Wish You Were Here

It's Group Post Day #1 for the July 2014 Papertrey Ink Release. We're featuring three great travel themed stamp sets that are sure to get you all excited about stamping and creating. These items are going to blow you away. Such great ideas from Dawn, Lizzie, and Nichole. I was so thrilled to be adding them to my collection and I'm sure you'll feel the same way.

First up is Dawn's new Pack Your Bags set. Good golly...is this one fun. Three adorable two-step suitcases and a plethora of useful and clever sentiments. I can see myself using this one A LOT.

I was particularly tickled to see three sentiments that have to do with going to Grandma's house. Although our grandmas only live 20 minutes away, there are times when something like this is very appropriate. Matt and I are escaping sometime soon on our first solo trip in over five years, leaving the kids with my mom. I could have wept with gratitude at her feet when she offered.  I'm counting the minutes until we can be Matt and Erin again instead of Mom and Dad. Ya'll know what I mean! So this card is being popped in the mail to her a few days before we leave and the grandkid invasion begins. It just makes me chuckle.

Now, if you have little kids, you know that in addition to pajamas, underwear, and toothbrushes, favorite toys need to be packed up as well. It's all part of it. I found stamps that represent what each kid will be taking over (Little Hot Rod and Polka Dot Parade #4) and included those in my stamped scene.

As for the suitcases, I really wanted to find a way to create them out of patterned paper. I die cut the suitcases out of various papers (Classic Kraft, Melon Berry, and Aqua Mist Patterned Paper Collections) and then added the detail suitcase stamps in Dark Chocolate from Pack Your Bags. Some details were lost when I didn't use the solid suitcase stamps as my base. I found by adding stitching lines from Sew Simple Borders I was able to add in enough details to make them look like realistic suitcases. Yay!

Next up, I have a card using Lizzie's new These United States stamps and die cuts. This one is going to go down in history as one of the most fun stamp sets ever. Such a clever idea. In love with it.

I choose to create an anniversary card for my parents' upcoming anniversary. We moved around a lot, so I decided to highlight all the states we lived in starting from when they got married. I inlaid the state dies so I would have even stamping of the arrow from one state to another.

For the last state of residence, I highlighted it with a vellum cut of the Limitless Layers: Heart Stitches dies. I inlaid it in a Pure Poppy frame I created using them and the original Limitless Layers: Hearts.

I stamped the heart from These United States on each of the states in the area in which we lived. Glossy Accents gives it a touch of shine, which does so much for the card.

Last up, I have a card to put in my husband's suitcase when he leaves on a business trip. I've mentioned before that I always do this...just a little tradition between the two of us. I'll be joining him afterward, so this is in reference to something to look forward to. The sentiments in Nichole's Get Lost stamp set are stylish and bold. I decided to use four of them in a collage, each one very appropriate. The "you and me" is from Love & Marriage and "On an adventure" is from Monthly Moments: July. They are all stamped over the AMAZING (love it so!) postcard border frame from Travel Plans, also available this month.

I highlighted a Florida die cut, framed in the world stamp from Destination. The geotag is from the Monthly Moments: July die collection. A stapled tag from Tabbed was used as an extra embellishment.

So now that you've seen it all, are you more inclined to go in your craft area and stamp or pack your bags and head out on adventure? It's a draw, isn't it? Either way is a winner, so fun is assured. I think I'll be doing a little of both here soon.

You can add all these fabulous products to your collection here in just a few days. They'll be available to purchase on July 15th at 10 PM EST at www.papertreyink.com.

How about a little virtual travel in the meantime? We've got inspiration coming at you from a handful of states, just click below:

Betsy Veldman
Dawn McVey
Maile Belles
Heather Nichols
Nichole Heady
Melissa Phillips
Danielle Flanders
Laura Bassen
Laurie Willison
Ashley Cannon Newell
Lizzie Jones
Melissa Bickford

Supplies

Look Out Grandma
Stamps: Pack Your Bags, Polka Dot Parade #4, Little Hot Rod, World Map, Sew Simple Borders
Dies: Pack Your Bags,Polka Dot Parade #4, Little Hot Rod, World Map
Cardstock: Rustic Cream, Classic Kraft, Fine Linen, Sweet Blush, Aqua Mist
Patterned Paper: Aqua Mist Gingham, Melon Berry Bitty Dot, Classic Kraft Simple Stripe
Ink: Classic Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Melon Berry, Aqua Mist

Home is Where the Heart Is
Stamps: These United States
Dies: Various State Dies, Limitless Layers: Hearts, Limitless Layers: Heart Stitches, Stitching Lines
Cardstock: Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain, Pure Poppy, Stamper's Select White
Ink: Pure Poppy, Enchanted Evening
Canvas Vellum
Patterned Paper: Spring Rain Simple Stripe

Are We There Yet Card
Stamps: Get Lost, Travel Plans, Destinations, Tabbed, Love & Marriage
Dies: State Dies: FL, MS, GA, Tabbed, Monthly Moments: July
Ink: Pure Poppy, Orange Zest, True Black, Aqua Mist
Cardstock: Summer Sunrise, Aqua Mist, Tropical Teal