Birthday Wishes....

Hey!

Hope y'all had a fabby Bank Holiday (for those of us in the UK!) I can't believe we actually had sunshine here in Sheffield LOL!

Just poppin' in today with a super simple card that probably took longer to make than you could possibly imagine:


The reason it took so long was not only the fiddly cutting of those leaves, but because I decided to try to make my own flower embellishment! If I do this again, I'll definitely be wearing plastic gloves - yup, that ink tends to really stain your fingers LOL! However, on the plus side these flowers are pretty easy to make: simply die cut a few from white cardstock, cover in ink (or spritz with glimmer mist!), scrunch up, let them dry a little, then layer them! Voila! Pretty flower!

Aimes
x

Card Deets
{Birthday Wishes}
Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Turning a New Leaf, Text Style, Round & Round
Ink: Versamark/Papertrey Ink - Spring Moss, Spring Rain/Memento Brown/Ranger Alcohol Ink
Cardstock: DCWV Blue/White from Stash/
Accessories: Cuttlebug/Cuttlebug Flower Die/Nestabilities/Clear Embossing Powder/Chalks/PTI Button

Peaceful Poinsettias

Here's a project by our featured stamper for August, Cayrn!

A Christmas project to share with you today using Peaceful Poinsettias.

I made a little box (created with a Sizzix BIGZ XL die) and used the little window cut out as the main focal point of the matching card. I stamped and embossed (white filigree embossing powder) the Seasons Greetings and three little flowers into some pure poppy card and placed it under the aperture on the box. I then finished it off with a punched border and some red gingham ribbon.

The card has the same image stamped onto the "waste" from the box in Pure Poppy and again finished it all off with red gingham ribbon.

I am so getting that festive feeling already and it's only August!

Caryn
xx

Challenge: Polka Dots!

Hello and welcome to another challenge here on A Passion for Papertrey! Today we have a special treat for you thanks to the generosity of the lovely Beverley who has so very sweetly donated a very special Papertrey Ink stamp set for us to offer as a prize. Do you recognise this set..:



.... if you don't it is the 2010 'Round and Round' PTI Anniversary set, which cannot be bought and is the prize for this fortnight's challenge! Thank you so much Beverley!

And there are two good reasons for us to be offering this fabulous prize this week - the first is that Aimes and I are celebrating our first anniversary lol!!! It's a year ago that Aimes joined A Passion for Papertrey, and I couldn't ask for a more fabulous friend to be my partner in crime on the blog!

The second reason is to say thank you to all our wonderful readers and supporters - we are always overwhelmed with the response to our challenges and our posts. Thank you all for your support, and for sharing our passion for all things Papertrey!

So onto the challenge!! This time we're going all dotty, and asking you to make a card or other papercrafting project that features polka dots... because we all love cute polka dots don't we?! You could use your polka dot stamps, papers, ribbons, or if you don't have any of those, come up with an original idea for incorporating them into your project!

I have to say I used a few dotty PTI products on my sample!....polka dot stamps, ribbon and papers!


Recipe:
Stamps" Baby Button Bits/Polka Dot Basics
Card: Stamper's Select White/Pure Poppy/Aqua Mist
Paper: Bitty Dot Basics
Ink: Aqua Mist
Other: Copic Sketch Markers/Pure Poppy button/Pure Poppy Swiss Dots ribbon/Rik Rak die/Circle Nestabilities

Over to Aimes:
"OK, so I know you're probably expecting me to break out my Polka Dots II set for this challenge, or maybe to use that sweet polka dot chair/couch from On My Couch but I wanted to incorporate polka dots a little less predictably for me this time..."

Card Deets
{Happy Anniversary}
Stamps: Daily Designs/Round & Round Ink: Pure poppy Cardstock: Stamper's Select White/Kraft Paper: Beautiful Blooms DP Accessories: Fresh Snow Twill Ribbon/Martha Stewart Border Punch/Corner Rounder/White Gel Pen

And here's Caryn as our featured stamper for August, goin' a little Polka Dot Crazy on this little number:

"I have used a Kraft card base and then layered up the panel with Rustic Cream card (embossed with Swiss Dots cuttlebug folder), Kraft coloured paper from Dotty Biscotti and then the top layer is a piece of Spring Moss card. Everything has been roughed up a bit with my new toy - my SU distresser thingy and then I've run the PTI distress ink (the lighter one!) around the edge of it all. The butterflies (Butterfly Dreams) and sentiment (from Everyday Classics) have been stamped in Raspberry Fizz and then it's all finished off with a bit of Raspberry Fizz twill.

Here are all the deets:

All entries must contain at least one PTI product to qualify

* To enter, use our inlinkz thingy at the bottom of this post. If you're having problems then just leave a comment with a link to your post featuring the project on your blog or online gallery.

