Honey Bees Revisited

Happy May Day. Welcome to the 1st of the month Papertrey Senior Design Team post. Today we're visiting another golden oldie...Honey Bees.

Honey bees and honeycomb are very popular images right now in the crafting world. I love how Papertrey designs stamps with a timeless look. You can always reach for your stamp sets and know that the images will be right in style, even if the stamp sets are from years past. Today I created a general greeting card that features buttery yellow hues...perfect for the summer. I heat embossed the bee and honeycomb images on a die from the Button Card Collection. This was layered onto a stamped button card from Button Boutique. Vintage Buttons in Lemon Tart and a snippet of patterned paper finish off the button card. The background paper for my card base is from Dotty Biscotti.
A pretty Lemon Tart ribbon finishes off the card.
If you'd like to see what the rest of the PTI gang has created with Honey Bees, check out these Senior Team blogs right here:

• Nichole Heady
• Heather Nichols
• Dawn McVey
• Lisa Johnson
• Betsy Veldman

butterfly tag with sack..

TGIF. Hi there. Man, it's been a busy week. I am preparing for the biggest garage sale that we've ever had. I decided time to tackle the play room and purge toys from the girls' littler days. I've had a very hard time of it because each little toy brings back so many memories. And with Josey graduating from 8th grade this year, it's even harder because my little girls are growing up so much. My dear husband has taken pity on me and has dedicated an area of the attic for us to store our favorite toys. We're keeping way too many, I know, but perhaps in a few years we can go through the items again and the emotional attachment will have lessened.

For today I have a gift sack and tag ensemble that I made with one of my button cards.

I used brown paper sacks from my shop and attached the button card to a large manila tag that has been layered with old sheet music. A glittered small clothespin attaches the layered tag to the sack. A layered butterfly with more of the sheet music finishes off the button card.
Hope you enjoy! Back to sorting + pricing + loading all the junk up. I will be soooooo happy when this stuff is out of my house! Have a great weekend everyone!

circles button card...

Edit: The crocheted pieces on my card are from Etsy so I don't have a pattern.

Happy Monday. Looks like the rain has settled in for the day so it's a perfect time for me to settle in and get lots of work done. Today I have a card to share with you using more of my button cards I created with the Bliss Moda fabric line.
Of course, I used Button Boutique + the coordinating Button Card die to create my button card. Looking for a way to use those big ol' Vintage Buttons? Stick them on a button card. Here, I tied a strip of torn fabric through my button for a homespun look. I stitched on other Ripe Avocado buttons and left the portion of the fabric with the nice circle pattern uncovered so it could be seen more. Snippets of patterned paper and a small crocheted doily finish off the card.
Hope you enjoy your day. I'm super happy to back in my crafty space today. Lots and lots to get done. :)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all my blogging friends. May your day be blessed with friends and family and new beginnings. We'll be over at my mom and dad's house....enjoying a big meal, hiding Easter eggs, spending time with family. Enjoy your day!

(photo from my pinterest site)

teacher's apple card

School will be out before we know it, are you ready for summer? We have lots of sports activities to keep us busy for sure. Today I'm sharing a teacher card using one of the button cards I made some time ago. My background papers are Portrait from Crate Paper.
For the button card I used Button Boutique + the coordinating die. The apples were punched from Cork Paper with a Martha Stewart apple punch from Michael's. I love how the punches and dies work with the Cork Paper. Vintage Buttons are from Papertrey Ink. Fabric snippets behind the buttons are from Moda Bliss.
For the bottom portion of my card I used Label Basics + Teacher's Apple. I'm happy to have a card in my stash for the end of the school year. Always nice to let teachers know you care and that they're doing a good job.
Sooo. Are you making teacher treats for the end of the year? I'm thinking I'll whip up some simple cookies or bars but I haven't got that far yet. Have a great day everyone!!

Etsy: Stay tuned for teacher themed items in the shop soon + fun new kits with fabric fat quarters. Don't miss out on these. ;)

Project Life: I'm truckin' along with PL. I have all my weeks up to date but have a lot of insert pages to finish up. Hoping to work on those some this weekend and then have some updates on the blog soon.

