confetti by lexi

you light up my life in color

good morning! welcome to day five of the papertrey ink december countdown to new stamps and one last look at my new pieces of confetti set, perfect match. i managed a post a day since the introduction - yay! i really wasn't sure i would be able to, so that makes me happy. today, i decided to make a couple of cards in a more unexpected color palette using the outline single stamp image. 

as i always say, i love a good rainbow card! so i started with just that - a line up of rainbow topped matches. i think i need a box of these in real life, lol!

 

i stamped them a little wonky for interest and colored them in with two shades of each color for depth. then i balanced my line up of matches with a mix of black text for the greatest contrast. i love the boldness of black with a rainbow. popped up and flush to the right side, this is one of my go-to clean and graphic layouts. this card lights up my life!

next, i've been dying to pair the matches with bold borders: love - the hearts in the frame coordinate nicely with the small puffy hearts in the perfect match set and the smaller sentiments are just the right size for the opening and layers that fit there.

 

i ended up using a similarly sized layer from nesting basics: pierced rectangles for the extra detail and how it looked popped up, stamping two matches touching tips with a heart above. in keeping with my bright and white theme, i decided on bright blue matches and a contrasting red heart. a perfect match all around - what's not to love?!

 

and there you have it - two clean and graphic cards with a whimsical appeal! these are the kind of cards i could/should leave out for my husband to "borrow" for my gifts, lol! i hope you've enjoyed my projects this week. it's such a fun set to play with, especially when it comes to the non-card projects. but you can make some pretty cool cards too - or maybe we should say they're hot! be sure to check out the papertrey ink blog for the final countdown links and product info and get your trigger finger ready for tomorrow night!

happy shopping!
:) lexi

more matchboxes

good morning! welcome to day four of the papertrey ink december countdown to new stamps and another look at my new pieces of confetti set, perfect match. today, i have a couple more matchbox ideas. this time, i used blank pre-made matchboxes from my bottomless studio. i've had mine forever, but i did find some on amazon, both with matches and without. they're slightly smaller than the boxes i made myself, and since they're made from cardboard, they're a little sturdier as well - perfect for the "interactive" magic i had up my sleeve today...

first up, c'mon baby light my fire! pretty simple from the outside - a match striking up a spark.

pull the ribbon, which i added to be sure the recipient opens it correctly...

 and the fire pops up - happy valentine's day!

the trick for this little pop-up is a spring stolen from an ink pen - hot glued to the back of the flame and into the bottom of the box. it bends when closed and springs up when you slide the box open. voila!

next: hey there, hot stuff! you light up my life!

i wanted the flame to appear from above, so this time i added a pull ribbon to the top of the drawer to direct the recipient.

i still wanted a little action, so i decided on an action wobble. there's a little bounce when it opens and you can nudge it to wobble it more. there's even enough room on this one to add small candies if you want - i'm thinking red hots would be fun!

these little boxes would be great as stand-alone valentines with their elements of surprise or as tags on a hot gift. either way, they're super fun - little boxes of big love! tomorrow i promise to move on to something else, although figuring out these little matchboxes is kind of addictive! as always, check out the papertrey ink blog for more countdown links and new product info and swing back by here tomorrow - one countdown day to go!

happy stamping!
:) lexi

c'mon baby, light my fire!

hello! welcome to day three of the papertrey ink december countdown to new stamps and another look at my new pieces of confetti set, perfect match. i wasn't sure if i was going to make it to posting today, but once i got these little valentine treats finished, i couldn't wait to share them! 

i followed an old formula for making matchboxes and created two in different depths. i'll add a template for these below, and then once the release is over, i'll try to put together a video for those of you who'd like to know the formula in order to recreate them in various sizes. soft stone bitty big made quick work of one matchbox sleeve, adding the little sparks into a few strategic circles, while i stamped my own tone on tone word pattern in sweet blush for the other.

matchboxes are perfect for many a small gift. i've used them for jewelry, stickers, pins, and more over the years. but they're especially perfect for valentine's candy - like the red m & m's in the narrow box and homemade candy "matches" in the deep one. pretzels dipped in candy melts for the win and a fun class valentine project!

i even added a little glitter tape to the sides of each box to mimic striking strips for a bit of a realistic touch. aren't these fun? i may have to make a class set this year for my students - they do light up my life, afterall!

