Peonies and Paper Chains

Pals March 2014 Hop: Think Spring!

 

Welcome to the Pals March Blog Hop. This month we are excited to kick-off Spring with our creative projects. We hope enjoy these creations and we hope Spring finds you soon!

 

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Diane Roberts at Score at Four and a Quater on the Pals Hop. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all of the amazing creations.

 

When I think Spring, I think flowers...

As you'll notice I created 3 different flowers to share with you. One is a fringed flower, one is from the pansy punch, and one is from scalloped punches. They were all quick and easy to make...definitely a plus in my book!

 

The flowers have been added to a wreath...

The wreath was made last night and I cannot wait to see it in daylight! 

 

Curious about the covering on the wreath form? It is strips of old sheets that Brooklyn and I spritzed in Wild Wasabi...right on the form itself. And then Brooklyn dried the wreath for me:

This used to be our curled paper Christmas wreath and given that it is March, it was time for a change! I definitely recommend dying the strips of fabric first and then adding to the wreath form, but if you are re-purposing like I (we) did, this method works!

 

If you are not sure how I created the flowers, not to worry! I'll be sharing those details later in the week. It's time for you to get hopping to see the rest of the creations in our hop!

 

The next stop is Kalyn Shubnell at The Stamping Chronicles! Use the buttons below or the full line-up under my signature to navigate through the hop! Enjoy! 

 

Happy crafting, friends! Thanks for stopping by!

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Final March Line-up: 

1. Jackie Diediker at Stampin' Jackie
2. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin
3. Peggy Noe at prettypapercards
4. Debra Simonis at Deb's Stampin' Grounds
5. Martie Pollard at Crafty Bandit
6. Goldie Shaul at Punch and Stamp with Goldie
7. Dawn Tidd at Tiddbits from Dawn
8. Debbie Mageed at Secret Stamper 
9. Natalie Bradley at Natalie Bradley Events
10. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
11. Debbie Crowley at expressivelydeb...
12. Christine Winslow at Grandma's Stamping Corner
13. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
14. Michelle Quinno at Shell's Life
15. Linda Callahan at Stampin' Seasons
16. Michelle Gleeson at StampinMojo
17. Shannon Hokanson at Paper Works by Shannon
18. Diane Roberts at Score at Four and a Quarter
19. Kerry Willard Bray at Peonies and Paper Chains
20. Kalyn Shubnell at The Stamping Chronicles
21. Colleen Mollema at Uncanny Crafting
22. Amy Lazzell at Just A Thought...Cards by Amy
23. Maria Flores at Maria's Sandbox
24. Katy McGloin at Just Fun Stamping
25. Christie Crosby at Stampin' Creativity
26. Sue Becker at RnR Stamping
27. Rae Harper at Wild West Paper Arts
28. Lynn Kolcun at Stamping with Avery's Owlery
29. Maggie Mata at Maggie Made Cards
30. Nicole Watt  at Pixel Maven's Retreat
31. Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine

Stamp Review Crew: Happy Congratulations Edition

The Stamp Review Crew has decided to bring you a bonus hop today! I'm so excited that we are sharing the Happy Congratulations stamp set -- it is perfect for spring and summer celebrations! 

For this hop, I have two projects to share with you...

Yes, a sweet little bookmark! It is resting atop "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" and I do believe that Edward's destination was happiness. As much that is the final destination, be prepared for some tears along the way if you read this one. It is considered to be a young adult novel, but I do think you could read to younger children.

This little technique of tying up ribbon with Baker's Twine (or other thin ribbon) has truly become a favorite of mine! Give it a try!

My second project is pure fun and was inspired by my daughter Britt (soon to be 3). Britt picked up the stamps as I was about to get crafting and said she wanted a crown holding up the stamps to her head. Sorry no photo of that to share with you!

Quick, and easy, and totally fun! No illusions that these will last a long time but the girls are having fun! Brooklyn even wore hers to the grocery store this weekend!

So which of these projects is your favorite?!

Be sure to hop on along to see what the other members of the Stamp Review Crew have created!  Use the buttons below or the full list of hoppers under my signature.

       

Happy crafting, friends! Thanks for stopping by!

