Take a Peek at Postmarked 02 - My Newest Class from Big Picture Classes!

I'm excited to share a peek into Postmarked 02, my latest online class in the Postmarked series from Big Picture Classes!

BPC is an amazing online source for creative education.  You'll find classes on card making, scrapbooking, photography, DIY, and more!  The site is a membership, meaning - you pay a small fee each month & have access to the full library of classes.

For a short time, you can take my class FOR FREE!  Find out more below.

I really think you're going to love what's in store for Postmarked 02!

In this class, I'll show you how to make a customized stationery set that's full of color!  Learn how to revitalize supplies you have on hand with a dye bath and create beautiful cards that have been dip dyed.

The class comes with free templates to make handmade envelopes & a stationery box.  These sets are just gorgeous and make perfect gifts!  The templates come in both pdf & .studio files for the Silhouette Cameo.

I'll also show you techniques for creating monogrammed cards through dry embossing & hand embroidery.

One of my favorite things about this class is that you can use whatever supplies you have on hand!  It's a great way to revitalize your stash & create projects that fit your own unique style.

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So, are you ready to check out Postmarked 02?  For a limited time, you can take my class & any class at BPC FOR FREE!

Use the code: BPCJULIE to get a free one month trial membership to the site.

*Free month trial promotion ends August 22^nd, 2015 at 11:59 pm EST. First month free offer valid only on new memberships and is not valid for current or previous members. Click the “Start Your Free Trial” button and follow the steps to begin your free trial.  Enter promo code in promo box and continue checkout process. Not valid on previous purchases. Must enter promo code at checkout. Refunds will not be issued for misused or non-entered codes. 

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I hope to see you in class!

Studio Calico December {Park Ave} Is Here!

I'm back to share some of the projects I created using the new December kits from Studio Calico.  This release has some of the cutest things included & they were so fun to work with.

If you're looking for a quick gift, this handmade desk set might be just the trick!  I used some of the new digital stamp brushes with my Silhouette die cutter & cut out these little cuties from vinyl.

 The notebook is just a kraft Moleskin notebook that I covered with paper from the card kit & a little washi tape from my stash.  The whole project can be finished in under 15 minutes!

 This is another great last minute holiday project.  Shipping tags are a great base for dressing up any gift!  I printed this owl (made from the same digital brush set as above) onto white cardstock & used stamps from some of the new stamp sets to dress it up.  The polka-dot bags are from the card kit & really bring this packaging up to the next level.

 These next two projects were made solely from this month's card kit.  The set isn't necessarily holiday themed, but it's easily alterable to be used for many occasions.

 As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am head over heals in love with Lizzy Mackay's art.  She has stamps found in the Waldorf add-on and the Birthday Stamp set.  Here are a couple of other projects I made with her stamps:

 This card was made with the new Talk Nerdy to Me stamp set.  My husband works at an engineering school and said this stamp set would go over really well there. ;)

These are just a small peek at all of the fun new products that are now available at Studio Calico.  You can find all of the kits & add-ons here.

Happy shopping! :)

Paint Dipped Spoons + Canning Jars

A group of my friends get together every month for what we call our "crafty girls' night out."  We all bring some yummy munchies & some sort of craft/project to work on & just enjoy each others company.

I was trying to figure out what craft project I wanted to work on & remembered that my Color Theory acrylic paints had just arrived!

Let me just say, these paints rock!  The colors are so fresh & trendy... and they coordinate with all of the other Color Theory products. I got them with the intention of painting some of my wood veneer shapes (as well as many other things)... and then I had a light bulb moment.

I've seen some adorable painted spoons on Pinterest & decided to try to make them myself.  I bought some wooden utensil sets from the dollar store, packed a handful of colors of paint (Sunny Day, Coral Bay, Mint Hint & Clean Slate), a paintbrush & some washi & I was all set for our g.n.o.

