Eleven favorites of 2011...

Hi friends, I hope you had a very happy holiday! I just finished posting a few pics over on Facebook of our Christmas. I didn't take many photos this year...just felt like I wanted to sit back and enjoy it... more than worrying how great my photos were! Know what I mean? It was nice.

Each year I like to do a "year in review" and choose my favorite layouts over the past year that I've created. It's fun to look back and see how you've grown or changed in scrapbooking. I think I'll just stick to layouts today...maybe I'll post 11 of my favorite cards next!

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Here we go!
1. This first one was done for Pink Paislee... I had fun mixing and matching colors and papers. I'm trying to get better at adding more color and trying new placement for things!

2. I think I'm in love with the color gray this year! The "Remember" layout was made for Glue Arts, we were working with Hero Arts stamps (red words "you brighten my day").  I happened to catch my girls sitting together and holding hands one day...a RARE occurrence! I used some older products for this one, a Cosmo Cricket chipboard album cover (heart) and a fabric piece I think was from K & Co.

3. The "Grateful" layout was another Pink Paislee layout from this fall when we went to the pumpkin patch. I love the phase right now of using punches. It really allows you to add lot of pattern to your pages by adding little punched bits and pieces.

4. The 5 Years layout was made with Jenni Bowlin products!  I really had fun with the design here.

5. This one was Pinterest inspired, made for a guest post for Pebbles. I painted the limbs and added punched circles. Making your own backgrounds is really addicting with mists, paints and stamps...so many possibilities!

6. "Chasing the Chicks" was done for another guest post for Hip 2 Be Square Scrapbooking. This was a visit back home and we stopped at a tourist attraction called "Old MacDonald's Farm". Kati chased the chickens all over the place! Who knew chicken pictures would be so fun to scrap! HA

7. "Her Perspective" is actually one I haven't posted before. It was one of my layouts that I made for the Scrapbooking Girls E-book by Ella Publishing. (You can still purchase this - link is in my side bar!) I gave Taylor my camera and asked her to take photos of her favorite things, like her favorite hobby, music, food, etc. We had the BEST time together finding her favorites around the house and she loved using my camera and getting a photography lesson! It was a neat way to spend time together and create a page to remember her favorites at this age. This page also reminds me that I need to get better at using MORE photos on a page!

8. "Let It Snow" is one of my favorites as well - just love this new line by Pink Paislee called Snow Day and love these pictures of my 3 making snowmen together. It was one of those layouts that fell together very fast! Love when that happens!

9. "A Happy Heart" layout makes me happy when I look at it. Just scrapbooking another hobby I love, making quilts for friends and family. My mom always tells me a busy heart is a happy heart and she's so right! (made with October Afternoon products)

10. This was a layout that I made for the Mission To Create blog. I used some vintage paper, lots of bits and pieces from my stash and some Dusty Attic chipboard words! My daughter took this photo of my husband and I at the park one day when she was 5 and it was our 11th anniversary. I was glad to have a photo of that particular day. She did a great job!

11. The last one makes me smile, because Kati is always a happy girl, and these photos are so indicative of her personality. I tried something different with the design here and also tried a new technique with Papertrey Ink stamps (new to me) called "kissing your stamps". Again, I'm trying to balance out my pages with color and fun embellishments, also adding stamps to my layouts.

Scrapbooking is like creating a journal, except we are adding color and photos to our journal. I've learned lots this year about creating, design, and of course stamping from my good friends at Papertrey Ink. I've learned more about the things people like to see and how design pleases the eye. Creating makes me so happy, and I can't wait to see what this year will bring for me! Thanks for reading and stopping by! I really appreciate having so many friends who understand the scrapbooking passion. Here's to a great 2012. xo,

 

fa la la...

Ready for the holidays? I have all of my gifts bought and wrapped, just have to finish the teachers and the grandmas. It's getting down to the wire, but I know what I'm getting, just have to make one more run. :)

I have a few more Christmas card ideas for you today...

These are all made with Studio Calico's Autumn Press line of papers/stickers and Studio Calico stamps. Here I used one of the Bookplate Stickers behind a felt tree that I made myself. I wrapped the tree in twine. The sentiment is made with some of my favorite Studio Calico sticker letters from my stash and the Nadiya stamps by Studio Calico ("la"). I made the little felt rose myself.

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Next, another bookplate sticker is used as a background for a punched circle.

Several of the snowflakes (Martha Stewart punch) are punched and layered here, then I used a circle punched from the Rose Bud paper for the center! None of these papers are really holiday papers, but the colors work so well.

