Papertrey Ink May Release Countdown Day 2

Welcome back for day 2 of the Papertrey Ink May release countdown! I have some fun, summery cards to share with you today using products you're sure to fall in love with! My first card for today uses the new Build-a-Bear Die set and I've paired it with the new Land That I Love Sentiments that were showcased yesterday.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it before, but all of my boys have the same initials with RL being the first and last. Of course, the famous American designer Ralph Lauren also boasts these initials on many of his designs, so my kids have worn quite a bit of Ralph Lauren during their growing up years, including the Ralph Lauren Bear or Polo Bear, whichever you prefer!

I decided to head in that direction for this card, but the bear ended up being a girl bear in the end because the bow is just too cute! ha ha!

To begin, I cut all of the main pieces for the bear from Fine Linen cardstock and then added some Vintage Photo distress ink around the edges with a blender brush. I also darkened the foot pads and ears to completely change the color using the same ink. The sweater is cut from Dark Indigo cardstock and then the flag is cut from white, Pure Poppy, and Enchanted Evening. I popped it up using foam squares for a bit of dimension.

Rather than cutting the whites of the eyes with the included dies, I simply added white with a white paint pen. The stars and bows are also included in the die set and I cut them from Pure Poppy to bring in a bit more red! The background was created by cutting an A2 panel of Bitty Big: Blueberry Sky Color Collection pattern paper. I glued it to a top-folding A2 card base using liquid glue and then layered the Reflections: John 1 Die frame over the top.

My second card for today uses the new Quilt-It: Baby Die. There is also a coordinating stamp set to stamp the patterns on the quilt pieces, but I opted to use pattern paper for my card today. I found some old papers from My Mind's Eye that are the right scale and look "quilt-y". I cut them using the Quilt-It: Baby Die and then adhered them to a white star base from the same die set. I let that dry and got to work on the background.

I love this Reflections: John 1 Die and I felt it would be perfect to frame the quilt star. I used the same pattern papers as the quilt pieces to place behind the frame. I used foam squares to pop the frame and then glued the other pieces in place.

I took my color cues for the flowers from the pattern paper. I cut the flowers and leaves using the Into the Blooms: Wild Wood Die from white cardstock and then colored them with Pure Poppy, Harvest Gold, Ocean Tides, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, and Ripe Avocado ink. I added them around the frame using liquid glue and foam squares.

I had originally started this card to be for a baby boy, but I felt it really needed some flowers, so I switched gears and added the summer sentiment using the new This is Big Sentiments: Welcome Stamp/Die set. I really love how this card turned out, even though I desperately need baby boy cards! ha ha! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

18 Carrot Friendship {Happy Easter}

I can't believe Easter is on Sunday! It feels like it has arrived so quickly this year! I couldn't let the special day go by without creating a card with this absolutely DARLING stamp set from Pink and Main. This is one of those must-have stamp sets for me and I bought it back in January when it came out and FINALLY took the time to create with it! I adore the sweet bunnies and chicks and I have really missed coloring! 

To begin, I used the 18 Carrot Friendship Die to cut all of the pieces out. I cut a few extra eggs so I could use them as fillers if needed. Once that was done, I used the 18 Carrot Friendship Stamp Set to stamp the images in black. I had to run some errands, so I just left them to dry because I absolutely hate when I go to color the images and the black ink smears! Ugh!

When I got home, I colored the images using OLO Markers, along with a few Copic and Prismacolor markers to blend colors. I also have a cheap Caliart set that I used as well. I have found that the key with the cheap sets is to make a color chart (or fill in the one that comes with it) because the caps never show the true color. I only have a few sets of the OLO markers, so the extra colors come in handy to provide shading if need be.

It was so fun and therapeutic to color and I really need to do it more often. My daughter asked me the other day which companies I used to make critter cards for and I told her neither company is currently making stamps, but I really need to create with them more often because they're so cute and I miss coloring!

I added some white pen detailing, glitter, and a touch of gold on the pink egg with polka dots.  

I kept things simple and just added the images to one of the beautiful mats that you can create using the Eyelet Layer Frames. I cut it from white and then added some Seafoam Ink and splatter to the center of the mat using a blender brush and paint brush. I set the scene and then committed using foam squares. I layered it up onto a panel of Pale Peony cardstock and a white card base.

