Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie

The second Quick Stitch Kit will be released on May 1st and it is entitled "Design-A-Softie". This is one collection of tools and stamps that you will turn to again and again to make heirloom quality gifts with heart. Everything you need to make customized softies will be right at your fingertips! Besides the basic softie body parts, there are dies for different facial expressions, eyes, ears and even trendy accessories! You will be able to create special one-of-a-kind stuffed animals according to a child's favorites colors, interests and personality! Think of this as your own person build-a-bear, just on a more affordable level! Get your kit tomorrow night so you can get a head start on holiday gifts!

Design-A-Softie Kit Contents:

Custom tote bag
Design-A-Softie mini stamp set + index label
Softie die collection
Softie Ears die collection
Softie Expressions die collection
Softie Glasses & Mustaches die collection
Softie Kerchief die collection
Softie Patches die collection
Softie Collar & tie die collection
Softie Exclusives die collection
Custom button mix (50 buttons total)
(4) Iron-on 8-1/2" x 11" Transfer sheets
(1) pdf download with full instructions

The total retail cost of the "Design-A-Softie" Kit is $105. There will be a limited number of these exclusive kits available, so be sure to get yours while you can! Some individual items will be available for sale at a later date. The "Design-A-Softie" Kit will be available for sale beginning on May 1st at 10pm EST, only at Papertrey Ink. Read all the details on Nichole's blog or contact Customer Service with any questions.

Link to the Design-A-Softie PDF's can be found here.

Basic Softie
Softie Kerchief
Softie Tie and Collar

Oh, boy, where do I even start?!?!?! I have so much to show you. Things have been very busy around here. Looks a lot like a cross between Santa's Workshop and Build-A-Bear at my house.

How about we just jump right in?

This is Gadget the Bunny. He's sporting several swanky Design-A-Softie accessories included in the kit. Being the brainiac bunny that he is, he doesn't go anywhere without sporting a pair of Smokey Shadow glasses. Both his ear patches and tie are made of patterned felt. Your eyes do not deceive you! Patterned felt.  More about that nifty trick later:).

Have a little fun with your hand stitched Design-A-Softies by attaching a kit exclusive "retail tag" to make them look store bought. You won't fool anybody for more than a second. These are better than what you can buy in the store. After all, the tag says, "made with hugs, kisses, and loving stitches". Limited edition, indeed.

Also a kit exclusive, the tushie pocket can be filled with a note, small goodie (think Clever Barrettes topped with a Seasonal Stitches: Butterfly, that matches a butterfly on the softie body), or a gift card.

The included stamp set lets you have a bit of Xavier Roberts fun (child of the 80's over here), by adding an official name to your Design-A-Softie. Half the fun is coming up with their monikers:).

The Basic Softie Die comes with a body, leg, arm, teddy bear-style ear, and ear patch. By changing up the facial expressions and the ears, you can morph it into a bunch of different critters. So instead of Gadget the Bunny, we now have Miss Frosting Cupcake. This sweet little teddy bear has her ear patches covered in fabric with the help of iron-on transfer. (More on that later.) The large heart button is a kit exclusive and looks great on with her rainbow motif. And of course, a jaunty kerchief reflects her carefree personality.

 The Softie Expression Die Collection is what helps morph our Design-A-Softies so easily. There's all sorts of different eyes, ears, smiles,  and noses. And then who knows what you can imagine with these shapes. They might turn into something entirely different.

Miss Frosting Cupcake has a neat feature. Her eyelids lift up, so she can go from asleep to awake and back again. This is a nod to a few childhood dolls I had.  Time has not diminished this feature's appeal. Eliza and Hank think this is super cool. Everything you need is in the Expression Die Collection.

I bet you are wondering how easy these guys are to put together. Extremely easy. I've worked out all the tricks for you. I filmed the construction of this mustachioed teddy for my nephew. (Yes...a mustache! How cute is that?!?!?) Just hit play on the video to learn how to do it yourself. You'll be making softies in no time at all.

