confetti by lexi

SAF 2018: garden whimsy pop-up box card

hello sunshine! papertrey ink stamp-a-faire is well underway!  ink, dies, paper, and stamps are flying around here and i hope for you too! are you ready to plant a whimsical garden in a pop-up box card? i can't wait to show you how, so let's just jump right in...

looks can be deceiving. from simple and understated...

to full-on garden explosion of color! may all your weeds be wildflowers!

head over to the papertrey ink blog to see pictures, a video, and the live stream class - there's even a printable file for the box for those who didn't get the kit. and then don't forget to link up to win! let me know if you have any questions, and most of all, have fun!!

happy box building!
:) lexi

 

stamp-a-faire 2018

hi stamping friends! i'm so excited to share that i will be hosting a class for stamp-a-faire 2018: crafting a community garden - live this year in cincinnati! i can't wait to meet those of you attending in person. but even if you won't be there, you can still participate online. the limited edition kit is available for pre-order this week! you'll get everything you need to play along at home including stamps and dies designed specifically for the event along with the same supplies we will be using in the live classes. here's a look at my "garden whimsy pop-up box" stamp and die collection...

all the dies you need to build a box that pops up to reveal a whimsical garden - sunshine and insects included!

and a mini stamp set with coordinating sentiments for a variety of occasions along with accent flowers that mimic the dies. may all your weeds be wildflowers!

in addition to the class product and supplies, you will also receive the limited edition stamp-a-faire stamp set, community garden - another collaboration set with images from several product designers, including me! head to the papertrey ink blog for a complete look at the classes and product included or straight to the shop to purchase the kit!

counting the days...
:) lexi

SAF 2017: 9th anniversary tradition ~ pottery

hi stamping friends! i’m excited once again to be participating in papertrey ink's stamp-a-faire, one of my favorite stamping times of the year. and this year is even better, super sized and super fun! how great is the anniversary traditions theme?! i have always loved following the annual traditions to choose gifts for my husband each year, so i was really excited to try my hand at translating one of them into a card project. 

when i started thinking about what i wanted to do, i was immediately inspired by my favorite bowl and the idea of using paperclay to create a “paper pottery” embellishment if you will. so here we are at the 9th anniversary tradition: pottery. head on over to nichole's blog to watch the video and play along. only a few more challenges to go - you’re in the home stretch!!

happy anniversary stamping!
:) lexi

 

stamp it!

SAF 2016: color blocking with me (and andy warhol!)

hello again! yay! you've made it to the final challenge!! are you ready for a little color block pop?! i have always loved andy warhol's art, especially the commercial, and now iconic, soup can.

i suppose that is partially what inspired me to design one of my first stamp sets, comfort food, around one. who knew that it would end up being the perfect image for stamp-a-faire masters?! but it's more than just the soup can - it's his saturated clash of color...

his focus on everyday american objects...

and celebrities...

and his use of repetition - coca-cola for everyone!!

even his business card was a work of art!

and he left us with some really cool quotes...

pop art is for everyone! so head on over to nichole's blog to read the full post, watch my video, and get to color blockin' - stamping, masking, and blending, oh my! here's the rest of my andy warhol pinterest board if you're interested, including links for all of the pictures included here.

let's catch up in the forum - it's a party over there! but first...

make it pop!
:) lexi

SAF 2016: masterpiece inspirations

hello! how is your stamp-a-faire day going so far? you've now made it to halfway point and the masterpiece inspirations challenge...

