Hello Sweet Stamps fans!

We have a brief announcement regarding the Anything Goes and Anything but a Card Challenges here on the Sweet Stamps blog.

  For the rest of the summer (July, August, September) we will only be having one challenge per month.  The Anything Goes challenge will continue on the first Sunday of every month, except for this month (July) when it will begin on the second Sunday. I hope everyone will continue to play along!  

The Anything but a Card challenge will begin again in September or October (not sure on the dates yet), but we will announce the winners of the June challenge on the third Sunday of July as usual.

See you all soon!

I Love You (Banner Girl)

Good Morning people!

Britt Bass here bringing you a card I made using a sweet little stamp set called Banner Girl & Words!

Can you believe it is time to start making valentines?!  I began my card by stamping the girl from Banner Girl & Words Little Sweetiesstamp set on three different piece of paper - a white cardstock, a floral cardstock and a mint green.  I fussy cut and paper pieced her headband, dress, banner and shoes from the two patterned pieces and used my Spectrum Noir markers to color her hair, skin and socks.  I then set her aside.

I used a frame from the Piccolo Accents set "Small Gears and Accents" and covered it with that light cream- colored woodgrain paper and attached dotted tulle to the hollow in the middle.  I wanted it to look like a little screen door!  I cut a panel of scrapbook paper with a rose design to the size of my A2 card and used a corner chomper to give it a decorative corner.  I used distress ink on the card, frame and some parts of the little girl image and then assembled everything on my card with pop dots.

To finish I added some stickle dots and hearts, a heart outline sticker and two paper flowers from my stash.

Don't forget to visit Sweet Stamps for lots of really adorable new sets for January!

Beautiful Day Cameo Card

Hello! Britt Bass here today to share a sweet little card with lots of die cutting and a few inking techniques.

Sweet Stamps manufactures many exceptionally good quality steel rule dies.  I have used three of the ones available to create the focal cameo and floral image on this card.

First I took a blank white piece of cardstock and stamped the Antique Leaf Scroll  border stamp with Versamark three times on the cardstock and embossed it using White Fine Detail embossing powder.  I used two colors of distress inks and applied them to the background with a ink blending tool.  The white embossed stamped image resisted the inking beautifully.

I took orange, white and green DCWV cardstock and cut using the Mini Flower die, the Cameo Lady die and the Fancy Leaf die. I also cut a label shape from a label die set from my stash.  I assembled the lady and the label together to create the cameo and assembled the flowers.  I used pearl paint to add pearls to the lady and pretty pearlized centers to the flowers and set both aside.

I used the Beautiful Day stamp to add a sentiment to the green strip of paper. (The original stamp says "Have a Beautiful Day" but I masked off the beginning of the phrase before I inked it in order to make it possible for me to use only the words I wanted to).  I added the sentiment, a piece of polka dot mesh and a ruffled ribbon to the bottom of the card.  I adhered my cameo, the flowers and the leaf die cuts onto the card and it was all done!!

Take a look at all the wonderful supplies to help you recreate this card available on Sweet Stamps' online store!

Happy 2016 | Background Stamping

Hellooooo!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Britt Bass here and I'm so glad you decided to join me today!  I wanted to pop in and share a festive little new years card I made just for you, using Sweet Stamps rubber and clear stamps!

When if first saw the Braided Flower Border rubber stamp I knew it would make a stunning background for a card!  I stamped it in three colors of Memento Dew Drop inks in a diagonal pattern across a panel of  bright white cardstock.  I think this stamp is perfect for a new years card because it looks a little like ticker tape falling across your card!  

I adhered the stamped panel and then cut a piece of silver glitter paper by DCWV  and adhered that with dimensional squares down the middle of the card.  I then stamped the main image from the Banner Girl and Words clear stamp set, BUT I only cut out and used the BANNER portion instead of including the whole image of the girl holding the banner.  Using parts of a stamped image selectively can really give your stamp sets more life and versatility!

I adhered my "Oh Happy Day" banner to the silver as well as mixing and matching some fun letter stickers and foam number stickers to create the rest of my sentiment.  To finish, I added a strip of purple cardstock below and two strips above the sentiment to give it a bit more of a finished look.

