Papertrey Ink September Release Countdown Day 3

Welcome back for day 3 of the Papertrey Ink September release countdown! I mentioned yesterday that the new Cutting Board Tags Die was probably my favorite new product, but this Build-a-Whimsical Tree is coming in at a (unexpected) close second! I had so much fun cutting, coloring, and assembling this sweet tree!

You may have noticed that I was unexpectedly delighted with this set; I must admit when I first saw it, I didn't quite know how it was all supposed to go together, SO, I decided to just search "whimsical tree" on Pinterest and got a few cute illustrations, so this card was 10000000% inspired by the illustration! ha ha! I love how it came out!

To begin, I cut the base of the tree and each section from Vintage Cream cardstock. There is a base with embossed lines so you can see where each section is supposed to go, thank heavens! haha! There is a Build-a-Whimsical Tree Stencil that allows you to add individual patterns to each of the secions. The blue is Coastal Blue, the next layer up is Sweet Blush with Scarlet Jewel. The next layer is colored with antique linen distress oxide ink with a light hand of Scarlet Jewel. The layers repeat!

I popped up each section with foam squares and tucked the trunk between the two layers, along with the cute spiral piece at the top. The star is cut from gold cardstock and then glued on top of the tree.

The holly leaves and swirls are cut from Spring Moss cardstock with some Ripe Avocado ink blending for dimension. For the berries and ornaments, I simply blended some Scarlet Jewel ink onto a piece of white cardstock and then cut the pieces out and added them with small bits of foam tape and liquid glue. I foiled a panel of Autumn Rose cardstock using the Filigree Frame Hot Foil Plate with champagne foil.  I trimmed it close to the foiled edge and then blended some Autumn Rose and Scarlet Jewel ink. I used the middle sized mat included in the Love to Layer: Whimsy Die cut from Coastal Blue to serve as an anchor for the tree. The sentiment, which is from the Just Sentiments: Be Merry Stamp Set, is heat embossed in gold onto a strip of Scarlet Jewel cardstock. I added some Crystal Stickles to the holly berries for a touch of sparkle!

Switching gears from Christmas to bring you this floral card using the new Reflections: John 1:145 stamp/die/outline die. I love having these scripture cards on hand, so I didn't want to commit to Christmas since the verse can be used in an assortment of ways.

I love the beautiful mats from the Reflections: John 1:14 die and of course I used the outline die as well. I just love the depth I can achieve with the outline and it allows me to tuck flowers and foliage here and there.

The background for this card is cut using the Cover Plate: Quilted Die from Lilac Grace cardstock. I carefully glued it onto an A2 card base using liquid glue, making sure to not put glue on the pierced details. Next, I cut the largest mat from Plum Pudding cardstock and added some shading with Royal Velvet ink.

The verse is heat embossed in gold and then cut with the outline die. I layered it with foam squares and then had fun adding the flowers and foliage with foam squares and liquid glue. A touch of glitter finishes it off! Join me again tomorrow for the 4th and final day of the countdown! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Project Inspiration {Cozy Christmas}

Hello and welcome, friends! I hope you're all doing well and enjoying this first week of autumn! I was able to get out in nature and enjoy the beginning of the leaves changing in the Utah mountains, which is truly one of my favorite things! The leaves aren't peak yet, but that is just fine with me because it means more time to enjoy this beautiful season! 

It's my turn again for this week's Project Inspiration for Papertrey Ink and I decided to get a head start on my Christmas cards! 

Pattern, layers, texture, and shine…all the hallmarks of a classically designed Christmas card! Olive and Scarlet are always a fun twist on the traditional red and green color combination! Follow along with me step-by-step as this card comes together in seven easy steps! 

Step 1: foil a panel of Olive Twist cardstock with champagne foil using the Merry Motifs Hot Foil Plate Trim it down close to the foiled design. Blend Olive Twist ink around the 4 corners.

Step 2: Add a 1 inch strip of plaid pattern paper to the center and attach the background panel to an A2-sized piece of Scarlet Jewel cardstock. Glue it to an A2 card base.

Step 3: Cut the mat using the Love to Layer: Whimsy Die from Olive Twist cardstock and blend the same color ink around the edges. Heat emboss the sentiment, which is from the Just Sentiments: Warmth Mini Stamp Set and adhere it to the background panel using foam squares.

Step 4: cut and color all of the pieces for the Holly and berries using the Into the Blooms: Holly Die. Spritz them with Crushed Olive Distress Spritz and arrange around the edges. 

Step 5: cut a circle using the smallest die included in the Love to Layer: Scalloped Circles Die and the house, which is from the Bring Home the Holidays Die. Assemble them together and place it above the sentiment using foam squares.