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Stamp Revew Crew Happy Congratulations Edition Bonus Hop Line-Up: 

1. Paula Wright  paulastamps.blogspot.com/
2. Mike Funke    stampin-style.typepad.com/
3. Nancy Smith  iguanastamp.wordpress.com/
4. Adriana Benitez  escape2stamp.com
5. Tanya Boser   tinkerin-in-ink.blogspot.com
6. Heidi Baks  runningwscissorsstamper.blogspot.com
7. Mary Rindal   maryrindal.com/ 
   
8. Kerry Willard Bray  kerrywillardbray.com

The Whole Kit and Caboodle!

Right after typing the title for this post I had to Google it to be sure that there was nothing derogatory behind...thankfully there is not! As we wrap up the weekend, I wanted to take a minute to talk with you about Stampin' Up! kits because I am positively hooked on them and think that you will be too if you give them a try!

On Friday, I held my monthly papercrafting gathering and everyone assembled the Hip Hip Hooray card kit. What an amazing value! Twenty cards, three fabulous stamps, and a Stampin' Up! The only thing you need to assemble the kit is a pair of Paper Snips and sticky note to do some masking (alternately a Stampin' Write Marker works). I think everyone had fun assembling these and I also gave a live demo of how to make the boxes with lids that I shared last weekend. In my book, this kit is a great investment and can easily yield a couple fabulous gufts for teachers, colleagues, or friends.

Look at those incredible contents! What you see above is the contents of the February Paper Pumpkin kit. Six sweet little gift bags to make. When is the last time you saw adorable six gift bags with embellishments for $19.95 plus tax? I'll be sharing what I've done with this kit later in the week! 

As I said at my gathering on Friday, I really believe Stampin' Up! has really increased the quality and value of kits these last several months. I've been thrilled with every kit that I purchased from the Occassions catalog and think there is only one that I have yet to purchase!

Now you may be saying to yourself, "Of course Kerry is going to tell us the Stampin' Up! kits are great...she stands to benefit if we buy them." And, yes, it is true, I do receive a small commission when you purchase your Stampin' Up! supplies from me...I'd be lying if I didn't. What I can tell you, though, is that I use and promote the products that I love and think you will too. Stampin' Up! is not the only thing I do -- I work outside the home three days week and do my best to focus my time and attention on family as possible while still juggling things like laundry, cooking, and with my blogging and other aspects of my Stampin' Up! business the rest of the week. Kits allow me to quickly and easily create fun projects to share with you...and that is just one more thing to love about them!

If you have yet to purchase a kit from the Occasions catalog or to become a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I encourage you to give one or both of these options a try! If you subscribe to Paper Pumpkin by March 10, you'll get your welcome kit this month and you'll also receive a FREE set of 2012-2014 InColor Markers!

Happy crafting, friends! Thanks for stopping by!

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Let's Celebrate!

Happy International Women's Day! #GoogleDoodles https://t.co/94Nr1IuGiy

— Kerry Willard Bray (@kwillardbray) March 8, 2014

Let's celebrate today! Did you catch the "Google Doodles" video to celebrate International Women's Day? You can see it in the re-tweet I shared above! Wishing a wonderful day to all the women across the globe reading this post!

And now for a paper project...

According to my daughter Brooklyn, we should leave the celebrate banner from the Celebration Basics kit up at our house all year, "so we can celebrate everything." Honestly, I'm completely game for this idea! I just love this banner and it is plenty sturdy for this! 

Given that we will be keeping it up, here are the banner themes you'll see the next several months:

• March - St. Patrick's Day
• April - Easter
• May - Birthday (this is Britt's birthday month)
• June - Summer 
• July - Independence Day

Here's the detail of the tassels that I created for our St. Patrick's Day banner:

The tassels consist of approximately 1" x 16" strips of fabric, 16" cuts from ribbon, and a Very Vintage Designer Button. The fabric strips were spritzed to take on the Old Olive hue -- this was a great way to re-purpose an old pillow case! Here's a look at the creation of the tassels:

By the way, I am a huge fan of the Crayola Washable Markers for the girls! For all my crafting projects I exclusively use Stampin' Write Markers.

I think the Very Vintage Designer Button looks so fun on here! It was tied on with a small piece of Summer Starfruit Baker's Twine from the Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack. I divided the twine as it was a little thick on its own for threading easily through the button.