click here to download the matchbox templates

and stop back again tomorrow for another fun post. meanwhile be sure to check out the papertrey ink blog for more countdown links and new product info.

it's lit!
:) lexi

introducing perfect match

good morning! it is day two of the papertrey ink december countdown to new stamps and feature day for my new pieces of confetti offering, perfect match. as you can see, it's a fun new valentine stamp set based on vintage matchbooks. Strike up some love in reds and pinks with the bold words and match images. 

for starters, i created a simple math inspired match card. included in the set are pieces to create a single match as well as a criss-cross of two. 

while drawing images, it dawned on me to include the math symbols for just this card - 1 + 1 = 2, we're a perfect match! super clean and crisp and totally me. while this card does scream valentine, it could also be the perfect anniversary or everyday love card, don't you think?

next up, another card, this time focusing on one match and a flame image, paired with the previously released shape shifters: circle 1 (my fave!) and the new nesting basics: circles and pierced circles (my new fave!).

i love how i can use the nesting basics to frame and cut out the shape shifter detail piece in a perfect simple circle - including the lining circle in red below it - to create the perfect backdrop to highlight the match and flame. 

again, this card would make a great valentine for a guy for whom puffy hearts and flowers wouldn't do. but it could also be a thank you card or birthday card for anyone who lights up your life! 

and last, but not least, a "match up" with matchbook medley die collection, the collection that inspired the stamps. 

the various components are designed to work perfectly with the dies, including sentiments that match up in size, and an interior cut of matches for a whimsically complete card.

hey there, hot stuff! there's a spark between us. happy valentine's day!

i love a non-traditional card, especially for a sweet valentine treat. you could even include your own hand-written personal "coupon-style" activities on the matches to be pulled off one by one. so fun!

and there you have it! three fun cards to kick things off. i was out of town this weekend, but hope to catch up with a couple more posts this week to show off the set, so please keep checking back. until then, there's lots more to see today from the design team, all linked up on the papertrey ink blog. as always, i can't wait to see how they rock my images - i have no doubt they'll be lit! (sorry, couldn't resist!)

happy countdown!
:) lexi

We're a Perfect Match Card
STAMPS: Perfect Match
INK: Fine Linen, Pure Poppy, True Black
PAPER: Stamper's Select White, Pure Poppy
DIES: Perfect Match
OTHER: MISTI, Foam Tape, Glitter Pen

You Light Up My Life Card
STAMPS: Perfect Match
INK: Fine Linen, Pure Poppy, True Black, Harvest Gold, Summer Sunrise
PAPER: Stamper's Select White, Pure Poppy
DIES: Perfect Match, Shape Shifters: Circle 1, Nesting Basics: Circles, Pierced Circles
OTHER: MISTI, Foam Tape, Glitter Pen

Hey There, Hot Stuff Matchbook
STAMPS: Perfect Match
INK: Fine Linen, Sweet Blush, True Black, Pure Poppy
PAPER: Stamper's Select White, Pure Poppy, Sweet Blush
DIES: Perfect Match, Matchbook Medley
OTHER: MISTI, Stapler, Glitter Pen

tonight's the night!

thanks for joining me this week as we counted down the days to the papertrey ink august release! scared silly and coordinating dies will be available tonight along with the rest of the new product showcased this month. here's a look at the complete sets...

to see the lookbook, head over to the papertrey ink blog now. to buy, head to the papertrey ink store at 10:00 pm eastern time tonight. it's always so fun to share my projects with you. i can't wait to see what you guys do with them next!

happy shopping!
:) lexi

let's do the monster mash!

introducing scared silly! welcome to day one of the papertrey ink august release countdown and a look at my new pieces of confetti stamp set debuting this month. with scared silly you'll have all the pieces and parts to build cute little monsters and boy is it fun!

with different options for bodies, arms, legs and various features - plus all the colors of the rainbow! - there are so many different monsters you can make. and that was the most fun of digging in. i die cut all the pieces and parts multiple times and stamped and assembled away. it's like paper dolls and mr. potato head all rolled into one!

for this first card, i opted for a trio of bright colored silly monsters with different bodies, smiles and eye styles, horns and hair. i stacked them pyramid style against a bold borders: diagonal in smokey shadow which really allows the bright colors to pop. i love the bold and bright contrast! to finish it off, i added a sign with the sentiment to the top monster.