Step 6: Cut and assemble the Wrap-it Ribbons Die and adhere it to the card. Apply glitter to the berries and leaves.

Step 7: decorate the inside with leftover foliage and berries along with an inside greeting from the Inside Greetings: Heaven and Nature Sing Stamp Set.

 I had so much fun creating this card and I'll add it to the beginnings of my collection for 2026! I can't believe we're already getting so close to the end of the year! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Papertrey Ink September Release Countdown Day 2

Welcome back for day 2 of the September release countdown for Papertrey Ink! My first project for today features the adorable new Cutting Board Tags Die and coordinating stencil! A few years ago I received a neighbor gift at Christmastime that included a cutting board and dishtowel all wrapped up with greenery and ribbon, just like this die allows you to make, but in miniature form! I think this might be my favorite product from the entire release!

I created a treat box using the Scalloped Treat Box Die; this will be perfect to tuck some homemade holiday cookies and my famous caramels for gift giving this upcoming Christmas season! I know it's hard to tell this is a box, but I promise, it is! haha! This project also features the new Made With Love Sentiments stamp/die set!

The coordinating stencil allows you to create the cute patterns on the "dish towels" that tuck behind the bow and greenery/cutlery! 

This cute holly pattern is another option; there are three different patterns total, more if you count the plaid that could be used as stripes instead.

I will be using this as a tag, but not necessarily for Christmas!

For my next project, I wanted to show how easy it is to create focal points for cards; this one is for autumn, but you could change the sentiment and colors and use it year-round!

I cut the "dish cloth" from Canyon Clay cardstock and then used Fresh Snow pigment ink to add the pattern using the Cutting Board Tags Stencil.

The die also includes the cute wooden spoon and fork! So cute! This sentiment is from the Thankful For Fall Sentiments Mini Stamp Set! The pretty mat behind the cutting board is a sneak peek of the new die included in the Reflections series, but I will be showcasing it tomorrow, so you can see the whole thing! ha ha!

My final project for today features the new Holiday Wreath stamp/die set! I must admit, my shimmer spray got the better of me on this card, so please ignore that! ugh! It's frustrating when you've gone to so much work for the spray to have a mind of its own! ha ha! It IS sparkly, though! 

Rather than going with traditional reds/greens, I decided to go with a Coastal Blue/Tropical Teal combo, which I always like!

To begin, I cut all of the pieces for the wreath from white cardstock and then stamped/embossed them. The background is created by foiling a Coastal Blue panel using the Deco Frame Hot Foil Plate with champagne foil. I trimmed it down and then mounted it on to an a2 panel of Tropical Teal cardstock using foam squares.

The Holiday Wreath stamp set includes a few different sentiments that fit onto the ornament. I heat embossed this one in gold.

The entire background is mounted onto a top-folding A2 card base using liquid glue. Please join me again tomorrow for the 3rd day of the countdown! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Papertrey Ink September Release Countdown Day 1

It's that time of year; time for the beginning of Christmas products being introduced for the upcoming holiday season! Today is day 1 of the Papertrey Ink September release countdown and I have two cards to share with you! Up first is a card using the new Framed in Flowers: Christmas stamp set/die! If you'll remember, the first in the series was released a few months ago and this is a continuation in the series! The set features two different designs and there is also a coordinating stencil for both designs. I chose to use the holly image for today's project!

To begin, I stamped the holly image using Vintage Photo Distress ink. I left the stamp in my MISTI so I could do the stenciling, but then put it back in to stamp with Versamark ink and heat emboss with gold foil. Once all of that was done, I used the coordinating Framed in Flowers: Christmas Die to cut it out. 

The background was created by cutting a panel of Pure Poppy cardstock measuring 4 by 5 1/4 inches. I cut the frame using the Border Bling: Skinny Embossed Frame Die from the same cardstock and glued it to the background panel. I like to use ScorTape because liquid glue has a tendency of seeping through the embossed edges. I layered the largest oval included in the new Love to Layer: Beaded Trim Die that is cut from Stormy Sea cardstock using foam squares. I placed the embossed image over the top with additional foam squares.

I cut and colored the greenery using the new Into the Blooms: Holiday Bouquet, which I will be showcasing next. The sentiment, which is included in the Framed in Flowers: Christmas Stamp set, is stamped in black and stacked three times for a sturdy piece. 

My next project features the new Into the Blooms: Holiday Bouquet Die paired with the new This is Big Sentiments: XL Happy Holidays Stamp Set. I really love this new bouquet die and I know I will be reaching for it all season long and for years to come. 

To begin, I foiled a panel of Stormy Sea cardstock using the Exquisite Leaf Frame Hot Foil Plate and silver foil. I trimmed it close to the foiled edge and layered it onto an A2 panel of Pure Poppy cardstock. I also cut another mat using Stormy Sea cardstock using the Love to Layer: Rectangles Die and adhered it with foam squares.