As you can see, the only tricky part to making your softies is coming up with your design and color scheme. I have a suggestion for that as well. If you aren't feeling confident, play with your dies and paper and make a paper version before you cut the more expensive felt. I even mocked up the iron-on transfer I wanted to do on Vintage Cream with paper using tones of Classic Kraft and Ocean Tides and Background Basics: Random Stripe. Added bonus, you can use your paper softie to decorate cards and other paper projects.

A note. The stamped iron-on transfer technique works really great with whatever stamped backgrounds you have in your collection. Just imagine the possibilities! Brings new life to them, right? Background Basics: Random Stripe works particularly well because it is a small print (we are working with small pieces on the softies) and can be multi-stepped if you layer the colors. Really helps to bring two felt colors together.

For this teddy card, I cut the Basic Softie Die out of Fine Linen cardstock and added various details from the Softie Expression Die Collection and a mustache from the Softie Glasses and Mustache Dies. Instead of hand stitching this paper version, I used my Copics to draw in the lines. Phrase Play #3 stamps and dies, Birthday Style dies, and Aqua Mist Bitty Dot paper finish off my card.

I use a lot of pattern on my softies in addition to felt. Grant's teddy, Gadget, and Miss Frosting Cupcake feature two different iron-on transfer techniques that add pattern to their various add-ons. In the Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie, we've included four sheets of iron-on transfer sheets. This is the same stuff we used in the Sewing Staples Kit to add numbers to the floss bobbins. Only we are using it a bit differently this time around.

First up, you can stamp a small pattern (such as Super Gingham) onto the iron on transfer sheets and iron the pattern onto felt before running it through your die cut machine. I stamped the gingham in Ocean Tides ink and transferred it onto Aqua Mist felt for this tone on tone look. Completely custom and something you can match up with a paper card or packaging.

For Miss Frosting Cupcake, the iron-on transfer is used as a fabric stabilizer, just like Heat-N-Bond. I simply ironed it on to the back of the rainbow striped fabric and cut with my die cut machine. After I peeled the backing off, I was able to place it on the same cut out of Vintage Cream Felt, hit it with an iron again, and fuse the two layers together. I like to back all my fabric pieces with Vintage Cream Felt to give them some weight and help keep the colors in the fabric bright and true.

To see these two techniques in action, just push play on the video:

In addition to glasses and mustaches to add personality, you have the option to add a collar and/or tie or a kerchief as well. I've got video tutorials for those items.

First up the Softie Tie and Collar Die Collection. Click play to see how you add some menswear flair to your softie of choice. I made this Simply Chartreuse doggie in the video.

This particular doggie-themed softie is for a little boy who is being born today. I came up with some additional ideas for adding packaging and a card to round out the gift.

The largest packaging die that PTI has are the Front & Center Dies (two different ones, here and here) that cover the back and front of a paper lunch sack. How fun to totally coordinate your bag colors to your softie?

For my card, I took the Softie Tie & Collar Die to add a matching tie to the Shape Up: Onesie card. Same fabric and everything. Love how this tied everything together.

In addition to the retail tag you saw above with Gadget, there is also a stitched heart tag that is included in the Softie Exclusive Dies. Two stamps from the Design-A-Softie stamp set are designed to fit inside. A single stitch through the softie ear  (an arm and the neck are two other option) secures this in and you just tie off with a bow. Just like regular retail tags, one snip of a pair of scissors on the string and the retail tags are free from the softie.

All in all, a well rounded, sweet gift for a new baby boy.

Next up, the how-to video for the Softie Kerchief Die. Miss Petunia Pig (see...I told you they were fun to name and make!) sports a janty kerchief, because she's such a carefree, fun-loving gal. Click play on the video to learn more:

We've got a few more fun features with Miss Petunia. Small,circular eye dies are working as foot and hand pads. Did you notice? Just a matter of letting your imagination run wild.

We've got a retail tag featuring the multi-step stamp detail to the Design-A-Softie logo. There is an "MSRP" stamp included in the exclusive stamp set. Here, the price to pay is easy and precious. I know a lot of you are planning on making and selling these for charity. Imagine being able to write in your own price here.

