LilyBean Paperie

winterberry...

Our summer here is quickly coming to a close and I must admit that I am already suffering from a bit of the back to school blues.  I love having my little girl home and each year as she heads back to school, I have a harder and harder time adjusting to the quiet and dealing with the emptiness.  I have found so much comfort in creating and am so thankful for the distraction that my little hobby brings me and also the ways that it helps me express myself and my feelings.  Just a couple of reasons why I love creating.

Our past challenge at Festive Friday was a color challenge consisting of pink, silver, and white.  I couldn't wait to dive into this one.  I used Papertrey Ink's Winterberry stamp set, a silver acrylic star, a Melissa Frances tag, K&Co. snowflake stickers, a it of washi, and velvet trim that I rolled into a lush, pink flower.

I tucked in a bit of vintage trim and a crystal trinket pin from Maya Road to finish it off.

Wishing you a few more bright, warm, summer days.

Melis

 

vellum & feathers...

Hello lovely Friday!  My little one and I are heading to see Mary Poppins at Tuacahn tonight with my Mom and are so excited.  What better way to spend a warm summer evening than nestled in the beautiful red rocks of St. George....most definitely unforgettable.

It's my turn for the Papertrey Ink Tips & Tricks and I decided to get crafty with my vellum, dies, and stamps, and create some handmade vellum feathers, as feathers are all the rage right now in the paper-crafting world.

Once I started, it was certainly hard to stop, as I wanted to try different background stamps and different embossing powders, such as Silver, Powder, Black, etc., but for my projects today I settled on Gold, White, and Blush embossing powders and the Background Basics:  Text Style and Bitty Background Blocks II stamp sets.

This first card uses a cluster of feathers in different sizes, embossed and stamped using different colors and stamp sets.  The smaller feathers were cut using the Happiness in Bloom Leaves die, while the larger feather was cut using the Limitless Layers:  3 1/2" Oval die collection.  I just trimmed one side of the die cut vellum to resemble a feather, with a point at the top and bottom.  I layered a few die cut flowers together to form a cluster at the bottom of the feathers and also added a die cut using the Fancy Flourishes stamp set and die to balance out the feathers.  The "Merci" sentiment stamp is from the Think Big Favorites #3 stamp set.  

This next project shows the smaller feathers used again, stamped with the Background Basics:  Text Style stamp set and embossed in Blush and White embossing powder.

I just love how delicate and soft they turn out.

Below you'll find a tutorial on how I created the vellum feathers along with a quick tutorial on how I stamped my Linen bag...another fun technique.

I used the smallest die from the Happiness in Bloom Leaves die collection and thought they came out looking like perfect, tiny feathers, just right for tucking behind flower petals.

Flower dies used on this card as well as the bag and first card are the Beautiful Blooms II #1, #2, and #3, and The Sweet Life die collections. Felt in Vintage Cream, Simply Chartreuse, and Autumn Rose was also used.  

I used the Wreath for All Seasons, Background Basics:  Inspiration, and  Summer Hills stamp sets on this card as well as the Tag Sale #4 and Sketched Shapes dies.  Autumn Rose and Dark chocolate were my ink colors of choice, along with Sweet Blush, Vintage Cream, and Classic Kraft cardstock.

Here is how I made my feathers:

Step #1:  Stamp your chosen stamp on vellum using watermark ink, then heat emboss the images.  Here I've used the stars from the Bitty Background Blocks II stamp set and Gold embossing powder.  

Step #2:  Die cut your stamped and embossed vellum.

Step #3:  Using button twine, adhere a strip down the center of each leaf.  I used Beacon 3-in-1 Liquid Adhesive.

Step #4:  Snip several times, downward on an angle, on both sides, being careful not to snip through the center line to, so your leaves start to resemble feathers.  

**Just a little tip, I use Martha Stewart Fringe Scissors, and it makes this step even easier and faster.**

Step #5:  Put those lovely, lovely, feathers to work and add them to your cards, gift packaging, and even your home decor.

For those of you interested in how I stamped the Linen bag, here are a few details:

Step #1:  Create a stencil of your choosing.  I used the Cover Plate:  Chevron Horizontal Die as my stencil.  Center it over the bag and tape down where possible to keep it from moving.  I also added a strip of paper to the inside of the bag to keep the paint from soaking through.  I created my own paint by using about 1 Tbs. of off-white acrylic paint and 4-5 drops of Autumn Rose refill.  I mixed them together on a paper plate and set to work.  

