witticisms: February Release-in-Review!

Well, folks... whew!

Another Papertrey Ink release has come and gone... poof! Like that!
Our special 6th Anniversary celebration was a big one.

Buuuut... there's still more projects to go in today's Release in Review post, so let's get started, shall we?

First up... the all new Cutting Garden set...

Our Papertrey Favorites post from earlier this week reminded me of this card one of my cards featuring the previously released The Sweet Life set. I reimagined it for Cutting Garden... going with a bold and modern feel this time around.

I'm totally digging the bright flowers on the black and white background :)

I double inked the flowers, inking with the first color, softening the edges of the ink with a sponge, and then inking it up again around the edges with another color - all before stamping the image.

To blend out the flowers a bit more, I went over the images with a waterbrush. Instead of taking the ink outside the images like this card, this time I kept the ink within the image. Just a super easy way to add some depth and give the images another look.

The flowers found homes in some overlapping Mega Gracious Vases die cuts. I finished it all off with a strip of black cardstock and a Cutting Garden sentiment embossed in white. I debated embossing the sentiment in black for a sleek look, but I decided to tie the white all together between the background, foreground images, and sentiment.

It's a bit of a different card... lots of pattern in the background with a more calm foreground, but it really makes me happy :)

I couldn't quite let Cutting Garden go so I also paired it up with the new Boutique Frames: Mother set...

Have to say, I love sets where you can go more complicated or keep them simple... Cutting Garden is great for both.

Just simple inking and stamping for these images. I went bright with the florals and overlapped with simple black for the Boutique Borders image and sentiment.

Simple but striking... always a favorite theme :)

I mentioned here that, in general, any card that features sunshine is also going to be a favorite for me.

Soooo... yeah... I made another sunshiny card...
{Don't judge.}

I mean... come on... the Wonderful Words: Hello set actually has the word "sunshine" in it.
It was inevitable.

For this one, I used the coordinating die (love it!) on the front of the card.
Yes, I let the die run off the side of the card.
Yes, I meant to ;)
I like the flow of things that way.

This is actually a Summer Sun card base with the white panel on top. I trimmed the front of the card base to just above half way and then sandwiched a layer of Clear Cardstock in between the Summer Sun and White layers. That gave me a place to stick the insides of the "e" and "o" and gives the card that great shiny effect that I love.

When the card is closed, you get the bright pop of Summer Sun from the inside of the card.

The little arrow at the bottom is from an older set (Framed Out #5)... love it here :)

Next up is the new My Mother, My Friend, set...

This set has lots of sentiments and this one just drew me in.
I made this one with just the right encouraging person in mind :)

There was some chatter on the forum this week about the Zing embossing powers that PTI is now carrying. I've had several for a while now and have used the heck out of them. One of my favorites is to use the Leaf powder on Simply Chartreuse cardstock. It's just a bit brighter than the cardstock and makes a great color for leaf or vine images like this one.

Lots of die cuts from the coordinating die collection here. I added a few of the smaller Mini Blooms images... they work really well with the My Mother, My Friend blooms. Finished it off with the simple sentiment.

This one's already in the mail :)

I've already worked up some Irresistible Ikat cards for the anniversary challenges this week, but I could keep going with that set for a loooong time...

This time I pulled out the image with four circles and did some simple stamping down my card front.

I wanted to mix up the colors this time so I used some old waterbased markers for that. Using the markers gave each circle a bit of a striped look which fit in with the Ikat pattern nicely.

This one got paired up with the new Headline Alphabet dies. I was originally going to use the stamps here but I opted for using the dies with the new self-adhesive cork sheets that PTI is carrying now. The cork adds another layer of texture and warmth that I really love on this simple card.

The sentiment is finished out with another small word from Wonderful Words: Hello.

Seriously... I can't tell you how much I love this set. I am so all for simple pattern making sets. They really just give you the most you can get in terms of how you can use them... it's really just up to you and your creativity and they can live a thousand lives in terms of usage.

And speaking of sets that I totally, totally love... there's this one, too...

Watercolor Wonder.
Yeah... I just knew from the get go that this one would be a winner for me.
No doubt.

I'll say up front that I know not everyone will love this card.
And that's ok :)

My first instinct was to go with my typical colors but I decided that I really wanted do something different with it. Mixing up the brighter pinks with the heavier gray, black, and golds really amped it up.

The sentiment (borrowed that from Mini Blooms) is embossed in gold, with a little selective masking with some scotch tape over the "you" section. I used the Headline Alphabet die once again for the letter (a new must have basic, in my opinion), this time using gold glitter paper.

Tip here... I ran a strip of glitter paper through my small Xyron adhesive sticker maker first, then die cut the letters from it. I just peeled the die cuts off the adhesive backing and bam... glittery, self-adhesive letter stickers.

One more quick tip... the upper buttons are from my stash, but I was really wishing for another gold one to add in. I solved that problem with the round button at the bottom plus a bit of Rub N Buff in Gold Leaf. This button was formerly cream colored, but you'd never know it now :)

I picked up my bottle eons ago at a craft store. You could cover a bajillion buttons and never run out. I'm sure you'll be seeing more of that little trick from me ;)

Well, folks... that's it for me, but no need to fret... there's lots of loveliness to be seen with the rest of the design team...
Nichole Heady
Betsy Veldman

Cristina Kowalczyk
Erin Lincoln
Ashley Cannon Newell

Thanks for stopping by, folks!
I've enjoyed cruising by some of the blogs of folks who posted entries to PTI's contests this week.
So fun to see your Papertrey projects!

Later, friends!