 

Celebration Basics Kit

$14.95

Very Vintage Designer Buttons

$5.95

Pear Pizzazz 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon

$6.95

 

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

 

The little "meatballs" above the banner? Those come from the Heartfelt Banner Kit (a Sale-a-bration exclusive) and are the sweetest little felt balls. The girls prefer to have them in their kitchen than hanging on display!

I'll be sharing the banner over on the Catherine and Cathy Create Challenge -- they are looking for St. Patrick's Day projects and this is likely the last one you'll be seeing on Peonies and Paper Chains...at least for this year! Missed my others? See my Lucky Framable project and beautiful hydrangeas with my Faux Clover frame.

 

 

Don't miss out -- only 3 weeks left! Click for Sale-a-bration details!

Hope you have something enjoyable in the works for the weekend! Happy Day!

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Five on Friday: A Color Combo Inspired by Anna and Elsa!

Before I get to today's Five on Friday color combo, I must ask, if you have heard of the film Frozen. If you have a little one or watched the Oscars, you are no doubt aware that this is an award winning animated film from Disney about two sisters Anna and Elsa. Now I don't want to go and spoil the plot line for anyone who has yet to see the film so I won't. I will tell you that the girls and I saw it three times at the movie theater (it is the only Oscar nominated film I have seen in the last year). The girls, especially Britt (almost 3), absolutlely love to sing and dance to the music -- Britt's favorite tune is most definitely "Let It Go" and she sings it several times a day.

Perhaps Frozen will be the girls' favorite Disney film. What is yours? Be sure to leave a comment sharing what it is!

The inspiration for today's Five on Friday combo was inspired by Anna and Elsa's outfits that you can see in the image above. These paper dolls are a printable from the Disney Spoonful website -- Elsa is fully assembled and Anna is in the works. You know I love paper crafting, however, I don't love the "fussy" cutting that is needed for this project. The instructions are super clear and if you don't mind a bunch of cutting, you'll be fine!

Ready for the color combo? Here you go:

This is definitely a very rich color palette -- so much depth to these hues!

Now let me go back to Elsa real quick. This next pic is a bit blurry, however, you'll see how Brooklyn added a little sparkle and bling to Elsa...

Did you notice those jewels in her hair? There are a few in the back too! The Stampin' Up! products I used when putting Elsa together are:

Paper Snips

$9.95

Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents

$4.95

Tombow Multi-Purpose Adhesive

$3.95

 

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

 

Today is March 7th and that means you only have a few days to sign-up or make updates to your Paper Pumpkin subscription. For those already subscribed, I've heard the March kit is incredible and I think I just may get 2 of them! And, for those who've been considering joining, don't wait any longer! Sign-up today* and you'll receive a free set of the 2012-2014 In Color Markers!

 

If you are going to sign-up and don't have a demonstrator, consider selecting me [Kerry Bray in New Hampshire (NH)]. I treat my subscribers to a clear mount stamp case in their second month of the Paper Pumpkin subscription and a new case every 6 months to hold the exclusive Paper Pumpkin stamps! BONUS - subscribe by March 31 and I will send you a pack of Candy Dots in April!

 

* Offer ends March 31 and is for new subscribers only.

 

Hope today's color combo inspires you! Happy creating!

 

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PPA194: Just Sayin'...You're the best!

Ever come across a color combo that is outside of your norm and find that you love it? That is what happened with today's project! Stylish and sophisticated are how I'd describe the palette for the new Pals Paper Arts color challenge (PPA194) --

Each of these colors is beautiful on its own and together it makes for a really striking combo. Love the mix of Night of Navy, Wisteria Wonder, and Smoky Slate. For some reason, I am fascinated with creating tags right now and the one you are about to see is the second one I've shared this week:

It is a crisp, clean project and very CASE-able! It is the details that make this quick and easy project special --

Let's talk about the detail -- starting on the top left and working clockwise:

Rounded corners on the tag echo the curves of the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch AND the addition of the light card stock makes it easy to write a message on the back. For the corner rounding, I used my Envelope Punch Board! 

Tying the Chevron ribbon with the Stitched Grosgrain adds to the sophistication of the project AND it also makes it easy to ensure that the Chevron ribbon is pointed up straight.

