2014 Designers & Our Annual FREE Printables!

Are you ready for some more Papertrey anniversary fun?  Thank you for all of the wonderful notes you wrote us yesterday!  What an outpouring of love we have received!  We are sending hugs out to each and every one of you!

The first year Papertrey was in business, I was the only one designing product and we only released one or two stamp sets a month.  In our second year we began introducing product from other designers as well.  We selected designers who had a core Papertrey concept at heart, simplicity and versatility.  Yet they injected their creations with their own personality and flair to make them their own.  This is one of my personal favorite things about our company now and I am very proud to "reintroduce" the 2014 Papertrey Ink Designers, and also reveal someone new…

You will be seeing new product introductions from all of these ladies throughout the year.  Their designs have already been selected and scheduled over the next twelve releases, and boy, to they have some AMAZING goodies up their sleeves this year!!!  Each of them has amazing illustrating talent and I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to continue working with all of them.

Betsy says,"I am beyond excited to be joining the *dark side*!  I’ve been wanting to delve into this aspect of design for a long time and I just never took the plunge.  I have to thank Nichole for the little (ok BIG) push that finally got me to dig into the stamp design process.  I’m excited about what the upcoming year has in store…you’ll be hearing more about it very soon! *wink*"

To say I'm excited about Betsy designing prodcut is a *bit* of an understatement!  We have all been admiring Betsy's cards for years, and now we will have the opportunity to delve a little bit deeper into her creativity with her new product line.  All I can say is, just wait and see what she has in store!

CLICK HERE to see a special anniversary project from Betsy.

Dawn says,"I'm so thrilled be to included on this outstanding team of product designers again this year!  My first stamp set came out in February of 2009 — I can hardly believe it was that long ago — and what an amazing ride it's been since then!  I say it every year, but I'm beyond grateful to Nichole for taking a chance on me way back when, and for the opportunities that she and Jane and Julie have given me.  I hadn't dared to dream so big as to think of my own product line!  And yet, when Nichole mentioned it to me, my wheels started turning and one thing led to another and here we are 5 years since that first set came out and I'm happier than ever, to be allowed to continue partnering with Papertrey to bring you fabulous new products to work with!  

Designing stamps is an amazing experience….taking an idea that is just something in my head, seeing it for months on a computer screen, tweaking and tweaking more times than I can count and then eventually seeing it become an actual product that we can all see and feel and touch and create gorgeous things with(!) is such a thrilling feeling time and time again!  I find that there is inspiration everywhere I turn and often, my inspiration for stamp sets comes from our travels, as is the case with several sets coming out in 2014! I can't wait for you to see!  Thank you so, so much to each of you that have ever purchased a Raspberry Suite product!!  Thank you for all your encouragement over the years and for cheering me on month after month!  Those things mean more to me than you know….YOU mean more to me than you know and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!"

Dawn is such a valuable asset to our product design team and I just know you are going to love all that she will be introducing this year!  She is definitely demonstrating advanced skills that have been fine tuned over the last few months.  This talent will be showcased when her amazing new products begin releasing!  And I can't fail to mention ALL of the clever sentiments she has developed as well!  It is going to be a very fun year with Dawn!

CLICK HERE to see a special anniversary project from Dawn.

Erin says,"I've been hammering away at this whole "product design thing" for a little over three years now. But this is the first year that I feel comfortable adding that title to my resume. Up until recently, it felt like just a lark. I'm starting to feel bonafide and 100% legit. It all boils down to being able to take an idea and being able to execute it without being tempted to throw a computer out the window in frustration with the illustrating program. I've made it to that point, which is exciting!  I've got a lot of good stuff headed your way in 2014 as a result. Everything else before now was just child's play. Hold on to your hats!" 

Erin took the creative world by storm with her stitching dies last year, and all I can say is you better watch out for her this year!  She truly wowed us this year with all of her submitted designs and we can hardly wait to unveil them!  Her skill and innovation with die design specifically is something you should all be looking forward to.  You will be seeing lots more from Erin over the coming months!!!

CLICK HERE to see a special anniversary project from Erin.

Heather says,"I am so excited about what I have in store for this coming year with my stamp and product designs with Papertrey Ink. I am constantly on the lookout for trends and inspiration when it comes to designing new sets and I find it constantly as a go about my daily life – in magazines & books, out shopping, browsing online, etc. When it comes right down to it, I am designing things that I want in my own stamping collection and I am hoping that it might just be something you want in yours too!"

You have already shown your excitement for Heather's newest product line, which she has poured her heart and soul into for the past several months!  It is obvious that scrapbooking will always be a core passion for Heather and we are all so lucky that we get to use the products she has dreamed up for it!  We look forward to revealing more about that later on in the week!  Another thing to look forward to from Heather, in addition to a few extra amazing sets,  is a new little character that you just might love even more than Winter Penguin & Hello, Foxy!

CLICK HERE to see a special anniversary project from Heather.

Lexi says,"I’m very excited to be back for a third year of designing stamps! This year, I continue to be inspired by the holidays and events that keep me stamping and creating, as well as patterns and themes that catch my eye while reading and shopping. I love seeing trends grow as they jump from one creative industry to another, adding my own little twist when I can. As always, I can’t wait to see what you create!"

Lexi always inspires me with her clean & simple designs.  There is just something about them that makes you want to try several different techniques since they offer up such a clean palette to begin with.  Lexi has a knack for putting a unique spin on holiday images, which is really going to be one of her highlights this year.  She also keeps busy with her party business, running it from her own home.  I think that may be why she is so wonderful at helping all of us design for special occasions!   Just you wait and see what she has in store for you!

CLICK HERE to see a special anniversary project from Lexi.