I sewed in the kit exclusive tushie pocket in a slightly contrasting color (Hibiscus Burst on top of Raspberry Fizz) and placed a note inside. A few flowers from the Floral Cluster 1 Die (Sewing Staples Kit) embellish the tushie, just like the kerchief on the front. I wanted a little floral design to match the fabric I used on the belly patch.

This time, on the Tushie Note (this die is sized to fit the contours of the Tushie Pocket), I included a handwritten note to my favorite little girl. She is just pleased as punch with all her new friends. She fell asleep tonight with Miss Frosting Cupcake, Petunia, and Stella in her arms and a big smile on her face.

Who's Stella, you ask? Say hello to her. I do a lot of covering just the basics when it comes to these kit releases. With Stella, I gave myself free reign to do whatever I wanted, without having to cross off any boxes on my list of tasks. And this is what we've got. A cute flower child.

Instead of using the ear and ear patch from the Basic Softie die as intended, I created flower petals all the way around her head in shades of Pure Poppy and Hibiscus Burst. I purposely used white floss against the bright colors to allow the stitching take center stage.

It's not hard to see that with different colors and facial expression, you could easily morph Stella into a lion.:)

The closed, lashed eyelids, wide smile, and cute triangular nose are all from the Softie Expression Die Collection. They can be used to make more than just animals. The nose was cut out of Vintage Cream felt, just like the softie body. Noses are subtle in real life. Thus my inspiration. Pink heart buttons on either side of the smile are also included in the exclusive button mix in the Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie kit.

Stella fits inside a Pint Sized Container from the store. I've covered it in Hibiscus Burst Polka Dot Paper with the Pint Sized Wrap Die and filled it with green paper grass. I was thinking, that you could make a bunch of potted pretties like this, by only using the torso of the Basic Softie Die. She looks great just as she is and there is no reason why she would need arms and legs. She's simply a flower in this version.

But, you know, I told you I went all out. And I mean all out. How about some advance iron-on techniques here with Stella? I just wanted to see what was possible.

Holy iron-on, Batman! Miss Stella here is completely covered in iron-on transfer with the exception of her face. The piece of Pure Poppy Satin Ribbon sewn between the front and back of the softie body at the neck and tied in the front can turn this flower head into a bonnet, while at the same time, covering up where the iron on starts and ends on a single cut of Vintage Cream felt. Also of note, the tushie pocket is sewn in the front and topped with a large heart button from the kit. Looks a bit like a diaper.

Let's talk about the iron-on transfer. I used my very first stamp set, Background Basics: Striped Sweater to give my felt softie a knitted look. Large patches of iron-on transfer were stamped and ironed onto Vintage Cream felt. I cut the arms and leg dies in a way that extended the hands and feet beyond the stamped impression.  The iron-on transfer extends past the stamped impression on the arms and legs, however. The iron-on transfer sheets have a slight "feel" to them and I needed to maintain that throughout the limbs.

The back of the softie body for Stella is completely stamped with iron-on transfer, as well.

Like, I said above, Stella was very much experimental for me. In making a softie this way, you end up using a bit more felt with how the dies have to be arranged. You want the pattern to all go in one direction, so you can't take advantage of every bit of felt like you would in a plain, felt softie. And you go through a sheet and a half of iron-on transfer. It was fun and I had to try. Couldn't help myself.

If you want to do this yourself, take your time and really plan it out. And keep in mind, there is a different "feel" to iron-on transfer treated felt. Ear patches and accessories are one thing, a whole body might be another for you. Eliza commented on it last night. She called it "silky". I call it "coated with a very thin layer of plastic". LOL!

I know some of you have concerns about cleaning what will be some very loved on softies. The iron-on transfer might be an alternative for you there. These would wipe clean with a damp cloth. Or, you can hit them with a spray coating of Scotch Guard to make them stain repellent.

In any case, if you don't want to make Stella how I did, there are some take-aways from my experiment. You can see how you could make a lion. And you can make a flower child. Both good ideas, no iron-on transfer needed.

Also, regarding the Pint Size Container and Wrap. After I took all the photos yesterday, Eliza was free to finally play with everything. She put three of her softies in the pint container. They were in a triangle arrangement, standing up, with all their faces sticking out. And it was a really nice fit. You'd really blow the mind of a little girl if you made her three softies and gave them this way. I have a few nieces who might be getting the same gift:).