Life in general: We are planning room swaps, garage sale, graduation, end of school, Mother's Day, etc. Plus softball and track. It's such a busy time of year. If I disappear, I'll be back soon. :)

Spoiler Alert: PTI 2010 Anniversary Set

EDIT: The 2010 Anniversary Botanical Silhouettes stamp set will be sent to customers who earned the set through the rewards program at PTI. This stamp set is for purchases made last year, not in 2011. The set will not be for sale, you can only earn it through PTI purchases.

Hey Peeps! Spoiler Alert: The 2010 Anniversary stamp set is used for my projects today. If you don't wanna see, click out now. :)

(photo from my pinterest site)

The new set is just divine. It's full of pretty, individual floral images including poppies and little blossoms and stems. The design possibilities and color combinations are just endless.
Using papers from The Girls Paperie, I added a fun plaid and floral print to my card and matching, lined envelope. Whimsical and little shabby.
The font combinations are what I really love about this set. A pretty cursive font plus a nice graphical font in capital letters. If you zoom in on this photo you'll notice that I used heat embossing for the red flowers (Zing Rouge). I also splattered my card and envelope with Studio Calico Mr. Huey Sunshine mist. To highlight my sentiment I used my sewing machine to stitch a line under the words.
Lots of fun color pops here. Primary colors mixed with Blueberry Sky ribbon.
Just for fun, I included the card sketch that I used for my card today. Enjoy!
Off to a track meet. Rain in the forecast so I'll probably drive all the way there and then it will be cancelled. Again. :)

Make + Save: Peep Show Cookie Jar

Please note: The Make + Save link is not available just yet over at Papertrey Ink. I have listed the recipe ingredients and will walk you through the assembly process in my post here today. The information for this Make + Save will available soon at Papertrey Ink. If you have any questions on supplies, etc please leave a comment and I will edit my post with answers. :)

Welcome to another Papertrey Make + Save post, where you'll find nifty handmade gift ideas that you make from your own supplies. Today I'm featuring a Peep Show Cookie Jar just in time for Spring and Easter. Full instructions for how to assemble the jar ingredients and how to embellish the jar are at the Make + Save section of the Papertrey Ink website.

First up I'm going to show you how to make assemble the cookie ingredients in the jar. I've included the recipe for the Peep Show Cookies below so you can see what ingredients we're working with for jar assembly. Be sure to include the recipe with the jar when giving as a gift.

Note: A wide mouth canning jar + lid and ring work best for this project.

Peep Show Cookies

1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed
8 Peeps marshmallows
1-1/2 cups plain pastel M & M’s
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 quart canning jar

To assemble jar: Layer 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs in jar. Arrange 8 Peeps on top of crumbs, around inside of jar. Spoon remaining crumbs in to support the Peeps. Pour M & M’s on top. Pack in brown sugar.
To make cookies: Dump jar ingredients into bowl. Snip Peeps into bits. Mix all ingredients with melted butter and vanilla. Pat into 9” baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Cut into bars. Enjoy!