I hope you have an absolutely WONDERFUL New Year's Day and a MAGNIFICENT 2016!

Floral Thank You

Good morning people! Britt Bass here from Pink Paper Crowns!

I'm dropping by today to bring you a little card that I made using some beautiful floral images from the ATC line in the Sweet Stamps shop!\

For this card I took the Daffodils ATC, Parrot Tulips ATC, and the Black Eyed Susans ATC red rubber stamps and stamped them with Versamark ink and heat embossed them using the White fine detail embossing powder.  Then, I used several colors of Heidi Swapp color shine with a brush to lay down the colors on my background.

Once the water colors were completey dry I cut down the panel and mounted it on a 5x7 cardbase using pop dots.  I used large letter stickers for my sentiment and finished off the card with sequins, a strip of gold scallop edge paper and a faux stitching line around the parameter to pull some more white into the design.  I love how SUPER shiny it is and how beautiful the floral images stamped.

Don't forget to drop by the Sweet Stamps store and take a look at all of the gorgeous red rubber stamps!

Later queenies!

Jingle On The Beach

Happy Friday sweeties! Britt Bass here from Pink Paper Crowns.

I'm dropping in today to show you a SUPER cute SNEAK PEAK of a new image from Sweet Stamps!  

What I love about these images is that they give you the option to make some holiday projects that reflect how people from warmer climates might celebrate Christmas!  I love, love, LOVE these cute, beach bum reindeer!  This lady is sunning herself under a breezy palm tree with her candy cane and a pair of sunnies! Take a look!

 I first printed and colored the image with my Spectrum Noir alcohol markers and added highlights to the image with a white gel pen.  I fussy cut the image from the paper and set it aside.  I cut two panels of holiday scrapbooking papers from the DCWV "Christmas Wishes" 4x6 mat pad from 2014.  I tore the tops of each of the panels and layered them on a burlap cardbase - also from DCWV. 

 I used a sentiment and star embellishment as the inspiration for my whole sentiment.  I added the "to the Beach" with a mix of tiny type stickers and burlap printed letters from my stash. I adhered three transparent sequins around my sentiment and attached my sweet reindeer image with pop dots.  I finished the card with another chipboard embellishment that reads "the 25th".

Thanks for stopping by today!
Don't forget to go over to the Sweet Stamps' Store and get yourself a little something!!

'Tis the Season | Mr. & Mrs. Snow!

Hello sweet people!

Britt Bass here and I'm so excited to bring you my first official post as a DT sweetie for Sweet Stamps!

I saw these little pair of Snow People and just KNEW it would make an excellent "snow globe" shaker card!

First I stamped Mr. & Mrs. Snow DUO with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored them with my Spectrum Noir Alcohol markers.  I used Distress Ink in Stormy Skies to add a winter-y blue sky above the happy couple and then added stars, highlights and fun details with a white gel pen.

I die cut a large circle in a 6x6 sheet of Christmas tree paper (from my stash) with a Circle Die and then used the same die and a slightly larger scallop circle die to create a frame with green cardstock.

I assembled my shaker with a piece of acetate and filled it with a mixture of Sugar Sand, Clear Glass Micro Beads, and some blue micro beads (from my stash).  I didn't add any sequins or larger pieces because I wanted it to look like a snow bank the swishes from side to side as it shakes!  I finished the card with a layered sticker from my stash!

Thanks for taking a look!

Mom's Birthday Card

I made this card for my Mom’s birthday – she turned 81 yesterday.  My Mom is sight impaired due to untreated glaucoma and I am always looking for ways she can use her other senses when I make her something. So, this card has a bunch of things she can feel as well as see.  Sadly, this also my last post with the Design Team for Globecraft & Piccolo.  I have had a marvelous time and I wish them continued success!  Thanks to my awesome teammates and to Stacey & Sandy for making the experience so incredibly fun!

