Thursday 28 July 2011

Pssst....

....just poppin in to say that Voting for the Semi-final of Gallery Idol ends today at 7pm (UK time)

I'd love to share my card (with detachable hair clip!) here but it doesn't feature much PTI this time around so you can check it out here if you're interested.....

....and if you wanna, then feel free to vote (I hear that you'd make a gal very happy if you vote for #9 *wink*)

Wouldn't it be cool to see a Brit actually in the final of a competition?! ;P

Whatever happens tomorrow I just want to take the chance to thank you all for your wonderful support so far! The only reason I've made it this far is thanks to YOU!


Aimes
x

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Challenge : Sky's the Limit!

Hello peeps and welcome to a new challenge here at A Passion for Papertrey. Thank you again for your stunning entries into our last summertime challenge - it gets harder and harder to pick a top three every time!

So what's this new challenge all about I hear you ask? Well, this time, the sky's the limit! If you can find it in the sky then you can enter our challenge with it!!! Birds, butterflies, aeroplanes, balloons, clouds, rain, sun, rockets, stars...... the list is endless. So come on and join in the fun - get those stamp sets and dies out and show us what you've got. Here's some inspiration to whet your appetite....

{Recipe}
Stamps: Fly Away, Everyday Classics, A Little Argyle (spot strip). Hero Arts stars background.
Ink: Smokey Shadow, Lemon Tart, Memento black.
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Kraft (PTI); Craem and blue (from stash)
Others: PTI coaster, Fly Away die set, Stars die set

I started with a cream card base and stamped the Hero Arts stars background stamp over it in Lemon Tart to give a subtle background. I die cut and stamped the aeroplane from a PTI coaster and coloured it with ProMarkers. The stars were cut using the Seeing Stars dies and layered up over a strip of kraft card and blue Bazzil from my stash. You may not see it but I stamped the word "Ben" (my nephew) using the Simple Alphabet stamp set onto the plane to personalise a bit for his birthday.

Over to Aimes
"Ok so I'm gonna 'fess up that I cheated I took a pretty loose interpretation of this challenge....forgive me? Well the good news is that if I can get away with this without both Caryn and Kate telling me off then you can too *wink*

Card Deets
{Celebrate Your Day!}
Stamps: Signature Greetings (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Versamark
Cardstock: Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, Vellum Cardstock (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Bling (Hero Arts)/White Gel Pen (Ranger)/Detail White Embossing Powder (Stampendous)


I think at a push I could suggest the bling represents stars that you can find in the night sky, the vellum represents the clouds you can find in the day sky and the different shades of blue represent the sky at different times of the day. Do you think I've dug myself outta this yet? LOL!

Colour blocking is such a big trend right now and that's what inspired this design. I'm thinking of making a set of these in different colours with different sentiments as the design was pretty easy to make and a great way of using up those scraps ..."

Over to Kate
"Our poor Kate was last seen under a mountain of boxes looking for the phone to set up her broadband...LOL! She's recently moved and we're hoping that she'll be settled soon and back to Blogland before we know it :)"

And the prize???


The challenge rules:
* All entries must contain at least one PTI product to qualify (please state what is PTI as sometimes for us it's hard to tell :D)

* To enter, use our inlinkz thingy at the bottom of this post. Please leave the correct URL for your entry post and not just your generic blog address! 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 8th 2011 at 9.00am GMT

* As well as a randomly picked winner, 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 up with!

Caryn, Kate and Aimes
xxx




A winner!

Sorry to be a bit late with this post but I've been sunning myself on holiday working very hard and haven't had a spare minute!!! 

Now onto the important bit, the winner of the Summertime challenge is......

5

Random numbers generated Jul 26 2011 at 18:18:46 by www.psychicscience.org

That means JENNY is the winner of the Whale Wishes stamp set - woo hoo.  Well done hunny, get your postal deets over to us and your prize will be off to you soon.

Now for our Top Three Passionistas.  Another tricky one but these are the ones that caught our eye this week.

Jenny - Oh my goodness - that lolly looks good enough to eat.  What a creative use of cardstock and glossy accents!!

Shelly - We loved Shelly's array of cards she made using some patterned papers and brads - great for guys AND gals alike!!

Melissa - created a stunning vase of flowers in gorgeous warm colours using the Jar fillers stamps.  We loved the shading and simple layout, very pretty.

Now all you girls can wear our Top 3 badge with pride - just pop us an email and we'll get the blinkie off to you.

