When we started Papertrey Ink over 11 years ago, we had no idea where cardmaking would take us. From basic rubber stamps with wooden handles to ornate card designs, we’ve witnessed the evolution of cardmaking firsthand. Many of our incredible product designers have been integral in creating amazing designs over the past decade to make us one of the top cardmaking companies in the country.
With our 11th Anniversary quickly approaching, it’s time to take a walk down memory lane and look at how cardmaking has evolved over the years from simple rubber stamps to 3D designs, nesting dies, and more. So, in honor of our upcoming anniversary, we rummaged through our design vaults and found some of our favorite designs from the start.
Beautiful Blooms
![[img] beautiful blooms](https://blog.papertreyink.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/BeautifulBlooms.jpg)
Back in our early days of 2007, we only released one new stamp set every month. Oh, the horror! Beautiful Blooms is one of our classic stamp sets containing limitless layering and building possibilities in this 27-piece set. The set included different flower shapes, polka-dots, gingham, and a trendy font. Over the years, we expanded this set to include even more designs in both stamps and dies.
Bitty Baby Blessings
![[img] beautiful blooms](https://blog.papertreyink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6a00d8341c64e753ef01bb09781314970d.jpg)
In 2008, Papertrey Ink expanded from one stamp set a month to more stamps, paper, and craft room staples. For those of you who have been around from the start, you might remember we introduced our color collection, including loads of ink, cardstock, and ribbons. Cards are no longer just basic paper stamped with ink!
Our Bitty Baby Blessing stamp set is a timeless stamp set with all the classic baby images you need to make the perfect card. We also designed some of the smaller images to fit within the larger ones giving you a two-dimensional design.
Everyday Button Bits
![[img] buttons](https://blog.papertreyink.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/buttons.jpg)
In 2009, Papertrey Ink was on the cutting edge with a little stamp set called Everyday Button Bits. This was the first stamp set created that used another medium (buttons) to complete the images in the set. Everyday Button Bits, to this day, is the bestselling stamp set in Papertrey Ink’s history.
Year of Flowers: Sweet Peas
![[img] beautiful blooms](https://blog.papertreyink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6a00d8341c64e753ef01b8d25fde5c970c.jpg)
Flowers have always been a popular stamp set for cardmaking. Since the beginning, we have released hundreds of different stamps, dies, and more for all your crafting needs. In 2010, we released the “Year of Flowers.” This monthly series of stamps included floral designs that represented each birth month. April is Sweet Peas and everything about this stamp set is sweet. Many of our customers purchased all 12 and made beautiful calendars!
Winter Penguin
![[img] beautiful blooms](https://blog.papertreyink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6a00d8341c64e753ef01b8d25fe480970c.jpg)
Papertrey Ink continued to grow and evolve in 2011. Our Year of Flowers stamp series was so popular that we created smaller flowers and combined all 12 into one. We also released Winter Penguin, the perfect addition to your winter-themed cards. As you can see, our card designs are getting more creative with the additions of ribbons, buttons, glitter, and more!
Hello Sunshine
![[img] beautiful blooms](https://blog.papertreyink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6a00d8341c64e753ef01bb097991c9970d.jpg)
Our Hello Sunshine stamp set was one of our top selling sets of 2012. While the stamp set might not look like much, its versatility is incredible. Each of the triangular elements was designed to work perfectly together to create the ultimate “sunburst” background to give all your cards a color pop. With the coordinating dies, you could die-cut and layer colored cardstock and patterned papers to create 100 different card designs.
Pedal Pusher
![[img] pedal pusher](https://blog.papertreyink.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/pedalpusher.jpg)
Does this classic design from 2013 remind you of something? Pedal Pusher was the early beginnings of our favorite Make It Market kits. With two different stamping techniques, you can create fun designs for every occasion. With coordinating dies, you can stamp separate die-cuts and attach them to the bicycle to create 3D wheels that spin.
Life is Beautiful
![[img] beautiful blooms](https://blog.papertreyink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6a00d8341c64e753ef01b7c8d600f7970b-450wi.jpg)
Next to flowers, we love butterflies. Our 2014 Life is Beautiful stamp set is a classic staple that every craft room should have. The main butterflies can be used alone or for an extra pop of fun with a second layer of color with our coordinating accent stamp. We love seeing butterflies paired with glitter, pattern paper, embossing paste, and more.