What I Used to Make this Card:

F100 French Oval Single Frame

LA107 Large Stemmed Rose Accents

3D Gel in Rose Pearl & Leafy Green

Embossing Enamel in Cranberry Wine

Embossing Fluid

Crafter's Pick Glue

DCWV Chalk Art Stack – card base 5 ¼ x 5 ¼

Silhouette Cameo letter cutouts

Ranger Embossing Powder in Rich Red

White Cardstock

Mom loves roses 

I confess I had covered the rose long before I made the card.  I knew the 3D gels would be beautiful on the chipboard and I made a few of them.  I tried to trace around the rose as carefully as I could (I can’t find my metal tip. I suspect one of the cats has taken it.  Actually, I am positive one of the cats took it) but I actually ended up covering the rose sort of like when you grout tile.  Because I didn’t need it to be absolutely perfect, I just filled in spots with more 3D gel after it dried.  Since the gel is amazing, you can’t even tell and I was open to some more texture anyway.  So, cover your rose and let it dry overnight if you can.

One of the roses

Then I discovered how brilliantly the rose fit into the French Oval Frame.  Now, the cardstock is also very bright, not neon bright, but bright. 

Close up of the French

I had no Embossing Enamel that matched, so I took some red embossing powder and covered the frame with that first.  Then I pounced my Embossing Fluid around the frame and covered that with Cranberry Ice Embossing Enamel – I love the way it came out!

I cut my card base out of the DCWV Chalk Art Stack – that paper is thick!! I made a square card since I had so much to put on it and I wanted Mom to be able to touch the cardstock; it has a texture to it so it can be used like a chalkboard (you can even wipe the chalk off). So cool! 

It's STUNNING in real life!!

To keep the theme going, I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out Happy Birthday (I also discovered a neat trick – when your letters are still on the cutting mat, before you remove them, use a bit of washi tape that is long enough to grab all the letters, then gently use your tool to remove them.  Now, when you go to place them, they are all straight!)

Next I just traced the inner circle of the French Frame and cut it outside the trace line so there would be a little bit of paper to use to attach the it to the frame. Positioned my rose in the center of the white cardstock, and then glued the whole shebang to the front of the card.  Lastly, I put the Happy Birthday on the inside of the card since I didn’t have enough room on the outside. 

So there you have it!! Mom and I met yesterday to celebrate our birthdays over lunch & she LOVED the card (of course)! Sorry no other view of the card! I hope you have enjoyed my birthday card – I still have one more birthday to celebrate, so keep your eyes peeled! Thank you & have a lovely day! Christi

Too early for holiday ornaments?

I say NEVER! For this Globecraft & Piccolo post I decided to beat the heat by making a holiday ornament.  Using one of the Ornament Kits (in addition to the kits found on the linked page, there is the DIY Portrait Ornament and the DIY Landscape Ornament) make it SO easy and really fun, but my favorite is using one of the 2 DIY kits, like I did here.  I wanted an icy feel to my ornament, hoping that keeping cool could be a bit of mind over matter!

The final ornament - pretty, but I'm still hot!

What I Used to Make My Project

ORNP, DIY Portrait OrnamentKit

LA100, BejeweledSnowflakes

Embossing Enamel in Siam Silver, Mermaid Tears and Aged White

Embossing Fluid

Fishing Line or Craft Filament (I used jewelry cord, clear)

E6000

Crafters Pick Glue

The kit with the piece from Bejeweled Snowflakes

First thing I did was cut my long snowflake border from the Bejeweled Snowflake Set in half – there are 8 little snowflakes on each strip, so I just snipped it into 4.  Then I applied the Embossing Fluid and embossed the strip with Aged White Embossing Enamel, both front and back.

Then I embossed the inner circle of the ornament – the inner piece is the

Inner bezel with snowflake piece

piece in the kit that has the loop on the top to hang the ornament.  I just pounced my Embossing Fluid along the outside of the ring (super easy since the Embossing Fluid uses a dauber on the top of it – you never get too much or too little! Just don’t squeeze your bottle as it will explode – or so I hear - hehehe) since I knew once the ornament is assembled you can only see a small bit of the ring; I embossed the inner ring on both sides.  Then, I threaded the cord through the very top of the snowflake strip that I had cut so that the ends of the cord could be glued to the inner ring and the strip would hang correctly.  For that I used E6000 and I did one piece of string at a time (for me that was easier than trying to line the filament up on both sides, ensure the strip was even, then try to glue both ends of the cord – it became like a game, with me fighting against everything.  So, I surrendered and did each end separately).

