Happy Saturday! Today the Ink to Paper design team is sharing projects created with the new Many Anemones stamp set. This versatile floral set is perfect for so many different stamping styles: bold & graphic, soft & pretty, CAS, and even elegant. Just by changing up the stamping technique, you can create so many different looks! I used one of my favorite stamping techniques on my card. Ink blending s a perfect technique to create added depth, especially when used with solid images. I started by stamping the bolder inside images and then later added the outlines. To stamp the bolder images, I started by inking up the larger solid image with my lightest ink color. I then sponged on some of the darker ink color towards the bottom of the image. I used my MISTI to repeat this until I had achieved the level of ink saturation that I... Continue reading

TGIF!! :-) It's my turn to post for Design Team Tips! Just a heads up, the Design Team Tips feature has now moved to the Ink to Paper blog. Today I'm sharing tips on how I like to add texture to cards. On my card today I added both visual and tactile texture. I love to mix different kinds...sort of like a texture buffet! :-) I started by Layering on a piece of patterned paper (from the Bitty Big: True Black pack). I used the bold polka dots (visual texture) to really set off the softer colors. I think adding some color behind a sentiment of image can also add some visual texture. Here, I stamped one of the images from the Watercolor Textures: Brush Strokes set in Aqua Mist before stamping the Hello sentiment (from the Essential Sentiments set). I decorated the frame with some flowers and leaves from... Continue reading

Hi friends! It's time for another Favorites Challenge! With the warmer weather and longer days, I find myself drawn to brighter colors when creating. Do you do that? Do you have favorite or go-to colors for each season? Well, this year I have definitely been using orange, green, and teal together quite a bit. Not only are they fun and bright colors, but they work really well together as well! This week, I'm challenging you to create a new card using your favorite summer color combo! I am really excited about this challenge because I am looking forward to all the inspiration you post...and finding new to me color combos! You can read more about the challenge over at the Ink to Paper blog! I started by embossing one of the stamps from the Rustic Brick set onto watercolor paper. Using my three chosen colors, I painted on a quick... Continue reading

Happy Saturday! :-) Today we are showcasing projects created with the new Rustic Brick set from Ink to Paper! I am SO smitten with this stamp set! Seriously, I would stamp a brick background on ALL the things if I thought I could get away with it! :-) There are quite a few ideas that I want to try out with the Rustic Brick set, but embossing it in white on black cardstock was definitely at the top of my list! I lightly sponged some diamonds on the tag before layering on the sentiment (from the Just Sentiments stamp set). The leaves and flowers are from the new Tag Creations: Blooming Indulgence die set. Want to see more Rustic Brick? Check out the Ink to Paper blog! Thanks for stopping by, Laurie Continue reading

Welcome back to the fourth and final day of the new Ink to Paper release! Today we are featuring the new Tag Creations: Blooming Indulgence die set along with the new Just Sentiments, Many Anemones, and Loosely Woven stamp sets. All of the new items will be available for purchase on May 15th at 10 pm ET! Ooooohhhh my goodness! I can't even tell you how excited I was when I first saw the new Tag Creations: Blooming Indulgence die set! This is the die set that I have been wanting for a long time! I heart this set SO much! I created a whitewashed looking brick background using the new Rustic Brick stamp set. I started by dry brushing some white acrylic paint onto Scarlet Jewel cardstock. I then sponged some Scarlet Jewel ink onto a few places. After the ink was dry, I embossed the brick image using... Continue reading

Welcome back to day three of the new Ink to Paper company! As many of you have already read, Papertrey Ink will be switching over to a mostly wholesale company (which is great news because it means that the products will still be available through retailers)! Ink to Paper is a fresh new brand that will not only offer new monthly product collections but will also carry many of your favorite Papertrey Ink staples (such as cardstock and ink colors)! You can read the latest newsletter with more detailed info HERE. Today we are featuring the new World's Best Dad, Rustic Brick, and Simply Sweet: You sets! All of the new items will be available for purchase on May 15th at 10 pm ET! I am SO happy that Melissa Bickford is designing stamps again! I adore her style!! The new Simply Sweet: You set that she illustrated is SOOOO... Continue reading