2015 Birthday Tags
![[img] beautiful blooms](https://blog.papertreyink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6a00d8341c64e753ef01b7c8d66ded970b.jpg)
In 2015, we started branching out from just cards. While we will always love cardmaking, we enjoy using all our stamps, dies, and paper to create gift tags, ornaments, bookmarks, and anything else we can dream up. Our 2015 Birthday Tags is the perfect stamp set to create gift tags, birthday cards, and more. The best part? Our tags coordinate perfectly with our Limitless Layers collection!
Painted Petals Anniversary
![[img] beautiful blooms](https://blog.papertreyink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6a00d8341c64e753ef01bb097a0c4a970d.jpg)
Did we mention that we love flowers? Our Painted Petals Anniversary stamp set in 2016 was a simple stamp set that combines classic cardmaking techniques with a modern twist. Sometimes, just a simple stamped card is the way to go. Or, you can add layers to create a beautiful floral bouquet.
Mix & Mat
![[img] Bloomin' Brithday](https://blog.papertreyink.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/bloominbirthday.jpg)
In 2017, we introduced the new Mix & Mat die series by Betsy Veldman. These series of dies are all the rage today. Each collection contains three dies that can be used alone or all together to create the perfect card design no matter how and when you use them.
As you can see, our card designs have evolved over the past decade from simple stamped cards to creative, 3D designs using all sorts of materials and techniques. We pride our self on being one of the most innovative companies in the industry so that you can create whatever you put your mind and heart into. Now, it’s your turn to tell us what your favorite stamp set has been over the years!
I love ALL the sets, ha. But perhaps my most favorite is On The Farm. It is probably my most used set, very versatile and so easy to create a nice card with it every time.
That was a fun walk down memory lane. Thanks!
I wish I had been with Paper Trey Ink from the beginning but ever since I found your website I can’t imagine how I could make all the wonderful things I can make now with all your beautiful products. It is so hard to pick a favorite I love every stamp set and dies that I have purchased. I look forward to all the new products I’m sure I will want them all!
Have I been with you that long? OMG I thought you were around long before 2007. Holy gees. Well I love your stamps always have. Happy Anniversary!
My all-time favorite is Daydreamer. The flowers seem to bend and go with the wind in my minds eye. Such a variety of wildflowers to choose from!
Before there were tons of larger sentiments and sentiment dies, Mega Mixed Messages was my most used set.
Choosing just one is impossible. Usually it’s the set on my desk, waiting for me to ink up! However, I will say that Two Feet Deep has to be at the top of the list for me. The skis, sled and snowshoes are full of beautiful details and fun to stamp too!
Hooray for Papertrey anniversary celebrations. I own all of the sets featured in today’s post so that should say something about what a fan I am. As for other favorites – the Flower Fusion and Polka Dot parade collections are wonderful for creating cute simple cards! Love Lives Here: Holiday has a special place in my heart. Tiny and Tremendous Treats are great kid-friendly sets. Tulip Time ranks up there as one of my favorite floral sets. The Inside Out sentiment sets are some of my most used sets. More inside card sentiments are welcome any time!
Wow, that is a tough question! My favorite floral set is Sweet Life! Just love those realistic roses! I think my most used set is probably Big Birthday – I’ve made so many personalized cards with that set, combined with the numbers dies!
My favorite is always the most recent one received in the mail!
This question is so hard to answer. I use the birthday and flower stamps ALL THE TIME! The stamp set I use the most is the Keep It Simple series (all of them), but my favorite is probably Signature Series I and II or Petite Pots or Pen & Ink. See it’s too hard to pick. I will say that you are without a doubt my favorite stamp company!
I love all your stamps! PTI stamps were some of the first ones I bought when I started stamping 10 years ago and my biggest collection 🙂
Wow! Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I have been with you since the beginning and I have have every set shown above. Actually I have probably a good 80% (if I had to guess) of the stamps and die that have been release over the years!
Oh, my favorite is Ruby Rose. I love the sentiments. But the flowers are so pretty. Think this is one of my most used sets.
My most used is Inside Birthday.
I’ve been here from the beginning so it’s really difficult to choose one favorite. I still love using the polka dot background basics when I need to jazz up a card. The Beautiful Blooms II is definitely top of my list as one of my go to flower sets!
