A Little Birdie Told Me Giveaway

Good Friday peeps,

Who doesn't love a giveaway?  I know here at paper wings productions we love sharing our stamps with our peeps.  Today, I have a really easy giveaway for you.  To win a stamp set of your choice all you need to do is comment on this post answering this question: "What do you look forward to seeing from paper wings productions in the future?"

Want more chances to win?  Just comment each time you have done one of the following:

1. Become a follower of The Aviary.  If you are already a follower, just comment and let us know that.
2. Like us on Facebook.  If you already like us on Facebook, just comment and let us know that.
3. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about our A Little Birdie Told Me Giveaway.  Like: "Have you heard @PaperWingsProd is having a giveaway on their blog?"
4. Send a friend who enters our giveaway (each friend is an extra chance)
5. Become a member of our flickr group.  If you are already a member, just comment and let us know that.

So, you have at least 6 chances to win if you do all of these things.  You have until next Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. central to enter.  We will post the winner here on The Aviary on Friday, April 6, 2012.

Good luck!

Take flight,
Shay.

Show and Tell: Hey Cupcake and Let's Eat Cake

Good day peeps,

I have some scrumptious stamp sets for show and tell today from handmade by Lissie girl: Hey Cupcake and Let's Eat Cake.  These are some go-to stamp sets for all your celebrations: birthdays; weddings; anniversaries; births; adoptions; congratulations; retirement; gratitude; holidays; and encouragement.  Cakes and cupcakes are also gender neutral which is always such a necessary thing for the cardmakers out there.

Now on to the icing:

Aren't these stamps delicious?  How can you resist these tempting treats?  I sure can't. 

Take flight,
Shay.

Thank You!

Good Monday peeps,

First, thank you so very much to everyone who came to the launch party Saturday.  It was a pleasure to not only visit with everyone, but to see the marvelous cards and tags that were made.  I know it was an incredibly gratifying experience to see the paper wings productions stamps in action and being used in completely new and exciting ways. 

I wanted to let you know that we are starting up a flickr group so that you can share anything you make using paper wings productions stamps there.  Having seen what everyone created while at my table, I know everyone will want to see them too...I was thrilled with the art made.  When we begin our challenges (which will be coming up soon, so look forward to more details then) you can upload your entries to our flickr group here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/paperwingsproductions/  If you have any issues with flickr, please let me know.  Or if you prefer not to post to flickr, you can email us pictures of your projects or links to your blog or an online gallery.

Many thanks to you for all your support...you inspire us with your kindness, grace and creativity.

Take flight,
Shay.


Bird Seed: Jane Smith has the super sweet tag she created up on her blog-- http://inkyjane.blogspot.com/

Let's Party!

Good morning peeps,

Tomorrow is our launch party at Stamp Antonio.  How would you like a chance to play with the paper wings stamps?  Meet the designers?  Chat with fellow stamp enthusiasts?  We would love to have you join us.

Take flight,
Shay.

Show and Tell: Banner and Happy Day

Happy day peeps,

Today's show and tell will bring a spring to your step.  Banner and Happy Day by handmade by Lissie girl work so well together and also work well with all of the other paper wings productions stamps.  I think you will find them very versatile and fun stamp sets.  Do you have a project that needs a little banner on it? Imagine draping a little banner over a favorite framed photo. Or using the little banners to decorate for a party. Use the banner image to label pictures in scrapbook layouts. 

Here are some more ideas:

How about a couple of stellar samples from Julie Mogford? I always love what she comes up with.

Don't these stamps just make everything seem a little brighter?  What would you use them for?  We would love to know and if you have used them, please share.  Have a very happy day!

Take flight,

Shay.

Show and Tell: Birds of a Feather and Home Tweet Home

Good evening peeps,

How are you enjoying the show and tells so far?  I know Julie Mogford and I have been having a great time playing with all the stamps and really challenging ourselves to come up with new ways to showcase them.  In fact, I have a few more ideas for Milagros kicking around in my head right now and I may need to get those done while the ideas are fresh.  Today, though we are going to do a show and tell on some really fanciful stamp sets by handmade by Lissie girl: Birds of a Feather and Home Tweet Home.

This pretty sample comes to us from Julie:

Are you excited to get your hands on these birdies?  I am sure they would love to go home with you.   

