PaperFections

New Copic Classes and Exciting News!

I've been keeping a secret about something for a while now and I'm proud to be involved! Looks like someone let the cat out of the bag a little early . . . more news will be coming next week, stay tuned! :) Are you ready for some summer coloring fun? Check out these new Copic classes that have recently been added to the schedule (click on the icons below for registration information). You can find all available Copic classes listed over on my Copic Classes page or over at the Copic website: -- AUG -- 09: Kansas City KS, taught by Lori Craig 16: St. Louis MO, taught by Lori Craig 16: Minneapolis MN, taught by Debbie Olson 16: Portland OR, taught by Sherrie Siemens -- AUG -- 10: Kansas City KS, taught by Lori Craig 17: St. Louis MO, taught by Lori Craig 17: Minneapolis MN, taught by Debbie Olson 17: Portland OR, taught by Sherrie Siemens -- JUL -- 19-20: Chicago, IL: July 19-20: Open for enrollment, click HERE Instructors - Debbie Olson & Cindy Lawrence I hope you have a wonderful weekend ... I'll be back a little later with a CLASSroom project! ~ Sharon Read more →

Copic Coloring Guide Level 3: People

Good morning and welcome to a very special blog hop! I am excited to announce my participation and publication in the new Copic Coloring Guide, Level 3: People! Authors Colleen Schaan and Marianne Walker have partnered up again with the team at Annie’s and some of the most talented artists and designers in the industry to bring you a quality publication packed full of techniques, theory, tutorials, and inspiration. The 64-page book is the next step in the Coloring Guide series, offering information and educational material for crafters of all skill levels. From the how and why behind choosing colors and coloring skin, to the tips and techniques for coloring hair, to the helpful hints on how to create realistic looking clothing and fabric, this book presents information in an easy-to-follow format. An included CD contains all of the hand-drawn images used in the tutorial section of the book, along with the assembly instructions for all of the projects, and a number of blank reference charts. Each participating designer is hopping today to give you a peak at their favorite project from the book -- and a chance to WIN your own autographed copy! I'm beyond thrilled and honored to... Read more →

On the First Day of Christmas . . .

I found a new (at least to me!) toy over the weekend . . . Dymo has a new 3/8" label maker called the Caption Maker. What's different about this one is that it's PINK and has three interchangeable font wheels that you can take out and change mid-sentence or even mid-word! I've used the upper & lower case here, there's also a lower case cursive font. If you click on the hyperlinked text above, that will take you to Dymo's site so you can see what the label maker looks like and also the fonts. But the price listed there is more than what I found with a Google search. I also got mine for less at my local Michael's . . . but I'm not certain you could find it in your local Michael's. This is a new prototype store Michael's is trying out in my area, since they are based here, and they had a lot better product than I've seen in other Michael's stores. Sorry my sentiment isn't showing up too well here, if you click on the photo for a larger view, it may be better. That's due in part to Dymo's new clear tape... Read more →

Faux Stitching Card #7

I finally received my comp copy of the Stamper's Sampler Take Ten June/July magazine these cards were featured in . . . turns out they used the opening paragraph I sent them as the whole article! It also turns out the card recipes & instruction are a bit off, so pay closer attention to these instructions! ;) The pink/red Roses in Winter card I showed here was not in the article. Here are the instructions on the last card that IS in the article: Printed papers are from Stampin' Up's Enchante collection and they were layered onto a pale plum card base. A double row of faux stitching "holds" the papers together on the left side, and the right corners were also stitched. Pewter brads anchor the lower left corner. The focal image (SU's Happy Harmony) was stamped by inking the rubber directly with Stampin' Write Markers: perfect & pale plum and sage, then stamping onto vanilla cardstock. The flower centers were highlighted with 2-Way Glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds glitter. The sentiment was stamped in perfect plum. It is matted with sage cardstock and accented with a Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware swirl clip and eggplant grosgrain ribbon that really does... Read more →

Faux Stitching Card #6

Time to change up that straight faux stitching with a little zig-zag! Sorry the colors are looking a little off in this photo -- this card is a perfect plum base and has the swirl from Carte Postale stamped down the left side in perfect plum classic ink. For the quilted piece, I cut squares of four different patterns of designer paper from the Enchante collection and adhered them to a strip of pale plum cardstock. Then I faux zig-zag stitched the strips together by piercing every other hole in the Stampin’ Up paper piercing template and then connecting the holes with perfect plum Stampin’ Write Marker. This strip was adhered about ¾” from the left side of the card. The focal image is the butterfly from A Touch of Nature stamped in Timber Brown StazOn on vanilla cardstock. I wanted a softer look, so I used a blender pen with classic ink pads to color the butterfly with plum & celery. The Fancy Flexible Phrases sentiment was also stamped in Timber Brown StazOn. The corners of this piece were clipped with the Ticket Corner Punch and matted with celery cardstock. The edges of both pieces were sponged with cocoa... Read more →