Wow. That's is it for me. I hope you enjoyed all the details and photos. It's a big kit with big possibilities. Looking forward to seeing the softies you create.

The Quick Stitch Team has even more softies to see. Click on over to view their creations. And remember, if you want to add the Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie to your collection, you don't have to wait long. They go on sale at 10 PM EST on May 1st at www.papertreyink.com.

Tracy Miller
Hilary Kanwischer
Rebecca Luminarias
Lizzie Jones

Supplies

Gadget the Bunny
Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie
Super Gingham
Aqua Mist Cardstock
Spring Moss, Aqua Mist, Smokey Shadow, Lavender Moon, Vintage Cream Felt

Miss Frosting Cupcake
Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie 
Aqua Mist, Hibiscus Burst, Smokey Shadow, Limeade Ice Felt
Fabric

Grant's Teddy Set
Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie 
Background Basics: Random Stripe, Phrase Play #3 stamps and dies, Birthday Style Dies
Aqua Mist Bitty Dot Patterned Paper
Fine Linen, Dark Chocolate, Smokey Shadow, and Vintage Cream felt and cardstock

Baby Boy Doggie Softie Set
Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie 
Front and Center Dies, Shape Up: Onesie Die, Wonderful Words: Baby Die, Smooth Alphabet
Simply Chartreuse Cardstock
Dark Chocolate Stripe Patterned Paper
Simply Chartreuse, Dark Chocolate, Smokey Shadow, Vintage Cream Felt

Petunia the Pig
Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie , Quick Stitch Kit: Sewing Staples
Raspberry Fizz, Hibiscus Burst, Blueberry Sky, Simply Chartreuse, Pure Poppy, Vintage Cream Felt

Stella
Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie 
Background Basics: Striped Sweater
Pint Size Containers and Wraps
Hibiscus Burst Polka Dot
Pure Poppy Satin Ribbon
Vintage Cream, Pure Poppy, Hibiscus Burst Felt

Gingham Birthday

I have a person to celebrate today with a birthday, so I put together a card yesterday for her. Might as well share it here, right?

Maile's new Sentiment Splits stamps and dies make the quickest, most stylish cards ever. I'm into quick right now and these fit the bill. I've got three of the four dies. Can't wait to get the fourth. 

I used paper cuts of the Floral Cluster Die from my Quick Stitch Kit: Sewing Staples to add some dimension on the front. I mentioned this was a quick card, right? But I sewed it? Well, that's easy to do when you are multi-tasking. I put all the bits and pieces at my kitchen island and just waited for a lengthy phone call. I sewed these all while talking to my mom. If I'm doing two things at once, the time doesn't count right?

The inside is stamped with Inside/Out: Birthday II and the exclusive stamp set from the Quick Stitch Kit: Sewing Staples. Just to carry over the theme from the front and show you how both the dies and stamps can be used together on a single project. .

And that's it from me on a beautiful Sunday morning. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Supplies

Stamps: Quick Stitch Kit: Sewing Staples, Sentiment Splits, I/O Birthday II

Dies: Quick Stitch Kit: Sewing Staples (Floral Cluster), Sentiment Splits: Horizontal Curve

Paper: Chicken Scratch Gingham Pad

Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie Sneak!

It's that time again! Hard to believe. Perhaps my excitement and the fun of the April release has sped things up a bit. It's all good in any case. I'm so looking forward to bringing you the Quick Stitch Kit: Design-A-Softie on May 1st at www.papertreyink.com, that I can hardly wait.

This kit was one that I didn't think was even possible. Not that the designing was difficult, but rather, there are lots of bits and pieces for maximum versatility. The kit format is perfect for that! It is all about making adorable, cute, and highly personalized stuffed felt animals and lovies for the kids in your lives. So many options for your creativity to soar. You could make these for years and not have one come out looking like another. The kids in your life will be delighted when they receive these homemade gifts. Or, if they are anything like my kids, will be eagerly watching every stitch and giving input along the way. And Mama better photograph 'em quick, because they've been wanting them as soon as I tie off the last thread. It's our own Build-A-Bear right here at home.