The bouquet "wrap" is cut from Pure Poppy with a New Leaf bow. All of the foliage and berries are cut from white and colored with dye inks and blender brushes.

I gave all of the foliage and berries a spritz of Hickory Smoke Distress Spray and then arranged them in/around the "wrap" using liquid glue and foam squares.

The sentiment is heat embossed in silver onto black cardstock and then adhered with foam squares. I added four gems to the corners of the foiled design. 

Join me again for day 2 of the countdown! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

The Greetery {A Little Something to Brighten Your Day}

 Hello friends! I'm happy to be here with a few fun early autumn-inspired projects with products from The Greetery! I didn’t have a set plan or an idea in my mind when I got started, only a color palette. I had fun revisiting a few products from last year’s Hint of Autumn Collection along with quite a few new things that have been released over the past year. I know I always say it, but I love how well everything mixes so well together but still yields results that are fresh and new!

To begin, I just had fun stenciling and embossing the leaves, acorns, and berries that are included in the Autumn Herbarium Stencil and Autumn Herbarium Embossing Folder. Please note, there IS an Autumn Herbarium Background Stamp (same link as the stencil) that allows you to add the stems, but I chose to omit the stamp and instead ran a gold pigment ink pad over the raised areas to bring the veins and stems into view. I stenciled two panels, but ended up only cutting one, so I used the other panel in the center of the “Thinking of You” card. I cut the panel using the Autumn Herbarium Die.

Once the leaves were all finished, I decided to pull out a few of the Bigger Botanicals that were released in the spring; I chose to use Hawthorn, Cress, Oregano, Mallow, and Soapwort. I cut them all from white cardstock and then colored the pieces with dye inks and blender brushes. I assembled them with liquid glue and foam squares. I set them aside while I had fun creating the backgrounds and card bases. Since I already had the color combination set, I simply pulled the same colors of cardstock and got to work cutting and embossing.

The blue card was cut using the Capsule Basics Die; I used the clever and essential (in my opinion) Capsule Basics Stencil to help me decipher where to remove the center portion and then I embossed it using the Capsule Basics Embossing Folder. Once that was done, I cut a frame from lighter blue cardstock using the brilliant Capsule Fixed Borders Large Die. I stamped it using the Thankful and Blessed Stamp Set and adhered it with foam squares around the darker blue base. I cut another capsule shape from white cardstock and then embossed it with the Pretty Picado Embossing Folder. I layered it all up onto a shaped card base and then had fun adding all of the flowers and leaf clusters.

I made quick work of the sentiments for each of the projects I created by using the Little Linked Lables Suite of products. I cut the labels using the Little Linked Labels Die, stamped and heat embossed them with gold powder using the Little Linked Labels Stamp Set.

The final step is the dry embossing which was done with the Little Linked Labels Embossing Folder. I chose my favorite for the blue card and then added a companion sentiment that was embossed using the Simple Everyday Mini Sentiments Stamp Set. I set the rest of the labels aside while I got to work on the next card.

Now, I ended up with so many projects because I made so many elements and they simply HAD to be used! The second card was made using the same steps as the first, but I chose to use the Pretty Picado Die for the frame. I cut it and then secured it with liquid glue. I cut the beautiful stenciled/embossed Autumn Herbarium panel to go behind the frame. I glued it to a shaped base and then added the leaves and sentiment.

The “loose” leaves are placed in the same position they are on the panel, but I used foam squares to mount them for additional dimension. The exception is the cluster of berries in the left corner; I simply added those where I thought they looked the nicest. Once again, the label is attached with foam squares, but this time, the sentiment is from the Simple Everyday Sentiments Stamp Set. I didn’t get a chance to use these versatile stamp sets during the last release, so I had fun putting them to good use on these projects.

I had some leftover capsule pieces and some leftover flowers, so I decided to create two large tags. These could also be used as small cards if tags aren’t your thing. I end up doing quite a bit of baking and I like having a tag to attach to a bakery box if I’m planning on gifting the goodies to family or friends. Both tags are embossed using the Pretty Picado Embossing Folder for depth and dimension.

The lighter blue tag uses two of the Bigger Botanicals on each end and a label in the middle. I used the same sentiment on both tags and this one is included in the Simple Everyday Sentiments Stamp Set and is embossed in gold.

The darker blue tag has some gold pigment ink rubbed over the raised areas around the perimeter. I used the Bigger Botanical as the focal point and then added the sentiment near the bottom. This was such a fun project to work on and really like how it turned out! We’ve been having rainy/cooler weather that makes it feel like autumn might actually be on its way! Thanks for fluttering by!