this would be great for a halloween party or a monster themed birthday and would definitely help make monsters fun for the littles. how can you be scared of such silly faces?! you can see several silly monster creations by the design team today - links on the papertrey ink blog - along with details about scared silly and the rest of today's featured sets here. and then i'll be back with a little more each day, so don't forget to keep checking in...

happy countdown!
:) lexi

 

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

celebrate with a bang!

good morning! we've made it to day five of the papertrey ink may release countdown! today, i have a closer look at my third and final stamp set of the month, celebrate with a bang, a phrase building mini set. included in the set are the individual words for "happy 4th of july" and the phrase "let freedom ring" plus the makings of a few different sizes of a graphic firework and some tiny stars. 

i designed the phrase based on the layout i've used on this card, but i kept everything separate so that it's easy to rearrange the elements in different ways and stamp them in different colors. the fireworks are also in separate pieces for multi-color bursts - four bursts in graduated sizes that fit into each other. i really like how the finished phrase fills out the shape shifters: square die cut - just the right size and shape! which then led to a square card. i need to remember to make square cards more often!

while this set is a stand-alone set, it can also be a great companion set to stars and stripes. obviously, the stars can be used with the fourth of july phrase in place of or with the fireworks and the "stars and stripes forever" phrase fits right into the same place as "let freedom ring." vice versa is true as well - the fireworks would be perfect with phrases from stars and stripes for other occasional cards, like the one above - shine bright!

this card also showcases the extra "spikes" for building out the fireworks even bigger. i chose two shades of the same color, adding on alternate spikes to build it out. i love how they turned out in tone on tone color! i layered the focal panel on top of the sticky side of a label die cut from mix and mat: confetti and covered the exposed edges in fine clear glitter. because the label was a scrap of avery trueblock, it's gray on the back side which results in a silvery look. i finished it all off with mini sequin stars at the center of each firework - of course! what am i going to do when they're all gone?!

from patriotic projects to bright celebrations with a bang, this mini set packs a fun punch! and that brings us to the end of the countdown. thanks for stopping by all week - it's been a whirlwind! all new stamps will be available tomorrow night, may 15th, at 10:00 eastern time in the papertrey ink store. have you made your list? what made the cut?! stay tuned to the papertreyink blog for links, contests, winners, and more!!

happy list making,
:) lexi

 

 

more stars and stripes

hello! it's day three of the papertrey ink may release countdown and i have a another look at stars and stripes - the non-patriotic edition! while the patterns in the set were inspired by the american flag, that was just my jumping point. stars are so versatile - birthday, celebration, congrats, etc.! so i added several sentiment options to reflect that versatility.

first up, you are a star! in pink, orange, and yellow. the various words in the set are separated into parts to make it easy to line them up in different ways depending on your layout. like my shamrock set from earlier in the year, the stars come in three different sizes in addition to the three different patterns - stars, stripes, and solid. 

i used a star of each size and pattern to create a focal cluster and stamped my sentiment strategically right over the largest one. i added a frame from shape shifters: circle 2 and voila! betsy's mix and mat and shape shifters have definitely supported my clean and graphic habit - especially the ones like this that give the look of layers without the fuss!

next up, happy birthday superstar! in blues and greens. again, i used another frame die (from mix and mat: confetti) to frame my sentiment hanging it off the edge this time for added interest.

to get the two color look on the stars, i stamped each die cut with a light colored solid star and stamped right over it with the striped pattern in the darker color. i added an extra die cut behind the green star, and foam tape for the blue in order to get different heights and placed them right over the left edge - happy birthday superstar!  

and last, yay! you did it! i just love making focal clusters with images and words like this - it's like putting a puzzle together.

and this one has it all - a layered star, multiple sizes, and words stamped right over the images. details, details!

and there you have it - three all-star clean and graphic cards that are not patriotic! be sure to click all the links on the papertreyink blog - stars and stripes is one of today's features, along with my third set, celebrate with a bang, which i'll show off more tomorrow...

happy mother's day!
:) lexi

 

 

stars and stripes forever

 

hello! welcome back to day two of the papertrey ink may release countdown. today, i have a quick look at stars and stripes, another new set i have making it's debut this month. this new set is all about the star - big, bold, and shining bright.

since i was inspired by the american flag when choosing patterns for my stars, i decided to go with the same inspiration to create my first card. the stars and the ink do all the work - super easy stamping! the large stars in the set are just over 1-1/2 inches wide, so they really stand out. this size would also be great for making patriotic party decor - a garland with these two stars on repeat would be so festive!