I love making the softies for all the same reasons I enjoy the other stitching die projects I've done over the last few years.  For my kids, however,  it is a special type of magic. The looks on their faces, as they stand right by my side as I put these together, has been one of wonder and delight. Just typing that out makes me smile uncontrollably. We are all enjoying this kit in ways I hadn't anticipated.

So stop by back here on the last day of April for lots of softie inspiration. And start making your own softies when the kit becomes available May 1st at www.papertreyink.com. I promise you'll be smiling too.

Check out more sneaks on Nichole's blog. The girls are blowing me away!

Quick Pint Wrap

Didn't all the girls on the Papertrey Ink design team do amazing yesterday with Seeds of Knowledge, the Pencil Blooms, and Pint Sized Wrap? It was such a delight to click through all their posts and see such creativity! I can hardly wait to make another pencil bouquet.

I've just got one quick project for you today using the pint containers and Pint Sized Wrap. My dad helped me out recently by completely rebuilding three drawers in my daughter's trundle bed. Definitely something that was worthy of a good thank you. Fortunately, with the help of these new products, I was able to pull it all together in just a few minutes. Didn't take me much longer than twenty, really.

Yesterday was all about the pints used as flower pots. You saw the other day how I used one with the clear domes and filled it with mini cards. Today, we're going basic with a pint used as a food container. And it's a masculine one to boot.

I cut the circle in Pint Sized Wrap twice, once in Enchanted Evening and another time in Spring Rain. I then took the smaller rectangle die from Stitched Bookmark, centered it on the Spring Rain circle, and cut again. Now I have a dotted strip with the curves on the side.

It is stamped with a sentiment from Handy Hardware and I used silver card stock to cut the word "Dad" out of the Upper Case Block Alphabet.

The body of the wrap was cut with Pint Size Wrap and stamped with the tools from Handy Hardware. Really turned out looking so neat.

What's inside? A full pound of Planter's Cocoa Almonds. It's a very generously sized gift. (I was thinking yesterday it would be awesome filled with coffee beans. And we have a few coffee themed stamp sets that would be cute.) The joke here is that I keep a three pound carton of these in my pantry from Sam's at all times. They are my morning snack. And my father tries his best to eat as many as possible whenever he comes over. Total pantry raid. Just helps himself. LOL! It's a big of a running joke. So, he knew exactly was was inside the container without even opening it yesterday.

The pint containers are made of a thick waxed paper. SO NICE because they can hold oily (i.e. nuts) or moist items (i.e. baked goods) without leaking or staining the container. And oh-so sturdy. They are designed to hold a full pound of ice cream, after all.

That's it from me. Thanks for stopping by. The pints and the Pint Size Wrap will be available tomorrow night at 10 PM EST at www.papertreyink.com. They are certainly handy to have around.

Supplies
Stamps: Handy Hardware
Dies: Upper Block Alphabet, Stitched Bookmark, Pint Size Dies
Ink: Enchanted Evening
Card stock: Silver, Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain

Seeds of Knowledge

Welcome to Day 4 of the Papertrey Ink Countdown. The team is featuring my new Seeds of  Knowledge stamp set and dies, Pint Sized Wrap, and Pencil Blooms. I'm a lucky girl and can't wait to see what all the girls have been up to.

I've got a project of my own to share. I mentioned the other day that Seeds of Knowledge is a garden-themed teacher appreciation set. The idea was that a bouquet of pencils could be given along with it. Thus, the creation of the Pencil Bloom Dies. These are flower dies with a hole through the middle that perfectly fits a standard No. 2 pencil. And then I was driving down the road thinking this pencil bouquet needed a home one day and pondering how that could be accomplished. Ice cream must have been on my mind, which isn't a stretch, because the idea of using 16 ounce (pint) plain ice cream containers popped into my head. (My previous career was one of a cancer research tech for the National Cancer Institute and we actually used these things all the time to keep samples on ice while out of the deep freeze...how's that for some weird melding of my two careers? First time that's happened. Trust me, let's hope it is the last!)  And then, if only we could wrap them up? Boom! We've got the Pint Size Wraps. You'll see how everything came together to make some great projects.