All the pieces embossed, attached & ready to assemble (except the globes)

While my hanging piece was drying, I embossed the 2 outer rings with Mermaid Tears, being sure to roll the Embossing Enamel to shake up the enamel.  The Globecraft & Piccolo Embossing Enamel is hand blended in the USA and each color is so unique – the Mermaid Tears is such a pretty mixture of colors!  I did one side of each of the outer rings, but I did emboss each side twice.  Then I glued the globes and the rings to the inner ring, lining it up and clamping them together with bulldog clips.  I let it dry overnight and I was done!

Another look at the final product (hard to get those bubbles to photograph!)

Also, another great use for the bubbles is to use them as "shields" - when you have items drying, perhaps with Glastique Gloss, you can place a bubble over the item and that helps to keep the cat hair, human hair, Embossing Enamel and all the other floaties out of your finish.  Thanks so much for stopping by – I appreciate your comments and sharing of my posts so much! Hope you have a fantastic weekend! Christi

A Midsummer Night's Dream

I am SO sorry this post is late! I hope you enjoy it!

When I first started rubber stamping Shakespeare was all the rage. A few movies had just come out and everyone was obsessed with William (honestly, I have never read a thing he’s written), but I did like the costume and pageantry of the time period.   When I saw this new Piccolo the first thing that came to my mind was “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. So as to not disappoint my muse, this is the creation that was born.

Shows some bling

What I Used:
A 5x7 Canvas

Gesso

Embossing Fluid

Embossing Enamel in Starry Star and Siam Silver

A126, Flourish Accents

W015, Dream Word Accent 

Female Stamp from The Stampsmith

Distress Markers in Squeezed Lemonade, Mowed Lawn, Worn Lipstick and Tumbled Glass

Distress Paints in Seedless Preserves, Milled Lavender & Chipped Sapphire

Silhouette Machine (to make the letters)

Silver Paper (for the letters)

Crafters Pick Adhesive
Bling on a Roll - Silver

First, let me preface with I am not used to using canvas.  I prefer boards, but I have some canvas that needs to be used.  So after I made my first background, or, tried to make it, I realized I needed to gesso my canvas if I wanted a smoother background.  So after the gesso dried, I used Distress Paints to make a purple and blue summery night sky. 

Then, I swooshed my Embossing Fluid and embossed the swoosh with Starry Sky. 

I had stamped the Stampsmith stamp on glossy paper & colored her with the Distress Markers. I fussy cut her out and glued her to the canvas.  I then embossed the word accent and the flourishes with Siam Silver.  I used my Silhouette machine to cut out the words “A Midsummer Night’s”, I added some bling to the D and to each “i”.  I added the silver embellishment and I put it all together and created my Midsummer Night’s Dream.

  

This picture shows a little less bling

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial. Thank you! Christi

A Bubble Background ATC

I love making ATC’s.  Not only are these trading card sized beauties fun to trade with other artists, but I use them on cards as well.  It makes it simple to make a card quickly when you already have the focal point done.

In making this ATC for Globecraft & Piccolo I used the following products:

Embossing Enamel in Mermaid Tears & Royal Sterling

ATC Bubble Background,LB101 (keep the pop out pieces!)

Embossing Fluid

Distress Paint & Distress Marker in Seedless Preserves

Purple Pre-Made ATC card

Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black

Tim Holtz Simple Sayings Stamp Set, CMS155

Scrap Piece of Complimentary Color Paper

Crafters Pick Glue

First, I covered the ATC Bubble Background with Embossing Fluid and embossed it with Mermaid Tears. 

Embossed and Raw ATC Bubble Background

Close up, embossed w/ Mermaids Tears

I embossed the background a few times to get the coverage I wanted. Then I chose a few of the leftover pieces I had popped out of the Bubble Background and covered them in Embossing Fluid and embossed them with Royal Sterling (HINT: mark the piece on the correct side so when you emboss the piece it will fit correctly– ask me why I suggest this!).

