The Mighty Mini...making ATCs with Marion Smith Color Labs and Romance Novel 2

Hello Creative Lovelies!

This week in my studio, I have been all about the making mini works of art called ATCs.

If you aren't familiar with them, ATC stands for "Artist Trading Cards." They are the size of a regular playing card, 2.5in X 3.5in, and can be made from various materials like watercolor paper, mixed media paper, bristol paper and anything else your imagination dreams up!

I started with a small piece of mixed media paper that was pre-cut to the ATC size. I made sure to gesso it so that my Color Lab color would be really vibrant.

To make it EXTRA sparkly, I added a little bit of my premixed "Cupcake" recipe from my sprayer into a shallow pallet section and added an extra half scoop of my pink shimmer pigment.

Next..it was all about the layers!

Here's what I added to my "Cupcake" color lab surface:

(1) Marion's "Texture" Stamp with Archival Ink pad in Jet Black

(2) Adhere a small trip of chevron paper from Romance Novel 2 "Telegram" paper

(3) Using an old hotel room key card, lightly scrap a small amount of matte gel medium over the whole thing to seal down your project so far.

(4) Take a small amount of modeling paste and mix in a little aqua Color Lab shimmer powder and a dash of Yellow pigment powder. This will give you this fun avocado color! Scrape the mixture through a small sized stencil (I used a small circular stencil.) If you have any left, add a little to the edges of your card.

(5) From Marion's ephemera cards, I cut this cute little light bulb and stamped it with a script stamp I had on hand. 

(6) I finished it up with a saying from a Cosmo Cricket sticker set and some Junque and Gems camera and gear.

I hope you have been inspired to try something new...in a small way with ATCs.

Until next time...

XOXO,

KERI

Taking Some Art Therapy time with Romance Novel Chapter 2

Hello All!

Keri Sallee here....how are your holidays going? Are you feeling stressed?

I recently was readying an article on Art Therapy and it said doing some type of creative outlet can help relieve stress in 3 main ways:

(1) Distraction: Even if it's for a few minutes and is something small like journaling or a quick sketch, taking a creative break and allowing your brain to be "distracted" from it current (stressful!) task can allow you to go back to that task later with a clearer head.

(2) Flow: Flow is the ability to hone in on a task into an almost meditative state. Some of us may call it mojo or your creative "juices" are flowing or being inspired. Whatever you call it, the process of relieves stress, much like meditation. 

(3) Self-Care: Sounds like a weird word combo, but it is so important to take time to recharge your batteries...whatever it is that does that. With the hustle and bustle of the crazy holidays, it can be easy to set "me" time aside. Don't do it! You deserve some special time and you will be less stressed when you are done. Bonus? You will have created something you are proud of, which will boost your ego...and can't we all use that? :)

Today, I decided to step outside my comfort zone when it comes to my scrapbooking style and spend a little "self-care" time trying out some new skills.

My focus has been on canvas and other "bulky" projects lately, that I haven't spent any time doing just a scrapbook layout. But...me...being me...I don't do anything simple. I wanted to take it up a notch and try something very mixed-media and messy.

Here's what I came up with:

That little nugget in the picture is my son at about 3 months old. I know flowers and pink and all that isn't suppose to be "boy", but I figured I could get away with it because it's a baby picture. Plus, since it was black and white I wanted to give it a lot of color to POP off of.

I started with Romance Novel Chapter 2 paper "Forever." To keep it from buckling as much, I glued it to a light piece of chipboard and covered it with a thin later of clear gesso.

I then layered some vintage sheet music, chevron's from the Romance Novel CH 2 Paper "Telegram" and a little white acrylic paint.

To add my colors, I brought out my COLOR LAB by Marion. I felt like a really fancy scientist mixing up my first color! 

For this project, I first made the recipe for "Cupcake" and added a bit of Pink sparkle pigment. How pretty is that PINK!!??

I also added Faber-Castell Gelatoes in Aqua Dolce, Guava and Snow Cone by scrubbing them directly on my project and smearing with my finger and a little water. I topped it off with a splatter of COLOR LAB in Cola and some a few randoms stamps of Marion's "Texture" Stamp, using Heidi Swapp's Ink in Navy.

Next, it was time to build some layers!

I cut piece from the RNC2 paper "Sweet Something" and and "My Type" to tuck around my Junque & Gem Flowers (plus a few other flowers!), J&G metal bird nest, gems & camera and Aqua MSD Stems.

I also used my water-soluble Scribe-All pencil in black to go around my edges. When you hit it with a little water, it acts similar to watercolors and you can manipulate it around the page. 

Lastly, no layout is complete without a little journaling. I used my Faber-Castell Pitt Pens in Black to write on top of my colors.

And...just for fun...here is what this little nugget looks like now...11 years later. :)

I hope you enjoyed my project today and it inspires you to take some time from your busy schedule and try something new!

XOXO,

Keri 

Thankful for the opportunity to be creative

Hello All!!

In the US, today is Thanksgiving, so HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone...I pray you are all having wonderful days, filled with family, friends, food and fun.

Aside from the people in my life, one of the biggest things I am thankful for is the ability to express my self creatively. 

I made this with the Rhonna Farrer iPhone app a while back and I think it is so true:

Sometimes life just makes thing difficult and there are no words that can express them.

Creativity is good for the heart and soul, so put them into everything you do!

That is my thought behind my project for today.

I used an old wire bound journal I have had for a while and covered it with "Garment District" papers from Marion Smith Designs.

To tone down the colors a bit, a did a light wash of brown watercolor and a light stamping of Marion Smith's "Texture" stamp using Ranger Archival Ink in Brown, all before layering my tags, cut from "Garment District" paper. (NOTE: my "Garment District paper is 6x6.)

