garden variety revisited

Happy March everyone! Here in Minnesota, we are digging out from over 9" of snow that fell yesterday. I think winter is making up for lost time. My girls enjoyed a snow day at home and what's a snow day without a snowman?

The beginning of the month also means the Papertrey Ink senior design team challenge and this month we are all thinking spring and dreaming of warmer weather with the Garden Variety set. I love so many things about this set: the images, the vintage feel, the sentiments, the coordinating seed packet die... It is rare that this set is not on my desk and the images find their way into many projects.

I turned to Pinterest for some inspiration on incorporating seed packets into a project. I found the following card from the Martha Stewart website and used the concept as a jumping off point for my project:

 

photo from the Martha Stewart website

I created a little accordian style mini book that also doubles as a bit of spring decoration for my home! The base is a 12x12 kraft paper that I cut into 4" strips and then folded every 3". I wanted 6 panels so I could spell out the word "spring" and ended up using 2 folded strips attached together to get the right length. I didn't do anything fancy on the back side of the base because I really want this to stand up like a display vs. put it away folded up into my mini book basket.

The seed packets are die cut from Fine Linen cardstock and then I used a patterned paper from Studio Calico as the "frame" on the front of the seed packet. The inside of the frame is stamped with images and sentiments from the Garden Variety set on Rustic White cardstock and then I distressed the edges with a combination of Fine Linen and Classic Kraft ink. I spelled out the word "spring" across the book using the Upper Block Alphabet die collection cut from kraft cardstock.

I put cards cut from white cardstock measuring 2 1/4" x 3 1/2" with the corners rounded in each seed packet pocket. My plan is to add photos from this spring - I am thinking little 2" square instagram type photos - to each card.

I stamped a little something on each card with Smokey Shadow ink. If you have gotten the new Smokey Shadow ink, you are going to notice it is quite a bit darker that the previous ink. At first, I wasn't sure I liked it. I wanted my "other" gray color back! Now, I am in love. I love the color of this ink and find myself reaching for it more than my True Black. I like the lighter tone when you stamp off - it's so pretty.

I am excited to fill this little book up this spring!

See what the rest of the design team came up with for their projects with Garden Variety: Betsy, Dawn, Danielle (filling in for Maile this month), and Melissa.

Supplies:

all supplies from Papertrey Ink unless noted

Spring Accordian Mini Book

stamps: Garden Variety, Tags for Spring

ink: Ripe Avocado, Spring Rain, Fine Linen, Classic Kraft, Smokey Shadow

cardstock: kraft, white, Rustic White, Fine Linen, patterned paper (Studio Calico), 12x12 kraft (Bazzill)

other: Spring Rain twill ribbon, seed packet die, seed packet frame die, upper block alphabet dies, corner chomper (We R Memory Keepers), tiny attacher (Ranger)

Here are some other projects that I have created using the Garden Variety set...

I reshared this scrapbook page of Hana very recently during the Papertrey 5th anniversary celebrations - it was a favorite project that I created this past year!

You might remember this from a Make it Monday from last year. Garden Variety is used in the background of the main image area - one of my favorite ways to use this set.

I used it in the background of this card...

and this one...

And most recently I used it again in the background of this card that uses the new anniversary set.

I know you will see more in the future from me and Garden Variety :)

See you again very soon for sneak peeks for the March release!