A new challenge!

Hello there! Thank you for joining us for another challenge! Before we go any further today we have just a bit of house-keeping for you - we've decided to change the day we start our challenges to a Tuesday. Our deadline will still be 9am on Monday morning (two weeks after the challenge has been set) with the winners being announced later that day. The new challenge will then be set on the following day.

OK, onto far more interesting business! For this challenge we're planning parties!! Ok, you don't actually have to plan a party (but if you do will you invite us!) - but we'd like to see what you can come up with when making an invite for a party. In fact in can be an invite to any event - wedding, christening etc - so long as it's an invitation and it features at least one PTI product you can enter the challenge!

For my sample I made a pocket card, using some scrummy Hawai'in Shores card and ribbon, and the Green boutique papers. Here's how it will be received:


And the recipient will pull out the card to reveal the invitation (which I will hand write on the white card).



Card recipe: (All PTI unless otherwise stated)

Stamps - Tags for Spring, Birthday Bash Sentimens
Ink - New Leaf
Card - Stamper's Select White, Hawai'in Shore
Paper - Green Boutique
Ribbon - Hawai'in Shores Saddle Stitch
Dies - Ric-Rac, 1 3/4in circles
Other - Corner Chomper

Over to Aimes
"Hmmmm....invites.....well I'll be the first to admit that I don't really make invites. Contrary to what you may believe, I'm not the 'Hostess with the Mostess' (I leave that trait to both Caryn and Kate LOL!) but I do love being invited to a good shindig *wink*

So I tried something a little different. Still on my tag kick from our last challenge and a vellum kick from the previous PTI Make It Monday challenge, I combined both to come up with this invite:

Yup, it's my party and everyone is invited! (But you'll have to share this one invite, OK?! Ha!)

The addition of a layer of a vellum on the tag tones down the bold background stamping underneath slightly. You could also use your printer to print the party details directly on to your sheet of vellum and then die cut out after. The transparency of the vellum means you can die cut after printing to absolute perfection :)

Invite Deets
{it's my party!}
Stamps: Damask Designs, Birthday Bash Sentiments (Papertrey Ink)/Sentiment from Frame-It (Waltzingmouse Stamps)
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Ocean Tides (Papertrey Ink)/Versamark/Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Cardstock: Dark Chocolate, Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, Raspberry Fizz, Vellum (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (Provocraft)/Raspberry Fizz Grosgrain Ribbon, Tag Sale #1 Die, Limitless Layers 1 3/4" Collection Dies, Medium Scallop Border Die(Papertrey Ink)

With hindsight I've realised that I could have also put a vellum overlay on the back of the tag as an RSVP too. Well if I ever do host anything I'll remember that tip for next time..."

And now to Caryn..

"Hey there folks and happy Tuesday. It's happy for me as it's half term here and that means no morning routine of getting the children to school -yay! I'm sure Aimes is with me there ;0).
Now, invitations. As much as I LOVE to entertain I too am a bit like Aimes and don't really get round to the invitation sending part. I tend to go for group texts!!! However, I have decided that for my hubby's 40th birthday in July (yes, I'm getting ahead of myself for once) I am going to do ACTUAL invites!! The card I've made here won't be the finished design - it'll be a bit more grown up (!) but this was the mood I was in when I made it so it's a bit more childish! Actually, when I think about it this would suit my other half perfectly!


{Recipe}
Stamps: Everyday Classics (2008 anniversary set), Round and Round (2009 anniversary set), Banner Builder
Card: Simply Chartreuse, Stampers select white.
Paper: Beautiful Blooms
Ink: Pure Poppy, Hawaiian Shores and Simply Chartreuse
Accessories: Mat stack 4 die. Papermania gems.

As our featured stamper for February, here's Imke's fabulous invitation showing that you don't have to think of just parties for an invite. This sweet card is a lovely way to invite a friend for a get-together!

And here is the fabulous prize up for grabs! This super cute mini PTI stamp set will go to a randomly drawn winner -



Here are the challenge 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 (be aware that we've had a few niggles with it!). 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, March 7th 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.



Kate, Aimes, Caryn & Imke
xxxx

Our Winners!

Here are your random numbers:

7 

Timestamp: 2011-02-21 13:00:44 UTC

Which is lucky 7 for Voegelchen! Congrats Voegelchen! Send us your postal addy to apassionforpapertrey@yahoo.co.uk and we'll get that sweet fillable frames stamp set out to ya!


And now to our top 3 Papertrey Passionistas. There was so much creativity to choose from this week but here's 3 that really caught our eye.

Mandy: We loved the pretty vintage feel and how she really put those Love Lives Here dies to great use.
Michelle: Michelles tag is perfect for the valentines theme and we loved her use of the Say it With Style sentiment on the tag.
Vanessa: Another very pretty tag and we thought her buttons really lifted this design.

