Today on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog, we’re continuing our weekly featured artist spotlight whereby each week we spotlight a different artist/designer in the paper crafting & mixed media world and introduce you to their fabulous work.

Today we’re thrilled to welcome – Laurie Willison.

Before we show you Laurie’s fabulous projects, let’s get to know her a little bit more…

My name is Laurie Willison.  You can usually find me crafting away in my craft room while the kids are in school or when they are sleeping!    Other than that I am a part time RN and I live in the country with my very own farm boy and our 2 kiddos.

I have been stamping since 2007, when a sweet friend of mine introduced me and I started scrapbooking in 1998 ish.  (I still try on occasion but it doesn’t happen very often.)  I have had the pleasure and honor of working on several design teams, including my most current, Verve, CAS-ual Fridays and Retro Sketches Challenge Blog.

Card Projects

Hello Sunshine

This Hope

For this card, I took the rope image and stamped stripes using the reverse side of the stamp.  Then I stamped the scripture sentiment right in the middle using black ink.  Super simple! 

We hope you have enjoyed today’s projects courtesy of Laurie Willison. Also, be sure to stop by Laurie’s Blog  to see even more of her beautiful work (and let her know we sent you).

I’d like to extend a HUGE thank you to Fancy Pants Designs and their guest designer Jenny Evans  for sharing such a wonderful project and for their generous give-away of their Down by the Shore collection shown below.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…….the winner is…… Marsha Reed!

Congratulations Marsha!! Be sure to email us at customerservice@papercrafterslibrary.com to claim your prize. Please be sure to put “Fancy Pants Designs” in the subject line of the email, and then in the email itself, be sure to include your full mailing address and phone number.

For those of you that didn’t win, each week on PCL we feature a different company, and each of those companies generously sponsors a prize. Join us next week for our next feature.

Trendy Tuesday – Stencils
by Katherine Elliot

  Often a popular tool for DIY home decor crafts, stencils make great tools for colorful and unique backgrounds and textures on paper as well as other craft projects.  Many companies market their stencils in perfect sizes and trendy styles that are well suited for today’s paper crafts.  Let’s take a look at some of the latest examples that show off these fun tools so well…

“Hello There” Card by Tenia Nelson, image source Jazzy Paper Designs

There are several ways for you to use stencils on your projects.  Tenia’s card above shows an ink sponged stencil, Mamma Giraffe pattern from Just a Trace.  Her blog post has more images to show you exactly how she created her card, so as Tenia says, check it!

Sponged ink stencil in progress, image source Jazzy Paper Designs

Using spray ink with your stencils is another method you can use to create a vibrant background.  Linda Beeson’s card featured below used Clearsnap spray ink to create a trendy honeycomb stencil background.

Card by Linda Beeson, image source Papercutting Kind of Day

Single color stencils look great and can be quick to create, but multiple ink colors used with stencils can also be fun and easy to apply.  Unlike a background stamp that you would apply ink, stamp, then see your results, a stencil gives you the instant gratification of showing you results as your colorful creation takes shape.

Multi color stencil card, image source Ellen Hutson.comStencil and ink colors, image source Ellen Hutson.com

 Whether you plan to sponge, daub, brayer or spray ink for a stencil background, your first task will be to find the right image or pattern to match your project.  Several popular brands are up to the task of providing you many stencil options.  My Favorite Things just released several new stencils with many on trend patterns, including these large chevron stripes…

Card by Jodi Collins, image source Stamping a Latte

My Favorite Things Large Chevron Stripes Stencil

Hero Arts  offers some thick frosted mylar stencils that are sized to overlay easily on a regular A2 size card front.

Hero Arts Irregular Checkerboard Stencil, image source Simon Says Stamp

Dreamweaver Stencils offer a very large selection including many popular and frequently used images in several different sizes.  Use multiple stencils with markers or pens to create a patterned image uniquely your own, like the Dreamweaver stenciled butterfly shown here… Card featuring Dreamweaver Stencil, image source Papercraft Planet

Stencil pattern with pen, image source Papercraft Planet

 Stencils or masks, as they can be called, may be offered by many of your favorite brands to coordinate with their unique styles and other products.

