imagine crafts

Paper Pendants and Studio Calico

In The Studio

A few months ago I decided to treat myself to the Studio Calico monthly stamp subscription, and I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed receiving that sheet of acrylic stamps each month. Because they’re topmost on my desk, usually, they’re much more likely to be grabbed when I need a starting point for my next project.

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Case in point: Build a Bouquet (January 2017) meets Imagine embossing. Jewelry ensues. Check out the play-by-play on the Imagine blog.

Now, this is not my first time making paper jewelry. Back when I was with the Gauche team I made paper brooches as well as a slew of paper beads that I turned into a Day of the Dead rosary.Paper and stamping is just such an unexpected material for jewelry that it never fails to impress, so I dipped back into the well this month for a project that incorporated the color challenge (Rose) as well as the theme (Heart of Gold).

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Paper jewelry tends to be very delicate, it’s a given, but for this project I wanted to protect the stamped blossoms and give them the high shine of resin (but without the mixing and waiting that resin crafts require). Multiple layers of clear embossing powder provided the desired effect and the gold that gets swiped just on the edges melded into the clear rather than creating a hard line–something you only see when you look closely, but that’s okay, too.

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I decided to make earrings at the same time, since the Studio Calico stamp set had both a large layered blossom and a small one. For the earrings, since they’re likely to get a bit more hard use with hair and phones and scarves nearby, I doubled the images so the bail is sandwiched between them and both sides are glossy.

Of course, my m.o. is always to make multiples of something when I’ve got all the stuff out, so I have enough stamped and embossed images to make 3 more necklaces and a couple pairs of earrings, I just have to put them together.

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Back to the Studio Calico subscription–I really can’t say enough good things about it. It’s a simple program (in a good way): the stamps are sturdy and a full sheet’s worth; there’s minimal packaging; and they come with a little booklet that serves the backing board in the package and includes examples of how their designers have used the stamps. There’s also a url for an online classroom where more projects are featured. While I’ve only been getting the stamps for a few months, the designs are very versatile and they tend to include a range of bog and small pieces within each.

Overall, I’ve been very pleased with them and if you’ve been on the fence about the Studio Calico stamp subscription, I’d say give it a try. Tools are always a good investment, and stamps are awesome tools.

The Stamp Subscription from Studio Calico is $19.99 a month. This post was not sponsored by Studio Calico, I’m just a happy customer.

Project Share: Flower-Burst Card

In The Studio

Another month, another round of Imagine-ative projects to share!

This first February project is all about celebrating the BIG news over at Imagine, namely that the shimmery Fireworks! sprays now come in BIG 2 oz bottles with an aerator ball to help mix the shimmer when you shake it.

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I used the Fireworks! in two ways: first I misted a light covering over my white cardstock to give it a bit of shimmery color then I sprayed different colors close to the page to get the controlled round bursts of color. Those color-bursts became flowers with the help of stamps and Memento markers.

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Make sure to check out what my fellow Artists in Residence came up with to showcase their Fireworks! today on the Imagine Blog!

Mint To Be!

In The Studio

I have a new project up over on the Imagine Crafts Blog today, a pretty presentation that could definitely come in handy for non-traditional Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Day giving.

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I had quite a bit of the custom All Purpose Ink blend left over after making the treat topper, so I used it to make some mint-marble stickers.

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To get the variegated marble look I spritzed a piece of acetate with Ink Potion No. 9 and some of the ink. Smooshing the label sheets on top moved the ink around in different concentrations. To some of the glossy labels I added a smattering of salt to create voids and texture. It was a great use for leftover ink or paint–give it a try sometime!

DIY Plannner Stickers with Labels and Stamps

In The Studio

January is, of course, the perfect month to talk about planning, planners, organization, and all that fun stuff (well, fun for me, your mileage may vary). Imagine recognizes that and ordered up some posts and projects on that subject. I, for one, was happy to oblige.

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I spent a couple of fun hours with stamps and inks and sprays and–this is key–a whole host of Avery label sheets to make my own stamped planner stickers. It meant I could go from needing all of this to stamp in my planner:

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To just needing this little handful:

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Not bad condensing, wouldn’t you say?

You can check out more about this project (along with two other planner-related DIYs) on the Imagine blog (Triad of Planner Awesomeness).

Art Every Week 2017: Just Floating Along

In The Studio

One week down, 51 to go!

First, I really want to share about the journal I made for this year’s art journal project, and now that it’s been shared over on the Imagine blog, I can!

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It’s a fairly simple and straightforward Coptic-stitch book with chipboard covers that I decorated with torn craft paper and an old map page. The full supply list is available on the Imagine blog (Creative Journals for Creative People). Of course, I’d be completely remiss if I didn’t mention that the supplies and directions for a similar book can be found in the Bound & Determined kit from The Crafty Branch.

While I’d love to be able to make time during the week to work on it, I’m realistic enough to know that it’s most likely going to be on weekends, so the first weekend’s page was completed on Sunday, the 8th:

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And, even better, I filmed the making of this page and have the edited, voice-overed, and much sped up (it went from an hour of real time to less than 10 minutes in the video) version over on my YouTube channel right now!

Todd helped me set up a new filming rig before I started this page. It still needs some tweaks but I think, overall, it’s going to make the videos look a lot better and make it much easier for me to film process videos of all sorts of projects. If anyone’s curious, let me know and I’ll be happy to post about how we cobbled together an overhead rig for far less than anything that I could find pre-made and that didn’t involve a lot of heavy lifting in the tool department.