Once everything was embossed, I fit the pop out pieces into the Bubble Frame and glued them in.  I did this by turning the Bubble Frame over and I spread some glue over the piece and the frame.  Since I knew I was going to attach this to an ATC I wasn’t too worried about the pieces falling out.  Once they dried, I just chose some areas on the Bubble Frame, dotted some glue and glued it onto the ATC card.  I also glued my ATC card to some left over cardboard to make it a bit more sturdy and then inked around the edges with the Seedless Preserves Distress Paint & filled in any gaps with the Seedless Preserves Distress Marker.

I inked my sentiment in the Jet Black ink, stamped it on a coordinating piece of scrap paper and trimmed it down.  I glued my sentiment to my ATC and I was done! Now I am all ready to pop this on a card when I want to remind someone I’m thinking of him or her.

This picture really shows the sparkle!

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to check out the daily posts on the Globecraft & Piccolo Blog, and my blog, Art Without Anxiety.  Hope you & yours have a GREAT week! Christi

Welcome our new Design Team

Globecraft Piccolo Design Team

Angela Crandall

Mistress of Mayhem, Domestic Goddess in Training, Maker of Lists & Stuff, Angi - that's me! I have been blessed to be the wife of a hottie for over 20 years, mom to 4 'keep me on my toes' extraordinary people (+2 fur babies), artist in residence in our crazy, but happy home. I love texture and layers, color, upcycling and most of all experimenting with new techniques and product. When I'm not busy getting my art on in the studio, I'm hanging out with my family, baking in the kitchen (in an altered apron, of course!) or enjoying the beach. I am ridiculously excited to be designing for Globecraft & Piccolo!


Leslierahye Strickland
Wife of 21 years to my soul mate. Mother to two amazing free-willed beings--son Will, 13, and daughter Samantha, 7. Daughter of devoted, loving parents. I've been crafting and creating since before I can remember, dabbling in everything from sewing, to oil painting, to scrapbooking, to photography to beadwork to crafty crafts--and many things in between. I've gifted my work. I've sold my work. I've used my work.  I love to share projects and techniques with crafters of all skills. I continue to explore in creativity to keep myself fresh. I love mixed media and upcycled crafting. I love making my own embellishments to coordinate with my projects.  I am thrilled to be a part of the Globecraft Piccolo Design Team! I can remember 20 years ago making my holiday cards with silver embossing powder and a candle--I had purchased it at the Hallmark store--you could get gold or silver. A few years later I was introduced to the modern style of stamping including artsy stamping with ultra thick enamels! I was in love! Creating for Globecraft Piccolo is a dream job as I will be enjoying my favorite powders and enamels and incorporating the fantastic chipboard pieces into the mix! I can't wait to share with you all and hopefully inspire you along the way!


Sandy Hulsart
I am thrilled to be working with Stacey of Sweet Stamps and the Globecraft & Piccolo team.  I will be heading up the team and I think we will have great things in store for you.  I have been a crafter of some sort all my life but did not start stamping/card making until the summer of 2005. I met Stacey at her store here in town and the rest is history. 


Teresa Atkinson

I'm Teresa Atkinson (aka MaggieGraceCreates) and I am so excited to be working with Globecraft and Piccolo as well as the other talented ladies on this team. I am a woman of that certain midlife area of age with two beautiful adult daughters, one very spoiled dog, and one seriously crazy cat. I learned to crochet as a child by watching my Grandmother and have always been involved in some kind of creative project. Because "stash building and resourceful use of items" is a specialty, I was always the Mom in charge of the school projects for all of my girls' friends. I consider myself a mixed media artist with a strong focus in upcycled materials. My style is a little on the shabby side but not over the top feminine. I ADORE paper crafting and jewelry crafting. And I love how the G&P products can be used for more than just card making. I love to try unusual applications of materials and I sure hope that I can inspire people, much as I have been inspired by seeing other designers.

G&P announces Design Team members!

We're so excited to announce our Globecraft & Piccolo Design Team members: Diana Gonzalez, Heather Hudson, Arin Flynn, Tracy Alden, Candy Spiegel, Laura Drahozal and Linda Neff.