Welcome back to day two of the new Ink to Paper company! As many of you have already read, Papertrey Ink will be switching over to a mostly wholesale company (which is great news because it means that the products will still be available through retailers)! Ink to Paper is a fresh new brand that will not only offer new monthly product collections but will also carry many of your favorite Papertrey Ink staples (such as cardstock and ink colors)! You can read the latest newsletter with more detailed info HERE. Today we are featuring the new Frame It out: Wishes, You Are My Happy, and Celebrating You sets! My first card features the new Frame It Out: Wishes set. This set has a fairly large collection of multi sized sentiments as well as some gorgeous leaves! There are different configurations included so you can either stamp borders or vines... Continue reading

Welcome to the very first sneak peek post from the new Ink to Paper company! As many of you have already read, Papertrey Ink will be switching over to a mostly wholesale company (which is great news because it means that the products will still be available through retailers)! Ink to Paper is a fresh new brand that will not only offer new monthly product collections but will also carry many of your favorite Papertrey Ink staples (such as cardstock and ink colors)! You can read the latest newsletter with more detailed info HERE. So....are you ready to get your first peek at the brand new products? Today we are sharing projects created with the following new sets: Nature's Backgrounds, Essential Sentiments, and Watercolor Backgrounds. For my card, I used all three brand new stamp sets! I started by stamping the floral frame using several images from the new Nature's... Continue reading

It's Win It Wednesday time over on the Papertrey Ink blog! There is another favorites challenge along with a contest and giveaway...so many different chances to win! Since it's Teacher Appreciation week and I have some last minute gifts to package, I turned to my favorite go-to tags. These are the ones that I find myself creating time and time again. This week, we are challenging you to create a new project featuring your favorite tag! They can be made using specialty tag dies (such as I used here) or as simple as a basic rectangle! One of my favorite things about the Made With Love stamp (and coordinating tag die sets) is that they can either be stamped and gifted as is, or embellished with just about any other stamp set! For super quick tags, simply stamping and layering the die cut tags is perfect! I wanted to dress... Continue reading

Hi again! Today I'm sharing a card for Papertrey's Throwback Thursday feature! I'm featuring the Pedal Pusher stamp set. This set was one that I purchased as soon as it released...it was instant love for me! It truly is a timeless set, full of year round sentiments as well as different accessories to fill the basket with! I'm still working on my end of school year thank you cards so I chose a couple of sentiments (included in the Pedal Pusher set) that would work for this. One of my favorite things about this set is how you can customize the basket! It's just SO fun! There's even a PUPPY! Aaaack! So sweet! :-) As usual, I couldn't help myself and chose the flowers. Sigh. I'm so predictable! Ha! But seriously, can you blame me? Those flowers are gorgeous! For the background, I started by sponging on some Aqua Mist,... Continue reading

It's Win It Wednesday time over on the Papertrey Ink blog! There is another favorites challenge along with a contest and giveaway...so many different chances to win! Do you have a favorite layout? I have a handful of of go-to layouts that I find myself turning to over and over. I thought it would be fun for this week's challenge to focus on your favorite layout! This week especially will be a great resource for those of us looking for some new card sketches! The layout I chose is one that I tend to use when I am creating a more CAS, graphic, or mass produced cards. I can't wait to see all of your favorite layouts! I used my go-to layout to create this simple, graphic card. I think what I love about this particular card sketch is how it utilizes the Rule of Thirds and is just naturally... Continue reading

Hi friends! It's my turn to share a post for Papertrey Ink's Transformation Tuesday! This has become one of my all time favorite challenges! Although it's great to get a creative do-over, I also really enjoy recreating some of my favorite cards. I especially like to do this when I'm short on time. Since the end of the school year is almost here, I thought I had better start creating thank you cards. I was looking back through some of my more recent Papertrey creations and came across this one. I love the colors, images, and layout of this card so much that I wanted to recreate it. You know those cards that just fall together? The colors, layout, texture...everything comes together so easily? Yeah, that is what happened with this one! I ADORE Gran's Garden. It will probably always be one of my favorite floral sets! I enjoyed creating... Continue reading

