I was given an assignment by Swedish scrapbooking magazine, Scrapbooking m.m., to create a Halloween project. Without any children, we really don't do much for Halloween around here. In fact, I don't think I've made a Halloween craft project ever. At least not in my adult years. So I thought and thought and finally decided to make some treat bags. And I am just so very thrilled with how they turned out! Take a peek: I made these back in July and there was no candy corn to be found in July, so I filled these bags with jelly beans... Read more →

Oh the things I could do if only I had the space! How many times have you uttered those words? I know I have like a million times. I flip through magazines full of enormous art studios and say, "Someday...someday I will have a house and it will have an enormous studio!" Why do I want an enormous studio? Well, who wouldn't? But one of the things that fascinates me and that I simply do not have the room to explore is screenprinting. Part of what fascinates me with screenprinting is the ability to make multiple passes over a single... Read more →

I'm super duper excited about my next Live with Prima! I'm going to show you how to make these: Looking for a fabulous last minute gift? Or maybe you need something amazing to wear to a holiday party tonight? We’ve got you covered! Join Julie as she shows you how simple it is to put together, not one, but TWO fabulous crocheted flower necklaces in just two hours! Every since I made them I've been wearing them! Especially the red one! And here's a photo with the red one blinged up a little bit: Class is on November 1, 2010... Read more →

I've been watching this girl use her new chevron stamp on everything. And it made me want one wicked bad! I could have paid the $28 for this kit (which contains the stamp) just to get the stamp, but it simply wasn't in the budget this month. I know that the stamp will be available in a few months, but I just couldn't wait that long! So I made my own. And it was pretty easy. So easy, that I'm going to show you how to make your own! Supplies: Carving Block Ruler Box Cutter Linoleum Cutting Tools Glass Mat... Read more →

I wanted to try my hand at carving a slightly larger stamp. I took a 4x6 carving block and gave it a go: At first I was nervous thinking that I should have shaved away the pink part of the drawing instead of the black part of the drawing, but I'm pleased with the finished result. I also used a different carving block than I'm used to and it was a very different experience. Usually I use the white Speedball Speedy-Cut blocks. This time I used the pink Speedball Speedy-Carve block. The Speedy-Carve block says that it's guaranteed not to... Read more →

Meet Kim and Asher. Kim owns PortraitBug, the scrapbook store here in Manhattan, which is how we met and became friends. She wanted to make a fabulous Halloween costume for her daughter, Asher, and so she enlisted my assistance. Kim sent me the instructions for a sandwich costume, which she found here. We made a few tweaks (like no ham -- Kim and her daughter are vegetarians) and had a very fun afternoon! As you can see from the photo above, we measured Asher to make sure the costume would fit and then she headed home. Kim and I got... Read more →

I whipped up a little something Halloween-y using Prima's new clear packaging: It's a Jack-o-Lantern votive candle holder. It's a triangle (here's the back)... ...with a pumpkin face cut into it and leaves decorating the top. I couldn't get a good night time photo, so I ended up having to take a video instead. Watch the video to see the flickering of the Jack-o-Lantern! (It's only 39 seconds long, but lots of fun!) Thanks for stopping by! Read more →

I was absolutely delighted when Bethany invited me to be a guest designer for Shimmerz. Guest Design post is here. As you can see from the photo (taken from their blog header) they are the makers of sparkly paints and sprays. Long time design team member Lucy Edson (though she's not on the team anymore) once informed me that Shimmerz has been around much longer than Tattered Angels (makers of Glimmer Mist). But they don't generally go to CHA or seem to have the same kind of distribution, so they get a bit lost in the shuffle. In fact, I... Read more →

Prima's October Build-a-Page is here! Check out the sketch: And here's my interpretation: The background paper is my very favorite Prima paper ever, which I am hoarding as it is now out of print. I layered a hand cut scallop strip with a border punched scallop strip. I like the combination of perfect and imperfect. I'm getting more into the idea of "hiding" elements. You can see the butterfly page pebble just sticking out from behind the flower. I cut this journaling spot and the surrounding flowers from a piece of patterned paper and then fed it through my typewriter.... Read more →

When I guest designed for Hambly, Allison asked me to send her a list of ten random things about myself. I couldn't help but make a pretty version of my list: I *love* the way it turned out! I just wish we had more wall space. Things are hung from floor to ceiling in this apartment. There's art in the bathroom, at the back of every shelf, and stacks of canvases are piled against the walls of my studio. And I just keep making it worse by making more and more stuff! I guess that's an excuse to move to... Read more →