It's Topflight Stamps 4th birthday! I'm joining in the celebration along with a group of fabulous designers to share handmade birthday cards that showcase many of the unique products available at Topflight Stamps (including my stamps and embossing powders!) I hope you'll enjoy my cards and tutorial and then continue to hop along with us to see the variety of fantastic products from this talented bunch. (And make sure to stick around to the end to find out how you can win a gift card.) Updated... winner is on the bottom of the post!

If you're following in order then you should have arrived here from Rachel Greig's blog, but if not - no worries! Get the full list of participants and links to their blogs at the bottom of this post.

For my contribution I've used my stamps from PaperArtsy and my Boho Blends embossing powders from Emerald Creek to make a pair of mixed media birthday cards.

I put together a little tutorial to show you how I made these and which products I used to achieve the various effects. Ready to get started?

​Step 1: I started out with Neenah Extra Heavy folded cards and used Lavinia Acetate Circle Masks along with Prism dye ink from Hunkydory and a blender brush to put down three circles of ink on the front of my card.

Step 2: I traced the Lavinia masks onto plain copy paper and cut out the circles to create masks for my stamps (the acetate masks will work too, but they're a bit thicker and so it creates a bigger gap between the stamp and the edge of the circle when you stamp over the mask. The thickness of the acetate is perfect for inking, though.)

I laid the paper masks over top and matched them up with the inked areas, then used designs from my different PaperArtsy stamp sets, stamping repeatedly, to fill the inked circles with pattern. (The set in the photo is my EGL10 set - Japanese Patterns. I also used EGL11 - Suzani Florals as well as my new EGL13 set, Botanical Illustrations.) I stamped with a combination of the Prism Dye Ink Pads as well as Hero Arts Ombré pads.

Step 3: I took the Prism Glimmer Mist in Glamour Gold and instead of spraying, I opened the bottle and used the tube for the sprayer as a skewer and drew rough outlines around my circles with the gold ink.

Step 4: I used bits of washi tape along the edges (two of the designs by Tracy Evans for AALL & Create) and then cut circles from the Colorful Circles washi from l'Encre et l'Image and adhered them onto the card (I used a glue stick since handling them during cutting takes away a lot of the stickiness.)

Step 5: For each of the cards, I chose one of the frames from my new EGL14 (Ornate Frames) stamp set and stamped on watercolor paper with embossing ink and then used some of my Boho Blends embossing powders to heat emboss the images. (For this piece I used Kano Green and Moroccan Sun.)

Step 6: I added sentiments to the birthday cards by using a small alphabet set to stamp my words, then I cut out my frames and edged them with more Prism ink (I used Smoked Paprika here) and then adhered them onto the card with Hunkydory Finger Lift Double-Sided tape.

Step 7: To finish, I added some self-adhesive rhinestones (Hunkydory Diamond Sparkles Glitter Gemstones - Gold Sparkles) onto the main frame to highlight my stamped sentiment and then just used a regular pen to scribble borders and add a few marks.

Voilà! Completed mixed media birthday cards. I love the look of layering ink, stamping, embossing, and washi tape all mixed together to highlight the celebratory sentiments and I'm excited to have these ready and waiting for the next time I need a birthday card :)

I hope you enjoyed both the cards and the tutorial... here are a few more close-ups so you can see both of the completed cards.

I'm excited to share that today I'm releasing three new rubber stamp sets with PaperArtsy. This release includes EGL13 (Botanical Illustrations,) EGL14 (Ornate Frames,) and EGL15 (Tribal Fish.) Flowers, Frames, and Fish!

All of the stamps in these collections came from my sketchbook and were inspired by my travels, a few treasured items in my apartment, and my love of flowers and foliage.

​Below you can check out my samples with each of the new collections and then head over to the official release post on the PaperArtsy blog to get more details and background for each set.

There's also a tutorial for a project that features all three stamp sets - although these may not seem like they go together, I had this concept in my head from the moment I began designing them and I'm thrilled with how well it worked in practice.

You can head over to the PaperArtsy blog to see more details for each project and to get the full tutorial.

As a lifelong bird lover, (inherited from my mother and her parents,) I love to incorporate birds in my artwork. For this set of stencils I paired them with global and tribal influences from my travels - both real and imaginary. 

You can check out my introductory video to learn more about the inspiration behind each stencil and see some of the samples I created with them (also shown in photos below.)

This collection is only available to members of StencilClub, but if you join before February 15th then you'll start your membership with this set (and also have the ability to purchase any previous set - more than 10 years' worth!) And while I think it's one of the greatest deals around with fantastic stencils from different designers every month, membership is always month to month - you can cancel for months you know you won't use and join again for the ones you want, or just stick around indefinitely! There's also a fantastic private Facebook group with lots of ideas, swaps and collaborative projects, and fun tips and support.