Lizzie says,"I'm still a little bit astounded that I get to do this job. It's an absolute joy to get to illustrate for Papertrey Ink and I am so grateful every day. I feel like I've really come into my own as a stamp designer and this year's sets hopefully reflect that growth. I have a deep appreciation for clean, versatile imagery that is truly timeless. It's so important to me that the things I design are not only cute, but also practical and fun to use. I can't wait to share my newest designs with all of you! It's going to be a great year!"

Lizzie has so many fabulous things in store for this year, we are all in for an amazing treat!  Her illustration skills are really showcased this year, with lots of images that feature beautiful details.  Everything is always done so impeccably and executed to perfection!  Lizzie stays busy behind the scenes with her own private design business, attending craft shows and selling her stationery along with other wares.  She truly has a one-of-a-kind talent and vision, and those both shine through the products that you will be presented throughout the coming year!

CLICK HERE to see a special anniversary project from Lizzie.

Melissa says,"Since my beginning with Papertrey Ink I have always been inspired to create sets that are simple, sweet and easy to create with. For the upcoming 2014-2015 year I have continued with that and created more simply sweet images that will hopefully bring a lot of happiness to you and your stamp collection. I am so very thankful to be continuing as a stamp illustrator for Papertrey Ink and look forward to sharing this new and exciting year with all of my Melissa J Designs fans."

As you have already seen from the sneak peeks, Melissa will be will be cotinuing to bring you fantastic images with basic, clean lines that come together easily for quick and easy projects.  We all know how much you enjoy that from her!  I think 2014 will definitely be known as tbe year that Melissa stepped out of her box.  She has some really unique things coming in the next few months.  A lot of innovative touches, but still staying true to her signature style.  Melissa is also a busy mother of two, so we feel so blessed that she is able to carve out the time that she does to keep up with the tight design schedule with us!  It's gonna be a great year for Melissa!

CLICK HERE to see a special anniversary project from Melissa.

Tiffany says,"Hello to the most creative crew out there! I am always amazed by your support, positivity, and artistic flair! I see you as a community of people determined to brighten the lives of others with your craft habit, and I love that about you! I am excited to bring some new stamp sets your way. From whimsy imagery to my signature grunge, there are some fun stamps to look forward to. 2014 is going to be a great year!"

Tiffany is well-known for her grunge/shabby-chic style and she certainly will not disappoint you this year with the designs she has scheduled to be released.  I love how she can take a simple image and "grunge" it up to give it a whole new life.  It makes it easy to give a project personality when you have images like that to work with!  Tiffany has also been working on a new book, trying to bring the issue of human trafficking to the forefront and making a difference in the fight against it.  She is truly a wonderful person, inside and out with many talents to share with the world!

CLICK HERE to see a special anniversary project from Tiffany.

As an extra special treat for you today, each of the designers above has prepared a special printable image that evokes their signature style.  If you click through to each of their individual blogs through the links above, you can see a special project that uses the image they designed!  All of their images have been assembled on a single sheet, easy to print right from the comfort of your home computer so you can create some amazing projects too!  And I can't forget to mention that it's FREE!

CLICK HERE to Download 2014 Free Printables

Now onto one more announcement for the day…

After being in business for seven years, we have well over 700 stamp sets in inventory within the walls of our warehouse.  Due to warehouse space restrictions, we have selected a little over 50 stamp sets that we will no longer carry in regular inventory after February 15th, 2014.

Rather than retire these sets completely, the stamps will be available as special order items for our customers.  When you place an order for a stamp set from "The Vault", the set will be made just for you as a special order directly from our manufacturer since we will no longer be keeping inventory of the set. Because these sets will be made to order only when they are requested, the prices will be doubled to accommodate the extra costs involved and to cover individual shipping.

• $24 sets will be $48*
• $15 sets will be $30*
• $5 sets will be $10*

*Additional international fees and shipping times may apply.  Inquire with customer service for details.

These special orders will take 4-6 weeks* to arrive on your doorstep and will be shipped separately from the rest of your order. You will earn rewards points for the full increased price of the set.  Here is the list of sets that will be moved over to "The Vault" as of February 15th, 10pm EST.

CLICK HERE to Download Printable Version of The Vault 2014 List

All of these sets will be available at their regular retail price until February 15th, 9:59pm EST.  If there are stamps on this list that have been on your wishlist for a few years,  take advantage of the current pricing while you can.  If you have questions about "The Vault", please email Customer Service.

Now it's your turn!  Download the printable freebie provided above and create a project using one of the fun new images included on it!  If you are feeling especially inspired, you can use additional images on extra projects to increase your chances of winning!

1. Create a new project that uses one of the images included on the FREE printable provided above.

2. Your project must use at least one Papertrey product.

3. Upload a photo of your project to your blog, online gallery or any other photo-hosting site (such as photobucket or flickr).

4. Add the direct link to your project on our InLinkz list below.

5. You may create as many projects as you like for the challenge, but each project should have a separate link.

6.  And/or you can leave a comment here to be eligible to win.  Leave a "thank you" for the amazing designers and all of the incredible product they have designed just for you this past year!  Only one comment per person please. (Just click the small "comments" link in blue beside the date in the footer of this post.  If you are reading this as an email subscription, be sure to click through to the actual blog to leave an eligible comment)

7. You have until 7am EST, Friday, February 7th to add your project link or comment and qualify for the contest.

8. SEVEN randomly selected winners will be announced on our February Release Winners page no later than noon EST, February 7th.

SEVEN randomly selected winners will each receive a $70 Papertrey gift certificate to spend however they choose!  Thank you for joining us today and best of luck with the contest!