* Worldwide entries are more than welcome to share the inspiration and can be in with a chance of being a Top 3 PTI Passionista, but unfortunately prizes can only be shipped within Europe!

* Challenge closes on Monday, Sept 6th 2010 at 9.00am GMT

* A winner will be chosen at random to receive some PTI goodies! In addition to this, we'll select the top three creations we like the most and feature them on the Blog. The top three PTI Passionistas will have chance to display a Top 3 Passionista Blinkie on their own blog.

We can't wait to see what you come with - have fun!

Kate, Aimes and Caryn xxx

A Winner!

Hey!

Happy Monday! Time to pick a winner from our Long and Tall challenge.....

Here are your random integers, generated with replacement:

 1

Timestamp: 2010-08-23 08:52:29 UTC

Which means that Karen Murray is our winner! Congrats Karen! Please email us your snail mail addy to apassionforpapertrey@yahoo.co.uk and we'll get those DPs and that ribbon out to ya!

Now for our Top 3 PTI Passionistas...well once again we were overwhelmed with not only the amount of entries we received for our challenge, but the way you all totally mastered the long and tall card size! I know that I'm keeping your entries for reference for when I try my hand at the long/tall cards again!

So after much discussion this morning we finally agreed on the following to be the Top 3 PTI Passionistas for this past challenge:



Margaret C - we think Margaret achieved a record with the amount of entries she had to this challenge LOL! She was on a long/tall card kick and this card in particular caught our eye. We love not only the emboss resist technique she used but also the angles at which she attached the three strips of home-stamped DP which adds so much to the fun nature of the card!

Dana - what a beautiful result of using up your DP scraps! This card made us both want to root through our own DP scraps and paper punch away to our hearts content - such a fabulous, graphic design!

Anja - we both loved Anja's clean and simple design! That stamped image totally flatters a long/tall card and the torn paper adds a sweet interesting focal point to the card. Just think, this card design could work with many different colours!

Congrats ladies! If you would like the Top 3 PTI Passionista Blinkie to blink with pride on your own blogs then email us at apassionforpapertrey@yahoo.co.uk and we'll email you the code!

I hope you can all stay tuned for our new challenge soon....

Aimes & Kate
xx

Twilight Bloom

Here's a project by our featured stamper for August, Cayrn!

This card is made using one of my favourite "go to when I fancy being artistic" sets, In Bloom. I get so much therapy from colouring in these flowers. This time I have used my Aqua ProMarkers - LOVE them, so easy to blend and shade. I've used Twilight Blue (like the name girls?) and with a little Aquamarine blended in here and there too.


Of course it wouldn't be me if I didn't put bling on it so I went round the petals with my quickie glue pen and prisma glitter. The background layer on the card has been stamped in Enchanted Evening and Aqua Mist using Fancy Flourishes (another favourite) and I have also used Vintage labels on the mount too. Once I added it all on the card there wasn't any room for a sentiment so this is a "whatever occasion" type card!

Caryn
xx

Faithful Stars!

Happy Tuesday!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We, (my guy and me) went to visit his family to celebrate two birthdays - both were guy birthdays and although I had one card in my stash that I considered suitable for a teenager, I had to start from scratch to make a card for his Dad!!!

I find Dads so hard to create for, on the one hand I know they won't be rude and criticise anything I make for them, they'll be appreciative whatever I make for them! But I always want them to really 'like' the card I make for them - KWIM?

So I sat for a while just thinking, then sighed in defeat as I just grabbed my Star Prints set and got busy:
I always grab this set for guy cards, it's almost a defeatist option for me! I think I need another guy stamp set seeing as the females in my family are pretty outnumbered by the guys.

Now the card I've made is kinda simple and I think it's the only guy card I've made which features a bow on it but I hope it's not too girly!

Thanks for stopping by - you know there's still plenty of time to enter our current challenge if you're not doing anything this week *wink*

Aimes
x

Card Deets
{It's Your Day}
Stamps: PTI - Star Prints/Practicing Creativity Designs - For the Love of Dots
Ink: PTI - Spring Rain,Spring Moss/Versamark/Distress Ink - Antique Linen
Cardstock: PTI - Vintage Cream, Kraft
Paper: PTI - Spring Moss Bitty Box Basics
Accessories: PTI -Jute Ribbon Twine/Cuttlebug/Nestabilities /Corner Rounder

Enjoy Life - Enjoy the weekend!

Happy Friday!!!

