I have been getting a lot of questions about my Tips, Tools and Techniques on Distress Markers from the September/October issue of Paper Crafts. So I thought I would share here a bit more about each project.

Here are the projects – each showing a different way to use Distress Markers. These markers are insanely good:

First up is stamping with the White Distress Stain on kraft paper. It gives such a unique and fabulous look. Just pounce the Stain on the stamp and stamp as you normally do:

Next is faux watercolor painting with Distress Markers. Just color the marker right on the stamp (no need to hurry), mist it lightly with water and stamp. Looks like lovely watercolor and all the colors blend so well:

I know many people love the look of Copic Markers but don’t want to pay the high price tag. Distress Markers can also give a nice blended look. Just color with the light marker, add shading with a darker marker and then go dab with the lighter color where the two areas overlap. It will blend nicely:

You can also do simple multi-color stamping with Distress Markers. Just color right on the stamp… and stamp. Easy:

I like to use Distress Markers for backgrounds, too. Just scribble a “rainbow” of markers across the back and mist with water to blend. (You can use a paintbrush to guide it if you want.)

You can also use Distress Markers for watercolor! I just scribbled the marker onto an acrylic block (or a piece of plastic) and pick up color with a wet brush:

These are just a few of the many fun things you do with Distress Markers. For a video I did using them, go HERE.

And I have a great giveaway! The fabulous Tim Holtz and the kind folks at Ranger have donated a set of Distress Markers for a lucky winner! Just leave a comment here by Friday night at 11:59pmEST for your chance to win. Good luck!

Distress Markers

Hero Arts Leaf and Floral Background Stamp

Hero Arts Heart Winged Butterfly Stamp

Hero Arts Fern and Hummingbird Stamps and Dies

Tim Holtz Papillon Stamp Setq

Here is a bit of info on what Paper Crafts will be doing:

• Today (Friday), they will have a blog hop with last year’s WCMD winners. Lots of good stuff. (Go HERE.)
• Follow Paper Crafts on Twitter… and see if we can get #worldcardmakingday trending.  (Go HERE.)
• Lots of sharing will be going on on their blog throughout the day. (Go HERE.)
• Check out the Moxie Fab World blog, too. (Go HERE.)
• You can share your card creations with others. (Go HERE.)
• Finally, check out the blog tour – you can even be a part of it. (Go HERE.)

See you there!

Also, I have had a lot of people ask about when the new Hero Arts stamps would be out. Today is the day – here are some of the goodies. (Don’t you love the music background?)

And if you have taken any of my classes, you know I loved the Eclipse Tape big roll, but it is no longer available. Guess what? Now you can get it in sheets!! PERFECT! I can now die cut with it too!! Woot! You can find it HERE. (This product is amazing for masking and more.)

See you soon.

Quick card share today. This one was in the recent Paper Crafts issue (which, by the way, is a really good issue!) and a few people emailed me to ask how it was done. So here it is…

Super easy. I added double-sided tape to cardstock. Then I took off the release paper, added green glitter, burnished it well and cut it into a tree. Did it again for a trunk piece. (Supplies are listed below.)

Easy.

Oh, and a Studio Calico wood veneer star colored with Copics for the top.

LOVE LOVE LOVE that Paper Smooches set. “Blessings?” That is one of my favorite words, and therefore favorite greetings.

See you soon.

(By the way, the winner of the True Scrap 4 spot is Christy Norton. Lain will email you soon!)

Yum yum yum I love those wood veneer stars! I just colored them with markers and assembled them into a tree.

Speaking of Studio Calico…

Heads up! A lot of the new products from Studio Calico are now ready to hop into your hands (as they did mine). You can find them all HERE, but here are my favorites. The stamp sets, fabric covered thickers (great for inking) and wood veneer shapes are great…

See you soon!

I am hopping today with the other Paper Crafts Go-To Gals in celebration of the Holidays Cards & More issue. This is a great issue!

I thought it would be fun to create a photo ornament of Lila for Grandma. I decided to combine two of my favorite dimensional techniques: rosettes and paper hearts. (I have how-to video links for each below.)

I used some Echo Park paper, cardstock, my favorite Stardust Glitter Ritz and some heart dies. Easy as can be…

I made the paper heart and traced it onto the photo. I then cut the photo into the heart shape and glued the heart over it with touches of Glossy Accents. The rosette was made with two 2″ paper strips.

To learn how to do the heart shapes, check out THIS post and video. For the rosettes? THIS post and video.

By the way, that awesome baby photo was taken by Krysia Photography. She is amazing.

Be sure to visit all the other gals on the blog hop…

• Teri Anderson
• Julie Campbell
• Kim Kesti
• Windy Robinson
• Betsy Veldman

Oh, and remember to visit all the fun going on for STAMPtember over at Simon Says Stamp. Love all that they are doing!

I get a lot of questions about storage and organization. I am currently in the middle of a big remodel… which includes moving my studio from a large re-done basement area to a not-as-large first floor location. I am incredibly happy to be up in the daylight with big windows and family around. And I am happy to go slightly smaller. I think big areas can be overwhelming – you end up collecting way too much that it can be intimidating.

So, as I get ready for this move, I am redoing a lot of my storage. First? My clear stamps.