Faux Stitching Card #5

Sorry I'm just getting around to posting the next group of faux stitched cards that appear in the June/July summer issue of Stamper's Sampler Take Ten magazine article on faux stitching (available June 1). If you've missed them to date, they start out HERE in this post. I was flat on my back in bed all day yesterday but feeling more like myself today, thank goodness! This card started with a 5.5" x 4.25" base of sage shadow cardstock, layered with the Fleur-de-lis patterned paper from Stampin' Up's Enchante designer paper. These papers were my favorite to date, I think, with the chocolate and sage muted patterns -- I really hope they appear again the new catalog release in July. Next, I distressed the sage layer around the edges with SU's edge distressing tool (made by Tonic) and tied copper metallic cording around the piece before adhering it with dimensionals to the card base. The focal image is from Carte Postale and I heat embossed it with Classy Copper EP on very vanilla cardstock. Merci is stamped in chocolate chip, then the whole piece was pierced using the Crafter's Tool Kit paper piercing template, pad & tool and then faux... Read more →

Faux Stitching Card #4

Can you tell I was making these cards in January and had Valentines on my mind?! This faux stitched chipboard heart card was basically a repeat of this card, so I won't bore you with too many of the same details (you can re-read them in that post), with this exception: I stamped the Canvas background on Pretty in Pink cardstock and then adhered the cardstock to the chipboard heart using Anywhere Glue Stick, sanded the edges and then inked them. Here's the supply list: Stamps: Stampin' Up! Loving Hearts (sentiment) & Canvas background. Paper: SU Pretty in Pink cardstock, Heidi Grace Love Blossoms paper. Ink: SU Classic Real Red & Regal Rose, Real Red Stampin' Write Marker, Rose Grosgrain Ribbon. Accessories: SU Chipboard Heart, Buffing Block, Anywhere Glue Stick. Heidi Swapp Flower Jewel & Ranger Liquid Pearls (flower centers). Prima Flowers, Stardust Gelly Roll pen (to color the flower in "you"). If I get something else stamped today (those are my intentions with Jami's challenge card!) I'll post it, if not -- look for the next set of faux stitching cards to start tomorrow! More exciting news I received in the mail yesterday -- my first actual paycheck for... Read more →

Faux Stitching Card #3

Well, this card comes on an appropriate day -- my 13th wedding anniversary . . . so happy anniversary, honey! This card was my inspiration on creating the other 3 in this group's color scheme, as I had made it previously. (All supplies by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted) This card started off with a black base, which I punched in the lower right corner with SU's Word Window punch and tied light pink grosgrain ribbon thru the window. Then with Karen Foster's Snap Stamps, I made the sentiment "truely i do" and stamped it on whisper white cardstock with classic basic black ink. Then I positioned the sentiment behind the window, on the inside of the card and adhered it. Did you know Karen Foster decided to quit making these fabulous stamps? Many of you have them and if you don't know about them, you can form your own sentiments, sayings, etc. by snapping together each letter to form a word or even a longer sentence than this sentiment I created. Then you just simply stamp your newly created sentiment all at once, just like a custom pre-made stamp! AND they are reasonably priced, considering you get multiple letters... Read more →

Faux Stitching Card #2

Ranking right up there with tulips as my one of my favorite flowers is roses. I'm so sad this Stampin' Up! set is retiring this year -- Roses in Winter. This card started with a real red base, then a layer of pretty in pink which the Sincere Salutation sentiment is stamped on in classic basic black ink. The Floral background was stamped with regal rose on pretty in pink and the lower right corner torn and inked with red. These two layers were faux stitched using a real red Stampin' Write Marker. That's the nice thing about faux stitching -- you always have just the right color of "thread"! For the focal image, I inked the largest rose piece in this 3-step stamp (bottom layer) with pretty in pink that was lightly rock & rolled in regal rose ink. The middle layer/stamp of the rose was inked with regal rose then rock & rolled with red ink and stamped. The last/top layer of the rose was stamped with red ink. The small flowers were stamped in red, the leaves in stamped off mellow moss and Itty Bitty Background dots stamped in black, all on shimmer white cardstock to give... Read more →

Exciting News!

Before I share that news with you, I thought I'd share a photo of my Mother's Day roses that I forgot to post . . . until I had to throw out those poor drooping blooms today! I always love keeping fresh flowers in the house and sweet hubby & girls brought these to me last Saturday. Then on Sunday, he came home with my cool new Canon Digital Rebel XT that I took the photo with -- yay! So most of the photos you've seen here on the blog this week were taken with the new digi . . . lovin' it! Thanks again, honey. Do you think that gets him out of having to get me a 13th wedding anniversary gift on Monday? :D So here's the exciting news I mentioned yesterday . . . Evidently the June/July issue of Stamper's Sampler Take Ten magazine hit subscribers' mailboxes on Thursday because yesterday a friend congratulated me on a 3-page spread feature article on Faux Stitching that I provided 8 stamped cards for! (Thanks, Maggie!) So while I'm waiting for my comp copy to arrive, I thought I'd share those cards with you over the next few days and... Read more →