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The "Merry" card was fun and simple to make. I first stamped "Merry" out with alphabet stamps (Nadiya by Studio Calico), then dry embossed the card with a Swiss Dot embossing folder by Provo Craft. Last, a strip of paper, a punched heart and a ribbon rose were added that I made myself. These would be easy to mass produce!

Are you making your Christmas cards this year?  I would love to see them!

Papertrey Ink December 2011 Release Projects...

It is the 15th again, the day we get to show you what we've made with all of the new stamp sets and dies coming out this month at Papertrey Ink!

First, we have Lock & Key...

A GORGEOUS stamp set full of inspirational sayings. I have used them in my previous posts as well. I stamped a little row of keys and a couple hearts, a saying over the top, and some off-white seam binding. Super simple!

 Love is the Key card:

Stamps: Lock & Key
Ink: Smokey Shadow, True Black, Sweet Blush
Paper: white cardstock
Dies: none
Other: pearl, seam binding, corner rounder.

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Next is Tremendous Treats: Valentine...

I made some Valentine's for my girls' teachers by adding in a couple of my old sets...Happy Trails (just a note, teacher, and swirl) and Tag-its #6 (circle background). I first stamped the circles in the background, then added the sayings and the hearts.

To create the mini notebook from Tremendous Treats: Valentine, I stamped it onto vintage book paper. I colored in the heart with a red marker and the tip of the pencil with black. To fill in the yellow part of the pencil, I stamped the pencil again on a yellow piece of paper and cut it out, then placed it over the top.

In the Happy Trails set, it says, "thank you teacher". I masked off the "thank you" and just stamped, "teacher."

Be My Valentine, Teacher cards:

Stamps: Tremendous Treats: Valentine, Tag-its #6 (circle), Happy Trails (just a note, teacher, and swirl)
Ink: Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist, Chewing Gum by JBS
Paper: white cardstock, vintage book paper
Dies: notebook die

Other: black pen, red pen.

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Next, I made a gift tag with Little Princess...

I started by stamping the castle in pink and the outside frame of the castle with Pure Poppy (red) onto white cardstock. Then I filled in the background with "my little" in Summer Sunrise ink. "Be My Valentine" is from the Tremendous Treats set. I used a new Heart Border die at the top. Kraft paper is used for my tag. I just cut a rectangle and then trimmed off the corners to make my own super-sized tag shape. You could turn it into a pocket and fill with treats!

To create the pretty bow, I tied 2 bows with Soft Stone ribbon and placed one on top of another. It is attached with a Glue Dot.

Little Princess Valentine gift tag:

Stamps: Little Princess, Tremendous Treats: Valentine
Ink: Pure Poppy and Summer Sunrise by PTI, Chewing Gum by JBS
Paper: white, kraft, red cardstock by PTI, red polka paper by Studio Calico
Dies: Heart Border
Other: Soft Stone ribbon, crown and pearl by Melissa Frances, twine by PTI.

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Next are the Happy Day stamps and dies... very happy indeed!

This set comes with some different frames and lots of sayings for differing occasions! I made a birthday card and a New Year's card. See the loop-ti-do at the top? That is a new die called Loopsy-Daisy die. To make a whole flower, you would cut two of these, but for this I just used one of them and made a 1/2 flower to put at the top of my card with felt. Kinda resembles a little gift!

Happy Birthday card:

Stamps: Happy Day

Ink: Pure Poppy, True Black

Paper: October Afternoon, PTI cardstock

Dies: Happy Day, Loopsy-Daisy, Mega Mat Stack 4

Other: PTI twine, Aqua Mist felt by PTI.

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On the 2012 card, I cut the numbers with the By The Numbers dies and hung them from the Happy Day frame with tinsel.

New Year's Greetings:

Stamps: Happy Day
Ink: Smokey Shadow, True Black, Aqua Mist
Paper: Hawaiian Shores and new Canyon Clay cardstock by PTI, My Mind's Eye (yellow)
Dies: By the Numbers, Happy Day, star punch by Fiskars
Other: tinsel by Melissa Frances, embossing plate by Provo Craft.

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The heart and small saying here are from Tag-its #11. I also used a saying and key die from Lock & Key. Added a tiny bit of hand stitching.

All You Need is Love card:

Stamps: Tag-its #11, Lock & Key
Ink: True Black, Fresh Snow, Spring Moss
Paper: Studio Calico (blue), new Canyon Clay cardstock
Dies: Lock & Key
Other: white embossing powder, Canyon Clay felt by PTI, twine by PTI, Hawaiian Shores ribbon by PTI, note journaling card by Little Yellow Bicycle's Hello Fall line, white embroidery thread.

