Bibliophile Day 1

Welcome to the first day of the July 2015 Papertrey Ink Countdown! I've got a really fun collection this month that is so very near and dear to my reader's heart.

I am a lifelong bibliophile. It's my first love since I cracked the spine of that very first Ramona Quimby book as a six year old. I never looked back. I used to get in trouble for reading too much as a  kid. Mom wanted me outside playing a bit more. (Now that I'm a parent, I totally get it!) In 5th grade, I was the first kid to win the school reading challenge by November. 5000 minutes of reading was quite the feat.  Now, as an adult, one of my biggest guilty secrets is the number of books I have on my Kindle. I'm not going to admit the number to anybody. Just can't resist the $1.99 and $2.99 book deals! I'll get to them all one day. Or at least that is what I keep telling myself as I check out the various deal websites and click the "buy" button.

I know there are other avid readers/stampers out there too (we've got to do something when the crafty mojo isn't working, right...heaven forbid we do something like the laundry), so I hope you love the Bibliophile stamp set and the various add-ons as much as I do. It is a match made in heaven for me.

So, let's start at the very beginning. The fall is what I call "illustrating season" for us PTI'ers. We submit ideas for the upcoming year and things get decided upon around Halloween. While I was in the midst of all of that last year, my Stitched Bookmark came out. I found myself wanting some type of stamp to go in the opening. And to me, that opening looked like a book spine. That little kernel of an idea was all it took to flourish into a whole stamp set with a few coordinating dies.

 

I figured I'd start at the beginning with my first share with some Stitched Bookmarks with the book spine art stamped in the opening. There are eight different quotes by authors about books in the Bibliophile stamp set. And they are all arranged to look like they are book spine art.  All the various decorative elements can be mixed and matched so each project is unique.

My Stitched Bookmarks are made of paper with Topnotch Twill "tassels". I was inspired by Laura's bookmark last year. The Stitched Bookmarks out of three layers of paper (you sandwich a back, front, and middle) and stitched up is such a sturdy, substantial version of a classic. The stitching provides a lot of durability, I think. And looks fabulous. A good project to finish up while watching television. I know I'm a felt girl, but I think I prefer the paper on these to the felt.

Here's a close up of one of the quotes. I have a hard time reading a book-related quote without feeling like it is speaking directly to me. The added decorative piece toward the top is part of the Bibliophile die collection.

And here's the close up of the other two book spine quotes on this trio of projects. Remember, there are five more!

Like any little jumping point of an idea, it evolves into so much more over time. This set and die collections are so much more than just bookmarks. I've just got one other bookmark to show you later in the week. Other than that, I've got other types of projects. Always amazes me how one thing can turn into so many other things. :)

To give you a little taste of what is to come, a card share using the Bibliophile dies and a sentiment from the Bibliophile stamp set. The Bibliophile die set is made up of various "book spines" and additional details to personalize them. I made myself a row of rainbow books on this card using a ton of different patterned papers. Great way to use up scraps.

I was a bit overzealous with my trimming of the opening edge of the card. Accidentally shaved off the right side of the purple book. I had a mere 1/32th of an inch of white showing that I thought I could fix. Should have just left it. In any case, I wanted to mention it because if you want to recreate this look on your own, this arrangement of book spines fits nicely across a vertical A2 card. If you just leave a itsy-bitsy little smidgen of a space between them, you could totally make up that 1/32th inch on the edge and not have to trim anything.

LOTS more to come. I'm really enjoy this set. And I've got a few little surprises along the way as well. :) Check back over the next few days to see what they are.

Bibliophile stamps and dies will be available on 7/15 at 10 PM EST at www.papertreyink.com if you are interested in adding them to your collection. :) Thanks for stopping by.

More inspiration from the July release can be linked through Nichole's blog. It's a great release with lots of fun to see.

Supplies

Stitched Bookmarks
Stamps: Bibliophile
Dies: Stitched Bookmark, Bibliophile
Cardstock: Classic Kraft, Berry Sorbet, Aqua Mist
Patterned Paper: Berry Sorbet Simple Stripe, Harvest Gold Bitty Dot and Polka Dot
Topnotch Twill: Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet, and Classic Kraft

This Life Is Sweeter Than Fiction Card
Stamps: Bibliophile
Dies: Bibliophile
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Pure Poppy, Terracotta Tile, Summer Sunrise, Spring Moss, Tropical Teal, and Plum Pudding
Patterned Paper: It's Official, Damask Designs, Clipster's Mini Market Kit, Bitty Dot Basics, Green Boutique, Happy Spots