Here's a look at the whole ensemble. My sweet neighbor popped through my back slider yesterday afternoon, saw this sitting on my kitchen table, and went nuts. It is all very impressive when together and in real life. If you are looking to spoil some teachers, this is the way to do it. Pretty, clever, and so very practical. Just how I like 'em.

Here's my card. I used Pencil Me In to create my pencil background. I really wanted the card to reflect to contents of the bouquet and this was so easy to accomplish using the pencil stamp. The sentiment is from Seeds of Knowledge. And also in Seeds of Knowledge, are three sizes of this two-step flower. The petals and the dots are stamped separately, so you can definitely add some color to this. I have one Pencil Bloom flower at the top as the accent to my baker's twine.

Great sentiment, right? It has a lot of applications. I think it is beautiful for everyday use. But I also think it is appropriate for a special ed classroom/teacher or maybe words of encouragement for parents who are gifted with a special needs child. Every child is special and in the eyes of a parent, loved beyond belief for just who they are! Celebrate that.

Here's a shot of my bouquet from the top. I used 22 pencils that I bought in a pack of 24, pre-sharpened for less than $2. I used a piece of florist foam that I cut to fit inside the pint container. There is a circle die that is included in the Pint Size Wrap and I place that on top of the florist foam inside the container. Then I just started filling in my pencils. Because they are pre-sharpened, they pieced the paper and foam like butter.

Here's a hint, save all that Easter grass you've got laying around. It works great in a pencil bouquet. I raided my kids' baskets!

After I had my pencils in, I placed my Pencil Blooms. I honestly felt like a florist and was having a ball!

 This seal and sunburst are two separate images from Seeds of Knowledge. The seal in particular was designed for the pencil bouquets. Check out the "no. 2 variety" stamp. Love that touch.

Also, the seeds of knowledge seal fits our 1.75" Limitless Layers Dies and the sunburst fits the 2.5" Limitless Layers Circles.

Check out the pint container. It is covered two cuts of the Pint Size Wrap Die in the Pure Poppy Patterned Paper Collection. Very easy to do! The paper cuts slide underneath the rim of the container, making the pint container  look like it is printed this way.

I used the lid of the pint containers as my flower pot saucer. Two 8.5" x 0.5" strips of paper are used to cover it. Just use your trimmer.  I also think you could go to town here with your washi tape collection. Would be the perfect application.

Lastly, on just the outer ring of pencils, I double knotted small cuts of Simply Chartreuse Satin ribbon as leaves. It really helped fill out my bouquet and created more of an illusion that these are real flowers.

I've been thinking that lots of people would love a pencil bouquet. They are not just for teachers. What about kids on their first day of school? A teenager on the morning of taking the SAT? Somebody starting a new job or going back to school after a long absence? I personally can't wait to make them on the first day of tax season for my husband's staff next year. (Even if I'm so much closer to celebrating the end of tax season this week...WHOOPEE!!!!)  They'll look beautiful and cheery on a desk and even long after you start harvesting pencils to use, the bouquet will keep looking spiffy because I use so many pencils.

Hope you enjoyed. I love these little projects. More inspiration is just a click away. And remember, all these products and more will be available April 15th at 10 PM EST at www.papertreyink.com.

Supplies
Stamps: Seeds of Knowledge, Pencil Me In
Dies: Pencil Blooms, Pint Size Wrap, 1.75" Limitless Layers Circles, 2.5" Limitless Layers Circles
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Harvest Gold, Stamper's Select White
Ink: Harvest Gold, Hibiscus Burst, Pure Poppy, Simply Chartreuse, Soft Stone, True Black
Simply Chartreuse Satin Ribbon
Pure Poppy Patterned Paper Collection

Pencil Pouch Stitching Dies

It's  Day 3 of the Papertrey Ink April Countdown and I'm here to show you a new addition to my stitching die line up with the Pencil Pouch. We've got a ton of pencil themed products (more to come tomorrow!) this month. I just had to throw my two cents in.

