Put your tools to work for you...

Want to learn more about the tools in your crafty arsenal? 

Check out Studio Calico's TOOLBOX class! This class will show you cool tips on stitching, mixed media, misting and digital from four technique masters. Amy Tan, Celine Navarro, Geralyn Sy and Shanna Noel will each spend a week in August teaching you the ins and outs of their favorite techniques. I'll be contributing to the misting week, and I'm going to be sharing a card showcasing a beautiful technique using glue and mists!

Through 7/24, Studio Calico has a cool offer for everyone who signs up for Toolbox! They'll be able to pass a FREE spot in the class to a friend. 

Check out some of the sneaks and classroom files you get HERE. Super cute! You'll want to stop by Geralyn Sy's blog for a chance to win a spot in the class, and then pop over to the Studio Calico blog for more links to class sneaks and giveaways. See you in class!

release day...

The Papertrey Ink team is back to you what other products are new this month! They will be released tonight at 10 p.m. EST. First up, I used the Wonderful Words: Together stamp set and dies. I have been loving the "cutting your own titles" trend in scrapbooking lately and wanted to show that these Wonderful Words dies work amazing for layouts!

I cut a bunch of together's out and even used the negative cut outs on this 8 x 8" layout. The Harvest Gold one is stamped. "We are in this..." is also part of the stamp set! My husband has been trying to teach  my 8 year old how to ride her bike. She hasn't been interested thus far, but we now that we have bike trails right behind our house, we are all itching for her to learn, so we can go together...all 4 of us!

We are in this together layout:
STAMPS: Wonderful Words: Together
INK: Harvest Gold, True Black ink
PAPER: Rustic White
DIES: Wonderful Words: Together die
OTHER: Artisan paper by Pink Paislee colored with Gelatos, arrow by Studio Calico.
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On the Thank You card, I used the new Bitty Background Blocks II and alternated the position of it with Dark Chocolate ink to create a background on a slant. The flower and leaves are from Delightful Dahlia Additions and the flags are from First Place.

Thank You From the Bottom of My Heart card:

STAMPS: Delightful Dahlia Additions, First Place, Bitty Background Blocks II
INK: Dark Chocolate, True Black, Soft Stone, Classic Kraft, Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, Pure Poppy inks
PAPER: Rustic Cream, Soft Stone, Classic Kraft
DIES: Delightful Dahlia Additions
OTHER: none.
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"May All Your Wishes Come True" is made with the new Wishes Come True stamps and the First Place dies, as well as the By the Numbers Border die (5) and Suffix Style dies. (th)

I wanted the 5th circle to be the focal point, so I kept the candles simple and stamped them in Soft Stone ink with Harvest Gold flames randomly - I wasn't trying to get them straight, I wanted the card to fun and random. The stars on the red paper were stamped with Bitty Background Blocks II.

5th card:
STAMPS: Wishes Come True, First Place, Bitty Background Blocks II
INK: Summer Sunrise, True Black, Harvest Gold, Soft Stone
PAPER: White, Aqua Mist
DIES: First Place, By the Numbers Border, Suffix Style
OTHER: Twine.
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When I first saw the First Place stamps and dies, I was picturing a ribbon hanging on a bulletin board. To create the frame, I trimmed out pieces of kraft cardstock and angled them in the corners. I inked the edges to create more dimension on the strips, then placed them over the edges of the card to create a  "wooden frame" look for my bulletin board.

I made little extra "ribbons" to hang under the circle by trimming out some strips of cardstock with pinking shears.
You're the Best card:
STAMPS: First Place
INK: Sweet Blush, Pure Poppy, True Black, Vintage Cream inks
PAPER: Classic Kraft, Sweet Blush, White, Aqua Mist cardstock
DIES: First Place
OTHER: pinking shears, star pin by Maya Road.
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Next is Boutique Borders: Love. I cut the frame out with the Boutique Borders: Love die and stamped it in black and then used Dark Chocolate for the sentiment. I rubbed my Vintage Cream ink pad over the top to soften the look. A banner finishes off the card with punched hearts.

I ran out of Papertrey Ink's rustic twine, so I used some pink twine from my stash from The Twinery. See the brown striped heart? That was stamped with Bitty Background Blocks II in Dark Chocolate. The other ones are cut from cardstock and patterned paper.