Studio Calico mask, image source Two Peas in a Bucket

Scrapbook page by Jill Sprott,featuring Studio Calico mask, image source Two Peas in a Bucket Gallery 

Scrapbook page by Grace Wong, featuring The Crafters Workshop stencil, image source Callibee Scraps

The Crafters Workshop stencils, image source Help Me Ronda

The Crafters Workshop offers stencils featuring unique images as well as trendy patterns.  The Claudine Hellmuth Studio stencils shown below were just released early this year.

Claudine Hellmuth Studio stencils, image source Blue Moon Scrapbooking

Inked paper featuring floral Claudine Hellmuth stencil, image source Scrap Time

Prima Marketing is another brand with several stencil/masks that are perfect for scrapbookers as well as card makers.  Prima offers stencils in 6×6 as well as 12×12 inch sizes.  Check out even more inspiring methods on different ways to use stencils on Prima’s blog post here.

Scrapbook page featuring Prima Marketing stencil/mask, image source Prima Marketing blog

 Inks are most frequently used with stencils, but they are not the only medium or type of stenciling available.  Up the ante with your stencils by using an embroidery stencil from Amy Tangerine…

Amy Tangerine stencil, image source Two Peas in a Bucket

Scrapbook page featuring embroidery stencil, image source Orange Gearle

 For texture that really stands out or for special crafts or applications, use embossing paste with a stencil.

Embossing paste, image source Stencil with Style

Stencil jewelry using embossing paste, image source Globecraft & Piccolo

Here’s our mixed media project of the day featuring rich texture and stencil patterns…  Canvas by Mona Pendleton featuring fiber paste stencil image source Cupcake’s Creations, Doily stencil featured from My Favorite Things

Inky fingers, rejoice! I’m sure there is a stencil pattern available to keep your crafty fingers happy.

Enjoy and happy crafting, everyone!

Today on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog, we’re continuing our weekly featured artist spotlight whereby each week we spotlight a different artist/designer in the paper crafting & mixed media world and introduce you to their fabulous work.

Today we’re thrilled to welcome – Karolyn Loncon

Before we show you her fabulous projects, let’s get to know her a little bit more…

Hello! My name is Karolyn Loncon.  I’m a retired Legal Assistant, married to Garry since 1980, and mom to Amy and Ashley, who’s married to Blake and the mother to my grandsons, Brecken and Brenner.  I’m blessed to live in Seattle, Washington in the summer, and Chandler, Arizona in the winter.  I love most paper crafts, but especially stamping and card-making.  The name of my blog is Paper Therapy.  I love to laugh, travel and play BINGO (don’t judge – LOL)!

I started paper crafting in 2002 when my older daughter “abandoned” me to go to college.  I started scrapbooking as my therapy.  Shortly thereafter, a friend invited me to a Stampin’ Up! party, and the rest is history.  Once I discovered stamping and card making, my need for instant gratification took over.  I haven’t touched a scrapbook since!  Ha!  I would say that my style is mostly clean and simple, although I throw in some fun and cute every now and then.  I’ve been fortunate to have many of my projects published in paper crafting magazines and thoroughly enjoy that whole publication process.  I also design projects for Paper Smooches Stamps and CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge Blog.

I was thrilled and flattered when I got the email from Andrea asking me to be featured – and am so happy to share a project with you all today!

Card Project

I’m really enjoying the “sketchy” or “doodling” trend that I’ve been seeing in a lot of different arenas of art and design.  I also adore images that are retro.  So my project features both of those aspects.  I stamped the camera image multiple times down the right side of the card base in VersaMark ink.  I love the subtle effect of repeating an image in watermark ink, and then having a duplicate of that image pop off the page as the focus.  I stamped the camera twice in black onto a scrap of kraft paper, fussy cut one of them and adhered it to the card base with foam tape over the top of the watermarked image.  To give additional dimension, I fussy cut the lens of the second black image, colored one of the rings with orange marker, and adhered it to the camera with more foam tape.  Doesn’t it look so real?

For the sentiment, I die cut a word bubble (another super fun trend that I’m loving these days).  I thought this punny sentiment was the perfect match for the camera image, don’t you think?  I really liked the idea of making the word bubble white – it totally “pops” off the page.  I colored the open letters with orange marker, and then adhered the word bubble to the card with foam tape.  I love the contrast of the monochromatic kraft with the pop of white and orange.  This project came together so quickly, which is exactly why I adore creating clean and simple cards.  Instant gratification!