Step #2:  Using a foam brush, add paint to your bag by lightly pressing downward and sponging on the paint.

Step #3:  Remove your stencil after paint has been applied in desired areas and let dry.  It only took 5 minutes or less for my paint to dry as I didn't apply it too heavily.

Step #4:  After the paint has dried, secure another stencil over the top of the bag and stamp over painted areas using your favorite stamp.  I used the Backgroung Basics:  Inspiration stamp set and Autumn Rose ink.

Step #5:  After your stamping is complete, remove the stencil and sit back and just love what you've created :).  This is fun!

There you have it crafty friends!  Thanks for visiting me and enjoy your weekend.

Melissa

 

 

 

lovely day...

Lovely days to me mean a bit of sunshine mixed with plenty of clouds...I love clouds!  I've had my eye on these darling wood chip clouds from Freckled Fawn for a while now and thought today was a perfect day to use them.

The bitty wood chip hearts mixed in with this set are pretty hard to resist too.  I wanted this little guy to pop, so I painted him up with a Copic marker and added him to one of the clouds to add a bit of dimension.

Today was a day to use my favorite wide floral washi tape, I had missed using it for a while, so out it came along with Green Ivy Washi and my die cuts to create a fun washi flower on a stem.  I used Papertrey Ink's Flower Fusion Stem and Beautiful Blooms II #1 dies and the new Scrolling Script stamp set. The center of the flower is embellished with some vintage trim and a Resin Rose.  

And, just in case you need a little something to help you have a most lovely day today, I highly recommend THESE!

Oh, glory!  And, that is just a sampling of the wide variety of colors available in these bitty, sequin bows.  You can check them all out HERE.

Have a great day!

Melissa

sunshine and snow...

You know me...random is my middle name, so why not have a little Christmas in July :).  I really like digging into my Christmas stash in the heat of summer.  This card was created for Festive Friday's challenge to create a card with the word "Snow" on it.  I used Papertrey Ink's Tremendous Treats:  Christmas and Holly Jolly stamp sets.  

These next couple of cards were created for Emma's Paperie and use some of my latest favorite Basic Grey supplies from the Mint Julep line....such a happy and sweet collection.

Supplies used on this card can be found HERE.

And the supplies used on this card can be found HERE.  The colors and patterns of the Mint Julep paper are so soft and girlie....can't quite get enough.

 

I wish you all a wonderful week.  Right now there are signs of my busy little girl everywhere and I'm enjoying them as I know it will be back to school time here very soon.  My craft table has been taken over with crayons, markers, drawings, and her creative projects, the guest bedroom with Barbies, 6 new baby kittens outside that have won our hearts, and chocolate ice cream for a snack each afternoon.  What could be better?

My favorite quote for the day:

"There is power in our love for God and for His children, and when that love is tangibly manifest in millions of acts of Christian kindness, it will sweeten and nourish the world with the life-sustaining nectar of faith, hope, and charity."

—M. Russell Ballard, "Be Anxiously Engaged", Liahona and Ensign, November 2012
Topics: Charity, Love, Service, Christianity

 

Be back soon I hope!

Melissa

once upon a time...

Ever had one of those weeks?  It's been a bugger, but today we are all smiling and happy.  I'm eating chocolate and having a Coke to help aid in the recovery :). It started with a beautiful rainstorm on Monday that I was so happy to see roll in, the kind with big, black clouds and a couple of downpours that I like to call gully washers, the kind of storms that bring relief from the heat...but these storms ended with lightning that caused an explosion in our garage, knocking out our phone line and internet, and toasting our computer, monitor, and everything associated.  We consider ourselves very fortunate though that the lightning only caused minor damage instead of starting our house on fire.  That was Monday.

Welcome in Tuesday, a sweet little girl I know, who shall remain nameless, was invited to have a long stay with a bunch of cousins, we call it cousin swap.  This little girl couldn't sleep as she was so excited to go stay the week with her cousins.  So, the mama packed her little girl a suitcase, loaded up the car, and off they traveled 3 hours or so, across the desert to join in the fun.  It was a long trip of cows, wind, sagebrush, and lots of blah...I don't really love blah, but it always makes me appreciate where I live in the middle of the blah.  The mama kissed her little girl goodbye, and started on her 3 hour journey back home that evening.  