Just poppin' in with a card that features some PTI goodness:


Card Recipe
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Star Prints
Ink: Memento Black
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink True Black/Stamper's Select White/DCWV Brights Collection
Accesories: Papertrey Ink Hibiscus Burst Grosgrain Ribbon/Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch and Stamps/Cuttlebug/Nestabilities/Papertrey Ink Impression Plate/White Gel Pen/Shimmer Chalks/Hero Arts gem/

I finally got my impression plate to kinda work with my cuttlebug! It took some experimenting and some near misses but I'm kinda happy with the depth of impression. I hear if you mist water on your cardstock before you run it through the machine it leaves an even deeper impression - might try that one out when I'm not as impatient for results LOL!

Have a fabby weekend!!! There's plenty of time to enter our current challenge y'know *wink* Those of you who have entered already are great at long/tall cards! I thought this would be a toughie for ya!

Aimes
x

Challenge: Long & Tall

Hey!

Time for a new challenge methinks! So after totally conquering our last challenge, are you ready for something a little different? I hope so!

For this fortnight's challenge we want to see your own takes on Long and Tall cards. I know myself I tend to get stuck in a pattern of making 4.25"x5.5" cards so like to break out every now and again and challenge myself to a different shape.

Here's my example:

OK I know this looks like a pretty uneventful card - I mean that chair is hardly inviting enough to make anyone feel better....hmmm.....I wonder if I could change that chair somehow....Oh c'mon you know me, I like a lil' bit of magic every now and again.....just pull up that terracotta ribbon....
....a bit more....

Ta-dah!!!!

Card Recipe

Stamps: On My Couch/On My Couch Additions/Polka Dot Basics II
Ink: Terracotta Tile/Versamark/Stazon Black
Cardstock: Smokey Shadow/Terracotta Tile/Ripe Avocado
Accessories: Acetate/Ripe Avocado Grosgrain Ribbon/ Fiskars Border Punch/Corner Rounder/Nesties/Fresh Snow Twill/Brads

Oh this card made my guy really smile so know it's gotta be suitable for giving to my Dad to cheer up his recovery after his stressful weeks in hospital.

Over to Kate:
"When I was looking through my PTI stamps for a good set to make a tall card with, I came across my little-used 'Take Three Spring' set and thought the three leaf images would be perfect for a bright and summery birthday card."


Recipe:
Stamps: Take Three - Spring
Card: Stamper's Select White/Raspberry Fizz
Ink: Colorbox chalk/Versamagic/Versafine Black
Other: Corner Chomper/Swiss Dots Cuttlebug Embossing folder

And as our featured stamper for this month, here's Caryn's fabulous take on the challenge:
"I'm normally very square so this was a real challenge for me!! I used rustic cream for the base (half sheet of card folded in half lengthways), then with a mount of Pure Poppy layered with the spotty paper from the Rustic Snowflakes paper collection. I stamped the outline image of the large flower from Peaceful Poinsettias twice onto cream card and coloured them with ProMarkers (Berry Red and Ruby). The centres have been glittered with black fine glitter. The sentiment has been stamped and mounted on Rustic Cream and Pure Poppy and then the card has been finished with True Black twill ribbon."

Have we convinced you to join in our challenge yet? I hope so, but just in case you need some more persuading, if you live within Europe you could be the lucky winner of this:

A sheet of each design of PTI's Dotty Biscotti (6 sheets in total) plus a whole reel of Plum Pudding grosgrain ribbon!

OK so here are the deets:
* All entries must contain at least one PTI product to qualify

* To enter, use our inlinkz thingy at the bottom of this post. If you're having problems then just leave a comment with a link to your post featuring the project on your blog or online gallery.

* Worldwide entries are more than welcome to share the inspiration and can be in with a chance of being a Top 3 PTI Passionista, but unfortunately prizes can only be shipped within Europe!

* Challenge closes on Monday, August 23rd 2010 at 9.00am GMT

* A winner will be chosen at random to receive some PTI goodies! In addition to this, we'll select the top three creations we like the most and feature them on the Blog. The top three PTI Passionistas will have chance to display a Top 3 Passionista Blinkie on their own blog.

Have fun with this challenge - we can't wait to see what long and tall creations you come up with!

Aimes, Kate and Caryn
xxx

A Winner!

Happy Monday, Peeps!!! It's time to announce the lucky winner of our Forever Friends challenge; thanks so much to all that played along! I think we had a record number of entries this time - woo hoo!!!!

Anyways, the lucky recipient of the sweet lil' stamp set Fly Away is.....

...drumroll, please.....

Here are your random numbers:

29 

Timestamp: 2010-08-09 13:01:43 UTC

Number 29 which means Isha, you've just won this stamp set! Congrats! If you could send us your postal address to apassionforpapertrey@yahoo.co.uk, we'll get that set out to ya!

And now for our Top 3 PTI Passionistas: well you certainly made it a toughie not only with the huge amount of entries, but also with the huge difference in styles you conquered with our friendship theme! We finally narrowed it down to the following:

Julie - Oh we both adore Julie's clean and graphic design and this card is of no exception! So clever to layer the circular sentiment panel on top of not another circle, but an oval to create a really interesting focal point!