Supplies

STAMPS:  So Retro (Claudine Hellmuth/Stamper’s Anonymous/Ranger), Snapshot Words (Maya Road)
INK:  VersaMark (Tsukineko), Black Dye (Hero Arts/Memories)
PAPER:  Desert Storm CS and Solar White CS (Neenah Classic Crest)
OTHER:  Talk Bubbles 2 Die (Simon Says Stamp), Orange Marker (Memento)

We hope you have enjoyed today’s projects courtesy of Karolyn Loncon. Also, be sure to stop by Karolyn’s blog to see even more of her beautiful work (and let her know we sent you).

I’m so excited to bring you this week’s Featured Company which is also a returning company: Fancy Pants Designs! At CHA 2013 in Anaheim, as I was walking the aisles keeping my eyes open for great companies and products to spotlight, I was immediately drawn in by the gorgeous products in the Fancy Pants booth. Which is why I was thrilled that Jodi (one of the owners) accepted our invitation! They have been featured before and we are so pleased to have them back with us. In today’s spotlight you’ll learn more about Fancy Pants Designs, see a fantastic project by one of their designers and have the opportunity to win the Down by the Shore Collection shown below (details at the end of this post).

About Fancy Pants Designs

With their combined knowledge, Jodi {the creative person} and Jared {the business person} took a chance on a dream and founded their own unique company.

Fancy Pants Designs premiered their first collections to the craft and hobby industry in the Winter of 2005. What started as a home-based business quickly flourished into an exciting opportunity of bringing creative ideas to life in many different mediums.

Be sure to visit us at our many “Fancy” locations online! We’ve always got something going on everywhere, so don’t miss out!

Special Fancy Pants Guest Designer

My name is Jenny Evans and I live in Oklahoma with my husband, Justin, and our 2 boys, Daniel(10) and Jacob(4). I graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, but am now a stay-at-home mom. I have been scrapbooking and papercrafting on and off for 10 years, but only consistently for the past couple of years.

Album Project

Today I like to share with you how to create this photo album project using the Down by the Shore collection.

In order to enter the give-away to win the Down by the Shore collection shown above, please leave us a comment in the comments section of this post. Winner will be announced next Wednesday on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog!

I’d like to extend a HUGE thank you to May Arts and their guest designer Lalo for sharing such a wonderful project and for their generous give-away of 2 rolls of ribbon from their collection shown below.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…….the winner is…… Charlotte Zweigoron!

Congratulations Charlotte!! Be sure to email us at customerservice@papercrafterslibrary.com to claim your prize. Please be sure to put “May Arts” in the subject line of the email, and then in the email itself, be sure to include your full mailing address and phone number.

For those of you that didn’t win, each week on PCL we feature a different company, and each of those companies generously sponsors a prize. Join us next week when we feature Fancy Pants Designs.

Trendy Tuesday – Anchors
by Colleen Harshaw

 Today I want to talk to you about the trend of using anchors in papercrafting.  Prior to my researching and writing of this article, had I been asked to describe the type of projects that I would use anchors on, I would have answered with masculine or nautical themed projects.  However, while browsing the internet for inspiration, I have seen some other clever ways of incorporating anchors into papercrafting projects.  Today I will share some project samples with you in the hope of broadening your horizons, as my have been broadened!

I decided to look into the actual symbolism behind the anchor and I came up with several interesting points.  Several different sources stated that the anchor symbolizes hope and steadfastness.  It is obviously a nautical symbol also, and as a result, some feel it represents the Navy as well.  According to some, it is a symbol of stability or strong foundation.  For those who are Christian, it brings together the cross and the various nautical Christian symbols (fish, boat, dolphin), and it symbolizes Christian hope in Christ.

Now that we know all about anchors and their symbolism, let’s look at some projects!

This first project is a Father’s Day card, which of course, falls into the category of masculine cards.