Join the team as they share projects inspired by one of their favorite master artists,
then take that inspiration and create your own projects too! Dig out some of
your favorite supplies and adapt them to the inspiration that speaks to you most!

i seriously couldn't wait for this challenge to create a mondrian inspired card with cover plate: comic strip. clean and simple, bold and bright, lots of white. these phrases that describe the artist’s work so perfectly are also what i aim for with practically every card i stamp. and hello, i designed cover plate: comic strip  - how did I not create some of these cards sooner? but everything has it's time, and i guess that time is now! 

so this card is pretty quick and easy given the framework of the cover plate and perfectly colored cardstock. but i also really wanted to include a couple of key attributes of mondrian's work, specifically, black lines that extend to the edge without a frame, implying that they continue on, and subtle texture like his intentional paint strokes. to accomplish texture, i decided to focus on the white space and use fresh snow linen cardstock - easy peasy! and to mimic the lines, i decided to snip the outer frame off of the die cut. this created a minor issue with putting the pieces together again, but i came up with the perfect solution - a white adhesive sheet, sticky side up! i started by sticking one piece of the frame down onto the adhesive paper, and added the other pieces to it puzzle style until it was finished. then i simply trimmed the excess adhesive paper away. the result is a complete layer to easily adhere to your card front, without extra bulk - and without having to put adhesive on the thin frame pieces!

i debated on a few sentiment options, including leaving it blank and adding one inside only. but then i remembered this acetate hello that's been hanging around on my desk for a while and it just kind of fell into place! i love that i have a quick sentiment on the outside. the clear die cut adds interest to the layout, while still maintaining the integrity of the original inspiration, which was what i was going for. plus cool hello cards are my fave!

of course, if you make one of these cards, you will have the pieces to make a few because you have to die cut at least one cover plate of each color - red, blue, yellow and white - plus black for as many frames as you want. so here i quickly puzzle pieced two more variations with leftovers - even easier this time, leaving the complete frame intact and adding a small hello die cut from super succulents. a couple more cool hello cards for my stash! it's the perfect design for a gift set too, don't you think?! i feel a little guilty that i picked such a quick and easy inspiration piece, but it had to be done! i can't wait to see the rest of the team's masterpieces and how we all inspire you...

nichole | amy | ashley | betsy | danielle | dawn | heather | kay | laurie | lizzie | melissa

happy stamping!
:) lexi 

SAF 2016: free exclusive set!

stamp-a-faire masters is almost here! the official kick-off is tonight, 7:00 pm est on nichole's blog, followed by a full day of stamping challenges beginning bright and early tomorrow morning at 7:00 am est. but first, a little art with heart! a stamper can never have too many flowers and sentiments, which is exactly what you get with the stamp-a-faire exclusive set - for free! i knew immediately that i wanted to pair it with my set give me a hand to recreate picasso’s bouquet of peace. fun, right?! the set works in layers that fit perfectly together, with the two layers of flowers creating a bit of a color blended look, almost like i used three colors in some places and a little like rocking and rolling without any extra effort!

i love when i have the chance to rummage through my old and random studio stash to find a solution for a design idea in my head. here, i knew i wanted something for the stems that could go over one hand and under the other like on the painting, so doodling lines wouldn't work. i thought of floral wire, but couldn't find the green that i knew i had somewhere. i was just about to take a green copic to white floral wire (another good option), when i found a few tiny spools of lightweight, colorful craft wire - including green. even more perfect! i simply added a few holes at the edges of flowers with a piercing tool, slid snips of wire into them, taped them on the back, and bent them into shape - adding a glue dot under the "over" hand to help keep them in place. challenge solved! 

to finish off the bouquet and to add more color like the original painting, i added colorful enamel dots to the flower centers, which also complement and balance the dimension of the stems. sweet, simple, and fun - a little stamping and scavenger hunting all in one, haha! if you already earned the free set on the stamp-a-faire shopping day, you're ahead of the game. if not, here's how you can still get it...

"Art with Heart will ONLY be available on Stamp-a-faire day to all customers who make a qualifying $100 purchase.
All orders made between 7am ET and 11:30pm ET on Stamp-a-faire Day tomorrow (July 23, 2016) that total $100
(before shipping) will receive the set for FREE! You will still earn Rewards Points on your order too, so it's an amazing offer!
Please email Papertrey Ink Customer Service with any further questions"

be sure to check out the rest of the team's blogs for more art with heart eye candy and stay tuned to nichole's blog for so much more stamp-a-faire masters fun to come!!

nichole | amy | ashley | betsy | danielle | dawn | heather | kay | laurie | lizzie | melissa

one more sleep...
:) lexi 

SAF 2015: make it work challenge

what a day! it's hard to believe that papertrey ink stamp-a-faire is almost over. time really does fly when you're having fun and here we are with the last challenge before the red carpet finale. just like on project runway, it's time to make it work...