It's Win It Wednesday time over on the Papertrey Ink blog! There is another favorites challenge along with a contest and giveaway...so many different chances to win! One of my favorite things to do when I am in a creative rut is to create a non-standard shaped card! Tall and skinny, little square note cards, round, or even shapes (like hearts and cupcakes), there are so many different sized cards to try! This week we are challenging you to create a new project featuring your favorite card shape! Anything goes as long as it is not the traditional A2 (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") size. Just by playing along, you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate! This week should be an easy challenge and one that anyone can play along with! You can use dies to create your card base (such as this Shape Up: Cupcake die)... Continue reading

Hi friends! I am SO excited to share this post with you today! I know I've mentioned a time or twelve what a fan I am of Betsy Veldman's designs (I mean, who isn't?)! You can imagine how excited I was to find out that she is starting her own company! I am just a firm believer that the world is a better place with her designs in it! ❤️ Her new store, The Greetery, will be opening Friday April 26th at 10 am ET! If you haven't been following along already, you can catch all of the sneak peeks over at the The Greetery Blog! I'm so honored to help her introduce two new sets today! Fleur Impressions is a show stopping, jaw dropping, gorgeous floral set! THIS set is exactly why I adore Betsy's designs so much!! Comforting Commands is a beautifully scripted sentiment set that, as per... Continue reading

Happy Wednesday friends! It's Win It Wednesday time over on the Papertrey Ink blog! There is another favorites challenge along with a contest and giveaway...so many different chances to win! There are so many different coloring techniques out there today. Watercolors, colored pencils, chalk pastels and alcohol markers are just a few of the many options available to paper crafters. For those of you who do not enjoy the traditional coloring techniques, there are other ways to add color to images (such as ink sponging, glitter etc.). This week we are challenging you to create a new project showcasing your favorite coloring technique! Just by playing along, you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate! Even though I am by no means an expert (at ALL), I do enjoy coloring. My go-to is usually watercolors. I not only adore the look, but really appreciate how fast it is!... Continue reading

Hey friends! It's Win It Wednesday time over on the Papertrey Ink blog! There is another favorites challenge along with a contest and giveaway...so many different chances to win! From clean & simple to shabby chic, there are so many different card styles. Much like everything else, I have a really hard time choosing just one favorite. If I absolutely had to choose I would have to say a modified shabby chic (not too shabby but more chic) would top my list. My love for all things floral, layers, and girly colors fit right in with this style. This week we are challenging you to create a new project showcasing your favorite style! Just by playing along, you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate! Happy sigh! I looooove layered flowers! Add those with soft and pretty colors, several layers, and a bit of distressing and in my... Continue reading

Hey friends! It's Throwback Thursday time! This week I'm featuring Papertrey Ink's Boho Rounds stamp set. Sometimes I get all wrapped up in the pretty floral sets and forget to give the other sets some love! Ha! Boho Rounds is one of those sets that is truly versatile. This is the kind of set that works for so many different styles. I mean, how many other sets can go from clean and graphic to vintage/shabby chic (not to mention everything in between)? I thought embossing the medallions onto black cardstock would really allow the details in these images to pop. That, and I just love black cardstock. And embossing. :-) It was pretty easy to build up the background. I started by embossing the large medallion using gold detail embossing powder. I then added in the silver medium medallions. Finally, I filled in the larger spaces with smaller medallions, embossed... Continue reading

Hey friends! It's Win It Wednesday time over on the Papertrey Ink blog! There is another favorites challenge along with a contest and giveaway...so many different chances to win! This week it's all about inspiration! What is your favorite place for finding paper crafting inspiration? I get inspired by so many things: trips to Target (ha!), graphic design, clothing and textiles, lifestyle photos, and of course Pinterest! I have to say that I turn to Pinterest the most these days as so many of my favorite sources are all in one place! This week we're challenging you to create a new project using your favorite inspiration source! Just by playing along, you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate! Source This is what I chose for my inspiration! I've actually had this pinned for quite a while and while looking through my boards this one really stood out... Continue reading

Hey friends! It's Win It Wednesday time over on the Papertrey Ink blog! There is another favorites challenge along with a contest and giveaway...so many different chances to win! This week we're challenge you to create a new project inspired one of the Papertrey Ink Make It Monday videos! With several year's worth of videos to choose from, the only hard part of this challenge will be choosing only one! Just by playing along, you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate! Here is the link to all of the Make It Monday video posts. I chose the Glitter Inlay technique for my card. Ever since I saw Lexi's video I wanted to give it a try! I have always loved glitter and add it to my creations frequently but had a definitely light bulb moment after watching her video! I mean, adhesive sheets...why didn't I think of... Continue reading