Card by ‘snowmanqueen’ via www.splitcoaststampers.com

This next anchor project falls into the category of ‘oh, I hadn’t thought of that!’ for me.  This is an invite to a ‘sip-n-see’, which is a party to introduce the newest memeber of a family.  So, in this case, the nautical anchor symbol was incorporated into a baby/nursery theme.  I found other examples of this online also.  Anchor shaped confetti in pastel colours to decorate tables at a baby shower isn’t something that would have occured to me!

www.celebrationsathomeblog.com

This next card is a tri-shutter card that clearly incorporates anchors into a Christian themed card.  This is the second application of anchors that I had not really thought of before working on this article.  I had a tendancy to associate anchors with strictly nautical or masculine projects, and I was missing the possibilites of Christian or baby themed projects.  That is why reading and learning and drawing inspiration from others is so important to improving our craft!  I can’t imagine how crafters survived prior to the birth of the internet!

Card by Grace Nywening for Our Daily Bread Designs
Photo credit to www.splitcoaststampers.com

This next card features a stamp called Tilda Un Anchor from Magnolia Ink.  She really is a cutie, isn’t she?

Card by cabiotse via www.splitcoaststampers.com

The next project featured is an anchor wall hanging.  This would be really cute for a little boy’s nautical themed bedroom.  The anchor was actually cut out using an electronic die cutting machine, and then it was adhered to striped fabric and framed.  It’s a very easy project that packs a lot of punch!

Photo courtesy of www.craftaholicsanonymous.net

Next I have a scrapbook layout to share with you.  There is a company called Scrap Orchard that offers a nautical themed digital scrapbooking kit, and I was able to find many samples of projects online using this kit.  The one I have selected to share with you today has the sentiment/title ‘you are the only fish in the sea for me’ which I think is a great title for a layout dedicated to the significant other in your life!

Anchors Aweigh digital scrapbooking kit from www.scraporchard.com

This next layout incorporates a couple of trends that we have talked about here at Trendy Tuesday.  The first is banners and the second is….you guessed it, anchors!  This layout is fun and summery with its bright colour palette and bold patterns.

Layout by Godschild94 via www.scrapbook.com

The next photo that I have to share is both a project and a crafting supply.  I found this photo via Pinterest (I am offically a Pinterest junkie).  The original website shows you how to make your own anchor stamp.  Of course, this technique could be applied to other shapes and symbols too, but anchors are our subject for today.

Simply Happenstance via www.pinterest.com

OK, now we are moving on to the products!  This is the fun part (if you ask me).  I love an excuse to collect papercrafting supplies, however after my family’s most recent move (from the USA to Thailand) and all the unpacking I had to do, I am beginning to re-think my hobby of collecting!

The first product that I have to share is a Tiny Roller Doodle, which is really a rubber roller stamp.  I don’t tend to use these myself, but I  know there are people out there who really love them.  If you are looking to mass produce a project with an anchor design, I can see how this would be really useful.  This one is from the Uncharted Collection by Glitz Designs.

Tiny Roller Doodle by Glitz Design
Photo credit to www.scrapbook.com

Also from Glitz Design’s Uncharted Collection is some anchor themed Washi tape, which I have shown below.

Anchor Washi Tape – Uncharted line from Glitz Designs
Photo courtesy of www.scrapbook.com

This next product is a Slim Profile Edger Punch.  These are really on trend right now.  I particularily like my Threading Water Border Punch (Fiskars).  You can find quite a line up of these edger/border punches available from EK Success, Fiskars and Martha Stewart.

EK Success Slim Profile Edger Punch – Anchors
Photo courtesy of www.scrapbook.com

This next product is a standard anchor punch by Martha Stewart.

 Anchor punch by Martha Stewart
Photo courtesy of www.acherryontop.com

The next item that I want to share is a stamp set from A*Muse Studio.  It is called Anchors Aweigh and they offer a die set from the same line for coordinating your projects.

Anchors Aweigh Stamp Set from A*Muse Studio

Anchors Aweigh Die Set from A*Muse Studio

I found quite a few examples of digital papers with an anchor theme.  This example is from a company called Moo and Puppy.

Rainbow Nautical Anchor Digital Paper from Moo and Puppy
Photo credit www.etsy.com

Next, I found an anchor wall decal, which clearly in this photo is being used in a boy’s nursery.

Anchor Wall Decal from round321 via www.etsy.com

The next items I want to share are metal anchor buttons that I found on www.etsy.com.  There were several different choices available.

Anchor Metal Buttons from DansandBrandi via www.etsy.com

Lastly, I have some Jolee’s Boutique stickers to share with you.  They are dimentional stickers that are widely available at craft stores and online.