Thanks for joining in everyone.
Hugs,
Caryn xxx

Saturday 23 July 2011

Stamp-a-Faire Celebrations

Today a fabulous event is taking place across the pond that all Papertrey Ink fans would sell their first born to be able to attend!!  Unfortunately I could not find a buyer in time so I am one of the hundreds of people enviously following the events at home and playing along with the challenges throughout the day as they are posted over on Nichole Heady's blog.  Challenge 1 asks for us use decorative strips using our favourite design elements and this is what I came up with.

Hugs,
Caryn xxx

Thursday 21 July 2011

Die-ing for your vote! *wink*

Hey!

I'm really not good at this.....




....shamelessly plugging myself and begging for your attention...




....OK I'm just gonna come out with it:


VOTING FOR ROUND 2 OF GALLERY IDOL ENDS TONIGHT AT 7pm!


Have you voted yet?

I'm flying the flag for England with this entry:

Love is in the air...

With the design brief being to use dies in a creative way I'm sat with fingers and toes crossed that this is creative enough! I used a negative cloud die as a stencil to sponge those sweet clouds onto my spring rain cardstock; used the negative die cut of a heart as a frame for all those buttons and finally used a positive die cut of a li'l heart - with added bling - to compliment the overall theme.

I hope you likey and if you do then you'll consider voting for it. Be sure to check out all the amazing entries - I've really got some tough competition to clinch a spot in the Top 10. That being said, if I don't make it that far I want to express my eteranal gratitude and thanks for all your support. It's still hard to believe I've made it this far and as corny as it sounds I couldn't have done it without you!

So don't delay, vote for your favourite today (and if that just so happens to be #14 then you'd be making this gal happy *wink*)

Aimes
x

Card Deets
{Love is in the air}
Stamps: None!
Ink: Fresh Snow (Papertrey Ink)
Cardstock: Stamper's Select White, Spring Rain (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Concentric Hearts Die (Provocraft)/Fresh Snow Vintage Buttons, Cloud Die, Heart from Tiny Tags Die, White Button Twine (Papertrey Ink)/Red Alphabet stickers (Cosmo Cricket)/Alphabet transfers (Doodlebug Design Inc)

Tuesday 19 July 2011

She's an idol...*wink*

I am just popping in to say a huge big

congratulations

to our very own Aimes for making it through to Round 2 of Gallery Idol!! I am sooo sooo sooo proud of you hunny. Anyone who knows Aimes will know that it really couldn't happen to a nicer person. You are an inspiration to me and so many others and I am so happy for you. You go girl - knock the competition out of the water.

Please take the time to register and vote for {Aimes} your favourite in the competition. What a thrill it would be to see her in round 3!!!

Hugs,
Caryn xxx

Edited to add by Aimes: Thank you so, so, so much for your support so far! You're all far too kind with your words and you're making this gal blush! Oooh I would love to have your vote but am just so happy to have made it this far - HUGS!

Thursday 14 July 2011

Hello...

Happy Friday Eve! (Can't you just tell I'm a weekend kinda gal? LOL!)

I'm popping in with a card made from my new (well, new to me!) Modern Basics stamp set:


Hello

I love the endless possibilities this stamp set offers; I think I must have spent a good hour or so simply stamping and creating new pattens on scrap paper with it!

Now just before I leave you, unless you've been hiding under a rock here in Blogland you've probably heard about Gallery Idol 2011. Now I dunno how, but somehow I've made it into the final 20! We were given the task of creating DIY embellishments for round one, and after chopping the end of my pencil crayons, here's my entry:


You Color My World

Voting for the next round ends today at 7pm UK time, and the 15 cards with the most votes go through to the next round. I'd really love it if you could be so kind enough to pop across there, register (it only takes a couple of mins), check out the amazing creations and vote for your favourite (I'd obviously love it if my card - #15 - was your favourite *wink*)

OK that's enough shameless grovelling and plugging from me for one day....LOL!

Aimes
x

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Challenge: Sweet, Sweet, Summertime

Hey Everyone!

Ready for a brand spanking new challenge here on A Passion for Papertrey? I hope so!

For the next fortnight we're thinking of summertime. Whether it's the colours you associate with summer, items associated with summer or anything else that reminds you of the sweet summertime, make a creation out of it and join in the fun!

For me, summer is the sweet long six-week holidays I get from work :) We break up next Thursday and I can't wait! When I was a kid the first week off would involve a trip to the sea-side and that's what inspired my creation:


I went with a very graphic interpretation of the sea with those chevrons LOL! I'll be off to the sea-side in Wales at some point in the holidays - you just can't beat a paddle in the sea :)

Card Deets
{Hello}
All Papertrey Ink Supplies Unless Stated
Stamps: Background Basics: Chevron Strips, Modern Basics (Sentiment)
Ink: Hawaiian Shores/Tuxedo Black (Memento Ink)
Cardstock: Lemon Tart, Stamper's Select White
Accessories: Orange Zest Vintage Buttons/Fine Line Black Pen (Letraset)/Chompy! (Corner Chomper - We R Memory Keepers)


Over to Kate: "Another CAS card from me - this time a bright invite to a summer party, I'm imagining a fun pool party except I don't have a pool!"

