Review: Parisian Anthology by House of 3 for Pink Paislee

Parisian Anthology is a brand new line of products from Pink Paislee, designed by House of 3. I will be honest, just knowing the companies involved I would have bought some sight unseen. I'm thrilled to tell you that after seeing the papers and working with them myself, they're everything I could have asked for.

(Clockwise starting at top left): Divine Damask, Darling Doilies, Fancy Filigree, and  Lovely Lace

The line's embellishments look lovely, and are so full of elegance and feminine detail I can hardly wait to play with more of them. That said, I believe the paper is truly the must buy in this line. The fact that it is all in creams and blacks, and that it can be colored and customized so easily, makes it a timeless treasure that I'll be adding in large quantities to my stash. Truly - how could I tire of this paper when it can be made different each time?

Each paper has slightly raised and glossy designs created with resist ink, which appear so faint the best way I can find to describe them is as a watermark. The image above does not show the true cream color of the paper, but it allows you to see the faint 'glow' of the secondary pattern clearly thanks to a good lighting angle.

Above you can see that I inked the paper, then started to wipe (I used a paper towel) the excess ink off. See how vibrant the pattern becomes? I love it! I really liked the effect of both Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Tsukineko Brilliance Inks on this paper. In addition to inks, I found glimmer mists, color washes, and other similar products to also be wonderful. Here is a test strip I did with all kinds of these products:

The only thing I found I needed to avoid is using too much of a wash or mist product on the paper. If you do this, you run the risk of saturating the paper and the color saturating the paper under the glossy treatment. If misting, I suggest doing just a little at a time and then repeating the mist once the paper dries.

I really love that this paper will be useful with the products that I already have, and that it will allow me to customize the color if I so desire. I applaud all involved in its creation for bringing us a product line that is both neutral and utterly unique at the same time.

Supplies used:
Parisian Anthology patterned paper
Parisian Anthology elements paper 
Parisian Anthology jewels 
Pink Paislee white letter stickers
Prima rhinestones (pink/white) 
Making Memories small letter stickers
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist 
Tim Holtz Alterations Tattered Florals die for Sizzix 
Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Dusty Concord 
Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass 
Tim Holtz Distress Stickles in Tumbled Glass and Rock Candy
House of 3 Parisian Anthology Add-On brushes
Other: cardstock, vellum, brown rhinestones

On this layout, I used an ink blending tool with my distress ink to start with on my background, and I ended up adding several squirts of glimmer mist as well as washing my paper in the sink. Yes, I took my paper and soaked it in water to try and help blend the colors better. While over-saturating with color was a bad idea, soaking the paper in water was no problem! This is a great advantage to working with products like glimmer mist and distress ink - they can be used with water.

I was amazed at how the paper held up to my torture, and after letting it air dry (and ironing it) it became the base for my scrapbook layout - and what fun I had putting it together! House of 3 has digital elements that coordinate with these paper based products, stretching their usefulness even farther and making it a lot of fun to create hybrid pages. I used a sheet of vellum and a few of the Add-On Brushes here on my page.

My brain is all abuzz with new ideas and things I want to try. You can be sure that you'll be seeing me use this line as often as possible. In addition to ordering myself more of this paper, I also purchased the tickets as well as the flair. I predict that I will be buying even more of this line - and more importantly finding it tremendously useful in my scrapbooking. I highly recommend it and I hope that this is just the beginning of many collaborations we'll see from Pink Paislee and House of 3.

Parisian Anthology is available at Scrapbook.com and TwoPeasInABucket.com as well as many local scrapbook stores.