Here's a photo of the ingredients you'll need to assemble the jar: Peeps Marshmallows, brown sugar, graham crackers and pastel, plain M & M's.
Using a clean, wide mouth canning jar layer 2/3 cup crushed graham crackers into bottom of jar. Arrange 8 Peeps marshmallows around the inside of the jar.
You will then spoon in the rest of the crushed graham crackers to support the Peeps. Pour in the M & M's. Then pack in the brown sugar. I used this unknown wooden tool that I got in a box of stuff at an auction. If you don't own an unknown wooden tool, just use a large spoon to pack the brown sugar. Place the lid on the jar and screw on the ring. Set jar aside while we make the jar embellishments.
Here's a photo of the supplies needed to embellish the jar. Again, the complete supply list and instructions are listed at the Make + Save section at Papertrey Ink. I'll be using Friendship Jar + Friendship Jar Spring Fillers plus lots of other fun products.
Start off by die cutting and stamping the jar + lid + topper + label images as shown below. The bunny in the jar is from Friendship Jar Spring Fillers.
Color the bunny image with Copic markers. Using the fine tip end of pastel Copics, make small polka dots on the jar.
Assemble the die cut jar pieces as shown below. I used pop dots to adhere the jar lid and the label. A portion of the label will be snipped off. Set embellishment aside.
Cut a 5" circle of fabric using pinking shears. The fabric I used is from Amy Butler (sorry, I don't know the exact name). Center the fabric circle over the jar lid then screw the ring over the fabric. Set aside.
Using spray mists (you could also use Copic re-inkers and an old toothbrush), splatter the ribbon with droplets of ink. I did not spray the ink but instead used the spray nozzle as a eye dropper of sorts. This gives the ribbon a great speckled egg look.
Tie the ribbon around the jar ring, using small glue dots to secure in place if needed. Wrap a piece of twine around the jar lid of the embellishment and tie around tied bow on jar.
And here is my completed Peep Show Cookie Jar. I'm using mine as a cute center piece decoration for now. So cute and colorful.
Place a few little chicks from the craft stop on top for even more adorable-ness.
So cute with the pastel M & M's showing through. All kids young and old LOVE these jars. Include a copy of the recipe so that the recipient knows how to prepare the cookies. So easy and fun. Hope you enjoy!

butterfly button card...

Hey there. Today I have fun card to show you using one of the button cards I created a while back.
The cute little card base and envelope are from Doodlebug. They come in all sorts of sizes and colors. I found mine on a cute display rack at Scrapbooks, Etc in Topeka, Kansas. The background patterned paper is The Girls Paperie, also from Scrapbooks, Etc.
For my button card I used Button Boutique, Rustic White cardstock and Papertrey Inks. For the button card, I used the die from the Button Card Collection set of dies. Vintage Buttons adorn the sweet, punched butterflies. The fabric behind the butterflies is Moda Bliss.
Hope you enjoy! It's another rainy, blustery day here...perfect for a track meet!

Hello Friend Cards...

Hi friends. Back with another show and tell from this month's Papertrey release. I think these were my faves. Shabby little cards with pretty colors and details.
I used the new Flower Fusion #3 and the coordinating die along + sentiment and a big sentiment from Think Big Favorites #3.
The sweet little butter yellow gingham piece was die cut from the Button Card Collection. I stitched along the top of the pinked square, added a small square scrap of patterned paper and then placed the die cut and embossed flowers on top with pop dots. I just love how the gingham paper looks like fabric. My spotty ribbon was made by splattering ink from a Mr. Huey spray mist onto the ribbon while it was laid out flat. I also splattered a little of the ink on the card base. I find I like the look of larger splatters so I unscrew the lid and flick or drop ink right off of the tube that attaches into the spray nozzle. Love this look and have used it several times since on upcoming projects.

For the bottom of my card I heat embossed my sentiments onto the pretty Crate Paper patterned paper. I used Rouge Zing Opaque embossing powder and a Versamark ink pad. By heat embossing the sentiments, it really helps them stand out on the patterned paper. A little snippet of scalloped edging was stitched to the bottom of the card for an accent.
Hope you enjoy! Have a great day everyone! Stay tuned this week for an inside view of my process for assembling a week of Project Life.

Favorite Finds: Aqua Love

Or is just me or is aqua a popular color these days? A few of my favorite finds for today just happen to be popping up in aqua. Check them out:

Love this little aqua Pyrex dish with the Amish people pattern. Just right for fresh, juicy strawberries.
Have a fettish for aqua? Here's a whole cupboard full of aqua Pyrex dishes. That would be fun!

(photo from pyrexpixie)

Want to find Pyrex in a certain pattern/color? Just do a search on sites like Etsy. Here are lots of turquoise colors + lots of the little Amish people pattern I love.

Here's a few items from my own stash. Of course, I love the blue canning jars of any size. The little aqua dish in front called my name at a thrift store. And the two vases in back were recent finds from Nell Hills, my favorite home decor shop. My new craft room will match those colors on the vases. The linen tablecloth was a great find for $2 bucks at a local antique shop. It's got a few stains but it didn't stop me from making the purchase.
Be still my heart. Button cards in a chippy white frame. I totally want one in my craft room. So lovely.