Take flight,

Shay.

Show and Tell: Frida Por Vida and Milagros

Good evening peeps (or rather early morning),

Are you excited about Saturday's party?  We are thrilled to share with you more about our stamps and get to know you better.  Make sure to stop by Stamp Antonio for make & takes, demos and stamping talk.  All of our stamps will be available for purchase should you wish to take some home with you.

How about seeing more about handmade by Lissie girl's Frida Por Via and Milagros?  I am completely charmed by these sets. 

This is merely scratching the surface of what each of these stamp sets can do.  Please come back for more samples and to share some of your own.

Take flight,

Shay.

Show and Tell: Flourish Fun and Flourish Fun 2

Good day peeps,

I finish up Show and Tell of Julie Mogford's stamps from our first release today with Flourish Fun and Flourish Fun 2.  I think of these stamps as workhorses as flourishes can be used in so many ways...Julie really outdid herself with her thoughtful designs.  Rather than just boring you with writing let's see the stamps in action in Julie's fantastic samples.

I hope this has encouraged you to put these flourishes to work!  Can you come up with some new ways to use Flourish Fun and Flourish Fun 2?  We would love to hear your thoughts and/or see what you have created.

Coming attractions: future installments of Show and Tell with the fabulous stamps by handmade by Lissie girl.  

Take flight,
Shay.

Show and Tell: Whimsical Pattern Alphabet

Good morning peeps,

I am excited to do a Show and Tell for Julie Mogford's Whimsical Pattern Alphabet today.  All the samples for today's demonstration are courtesy of Julie Mogford.

In a very usable lowercase font, there are four fun alternating patterns which give any project a distinctive and playful attitude no matter what style you employ. 

I think Julie did a stellar job in showing how this alphabet can be used in all sorts of ways to give your projects a touch of whimsy.  What do you think of the Whimsical Pattern Alphabet? How would you use them?   

Take flight,

Shay.

Show and Tell: Frothy Concoctions & Play with Your Coffee

Good day peeps!

We have so many great stamps available for our first release.  Today, I wanted to show more about a couple of the stamp sets designed by Julie Mogford.  I like to think of Frothy Concoctions and Play with Your Coffee as companion stamp sets.  Several of the items from each of the stamp sets can be used with each other and these stamp sets are pretty interactive.  Let me show you a bit more of these unique interactive properties.

By no means is this all you can do with these delicious stamp sets.  Thanks to Julie Mogford, I have several delightful samples to do a proper Show and Tell.

After seeing Julie's samples I am buzzing to ink up her Frothy Concoctions and Play with Your Coffee.  How about you?  Do you have another way of using these stamps?  We would love for you to have your own Show and Tell.

Take flight,
Shay.

Clear & Cling?

Good day peeps,

Perhaps you happened upon our website and noticed that we offer both clear and cling (rubber) stamps.  I know that most people who have stamped a few times have developed a preference for one or the other.  Although both give clean impressions, there are some different advantages of each.  When choosing whether a stamp set is clear or cling, Carrie and the designers think about these advantages.

Why Clear?

When a stamp set is clear one of the main reasons is for ease of use and placement.  Because the stamp is clear, you can easily see exactly where you are stamping.  This is especially helpful when you are using stamps that are designed to work with each other.  For instance Playing with Your Coffee (image below) the marshmallows are designed to be added to either the coffee cup or mug.  Since you can see through the marshmallows you can align them exactly where you want them in your cup or mug.  There is no second guessing or need for an additional tool to stamp the marshmallows where you want them.  

Another unique property of the clear stamps are their flexibility.  If you will notice on the Banner stamp set (image below), the sentiments are slightly curved, but should you wish a sentiment to be straight across, you can curve the actual clear stamp to that position.  Likewise if a sentiment is straight you can curve it.  Another advantage of clear stamps is personalization, for instance in the image below if you really want the happy and birthday separate with a careful clipping you can have two separate stamps rather than one.  

Why Cling?

Longtime stamp enthusiasts are often also lovers of red rubber for their durability, clarity of stamped images and detail.  Rubber works well with a multitude of coloring mediums like inks, markers, paint and even bleach to name a few.  This makes them ideal for mixed medium projects.  Additionally the rubber gives us the ability to make some images larger.  For instance the San Antonio Missions stamp sets come in both clear and cling, but they are not the same size.  The cling missions are larger.