We're looking forward to all the exciting, inspiring and creative goodness to come from this team over the next several months. We'll be introducing them to you over the next few days. So, to begin - meet:

Diana Gonzalez from Brooklyn, New York. Diana's work has been published in Greencraft magazine, BUST, and Time Out New York. She has been a design team member for Clear Snap and did work for Bombshell stamps, Art Institute Glitter, Mohawk Papers, Pan Pastels, and many others. Diana is a self-taught mixed-media artist with almost six years of blogging experience. Check out her blog : www.arteypoemas.com. In addition to blogging, she has five years of teaching experience, having taught at Kate's Paperie, Brooklyn Spacecraft, Brooklyn Bead Shop, and others.

Heather Hudson from Pinckney, Michigan. Heather lives with her two teenage sons, hubby and two kitties. She is a Registered Nurse, working with ventilator-dependent teens. Heather currently works full time, and designs for Gecko Galz, Really Reasonable Ribbon and Art Glitter. In the past she has designed for Bella Creations (closed now), Sugar Creek Hollow, Scrap Tales, and Pro 31 Designs.  Heather has been interested in paper crafting since 2010. She enjoys painting, pottery and of course digital images and paper! Her ambition is to learn more about mixed-media and jewelry crafting. Take a look at her blog:  http://heatherahudson.blogspot.com/

Arin Flynn from southern California. Arin's crafting motto is, "serving up a slice of creativity" with combining life and creative ingredients of paper, ribbon, glitter and anything else I can toss into the crafty mix! Arin and her husband are parents to two daughters, ages 3 and 4. Arin traded in her employment law books and employment relations (glorified adult babysitting) to stay home and start a family. That is when the crafting bug really bit! "Paper crafting is something I love with a passion and creating things from home decor to party decorations brings me joy and satisfaction. I created a crafting blog in 2011 and am slowly finding my way among the never-ending talent and inspirations that make up the online crafting community. In February of 2012 I had the honor of seeing my first published project sitting on shelves in local retail stores. In July of 2012 I had the joys of being accepted to be a member of a popular Cricut challenge blog, Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog." Visit her blog at http://apieceoflifespie.com/

Stay tuned for introductions to more team members this week.

Globecraft is attending the Great Lakes Mega Meet in Novi, Michigan from May 9-11. If you're in the area stop and see us!

Meet our talented artists!

Today, we are so excited to introduce to you, our freshly-formed G&P Design Team! We've gathered a host of talented and diverse artists from across the country who will bring you some great ideas for working with our products. Watch for their creative projects here as well as on their personal blogs.

And, now, without further ado:

Steph Ackerman:

East Meadow, New York

http://stephaniescraps.blogspot.com/

I am an avid scrapbooker, cardmaker and altered artist. Working with paper is my passion and I have worked with all kinds of mediums since childhood.   Cardmaking, for me, is therapy. I love working on a smaller canvas and watching my work come to life with the use of stamps, inks and die cuts. I love challenges, and am always trying new techniques. My day is just not complete if I haven't spent some time in my studio. I do tend to get lost in my creations, working on lots of different projects at the same time.

I discovered not too long ago that I love to teach and I can often be found in my studio showing students how to create amazing projects using a variety of products, whether it’s with the Cricut, stamps, inks, binding equipment, etc. I love seeing the look on a student's face when she realizes what can be done with the tools and supplies that are available.

I live in New York with Gary, my husband of 32 years, our 17-year-old son Christopher, and our puppy, Paulie. Being the teenager that he is, it can be quite difficult getting candid shots of Christopher; however, since he participates in all kinds of sports, I get to take lots of action photos and scrap those. Paulie, on the other hand, is quite the character and allows me to take as many photos as I want without complaint; he can be seen in many scrapbook layouts! 

Tracy Alden

Sunny California

http://artrez.com/blog

Tracy Alden, art designer, indie artist by trade, and owner of Art Resurrected. Her interests in ancient art, archeology, biology, anthropology, world cultures and natural elements add to a dizzying array subjects of which are the inspiration for her art. 

Specializing in: Sculpture, Illustration, Jewelry, Fabric, Paper & Graphic Arts. Her artwork has been published in magazines, newspapers and displayed at many galleries and shows. She currently works as part of product design and development for Globecraft & Piccolo. 