Be sure to save all of your partial cards and rejected creations from throughout the day to use in this challenge. Tim Gunn is famous for his "Make it work." phrase and now you will get to apply it to your own paper crafting creation. Take apart one of your rejects or alter it to "make it work," just as Tim always says.

so above, is my reject. it started off as one of my cards for yesterday's fashion sense showcase, but i was having a hard time creating a leopard print that matched my vision. i actually forgot to photograph it before i added a couple more layers of color, so you won't see much difference in the leopard print below. even so, while the card is okay, i found it a bit boring and lacking pizazz. i certainly wasn't believing in myself as yves saint laurent's quote dictates!

so i put it aside and moved on to other projects. i kept fiddling with it in between, stamping a new layer of brown circles over the first round of lighter ones, doodling more varied weight on the black circles i'd drawn, and adding in a layer of gold wink of stella all over. and when all was said and done, i decided to try again on the layout and "make it work," tim gunn style! i added a polka dot vellum panel (which had been an option before i added the scallop frame) and created a collage style layout on top - an mm: spiral notebook die cut of pencil me in patterned paper with instructions from tim, a gold paperclip, brass washers leftover from the unconventional challenge (bangles, maybe?!), and of course the leopard print gown. like on my card pattern, i like to have a few of the elements extending off of the base layer for added interest. while i still basically like the simplicity of the first card and i want to give the leopard print a fresh try another day, i think this one definitely has more pizazz. and that's a wrap from me! i can't believe it's almost over. a few more team ideas to see and all of your linky additions too - new eye candy is my favorite...

nichole | ashley | dawn | laurie | melissa

sleep well!!
:) lexi

SAF 2015: runway inspired challenge

hello again! stamp-a-faire day has turned into stamp-a-faire night and i'm back for another paper fashion extravaganza challenge share - the runway inspired challenge...

The team will share some inspiring runway looks and showcase projects that derived from the colors and styles found within those inspiration pieces. Printable inspiration cards will be shared as a free download so you can use the same inspiration to create a project of your own!

this challenge is a no-brainer with a theme of project runway, right? so i decided to take it even one step further and choose my runway inspiration straight from a recently aired episode of project runway itself! now, this happened to be the winning look. i was kind of torn on who should win between this and the greece look that had the only "safe" score - it was totally a top three! i think the pants here needed a little more work (they never have enough time!) and a different shoe, but i what i really liked was the mix of color and floral pattern with black and white stripes. 

as soon as i saw it in the episode, i thought of this challenge! i knew i had the perfect "faded red" paper in my studio stash to pair with the black and white stripes from betsy's mood mix patterned paper collection included in the saf kit. as a nod to the floral cape, i decided to use a little bouquet that's been sitting on my desk since last year's stamp-a-faire (good things come from saf!!) on top of a yellow block of color (another free paint sample!!). the floral on the look is a mix of bold colors and the red, green, and yellow, represented in my bouquet and yellow block, all jumped out at me, especially in the sketch of the look above that i spied on my instagram feed and saved right away. i love the end result - i'm a big fan of bold and bright and color blocking is a fun way to mix and match colors and patterns and not have too thick of a layered card. of course, the irony here is that this one has a big embellishment in the bouquet and will need a box to mail or give. but the really cool feature is that i adhered it to the card with a pair of basic grey magnetic disks, so the recipient can remove it and put it on her file cabinet or fridge - a card with a gift!! so i tend to go pretty literal when i play inspiration challenges like this. i can't wait to see the looks and inspired projects from the rest of the team - and then from you! off to the runway to check 'em out...

nichole | ashley | betsy | danielle | dawn | laurie | lizzie | melissa

how literal do you play it?
:) lexi

SAF 2015: unconventional materials challenge

long time, no see! i hope your stamp-a-faire day of stamping is progressing nicely. by now, your work space might be a little or a lot messy, but push most of those "real" stamping supplies aside and get your hardware store haul ready. it's time for the unconventional materials challenge!!