The mama decided to stop in her favorite city of St. George, UT and do a little shopping for herself, as she has some birthday money to spend.  So off she went to pick herself out a new outfit for church and actually go into a dressing room and try clothes on.  This was an event that hadn't occurred in ages, as the little girl who shall remain nameless, hates shopping, and makes it so unpleasant for her mama, that she just gives up on clothes shopping all together.  So, for an hour, the mama enjoyed her peaceful shopping experience, bought herself some super cute clothes, a new purse, some jewelry, a couple of sooooooo incredibly darling scarfs, and got going on the second leg of her journey home.  Well, just as she arrived home around 10 that night, her phone rang, and whoever could be on the other end of the line, but the little girl, not happy, not content, not excited to be joining in the cousin swap, but begging her mama to turn around and come get her NOW!  Crying tears that were as big as the state of Nevada and that broke her mama's heart.  And, that mama did want to hop right in the car and get there as fast as she could, but didn't.

So, the next day, after saying lots of prayers of comfort and strength for her little one, the mama set out on the journey again, to retrieve her little, sad lamb, and bring her home once again.  She was very proud of her little one for getting through the first night, but when the little girl called the next day and said she was all done, her mama knew that the super fun week of non-stop cousin fun, was coming to an abrupt halt.

Needless to say, my achy back and I didn't want to get in the car and go anywhere for a while.  But one more day trip was required to purchase a new computer so I could get back up and running, so this time the three of us, daddy, mama, and the nameless little one, loaded into the truck, and off we went.  And, today is a great day!  Life is short, long, busy, never-ending, happy, sad, troubling, uplifting, joyful, frustrating, up, down, sweet, sour, bitter, rewarding, and oh, so worth it.  

The End.

Melis

 

P.S.  Oh, there's more.  I am happy today because of those super cute paperclip stars that  I used on my card...see, how easy to please I am?  Taco Bell Pink Lemonade Freezes also make me happy, and I have had my share this week each time I've passed through the big city, but oh, there I go getting off track again.  You can purchase Freckled Fawn's sweet little stars in every color of the rainbow only at Two Peas in a Bucket.

The chipboard bicycle is from Crate Paper's The Pier collection, the washi Resin Mum Blossoms from Freckled Fawn, the scrunched seam binding from My Craft Spot, and the Framed Out #12 Mini stamp from Papertrey Ink.  

 

P.P. S.  A quote to lift and inspire each of us:

"No matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it."

—Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Of Regrets and Resolutions", Liahona and Ensign, November 2012
Topics: Gratitude, Joy

 

follow your arrow...

I'm happy to report that the arrow trend has worked its way into my heart...I LOVE them and they are everywhere in all different forms, from paper clips, wood chips, stickers, ephemera, stamps, etc.  I've used a couple of them my card today.

Freckled Fawn has a variety of arrow embellishments to choose from.  I used a Dew Drop Arrow Sticker in the center of a Gold Arrow Paper Clip.  Of course I had to sneak on a Dew Drop Sunburst Sticker or two, just because I love them :).

My favorite washi Chevron Mint washi was just waiting to be used and was the perfect color to add in here and there on my card.  

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Melissa

 

papertrey ink july...

Welcome back!  Today's post wraps up the projects I created for Papertrey Ink's July release.  My first project uses the new Wishes Come True stamp set.  I had so much fun layering the candle images to create candles with patterns and personality.  This set comes with a coordinating die collection as well.

I used sequins to top each candle, but the stamp set comes with a perfect little flame image to add on top of each candle.

The Balloon Bash stamp set is next...too cute for words and I love the sentiments.  This set also comes with coordinating dies.

I used the new Birthday Trio Dies combined with the new Bitty Background Blocks II stamp set as well.

Next up I used the new First Place stamp set and coordinating dies to make an extra special badge for my #1 little girl.  Such a fun and playful set.

The Scrolling Script and Delightful Dahlias Additions sets were used together on this card.  Both so beautiful and fun to stamp with.

I colored my vellum leaves with a Copic marker and love the soft touch of color.

