checklist style stickers with a variety of possible titles and several options for the mini checklist itself.

there are also a few reverse circle images - use them as pops of color or to call attention to something on your calendar. mix and match all of these and other day by day stickers for a perfectly coordinated look.

so many possibilities! head on over and check them out...

happy sunday!
:) lexi

 

plan it with planner faves:

InLinkz.com

planner nerd alert!

good morning! i'm guest blogging on nichole's blog today - my second installment as the moments inked planner ambassador! So head on over and get the scoop on my latest free planner printable...

and how it fits into my weekly plans...

are you up for a little personal spring cleaning?

tgif!
:) lexi

 

plan it with planner faves:

InLinkz.com

release day bonus post!

today's the day! after a month of reminiscing, ten days of celebrating, and five days of countdown posts, the papertrey ink anniversary release day is finally here. new stamps and dies will be available tonight, including my two new sets, moments inked: day by day and moments inked: day by day blocks. after sharing card ideas throughout the countdown (because these are perfect crossover stamps!), i decided to pop in with another planner post. for starters, i stamped a handful of stickers to put in my banner bowl on my desk to have ready for future weeks...

including several that ended up on this week's spread. in addition to fun phrases, i also like to add holidays and special events whenever they pop up. this week, i used the heart from the day by day set to create a shamrock for st. patrick's day and i doodled a hairspray can in honor of my daughters' school play. the sophomore is tracy (!!!) and the senior decided to be in the ensemble after not doing a play since she had to in 8th grade, so it's a big event for all of us!  i used pencilgrams for the play title as well as for pti on wednesday - a great set for custom titles and words. my weeks don't look a whole lot different from one to the next, especially this time of year since it's all pretty routine, so the day by day phrases add just the right touch of color and fun! here's another look at the two sets...

 

remember both coordinate with the moments inked: boxed die collection for a perfect planner fit and both have great possibilities for card making. as always, nichole has the complete product preview and anniversary sale details on her blog as well as a great new look back at the *106* projects created during the countdown. now that's a lot of paper and ink!! it's almost time - have you made your list and checked it twice?! open, open, open...

happy shopping!
:) lexi

 

plan it:

InLinkz.com

taco tuesday!

hello! welcome to day five of the march countdown to new papertrey ink stamps, all of which will be available tomorrow night! i am back with one more card created using my two new planner sets, moments inked: day by day and day by day blocks. since today is tuesday, i thought it was only fitting to create a taco tuesday party invitation! i started by stamping the taco tuesday image in dark chocolate on top of the starburst block stamped in yellow. i decided to paper piece the taco shell portion and added tiny dots of color to the inside portion - green, orange, and red for lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes respectively.

as i looked at the various supplies scattered all over my desk, my eye caught the type bit strips die and the idea of using it to create mini party flag banners came to mind. i love coming up with new ways to use things! i stamped the largest day by day block in both pure poppy and new leaf and cut out a type bit strip from each one. once die cut, i sliced them in half and trimmed off the unstamped edges (the die is longer than the block), resulting in two polka dot banners of each color. i adhered one of each criss-cross banner style on a panel measuring 3-3/4" x 5" and trimmed the edges to fit. then i added the taco tuesday piece and the party time sentiment from caution: another year older and finished it all off with a few orange sequins. add the party details to the inside and all that's left is setting up the perfect taco bar - yum! i hope you've enjoyed seeing the card making possibilities of moments inked: day by day and day by day blocks. who says planner stamps are just for planners?! i'll be back here and there with both cards and planner ideas and an occasional make it monday video, so don't be a stranger. for now, be sure to check out nichole's blog for the last countdown day and stay tuned for release day and beyond! of course, i'll be guest blogging again over there next month on the 7th with a new planner post, too. meanwhile...

happy stamping!
:) lexi

make it (day by day and day by day blocks will be available on march 15!):

InLinkz.com

keep calm and work on

good morning! as promised, i'm back with another card for the papertrey ink countdown to the march release, with all new product available on the fifteenth. today, i have another clean and simple design using moments inked: day by day and day by day blocks. i chose to focus on another of the non-day-specific phrases to create an encouragement card with bright pops of color. keep calm and work on...