on first glance, it's easy to see that stars and stripes can be used to create a great patriotic card, invitation, or scrapbook elements, but the set is much more than that. come back tomorrow to see what else you can do! until then, be sure to head over to the papertreyink blog to see what's in the spotlight today...

happy countdown!
:) lexi

 

 

hashtag everything!

good morning! welcome back to day two of the papertrey ink may release countdown and a closer look at hashtag everything, one of my new sets this month. this set is so perfect for kids and teens - fun, relevant to their world, and easy to use if they want to participate in the creating...

first up, another smiley face emoji - yesterday i stamped directly on my cardstock layer, today i used die cuts. birthday cards are one of the cards i make for kids the most, so i included birthday gear and two birthday specific hashtags, #hbd and #happybirthday, as well as a few other words to add in case you want to go big on the hashtags like i did yesterday.

i chose a blue text bubble with white embossed words to mimic the speech bubbles in texts and boy colors for a simple and fun iphone inspired birthday card. a simple change of colors could easily make this card more girly and/or personalized to its recipient. of course, i couldn't resist adding a mini star sequin to the point of the hat!

next up, another favorite emoji icon - thumbs up! clearly, i like this basic layout! but this time, i added a mix of hashtags in soft stone behind the focal image and sentiment to call attention to them and add overall interest to the card.

the set includes oversized hashtags in three different sizes - create a background, or use as an accent or focal point - lots of possibilities! i really like the soft stone with the small pop of blueberry sky. what do you think - would you hit the like button?!

and last but not least, a rainbow card, because rainbows are total love! and what better choice for a rainbow than the showing love icon?

this icon is another one of my favorite images in the set. i haven't stamped a straight up rainbow card in a while, so it had to be done! (overlapping analogous colors of course!) i used a long speech bubble for the sentiment, trimming the edge flush with the card base. total me card, right?!

clean and graphic and cute! not only are emojis fun to text, they're fun on cards too!! do you have a favorite? check out the full set to see which ones you can create - click here and scroll down! #sofun! tomorrow i'll be switching gears with a quick card from set number two, so c'mon back when you get a chance. until then, be sure to click all the links on the papertreyink blog - hashtag everything is one of today's features! 

#happyday!
:) lexi

 

 

#sofun #amazing #celebrate

introducing hashtag everything! welcome to day one of the papertrey ink may release countdown and a look at one of three pieces of confetti stamp sets debuting this month. i'm so excited about this one - not only perfect for teens and tweens (including boys!), but also great for anyone of any age who likes to text or post to social media. or forums...

with a handfull of different face feature options, you can match them to recreate a few texting faves or create a mix that's a little bit new. today i'm feeling all starry-eyed and excited!

to coordinate with the emojis, the sentiments are all hashtags - a fun little twist on the typical. definitely teen talk! but i have to say i like a good hashtag myself, too. you can group several together like i did here or focus on a single one that coordinates with your emoji. hashtag everything! do you have a favorite emoji or hashtag? c'mon back tomorrow for another look - until then, be sure to follow all the links on the papertrey ink blog - eye candy everyday!!

#yay!
:) lexi

 

all new product, including hashtag everything, will be available for purchase on may 15th!

 

new stamps tonight!

thanks for joining me this week as we counted down the days to the papertrey ink march release! ink it in, ink it in: quoted, ink it in: notebook and the coordinating dies for all three will be available tonight along with the rest of the new product showcased this month. here's a look at the complete sets...

to see the rest of the release product images, head over to the papertrey ink blog now. to buy, head to papertreyink.com at 10:00 pm eastern time tonight. it's always so fun to share my projects with you. i can't wait to see what you guys do with them next!

happy shopping!
:) lexi

 

one child, one teacher, one book + one pen

good morning! it's day four of the papertrey ink countdown to new stamps and i have another card to share, this time focusing on ink it in: quoted. because the words and images are all separate, the quote can be spaced out in different ways to fit different shapes and sizes, with or without the images in the set. this is great for getting different looks. versatility at its best!

i thought it would be fun to build the quote within betsy's shape shifter's: oval 1 and pair it with a globe from lizzie's glorious globes: march, both coming out this month. i decided to use only the words with a couple of simple well-placed star pairs for a cleaner, more sophisticated look. for ease in stamping, i placed the stamps out on the oval and picked them up with my misti mini - one impression for a perfectly placed sentiment.