Another super sweet and playful new set is the Polka Dot Parade #6 set.  I must have autumn on my mind, as I used colors that remind me of fall.  

A few blossoms and sequins bring this little tree to life.

And lastly, this card uses the new Wonderful Words - Together and Boutique Borders:  Love stamp sets and coordinating dies.

So much to love about the lovely fonts and sentiments used in the Boutique Borders:  Love set and the frame is especially beautiful too.

That will do it for me.  What a fun release!

Be sure to visit the blogs of the other designers.  What amazing artists they are:

• Dawn McVey
• Betsy Veldman
• Maile Belles
• Jessica Witty
• Cristina Kowalczyk
• Erin Lincoln
• Ashley Cannon Newell
• Heather Nichols
• Nichole Heady
• Debbie Olson

Birthday Wishes Bag Papertrey Ink Supplies Used: Stamps: Wishes Come True Ink: Classic Kraft Cardstock: Rustic Cream Tools: Double Ended Banner Die Accents: Sweet Blush Embossing Powder: Powder, white, and Blush Other Supplies Used: Crepe Paper Tissue Trim Freckled Fawn washi tape Celebrate Card Papertrey Ink Supplies Used: Stamps: Balloon Bash, Inside & Out: Birthday II, and Bitty Background Blocks II Ink: Melon Berry, Summer Sunrise, and Melon Berry Cardstock: Harvest Gold and Vintage Cream Tools: Balloon Bash, Tremendous Tags, Tiny Tags, and Birthday Trio dies Accents: Sweet Blush buttons Other Supplies Used: My Mind's Eye and October Afternoon ppaer Zing Embossing Powder Freckled Fawn washi tape So Proud of You Tag Papertrey Ink Supplies Used: Stamps: First Place Ink: Dark Chocolate, Sweet Blush, Melon Berry, Classic Kraft Cardstock: Sweet Blush and Vintage Cream Tools: First Place and Tremendous Tags Accents: Vintage Cream Button Twine and buttons Other Supplies Used: Basic Grey paper vintage trim Melissa Frances crepe paper garland Muslin Dear Friend Card Papertrey Ink Supplies Used: Stamps: Delightful Dahlia Additions, Scrolling Script Ink: Classic Kraft, Summer Sunrise, Harvest Gold, Lemon Tart Cardstock: Vintage Cream and vellum Tools: Delightful Dahlias, Woodgrain Impression and Mat Stack 7 Other Supplies Used: October Afternoon paper, Prisma glitter, Copic Markers, My Craft Spot scrunched seam binding   Many Thanks card Papertrey Ink Supplies Used: Stamps: Polka Dot Parade #6 Ink: Melon Berry, Berry Sorbet, Harvest Gold, Sweet Blush, Autumn Rose, Summer Sunrise, and Classic Kraft Tools: Tremendous Tags, Tag Sale #1 Cardstock: Sweet Blush, Vintage Cream Accents: Autumn Rose satin, Harvest Gold buttons Other Supplies Used: Teresa Collins and Webster's Pages paper sequins cork Together Card Papertrey Ink Supplies Used: Stamps: Wonderful Words - Together, Boutique Borders: Love Ink: Smokey Shadow, Classic Kraft, Dark Chocolate, and Melon Berry Cardstock: Vintage Cream Tools: Boutique Borders: Love, Wonderful Words - Together, and Lovely Layers Accents: Sweet Blush grosgrain Other Supplies Used: My Mind's Eye paper Glitz Design bauble vintage trim assorted ephemera

meadow greens...

Good morning!  So glad you're here for another Papertrey Ink group post.  Today we are highlighting a beautiful and serene new stamp set called Meadow Greens.  We were asked to create two cards to share, both inspired by a photo of our choosing, but both different in nature.  

(photo from Textile Art Lace)

This lovely organdy lace inspired me to create my first card.  I loved the very natural softness, the scalloped, lacey edge, and the way the white berries popped off the trim and made me want to run my hand across it, so I tried to duplicate as much of those elements as possible.

I used vellum cardstock to bring in the soft, translucent appearance and Filigree Border die along with Soft Stone Leaves paper to mimic the scallops.  I used a watercolor technique to stamp my leaves and stamped them from Spring Rain ink and then used white embossing powder to mimic the touchable berries from the photo.