Which do you prefer: clear or cling?   We would love to hear what you think. 

Take flight,

Shay.

Introduction to Shay of postscript press

Yes, I am back again, peeps.


I get the job of introducing myself now. There is a special sort of torture experienced when writing up something about one's self I think....

My name is Shay and I design under the postscript press name.  Once I start writing, I seem to go on and on (as you will soon see) so I will make this part of it snappy.  I love stamps.  I buy them, dream of them, talk about them, covet them, create with them and now design them.  My wish as a designer is to create stamps that will make you want to play and explore with joy and without censor.  With the Framers I really tried to think of ways to make stamps that could be used with stamps you already have or will buy in the future.  I would love to see what you have made with them or any paper wings productions stamps.  For more about me and an introduction of the Framers you can visit my blog: verdigris hall.

Let's get to the Ten Things Questionnaire already!  My answers are in blue:

One of your favorite books from childhood?

Meet John F. Kennedy, Jr.—perhaps not my favorite book, but it was the book that began my lifelong passion for reading after that I read other biographies and then moved on to series like Nancy Drew.

Two trends that you will never stop loving no matter how wrong?

Design trends from my childhood—woodgrain, clouds, rainbows, raindrops, chevrons, owls, huge florals, gnomes and trolls…and doilies—I should be over them, but I am not.

Georgian or Regency anything…well not anything, but you get the idea.  Jane Austen is top drawer.  This should not be confused with the Victorian era which I am not as keen on.

Three of your roles in life?

Daughter

Sister

Observer

Four of your favorite art tools?

Stamps

Coloring agents

Cutting instruments

Paper in its various forms

Five places you want to visit?

In the United States: Maine, Pacific Northwest, New Orleans, California, New York City, Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C.

Montreal

India

New Zealand and Australia

Europe

Six sources of inspiration?

History

Magazines

Blogs

Books

People and things that filter through my life

Showers—my best thinking seems to be done then

Seven people that you wish to thank?

My mom who is unflagging in her support and still runs circles around me with her tenacity and energy.  She’s fierce, courageous, passionate and willing to risk opening her heart despite any past hurt.

My dad who deserves a story from decades ago, but only gets this acknowledgement of how much his taste in movies, shows, humor and literature has shaped my own and how much I appreciate his support no matter what I do.

My sister who is the wind beneath my wings.

My grandparents who were unreserved and unconditional in their love.

My uncle Ben who has shown me a generosity that is unparalleled; my aunt Pat who has always shown me a great deal of love and support.

My extended family and friends because they have each touched my life in an indelible way.

Rocky—there are so many Rockies in my life.  Like my first pet rock (surely his name was Rocky) or my first pet a black cat named Rocky or Rocky Balboa.  They each taught me something: that throwing a rock into a pond will cause ripples; that a rock is solid, steadfast, useful and beautiful; to keep on punching even when the odds are against you; and that we will lose our loved ones, but never the love we felt for them. 

Eight totally random bits of information:

1.   Do you like silence, listen to music or watch something as you create?

I usually put on a tv show or dvd.  I particularly like children’s films while working like The Incredibles, Howe’s Moving Castle, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-rabbit…something I can play over and over again.  On especially long days I may put in Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

2.   Do you cook?

Yes, I do.  I am a Sunday dinner and special occasions cook.

3.   Velma, Fred, Daphne, Shaggy or Scooby?

Velma, I did go to Mount Holyoke College after all.  But I think in the end I am more like Shaggy—clueless, hiding under the bed, loving my dogs and eating a lot.

4.   If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Extraordinary powers of communication and perception

5.   A book you would like to live in?

Lost in a Good Book or any Thursday Next book--the idea of living in a book within a book tickles me

6.   How many pets?

Six dogs.  Yes, I said it.  I can talk about them for hours…it’s shameful.

7.   What talent do you wish you had?

So many!  Up there is the ability to speak and write in more languages than basic English, regrettably I am rather horrid at languages.

8.   Who do you wish would decorate your house?

Either Candice Olson because her interiors are lovely or the Novogratz duo because their designs are fun, funky and fresh. 

Nine items on or in your desk/worktable?