Just like the popular television show, you will be challenged to incorporate unconventional materials into a card. Visit your local hardware store and purchase unconventional materials with a $10 budget. Get really creative and try to make it "difficult" for people to tell that the unconventional materials were even used on your project! Be sure to take a photo of your receipt next to your new supplies to add to your blog post before you dig in to start creating!  You may integrate any basic paper crafting supplies or tools as well.

do you spy my hardware store finds? in fact, the only "true" stamping supplies on the card are the fine linen card base and the stamped sentiment, along with cover plate: stripes diagonal and beautiful blooms II #3 dies used to emboss and cut...

i spent $9.34 and a little over an hour in the hardware aisles of home depot. i tried so hard to find one more thing to get me just a little closer to $10, but there was nothing cheap enough. my time probably breaks tim gunn's usual constraints, but luckily nichole didn't specify that! i'm sure the "real" customers were wondering what i was doing as i studied this little thing and that over and over, lol! but it was so much fun to search and plan. i ended up with foil tape [embossed layer detail], reflective safety tape [white flowers], and two types of little washers [flower centers]. i will definitely use the rest of these supplies on other cards as opportunities present themselves. the washers are especially fun. and self adhesive foil tape - self adhesive + foil - enough said. clearly, i love the polish and shine of metal! so, what about the teal and red flowers, you ask...

well, any good card maker who finds herself near paint swatches knows to grab a few handfuls! free, colorful card stock? yes, please! so after i chose my hardware, i headed over a few aisles and spent even more time on color. i love paint cards like this for a specific project. not only do they offer fun color combos, they give you proportions of the color to try in how they lay out the card. this was just the inspiration and direction i needed to transform my hardware haul. big flower in teal, small in red, leaves (a small flower cut apart) in lime - easy peasy!! i can't wait to see what everyone else found and transformed...

nichole | ashley | dawn | laurie | lizzie | melissa

#sofun!!
:) lexi 

SAF 2015: patterns challenge

 it's time for challenge two, the patterns challenge. are you ready?! 

As part of the exclusive Stamp-a-faire Kit (purchase not required), customers will receive a packet of patterns like you would use for making clothing, only these are designed as a unique version of card sketches.  Similar graphics will be provided on the blog along with this challenge post.  You are challenged to create a card using one of the card patterns to help you warm up for the day.

for this challenge, i contributed a card pattern (translated above) based on this card from a recent release...

when a set has fun die cuts, i like to group them together and make a collage of sorts. i think my first layout like this came about because i had so many extra die cuts on my desk and didn't want to toss them! anyway, the smaller background panel helps to ground and group the images while still being small enough to have the die cuts extend over the edge for a little added interest. as mentioned on the pattern, the rule of threes is a good thing to remember and incorporate in your groupings. while i was using four die cuts, i paired and overlapped two of them, which makes them read as one, creating a visual grouping of three.

so, how about two new examples? here i used comfort food along with a soundburst and word die from zappy birthday. the sentiment portion of the layout lends itself well to soundbursts or speech bubbles, although they're not necessary. a word die cut or even a die cut that is not a word (with a standalone sentiment to the left) would be worthy alternatives. i scream, you scream, we all scream wow!

here, i used love potion, again paired with a soundburst and word die from zappy birthday. i was planning on something else, but this just came together and i loved it! we've got great chemistry - bam! on both cards, you'll notice that i chose bold patterned papers to set the stage as the pattern card suggests, sticking with more simple stamped images that pop on top. there are lots of great stamp sets that are perfect for this card pattern - i know it will show up again around here. are you ready to stamp again? pick a pattern or two or seven and get busy...

nichole | amy | ashley | betsy | danielle | dawn | heather | laurie | lizzie | maile | melissa

see you soon...
:) lexi

SAF 2015: bridal challenge

good morning! today is the day! papertrey ink stamp-a-faire has arrived and it's time to jump right in with the first challenge of the morning, the bridal challenge...