I loved the natural feel to the photo so I used Kraft cardstock and added texture by using the Tin Types Impression Plate.  And, I have to add that this particular sentiment might just by my most favorite ever, ever, ever.

I used more color in this second card and was inspired by the photo below.

I love all of the color used here, but was especially drawn to the use of these colors combined with cream, gray, or Kraft, and I love the way the vibrant berry color pops when mixed with the others.

So for my card I began with a base of Sweet Blush and Vintage Cream and added in pops of color here and there by using Autumn Rose felt, cork, and Ocean Tides cardstock embossed in white.  I used the new Mat Stack 6 collection and Mat Stack 6 die collection to frame in my sentiment.  The Meadow Greens dies added dimension and softness and made creating this card so much fun.

I'll be back soon with the remainder of my July projects, but in the meantime, the other designers have projects ready to share with you:

• Dawn McVey
• Betsy Veldman
• Maile Belles
• Jessica Witty
• Cristina Kowalczyk
• Erin Lincoln
• Ashley Cannon Newell
• Heather Nichols
• Nichole Heady

Melissa

ultimate birthday inspiration...

What's your favorite occasion to create for?  I happen to love birthdays and this month at Papertrey Ink there are oodles of new birthday products.  Today's post will showcase many of them, specifically the new Inside & Out Birthday II.

My first project uses a couple of sweet sentiments from the Inside & Out Birthday II set and knew immediately after reading the sentiment used here, who I wanted to create this card for.  My little bean will be an official "double digit" in a few months.  I created a shaped using the Shape Up Series:  Cupcake die collection...an all-time favorite of mine.  It was cut from Kraft cardstock and then sentiment embossed using Zing Blush. 

I used the new Suffix Style and By the Number Border dies on my vellum Tag Sale #2 die cut from vellum cardstock.  The tag was stamped with beautiful images from the Inside & Out Birthday II stamp set using Dark Chocolate ink.  Beneath the sentiment I used the new Mat Stack 6 collection and embossed the image in white embossing powder.  The Classic Kraft, Simply Chartreuse, and Vintage Cream felt flowers used on the tag and at the top of the cupcake were die cut using the  Heart-2-Heart #7 and Polka Dot Parade #2 die collections.  

 I wanted to add a layer of frosting to the top of my cupcake so I just trimmed freehand some beautiful printable paper purchased from one of my favorite etsy stores, Cameo Shoppe.  The scrunched seam binding is from My Craft Spot.

And at the top of the cupcake, you can catch a peek at another new stamp set, the Wishes Come True set.  

This second card uses the new Rainbow Circles die collection and what a fun collection it is.  I created a smiley face using this set and after putting the card together, had all of these wonderful scraps leftover and the ideas just started flowing, so it's one collection that is sure to entertain and inspire.

The Ocean Tides felt hearts were cut using the Heart-2-Heart #11 die.  They and the Rainbow dies were adhered to a Vintage Cream cardstock base cut using the Boutique Accessory Card die.  I also cut a second layer using patterned paper and the Desktop File Center die and stamped "Smile" using the Antique Alphabet stamp set and Classic Kraft ink.

The fun sentiment across the top comes from the Inside & Out Birthday II set once again and is stamped in Ocean Tides ink.  I used it along with new Mat Stack 6 set and Limeade Ice.

 

Can't wait to see what the other designers have to share with us!

• Dawn McVey
• Betsy Veldman
• Maile Belles
• Jessica Witty
• Cristina Kowalczyk
• Erin Lincoln
• Ashley Cannon Newell
• Heather Nichols
• Nichole Heady

Thanks for visiting.

Melissa

 

summer hills...

The Summer Hills stamp set is a perfect addition to the previously released Papertrey Ink sets, Autumn Hills, Winter Hills, and Spring Hills.  This set has a sweet, summery feel to it complete with a clothesline, quilts, leafy trees, and primitive house.  I have a few projects to share with you today using this stamp set, each using a different technique.

My first project uses the Summer Hills set stamped directly onto a small cotton drawstring bag and framed using the Garden Variety II stamp set.  The house was stamped in Smokey Shadow ink and then colored using Copic Marker Crimson RV29 and outlined using Copic Marker Warm Gray No. 3 W3.  The trees were stamped using Simply Chartreuse. 