At this point, I've done quite a few stitching projects. Each one has had its quirks and challenges on the design-side of things. The Pencil Pouch is the one I've felt I put the most design work into. Things are not just functional this time around. There was definitely decisions made for the sake of style and form. I'll always remember it as the stitching die that put me in a grouchy mood. LOL!  I just couldn't crack it initially. Spent a little time one rainy afternoon hammering away at Illustrator and got nowhere. Then I learned that I'm one of those creative types that gets grouchy when something doesn't work. I was fit to be tied making dinner that night over it. I'm throwing pots around, viciously cutting up carrots, took the potatoes beyond the word "mashed". I say this all with great amusement. Good thing I figured it out after a few days. I'd have hated to see what I would have done to some poor chicken breasts.

The initial idea that was floated by me was that Nichole wanted a pencil pocket to put on the front of the Moments Inked Planner. And that's what we've got for you today. But as with anything, once you start working with it, you see so many other possibilities. Let's start with the planner first, shall we?

As you can see, mission accomplished. Here is a Raspberry Fizz Pencil Pouch held to the Moments Inked Planner with a ruched elastic band. Small Basic Grey Magnets (you can get them at Amazon, free shipping if you've got Prime...they were cheaper a few weeks ago for some reason), are sewn into little pockets and keep it closed. There are other ways to to keep it closed, as the other girls and myself are going to show you today.

The magnets are hidden in the pockets. You can't see them when the Pencil Pouch is finished. The metal circles you are seeing here are merely a decorative add-on I found. You can get iron-on discs at your fabric store in the section with iron on patches and bedazzler supplies. These were purchased 30/$4, even less with a coupon. They simply iron on. Great little things. You'll see in one of the tutorial videos how they work.

The Pencil Pouch is one piece of felt that is folded up into thirds.

The folding creates a pocket to hold a pen or pencil inside. Here you see the cooresponding magnets on the inside that keep it shut.

One the back are two sewn rectangles that serve as channels for your elastic band to keep the Pencil Pouch attached to your planner. You can find 1/2" to 5/8" elastic at your local fabric store. The "fold over" stuff has seemed to become popular of late and comes in so many colors, styles, and patterns. You can have a lot of fun by making the type of elastic you choose part of  your overall design.

There is a simple and secure way to create the elastic loop included in the Pencil Pouch die. Don't worry, I've got you covered there!

The Pencil Pouch can also double as a bookmark with your planner by holding tight the pages you are finished with to the cover. Build in some extra slack into the elastic loop if you intend to use it this way. Come October you are going to need it!

Check out the elastic I used here. It is super fancy with a ruched texture. Nice, huh?

Now that you've seen the pictures of the first one, how about the basic assembly video so you can see how it comes together?



I mentioned above that there are alternative ways to close up the Pencil Pouch other than using magnets. I provided you dies in the Pencil Pouch Stitching Dies that allow you to sew in elastic bands anchored in the back that then hook over buttons sewn in the front. Just like this....

The elastic bands I'm using are hair bands. We all have them, all used them to put ponytails in our hair or the hair of our favorite little girls. You can find them anywhere, are super cheap, come in a nice range of colors, and look very finished because they are wrapped in nylon thread.

In addition to the Pencil Pouch Die, I designed the Pencil Pouch Trim Die that can be purchased separately. This die allows you to add an additional color layer to the front if you so choose. It is a nice option to have. I used it on this Pencil Pouch to add Heat'N'Bond treated floral fabric. Here's a video on how to work with that material.

My new personal policy when using fabric with stitching dies is to iron them on to a matching felt cut in Vintage Cream. So on this one, I cut the Pencil Pouch Trim out of fabric and Vintage Cream Felt. The Heat'N'Bond allowed me to iron them together and then I stitched it onto the main body of my Pencil Pouch. This just allows the color and pattern on the fabric to stay true, and not have the colors of the layer below show through, muddling the color of the print.

The elastic hair bands are sewn into channels on the back of the Pencil Pouch to anchor them securely.