As a member of StencilClub you'll get all three stencils plus an accompanying project with a video lesson, a downloadable PDF and printable, and 20% off regular stencils from StencilGirl. All of that for just $25 a month!

For this month's collection, my video shows you an easy way to make painted collages using stencils. Here you can see the samples for the project and accompanying lesson:

I've also been having a blast working on other projects with my new stencil designs. First and most simple of the bunch, I made a background that shows how the 4" x 4" stencil can be rotated and repeated for a cool patterned design.

Next I used bits and pieces of each of the three stencils to make size 3" x 3" mini collages. I really like how you can get so many looks by using only a part of the stencils.

Lastly, and probably my favorite so far, I used the small songbird design from the top of the 9" x 12" stencil as an embroidery pattern. I embroidered it and added some seed beads, then stitched it into a nature-themed artist book that I'm working on.

I'm looking forward to continuing to use these in my work as well as seeing and learning from what club members do with these.

​If you're not already a member of StencilClub but want to get your hands on this set (along with the video class, PDF, and printable that come with it,) head on over to StencilGirl - make sure to sign up before February 15th to start your membership with this set. (And if you can't join now but want to later, once you're a member you always have the ability to purchase past sets.)

I have a new mixed media / art journaling tutorial available today! Today on the StencilGirl blog I'm sharing a step-by-step photo overview of how I created this art journal page, including an amazing textured grid in the background. It's full of fun tips and techniques and I'm excited to also be showcasing a few of my latest stencil designs in this project. I hope you'll stop by and check it out!

First up, I'm excited to announce that I'm back for the 6th year in a row as an instructor for Creative JumpStart 2021. CJS is run by Nathalie Kalbach and is a fabulous way to help you jumpstart your creativity in the new year with daily downloadable mixed media video lessons - all about 10 minutes each. This year marks the 10th anniversary for CJS and we're celebrating with more artists and videos than ever - you get 45! 

And for today only, all 45 videos are just $49. 

(Tomorrow through December 4th it will be $59, December 5th-31st it will be $69. After that, it goes to the regular price of $89. So make sure you jump on this incredible deal!)

This year's theme is probably my favorite so far - Storytelling. Not to give anything away, but I'm super excited about my lesson where I'll share a bit about telling your story with your supplies. Here's just a peek at one of the samples for the project I'll make in the video:

There are so many amazing artists participating in Creative JumpStart this year - I'm thrilled to be one of them and I can't wait to watch the videos! I hope you'll join me in jumpstarting your creativity in the new year.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Cyber Weekend without sales... my shop is having its last day of my annual Cyber Monday sale - save 20% off your entire order with the coupon Cyber2020 through midnight eastern tonight (November 30th.)

StencilGirl is having their annual Cyber Monday sale as well - today and tomorrow, you can save 25% on all stencils, which includes my latest release.

Last but not least, my last live online class of the year, Ornaments & Amulets, will be held this Saturday, December 5th. There's still time to sign up if you're interested! The pre-class video and downloadable bead pattern sheets are already archived in the group. Even if you can't make the Live, all of the videos will be saved for watching and / or re-watching at any time and registration will close before the live class begins, so if you want to get in on this class, make sure to sign up today!

I'm excited today to be releasing 7 new stencil designs with StencilGirl! I'm adding three new stencils to my Boho collection, a new mini Palmistry Hand stencil, and three new Suzani designs that coordinate with some of my PaperArtsy stamps as well as my July 2020 StencilClub collection.

The Boho Faces stencil was inspired by a piece of artwork I created as a sample for one of my rubber stamp collections. There was so much interest around the piece that it then inspired a set of rubber stamps with PaperArtsy. Of course, once I started playing with those small stamp designs, I started thinking that it would be even more fun to have different faces in a much larger size. Thus, the Boho Faces stencil was born.

There are two faces on this 9” x 12” stencil that are a mash-up of tribal influences from my travels as well as my imagination. You can use one or both of the designs and you can also mask them off to use bits and pieces. This stencil also coordinates beautifully with my new Boho Daisies Small and Mini stencils as well as the other designs in the Boho collection (as you can see in the sample artwork above.)

The Boho Daisy stencils were inspired by the daisies that I started drawing around the eyes of my tribal or Boho faces. I wanted to have two sizes of this daisy design so that you can use them together for variety in size or layer on top of each other in your work. They're also fabulous as embroidery patterns or for cards and tags, scrapbooking, and lots more.

The Palmistry Hand stencil was inspired by my experiences having my palm read while traveling through Bali and India. The design is a right-handed palm showing the Life Line, Wisdom Line, Love Line, Fate Line, and Marriage Line. This design also includes the symbols for Venus (love, sympathy, and grace,) Moon (courage, mysticism, and imagination,) and outside of the palm are Jupiter (confidence, wisdom, and leadership,) Sun (ambition, success, and creativity,) and Saturn (discipline, balance, and independence.)