I then added a Vintage Cream felt scallop border across the top, cut using the Small Scallop Border die.  The tag was cut from cardboard using the Tremendous Tags die, painted with off-white paint, and then distressed with ink.  I used the Heart Prints die to cut a small heart out of the center of the tag and then attached gingham paper behind the tag to show through the opening.  All that was left was to add some Sand Glimmer Mist to the bag to give it an aged, tea-stained look.

 

This card uses Copic Markers once again to color in the Summer Hills images.  I couldn't resist adding in the sheep from the Spring Hills set along with On the Farm images stamped in Berry Sorbet and Simply Chartreuse.    

These image are stamped onto Vintage Cream cardstock cut using the Mat Stack 4 die.  Before adhering the stamped images to the card I tied a strip of Vintage Cream Twill around the card.

Below the sentiment I added images from the Fancy Folk Art set stamped in Classic Kraft and Pure Poppy.  An Ocean Tides felt heart cut using the Heart-2-Heart #11 die was used to tie in with the sentiment.

Next up, I used Kraft cardstock and stamped the beautiful Summer Hills image three times across the top using watermark ink.  I then used a combination of Zing Blush and Zing Powder embossing powder to emboss the images in two different colors.  

I then added color with Copic Markers Pink RV11, New Blue BG02, and Brick Beige E31.  The next set was to apply Vintage Cream ink to the Star Spangled Impression Plate.  I then turned my stamped piece of Kraft cardstock face down on the inked Impression Plate and ran it through my die cut machine which formed a fun, soft, starry effect.

I used the Edgers #4 die to created decorative edges on the Kraft, Aqua Mist, and Vintage Cream cardstock.  The Vintage Cream strip was stamped using the Background Basics:  Text Style II stamp set.  Lastly was the sentiment stamped in Classic Kraft and a center embellishment consisting of the new Happiness In Bloom Leaves die collection and the Buttoned Up #1 die collections, Vintage Cream felt, and Sweet Blush Polka Dot paper.

Lastly, I used the paper-piecing technique on my final card...so much fun combining different patterns and colors to create a certain feel.  This is a great technique to help you use up leftover bits of paper.

My paper-pieced images are adhered on to Vintage Cream cardstock cut using the Limitless Layers:  3 1/2" Oval die collection, which is then adhered to Kraft cardstock cut using the Layerz Mat Stack 5 die and stamped using the Stitched Alphabet stamp set.  The Vintage Cream felt clouds were cut using the Heart-2-Heart #6 die collection.  

I love this darling stamp set and each of the sets in the series...perfect for having on hand and creating extra special cards for many different occasions.

 

Be sure to stop by the blogs of Nichole Heady, Ashley Cannon Newell, Danielle Flanders, Heather Nichols, and Dawn McVey to see what they've created using new Papertrey Ink products.

Melis

pinwheels and dew drops...

Inspiration is everywhere and sometimes you can find it by looking back at your past creations just as I have here.  I love remaking cards and changing them slightly by adding in different elements, colors, themes, etc. They can sometimes serve as a great jump start when you feel stumped and uninspired.

This card uses many of the same elements as the original and the same design.  I love it when I can use strips and strips of washi tape and this card provides that opportunity.  And, I couldn't resist using some Sunburst Dew Drop Stickers...what happy, sparkly embellishments they are!  I have been itching to use Crate Paper's cute The Pier collection as it's full of summer symbols in the softest, dreamiest colors.  

I dressed up a glassine bag to serve as the envelope just as I did with my original card.  Glassine makes everything look so beautiful, including washi. 

I colored my Speech Bubble Wood Chips with Copic markers and added a coating of glitter to dress them up a bit and add some sparkle.  

So many fun things to love in the Freckled Fawn shop...a little something for everyone!

Thanks for visiting.

Melis

 

Freckled Fawn Supplies Used:

Sunburst Dew Drop Stickers

Speech Bubble Wood Chips

White on Pink Daisy Washi

Freckled Fawn Heart Arrowtail Washi

Pink Lace Washi

 

 

 

 

 

honey bee...

It's my turn for a Papertrey Ink Make it Monday tutorial and I chose to focus on dressing up envelopes this time around.  

I had so much fun with this project and loved combining the Honey Bees stamp set and dies with the Stitches & Swirls, Boutique Borders:  Thanks, and Stitched Alphabet stamp sets.  