Carol - What an amazing use for the negative of Rickrack border die! Carol created a whole scene of a Welsh Dresser with sweet tea cups hanging from it! We also love the way she stamped her sentiment over the 'YOU' image!

Cindy - We both fell in love with Cindy's design; the way she used the spoon from Tea for Two Additions to create a quirky, interesting background was fabulous!

Congrats ladies - if you would like a Top 3 Passionista Blinkie to blink with pride on your blogs then send us an email at apassionforpapertrey@yahoo.co.uk and we'll email you the code!

Thank you so much to all that played along with us - we really appreciate your support! Stay tuned for our new challenge very soon...

Aimes & Kate

xx

August Featured Stamper!

Hi Peeps! Can you believe it's August already?! After a month off we're back with a brand new Featured Stamper, and we're so thrilled to introduce you to a dear friend of ours who will be joining us on the blog for the month:

Please welcome Caryn Davies:



In recent months Caryn has become a self-confessed Papertrey Addict, and her blog Glitter Me Silly is packed to the brim with inspiring projects.. let's get to know her a bit better shall we?!

1)How did you get into papercrafting?
I started making cards when I was pregnant with my 4th baby, Sophie. A friend of mine had been to a card-making class at a local craft shop and was showing us her creations one evening. I loved the idea of it so next time she was doing a class I tagged along. It was a mixture of stamping, die-cutting and punching so a bit of everything really. From the first class I was totally hooked and booked for another 10 different classes there and then! That was six years ago and I have been papercrafting ever since, mostly card-making but dabbling in scrapbooking along the way too.

2)How long have you been stamping for?
I have been stamping from the very first class I did 6 years ago. I have tried all kinds of different styles and forms of papercraft but stamping is something I've stuck with all along. I am totally in love with acrylic stamps and have no idea how to use wooden ones any more!! Why do they still make them???

3)How did you get into PTI and why do you love it so much?
I was totally unaware of PTI until about 18 months ago. I discovered Steph's blog (Stamping and Sharing) first of all and kept seeing these amazing stamps and papers and ribbons (oh my) and LOVED the whole co-ordination thing. Thanks to Steph's generous nature and immense trust in letting me borrow some of her stamp sets to "try before I buy", I then made my first purchase. My first set was "Signiature Christmas" but I have added to my collection somewhat over the last 6 months. I think I have about 25 sets now. The thing I love so much about Papertrey Ink is the versatility of the stamps - the way you can combine images and sentiments from all the sets to give endless amounts of different looks. I also adore the colour pallette - just looking at my button collection all laid out before me is enough to make me squeak with joy!

4)What would you say is your stamping style?
If you asked me that a week ago I would have said, eclectic. If you'd asked me a month ago I'd have said CAS. Ask me tommorrow and it'll be a different answer again. I don't think I really have a set style as I am a typical Saggitarius and can never make my mind up about anything - hence I flit from one style to another! I am very motivated by what I see around the blogs - I am an habitual caser of other people's ideas!!

5)Do you have a favourite PTI colour or colour combo that just makes you drool?
This is another question with more than one answer!! At the moment I love seeing Hawaiian Shores next to Terracotta. BUT, my ultimate favourite colour combo is Raspberry Fizz with Aqua Mist ALTHOUGH I also love the three blues, Ocean Tides, Hawaiian Shores and Aqua Mist together. See, I told you I couldn't make a decision if my life depended on it!!

6)If you had to choose just one PTI stamp set to keep, which one would it be and why?
As a serial mind-changer this is impossible to answer. At this exact moment in time I'm going to say Butterfly Dreams. I just LOVE it. It was the first set I got with a matching die and I am really enjoying making loads of butterlies but not having to cut them all out!! (I love the Enjoy the Ride set with matching die for the same reason).

7)Who is your PTI Idol?
Of all the PTI designers I have to say I love the fresh style of Maile Belles. Her designs are so clean and her use of colour is such an inspiration. Am I allowed more than one?? I also love Betsy Veldman and every time the countdown to the new release starts, hers and Maile's are the first blogs I go to.

8)Where do you get your inspiration from?
ALL of my inspiration comes from visiting other blogs and the occasional CARDS magazine (if I can find one). There is such a wealth of amazing talent out there and sometimes I click on a blog and it stops me in my tracks. I love scrolling through the gallery on the PTI forum too.

9)What’s your stamping dream?
To go to CHA with an unlimited amount of cash in my pocket and an empty suitcase!

10)Where can we go to check out more of your wonderful creations?
My blog is called Glitter Me Silly and if you want to visit me it's HERE.

Look out for Caryn's work here on A Passion for Papertrey over the next few weeks!

Kate and Aimes xx