I love the don’t forget to write mmk and the water cooler talk set.
What a great walk down memory lane! All Booked Up holds a special place in my heart as does Places Please, as I used them for bookmarks and place cards for my wedding in 2010.
It is soooo hard to choose just one! But can I first say how excited I am that the festivities are already beginning. What a lovely assortment of cards! Hmmm…I really like Gathered Garden; it is a versatile floral set. But then where would we be without sentiment sets as well? I like all of it….
Wow! So many beautiful designs and special memories!
That was fun! It must have been challenging to not mention more sets!
My most used set is Bitty BabyBlessings. I’ve made hundreds of booklets with those images on the cover for our crisis pregnancy center.
What a fun parade of past memories and beautiful cards. It would be difficult to choose my favorite. I love the bright colors Papertrey Ink has always had. Happy Anniversary! Great job. A lot of small companies don’t make it 11 years. May you have many, many more great years giving us creative ideas. Have a great day!
I have to say a few favorites – Pettit Places, Year of Psalms and the Inspired series. How can you pick one favorite?!?!?!?
Nice to see a walk down the Memory Lane. And Ideas are swimming in my head. Al cards look so lovely.
These are all beautiful & I’m wishing I had Beautiful Blooms! I love the new Mix & Mat series, but lots of my favorites are stamps I’ve had a long time including Turning a new Leaf & Snowflake Flurries. Can’t wait for the anniversary celebration!
What a fun post!! I can’t pick just one favorite, that would be like picking a favorite child!!
I think my favorites have changed over the years, kinda evolved just like your beautiful stamps. I love coloring so I love the friendship jar tulips and would love to see more flowers for the friendship jars. The cover plates are definite a favorite tool of mine as well.
I have been a customer dating back to the first set….coming out one.at.a.time. That was hard!!! I have loved PTI. This walk down memory lane was hard. Nichole H made some of the most beautiful sets and cards and she wasn’t even mentioned. PTI is Nichole and to leave her out makes me sad.
So many of your flower stamps have been my favorites over the last 11 years. But, my wish list still has a few sets that need to be added to my collection 😉 I also love the bird stamps/die sets and have just about worn out my “Song Birds”. I see “Give Love” and “Brushed Birds” joining my flock soon!
The first Papertrey set I bought was “Hello Sunshine”. It was so different from any of the sets I owned at that time. I eagerly look forward to the 15th of the month and your new releases. I love all your flower sets and probably have at least one Papertrey item on every card I make. Happy 11th Anniversary!
So many wonderful PTI memories! The first set I bought was Hugs. Choose Joy and Twig Wreath will always be favorites! I love the beautiful Quoted series, the amazing Mix + Mat die series, and the Bitty Big paper collection, too. Papertrey Ink has become my very favorite place to buy paper crafting supplies over the years! We are going to have another great anniversary celebration!
I couldn’t possibly begin to choose a favorite set! I pretty much love all florals, leaves, and trees. But I’ll mention two sentiments that I have used over and over and over: the “thank you” from Communique Sentiments (a $5 set!) and “Wishing you happiness, today and always” from Year of Flowers: Carnation. I have used that last one so many times in wedding and birthday cards. I love the words and the font! Thanks for starting the anniversary celebrations early! I’m excited!
“Tea for Two” holds a special place in my heart. It was one of my early favorites and still brings me so much joy.
Congratulations! To all! You have a great team working with you. Such a talented group of people is hard to find! I work in a office where I have my stuf and I have told my friends that if there was a fire or something like that there I would only ask to pick my PTI box! They all laughed but is true: it’s my treasure! I don’t have more because it depends whether I have friends going to the states. It’s too expensive to buy them from Portugal! Keep on going please with that amazing job!
I too wish i knew u guys from the beginning, but i am making up for it now. Just love checking out all the new products each month then sharing with the design team all their wonderful ideas. It has been a real pleasure getting to know you all whilst learning new things when trying to reproduce some of the beautiful cards. U all are a wealth of knowledge. A BIG THANKYOU from me to all
great to see and read…have been with you since 2009….
It’s so hard to pick a favorite, so I’ll go with an early one that I have used over and over again. I love Holiday Button Bits, and have used that sweet gngerbread man and lovely holly branch on SO many cards and tags through the years! Another staple that is a must have? Polka Dot Basics!