Jolee’s Boutique Stickers Large Navy from www.createforless.com

Well, that wraps things up for today.  I hope you enjoyed learning about anchors with me!  Happy crafting!

This week for our Free Project of the Week we have this Ribbons, Buttons and More card.  We’re heading into summertime and summer makes me think of gingham.  So, with the summertime theme, I headed for my May Arts Gingham ribbons.  I chose three colors of Gingham ribbon to stand out and be the focal point for this card.  With matching buttons and a simple greeting, who needs more!

You can download the pdf handout here

You can watch a video on how to create the Ribbons, Buttons and More card below:

If you enjoyed today’s project, you enjoy our style of teaching and would like to learn even more I encourage you to check out the benefits of becoming a Paper Crafter’s Library member.

Today on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog, we’re continuing our weekly featured artist spotlight whereby each week we spotlight a different artist/designer in the paper crafting & mixed media world and introduce you to their fabulous work.

Today we’re thrilled to welcome – Karen Baker

Before we show you her fabulous projects, let’s get to know her a little bit more…

I’m a mother to two busy boys and graphic  designer by trade. I create in my spare time, a reprieve from my full time day  job in hospital billing.

Card Projects

Hello, Karen from The Bald Dragonfly here, so very thrilled to be guest designing for the fabulous Paper Crafter’s Library! I thought I’d let you in on a secret: where I find inspiration for cards. Today I’ll show you a series of clean and simple creations inspired by corporate logos!

This first card was inspired by the logo from FedEx. I took the colors and, just as in the logo, aligned them on my card in strips, touching each other. For added interest, I embossed each with a different pattern.

Supplies: 
Cardstock, Woodgrain Impression Plate, In Bloom Impression Plate- Papertrey Ink, Stamp from Hope Blooms-The Craft’s Meow, Folk Art Florals Die-WPlus9, Black Ink-Versafine, Corner Rounder-WR Memory Keepers

This next card was inspired by IBM. I liked the series of stripes! For this card, I started by die cutting the cow three times onto a panel, then backed that panel with striped washi tape. This was then adhered to the card base, and the sentiments were added. So super simple!

Supplies: 
Cardstock-Bazzill Card Shoppe, Unknown Source for Kraft Cardstock, Cow from On The Farm Die-Papertrey Ink, Washi Tape-Target, Sentiment from Birthday Pun-The Craft’s Meow

BP‘s logo inspired my last card. I was drawn to the colors and the general flower shape, so I pulled out some dies and layered them, and then added a simple, bold sentiment to finish the card.

We hope you have enjoyed today’s projects courtesy of Karen Baker. Also, be sure to stop by Karen’s blog to see even more of her beautiful work (and let her know we sent you).

Today we are excited to welcome back this week’s Featured Company May Arts and to share a beautiful creation from one of their designers using some gorgeous May Arts Ribbon.

Here at Paper Crafter’s Library we’re ribbon lovers – you’ll find ribbon on almost all of our projects – which is why we’re so thrilled to bring you another fabulous May Arts project. You haven’t seen ribbon until you’ve seen May Arts Ribbon – they offer a multitude of different colors and styles of ribbon to suit any preference and taste – and all of it, top quality!

And, we also have a give-a-way for you!! Two lucky winners will receive a “winners choice” of 2 spools of Ribbon from May Arts. One winner will be drawn from all the comments left here on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog to win AND one winner will be drawn from all the comments left on the May Arts Blog to win. You certainly have a lot to choose from

Remember, each comment you leave is one entry, so be sure to visit today not only for the great project idea, but also to enter your name into our give-away.

About May Arts

Where to Buy May Arts Ribbons

The May Arts website is their wholesale site for online and brink and mortar retailers. We’ve linked to it so that you can easily view their entire product line in one place. There are numerous places where you can purchase May Arts Ribbons including many local scrapbook stores as well as online stores. Two of the online stores that carry the biggest selections that we are aware of include Amazon, who carry the complete May Arts Ribbon Line (plus you can qualify for free shipping). Click on the link we provided and it will take you to our May Arts Ribbon Search Results. To find a particular ribbon, go to the May Arts website, find the name of the ribbon and color and then enter that into your Amazon search results. Please note that through Amazon you’re buying by the roll. Most other online and local scrapbook stores sell May Arts Ribbon by the yard. One of the online stores that carries a great selection is Stamp Simply Ribbon Store.