Well done ladies! Please pop us an email (apassionforpapertrey@yahoo.co.uk) and we'll send you the code for our blinkie!

Pop back tommorrow for our new challenge.

Caryn, Kate and Aimes xxx

Belated Valentine's....

Just popping in with a li'l card of love:


After all, I think the most romantic of gestures are those that are done when they're least expected (e.g not on Valentine's day!) it gives you the perfect excuse too if you just happen to have forgotten about that special, lovey-dovey day *wink*

Look closely at this card and you'll hopefully see that a lot more work, sweat and tears heart and soul went into this card than you'd originally think. Each love themed sentiment was hand picked from all my sets and clear embossed onto shimmer cardstock. Gotta love me some shimmer :)

And that's enough love from me today...!

Aimes
x

Card Deets
{You are the beat of my heart}
Stamps: Sentiments from various Papertrey Ink Sets, Love Birds (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: London Fog, Tuxedo Black (Memento)/Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)/Versamark
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, White Shimmer (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Fresh Snow Satin Ribbon (Papertrey Ink)/Detail Clear EP (Stampendous)

Smile :)

This card is dedicated to Fridays....

Friday, you always make me 'smile' :D

Happy start of the weekend, peeps! Up to anything interesting? I'm so happy that I have two full days free and full of inky time - yay! Oooh and if you're not to busy yourself, why not tag along with our current challenge (see what I did there? Tag along...oh I know it's a poor pun but at least humour me a little *wink*)

Aimes
x

Our winners!

Hey there blog friends! It's time to draw the winners for our last challenge - thank you to everyone who took inspiration from the photograph to make a card, looks like it certainly got your creative juices flowing! So let's see who won that l'il stamp set shall we?!

And the winner is...

Here are your random numbers:

5

Timestamp: 2011-02-09 16:33:50 UTC

....Beverley!! Congrats Bev! Please send email your postal address to apassionforpapertrey@yahoo.co.uk and we'll send your prize asap!

And now for our Top 3 PTI Passionistas - as usual it was tough to whittle them down to just three but here they are!

1) Vannessa - We loved Vannessa's combination of stamped hearts and patterned papers but it was the ruched ribbon that really sold us, just gorgeous!

2) Margaret C - Margaret's striking design really jumped out at us. We loved the repetition of the stamped hearts that made such a fabulous background panel, and they're all embossed too!

3) Claire - Who couldn't fall in love with a tree of button hearts! Claire wowed us with this CAS card - lots of white-space, a great design and those super-cute buttons - what's not to love!

Congrats ladies! If you'd like our Top 3 blinkie to blink with pride on your blog, then feel free to pop us an email (apassionforpapertrey@yahoo.co.uk) and we'll send you the code!

Kate, Aimes, Caryn & Imke xxx

I DO like Mondays!

I know, not everybody's favourite day of the week BUT for all us Papertrey Ink fans we now have a new reason to look forward to Monday.  There is a new challenge called Make It Mondays and each week one of the PTI DT will post a video showing that week's technique.  This week there is a fab challenge from Erin Lincoln using different sentiments from different sets in a particular theme.

Now, I don't know if this was REALLY the point but I took it upon myself to get ALL my Christmas sets out and use at least one sentiment from each one.  Here's what happened...


I know what you're thinking... it's a Christmas card and there's no Pure Poppy to be seen!!  See, I can make a card without it!!
I stamped most of the sentiments in Tea Dye distress ink and the darker "Merry Christmas" in Vintage sepia.  I don't know if you can make it out but I also stamped the large poinsettia from Year of Flowers: Poinsettia to give a subtle background detail.  Nothing like my usual style but I had fun - which IS the point isn't it.

Hugs,
Caryn xxx

Tag - you're it!

Firstly apologies that our linky thingy was no longer available for you peeps cutting it close to our deadline for the last challenge. Thanks for leaving your links in the comments section for us! We do know of the extra entries that were entered after it decided to be naughty don't worry, you'll be included when we draw a winner and decide on our Top 3 :)

How about we start over again with a new challenge and hopefully with a linky tool that works (fingers crossed!)?! Sounds like a fun idea to me! So for this fortnight's challenge we wanna see your fabulous takes on gift tags!

I fancied making a tag suitable for any one of the guys in my family (both young and old!) and also wanted to show you that you can play Tag too even if you don't have a tag-shaped die:

I simply used the Mat Stack 1 Die, punched a hole and set an eyelet in the top - voila! A tag! It actually felt good to use one of the many thousands of eyelets I've hoarded from an era when they were popular LOL! Oooh and a bit of masking on my "Dude You Rock!" sentiment stamp provides the shortened sentiment and gives even more value for money on a sweet stamp :D

Tag Deets
{You Rock}
Stamps: Fancy Flourishes, Star Prints, Signature Greetings (Papertrey Ink)
Cardstock: Ocean Tides
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)/Versamark
Patterned Paper: Pure Poppy Bitty Box Basics
Accessories: True Black Vintage Button, Jute Ribbon Twine

And now over to Caryn....