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And last is Flower Fusion #11 stamps and dies...

I used a Pink Paislee sticker, then added some flowers and stamping around it. The white spots are made with Calico White Mr. Huey mist by Studio Calico.

My Sweetness card:

Stamps: Flower Fusion #11
Ink: Fresh Snow, Aqua Mist
Paper: new Canyon Clay cardstock
Dies: Flower Fusion #11
Other: PTI felt, PTI Hawaiian Shores ribbon, Melissa Frances pearls, Calico White mist, Pink Paislee- Sweetness sticker, embossing powder, machine stitching. 

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You've already seen Tree Tops, Made of Snow Mini, Love & Marriage and Rosie Posie in my previous posts. Whew! I think that covers it! :) Here are the other designers' galleries:

Ashley Cannon Newell

Betsy Veldman

Dawn McVey

Debbie Olson

Erin Lincoln

Heather Nichols

Jessica Witty

Lisa Johnson

Maile Belles

Melissa Phillips

Michelle Wooderson
Nichole Heady

Love & Marriage...

Welcome back to another Papertrey Ink countdown group post! Today we are highlighting a new stamp set called Love & Marriage, which will be available on the 15th.

Not only is this set great for wedding cards and Valentine's Day cards, but also for anniversaries. My goal with today's post is to show you several anniversary card ideas!

This card has the quote from Love & Marriage and the arrows from Tag-its #11. I stamped the arrows in Lavender Moon ink, so pretty in real life, but hard to photograph! The heart is stamped in Smokey Shadow and is from the new Tag-its #11 set also. I punched 2 holes in the heart to hang it like a banner from the twine.
Originally I was going to have the lacy Filgree border at the top of the card, but then I decided to have my Filigree Border on the bottom. The problem I created was that I had already sewn a Heart border on over the top of the Filigree, which meant that my heart border was now upside down! I didn't want to start my card over, so I folded the hearts down to create an interesting lacy, dimensional border! (see below)

 Together Forever Anniversary card:

Stamps: Love & Marriage, Tag-its #11
Ink: Smokey Shadow, Lavender Moon
Paper: Studio Calico (blue), white cardstock, Pink Paislee (text)
Dies: Filigree Border, Heart Border, 2" circle punch
Other: Smokey Shadow button, True Black ribbon, Sweet Blush ribbon, PTI twine. 

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On this card, I simply stamped the heart people on the background, then added the sayings, red heart, and postmark from the Love & Marriage set. Cardstock is Sweet Blush.

You and Me card:

Stamps: Love & Marriage

Ink: Sweet Blush, Pure Poppy, True Black, Smokey Shadow

Paper: white and Sweet Blush cardstock

Dies: none

Other: corner rounder.

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And last, I stamped the saying and hearts from Love & Marriage onto Pink Paislee's Vintage Vogue Tailered Suit paper. You could also use Papertrey Ink's Text Style Backgrounds for a similar look!

The tree is stamped onto vintage book paper with Pure Poppy and True Black ink. The tree stamps and die are from the new Tree Tops set! I used Aqua Mist ink to stamp the frames under the patterned paper, which are from the new Happy Day stamp set.

Two Hearts card:

Stamps: Love & Marriage, Tree Tops, Happy Day

Ink: True Black, Pure Poppy, Sweet Blush

Paper: Pink Paislee, white cardstock

Dies: Tree Tops

Other: Basic Grey brad, vintage book paper.

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On all of these cards, all you have to do is write "Happy Anniversary" on the inside of the card to turn them into anniversary cards. Perfect for your spouse, parents, aunt and uncles' anniversaries, etc. Stop over to see more "Love & Marriage" projects by the Papertrey Ink team!

Ashley Cannon Newell

Betsy Veldman  

Dawn McVey  

Erin Lincoln  

Heather Nichols  

Jessica Witty  

Lisa Johnson  

Maile Belles

Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady

Rosie Posie...

Today the Papertrey Ink team is featuring a new stamp set and dies called Rosie Posie.

I am soooo in love with this set! We were to all choose an image that inspired us, so I found a pretty photo on Pinterest. I love the florals and hexagons. Florals never really go out of style, do they? They are classic and elegant and inspire me...

 

(Style Me Pretty)

I've been loving gray lately, so I wanted to try pairing it with Ripe Avocado like the flowers in the photo. Then add some aqua, and voila!

