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