I don’t know that I can pick a favorite but probably my most used one is Scene It:Celebration. It is so versatile and it looks different every time depending on what colors I use. You can glitz it up with metallic papers, make a shaker card, and it is good for any occasion or age.
What a joy to have a glimpse of the past! One of my all time favorite sets was Rosie Posie, especially after the second layered stamps came out.
I think I’ve been with you since almost the beginning! Bitty Buttons was one of my favorites since I’m a button hoarder! Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Time to dig out Bitty Buttons again. Congratulations on your anniversary.
Happy 11th Anniversary! I love this post about the evolution of cardmaking! As someone who has been making cards for many years, it is a fun trip down memory lane to think of all of the trends that have come and gone. Wishing you success for many more years to come.
It’s so hard to pick a favorite stamp set! I love Feather Finery and Spruce and Sprigs is one of my go-tos for branch and leaf images year round. And then of course all of the fantastic sentiment stamps – I really love the Stylish Sentiments: Birthday set too!!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Spring Hills stamp Series — I have used them all for soooooo many different cards! And I always get such wonderful comments from people who receive the cards. They are sooo versatile — what a wonderful set of stamps to have in my stash. (I could go on and on with other favorites also, but I think Spring Hills are my most popular ‘go to’ sets.) Thank you all so much for your designs!!
I have lots of favorites, but I will say FANCY FLOURISHES is right at the top!!!
Congratulations on your 11 years! I haven’t been with you for that long, but as someone else said, I’ve been making up for it! I’m so happy I found you 6 or 7 years ago.
I don’t think I an choose a favorite stamp set, I love them all! Thank you:)
Your post today is so interesting because I was just talking about how my cardmaking has evolved too.
For years, I mainly used chipboard elements along with sentiments & tons of patterned papers. Now that I stamp my own images and make all my cards including Christmas, the stamp set I have used the most is Spruce & Sprigs. Picking a fav is next to impossible but my go-to set is Spring Woods. Either masculine or feminine, I’m a huge fan of flowers and birds. Thank you Papertrey for guiding our wonderful journey. 🙂
This is a great post! What I really like about it is that you show how timeless your stamps are. All of the cards are beautiful!
Fun post to celebrate the upcoming 11th anniversary! Just the other day I was reflecting on how I became acquainted with PTI in 2010.
I was a scrapbooker and decided I did not have enough time to make those big albums. The first stamp I bought in 2010 was Butterfly Kisses
which had been released in March 2007 I believe. It has evolved from there. I enjoy using the Botanical Silhouette 2010 Anniversary set.
It has lovely script and some elegant flowers. I still can’t remember how I found PTI but I am glad I did!
Happy Anniversary!! The trip down memory lane was quite pleasant and brought a smile to my face. It would be hard to pick a favorite but I do remember my excitement when I got the Everyday Bitty Buttons. And the Sweet Pea and Morning Glory. Like I said really hard to pick. Thanks to all of you for making our lives a little brighter over the years.
Way too many to select just one but I do have to say I’m a big fan of the $5.00 sets, I hope they continue. 🙂
My answer is and probably always will be Winter Penguin. It might only be $5 set, but I’ve used it every single year since 2011 for Christmas cards and/or tags. Can’t say the same about any other stamp set I own, PTI or not.
So, so many to choose from! All of the florals are my favorites, especially Garden Party, Gathered Garden, Grans Garden and the new Farmer’s Market Florals. I seldom make a card that doesn’t have a flower on it somewhere! Happy Anniversary PTI!
Like so many others I have difficulty picking out a favorite set. Generally my problem is not being able to afford all the sets I like. 🙂 If I have to choose off the top of my head I would say Petite Places, the Make It Take It Christmas kits, and the stitching dies plus all the great sentiment stamps. Large and small you’ve released some great sentiment stamps, especially the small sets you’ve been releasing every month that focus on one theme. As I type this I keep thinking about more stamp sets that I love so I guess I’d better stop now otherwise the list may never stop until I run out of stamp sets and dies.
I have been stamping so long that I can remember designing only one layer cards. No pattern papers were around, no dies and other than ribbon and eventually buttons and brads there were no embellishments.
My favorite stamps are anything floral. I love flowers and am thankful that someone decided we needed dies. Any of your flowers are the best.