 

(That's Smart Deco)

I am not bold enough to do this in my own house, but I sure do like it a lot! The stenciling on the coffee table really inspires me! Here is a peek at my card set.

I started with Aqua Mist cardstock and stamped two of the larger flowers with Smokey Shadow ink first. Then I stamped some smaller flowers around the edges with Fresh Snow ink and embossed them with white embossing powder. I used Vintage Cream ink to brush the edges of the card and give it a softer feel.

I also brushed the die cuts with Vintage Cream ink to soften them. I popped them up with dimensional adhesive.

Here I stamped the leaves in Ripe Avocado and the flowers in Smokey Shadow and Aqua Mist inks. Then I stamped the white flowers and embossed them with powder and a heat gun. The button is a new Smokey Shadow button. I also brushed the card, even the card front, with my Vintage Cream ink pad.

The sentiments are from the new Lock & Key set coming out this month also.

Floral card set:

Stamps: Rosie Posie, Lock & Key

Ink: Smokey Shadow, Ripe Avocado, Fresh Snow, True Black, Vintage Cream

Paper: Aqua Mist cardstock

Dies: Rosie Posie dies

Other: Papertrey Ink button (Smokey Shadow), PTI twine.

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There are also some really neat hexagons in the set that I'm crazy about! The way they fit together made me think of a key opening a lock....

I used Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Smokey Shadow and True Black ink for the designs, and Lavender Moon for the key (from the Lock & Key set). Love trying different color combos with this set!!! (I had fun, can you tell?)

 Knowledge is the Key card:

Stamps: Rosie Posie, Lock & Key

Ink: Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Smokey Shadow, Lavender Moon, True Black

Paper: white cardstock

Dies: none

Other: PTI twine.

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Thank you for visiting! Please stop over to the other girls' blogs to see what they've made and how they were inspired!

Ashley Cannon Newell

Betsy Veldman  

Dawn McVey  

Erin Lincoln  

Heather Nichols  

Jessica Witty  

Lisa Johnson  

Maile Belles

Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady

Made of Snow Mini...

You can't help but smile when you see a snowman, right? There's something so fun and enchanting about them that brings you back to childhood. I have a few projects to share with you made with a new stamp set and dies by Papertrey Ink called Made of Snow Mini, which will be available on the 15th.

Bear with me, I have a lot of ideas to show you! :)

The first thing I tried with the set is stamping a little background. I wanted to try out all of the different scarves, hats, mittens, faces and button choices! So many fun options...

I used Aqua Mist ink for the snowmen, and I placed all 3 of the snowmen on my stamping block, then created a pattern with them. I kept the 3 snowmen on the block, and stamped the image again below the first image. Then I filled in the corners of the background with one of the snowmen.

After stamping all the snowmen, I had fun filling in the hats, faces, etc. with Spring Moss ink, Aqua Mist ink and Pure Poppy ink!

You can see I also wrapped a little tag around the front of the card with felt and stitched it on. (The heart is die cut with a new border die by PTI coming out this month! I just trimmed one of the hearts out of the border!)

Here's a peek at the inside. I thought these would be fun as thank you cards after the holidays! The "Thanks so Much" is from an older set called Think Big Favorites #1.

Now, after having fun with the stamps, I wanted to try out the cute dies that go with these!

I imagined 2 cute friends holding hands...

"Hello, friend!" is a sentiment that is coming out this month from another set (and the tiny stamped hearts)! I die cut them, their scarves and hats, and then filled in any empty spaces with chalk, like the hats. I had to add some pink cheeks as well. A little die cut tab was stitched to the side.

After I die cut the snowmen out of white cardstock, I had this negative piece leftover and thought I could put it to good use, hence the next card!

Here you are seeing a peek at the new heart border die again. :) I used it with red felt. I backed the snowmen with an older October Afternoon Detours paper from my stash.

Last, I wanted to show you how fun these little guys can be on a layout! We had a dusting of snow the other day and I had to take pictures of our view from the front of our house! It was so pretty, just enough to cover the ground for Christmas.

I used a large Papertrey Ink calendar page as the base of my layout. The little stamped bubbles/circles are from the 2008 Holiday Tags collection.

The stickers and snow day chipboard are by Pink Paislee, and the number 8 and houndstooth paper are by a new company I recently discovered called Pretty Little Studio! "Happy" is from the Birthday By the Numbers set.

I hope you enjoyed the projects!

Please also visit Nicole, Betsy, Beth, Heather, Melissa B.,  Lisa, and Dawn for more peeks at some other new things this month at PTI!