Who says you have to buy Halloween supplies to make Halloween crafts?! On my next Live with Prima show I'll be sharing how to transform ordinary every day Prima supplies into spooky Halloween embellishments! These eight gorgeous tags are quick and easy to whip up. You can display them all together on a canvas (as pictured), attach them to treat bags, turn them into card fronts, create a banner out of them, or simply use them to embellish a spooky scrapbook page! And of course class will be full of awesome tips and tricks for getting the most out of... Read more →

...or is it a dress apron? Hard to tell. Here are the facts: I wanted to make a new apron. I had a few yards of a beautiful printed canvas from when I went shopping in Colorado with this girl. I didn't want the apron to have a waist tie in the back because the knot is uncomfortable when you sit in a chair. I needed the apron to be flattering. I know this is vain, but people often take photos of me while I'm teaching and I want to look "cute." I wanted the neck strap to be super... Read more →

What is one level past excited?! Thrilled! Delighted! Amazed! Awed! Ecstatic! Overjoyed! I am all of those things at once! Cloth Paper Scissors has announced their Artisan Search finalists! And guess who is one of them? Eeeeek! I am one of five finalists in the "Mixed Media Stitch" category and I am just delighted and overjoyed! You had to enter three pieces (here are all the rules and details about the contest). These are the three that I sent in: I am vibrating with joy! Now I just have to figure out how to pack and ship that one huge... Read more →

I'm going to be creating this: ...live at 2pm EST today! We're going to be doodling and painting and cutting acrylic and having a grand time! Live With Prima classroom is here. A Prima prize package will be given away during class! And if you miss the live broadcast, you can watch the taped version any time! Here's the time conversion chart: Hope to see you there! Read more →

One of the number one questions that I get asked is how do you find the time to do so much? I wish I had a glamorous answer that would revolutionize the world. But I don't. Like so many other people I am sleep deprived. I am a workaholic. I often choose creating over a social life. And I inevitably fall behind on due dates, deadlines, and my own expectations. "Spare time" is like "spare change." Nobody really has any. In fact, I'll bet that if you polled 100 Americans and asked them what in the world they wanted more... Read more →

Playing in my art journal today. And a view from straight on: I've gotten a couple e-mails with people wondering if I'll be teaching any of my painted face classes online. And the answer is, yes! I haven't quite decided when. Probably December or January. It's going to be a mush up of several of the painted face classes that I've taught in person. So you'll learn a couple of different methods! I'm excited to start work on it! Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

I'm excited to share my next Live With Prima class! Acrylic Graffiti Doodle Album September 27 at 2pm EST We are going to mix pieces – yes, I said pieces, we’re cutting up acrylic! – of an acrylic album with paint, doodles, and some cool graffiti papers! You will be amazed by how simple and easy it is to make this album completely your own. It’s young, hip, and 100% unique! Here's a peek at some of the inside pages: I can't wait to fill my album with photos! A few notes for those of you who may be unfamiliar... Read more →

Some awesome ideas for you! Masked Title Brilliant tutorial from Anja Wade at the Cocoa Daisy blog. I adore the idea of making your base layer (i.e. the bright red cardstock) into your title, peeking through all the layers of paint! Ruffly Trim Very clever tutorial from Dawn McVey on the Ella Publishing blog. She shows you how to turn felt into this cool ruffly trim! Minimal sewing skills required! Cool Die Cut Envelope On the Crate Paper blog Sarah Martina takes you step-by-step through the process of making this gorgeous die cut envelope. It's so simple and elegant and... Read more →

I took a month long break from Pencil Lines. Too much travel, too many "to dos." I'm delighted to be back for sketch 205. Here's a peek at the sketch... ...and then my layout. Check out the details: The circles are (1) hand cut, (2) brushed with paint, (3) a quick pen outline is added, (4) a button is added, and (5) popped up on foam adhesive. I don't think I'll ever get away from adding clusters of circles to my layouts. I just love the way they bring movement and energy to the page. I am in love with... Read more →

Remember that burlap canvas that I painted? I posted it on Monday when I blogged about what was on my desk. This is it: And this is what I did to it: I added some simple embroidery stitches to create some more visual texture. I love the way the embroidery transforms such a simple little painting into something really beautiful and special. I'm heading to a crop tonight with my favorite Manhattan Scrapbookers. Looking forward to it, but I always have trouble packing. I can't quite decide what I want to work on. What's portable? What do I need to... Read more →