witticisms by Jess Witty

January 16, 2011

PTI Post-Release Wrap-Up!

I wanted to show you one of my favorite discoveries from this month's release. It all started because I went off Coke. {Coca Cola, people... duh.} Cold turkey. {Sigh.} I still miss it. Obviously, I'm still in withdrawal. Especially when I'm making some projects on a Sunday afternoon and I'm starting to get that it's-after-lunch-and-all-is-getting-quiet-and-I-could-really-use-a-pick-me-up-but-I-can't-have-my-beloved-ice-cold-Coke-because-I-went-off-of-it-and-why-in-the-world-did-I-do-that-again? feeling. {But I digress.} Enter tea. The hotter sibling of iced tea, which is pretty much a stable in Texas-land. I never liked the stuff. Sort of reminded me of dirty water both in appearance and taste. {The hot stuff, that is. It is illegal to dislike the cold stuff when you live here and now that I have cured my slight speeding habit by having children who can read the speed limit signs and ask me if I'm speeding, I am quite the law abiding citizen.} And then I went to Africa. Where they would bring me and my roommate {shout out to Emily :) } biscuits and hot tea with cream and sugar every morning while waking us up with a happy "Jambo!" (hello). And now... maybe it's because I'm off Coke... or maybe it's because it's winter and I don't deal well with gray skies or temperatures under 80... or maybe it's because it reminds me of Africa and sleeping in a tented building off of a river where I watched hippos swim right by my front porch... I have finally discovered my love for hot tea. {Long story, right?! Here's the point.} Sooooo... when I discovered that this month's release includes two of the *perfect* items for making a quickie little card that includes a tea bag... well... I made this...

and if any of you wants to send one to me the next time I am sick... well... I would totally take you up on that. :) I mean look... that little Lunchbox Note die was totally meant to live a second life as a tea bag holder. It. Works. Perfectly. I'm not gonna lie... I was totally excited about the discovery. I mean... I know it's not like discovering you know... a tyrannosaurus rex fossil... or the cure for the common cold... or the Holy Grail... but still. Totally happy. And then... to top it all off... the Mat Stack 3 stamps fit. right. in. it. DUDE. Seriously. This little pick me up card is practically done for you. Just add a tea bag and ta-da! Done. I love it when things work together like that :) Next up... a totally quick and easy project using the new Mat Stack 5 die. I die cut a scrap of piece of cardstock that was a little bit bigger than my 3/5 x 5" card and taped it to the front of my card. Then I spritzed a few ink mists over it. {I am impatiet, so I went ahead and dried that with a heat gun. If you would like to practice your patience here and let it dry by yourself, be my guest.} I stamped one of the Year of Flowers: Carnations images in the misted area before I pulled the mask off. Love the mix of colors there. The sentiment is from Inside & Out: Birthday but it's actually just one image. It was totally easy to just ink up one part at a time and stamp them separately. I used a little misted scrap to stamp the sentiment on for the inside. I like finishing them out like this... sweet and simple but still finished looking. Totally love the Simple Sentiments set. I have some ideas in mind for highlihting some of the smaller words in each sentiment, so I'll be bringing those to you, soon. For this one, I wanted it to have a more modern feel, so I randomly stamped the senitment in gray along the bottom of the card and stamped one in black for that dark pop. One stamped carnation in Summer Sun adds a bit of color... Large stamps make the best quick and easy cards, right? I love when they take up a nice chunk of space so that the rest of the card has lots of pretty white space. Be sure to click on the pictures for a bigger version. And, finally... I hope you like this last one as much as I do! I think I have a bit of a sentimental attachment, though. The Very Hungry Caterpillar was one of my most favorite books as a kid. Remember that one? It shows a little caterpillar and all that he eats as he grows up into a butterfly. The book has holes punched in the pages where the caterpillar eats through each item. I remember running my fingers over the pages and tracing the path of holes as my mom would read it to me. I bought our first kiddo a copy and gave it to him during his first Christmas with us, so now it's a favorite with all of us. I still enjoy because the story is a classic... it's still engaging and the artwork... I still love looking at it after all these years. {I taught all the kiddos to run their fingers over the pages as we read it, too.} Needless to say, we give copies away as baby and little kiddo gifts all the time. So when I saw the new Way to Go, Kiddo! set I totally wanted to do a little riff on the The Very Hungry Caterpillar! I stuck two of the Tag Sale #3 die cuts together to make a tag with holes at both ends. I thought the leaves from Turning a New Leaf made the *perfect* little lunch for my very hungry caterpiller. My hole punch got a little snack with this project, too :) To make the caterpillar sit right on the leaf, I curved him a bit as I stuck him onto the block. I held the block over the leaf stamp as I was arranging the caterpillar image, so it was super simple to make sure the two would work together. I wanted to make sure the caterpillar image stood out from the leaves so I stamped him on the kraft tags, then I stamped him again in white. I colored him very simply with some ink and a waterbrush and then trimmed him out and stuck him right on. Super simple. And I'm not gonna lie... my excitement was a bit on the overboard side when I saw this sentiment that's included in the set. It's just perfect. I use glassine bags for a ton of things other than just putting something in them, so this time I used one to wrap around the book and make the tag wrap really stand out. A little saddle stitch ribbon holds it all together. I can't wait to send this off for our next birthday party! It's a project that makes me happy :) Well... seeing as how I just capped off PTI release week by spending the last 2 days chaperoning a retreat for a group of senior girls... I think it's time for a nap! Apparently I can still hold my own when it comes to late night (who are we kidding here? That should really say "early morning") talks. Good times, good times. Later, friends! {Warm Healing Touch} tea bag card Stamps - Healing Touch, Mat Stack 3 Collection CS - Rustic Cream, Terracotta Tile Ink - Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate, Tea Dye Duo Die - Lunchbox Note Impression Plate - Woodgrain Ribbon - Aqua Mist Felt - Fine Linen {Today Take Time} card Stamps: Year of Flowers: Carnations, Inside & Out: Birthday CS - White Ink - Ocean Tides, Dark Chocolate Spray Mists - Tattered Angels {Just Because} card Stamps - Simple Sentiments CS - Soft Stone Ink - True Black, Summer Sunrise {#1 in My Book} wrap Stamps - Way to Go, Kiddo; Turning a New Leaf CS - Kraft, White, Harvest Gold Ink - New Leaf, Pure Poppy, True Black Ribbon - Pure Poppy Die - Tag Sale #3 Other - glassine bag, aqua brush

