PaperFections

Summer Sketchbook

My youngest daughter has always loved drawing and has taken a renewed interest in it again lately. To help nurture her talent, I customized a sketch book for her: To customize the cover, I stamped a variety of Pink Ink Stamp Company’s latest summer release of stamps all over the cover. I love all the beachy, summery images and hope these will help inspire my daughter over the summer! I added my daughter's name using Essentials by Ellen Basic Alpha: And since this is a sketch book, I thought it would be appropriate to keep the images stamped in just black ink. I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink and was very pleased with how well the images stamped out on the leather cover! Don’t you love all the fun, amazing details in these images?!! The book I’m using is a 6” x 8” senseBook. This book has a beautiful recycled genuine leather cover! The book also has thread binding, a red ribbon bookmark, 135 numbered index pages to easily keep your thoughts / sketches / drawings organized, acid-free wood paper, personal information page, red elastic rubber band closure, 16 perforated pages for easy removal, 7 pages of index for individual... Read more →

March New Beginnings & Copic Opaque White 4 Ways!

Happy March, everyone! Today I am sharing a Spring home decor project with you, using some of Pink Ink Stamp Company's latest stamp release! This photo holder/stand was a gift from a dear friend nine years ago, shortly after we moved into our last house. I thought it was only fitting to spruce it up a bit, since we will be moving into a new home in one short month ... thus, the great "New Beginnings" sentiment! So I made a watercolor background on a 4" x 6" piece of watercolor paper using Tumbled Glass Distress Reinker: Once the background was dry, Copic Opaque White was used to paint the clouds -- I thinned it with a bit of water and painted it on the watercolored background with a brush: Next, I stamped Pink Ink's Row of Bulbs and New Beginnings sentiment with Versamark Ink onto an Inchie Arts 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" ATC Art Board and gold heat embossed it. I always love how nice and crisp Pink Ink's red rubber stamp images stamp and emboss -- such pretty fine details! And the Art Board stands up to the heat embossing, Copic coloring AND the Opaque White being heavily painted... Read more →

Inchie Arts-Stencil Girl Blog Hop!

Hello everyone and welcome to the StencilGirl and Inchie Arts blog hop! I'm excited to be joining my fellow Inchie Arts design team in a hop with the StencilGirl crew! What a fun combination of products in the hands of amazing artists ... It's like the two products were meant for each other! There are SO MANY ways to use StencilGirl stencils: with paints, sprays, textured mediums, markers, tracing, pastels, inks, Gelli Plate, etc. And because Art Squares are made from a museum quality, 4 ply, archival, acid/lignin free, absorbent, matte board material, they can stand up to all kinds of layers of StencilGirl color and texture! I put together this 9x12 mixed media canvas (all bold products are linked below in the supply section): I used these awesome StencilGirl stencils: Tropical Floral, Starfish, Seashells, and Seahorses. They really called my name, since I have an affinity for anything tropical or associated with the sea, and StencilGirl has a wonderful variety of stencils! I also used three different shapes and sizes of Inchie Arts Art Squares: Swatch (2" x 4"), Twinchie (2"), and 3". Here's how it came together: I airbrushed the background of my canvas with these Copic markers:... Read more →

2016 Peace, Joy, and Love!

I have one last project to share with you this year . . . A fun 8" x 10" custom canvas: I used some of my favorite colors, along with glittery gold and silver accents and some fun new products! Here are the easy steps (all bold products are linked below in the supply section): 1. I started with a blank 8" x 10" white canvas and started planning my layout, using Essentials by Ellen Brushstroke Peace, Joy, and Love dies, along with a Heidi Swapp 6x6 stencil: 2. Next, I airbrushed over the stencil with Copic RV55 for the rose and YG25 for the leaves: I added some shading to the rose with deeper RV66 and YG17 to the leaves. 3. Next, I die cut the Brushstroke Peace, Joy and Love words from Tim Holtz Deco Sheets (gold and silver glitter paper), which are adhesive-backed, so I didn't have to worry about how to adhere them to the canvas! 4. Now for the fun ribbon accents -- I used Imagination International's new Hot Ribbon in Silver (which is glittery metallic!) and Honey (which is a pretty bright golden satin!). This ribbon has a heat-activated adhesive on the back that... Read more →

Textured Clothing with Copic Markers

Today over on the Taylored Expressions blog, I show you an easy way to add texture to clothing, along with a little self portrait framed art piece, LOL! I hope you'll join me there to see how I created it, along with the fun watercolored sunshine background! I would also like to share a great stamp sale that's still going on over at Ellen Hutson LLC until the end of today (Thurs, Sep 17). Just click on the graphic below to start shopping! Read more →