Creating paint dipped spoons are extremely easy.  Here's the rundown:

1. Apply tape to the utensils to mask the area where you want the paint line to stop.  I used washi tape because it's very easy to remove (and I couldn't find my painter's tape.)
2. Paint the area of the utensils below the tape line.  I applied 3 thin coats, allowing the paint to dry in between coats.
3. Spray the painted ends of utensils with a non-toxic sealer.  (I did two coats just to be sure.)
4. Remove washi tape & reveal your awesome work!

One thing that I really loved about the Color Theory acrylics was how perfect the color remained after removing the tape.  I've removed painter's tape while doing some DIY projects around the house where portions of the paint had dried to the tape & peeled off, leaving a not-so-lovely paint line behind.  Not so with these paints!

These spoons are cute enough to be a gift all on their own (they look much more expensive than the $1 you spent on them) ;) but I thought I'd go a step further & use them as fancy schmancy gift packaging.

 

I love canning jars.  Maybe it's because I have so many happy memories of my grandma's canned fruits & vegetables?  I'm not sure... but I was so happy to see these Jar stamps from Studio Calico.

 I used the digital stamp set, which is great if you have Photoshop or Elements.  You can resize them to fit whatever project you're working on & just print them out onto cardstock or patterned paper.  These digi stamps are only available for the month of September.  (There is also a traditional acrylic stamp set if you're more of an ink & paper crafter.)

I hope you give these painted spoons a try!  Just fill your canning jar with a soup or cookie mix & you've got a thoughtful & adorable gift that anyone is sure to love.

Letterpress Recipe Card Tutorial

As I mentioned yesterday, my letterpress supplies have been getting a workout lately.  I LOVE letterpressing from home.  It's so simple & the results are so instantly gratifying.  :)  I can't wait to learn even more in the upcoming online Letterpress Class from Studio Calico.

The new kitchen themed letterpress plates (Recipe Card & From the Kitchen Of) make it easy to create handmade gifts. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a set of letterpressed recipe cards that look like they came from an expensive boutique! I’ll also show you how you can repurpose your Project Life packaging to create a recipe box.

I packaged up a set of letterpress cards along with a simple tea towel & tied them together with twine.

You can download the full PDF tutorial here.

I hope you give letterpress a try!  It's so much fun. 

Lawn Fawn: "Chevron Backdrops"

I have a peek for you today of one of Lawn Fawn's new spring releases called "Chevron Backdrops."  Chevrons are super popular right now & I know I'm going to be using this set a lot!

(click on photo for clearer view)

This card & gift set is super simple, but I love how the chevron stamps give it a lot of style.  You could make a full card set in no time at all... which is perfect for when you need a gift in a hurry!

I made the little "purse" with my Silhouette & added a sentiment from the "Cruising Through Life" set.  The sentiment on the card is from the "Many Thanks" set.

Make sure to check out the Lawn Fawn blog for a video & inspiration from all the other designers.  I can't wait to see what they've come up with!

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Quick Christmas Gift & Packaging

 I just thought I'd pop in and share a quick little gift idea.  These little Christmas pockets are SO easy to make!  Just fold the end of a paper bag up to make a pocket... and zip around the edges with your sewing machine.  Zip!  Zap!  ... and you're done!

I used some of my Snow Day Collection from Crate Paper to dress it all up. (Please forgive my photos as of late.  I bought a cheap little Nikon point & shoot... and it's just plain terrible!  Hopefully the store will allow me to return it.  Bleck!   I SO wish Santa could bring me a nice camera that could take detailed shots.  Sigh......)

And... going with the 'paper bag' theme... I dressed up a white bag to coordinate.  I packaged a couple other gifties inside to go along with the Christmas pocket & thankfully they all fit perfectly in there.  :)

I have more quick holiday gift ideas.  Hopefully I'll have time to post more soon! :)

Christmas Cocoa Packets

If you've visited the Unity Blog recently, you might have seen my hot cocoa packet project in the Helmar hop.  I've been so inspired by Michelle Wooderson & Melissa Phillips' 12 Days of Christmas posts.  Mich makes the cutest brown bag packets & I wanted to try one out for myself.  I'm not sure exactly how she makes hers, but I made mine out of a basic brown lunch bag.  These are SO easy to do & make really economical gifts.