Using a marker to isolate the "You're the Best" sentiment allowed me to use a fun and sassy stamp while retaining a more elegant look for the project. 

Curling up the edges of the flower pieces with a bone folder really dresses it up...left flat it would be fine, but with this effect, it is so much prettier. The bone folder was also used to add a little dimension to the sentiment banner.

When I completed the tag and started taking photos I took a closer look at the banner pieces and realized that I actually used Sahara Sand...OOPS! The lighter and more gray hue of Smoky Slate would be fabulous! Think I need to order some so I can make this project precisely as I first intended! To replicate the project as planned, here's what you need: 

Fun Flowers Bigz L Die

$32.95

Envelope Punch Board

$19.95

Scalloped Tag Topper Punch

$22.95

Wisteria Wonder 8-1/2 X 11 Card Stock

$6.95

Night Of Navy 8-1/2X11 Card Stock

$6.95

Smoky Slate 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$6.95

Smoky Slate 3/4" Chevron Ribbon

$8.95

Basic Gray 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

$4.95

Mini Glue Dots

$4.95

Bone Folder

$6.95

 

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

 

Be sure to see what the other design team members are sharing over on the PPA site!

Thanks so much for stopping by...visit again soon!

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Sneak Peek and Stampin' Up! Specials!

Here's a little Sepia tone sneak peek for you! The next Pals Paper Arts color challenge kicks of on Thursday morning and I absolutely cannot wait to see what the rest of the design team has cooked up. While I can't reveal the colors to you, I'll tell you that I think it is a very sleek and sophisticated palette! Anyone care to take a guess at what it might be? 

Did you happen to stop over at the Stampin' Up! blog yesterday to see the latest digital downloads and the weekly specials?

Here are my hot picks for the week:

Coastal Cabana Ruffle Stretch Trim -- this weekly deal is just $6.71!

 

Everything Easter Ensemble -- 40% off bringing it to $8.71!  Take a look at some of the fun Easter projects we created last year at my house with this ensemble!

And my hot pick for the new digital downloads is:

 

Another Great Year stamp brush set -- can't you see getting lots and lots of use from this?!

 

On top of all that, there are several other incredible Stampin' Up! specials right now:

 

Free markers with your new My Paper Pumpkin Subscription - sign-up today! And, if you don't have a demonstrator, I'd be happy to be yours!

  

WHICH FREE GIFTS WILL YOU CHOOSE?  Earn a FREE Stampin' Up! product gift for every $50 you spend during Sale-A-Bration (Jan. 28 - March 31).  Get all the details!

Thanks for stopping by...be sure to come on back for the big color reveal for the Pals Paper Arts Challenge!

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A Gorgeous Grunge Gift Tag for PPA 193!

Sometimes when giving a gift, all you need is a little tag! In my mind, this pretty blue bottle really does not need any special wrapping...a pretty little tag with the some Midnight Muse ink and the navy bow coordinates beautifully!

The design of the tag was inspired by two challenges -- the latest Pals Paper Arts sketch (PPA193) and the new color combo from Dynamic Duos (DD#92):

Clearly I tipped the sketch on its side and those butterflies just did not want to stay all in a row! I don't always stray so far from the original sketch, however I let this one take flight (yes, pun intended). The beauty of sketches is that they are a starting point!

If there is one Stampin' Up! product that I am positively addicted to using, it is Stampin' Dimensionals. I love the little bit of depth that they create for projects and this next image captures the butterflies popping off the tag:

Look closely and you'll see a little shadow peeking out onto the table by the bottom left butterfly.

If you'd like to re-create this birthday tag, here are the supplies you'll need:

Chalk Talk Framelits Dies

$24.95

Chalk Talk Clear Bundle

$37.25

Chalk Talk Wood Bundle

$43.25

Bitty Butterfly Punch

$15.95

Gorgeous Grunge

$24.95

Gorgeous Grunge Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$17.95

Naturals White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock

$7.50

Rose Red 8-1/2X11 Card Stock

$6.95

2012-2014 In Color Stampin' Write Markers

$14.95

Rose Red Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Blue 3/8 Inch Denim Jean Ribbon

$6.95

Remembering Your Birthday

$23.95

Remembering Your Birthday

$17.95

 

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

 

Clearly you don't need multiples of the stamp sets or the Framelits!  I just don't want you to have to hunt for precisely what you want to find! Remember that bundles are a 15% savings...who doesn't like to save?! And, if you'd the 2012-2014 In Color Markers for FREE, sign-up for a Paper Pumpkin subscription today! The free marker special ends on March 31 and that is coincidentally the last day of Sale-a-bration.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Come on back soon!