Postage Organizer

Class is back in session! Today over in the CLASSroom I have a tutorial on how to create this sweet little mini album (measures approx. 4.50" x 5") that I will use to organize and keep my postage in. Or you can use if for 4" Instagram-sized photos if you'd like . . . I hope you'll join me there for all the details! Happy Labor Day holiday weekend to you all! Read more →

MFT DT October Creative Challenge: Cork

Time again for the My Favorite Things Design Team monthly Creative Challenge! MFT's line of Die-namics cuts such a wide variety of materials. This month, the team's challenge was to put dies to use with MFT's Cork Sheets. We hope to craft some cards and projects you’ll want to stick a pin in for inspiration you'll return to over and over! My cork project for you today is a set of four holiday drink coasters! The Cork sheets cut extremely well with MFT's dies -- as you can see with the variety of intricate die shapes I used! Here are the easy steps: TUTORIAL 1. I started by die cutting the Cork Sheets eight times with the largest Circle STAX 1 Die-namics (which measures about 4" -- perfect for a coaster!). Four of those circles will be die cut again and the other four circles will remain solid -- to give my coasters a double layer of stability and also to have a base circle on which to adhere all the die cut pieces together. Here's a look at my assembly process: 2. After die cutting the circles, I then ran a circle back through my Big Shot with the... Read more →

Grateful Mini Album and Copic Video Tutorial

Hello and welcome to My Favorite Things September Release Rewind! The design team hopes to inspire you with more ideas for those new September products you've purchased and are patiently waiting on to be delivered, or to help you finish up your shopping if you are still on the fence about anything! (I'm having a few computer problems at the moment, so all products used are linked at this bottom of the post). Since Fall is one of my favorite times of year, I couldn't get enough of the gorgeous new Falling Leaves Die-namics, Thankful Thoughts stamp set and coordinating Words of Gratitude Die-namics, and Burlap Background, so I created this 5.50" square Grateful mini album: This album cover idea came about when I was die cutting a bunch of the Falling Leaves from different colors of cardstock for another project. I had left the dies intact when I received them (didn't break them apart) and liked how the formation and spacing looked and wanted to use the leftover negative space from this piece of Chocolate Brown cardstock. So I stamped it with the Burlap Background in Whip Cream Pigment Ink. Next, I inlaid all but one of the leaves... Read more →

Patriotic Luminary

I saw a patriotic luminary idea on Pinterest and wanted to re-create it, so today over in Ellen Hutson's the CLASSroom I share how to make it. I hope you'll join me there! And I hope you are enjoying your Summer! Read more →

MFT June Creative Challenge-Hybrid Inks

Time again for My Favorite Things' Design Team Creative Challenge! With the introduction of MFT's new Hybrid Inks over the past couple of months, a whole new world of stamping techniques have opened up. This month, the design team is challenged to present to you ink techniques featuring the rainbow of colors MFT's Hybrid line offers. Here are a few details about the inks: These pigment-based inks dry like dye inks and are permanent on paper surfaces. They are acid-free, archival, and fade resistant. Inks can be heat set on glass, fabric, wood, plastic, metal, and clay. As these inks are fast drying and waterproof, they cannot be embossed with embossing powder. As with any permanent ink, this product contains a small amount of solvent. These inks feature a 3 3/8" x 2 1/8" raised felt pad. Color-matched to MFT's fabulous array of Heavyweight Cardstock, and coordinates with our complete line of Replenishments ribbon, buttons, and felt. Hybrid Ink Refills are available, sold separately. Here's my first project I made for you ... a tumbled tile coaster: (All supplies used are linked below each project. Click on any photo for a larger view) My coaster was made from a 4"... Read more →

Gina K May Release Blog Hop 3!

Welcome to Day 3 of Gina K Designs’ May release stamp set inspiration blog hops! Our first stamp set being introduced today is: The new One Free with 3 - Elegant Elements: I made a monogrammed notecard: The center element was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto GKD Pure Luxury Heavy Base Weight Cardstock-White cardstock and die cut/embossed. The center monogram was computer generated, punched, and popped up on foam tape over the element. The monogram was framed with a pretty Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Accents die cut from Black Onyx cardstock. The rest is all a pre-printed notecard! Our second stamp set today is a second stamp set this month by Theresa Momber, By The Sea: I made an 8-inch framed beachy artwork piece for my husband for Father’s Day using By The Sea (shh, don’t tell him!): (Click on any photo for a larger view) We love the beach/sea and I thought this would be a perfect gift for him. I wanted the pelican to be facing inward towards the other images, so I stamped him with Timber Brown StazOn ink onto a piece of acetate and flipped him over! I adore this sentiment from this set... Read more →

Blogoversary #7 Winner!