To make my packets, first cut the bottom off of the lunch sack.  (This end is going to be the top of your packet.)  Next, fold the bag about 3/4ths of the way up.  At this point, I trimmed my patterned paper and stitched along the edges.  (Make sure to do any decorative stitching before you adhere it to your bag!)  Adhere your paper and stitch along all 3 sides of your lunch bag.

You'll now have 3 pockets that you can use to hold a little note, a card.... or a hot cocoa packet & candy cane!  Just finish decorating your bag however you like.

(adhesive) Helmar: Square 1/4" Zapdots,  3-D Scrap Dots clear circles, 1/2" Round Zapdots(stamps) Unity: Jillibean Snowflakes fall from HeavenPatterned Paper:  Tinsel & Twig, the Girls' PaperieOther: Melissa Frances rub-on, hand-dyed wrinkle ribbon,Tiny Tag:  Viola Mahr's Etsy Shop

School Notes Memo Pad

This is a fun little project I made to hang on my fridge.  I'm always searching for a notepad to jot things down on or to scribble a note to my son's teacher. I just covered a stack of notepads with cardstock, folding the edge to create a little nook to hold a pencil/pen. The cover is decorated with Crate Paper's School Spirit paper, stickers, & rub-ons. (LOVE this collection!  mmm!)

I used couple of stamps from the "Believe In You" set by There She Goes.  This is the first set I've ever bought from TSG... and it's AWESOME!  I can't believe how many images were crammed into one set... and they ink up beautifully!

I glued a few magnets to the back of my memo pad... and now it has a nice new home on my fridge.  No more hunting and scavenging for paper in the morning!  ;)

Crafty Chicks Class - May Projects

Hey there! :) I'm finally getting around to posting pictures from my last Crafty Chicks class.  (The boys are spending the night with the grandparents.  Yippee!)  ;)

This month, we made a set of cards using a lot of Cosmo Cricket paper and Papertrey Ink stamps.  And... I just got my first stamp set from Waltzingmouse Stamps & LOVE how they work with the Nestabilities dies!  If you haven't ordered from them before, I highly recommend them.  They shipped super quick... and had to travel over an ocean to get here!  (Actually, they made it faster than the stamps I had ordered the same day from the U.S.!)

Anyway... back to the project.  :)  Here is the card set all boxed up.  We used lots of home-made crinkly wrinkly ribbon and added some colorful buttons to most of the cards and the case.

If you follow my blog, the card above probably looks familiar.  I used the same basic layout as I did for my Embellish Magazine blog hop a few posts back.  I really love the bright, fabric butterfly cut-out and wanted to try it again.  If you like to use fabric on cards, make sure to check out the Moxie Fab World 'Fun With Fabric' challenge for more inspiration!

Here's another bright and cheery card that we made.  To make the flower embellishment, just punch out several 1" circles.  Pinch one end of each circle and adhere it to a base... and continue until you have a completed flower.  The button on top hides any imperfections.  ;)

This card was cased from a card by Dawn McVey.  I love her style and just had to try one out myself!

For our final card, we created a sympathy card with shabby chic details.  It's always good to have something like this on hand so that you don't have to try to be creative when your emotions aren't in check.

We made some coordinating envies using Papertrey Ink's new envelope die cut.  I think this is SUCH a great invention.  Sure... you can cut them by hand, but this is so much simpler -- especially when you need to make a lot at one time.  :)

I hope you've enjoyed taking a peek at our class projects.  If you're local, I'd love to have you join us sometime!!!  Have a good one!  :)

A Gift For Coffee Lovers

Good morning!  Can I just tell you how much fun it is to have both of my boys home with me?  I love having days off from work. (Hopefully I'll still be saying the same thing later in the summer.)  ;)  We've had such a nice day so far... eating some yummy, made-from-scratch breakfast, watching a couple of cute cartoons together, playing Sorry (my oldest's favorite board game) -- And now, my boys are building Legos while I sort through totes of clothes.  That's one really great thing about having 2 boys.  Between my oldest son's out grown clothes & those from other family members... I don't think I'm ever going to have to buy my youngest son anything for years!

