Sneak Peak of Studio Calico's Inked Class!

I am so excited to be a part of this awesome new class at Studio Calico! It's full of fabulous contributors and creative stamping techniques! Here's a sneak of my card! Make sure to sign up soon, space is filling up super quick!

Want to get more from your stamps? Get INKED with Maile Belles and Nichol Magouirk. Maile, Nichol, and a top notch line up of contributors will be walking you through an amazing array of techniques that will help you realize just how versatile your stamps are. Our contributors for this class are Amber Kemp Gerstel, Amy Tan, Anabelle O’Malley, Betsy Veldman, Celine Navarro, Corrie Jones, Cristina Kowalczyk, Dawn McVey, Emily Branch, Geralyn Sy, Jen Gallacher, Jen McGuire, Jessica Witty, Kelly Goree, Lea Lawson, Lisa Spangler, Robyn Werlich, Shanna Noel, Shari Carroll, Susan Weinroth and Tina Aszmus.

We will be covering twenty techniques with a new PDF going up each weekday from July 1st to the 26th. Each lesson will contain a tutorial on the technique as well as a layout and a card showing the technique in action. Five of the tutorials will be done with videos, and the rest with step by step photos and directions.

While supplies last, Inked students will get a free class stamp set and 2x3 Peerless Watercolor Papers in Poinsettia Red and Chrome Orange. These will ship at no cost to you, no matter where you live. We’ll update this page when the class stamp set and watercolor papers are no longer available.

Inked students will also have access to a digital version of the stamp, as well as printables from In A Creative Bubble and Hello Forever, and die cut files from Kinsey Wilson.

Here’s a list of techniques we’ll be learning in class :
using text style stamps in journaling
colorful stamped accents
heat embossed stamping
watercolor stamped accents
adding texture with background stamps
layered stamping
using stamp markers
accent a stamped image with glitter or glossy accents
creating patterns
ombre stamping
Watercolored images
chalkboard effect
digi stamping basics
resist with watercolors
masking
kissing
tweaking the shape of a stamp
stamping onto patterned paper
layering images stamped on a transparency
using a stamp as a template for stitching

Inspirational Desk Frame with SEI

Being a teacher I hear a lot of, "I suck at this," I'm no good at that," and "why is your class so hard Mrs. Branch?" The last one makes me chuckle for two reasons. The first reason is that I teach art...how can that be hard? And two, if art is your hardest class, we have issues." But, anyways back to today's project. As a teacher I find myself encouraging kids to try....and try again, and then push them more to get the best work I can out of them. Teachers have a tough job--trying to inspire a child to try their hardest, even if the kid's like, "Art wasn't my first elective choice Mrs. Branch." (insert annoyed teacher face here).

One of the best ways I have found to motivate and inspire kids to try more, work harder and produce quality work is to speak positively into their life through quotes and colloquialisms. Today's project is an inspirational desk decor piece you can make for your little scholar when she's practicing her math review over the summer using SEI's Mia Bella collection.

I die cut this phrase and then adhered it to Evening Promenade from the Mia Bella collection pack. Then I fussy cut flowers from Sidewalk Cafe, border punched a trim from paper in the Mia Bella 6" x 6" paper pad and added a pennant sticker from Mia Bella cardstock stickers. Finally, I placed it in this yummy peach frame from Target. I'm going to give this to our eighth grade school counselor whose become such a dear friend, and is leaving my school to counsel at another school. I am going miss her so very much, and I hope she can display this in her office to encourage students who come in to meet with her.

materials: Mia Bella collection pack | Evening Promenade |  Sidewalk Cafe | Mia Bella cardstock stickers | Silhouette SD

Gallery Idol Open Voting--Defining Dad

Today begins voting for Gallery Idol's round two challenge, creating a card that defines dad, whether it be your dad, your friend's husband, your husband, or whomever! For my entry I wanted to make a funny throwback card paying homage to the 80's radio cassette tapes!

This is a simple card to make (even for those that aren't familiar with Photoshop).  I used this radio cassette photoshop brush set for the images, and simply "stamped" them on on my canvas with the paintbrush tool, added the sentiment and printed it out! For some contrast matted it on wooden patterned paper.

The fun part of this card is that "Dad" is written with radio cassette tape. I made a plea on Friday to my fellow colleagues, and knowing the cutting edge technology of a public school, I received a ton of old cassette tapes!! One tip when writing with tape or ribbon is to first sketch it out in pencil and then adhere it to the card following the "pattern."

I hope you like my entry, because I had a blast making it. Make sure to cast your vote if you'd like me to move on to the next round here. Be sure to check out the other amazing entries--these girls are so talented!