Hey everyone, are you all enjoying the anniversary celebrations so far on Nichole's blog? Yesterday there was a free download of some cute tags created by each of PTI's stamp designers - did you get it?? Well, I urge you to go grab it, there's some gorgeous images on there, one of which I have used here on my tag. This one is from Heather Nichols. Kate and Aimes will probably be rolling their eyes at me (wink) for using Pure Poppy again but it literally goes with just about everything (not sure about Melon Berry - haven't tried that combo....). I have used Polka Dot Basics II and embossed it with clear powder on the background and coloured the flower on the image in with a red ProMarker as the original is Melon Berry and I wanted it red!!

And here's a close up!

{Card recipe}
Free anniversary download
Stamps: Polka Dot Basics II, Banner Builder
Cardstock: Spring Moss, Pure Poppy.
Ink: Pure Poppy
Other: Pure Poppy dating dots ribbon, Pure Poppy bakers twine, Promarker

Here's Kate:

For my tags I played around with one of my favourite colour combos - kraft and aqua mist - some new dies and some felt.

All the PTI dies make tag-making so fun!!

These parcels are going to two very special ladies who deserve a special tag, and I'm definitely going to be making more tags in the future!

Finally, as our featured stamper for February, here's Imke's fabulous tag:

I think you'll agree that this one amazing tag!

So ready to play 'Tag'?! I hope so! Up for grabs for one randomly selected peep will be this Fillable Frames #11 stamp set:


But before you dash - 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 (be aware that we've had a few niggles with it!). 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, February 21st 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.

Tag! You're it!

Aimes, Caryn, Kate & Imke
xxxx

PTI remembered!

Hey everyone, just thought I'd pop a quick post here to make sure you all know about the big anniversary celebrations going on over on Nichole Heady's blog, Capture the Moment.  Today the design team are all remebering and re-sharing their favourite projects from the last 12 months.  If you fancy joining in the fun there is the most awesome-est prize on offer so I urge you to go and check it all out.

I thought I'd share one of my designs from last year with you too.  (If you want to see the original post from my blog then you can see it HERE).


Believe it or not the inspiration for this came from a label on some clothes I bought from John Lewis!!!

Enjoy the celebrations,
Caryn xxx

February's Featured Stamper!

Phew! February already! I can't believe that January has come and gone already - but I have to admit I'm kinda glad as I'm looking forward to spring arriving with some milder temperatures and more daylight...

But before spring arrives, let us introduce you to our featured stamper for February. So without further ado, we'd like to introduce you to Imke! I'm sure you'll give her a warm welcome :)



Before we share one of Imke's gorgeous creations let's get to know her a bit better shall we?

1)How did you get into papercrafting?

Ever since i can remember i have liked crafting with paper. I've tried many different craft techniques, but remained in paper.

2)How long have you been stamping for?

For 4 years.

3)How did you get into PTI and why do you love it so much?

I became aware of PTI through my sister-in-law. I just love the style of their stamps and the versatility of stamps and other products.

4)What would you say is your stamping style?

Clean and Simple, cute, non-cute, but NOT Vintage. I like the vintage style but i can't do it lol!

5)Do you have a favourite PTI colour or colour combo that just makes you drool?

Aqua Mist , Pure Poppy, New Leaf

6)If you had to choose just one PTI stamp set to keep, which one would it be and why?

My Fillable Frames Collection.

7)Who is your PTI Idol?

Nicole Heady of course, but i also really like the creations by Niki Estes and Dawn McVey.

8)Where do you get your inspiration from?

I like to try things on my own but i get inspiration from several blogs, like PTI and from my blogger friends.

9)What’s your stamping dream?

I would like to be a guest designer at PTI- Who wouldn't ? I would also like to go on a once in a lifetime trip to CHA

10)Where can we go to check out more of your wonderful creations?

You can visit me on my blog http://craftingcreationsbyimke.blogspot.com/ or on Splitcoaststampers as "germanstamper"

You may recognise some of Imke's creations through her fabulous entries to our challenges. We're so happy to have her on board with us this month and she's kicking of February with this fab project:

Isn't this a fabulous way to use those clear boxes those scrummy PTI stamps come in?

If you'd like to try and create something similar, then check out the tutorial on the Papertrey Channel on YouTube.

Be sure to check out more of Imke's creations on her blog: Crafting Creations by Imke and look out for more of her creations here on the PTI blog! I'm sure like us, you can't wait to see what she comes up with!

Kate, Aimes & Caryn
xxx

P.S Are you on Facebook? Then why not check out our new Facebook Page and keep up to date with us?! Looking forward to seeing you over there!