For a long time now I have been using plastic sleeves to hold them, along with cling stamps. I first kept them in binders and I then moved them to a clip-it-up system. (You can see videos on these systems HERE.)

Now? They will still be in the same sleeves. (I love these sleeves so very much – I won’t be getting rid of them!) But I will have them in pull-out drawers in big cabinets, with areas where I can flip through them to find what I need.

So to read more about this storage for my clear and cling stamps, go HERE to Paper Crafts. I share all the details and links.

And a big cheers to Kay. Not only did she do the blog takeover last week, but she also put all my stamps in these sleeves (some had yet to be done) and labeled them. Yes, she rocks. (And now she is in a mission trip with our church youth group. You go girl! So proud.)

Hope this helps. I will share photos once I am moved into the new studio in September. But first? I need my kitchen back! Ha! Just a few more weeks…

See you soon.

I thought I would share a couple cards that I had in the recent issue of Paper Crafts. (Which, by the way, is an incredible issue.) I received some emails with questions about two of them, so here they are…

The first has layered stars to form a shaped card. Just mix and match scraps and you are good to go! I cut the stars with my Silhouette, but you could use THIS die set too.

Here is another from the issue. It shows using a circle punch to create waves, and to create a cloud mask to ink over…

Also, there is a bonus card online HERE…

Off to rest. Oh, and today I share my birthday with someone sweet. Yes, today is Lila’s one month birthday. Doesn’t she look excited about it? Ha – this photo I got with my phone cracks me up…

Night!

Today I have a card up on the Paper Crafts Connections blog showing how to stamp on glitter. Yes, it is possible! Be sure to head THERE to read a bit about how it is done.

Here is another idea using this technique, but with a different spin…

First, I covered white cardstock with a piece of Be Creative Tape Sheet (double sided adhesive). I then sprinkled on Warm Highlight Glitter Ritz Micro Fine Glitter and burnished it (rubbed well) with a bone folder. This presses the glitter in good, making it look like shiny velvet and also keeping it from rubbing off. (It really does work! Love this glitter – it is unique!) Because it is micro fine, it gets very smooth and subtle. Lovely.

I then stamped the new Paper Smooches fire image on top of the glitter with Jet Black Archival Ink and added coloring with Copic Markers. When using Copics on this glitter, I just kinda dab the tip to color and it blends quickly and easily when you add other colors. If you color back and forth too much it may bleed a bit. But if it does? No worries. Just “erase” the extra color with your colorless blender. You can also use Sharpies for this coloring, too.

Looks so cool in real life.

The background is the Neenah Desert Storm kraft cardstock – such a great subtle color that looks good as a backdrop for bold colors. And I embossed it with THIS great embossing folder.

Again, be sure to head HERE to the Paper Crafts blog for another glitter card idea. See you soon.

Paper Smooches Happy Camper	Be Creative Tape Sheets Double Sided Tape	Glitter Ritz Warm Highlights Micro Fine Glitter	Glitter Ritz Micro Fine Glitter	Lifestyle Crafts Dainty Embossing Folders
Copics	Copic Markers	Neenah Desert Storm Kraft Cardstock	Neenah White Cardstock 25 Sheets	Neenah White Cardstock 250 Sheets
Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

Popping in to let you know about some great new products. Simon Says Stamp has lots of new dies in stock – both from Memory Box and new ones from SSS themselves. Heavenly. You can find them all HERE. And these are my faves – off to place an order myself…

First up is THIS amazing die from SSS. (Which happens to be the writing of my dear friend.) Absolute perfection…

Hello, lovely daisies. You make me happy…

And a hexagon border die? Yes please…

 This tree is from Memory Box. There are also dies you can get to cut leaves for it…

And I can never pass up a gorgeous, detailed butterfly…

Lovely, eh? You can see all the new dies HERE. Don’t say I didn’t warn you and your wallet.

Now for a quick card share. This one was in Paper Crafts magazine – you can find out more HERE.

I have gotten a lot of questions about the greeting on this one. I cheated – it is computer-generated. I do this a lot when I want a unique message or need a certain size. Easy!

Have a good night.

Today I am part of a Go To Gals Product Challenge Blog Hop and we will all be using goodies from Bazzill.

My favorite product from Bazzill is their Dotted Swiss Cardstock. This cardstock has a subtle raised dot pattern. Unlike do-it-yourself-with-embossing-folders embossed papers, you can stamp on this cardstock. And their pack of Dotted Swiss has three shades for each color – lovely!

Here is a card I created with some of this cardstock, along with a clear embossed background. I just love how well Bazzill cardstock works with clear embossing – makes such a striking image.

I also stamped a Technique Tuesday greeting from Ali Edwards…

Here is another one I did with these Dotted Swiss cardstocks. This time I used white embossing powder with the Hero Arts Newsprint Tulips… (This stamp is a new fave of mine!)

To be able to stamp with black over the white embossing, I used black Staz-On ink. Works well!

So next be sure to check out the other Go To Gal blogs, and the Paper Crafts Connections blog…

• Teri Anderson
• Julie Campbell
• Kim Kesti
• Windy Robinson
• Betsy Veldman
• Paper Crafts Connection

Over on the Paper Crafts Connection blog, I am sharing several more card ideas using these products. Be sure to check it out – we are also giving away a set of these cardstocks and the fun stamp. Here’s a peek…

See you soon!