Love You card:
STAMPS: Boutique Borders: Love, Bitty Background Blocks II
INK: True Black, Chocolate Brown, Vintage Cream inks
PAPER: Sweet Blush, Rustic Cream, White cardstock, Aqua Mist Pattern Pack, Sweet Blush Pattern Pack

DIES: Boutique Borders: Love die
OTHER: Melissa Frances pearls, The Twinery twine, American Crafts stripe paper, Spring Mix , dark yellow paper by Studio Calico, buttons.
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Here I used the Mat Stack 6 stamps and dies (frame) and the tree/leaves/flowers from the new Polkadot Parade #6. I used a big leaf from Meadow Greens to create a soft gray background.

You are an Amazing Friend card:
STAMPS: Polkadot Parade #6, Mat Stack 6, Meadow Greens (big leaf in background)
INK: Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado, New Leaf, Summer Sunrise, True Black
PAPER: Smokey Shadow, Soft Stone, white cardstock and Sweet Blush Pattern Pack
DIES: Mat Stack 6 dies, Polkadot Parade #6 dies
OTHER: gems.
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Last is Summer Hills. I trimmed out a little house from the stamp set, colored it in with colored pencils and added it to a journaling card by Pink Paislee from their Hope Chest line. The sentiment is stamped with Summer Hills also.

You're Always in My Heart card:

STAMPS: Summer Hills
INK: Classic Kraft, True Black
PAPER: Rustic Cream, Aqua Mist
DIES: none
OTHER: heart punch by McGill, pearl by Melissa Frances, pinking shears, Aqua Mist ribbon, colored pencils.
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That's it for me! For more ideas, visit the other team members to see what they've made with these same sets. All of these products will be available on July 15th at 10pm EST at www.papertreyink.com.
Betsy Veldman

Cristina Kowalczyk

Dawn McVey

Debbie Olson

Erin Lincoln
Heather Nichols

Jessica Witty  

Maile Belles

Melissa Phillips

Nichole Heady

Meadow Greens...

Welcome back to another Papertrey Ink countdown post. We are here to share with you the new Meadow Greens stamp set and dies. Working with this set really made me long for fall. Crisp air, digging out the boots and sweaters, hot apple cider, pumpkin picking! But this set can be used for so much more than that.

First, we were to pick out an inspiration piece that inspires us...I loved the colors in this one.

(Oh Hello Friend blog)

I used it as my starting point with Harvest Gold, Canyon Clay, and Finen Linen inks. (Added one more color later on.)

I stamped the leaves falling down the edge of my card.

The sentiment is done in Dark Chocolate. Last, a leaf was die cut with Melon Berry cardstock and stamped with Melon Berry ink. I love to layer images with stamps. The sentiment looks cute over the stamped leaf and really creates dimension.

Your Kindness card:
STAMPS: Meadow Greens
INK: Fine Linen, Harvest Gold, Canyon Clay, Melon Berry, Dark Chocolate inks
PAPER: Rustic Cream, Smokey Shadow and Classic Kraft cardstock
DIES: Meadow Greens dies
OTHER: Twine, Boutique Accessories (flower)
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My second project was inspired by this scrapbooking layout.

(Ali Edwards)

I love the white on kraft with the darker type. I used the Queen Anne's Lace image in Fresh Snow ink and embossed them. Classic Kraft ink is used for the stems.

The finished piece was then backed with Sweet Blush paper and a patterned paper stripe from my stash, adding some seam binding and buttons/twine.

Sending Prayers card:

STAMPS: Meadow Greens
INK: Fresh Snow, Classic Kraft, Dark Chocolate inks
PAPER: Rustic Cream, Sweet Blush cardstock
DIES: none
OTHER: pinking shears, seam binding, buttons, twine.
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I hope you liked these projects. Please visit the Papertrey team members to see a variety of ideas using Meadow Greens!
Ashley Cannon Newell
Betsy Veldman
Cristina Kowalczyk
Dawn McVey
Erin Lincoln
Heather Nichols
Jessica Witty
Maile Belles
Melissa Phillips
Nichole Heady