i chose a kind of rainbow palette of color - raspberry fizz, summer sun, lemon tart, limeade ice, and enchanted evening. the main rainbow players, but with a couple hip twists. after deciding on the limeade ice and enchanted evening pairing for my sentiment block, i chose three other blocks for the remaining colors and artfully placed them around the sentiment, which i popped up on foam tape to make it stand out even more. i trimmed off half an inch from the left side of the card front and adhered it to a side fold card base in limeade ice for an additional color tie in. then i finished it off with a few of my favorite mini silver star sequins. i have a tip, too (a little different from nichole's but still valuable!): if a mosquito buzzes by your ear when you're holding an open tube of said star sequins, don't wave it away - just let it buzz and bite. trust me! i'll have one last countdown card tomorrow, so please stop by again. until then, be sure to check out the latest and greatest on nichole's blog.

have fun!
:) lexi

 

make it (day by day and day by day blocks will be available on march 15!):

InLinkz.com

day by day: but first, coffee

lots of coffee! good morning and welcome back to the papertrey ink countdown to new stamps, available on march 15. today i have another card created with my new moments inked: day by day and day by day blocks sets. one of my favorite day by day stamps is the coffee stamp. for the planner, i see myself using it on many a monday, but it's also perfect for a let's get together card like the one i created today. i love a coffee card as much as i love coffee! 

i started by stamping the long polka dot block image in sweet blush, lined up to right edge and slightly above center for visual interest. after stamping the coffee stamp in classic kraft with the words wrapping the corner of the block, i stamped and fussy cut seven coffee cups in dark chocolate and colored them in with copics (E41 for the cup and a swipe of W00 for the lid). i placed the first one right over the original stamped one, and spaced the others out evenly over the rest of the block. using letters from type strips stamped in hibiscus burst, i extended the sentiment - this get together requires lots of coffee! and that's it for day three. if you haven't already, be sure to check out all the eye candy on nichole's blog and don't forgot to stop back by here again tomorrow for another day by day card...

enjoy!
:) lexi

 

make it (day by day and day by day blocks will be available on march 15!):

InLinkz.com

day by day blocks: a happy hello

hello! welcome to day two of the papertrey ink countdown to new stamps and 10 year anniversary celebration. i whipped up another clean and simple card using moments inked: day by day blocks today. as the name of the set suggests, these stamps are perfect for color blocking. since they're all created to fit the planner blocks and columns, they all have a common width which makes them easy to line up along that edge for a continuous color blocked line.

do you recognize the color pattern? i was inspired by something most of see on a regular basis - especially this week! (hint: you can find it here!) like on the original, i chose to begin my blocked stripe with the longer block for enchanted evening, followed by two similar but different patterns in ocean tides and aqua mist, the starburst in harvest gold (of course!) and finally a block of melon berry off the edge. i finished it off with a star die cut popped up over the starburst block (a slight change from the original for the sake of the layout) and a simple sentiment below. i love seeing the familiar color bar in such a fun playful pattern. a happy hello indeed, don't you think? white space doesn't have to be scary y'all!! as usual, stop back by tomorrow for another countdown project - and meanwhile, enjoy the daily scoop on nichole's blog...

happy saturday!
:) lexi

 

make it (day by day blocks will be available on march 15!):

InLinkz.com

day by day blocks love

good morning! the official project countdown for the papertrey ink march release has begun and, as promised, i will be joining in to share a few cards created with my two new moments inked sets, day by day and day by day blocks. today, i have a super quick design that i've been thinking about since the stamps arrived, pairing day by day blocks with a heart from pencilgrams and a sentiment using wet paint dies and stamps.

i stamped the starburst block slightly above the center of a small 4 bar sized note card in sweet blush, adding the heart right in the middle of it in pure poppy. for the sentiment i layered two love die cuts for added weight and shadow and adhered them at an angle below the block, leaving the perfect space for the word you to finish it off. simple stamping, white on white die cuts, lots of white space. all of my faves in one clean and simple card! these blocks are going to be so useful for one layer cards. i'll be back tomorrow with more, so be sure to stop by again - and if you haven't already, don't forget to head over to nichole's blog for the latest and greatest on what's to come!

until tomorrow...
:) lexi

 

make it (day by day blocks will be available on march 15!):

InLinkz.com

i'm an ambassador!

for papertrey ink, that is! on the lucky 7th of every month, you can find me guest blogging over on nichole's blog about all things moments inked. just call me #plannernerd. today is the first installment including a new planner dashboard printable...