This Pencil Pouch does not have a elastic loop sewn in the back to put it on the planner or notebook. Instead, it is very independent! I have a few cosmetics in it for my purse.

There has been a bit of discussion on the PTI DT forum about what additional items this item can hold in a ladies purse. I'm not shy about talking about some stuff, especially if it is super handy. Let's just say that there are items that a lady might need once a month that can be cleverly hidden in ones' purse this way and leave it at that. The Pencil Pouch is the perfect size. I'm sure ya'll know what I mean.

Here's a video to show you how to put in the elastic bands, how the Pencil Pouch Trim Die works, and some discussion on which sizes of hairbands to use and buy.



Here's a photo of the Pencil Pouch I made in the video.

I used some large polka dot buttons I got at a fabric store. Between hair band colors, elastic patterns, styles, and colors, felt vs. fabric, and buttons, you'll have a lot of fun designing with the Pencil Pouch Stitching Dies! There is so much possibility for variation and personalization.

For my last Pencil Pouch share, I have this one I made for my daughter. I took a composition notebook and covered it with Stamper's Select Cardstock. Then I just went to town stamping stars from Simple Stars and Super Stars stamp sets in shades of Tropical Teal, Aqua Mist, Royal Velvet, and Winter Wisteria. So much fun with this project!

I used the iron-on metal discs again.This time, instead of just placing them in the circles intended for the magnet pockets, I created a line of them right down the front. So snazzy.

And check out the elastic. Just pause for a second and appreciate the fact that glitter elastic even exists in this world. It is a thing of beauty.

I think my favorite part of this project is the use of the sentiment in Super Stars. The stamp set has these sentiments with dotted, curved lines that are designed to trail after a stamped star on your paper project. Here I have them trailing off of a star I put on the Pencil Pouch. LOVE it. Ties everything together.

For the star, it is cut out of Winter Wisteria felt with the Coffee Cozy Detail Dies. I also cut one out of Winter Wisteria paper. I sewed the two together, with the cardstock providing stability to the single layered felt star. Then I hot glued it to my Pencil Pouch. I'm sure when I ironed on that metal disc on the top of the star, the glue melted and merged into the felt even more, making a secure bond. Easy as pie.

Moving on, I have a bonus project today (like I did yesterday) using the Pencil Me In and Pencilgrams stamp sets as well as the Write Stuff Holder Dies being released this month. I created a cute little crayon gift using the Vintage Favor Box and Just a Little Something stamp set.

The Write Stuff Holder Dies are used on the surface of the Vintage Favor Box to hold three crayons. I made sure I lined the backside of this so the box contents don't show through. On top of the crayons, I made a label using Mat Stack 1 and Layerz Dies. Very thin Scor-Tape on the tops of the folded up parts of the Write Stuff Holder Dies keep it attached.

The sides of the box are stamped with the frames from Just a Little Something and inside I stamped my daughter's name using the new Pencilgrams set. Sweet!

Here's a look at the Mat Stack 1 label I created. I used all those fun doodles from Pencil Me In to create my own patterned paper. I then used the dies and stamps from Just a Little Something to create my focal point and banner. The sentiment is from Pencil Me In.

I cut four sheets of Stamper's Select White Cardstock into 2.5" squares to put in my box. Just little pieces of paper to draw and create with. This would be a good airplane gift or something to keep a child busy in a restaurant. And don't forget the "just because" gift...those sometimes are the best kind.

Thanks for joining me today. Here's a link back to Nichole's blog so you can see more projects. All these products will be available on April 15th at 10 PM EST at www.papertreyink.com  if you are interested in adding them to your collection.


Supplies

Pencil Pouches
Pencil Pouch Dies, Pencil Pouch Trim Dies, PTI felt, various notions

Crayon Box
Stamps: Pencil Me In, Pencilgrams, Just a Little Something
Dies: Vintage Favor Box, Just a Little Something, Mat Stack 1, Mat Stack Layer
Ink: Blueberry Sky, Winter Wisteria, Royal Velvet, Hibiscus Burst
Cardstock: Winter Wisteria, Hibiscus Burst
Patterned Paper: Pencil Me In Collection