My new Suzani stencils were inspired by inspired by the traditional hand-embroidered Suzanis (textiles – usually bed covers or wall hangings) found through Central Asia, and especially in Uzbekistan. I saw them in markets and and was especially intrigued by many displays of traditional Suzani motifs in a museum in a Summer palace in Bukhara. All three designs were intended to stand alone but also to coordinate with some of my PaperArtsy rubber stamp collections (EGL11 and EGL12) as well as my July 2020 StencilClub “Suzani” collection (which is exclusively available to StencilClub members.)

The Suzani Circle Flowers stencil has a detailed floral design that can also be repeated - turn it in different directions for even more versatility in creating backgrounds and larger designs.

The Suzani Circle Medallion stencil was particularly inspired by the large circular embroidered medallions found on many of the traditional Suzani textiles. This beautifully detailed design can be used with or without the thin circle border, or you can mask off other elements to use just the center section or other shapes in the design.

Finally, the Suzani Flower Medallion stencil is a lacy and detailed stencil that can be used as an embroidery pattern, but it’s also ideal for art journaling, mixed media, handmade cards and tags, and much more.

I'm super excited to be adding these to my repertoire of stencils available from StencilGirl as well as seeing how perfectly they coordinate with some of my recent stamp collections. I can't wait to make more art with them and to see how you all put them to work in your own projects.

Things have been busy lately with lots of new product announcements, new online classes, and other goings on, so today is a quick combo post to share info on two of my upcoming live online workshops along with a new free mixed media tutorial.

​First up... I'm up today with my quarterly Paint & Texture column on the StencilGirl blog and this month I'm sharing a few ways that you can make and use acrylic skins with stencils in your art journal (or mixed media, scrapbook layouts, and lots more.)

I'll share the steps for creating the bulk of the art journal page shown here. Head on over and check it out!

I've been incredibly busy putting together and teaching live online workshops all year, and I still have a few more coming before we close out 2020.

And save the date! I have a second class with Artistic Artifacts, "Ornaments & Amulets," which will be held on Saturday, December 5th. More details and registration coming soon.

One last quick note... my latest stamp release from PaperArtsy is now in stock and available in the shop!

I'm super excited to announce the release of my three latest stamp collections with PaperArtsy: EGL10, EGL11, and EGL12. I love to incorporate floral and other ethnic patterns that I've discovered in my travels - both in real life, such as the Suzani patterns from Uzbekistan, and the travels in my mind like the ones to Japan (someday I'll get there!)

You can head over to the PaperArtsy blog for the full release post with all of the details and even more project photos, but here's a quick overview of some of the samples and inspiration for each set.

EGL10 is the set I call Japanese Patterns - it's entirely inspired by designs I found in an antique Japanese design book. Each hand drawn element is designed to be able to work on its own, or you can repeat them to make backgrounds and collage or patterned papers.

For my samples using this collection, I made a bunch of different patterned papers and collaged them to create patchwork backgrounds with stamped butterflies and medallions in the foreground.

EGL11 is my Suzani Florals set - this was inspired by traditional embroidered Suzani designs from Uzbekistan. (This may look familiar to some of you as these are smaller and more detailed versions of the designs that came in the 9" x 12" stencil in my July 2020 Suzani StencilClub collection.)

I used the small stamps in this set to make some collage papers for a mixed media piece and card. The large floral stamp was stamped on some scrap paper with white paint on it, colored with colored pencils, and then cut out and adhered to create the focal point.

EGL12 is my Suzani Motifs section - flowers and medallions that are great for cards, tags, art journal pages, scrapbooking, and lots more. 

My samples with this stamp set included a card and a handbound Concertina book with patterns and hand painting inspired by Ajrak block printing from India. You can read a bit more about the inspiration behind the background papers on this pieces in the announcement blog post.

If you head over to my post today on the PaperArtsy blog, you'll find a short tutorial showing how I made a set of ATCs using all three stamp sets, including how I made my own patterned faux washi tape.

I'm thrilled to finally be able to share these designs and some of the projects I've been making with them... I hope you like them as much as I do, and I can't wait to see what you all make with them!

My newest online workshop, Interactive ATCs, is now up and open for registration! This live 2-hour online class, held in partnership with Scrapbooking Fairies in Alberta, Canada, will take place live in a private Facebook group on Saturday, August 22.

We'll turn your traditional Artist Trading Cards into interactive artwork that can also be used in art journals and more as we mix stamps and stencils with paint, collage, and mark marking for a layered background and embellishments. The class also includes downloadable patterns and hand-drawn labels.

(Or go straight to registration)