(photo courtesty of brandywineboutique)

And isn't this bedroom simply fresh and delightful. I can imagine that it smells like a fresh dryer sheet in this room. :) Love the aqua painted iron bed, the comfy aqua chair and the buttery yellow bedding accents. Add a few magazines and I could stay in here all day.

(photo from suziebeezie.tumblr.com)

Eggs. Robin's Blue eggs. Spotty and cute.

(photo from pottery barn)

And how cute is this photo? Very! Lots of aqua goodness paired with coral and black. A cute little store display or perhaps a dreamy pantry nook. Lovely.

(photo form decor8blog.com)

I'm feeling totally inspired to create things using the color aqua, how about you? Visit my Pinterest site as my love for aqua is present in lots of pins. Have a happy day and here's wishing you aqua....I mean blue.....skies.

Note: If you want to start a Pinterest site of your own you have to request an invite....then an email with set up instructions will be sent to you. Have fun!

paper bag gift sack...

Hey there friends. Well, it's release day for Papertrey Ink. Did you score some goodies? All of my projects are uploaded at the Papertrey gallery + I'll be sharing more projects here on the blog throughout the month. You can find all of this month's new release items on the front page of the PTI website.

Today I have some fun packaging project from my gallery to share that I made using Pine's new Tag-its #2 stamp set. I just adore these little tag sets. So easy and simple to use. Fits easily on 1.75" circle punch and can be combined with lots of other dies like I did on my project today. I used the Mat Stack 3 die under my circle tag.
I also added scrappy pieces of patterned paper from my stash, Vintage Ribbons tied with twine, Amy Butler fabric, a Dainty Doily and seam binding to create some soft embellishments for a folded gift sack. Used along, the layered tag embellishment would be cute on a card or tied to a jar or plain sack for a gift tag. So many possibilities.

Tip: Use the Turning a New Leaf Collection dies to make smaller leaf accents. Simply stamp the coordinating leaf stamps onto the dies and then snip off individual leaves to use on projects. You can see below where I've tucked one under a tied Vintage Button. So cute.
I made up a few extras of my gift sacks for the shop here. Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you scored this month from PTI, I'd love to hear. :)

Boy Basics: Truckin' It

Welcome again for another Papertrey group post. Today we're featuring all of the news sets coming out in the Boy Basics collection. An entire grouping of stamps and dies dedicated to boys. Many of us seem to struggle with boys and manly projects so hopefully today the PTI design team will leave you feeling inspired!

The new set that I'm working with today is Heather Nichols' new Truckin' It stamp set + coordinating dies. Each of the little truck images has its own die..love + so easy to paper piece. Today I created a sweet little card and coordinating gift sack that features all three of the truck images from Heather's set.
For my truck images, I die cut and stamped trucks on Fine Linen cardstock. Each little truck was popped up on 1.75" circles that were punched and edged with Fresh Snow ink. Sentiments are from Truckin' It also.
Next I used PTI patterned paper and stamped the same three truck images again. I used a fine tipped pair of scissors to cut out the bodies of the trucks, then adhered them over the die cut and stamped trucks. I used red for the fire truck, yellow for the school bus and green for the pickup truck. Little scraps of patterned paper were cut with the small scalloped die and stitched onto the card front. Both my card and gift sack were sprayed with Studio Calico Mr. Huey ink.
For the bottom of my card I stamped Chevron stripes from Maile's new stamp set being released this month. A Ripe Avocado ribbon has a thin strip of patterned paper stitched down the middle.
For my gift sack that can hold the card and/or a small gift, I used Brown Paper Sacks + scraps from my Chevron background and patterned paper snippets. The *beep beep* words were stamped using Fresh Alphabet. Pure Poppy Baker's Twine finishes off the sack. A little spray of the white mist adds a little texture to the sack.
Hope you enjoyed my projects today. For more fantastic boy inspiration, please visit Nichole's blog + the PTI Design Team blogs here:

• Nichole Heady
• Heather Nichols
• Dawn McVey
• Lisa Johnson
• Betsy Veldman
• Melissa Phillips
• Maile Belles
• Jessica Witty
• Erin Lincoln
• Danielle Flanders