I had a few images left over so I added them to the inside along with another sentiment. I am seriously perplexed because by the time I was finished with the majority of the card, my stamp set up and vanishes so I couldn't use one of the included sentiments. I opted to use the Simple Spring Mini Sentiments Stamp Set for the sentiment on the front and this one on the inside.

I had so much fun creating this card and while I normally like to make religious Easter cards, this one was such a joy and a delight! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Papertrey Ink {You are My Happy Place}

Hello friends! I wanted to pop in today to share the card I made for the Papertrey Ink Instagram hop yesterday! This is actually the card I had envisioned making for the countdown, but I went in a different direction. I love how that previous card turned out, but it was so fun to create the card I had been envisioning and planning!

All of the new products are now available, including the darling Country Rooster Die and coordinating stencil. I certainly didn't think I was going to fall in love with this die set like I have, but here we are! haha!

This card is inspired by the farm animals plate set from Rifle Paper Co. with the French country colors, scallops, and rooster, of course! To begin this card, I die cut the scalloped frame using the Fantastic Front: Scalloped Frame Die from True Black cardstock. It's hard to see in the photos, but I also cut another frame using the In Frames: Rectangles Die from the same black cardstock. You can see the pierced detail on the upper righthand corner. I layered the two frames together using black foam squares. I trimmed a piece of white cardstock slightly larger than the opening of the frame and did some quick leaf stenciling using the new Stems & Blooms Stencil Collection. This is another unexpected favorite from this release and I feel like I just need to keep these near my desk to add quick details to cards!

The flowers and foliage are from the new Simply Birds Die with the exception of the yellow flowers; those are from the new Into the Blooms: Spring Basket Diet hat was featured on day 4 of the countdown! I cut everything from white cardstock and then colored them with dye inks and blender brushes. Once that was done, I glued the pieces together, spritzed them with fossilized amber distress oxide spray and then set them aside to dry. The red flowers also got some navy marker splatter using a color-spritzing tool.

The rooster is also cut from white and colored the same way as the flowers and leaves. I did add the stenciling to the body of the rooster using the Country Rooster Stencil Collection. There are three different patterns included in the collection for versatility. The bow is also from the Into the Blooms: Spring Basket Die and gives this rooster a little bit of whimsy; putting on some springtime finery! I also added a dot of marker for the eye; just a quick job with a fine-tip Sharpie!

The focal panel is adhered to an A2 panel of Blueberry Sky cardstock using liquid glue. I also added some white paint splatter and glitter for additional detailing. The sentiment is from the Just Sentiments: You're on My Mind Stamp Set and is stamped in black and then cut using the Just Tags Die. I secured it to the side of the frame using black foam squares. I mounted it all to a top-folding A2 card base using liquid glue. I had so much fun creating this card and I'm glad I got the idea out of my brain! haha! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Papertrey Ink March Release Countdown Day 2

Welcome back for day 2 of the Papertrey Ink March release countdown! Today the team is showcasing some really fun and beautiful new products to usher in spring! My first card features an unexpected new favorite: the Country Rooster Die and coordinating Country Rooster Stencil Collection. 

I've also used the new Framed in Florals Hot Foil Plate with silver foil. I cut the panel using the Rounded Rectangles: Pierced Die to give it some added detail.

Mr. Rooster is cut from Vintage Cream cardstock and then colored and stenciled with dye ink. I adhered the wing using foam squares and then glued the red portion using liquid glue. The legs are adhered to the back using clear tape and foam squares.

As promised, the background panel is stenciled using the Stems and Blooms Stencil Collection. This is a collection of individual little stencils for each leaf, flower, and then a stencil for the flower centers. I had fun creating the border and then adding some brown ink splatter.

The flowers and foliage are from the Simply Birds Die set that was showcased yesterday and the sentiment is from the Praying for You Sentiments II Stamp/Die set. 

My next card for today uses the new Basket of Blooms Stamp Set! Rather than creating a springtime themed card, I decided to pull in another prayer sentiment. I like having cards like this on hand to give at a moment's notice!

I also did some stenciling using the previously released In the Meadow Stencil Collection. I used it on an Easter card I shared last week and I just wasn't ready to put it away just yet! It created the perfect backdrop for this gorgeous basket of blooms.

I couldn't find my scalloped edge dies, so I used the Border Bling: Scalloped Frame to cut out the cute lace border for the bottom of the card. More gingham for the background, of course! ha ha! I added some glitter and sequins and some brown splatter to the stenciling for detail!

Thanks for fluttering by!