and scoop on two new stamps sets available later this month, both designed to work with the existing moments inked: boxed die collection...

so go check it out and let me know what you think, ideas you'd like to me to look into for future posts, stamp sets you'd like to see, etc. #plannersgonnaplan!

happy taco tuesday!
:) lexi

 

plan it with planner faves:

InLinkz.com

moments inked tips ~ year at a glance 2017

with only one week left in 2016, i’m finally looking forward to 2017 and the crisp, clean slate of new planner pages. it was very satisfying to pull out the old and put in the new. boy has this year flown by!

before long, the new pages will be filled with appointments and life events and I’m ready! i'll be following much of the same pattern as i did last year - filling in the monthly calendar as dates come up and then transferring those dates to the weekly spreads each week as i fine tune my schedule. there will be fun stamping and decorating along the way, of course.

to help me see the big picture right from the beginning, I’ve also updated the year-at-a-glance tracker insert that i shared last spring, which i'm excited to be sharing with you today, edited and ready for the first of the year.

i kept the same features in place - the year in the upper right corner with room for a title, days of the week abbreviations across the top, month abbreviations along the left edge, weekends in gray for easy identification, and simple numbers with room to write or stamp below. scoring and cutting guidelines are included as well, along with a margin for punching holes - the finished page can be punched to fit either the binder or the spiral version of the planner.

once cut and punched, simply add your title and stamp or write whatever it is you want to track. as i showed in my post in the spring, there are many uses for a year-at-a-glance tracker. the sky's the limit!

for starters, i've created one to keep track of no school days, useful for planning ahead for vacations or doctors appointments. there are many words and small images in the various moments inked stamp sets that will work perfectly for these.

i decided to tuck this tracker right in front of my binder after the first tab along with the traditional year at a glance calendar for easy access. when important dates are shared for next school year, i can easily pull it out and update the second half.

until then, when folded on the score line, it is the same size as the pages in the binder - a perfect fit!

Download Year tracker 2017

as before, i have two versions for you to download - jpg or pdf, depending on what is easiest for you to work with. print at 100% on standard 8-1/2 x 11 paper or card stock - and be sure that "fit to page" is not selected.

school holidays, resolutions, miles - what do you want to track this year? as the quote on the january tab encourages: just do it.

happy planning & tracking!
:) lexi

introducing moments inked meal planner system

one of my goals has always been to be a little more organized about meal planning, so i was really excited to see the new moments inked weekly meal planning pages. nichole has included so many great details - i love the colorful days of the week and the tear-off grocery list is particularly genius! And with the binder insert format, i can incorporate the pages into my existing planner. so much to love!

as with the rest of the planner, the color scheme is fun and the layout is very user-friendly. you get 55 pages in the binder pack - a little more than the 52 needed for a full year, so you can make a mistake or two! they're also not dated, which is perfect for if you're skipping a week here and there for vacation or some other reason.

there are three lines per day to write the meal, followed by a smaller column of three lines to note where the recipe is located for reference, and check boxes for further details - defrost, advanced prep, slow cooker. and then comes the real genius part - the perforated grocery list where you can organize the ingredients you need to buy to later tear off and take to the store.

i have decided to incorporate these pages into my planning binder, adding one to a week spread in order to plan my meals when i update that week. i like the coordination and having everything in one place. there is also a spiral bound option if you prefer your meal planning to be separate or you could purchase a second binder.

i like the binder version because it's easy to take the page out and cross reference my meals with the recipes and ingredients in the kitchen when working on the grocery list portion. and the grocery list isn't just your basic list paper - it's sectioned into different categories of items to make the shopping go even more smoothly with the list in hand.

once the list is complete, you simply tear it off when you're ready to shop! have i mentioned how genius this is? with a system like this, how can i not be more organized and motivated!

the meal planning pages are available now on papertreyink.com, along with the new calendar binder inserts and spiral calendars for 2017. there are only minor changes this year. colorful happy stripes and polka dots mostly. and there's new washi tape too! you can see nichole's original post (and others) plus continued reviews from the design team here. and my review in video form here:

like i said before - so much to love!

happy planning!
:) lexi

p.s. i've had my hands full lately, so one post was all i could manage today, haha! but don't worry, i'll jump into the countdown tomorrow with projects using my new set, sneak peeked by nichole yesterday - be sure to come back and check it out...