Oh so messy.  To name a few things: stamps on and off acrylic blocks; markers; inks; paper—cardstock, 6x6 pads, scraps, full sheets and tiny bits; water bottles for drinking and using for cleaning stamps, spritzing in my mini spray bottle and to use with paints and brushes; tags; soft gel medium; adhesive; many containers full of lots more stuff.

Ten colors you could not live without?

White, black, gray, brown, blue, red, yellow, green, pink and orange

For particular hues I tend to gravitate towards:

all forms of blue-green or green-blue like sky blue, pool, aqua, viridian, verdigris, turquoise, teal, spearmint green and midnight blue; navy; cherry red; fuchsia; coral; olive green; citrus colors like lime green, lemon yellow, tangerine, grapefruit and blood orange; crisp white; inky black; fawn brown/kraft and all grays

There you have it.  I hope you have enjoyed finding out more about us.  Check back soon (and often) for more introductions.

Take flight,
Shay.

Introduction to Liz H. Balderas of handmade by Lissie girl

Hello again peeps!


I have the honor to introduce you to someone I have recently met, but am a big admirer of already.  Liz H. Balderas of handmade by Lissie girl is an unbelievable artist and how could you not tell by the 9 (!?!) stamp sets she illustrated this initial release such as Frida Por Vida, Birds of a Feather, Home Tweet Home, Let's Eat Cake and Milagros?!?  You really will want to go to her Facebook page and see her work.  Like everyone here at paper wings productions you will probably become a huge fan of her winsome, sweet and lovely work.


Here are her answers to the 10 Things Questionnaire.  Liz's answers are in green:

One of your favorite books from childhood?

Madeline – Ludwig Bemelmans

Two trends that you will never stop loving no matter how wrong?

Shabby chic

Bold graphics/patterns

Three of your roles in life?

Wife, mother and designer

Four of your favorite art tools?

X-Acto knife

Prismacolor colored pencils

Acrylic craft paints

Newspaper (for paper mache)

Five places you want to visit?

Paris, Barcelona, Dubai, Athens and Tokyo

Six sources of inspiration?

My girls ~ Mia, Nadia and Liv

Vintage graphics

Mexican Retablo art

Folk art

Illustrators ~ Lorraine Fox and Mary Blair

Etsy Blog ~ Featured Seller interviews 

Seven people that you wish to thank?

My husband Rene, my girls Mia, Nadia, Liv, and my sisters ~ especially my sister Karen she passed away in 2010 and she has been my inspiration to do what makes me happy ~ and crafting makes me happy!

Eight totally random bits of information:

1.   Do you like silence, listen to music or watch something as you create?

Well I love to listen to music but when I finally get to work on my craft projects it’s usually late at night and everyone is asleep so I have to create in silence.

2.   Do you cook?

Yes I do, although I usually take the weekend off from cooking duties except for making a big breakfast every Sunday.

3.   Velma, Fred, Daphne, Shaggy or Scooby?

I’m a nerd, so Velma I guess.

4.   If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Mind control ~ I could make my family do things they don’t ever want to do, that would be fun!

5.   A book you would like to live in?

Alice in Wonderland

6.   How many pets?

No pets, we have tried but haven’t been successful.

7.   What talent do you wish you had?

I wish I could sew and weld

8.   Who do you wish would decorate your house?

Interior designers Sheila Bridges and Roman & Williams are so talented, I also love Ray & Charles Eames and Greene & Greene. 

Nine items on or in your desk/worktable?

It’s always a big mess; laptop, printer, glass jars filled with brushes, pens, pencils, paper mache forms, newspaper, cutting mat, water bottle, and a box filled with wooden spools.

Ten colors you could not live without?

Black, gray, brown, white, beige, greige, sage green, slate, sky blue and purple.

I can't wait to get to know Liz more and see everything she does in the future!


Take flight,
Shay.

Introduction to Julie Mogford

Hello peeps!

I have the pleasure of introducing you to Julie Mogford of Starlight Windsong.  Not only does she design fun and versatile stamps using her years of stamping experience like Flourish Fun 1, Flourish Fun 2, Frothy Concoctions, Play With Your Coffee, Whimsical Pattern Alphabet, but she also is responsible for many of the lovely samples you will see on our website and Facebook. 