Here's comes the bride, all dressed in white.  Except in this case, it's a wedding card that you will be presenting using nothing but white supplies.  The only exception to the rule is that you are allowed to use a neutral ink color (black, gray, brown, etc...) to add a stamped sentiment to the card.

i typically use a lot of white on white, but with pops of color, so i was really excited to play along and work more with texture in the absence of color. i decided to use cover plate: modern cross quilt to create a stencil for a pearlescent embossing paste background. in person, it looks like mother of pearl adhered to the card - so cool and so tactile! once it dried, i added two polka dot vellum butterflies from life is beautiful die collection. i stuck only the bodies down, so i could lift of the wings a bit for added depth. a few rainstones finish them off nicely and help detract from the glue below. and finally i added a sentiment in smokey shadow on a strip of card stock adhered right over a full row of crosses. challenge complete! now it's your turn - enjoy the team's bridal runway and then break out your wedding whites...

nichole | ashley | betsy | danielle | dawn | heather | laurie | lizzie | maile | melissa

happy stamping!
:) lexi

SAF free exclusive set!

good morning! papertrey ink stamp-a-faire weekend has arrived!! while the official day of tutorials and challenges is tomorrow, the design team is kicking things off today with a look at the exclusive, limited edition stamp-a-faire set, fashion sense, and i'm so excited to be playing along. first, a few details from nichole:

fashion sense will ONLY be available on stamp-a-faire day to customers who make a qualifying $100 purchase. all orders made between 7am est and 11:30pm est on stamp-a-faire day (August 29, 2015) that total $100 (before shipping) will receive the set for FREE!

as you can see, fashion sense includes quotes from leading fashion industry icons, along with a fashion sketch and various elements to add color and pattern to the gown - you get to take on the role of fashion designer and "make it work!" which is exactly what i did...

as soon as i saw the fashion sketch image, i knew that my first card would involve watercolors. i embossed the sketch and using kuretake gansai tambis, i blended pinks and purples for an ombre effect. while it was still a little wet, i stamped in a few dots in pink for a bit of added interest, followed by a wash of silver for a silky shimmer. i really wanted the dress to take center stage, so i kept the rest of the card simple - one of the sentiments - a fabulous quote from coco chanel - plus a couple of strips of coordinating washi tape and voilá! i see more watercolor gowns in my future.

next up, i wanted to step up my textile game with the mini florals. the skirt is so fun and full - i just love filling in little spaces like this. first i stamped the solid skirt fill in image in soft stone for a base color. then i started my stamped pattern with one of the two step flower clusters, and filled in with leaves, followed by the tiny single flower, and finally, the single mini dot to finish it off. it's good to start with the biggest image and then fill with the smaller ones as you go. you'll start to see where you need more and it's fine to overlap here and there - i think it adds to the movement and fullness of the skirt. for even more movement, i stamped the sketch image on the panel, colored in the bodice with silver wink of stella (i always love a little bling!) and fussy cut and layered the floral skirt over it, bending up the edges here and there. so much fun! i have many more textile ideas, and at least one that will show up later in the day tomorrow, so stay tuned! speaking of tomorrow, do you have your supplies ready to go?! i'm playing along with several challenges, so i'll see you there - and definitely at the welcome party tonight on nichole's blog. but first, enjoy the rest of the fashion sense fashion show...

nichole | amy | ashley | betsy | danielle | dawn | heather | laurie | lizzie | maile | melissa

happy stamp-a-faire!
:) 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