Tracy lives in sunny Southern California with her husband and menagerie of animals. With a love of art, travel, museums, cooking, and an animal conservation she is always busy.

DeeDee Catron

Las Vegas, Nevada

http://umwowstudio.blogspot.com/

I'm a 25 year old crafter extraordinaire with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Industrial Design and a passion for creating anything with my hands. 

I'm the Marketing and Artistic Director for Viva Las VegaStamps! and the Owner/Creator/Designer of UmWowStudio.

  

Christina Colón

Temecula, California

http://www.thetwistedmuse.com

My name is Christina Colón and I live in Temecula, California. I am a mom to four kids, two dogs, one cat, and a partridge in a pear tree. Ok. Not really on that last one, but it sounded good! I am also married to a wonderful man who puts up with creative shenanigans.

 I have been papercrafting for over four years now. I find that I really love the "off- the page" stuff because it's more versatile and allows for my creative mind to just go, go, go. I love to get inky and messy. I also love to experiment with new products and techniques, especially when an experiment turns into an amazing end result.

Laura Drahozal

Hartland, Michigan

http://www.rememberinglifesmoments.blogspot.com/

I live with my husband and my very spoiled collie in Michigan. I enjoy scrapbooking and teaching classes in local scrapbook stores whenever possible. I also love being on the Dreamweaver Design Team because I can explore techniques using these exquisite stencils and work with a group of wonderful teammates. 

I love being a part of the Twisted Sketches Design Team, which is helping me work on my scrapbooks! I am a design team member for both Art Glitter and Connie Crystals and now Globecraft & Piccolo. I am looking forward to the creative opportunities they present. 

I am very excited to be in the Dec/Jan 2011 edition of The Stampers Sampler (pp. 52 and 72) and in the Catch Up Issue. I am also so thrilled to have been published on page 20 of April 2011 Stamp & Scrap Arts.

Monica Edwards

Cocoa, Florida

scraps2treasure.blogspot.com

I’m Monica Edwards, married for more than 20 years and the mother of two older children; daughter, Mariah, 18 and son, Andre, 22. I currently work at the Kennedy Space Center, home of the once-beloved "Shuttle." As you can tell I am still heartbroken; lol.

I have been crafting for over 15 years but broke into the blogging world in the past two years and love it. I like to consider myself a crafter of all trades but a master at none - well maybe not none. I enjoy vintage and incorporating mixed-media into all facets of crafting now. My craft motto is "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Everyone has different taste in crafts and it is all beautiful as long as it is made from the heart.

I enjoy teaching the tricks and techniques I have learned from so many amazing women! I hope to keep everyone coming back to check out the fabulous products Globecraft and Piccolo have to offer to the world!

Arin Flynn

Southern California

http://apieceoflifespie.com/

My name is Arin Flynn and I reside in sunny southern California with my amazing husband, two little girls, ages 3 and 4, who have their halos held up by horns at times and a very lazy, but sweet pound puppy.

After college I headed into the field of Human Resources. After eleven years, I traded in my employment, law books, and employment relations (glorified adult babysitting) to stay home and start a family. That is when the crafting bug really bit and my week is not complete without a few projects under my belt!

Paper crafting is something I love with a passion and creating things, from home decor to party decorations, brings me joy and satisfaction. I created a crafting blog in 2011 and am slowly finding my way among the never-ending talent and inspirations that make up the online crafting community. In February of 2012 I had the honor of seeing my first published project sitting on shelves in local retail

stores. In July of 2012 I had the joys of being accepted to be a member of a popular Cricut challenge blog, Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog.

There are times I wished I lived in an area that does not have 365 days of warm sunshine so I would have a true excuse to stay planted in my craft room weathering out a hard winter. I have been a crafter ever since I can remember. I have done projects as small as making a simple card of thanks to as big as making and selling homemade crafts in volume at a large street fair, which actually made a small profit the first and only time I did it. After that experience, I decided that was a bucket list item that needed to be checked off only once.