there are two "world" stamps in the set, a supersized one with the earth as the o, and another to match the rest of the printed words. this simpler version makes it perfect to pair with a globe which i diecut, stamped and popped up on foam tape. i also added a little gold wink of stella over the honey nut stamped stand for a little shimmer and shine. i just love the little globes! i chose this one in particular because it says, "you make the world a better place," which complements the malala quote so well! 

i love how this design turned out - the quote really is the star here! and it's such a good quote. the supporting details are just right, too! thanks for stopping by again today. we have one more day to go, so come back by tomorrow for another card. meanwhile, check out the scoop and links on the papertrey ink blog - gotta start making your list...

happy hump day!
:) lexi

 

all new product, including ink it in: quoted + shape shifters: oval + glorious globes: march, will be available for purchase on march 15th!

never erased!

happy monday! and welcome to day three of the papertrey ink countdown to new stamps! today i have another pen card - this time focusing on the pen dies rather than the pen pattern stamps, along with a look at an inspirational quote included in the main ink it in set.

the influence of a good teacher can never be erased. so true and so perfect to pair with an ink pen. because the dies have the same detail as the stamps, they can also be used to build a pen with patterned papers. so instead of stamping the pens this time, i wanted to create a pretty paper following a technique that caught my eye on jennifer mcguire's youtube channel: glazed distress oxide. as soon as i saw it, i knew i had to use it to create a few pens. 

it's basically a watercolor technique with the distress oxide ink pads on glossy card stock, and then glazed to make it shiny. the more you layer the colors, the better the depth - you just have to make sure it's dry between layers. of course, i went with a rainbow design - such a departure for me, right?! - and i love the results. i cut the top of the pen from the red-orange-yellow half of the paper, and the barrel out of the green-blue-purple half. before adhering the pieces together, i colored the clip with a gold wink of stella pen, and the portion just above the nib with soft stone ink and a water brush.

to tie everything together, i added some coordinating papertrey ink colors to the sentiment with one of the doodle images i included for just that purpose. it's kind of a sketch rectangle doodle. and while it can be used on its own doodled straight out of a pen, my first thought when i created it was to use it to "highlight" words, like the prominent ones here. i didn't imagine this perfect rainbow pen when i drew it, but it all came together as though i had! the size is perfect for a few words in the set, but for those that are too short or too long, i simply masked the end of the word to make it fit, with two impressions for a longer word or word pair.



here's one more angle of the pen - it was hard to capture the shine in the photo, but i think you can get the idea from this shot the best. the final part of the glaze distress oxide process is adding a distress micro glaze to bring out the shine - the overall effect is so cool and reminiscent of a real specialty pen. all that shiny color makes me so happy - i think i need this pen in real life!!

although very clean and graphic, with lots of white space, the final card has plenty of interest and even a nice bit of texture. i'm always happy with a lot of white space, but this one is balanced with so much color too - the best of both worlds! i could keep making pens for days and i'll probably do that at some point, but i have an ink it in: quoted card for tomorrow - be sure to come back and check it out. until then enjoy today's links on the papertrey ink blog - as always the design team is knocking it out of the park!

thanks for stopping by!
:) lexi

 

all new product, including ink it in + ink it in dies, will be available for purchase on march 15th!

ink it in blue!

hello! welcome back for day two of the papertrey ink march countdown to new stamps, available on the 15th at 10 pm eastern time. today, i have a card featuring the ink it in pen in another fun pattern mix. also a throwback to my very first make it monday, white on white with a pop of color. i created a similar pencil card when pencil me in was introduced and of course i had to do it with the pen too!

layered detail die cuts are the trick for this card design. the extra layers on the pen add interest and texture and help the white pens look just as much like pens as the pop of color one. for that color pop, i decided on a complementary color pairing of blueberry sky and orange zest, with blueberry sky in the grid line pattern for the pen top...

and orange zest in the pinstripe pattern for the lower barrel. a neutral soft stone on the clip and just above the nib finish the pen off perfectly. i continued the blue and orange color scheme and gave the pen blue ink, stamping my sentiment in blueberry sky as well to make it look like the pen wrote it. i chose two fonts for the sentiments in the set - a script and a print - both with a kind of a handwritten look to coordinate with the pen. from pen barrel patterns to fonts, i love a good mix!