So... onto something crafty!  Have you seen the latest challenge on the Moxie Fab World blog?!?  It's called Fun With Fabric & there are LOTS of cool fabric projects linked to inspire you.  I love incorporating fabric in my projects & today I have something that I made with felt.

My charge nurse at work knows how much I love coffee & buys me a "Friday Treat" from the hospital coffee shop when we've had a tough week.  I usually try to sneak some $$$ into her office, but she finds me out more often than not.  So... I wanted to make her a little something to say 'thank you.

I've been oogling these cute coffee sleeves on Etsy and wanted to try one out for myself.  I buy my felt from Heather Bailey's shop (she has the softest, most colorful felt that I've found!).  I die cut some decorative pieces from a couple of Papertrey Ink dies and then hand-cut some flowers and leaves and stitched everything together.  The crochet flower was from My Mind's Eye.

I think my sleeve turned out kind of cute, but I wanted a card to go along with it... so I just hand-cut a coffee mug shape out of kraft paper and added a stamped sentiment (from MFT).  The card is two pieces.  The piece with the handle is the back and the front was the same shape, minus the handle.  The top of the mug is adhered together and the coffee sleeve just slides right onto the front of the card.  (sorry if this is confusing)  In lieu of an envelope, I slipped my coffee giftie into a little glassine bag and hand delivered it.

Well.... I need to scoot!  My youngest has decided to try on almost every piece of clothing that I've folded while I've been typing my blog post.  ;)  Hope you all have a great day!

Gifts From the Kitchen - Now on Etsy!

Here is the latest Kit listed in my Etsy site! There are only 2 available, so if you're interested, you might want to head over there soon! :)


Here's a little more about my kit:

There's nothing better than the taste of freshly baked bread spread with homemade strawberry preserves! Now you can make your gifts as pretty as they are tasty! This kit is specially designed to meet all of your packaging needs!

Surprise a friend with a decorated Mason jar filled with a cookie mix! Or... show someone you care with a loaf of banana bread peeking through the window of a decorated bag.

Here is one of the cards included in the kit. This image is from Unity's 100% Happy kit (which can only be found in local stores).


Here are some more items from the kit. The card contains 3 cards, but the fronts of the cards are not adhered, allowing for personal touches! And... the labels are double sided, so that gives you more options to custom-fit it to your needs.


I LOVE this vintage measuring spoon! It would be perfect tied onto a jar or on top of a gift! This kit also comes with a LOT of ribbon! You could use it to tie onto a jar or bag... or to secure a tag in place. The little gift tag hanging from the Mason jar is layered with paper that was scanned from an old handwritten recipe.



This kit is jam-packed to the brim with colorful packaging supplies with a vintage twist.

Kit Contents:
- 1 Window Bag in Kraft (6" x 2.75" x 9.25")
- 3 fabric Mason jar Tops (dark denim, red & white picnic check, & mustard ticking)
- 3 decorative tops for Mason jars (double sided prints)
- 4 dotted recipe cards
- Three 3x3 gift cards (Kraft)
- Cardstock & Stamped images to decorate gift cards
- Three 3x3 envelopes (white)
- 6 strands of ribbon (aqua satin, red stitched, white taffeta, & cream, mustard, and taupe grosgrain)
- 1 piece of light blue ric rack
- 1 vintage measuring spoon
- 5 buttons
- 1 chipboard flower accent
- 1 'from the kitchen of' sticky-backed label
- 1 double sided panel (sized to add to Window Bag), along with coordinating mustard embossed cardstock
- 2 tiny wooden clothespins
- 1 tag (complete with twine) that can be tied around a jar

***NOTE**** Mason Jar NOT included