And, of course, the Postmarks set was the perfect addition as well.

I love the way to back of the dressed up envelope turned out with the help of the Edgers #2 die used in layers.  

I needed a card in a hurry, so I used a digital image purchased from Digital Antiques and added my own sentiment and Sweet Blush flowers using the Honey Bees stamp set.  Kind of fun combining printables and stamps and making them suitable for whatever your needs may be.

You can view my tutorial HERE for more information.

Thanks so much for your visit!  I appreciate each and every one of you.

Melis

smile with me...

Today's first project uses my newest favorite stamp from Darkroom Door, the Butterfly Post Collage Stamp.  It's simply sweet and enchanting and so much fun to stamp with.  I began with a base layer of Kraft cardstock and then stamped my image using watermark ink.  I then coated the images with two colors of embossing powder, Zing Blush and Zing Powder and just love the soft but detailed results.

Can you see why I love this stamp?  It's so inspiring and appeals to my shabby, vintage, girlie-girl heart. :)

I wanted the focus to be on the beautiful images, so I didn't add too much besides a burlap flower, ribbon, heart, and a sentiment snipped from the Venetian Wordstrip.  The lovely scrunched seam binding is from Craft Spot.

This card was created for Emma's Paperie for the focus on washi tape assignment.  You know how I love my washi, so I was happy to get busy.  

I used a little grouping of embellishments in the lower corner of my sentiment to create balance.  They include a Prima flower, a pink button, Basic Grey fabric brad, and an American Crafts wooden button.

The sentiment is from My Mind's Eye and is one of my favorites.  

All of the supplies used on this card can be found HERE at Emma's Paperie.

Hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Melis

postmarks revisited...

Hello July!  Happy Birthday America, and my brother Scot, and meeee! I love this time of year and all that it represents.  I pulled out my 4th of July decorations just this weekend and have my house and front porch dressed in red, white, and blue.

The first of the month always means a fun Papertrey Ink Sr. challenge and this month we are revisiting the Postmarks set...one of my favorites.  The Sr. Design Team members were asked to find a Pinterest project or other source of inspiration and create something inspired by it.  

As is most often the case with me, my final project looks nothing like this beautiful piece of inspiration from Karla's Cottage, but that is what I find the most enjoyable and fascinating with the process of creating....being taken down completely different roads as I begin to create, all beginning with one bit of inspiration.  I was drawn to the colors, the aged, vintage look, the silhouette, etc., and just jumped right in and ended up with a mixed media wall hanging.

There are so many reasons I love Papertrey Ink's Postmarks set, but my main reason for loving it is because it suits my vintage-loving style.  I used the airmail stripes around the edges of my Rustic Cream cardstock base and embossed them in Brown Sugar and Blush Zing embossing powders.

I then added some crackle to create an aged background using the Crackle Mini Stamp...love this stamp too.  I used the stamping off technique and Classic Kraft ink to create a subtle look.  The postage stamp in the corner was stamped using Classic Kraft, Smokey Shadow, and Autumn Rose.    

My next layer was a portion of a doily cut using the Parisian Lace Doily die and Linen Vellum cardstock.  I mixed in The Sweet Life stamp set and coordinating die as well and stamped my flower in Sweet Blush, Autumn Rose, and then added script across the front by using one of the sentiments from the set stamped in Classic Kraft ink.  The Simply Chartreuse felt leaves behind my tattered flower were cut using the Heart-2-Heart #7 die.

The Handle With Care and 1st Class Mail sentiments are from the Postmarks set.  I die cut a heart from Sweet Blush cardstock cut using the Tremendous Tags die, stamped it with Classic Kraft ink, and then coated it using mica flakes to create a fun embellishment.  The rhinestones are from my stash, the vintage photo, tulle and poof trim from Melissa Frances, along with the resin crown.

Such a fun project and a much needed creativity boost as well.  The other Sr. Team members have projects using this set to share with you as well:

Maile Belles

Betsy Veldman

Heather Nichols

Dawn McVey

In other news, I've been busy finishing up a batch of tattered flowers, they are so much fun to make and will be popping up on projects now and again.

And, before I go, the winner of the Summer Card Camp 2 spot is............

Congratulations Becky!  I'll be in touch very soon.  Enjoy the class!

Melis