design team

Imagine That: Matching Notebook Cover and End Papers

In The Studio

Y’all know how much I love to make and/or decorate notebooks, right? In this project I got to do both as I made the notebook from scratch (because why not) then decorated the cover and made matching end papers for the inside front and back covers.

End papers can really add a nice finishing touch to a hand bound book, elevating it from craft to art. I admit, I don’t always go to the trouble but I always feel better about my project when I do!

I’m also really jazzed about the string closure I devised for this little pocket notebook. It was super simple and I’m very likely to use this on more projects as I maybe finally get around to making some journals for sale. We shall see.

At any rate, you can see how this came together over on the Imagine blog, complete with video! Go check it out!

Imagine That: Because the Night

In The Studio

Have you heard about the new product from Tsukineko?! The new ink on the block is VersaFine Clair and it is absolutely amazing–I’m totally in love with it.

Of course I’ve had a chance to play with it–both at home and this past weekend at Creativation–and Nocturne is the perfect rich black for this month’s color challenge.

A few facts about VersaFine Clair:

  • It’s a pigment ink so it’s embossable–better yet, it stays embossable for a few minutes, so you don’t have to hurry.
  • It’s super-pigmented and gives amazing coverage on solid stamps (like my hand-carved little black dress stamp) but it also just as amazing (as the name implies) on fine-line stamps
  • It’s quick-drying–I touched my solid image right after stamping and none came off on my hand and there was no smudging, either!

It’s all kinds of amazing, is what it is. I’m absolutely in love with it and you’ll be seeing it quite a lot in upcoming projects.

Of course, you can check out how it looks in action by heading over to the Imagine Blog and watching my video of how my Girls’ Night Out card came together.

Imagine That: Thanks for Two Fabulous Years

In The Studio

This month wraps up my second year as an Artist in Residence for Imagine and I can’t say how grateful I am for the opportunity to continue on in 2018 for year three!

This month we were challenged to create something with the theme of Winter Window, so I created a shadow box effect inside of a painted and image-transfered glass block. Now, at other times of the year you might have to settle for the actual glass block tiles from the hardware store, but at Christmas they have them pre-drilled for easy insertion of lights or other decorative elements. I bought two just in case, but I haven’t decided what I’m going to use the second one on just yet.

Another prompt this month was evergreen. While there were 1,001 ideas I could have gone with, I’d had the idea to make a bowl out of paper clay for a while and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to try it out. Despite being a messy project, I loved how this one turned out. The metallic gold Creative Medium was such a fantastic way to blend the different greens together while adding a subtle sheen to the rest of the bowl that it’s become one of my all-time favorite projects.

Finally, I close out this year with a quick set of thank you cards–a great project for after the holidays, not just for use this month but to prepare for the coming year, as well. In the video I created for this project I also included three tips for writing heartfelt thank-yous, just in case you need a refresher.

I’m so looking forward to all the cool stuff that’s coming up in 2018! First up is a trip to Phoenix, AZ, in January for Creativation–an event I’ve wanted to attend for ages (way back when it was just called the CHA summer and winter shows) and I get to hang out and help out at the Imagine booth while I’m there. I’ll be sure to post about that here and on my social media channels when there’s more to tell!

Hope your 2017 was a good one and that 2018 is even better!

Imagine That: November Projects

In The Studio

For all my US-based readers, I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. Non-US readers? I hope you had a happy Thursday. We’ve gotten into such a groove with the Thanksgiving prep over the years that it’s become quite relaxing to host my family for dinner each year and I really do think it was our best turkey yet (for more on how we do our turkey, check out this vintage post all the way from 2010! Todd’s Turkey).

I have a lot to be thankful for this year with the new job, new friends being made here in Thomasville, and I recently got the all-clear on a health issue that’s been hanging over my head for the last two months (more on that another time, perhaps). Todd and I celebrated 10 years together at the beginning of the month, too, and my heart couldn’t be more full of love. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to create projects for Imagine/Tsukineko and share them with not just my own readers but theirs as well!

Another thing I’m not only grateful for but excited to get to do is that I’m going to Creativation in January! I’ve wanted to go to this trade show for as long as I’ve known it existed (which has been a good long while considering how long I’ve been knocking around the craft world in one way or another) and this fall I just decided I was going to make it happen. And, yes, I’ll be hanging out quite a bit at the Imagine booth, so if you’ll be there please stop by and say hello! Until then I’m counting the days and happily removing links from my paper chain!

And now here we are in Christmas build-up with the end of the year hurtling towards us. Last year we had a very quiet Christmas just the three of us (Todd, Duncan, and I) with minimal fuss. We barely even did presents, as well, concentrating on stockings instead, and it was glorious. Of course, if you’re in the mood to give a simple gift to friends, teachers, coworkers, etc., consumables are the way to go, and a little bit of pretty packaging goes a long way to make a simple gift seem like so much more.

Warmest wishes to you all and a Happy Holiday season!

Imagine That: October Projects

In The Studio

Okay, another month has zoomed by, and I have three more Imagine projects to share with you!

Just like last year, our Halloween prep is still pretty low-key (though I do have a perfectly ridiculous dress to wear on Halloween day that I’m incredibly excited for) with Duncan the Destroyer around. No inside decorations have been dragged out but we did get our witches put up for the trick-or-treaters to enjoy.

10/11: Custom Candy Wrappers on the Imagine Blog

On the Imagine blog I created some Halloween candy wrappers that are very quick to put together and would be great as coworker or lunchbox surprises tomorrow, if you’re in need of a last-minute idea. Of course, the same technique would totally work for any other event or holiday, so take a look and run with it in whatever direction your heart desires.

10/16: Faux Bois Box on the Imagine Blog

My love for faux finishes has been well-documented over the past two years with Imagine (what can I say, their products make it so very easy), and this month I managed another. A pretty good (if I do say so myself) facsimile of woodgrain (faux bois) on a folded paper box. The trick is to pay attention tot he direction of the wood grain as it pertains to the piece of the box you’re stamping.

10/30: Pretty in Purple card on the Imagine Blog

And to finish out the month I created a textured card with a faux watercolor background and some word beads I’ve had in my stash a looooong time. This industry comes out with new and notable things all the freaking time, but don’t neglect what you already have on hand. There’s still value in it, after all.

Have a crafty month, folks!