Impressive, To Die For Tips & Tricks!

It's the first of the month and you know what that means in Papertrey land...the Sr. Design Team challenge!  This month Nichole challenged us to use the new dies and impression plates. What a fitting way to finish off a whole week of diecutting fun!  :-)

I've got a few techniques to show you.  The first thing I did was ink my impression plates before sending them through my machine.  It almost resembles a letterpress look!  Very fun! For the top portion of the card I used the Polka Dot Basics II plate with Raspberry Fizz ink and on the bottom I used the Giga Guidelines plate with Hawaiian Shores.  You don't need to be fussy...a little of the ink is going to get in between the raised design, but just go for it...it looks so pretty! 

Then there's the center kraft strip...what's that, a new impression plate, you ask?  Nope, I just diecut some kraft flowers using Beautiful Blooms #2 dies and adhered them to kraft cardstock.  I LOVE the tone-on-tone look that it gives. 

And lastly, notice the sentiment?  That's one of the embellishments from the Color Couture Vol I.  I embossed it with the Polka Dot Basics II embossing plate.  It's a great way to dress up those diecuts and give them a little more interest and texture.  I just layed the cut-out on the edge of my impression plate and ran it through my machine to emboss the top, then flipped it around and embossed the bottom.  This leaves the sentiment un-embossed and gives it a fun look! 

Here's just a few ideas for different things you can do with your new dies and impression plates!  For even more ideas, visit the rest of the Senior Team girls...

Lisa Johnson
Dawn McVey
Heather Nichols
Michelle Wooderson
Guest Designer Kelly Purkey

And before I go, Nichole asked us to share some storage ideas for the new dies.  I'll admit, I'm not real organizationally savvy...I'm a toss and go kind of organizer.  If I can't toss it in a basket, bin, or bucket, chances are it won't get put back in its place.  Call me lazy.  So this is how I am storing my Papertrey dies...

I had a spot underneath my stamp shelf, so I screwed some little cup hooks into the bottom and hung some small metal buckets (from the Target Dollar Spot!) on the hooks.  One holds flowers, one for labels and such and another for miscellaneous things.  Not too technical, but it's what works for me...toss and go.

Right now my tall border dies and impression plates are in a larger bucket with my small collection of Copics.  This will probably have to change as my collection of markers and dies/plates grows, but it works for now. 

 
  

 

 Cardstock:  Vintage Cream, Kraft
Ink: Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz
Dies:  Beautiful Blooms II #2, Rick Rack border
Impression plates: Polka Dot Basics II, Giga Guidelines
Other:   Color Couture Vol 1 embellishment, Aqua Mist Saddle Stitch ribbon, Sweet Blush button, Rustic Jute button twine, scallop scissors