My crafting motto is, "serving up a slice of creativity” with combining life and creative ingredients of paper, ribbon, glitter and anything else I can toss into the crafty mix!" I never dreamed that my love for crafting would have taken me this far.

Rebecca Price

Lewis Center, Ohio

http://byondbzr.blogspot.com/

Hi! My name is Rebecca and I've been scrapbooking for eight years now. Before that, I dabbled in many other artistic pursuits ranging from jewelry making and painting, to writing poetry. I've always had a creative soul, and all my experience through the years comes out in my paper crafting. 

I am a mom of two. My daughter is 7-years old and definitely a "mini-me" as she loves to scrapbook and craft right alongside me. My son is 5-years old and all boy. He likes to find "treasures" for me. Every button or bead he sees on the ground while we are out he happily picks up and gives to me. "Look momma, you can scrap with THIS!" They are my inspiration and why I do what I do.

My style is usually very distressed and layered. I am not afraid of bold color, nor do I shy away from getting messy. I actually consider it a wonderful day when my hands are stained from inks, paints, and mists! 

Candy Spiegel

Argentine, Michigan

http://candyspiegel.wordpress.com/

I began paper crafting 18 years ago when I learned that it was acceptable for adults to play with stickers, markers and rubber stamps.

After 20 years in the newspaper industry, I decided to make paper crafting a career. Now I spend my time teaching, working at my local scrapbook store, and writing about scrapbooking for Michigan Scrapbooker Magazine. I also maintain the website for Globecraft & Piccolo.

My designs have been published in national magazines and catalogs and on product packaging.

When I am not crafting, I am most likely growing chickens, turkeys and vegetables, cooking, reading or finding beautiful things to photograph. I am the proud mother of a U.S. Marine and a college student. I live in Michigan with my husband, two cats and four hens.

Kristie Taylor

Lexington, South Carolina

http://kristietaylor.blogspot.com/

Hi, I am Kristie and I am so very excited and honored to be a part of this talented team! I have been scrapbooking for a very long time, and it has become my therapy and release from my stressful life. 

I love to get dirty, and am always including inks, paints, and lots of distressing to my projects. I call my style "Shabby distressed bling", so be prepared for anything! I am surrounded by a loving and supportive family; Mom, Dad, brother, hubby, and four kids who indulge me and my scrappy hobby.

I follow everyone around and try to snap photos all the time just like the paparazzi, but sometimes I have to resort to bribery. I hope that I can inspire you with my creations, and I can’t  wait to get started!

Linda Neff

Howell, Michigan

http://linda-neff.com

I discovered through my first attempt at scrapbooking I could create art – my way. With rubber stamps, inks, paints, paper, fabric and other mediums, I create a soft, vintage look that is sometimes natural and sometimes a bit more romantic, but always evolving. I enjoy making mini albums, scrapbook pages and wall art to capture my little scrapped treasures.

The mother of three adult children, I live with my retired husband in Michigan and spend my time designing and teaching classes. I am excited to be published in the Sept/Oct 2012 issue of Somerset Studio, am Ranger certified, and currently am a design team member for Art Glitter and Xyron in addition to Globecraft & Piccolo. I am always on the lookout for new techniques and encourage others to dive head-first into the art of papercrafting, whether it be scrapbooking, stamping or altered art.

Please help us welcome these talented artists!

And now, a tip from Laura on using our 3D Enamel Gels...

A hands-on approach to Enamel Gels

I just adore the new G&P 3D Enamel Gels! One of my favorite ways to use them is to apply enamels to a textured surface with my fingers. The Globecraft bookboard is a perfect surface. First, I apply paint to create light reflection and enhance the transparency of the enamels. White and metallic colors work best for this. Then, I create texture using an embossing folder. To add the color, I simply squeeze the enamel directly onto the project and smear it with my finger. 

I suppose I could smear it with a paint brush, but I prefer to actually touch my project.  When it is textured, the color goes into all of the nooks and crannies. Because I am rubbing over the top of the raised areas, it leaves just a light, transparent film in those spots.
This is what it looks like done:

Another benefit is the ability to mix colors with my fingers. I just place all the colors where I want them and then blend lightly with my finger.

And the results?

Give the hands-on approach a try! You won't be disappointed.