I have always loved Button Boutique. You can make any type of card with that one set and it is one I would never consider trading.
I think my favorite PTI set i.e. the one that sees the most love is the Life is Beautiful set because the butterflies can layer and the sentiments are buildable too.
Tremendous Treats: Valentine is still my favorite. It is so versatile. I use it all year long. And while it takes a break from time to time it’s never for very long.
Such great products. But my absolute favourite that didn’t make the cut is sweet baby set. It is my go to for making all my baby cards. I have so many other baby type sets but even if I start out with them, I seem to end up making a card out of the sweet baby stamp set and dies.
No way to pick a favorite because there are too many! I love your flowers, but I must say the butterfly stamps, like Beautiful Life has been used over and over again!
What a fun trip through the years. I tried guessing each designer, without looking at names, and got most right. So hard to pick one fave but I would have to go with Friendship Jar and the filler sets. Those stamps came out even before the big canning jar craze. I love them all!
So hard to pick a favorite! I love all of the button bits!
I have all the stamp sets featured in the blog post and a good number of the Mix and Mat dies too. It’s so hard to choose my favorite stamp set. There are so many. I really love the City Scene stamp set since we love to travel.
I’ve said it before and I stand by it; Papertrey Ink turned stamping around for me. The aesthetic of your images really speaks to me. Thank you for so much joy and beauty.
Even though it’s not new, Bitty Baby Blessings is my favorite. It is a classic, and one that I could use over and over again. Babies keep getting born…my daughter just had a baby girl (our second, and last grand baby). I have babies on the brain, I guess. But I just love this set….
Glad I saw this article. Such great cards ideas! Thanks for sharing..looking forward to trying to get some of these!!
Botanical Silhouettes (4th anniversary set) remains one of my all time favorite sets. Something about this set just speaks to me. I love using the blooms to get a watercolor effect and the sentiment fonts are just so stylish.
A wonderful trip down memory lane! I learned how to make cards from the Papertrey team and am forever grateful for all you share each month! I have too many favorite sets and dies!! I have used “Friendship Jar Holiday Fillers” and “Tremendous Treats Christmas” every single year for Christmas tags. And I love the “Love Lives Here Holiday” for the incredible sentiments on both Christmas tags and cards. For birthdays I love the shape up series cupcake cards die set which I continue to make Birthday cards with every year! Along with the enclosed cupcake mini stamp set and dies. I love the “Choose Joy” set and Inside and Out Well Wishes, The Hills Series, Grans Garden, Love Lives Here, and the list could go on and on. Thanks to the entire Papertrey Family for making card making so much fun and for helping me to share love and well wishes with so many family members and friends! What a wonderful blessing! Congratulations on 11 years!
THe stamp set that made me follow and fall in love with Papertrey was the Bintage Picnic Basket. Simple, yet so versatile, it quickly became my favorite. Every designer had a beautiful twist on how they would interpret the set into their finished piece. Probably still my sentimental favorite.
I own all but two of these sets–including that very first one. I think I pinned almost all of these today. I’ve been on this journey with you since the beginning, and although I have enough stamps to last a lifetime, your innovation and new products keep me buying new ones still! Congratulations on your 11th anniversary. I’ll be out of the country during this year’s celebration, but looking forward to catching up with all the festivities when I return!
I love all of them….also Where could I buy your items
You can visit the Papertrey Ink store here: http://www.papertreyink.com
My favorite is still Pedal Pusher, as an avid group bicyclist…my friends never tire of receiving note cards with this design.
What a great post! It was interesting to see that each designer’s distinctive style has been there from the start. I’m still trying to discover mine. Now, on to your near impossible to answer question. I can tell you my most used set, Birthday Basics, but not my favorite. (PS – We need a Birthday Basics II. Please.) There have been so many incredible sets released over the years that it would be a challenge to give my top TEN favorites. I do know that Simple Valentine, my first PTI set, would be on the list along with Brushed Blooms, my favorite floral. Time to go do some stamping so that I can decide on the other eight. Happy anniversary!
What a great look-back! I love ALL of PTI stamps & dies!!! I have collected a massive stash of them, and cannot possibly pinpoint just one that I love the most! But if I’m to pick the most used ones, those would be the Wet Paint stamps & dies, I use them all the time. Thank you for 11 years of inspiration, happy birthday, PTI!!!