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner of my final Blogoversary giveaway of the JustRite stamps -- I totally spaced and was thinking I said I'd post it today! Random.org chose this number: Random Integer Generator Here are your random numbers: 92 Timestamp: 2010-02-04 14:46:26 UTC who is: 92 Kathy V. said... Sharon, thanks so much for three years of wonderful ideas and inspiration! Here's to many, many more! Hope you're feeling better soon. You must be exhausted from all you've been doing that last few months. Get some rest--we'll wait! Congratulations, Kathy!! Please email your mailing address to me using the link under my photo and I'll get your stamps out to you! Thanks again to everyone for stopping by here and helping me celebrate my 3rd year of blogging . . . I hope you'll be back over the coming year! Today over at the CLASSroom, I have this piece of framed artwork to share with you: Copic markers were used on every square inch of this entire project . . . I hope you'll come see how I used Copic's Airbrush System to customize everything! Don't forget you still have until Friday at 10pm CST to... Read more →

Taylored Expressions Black Friday Blog Hop!

In honor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday (two of the biggest shopping days of the year!) Taylored Expressions is offering 15% off EVERYTHING in the store today through Monday, so you don't want to miss saving on some great GIFTS for others, supplies to help YOU make gifts, or just a little shopping for YOURSELF!! Just use promotional code TEBlackFriday upon checkout to receive the discount. You also won't want to miss 50% off all JustRite products, buy 2 get one free on Tiny Twinkles, and the new TE shirts and aprons! One featured item in the store is this great Perfect Package Card Box. It ships to you plain white and flat (pops open easily), ready for whatever kind of decorating you'd like to give it. I decided to make mine to hold an all-occasion card set for my Mom as a Christmas gift, so I decorated it "every day'ish", so it would be pretty sitting out on her desk or counter. To cover my box, I used Taylored Expressions' November Key Ingredients Kit with yummy Basic Grey Indian Summer patterned paper and Prism cardstock, adhered with my favorite Zip Dry glue. I used wine rick-rack and pink... Read more →

TE November Key Ingredient Kit Challenge

Let me tell you what a joy it is to receive Taylored Expressions' Key Ingredients Kits each month! These kits make it SO easy to have all the perfectly coordinated ... well, KEY ingredients!, at your fingertips for quick and easy crafting! Cardstock, the latest and greatest patterned paper, beautiful ribbon, and color-coordinated embellishments. And for just $21.95 per month (6-month subscription) you can, too! This month, half of Taylored Expressions' Baker's Dozen designers were challenged to create Thanksgiving themed projects with family traditions in mind, with the November Kit. Here's what I came up with -- a photo frame! I don't know a family that doesn't take a lot of photos when everyone is gathered during the holidays. I'm usually the one taking photos of everyone else and it's been way too long since we had a photo taken together as a whole family. So this Thanksgiving I'm going to make it a point that someone take our picture together and then it will be placed in this frame! I adore the rich jewel tones in these papers (although my camera seems to be having some difficulty showing you just how pretty these colors REALLY are together!) included in... Read more →

Taylored Expressions Sneak Peek-Day 2

If you like birds, today is going to be a real tweet (I couldn't resist)! Because today the Taylored Expressions Baker's Dozen Designers are showing you sneak peeks of the next holiday stamp set that will be released tomorrow, Saturday, October 3rd ... Wings of Joy. A few details of what will be available on Saturday: The Christmas Key Ingredients Kit includes: -- Prism cardstock: Island Mist Light, Blush Red Dark, Classic Yellow Green, Sunflowers Medium, and Intense Pink + TE Choice Buttercream cardstock -- Cosmo Cricket's Jolly by Golly patterned paper (large scale) -- 5 yards of coordinating ribbon -- Rockstar Red Sparkly Fluff -- Chipboard snowflakes (that I used yesterday on my Bethlehem ornament) There will also be a Very Merry Christmas Bundle available, which will include everything you see at left (click on the photo for a larger view), bundled together for extra savings to you (and super easy one-click ordering)! You can see the whole bundle pictured on the Taylored Expressions blog today. I have SO many cute ideas for this darling set, and here's the first one that came to mind (please bear with me, I'm on a holiday ornament kick here!) I couldn't resist... Read more →