Simply Jane

Hey, there, friends!

It's another day in January's Papertrey Ink countdown and the design team is back with another group post!  Good times, good times :)

And today's featured set?
Simply Jane.  A set dedicated to all things Jane Austen.
{Sigh... even the name is pretty, right?}

In the spirit of Jane, I knew I wanted to go bookish :) I decided to go with something super simple, but also practical. This little set is just one step up from a card, but still easy and do-able. The perfect thank you or birthday card for a friend since it also includes a little bonus gift.  Love that.

Let's start with the card first.  I knew that I wanted to package the card and bookmark together, so I had that in mind when choosing sizes for the cardlet and bookmark.  

I started off by covering the card with some vintage bookprint.  I knew that I wanted to use the pretty frame and friends images and I thought the bookprint background would give the cameo look a more updated feel. 

I started by heat embossing the frame in white and embossed the figures in gold right inside the frame.  The figures are actually a bit longer than the frame, so I used a little masking trick to make the image fit inside the frame. 

The new Limitless Layer Ovals die set has a plain oval that fits perfectly right inside the Simply Jane frame. Just use that die to die cut an oval from scrap cardstock, then use the negative of the die cut as a mask for the frame {place the oval opening right over the frame and overlap it at the bottom just a tad}. I like to use a bit of removable adhesive on one side of the negative just to keep things steady. Then stamp the figure image in the frame using VersaMark and remove the mask. Heat emboss and you're done :)

The sentiment at the bottom was a little tricky... I didn't want to add in another color so I was set on using a white background.  I didn't want it to fade into the cream bookpage, though, so I added one of the little extra images from Simply Jane on the sides.  I love the extra detail!



I have to say... the vintage buttons (from my own garage sale button stash) add so much to the overall feel of the card.  They totally seem like something you would find on Jane Austen era style dresses... makes me so happy to get the vintage/modern feeling going.  I added an adhesive pearl to the gold button for an extra deail.   

The second part of our little gift is the bookmark.  The sizing on this one was super simple since I knew I wanted to use one of the Half & Half dies for the bookmark itself.  It's the perfect stand-in if you don't have the bookmark die.  In order to make a sturdy base, I used the Half & Half die to do three die-cuts... a Raspberry Fizz backing, a thin chipboard base, then the bookprint topper.  {I ran the chipboard back and forth through my Big Shot a few times without removing it and had no problems cutting it.}  I adhered them all together to make a bookmark that can handle some handling :)

I kept it in the same style as the card... I love doing it that way since that the recipient gets to see it often as opposed to the card which they might put away for safekeeping.  I turned the frame and did the same masking trick to add the couple in the center. 

I couldn't resist adding a few more buttons, too :)  I made a little spot on the bookmark for some dangles by folding adhering black circle over the top edge, then punching through all the layers with a Cropodile tool.

A stand of silk ribbon looped through the hole makes the base for the buttons.  I never know what to do with the buttons that have the shanks on the back.  It seems like such a shame to cut the shanks off so I was happy to have a way to use them here.  I just slid a few onto the ribbon then tied a few knots at the end to keep them on... simple.

Pretty, right?  Makes me want to just pick that book up and get lost in it :)

Now that we've had a look at the pieces, let's look back at the packaging.  I knew I wanted to create a pocketed something for them and this brown paper craft bag (from Emma's Paperie) fit the bill.  {My original idea was to use an envelope and create both items so that they could be mailed flat.  When I realized I didn't have any kraft envelopes on hand, I switched to the bag.  However... I still think simply dividing an enevelope with a row of stitching would be brilliant as well.}

To do the stitching, I just slipped the items into the top of the bag and marked lines for the bottom, side, and middle stitches.  I made sure to leave room for the pretty buttons to show at the top.  I ask you... why waste all that vintage prettyness on the inside of the bag?!  I say get your money's worth and let them show :)

I also left the pretty top of the bag as an extra detail {as oposed to slipping the items into the bag and cutting off the top edge. Again... why waste the prettiness?}.  A few more Simply Jane images on the front finished things off nicely.  I didn't worry too much about the left side as I knew the pretty dangles would be covering most of that side.

I have to say... I don't always go for sweet, but man... I think this one is just sweet as sweet can be. 
And I know that my fellow Jane Austen-ite friend is going to love it. 
And think of me every time she opens her book of choice.
Sorta sneaky of me, right?

What do you think??  Like it?

Seriously... I cannot wait to see what the other girls have up their sleeves for this one!  Check 'em out...
Nichole Heady
Betsy Veldman
Erin Lincoln
Maile Belles
Lisa Johnson
Dawn McVey
Heather Nichols
Melissa Phillilps
Michelle Wooderson
Danielle Flanders

And, yup... I'll be back tomorrow with another big ol' January relase post.
Until then...



{Simply Jane} card & bookmark set supplies

Supplies available at http://www.papertreyink.com/ at 10pm (EST) on January 15: Simply Jane

Other supplies:

InLinkz.com