chunky little book for holiday lists

This fat little book was so much fun to make, using Eileen Hull's 

versatile XL Square Box Scoreboard die for Sizzix,  

as another sample for our class on Saturday afternoon, December 7th, 

at Angela's Happy Stamper in Reston.

Within its small frame, there are plenty of pages to make lots of holiday lists, 

like a gift list, a wish list, and that naughty and nice list.

It can hold tags and pockets, too!

In class, Eileen and I are teaming up show you how to create the box and then

how to use the same die to create a chunky book and a shaker ornament.

Although I forgot to photograph the inside liner of this book, 

it's a series of holiday words doodled in outline and then colored in.  

This book liner to color will be part of the class kit, along with instruction sheets

and handwritten tags for embellishing your projects

for the holidays.

Come join Eileen and me for a crafty afternoon Saturday, December 7th, 

at Angela's Happy Stamper!

time to start making your holiday wish box

Ho, ho, ho!  Once again the fabulous Eileen Hull and I are teaming up to teach a class using Eileen's awesome dies for Sizzix.  This time we'll be using her XL Square Box Scoreboard die to create a trio of holiday projects.   Starting with the box shape, we'll make a glittery hanging ornament, a photo box for any season, and a fun chunky book for all your holiday lists.

By the way, check out Eileen's blog to see her stop-animation video showing her 3-D Artist Trading Blocks, the new trend being introduced at CHA this January, using her new block dies!!

And then, come join Eileen and me at Angela's Happy Stamper in Reston on Saturday, December 7th, from 1-4 pm!  We'll be busy little elves all afternoon!

heartfelt box with eileen hull

Although I ran out of time to post this before Valentine's Day, I wanted to share a version of a project I'm currently working on.  Just arriving in stores now is the new line of "From My Heart" dies by my creative designer friend Eileen Hull with Sizzix.  

Eileen and I are super excited to be teaching another class together in April, 

using this really cool heart box she designed.

Eileen's Scoreboard Dies are innovative designs for cutting thicker materials like matboard.  For my sweetly simple Valentine version, first I painted 

a sheet of 140-pound Fabriano watercolor paper with a soft wash of 

Golden's Light Magenta acrylic paint.  Then I used Eileen's heart-box die to cut two heart shapes for the top and bottom of the box, running the top heart through a texture plate.  Using another die from her new line, I also cut several sizes of flowers with heart-shaped petals from the same painted paper.

For a little glitz, I doodled on the flowers and outlined the heart-box top with Ranger's Liquid Pearls in Platinum.  After the Liquid Pearls dried, I stacked my flower layers, cutting into some of the flowers to fluff the petals. 

Next I die-cut a second set of two hearts and box sides from heavy Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper and assembled the box.  To make the white paper blend better with my painted paper, I dabbed the edges with Tim Holtz's Distress Stain in Spun Sugar.  Then I adhered the textured heart to the top of the box and added the layered flower.

Thinking it would be fun to add a Valentine sentiment to the box, I die-cut a banner from Bristol paper using an old Sizzix banner die (which I couldn't find online anymore).  With a Pitt black ink pen, I doodled the word "heartfelt" and filled it in with a Prismacolor watercolor pencil, also shading the tag ends.  Using adhesive only on the tag ends, I shaped the banner into a slight curve.

This heart box will be so easy to tailor to many occasions, including Mother's Day.  

I'll definitely be making more boxes as Eileen and I prepare to teach our class together.

(Our Sentiment Box class will be held at Angela's Happy Stamper in Reston

on April 9th (6 pm) and April 13th (1 pm).  Come join us. :)

Doodle Amour class at French General

In a couple weeks, on Saturday, February 9th, in the afternoon,

this lucky girl will be teaching a doodle lettering class

in the fabulous atmosphere that is French General in L.A.

My generous friend Kaari Meng, warmly supported by her sister, mother, and daughter, concocted this idea with me one lovely evening last summer in France.

To honor French General, I added a few French ribbon swirls to my doodle lettering and outlined a ribbon heart for Valentine's Day and put them together for the February class which we've called "Doodle Amour".

Photo by Debby Schuh at French General's Sunday Soirée

The class will focus on how to turn your handwriting into doodle lettering similar to mine, with examples and demos and hands-on practice.  My class sample, including more doodled pages sewn together as a small booklet, is on view at the store.

If you're in the L.A. area, it would be my pleasure

to share with you my new-found love of doodle lettering.

Because learning is beautiful, n'est-ce pas?  And since I'm still learning, too, I expect to learn so much from all those in class with me, for I believe the best artistic expression is always a two-way street.

Late-night doodling in my bedside notebook :)

According to Molly, there are still a few openings in the class, with details listed under Workshops on the French General site.

house doodling class

In just over a week, my friend Eileen Hull and I will be teaching a class combining her cleverly-designed Sizzix matboard dies with my techniques for doodling and writing on the die cuts.  In other words, she has the serious crafty design gene and I just doodle around for fun.   For the class, Eileen has chosen her large House die as the sample (teal house on left).  In addition to decorating the houses for the holidays, we'll then personalize them with my version of doodle writing (mossy house on right).

The two class samples

Sample with my doodling and handwriting

If you are close enough to attend, please join us

at Angela's Happy Stamper on Saturday, December 1st, at 1 pm. 

Details on Angela's class list.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving with all the people and blessings you are grateful for.

off to doodle in omaha

Time to finish packing for my "Doodle Ink" class at Handmade U in Omaha this weekend. I'm excited and more than a little nervous to be teaching my first doodling class. Even after all the other project classes I've taught, it's a whole different ball game trying to translate something you do kind of naturally into a technique you lay out in thoughtful steps. Wish me luck, please!


.

doodling class in april

.

I know, it's a tough life ...

lately I've been spending more and more time just doodling!

But really, I do have a good reason.

In April, Rachel Velder McGough will host her Second Semester of Handmade U near Omaha, and I'm so excited

to be teaching a fun doodling class during the weekend!

This intimate retreat held April 19-22 will take place

in Minglewood Lodge, where classes and meals will be held

and the majority of those attending will stay.

So cozy!

Registration for the event has just opened on

Rachel's blog.

On the Friday, my journaling buddy Michelle Geller will be teaching

a full-day bookmaking class called Stitched and Stashed.

In the morning we'll stitch our journals together,

using Michelle's fresh take on the Coptic binding technique.

During the afternoon, we'll add to our journals

with papers and ephemera from her wonderful stash and our own.

The next morning, in my doodling class called Doodle Ink,

we'll make a small sampler book and then practice the fine art of doodling!

More than just a mindless gesture, doodling in art journaling

can be a joyful form of stylistic drawing.

Starting with my tips about tools and process,

we'll approach doodling as a a serious but playful addition to one's pages,

including lettering, borders and frames, and stylized birds and flowers.

It will be all hands on!

In the afternoon, Rachel will teach her prize-ribbon class,

using her fantastic ribbons brought back from France!

I hope you're coming!

Please say yes!

p.s. By the way, I doodled this "Yes!" in response to another invitation

to participate in more doodle fun!

Hope to be able to tell you more soon.