Summer Camp

 

Good morning, campers :)

It's release time with Papertrey Ink and the design team is coming at ya with another all new stamp set for May and our second group post of the release!  And, yeah... this one's pretty sweet.  

Today's theme... Summer Camp...

Did I ever actually attend Summer Camp?  Not a once.
Unless band camp counts.
It was in the summer.  But sleeping not in a tent but in college dorm rooms doesn't seem very "campy."  

However, these brownie s'mores would definitely have been a hit at band camp.  And, I like to hope, most any camp, for that matter :)

I leave the recipe down at the bottom for you, but I will tell you that it is suuuuuper easy.  Bake up the brownies using a boxed brownie mix (I have a favorite), all chocolate chips and marshmallows on top, stick 'em back in the oven for a few minutes, pull 'em out, add graham crackers on top, done. 

 

And, I mean, hello... s'mores you can have any time you want.  What more could you want??It's my go-to recipe when I need quick treats fast, as all the ingredients are usually in my pantry.

Never underestimate the power of simple packaging on treats like this.  What was a yummy box mix brownie becomes an impressive  party favor by just adding a wrap and stamped label.  

I couldn't resist these $1.99 rainbow napkins from TJ Maxx Home Goods last week... those bright stripes just sucked my $1.99 right in. 

The napkin was folded into fourths (just a standard square napkin folded in half twice) so I unfolded the first fold (to make it a large rectangle) and refolded it into thirds (to make it a long skinny rectangle).  I wrapped the brownies with a strip of wax paper first then with the napkin and tied them up with Papertrey's baker's twine.  That left me the perfect spot for a little label :)

I used the coordinating die (one of the new Rounded Labels) to bust out lots of little label shapes, then pulled out a lots of colors... Orange Zest, Pure Poppy, Enchanted Evening, and Simply Chartreuse.  That little "happy camper" phrase stole my heart... that's one sentiment that's going to get a lot of use around here :) 

 

I thought the marshmallow on a stick image added a nice little touch of whimsy :) I don't know if it was actually designed to fit in the label, but man... it worked out just perfectly.

I'm thinking this idea will be toted along to VBS later this summer to say thank you to my kiddos' teachers that week :)

But before I head off to VBS, the ol' graduation train is starting up around here.  Brian and I are in our 10th year of being youth coaches at our church... and that means that we've known this years crop of seniors since they were in the THIRD GRADE.  

 

What that means is that we get to go to lots of graduations and lots of graduation parties.  So PTI's Summer Camp set goes graduation :)

The images are totally suited for taking off on a new adventure.

I love the arrow and trail parts of the map image!  To really hone in on the idea of leaving home I pulled out a sentiment from the previously released Celebrations set and masked it off so that I could add the word "home."

I added a few Copic marker accents to the images for some detail.  Save yourself the trouble of masking the arrow and trail - I just inked and stamped the image with Fine Linen, then going over the trail part with a red marker.

   

 

A little burlap on the card base adds some texture.  I finished it out with a "Congrats to the Grad" sentiment (from Congrats All Ways) on the inside.

And then promptly forgot to take a picture of that part :)

Lots more Summer Camp projects for your viewing pleasure can be found with the rest of the design team...
Nichole Heady

Betsy Veldman

Erin Lincoln

Maile Belles

Dawn McVey

Heather Nichols

Melissa Phillilps

Michelle Wooderson

Danielle Flanders

That's all for today, folks!
But I'll be back tomorrow with the traditional release in review post :)



{S'mores Brownies} recipe

1 family size brownie mix (I use Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownies mix)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups mini marshmallows 

graham crackers (broken in half)

Mix and bake brownies according to the directions on the box (tip - I line the pan with non-stick foil to make for easy removal and cutting); take them out of the oven a few minutes early.  Spread chocolate chips and marshmallows over the brownies; put back in the oven for 2 - 4 more minutes. Spread the marshmallows out with a spatula, then add the graham crackers on top.  Let cool.

{Happy Camper} s'mores wraps

Supplies not available now but available 5/15: 

Stamps - Summer Camp
Dies - Rounded Labels
Supplies available now:
CS - White
Ink - Orange Zest, Pure Poppy, Enchanted Evening, Simply Chartreuse, Fine Linen
Other - Baker's Twine


{Great Adventure} card

Supplies not available now but available 5/15: 

Stamps - Summer Camp
Dies -Rounded Labels
Supplies available now: 
Stamps: Celebrations
CS - White, Kraft
Ink - Fine Linen, Dark Chocolate, Pure Poppy 
Other - Aqua Mist ribbon, burlap