13 comments:

Jessie said...

Jess love the idea for the tea bag! Just wish it was yesterday before I ordered!! I just could not see using that die, well now I can!! Love your other cards as well! The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a great book and the book mark is so cute!! Thanks for sharing! I enjoy your blog!

see mary stamp said...

Your projects are all great. Love your caterpillar project. We have very fond memories of the Very Hungry Caterpillar around here, including the haircut my youngest gave our little stuffed caterpillar (bye-bye all that cute little fringe sticking up.)

Anonymous said...

Ok Jessica, I don't know which I enjoy more, your projects or the comments that go with them. The only thing sure is that I always leave your blog with a big smile on my face :)
That book is a classic in Spain too. Good luck with the Coke ban!

Jennifer Schmidt said...

Fabulous cards- I just adore the Very Hungry Caterpillar gift wrap. That book is so near and dear to my heart too and was the first book I bought for my first child when I was pregnant. My second child is loving it now too. LOVE that tag- the recipient should keep it to use as a bookmark, maybe not for this short story, but for use later :)

Mandy said...

Nice... Guess what I DIDN'T order, even though I wanted to?? The lunchbox note die!! Now I have to have it. And maybe a Coke. Or a hot chai tea... I am not sure yet. ;)

Glenda J said...

Fabulous creations! Love all of them.

Glad you are surviving your Coke withdrawal. Good luck... hug your tea!

Smitha said...

I love the tea bag card!!!Thats so innovative of you :)

I totally understand your feelings about no coke! I quit recently too, and I think I miss it the most when crafting !!

Shay said...

I have been anxiously awaiting your January Papertrey Ink blog and you didn't disappoint one bit. I enjoyed your writing as much as your projects and that is *a lot*…nothing like a healthy dose of humor to make a post even better. I hope the coca cola withdrawal lessens(glad you clarified which type of coke although being from Texas I assumed it was soda, but not which specific type of coke (soda) you meant...Dr. Pepper, Big Red, Sprite, Coke, Diet Coke, etc. ;-) )!

Winter said...

Yes being from Texas we call everything Coke! And tea has to be ice cold! :)
Love the projects you made! I wanted to make an order to PTI, but their website was down on release night! I went back the next day and the Number dies were sold out! Now I have to wait til they come back in stock before I make an order! :(

Kristin said...

I knew I shouldn't have come here to read this :-). The two things I didn't order (the die and the WTGKiddo set) I now feel I must have! Seriously good stuff!!

I continue to read about and pray for the boy in your youth group!

Suzanne said...

I love your projects so very much! And reading your blog is such a joy, Jess!

Beverly said...

I LOVED your book tie, "You're #1 in my book".
In my 2nd grade class, it was a given that we would study Eric Carle, his "pretty paper" collage art, and all his wonderful books. What a great gift for a child.
This won me over as I read your story about your child. Wonderful project.

Anabelle O'Malley said...

LOOOVE your projects. YOu are soo awesome. And hey, guess what? I discovered tea, too. Gave up coffee. We can drink it together in LA!! Only 10 more days!!!!