 Get inspiration in your inbox  and  Shop on-line 24/7 for paper crafting supplies  

P.S. Wondering what is in that blue bottle? One of my faves...Ginger & Vanilla Body Lotion from NYR Organic!

Stamp Review Crew: Fabulous Florets

 

Are you ready for something bright and colorful? I know I am. Winter is still here in New Hampshire and I am so ready for spring! It was so much fun to use the MDS version of Fabulous Florets for this edition of the Stamp Review Crew! Be prepared for a lovely bouquet of ideas to get you through your winter blues!

I've got two projects for you today...

This first one is a brand new cover photo for my personal Facebook page. So easy to make in MDS and then to load to your page! For those who want to do something similar, the dimensions you need are 851 x 315 pixels. I love the fact that you can create a custom project in MDS to meet the exact size that you need!

Once I got stamps arranged how I wanted them, I grouped them together. You'll find out why after you see my second project -- it is a piece of framed home decor:

Click for a closer look! 

 

These two projects look remarkably similar, don't they?

After designing the cover photo for Facebook and exporting it, I edited the file to "change project size/type"...this is the last item in the Edit drop down menu on MDS. Incredibly easy to do! I told MDS to convert the file to be a 7" wide by 5" tall project. Once that was done, I had to do a little re-sizing and placement of objects on the page. Because the flowers were grouped together, it was easy to re-size the entire image and place it where I wanted it. The sentiment needing to be "dragged" to another spot and that took all of about 3 seconds.

If you have yet to try MDS, I encourage you to give it a try! Digiotal designing can be a whole lot of fun and the clean-up is a breeze!

Enjoy all the wonderful Stamp Review Crew projects! Full blog roll is beneath my signature and you can quickly link to the previous and next crew members with the buttons below:

   

 

Thanks so much for visiting!

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Stamp Review Crew Fabulous Florets Edition Blog Roll:

1. Heidi Baks  runningwscissorsstamper.blogspot.com
2. Cindy Beach stampspaperandink.typepad.com/
3. Tanya Boser   tinkerin-in-ink.blogspot.com
4. Debra Burgin  heartfeltinkspiration.com/
5. Deb Currier  artfeltimpressions.blogspot.com/ 
   
6. Yapha Mason   yaphamason.com
7. Mary Rindal   maryrindal.com/ 
8. Nancy Smith  iguanastamp.wordpress.com
9. Martha Stewart  seasonsofstamping.com/ 
10. Dawn Tidd   tiddbitsfromdawn.typepad.com
11. Betty Traciak kittystamps.blogspot.com
12. Lisa Young   addinkandstamp.blogspot.com/ 
13. Kerry Willard Bray  kerrywillardbray.com
14. Paula Wright  paulastamps.blogspot.com/
15. Rita Wright  ritascreations.blogspot.com/
16. Jill Coleman  jillstamps.com/

YIKES! Stop the presses...paper boxes - part 3

 

Oh my goodness...stop the presses!

As I put together a PDF to share with you today, I realized that I flip-flopped by column titles where I gave the dimensions you need for the box top and bottom pieces. Big, big opps! I've made the correction in yesterday's and of course the PDF is accurate. Apologies to anyone who tried this yesterday and had trouble making the pieces fit!

And, in other big news (and in my mind worthy of stopping the presses), I actually have a video to share with you today! I'm a visual learner and suspect some of you are too, and, as such thought a video might be helpful!

Grab your favorite beverage and make yourself comfy to watch a little 5-minute box making demonstration!

 

 

And now, download the free "creating card stock boxes" PDF and add it to your paper crafting library.

Hopefully these tools will make it easy for you to create boxes for giving away handmade cards and tags as gifts! 

Now that these resources are done, time to turn my attention to creating a better backdrop for recording videos! What would you like to see behind me in upcoming videos? 

If you enjoy what you see here on Peonies and Paper Chains, please like and pin so that your friends can share in the paper crafting fun! 

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