Hey there! It's my turn to share a project for this week's Papertrey Ink Transformation Tuesday. Have you ever made a card, posted it, and then later looked at it and thought...hmmm, I can do better? Yeah, that is exactly what happened with this card. I originally created it for the December 2018 release. I like all of the components individually, but they don't flow together as well as I had hoped. I knew if I were to create it again I would change both the background and card base size. By changing the card base size and using a more subtle background it allows the focal image to really take center stage. Just like the original card, I used the same Love In Bloom stamp and die set. I also kept the basic layout of the original card the same. For the background, I lightly stenciled on some polka... Continue reading

It's Win It Wednesday time over on the Papertrey Ink blog! There is another favorites challenge along with a contest and giveaway...so many different chances to win! This week I'm challenging you to create a new project using two or more Papertrey Ink colors! This is the perfect opportunity to use your favorite color combo or branch out and try a fresh new one! Just by playing along, you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate! One of my favorite things to do is to sit down with swatches of all of the Papertrey Ink colors! In fact, that is how many of my creations start. Finding new or forgotten color combinations is one of the surest way for me to find inspiration! For my card today, I used the Brushed Blooms stamp set. My color combination is one of my favorites: Aqua Mist/Tropical Teal, Harvest Gold, and... Continue reading

Yay for the weekend! :-) I'm participating in this week's Saturday Showcase feature over at the Papertrey Ink blog. This week we are sharing projects created with the Make It Market: Color Pop Butterfly mini kit. I can't believe that this is my first time playing with this kit! I mean, where have I been? Gorgeous butterflies, patterned papers, coordinating stamps and dies, and a scripty sentiment die...it's just perfection!! Oh, there are even stencils included! Yes, this is a must have kit! So I actually didn't do any stamping on my cards (gasp!). All of the images are from the printed sheets included in the kit. I used the coordinating dies to die cut them out. I really love how they are printed on linen cardstock...it gives them such a luxurious look and feel! I only added glue to the very middle of the butterflies so that I could... Continue reading

Happy Friday! For this week's Design Team Tips post I'm sharing a fun but simple way to use your ink refills (besides re-inking your ink pads). Before I get to how I created the ink sprays I thought I would share my card with you. I got notification that Gran's Garden was back in stock and I actually clapped with happiness! This set ranks up there with my all time favorite flower sets! After stenciling the background, I die cut it using the Shape Shifters: Oval 1 die set (which is also back in stock YAY). The sentiment is from the Penned Elegance stamp set. I embossed it using black detail embossing powder so that it would stand out a bit more against the stenciled background. Behind the focal layer, I layered a piece of heavyweight vellum over Bitty Big: Harvest Gold paper (to soften it a bit). I also... Continue reading

It's Win It Wednesday time over on the Papertrey Ink blog! There is another favorites challenge along with a contest and giveaway...so many different chances to win! This week I'm challenging you to create a project featuring your favorite Papertrey sentiment stamp or die set! Just by playing along, you will be entered to win a $100 gift certificate! Normally, I use images as the focal point of my cards but this week I'm changing it up. The focal point of this card is the large die cut sentiment (Big Basics: Just For You). For the background, I stamped a multi layered pattern using several of the flowers and leaves from the Together Forever stamp set. To really set the sentiment off, I backed it with a piece of patterned vellum. I wanted to add a bit more dimension to the sentiment so I backed it with two white layers.... Continue reading

Hey friends! It's Throwback Thursday today over at the Papertrey Ink blog! My card today features the Meadow Greens stamp set. I LOVE leaves and greenery stamps so naturally I'm drawn to this set. I also really love the sentiments and the mix of fonts! I chose one of my favorite color combos for my card: bright blue (Blueprint Distress Ink), Tropical Teal, and Limeade Ice. Blues and greens just go so nicely together, don't they? I created the background by first spritzing watercolor paper with water. I then stamped three different leaves (included in the Meadow Greens stamp set) using Distress Inks. I then spritzed the paper with water again to allow the inks to run a bit. To add even more depth, I splattered the background (once it was dry) with gold and black paint. I used the Pierced Feature Frames: Oval to create the oval frame. For... Continue reading