Stamps: A Day at the Beach, Polka Dot Basics
Card: Stamper's Select White, Hawai'in Shores
Ink: Raspberry Fizz, Hawai'in Shores, Memento Tuxedo Black
Other: Raspberry Fizz ribbon, nestabilities

Over to Caryn:
Nothing says "Summer" to me more than Wimbledon - it kicks off the season for me and although my beloved Roger Federer didn't do all that well this year I still managed to catch a few matches and enjoyed the tournament immensely. As a wee nod to my favourite sporting even of the year I have made a card using the strawberry die and stamp set (Fruit Fusion: Strawberry). With a touch of lace and the gingham at the bottom (reminds me of pots of jam and picnics!!) this card does make me feel jolly summery.

{Recipe}
Stamps: Fruit Fusion: Strawberry, Background Basics: Gingham, Turning a New Leaf and Round And Round.
Ink: Pure Poppy, Spring Moss, Berry Sorbet
Patterned Paper: Pink Patterns Collection (for the scalloped strip)
Other: Lace trim, Strawberry die, medium scalloped border die, red gingham ribbon.

So are we feeling the summertime vibe? I hope so! Now before you come and jump in the pool of creativity with us - check out what one randomly selected European Peep could win:


Yup this sweet mini set, Whale Wishes could be yours!

Here are those all important deets:

* All entries must contain at least one PTI product to qualify (please state what is PTI as sometimes for us it's hard to tell :D)

* To enter, use our inlinkz thingy at the bottom of this post. Please leave the correct URL for your entry post and not just your generic blog address! 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, July 25th 2011 at 9.00am GMT

* As well as a randomly picked winner, 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 up with!

Aimes, Kate & Caryn
xxx



Monday 11 July 2011

A Winner!

Hey everyone! Happy Monday! Super happy here on the blog today because it's time to draw a winner for our 'Make for the Border' challenge!

Do your stuff random.org:

Here are your random numbers:

4

Timestamp: 2011-07-11 13:24:57 UTC

The winner of the sweet 'Fly Away' stamp set is Shelly! Congats Shelly! Email us your postal addy to apassionforpapertrey@yahoo.co.uk and we'll get that stamp set out to ya!

And now for our Top 3 PTI Passionistas! Well like every fortnight, you are making this job harder for us! We were inspired so much by the different ways you incorporated borders into your projects - it had us itching to play with borders all over again!

Although we'd love to have had more than 3, we've narrowed it down to the following:

Vannessa went border crazy and had them stealing the spotlight on this fabulous card. What a fun shape of card to create!

Shobana wowed us with this gorgeous monochromatic use theme for her borders. How cool and soothing do all those blues look?! Simply fabulous!

Sharon used her borders cut from different mediums as fabulous embellishments for a thank you card. I know that as a teacher I would LOVE to receive a card as sweet as this :)

Congrats Top 3! If you'd like to blink with pride about being a Top 3 Passionista then pop us an email and we'll the get the code out to ya!

Thanks so much for joining in our challenge - I hope you'll stay tuned for a fab new challenge tomorrow!

Aimes, Caryn & Kate
xxx

Wednesday 6 July 2011

A Wacccky Winner!

Hey!

We know it's July but our featured stamper for June, Moe, has some very official business to attend to here on the blog. She has the fun task of randomly selecting a winner of her fabulous Wacccky challenge as well as her fave top three projects!

So let's not delay you anymore and draw the winner of a $25 Gift Certificate to PTI:

Number six is super lucky for, Melisa Hunter! Congrats, Melisa! You can pop us an email at apassionforpapertrey@yahoo.co.uk or email Moe directly at moeplut@shaw.ca to collect your gift certificate - have fun spending it :)

And Moe also got a taste on just how tough it can be to narrow down so many fabulous entries down to three! But after much deliberation the following are PTI Passionistas and totally rocked the Wacccky challenge!




Congrats ladies! If you'd like a blinkie to show how fabulous you are then pop us an email and we'll send you the code!

Thanks so much to Moe for being our fabulous featured stamper and for organising such a fab challenge too! As you can probably tell, we've taken a break for our featured stamper feature for July: it's proving to be a very busy month but we hope to be back in August!

If you fancy getting your inky mitts on some more PTI goodies, why not play along with our current challenge (which I'm yet to make a card for - eek!)

Aimes (& Moe!)
xx