in addition to the pop of color, the color pop pen is also popped up on foam tape so that it really stands up and out. the completed pen consists of three layers of die cuts - the base pen layer, one barrel layer and two pen top layers. this means that the clip and nib are a single layer, the barrel is two and the pen top is three, giving the pen a bit of a 3d look, especially on top of the foam tape. the pen also points right to the sentiment, which because of the dots then leads you to the inside: ink it in...

you're the best! it's fun to have a complete card inside and out. in addition to the dots and swash that i used to accent my sentiment here, there are a few other decorative doodles in the set that can be used in the same way. or they can also be "doodled" right out of a pen! little details can add so much and i'm always amazed to see them used in ways i didn't imagine!

it was really fun to visit this old favorite design layout. i love a good pop of color in a textured field of white! i'm sure i'll revisit several pencil me in layouts now that i have a coordinating pen! i hope you like what you're seeing so far - it's so much fun to play with!! i've got another fun one lined up for tomorrow! until then, don't forget to check out all of today's links on the papertrey ink blog - so much eye candy!

see you tomorrow!
:) lexi

 

all new product, including ink it in + ink it in dies, will be available for purchase on march 15th!

ink it in!

good morning, it's that time again! welcome to the papertrey ink march countdown to new stamps and a first look at my new sets debuting on the 15th - ink it in, ink it in: quoted, and ink it in: notebook. ink pens to coordinate with the pencils in pencil me in? oh yes! i love office supplies and stamping them is even better! plus a fun quote building set and a notepad stamp too...

for today's project, i made a card showcasing all three sets together - perfectly coordinated! i just love this malala quote. "one child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world." it's such a powerful quote and a great way to say thank you to your favorite teacher, or to anyone involved in helping a school even. (gina, i'm thinking you can do a few cool post-it's for your encouragement board out of these words!!) 

the words and icons are all separate so that the quote can be built in different ways. i'm sharing my original vision here with the icons mixed in next to the word it coordinates with, but there are several possibilities - with or without the pictures, spread more widely across rather than down, shortened slightly with some words taken away, etc. i used copics to color the little icons, but you can also stamp them in color without coloring them in. there are a few more little pieces in the set as well.

of course, the quote set fits on the notepad stamp and coordinates perfectly with the pen in the main set, which i added off to the side popped up on foam tape for added dimension. like the pencils, you'll notice that there are few patterns to create fun pens! in addition to the foam tape treatment, i also layered the die cuts for the upper and lower parts of the pen onto the full die cut for depth as well, two for the top in fact. having the top raised ever so slightly above the bottom is a great realistic touch.

the end result is a super cute and colorful 4bar note card - i love working with this smaller size, especially when i have smaller images! but they work on standard cards too. i hope you like what you see so far. i'll be back with more tomorrow, but meanwhile be sure to check out all of the links on the papertrey ink blog - there's lots of ink it in inspiration to see today! i'm headed there, too...

happy saturday!
:) lexi

 

all new product, including ink it in + ink it in: quoted + ink it in: notebook + bitty big: mint julep, will be available for purchase on march 15th!

papertrey ink 2018 anniversary set

good morning! today we get to introduce you to the papertrey ink 2018 anniversary set, mixed bouquet, designed collectively by the product designers. it was so fun to collaborate on this together and i just love, love the finished stamp set - a variety of stemmed flowers that can stand on their own or be gathered together to create a bouquet. this special "customer appreciation set" will be available to "purchase" with reward points only and will not be available for regular sale.

i decided to give you a lexi-styled bluebonnet, in honor of my time in texas. i used to love when the bluebonnets popped up along the highway. seas of beautiful blue wildflowers! mine is a little more simplified version - clean and graphic, if you will. (shout-out to the forum peeps!) there are eight stamps to build your image - the petals, the crowning petals plus detail, the stem, and two leaves plus a detail for each. depending on your look, you may not want the use them all or you can even use individual pieces in a different way on their own.

i opted for a clean and simple design with lots of white space and a focus on two die cut and stamped bluebonnet stems. i used one of the frames from mix & mat: hearts dies to create the look of a layer to ground my images and sentiment. after adding the sentiment to the lower right edge of the box, i balanced the stems to the left. to add a little depth to the petals, i added a little royal velvet ink around the edges after inking it in blueberry sky.

i had one extra stamped stem leftover, so i couldn't resist adding the flower to a color blocked card in the style of the texas state flag. i cut the pieces using the cover plate: comic strip die and popped them up on foam tape for added dimension.