Julie is a friend who I can happily talk to for hours about stamping, paper, blogs, designing and anything art related.  She is full of enthusiasm, humor, ideas, dreams and talent.  She's always willing to learn and share what knowledge she's accumulated.  She is very receptive to what others have to say, their thoughts and feelings which makes her not only a delightful friend and person, but also a gifted artist and teacher.  I love that her designs--whether they are her stamps or a card she's made--are thoughtful, crisp, pretty, playful and bright. 


About Julie in her own words:

I am a school teacher by day, crafter, artist and creativity explorer in my free time. I'm originally from Houston and live in San Antonio with my husband and my dog. Life is good!

I love playing with stamps, paper, paints and other mixed media, watching romantic comedies, and some of my favorite TV shows are Big Bang Theory, Glee, Project Runway and Fringe. Also, I can find happiness in a good piece of chocolate. :)

Some of my favorite movies are Pride and Prejudice (and nearly anything Jane Austen), When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, Bridget Jones, Love Actually, Julie and Julia, A Room with a View......

I enjoy listening to pop, movie soundtracks, and 80's tunes.

Books that have made a great impact on me are The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown, Poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, and Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts.

Want to read her responses to the Ten Things Questionnaire?  Julie's answers are in green.

One of your favorite books from childhood?

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Judy Blume – still think it’s so funny!!!

Two trends that you will never stop loving no matter how wrong?

Flourishes

Scalloped edges

Three of your roles in life?

Wife

Daughter

Teacher

Four of your favorite art tools?

Corner rounder

Prisma pencils

Caran D’ache watercolor crayons

STICKLES!!! Especially Rock Candy

Five places you want to visit?

Go back to Hawaii

Go back to France

England, Ireland and Scotland

North Carolina when the leaves are changing

Canada

Six sources of inspiration?

Pinterest – I’m so addicted!

Somerset Studio magazine

Kids – they see things from a different perspective.

My mom – our tastes are similar.  I think we feed each other’s creative spirit.

My husband – always giving me ideas, especially when I hit a creative block.

My talented friends at paper wings productions.

Seven people that you wish to thank?

My husband Davis for loving me, supporting me and cheering me on.

My mom Debbie, grandmother Addie and great grandmother Mary Beth for always spending time with me sharing their creativity, and for their generosity and love.

My dad, Charlie, sister / brother in law - Mandy & Jose, and all of my extended family in Angleton for cheering me on in anything I do.

The Fichtner and Garcia clans –miss you guys!

My friends at SG – VV, SE, LAL, LJ, LC, MP, TF J

Eight totally random bits of information:

1.   Do you like silence, listen to music or watch something as you create?

Usually, I have a movie playing – not because I’m watching it, but because I’m reciting the lines and listening to the soundtrack too.  Does that make me crazy???  Favorite:  Pride and Prejudice – Colin Firth of course.

2.   Do you cook?

Yes.  I like cooking when I want to cook, usually for special occasions.

3. Velma, Fred, Daphne, Shaggy or Scooby?

I think Scooby – sometimes I think my dog is going to start talking too – a mixture between Scooby and a wookie.

4.   If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Flying – save gas money, save the environment, and avoid traffic J

5.   A book you would like to live in?

I would probably live in a Jane Austen book with stately manors, cozy (and not so cozy) cottages, and take walks in English gardens. Can I have an English accent please?

6.   How many pets?

One - Our big German Shepherd Nicolae

7.   What talent do you wish you had?

I wish my piano playing skills were better.

8.   Who do you wish would decorate your house?

I haven’t thought about this in a long time, but probably Nate Berkus, Candice Olson, Vern Yip, David Bromstad, Genevieve Gorder or Helen Buttigieg – should I just have said HGTV???

Nine Items on or in your desk/worktable?

Distress inks, sprays, watercolor crayons, patterned paper – whole and scraps, glue, STICKLES, very old book for tearing out pages, variety box of embossing powders, and an empty “candy cane” tube from peppermint Hershey kisses.

Ten colors you could not live without?

black, white, cranberry red, periwinkle blue, lime green, pool, so saffron (SU!), certainly celery (SU!), dark brown, kraft.

Continue coming back to The Aviary to see more of Julie's designs, art and a few other things she has up her sleeve.


Take flight,
Shay.