i draped the bluebonnet across the seams which helps direct your eye to the sentiment in the lower right corner of the flag. i tried to find howdy in my stamp stash, but ended up having to settle for a handwritten hi from pencil me in.

just look at all those fabulous flowers!!! if you haven't already, be sure to stop by the papertrey ink blog and follow the links to see each one up close! and remember: mixed bouquet is a special "customer appreciation set" and will not be available for regular sale - you can only get it with reward points, so hopefully, you've been saving up!

happy stamping!
:) lexi

p.s. please bear with me if i miss a day or two of the countdown - it's mardi gras here in new orleans and i have been juggling a lot!! a houseful of ut freshman began arriving with my daughter tonight and i've been preparing for my ride in the muses parade tomorrow - including glittering shoes, the most coveted carnival throw! but, i will be here sharing as much as i can once my sets are introduced, so please keep checking in!!

 

stamp it:

tonight's the night!

thanks for joining me this week as we counted down the days to the papertrey ink january release! fiesta flag: birthday, fiesta flag: birthday die collection, and fiesta flag: birthday flag die will all be available tonight along with the rest of the new product showcased this month.

 

 

to see the rest of the release product images, head over to the papertrey ink blog. to buy, head to papertreyink.com. it's always so fun to share my projects with you. i can't wait to see what you guys do with them next!

happy shopping!
:) lexi

 

buy it! (available january 15th!) 

tonight's the night!

thanks for joining me this week as we counted down the days to the papertrey ink december release! sunshine & honey + dies, first aid tag die collection, fun lovin' + dies, and matchbook medley die collection are all available now!

 

 

 

 

 

to see the rest of the release product images, head over to the papertrey ink blog. to buy, head to papertreyink.com. it's always so fun to share my projects with you. i can't wait to see what you guys do with them next!

happy stamping!
:) lexi

 

stamp it!

bright and sunny...

hello! we've made it to day five of the papertrey ink december release countdown. today i have a few last projects to share, mostly showcasing my two die collections - first aid tag and matchbook medley - along with another look at sunshine & honey.

first up, a tag for a get well gift using both layers of the first aid tag die collection. on the front, i clustered two dies near the center of the cross to set the scene - a sun and a honey bear bottle (with a new label combo) - get well soon honey!

i also added a sentiment to the center of the back - here's a little bright & sunny with a touch of honey just for you! both sides will be visible when the tag dangling from a gift and there's plenty of room left over for a quick signature if desired.

next i decided to create a folding tag - simply cut a folded piece of cardstock from the larger cross die with the folded edge just inside the top cut line so that it doesn't cut. (note: it may take a tighter sandwich or a couple of runs through the machine to get two layers of cards stock to cut thoroughly.)

i added a full tag and detail layer to the top of the folded card in order to keep the hanging circle intact, although depending on how you plan to use the tag, this may not be necessary.

like the first tag, i clustered a couple of die cuts near the center of the tag for design interest, this time adding a sentiment to the front. the bottle of pills and the cross tag are a match made in heaven! the resulting tag is perfect for adding a short personal note inside and will complete a get well basket quite nicely.

and finally, i wanted to take a non-valentine look at matchbook medley. there are so many things that you can do with this die other than valentine's treats. while they're perfect for those, they're also perfect for...

tea! (and gift cards, too by the way!) while i stapled the bottom flap as usual to create a working matchbook, i didn't want to puncture the tea bag inside the packets, so i added a little tape near the bottom of each instead of stapling them in place. i tucked the front one into the flap and the second stair stepped behind it.

i used the scalloped flap layer to cover the staples on the front and added a bit of red baker's twine tied in a bow on top of that to bring the red down to the bottom of the design. i wanted to be sure the twine didn't slide off, so i secured it into place further under the plain sentiment strip on the back, covering the staples there as well.

keep it simple: brighter days (also new this month!) and the hugs and kisses border finish it off perfectly. xoxoxo brighter days ahead! these would be great additions to a sunny care package or sent as a stand-alone card in a 4 bar envelope. with a change in sentiment, these could also make great tea party favors! so what do you think? how will you use first aid tag and matchbook medley? check out the design team links on the papertrey ink blog today for more ideas - sunshine & honey and first aid tags are in the spotlight! and then just one more sleep until all the new stamps go live...

happy shopping!
:) lexi

 

stamp it!