Around my edges I added some TEAL Smooth Iridescent paint to pop up my tags and the project as a whole.

I finished by adding some fun embellishments like:

*Lace 

* Metal Words: Making Memories (vintage)

* Metal "Create" & "H-E-A-R-T"-unknown

* Wooden Birds (Studio Calico) Colored with Smooch

* Flowers and Rhinestones-Junque & Gems by Marion Smith Designs!!

Here are a few close-up shots!

I hope you enjoyed today's project and are inspired to be Thankful for YOUR creativity and express it with your whole heart.

Until next time...

XOXO,

KERI

Simple Paper Angel Wings

Good Morning All!

Keri Sallee here and I am so excited to show you how to make your own angel wings using Marion's "Mad Tea Party" collection.

Here is my finished project:

Here is a step-by-step Snapguide on how to make them!

Check out How to Make Paper Angel Wings With Marion Smith Designs by Keri Sallee on Snapguide.

Here are few close-ups pictures!

I hope you've enjoyed today's project and I can't wait to see what you do with it!

XOXO,

KERI

Garment District altered Matchbox by Keri Sallee

Good Morning Lovelies!

Keri Sallee with you this morning.

Today I am combining two of my FAVORITE companies: Marion Smith Designs and Graphic 45.

I LOVE all of Graphic 45's "Staples" and I wanted to make one of their Matchboxes FABULOUS with some Marion Smith Goodies.

Here's What I used:

Marion Smith Garment District Papers (6x6 size)

Graphic 45 Small Sliding Matchbox

Marion Smith Junque and Gems

Marion Smith Alphabet Stamps

Ivory Acrylic Paint
Folk Art Antique Gold Acrylic Paint
Deco Art 1-Step Crackle Finish
Washi Tape
Liquid Adhesive
Dimensional Tape 
Archival Ink in Jet Black (Ranger)
Paper Flower (Michael's)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

For my cover, I fussy cut some fun shapes from the "Garment District", as well as a stamped butterfly from the "Curious" stamp set. I layered these with some Junque and Gems and a paper flower. 

To make my finish I did the following:

(1) Painted my matchbox with ivory acrylic paint.

(2) applied a thick coat of Deco Art 1-Step Crackle. Allow it to dry completely (can take 2-4 hours.) This is not a step you want to rush with a heat gun. I find you get much better crackle allowing it to dry naturally.

(3) Once your crackle is dry, with your fingers, lightly rub your antique gold paint over one side at a time. Wipe away excess with a paper towel.

Once that was dry, I stamped my box with the same butterfly stamp using Archival Ink and then set them with my heat gun. 

The hidden fun of this project is a fun accordion album!! I simply cut 4 pieces of "Garment District" paper to fit my box, used washi tape to attach them together (leave a small gab between them to allow them to fold) and folded them accordion style. The last one is adhered to the back of my box to allow the album to be permanently attached and not get lost. 

My title was made by simply stamping Marion's Alphabet stamp on a scrap piece of "Garment District" paper and adhereing them down. (Tweezers work well for this since they are so small!)

So there you go!

I hope you enjoyed my project today and are inspired to bring together your favorite companies.

Until next time, remember...make your art intentional in your life...not an after thought.

XOXO,

KERI

Stamping gold with the Curious Stamps set.

Good Morning Lovelies! 

Keri Sallee here and I am so excited to share my project with you today.

I LOVE any project that incorporates vintage music, so I wanted to bring together Marion's Fabulous Stamps with some vintage sheet music I found at a local thrift store (for a quarter!) 

The process is SUPER simple, but the effect is magical.

Here's what you need:

Marion Smith Designs "Curious" Stamps

White Gesso

Embossing Ink 

Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel

Water Colors

Vintage Sheet music

Heat Gun

STEP 1:

Paint your desired area of your vintage sheet music with gesso. Allow to dry completely before continuing. (A heat gun can speed this up.) 

STEP 2:

Grab your embossing ink, embossing powder and the large flower from Marion's "Curious" stamp set. 

STEP 3:

Ink you stamp and then stamp onto your dried gesso. Make sure to give even pressure so you get a good image. Just a little warning: embossing ink is a little slicker than regular ink, so just be careful. 

STEP 4:

While the ink is still wet, sprinkle with your embossing enamel, coating well. Lightly pat it down and then shake the excess back into your container. Use your heat gun to melt you embossing enamel. Watch how close you get your gun to your project...too close and it will blow away your powder and distort your image...too far and the enamel powder will not melt. 

STEP 5:

Next: add COLOR! I chose water colors, but you could fill in your image with acrylic, inks or even color pencils. What's great is that the UTEE acts as a barrier, so there is almost no way to mess up! (BONUS!!)

STEP 6:

Lastly, add your your title. I used the word stamp from the "Curious" stamp set. I felt like the black ink would get a little lost in the blue background, so I added a small swipe of white gesso the size of my title, allowed it to dry and then stamped my title. 

I hope you enjoyed my project today and I can't wait to see what it inspires you to create!

Have a blessed day and remember...make your art intentional in your life...not an after thought.

XOXO,

Keri 

Meet the Design Team | Irene & Keri

Welcome to day two of Meet the Design Team. Introducing our two senior artists, Irene Tan and Keri Sallee!

Irene Tan

Senior Artist

My name is Irene Tan or better known as "Scrapperlicious." I am a mother of two and I have the most wonderful family that always supports me in pursuing my passion. 

Scrapbooking to me is really about family and life. There's nothing more fun and inspiring than to scrap photographs capturing the everyday moments of our loved ones. My scrapping motto has always been "Scrap with your heart and don't forget to have fun too!"

I officially started scrapbooking in March 2007 and a couple of months later, in June, I discovered an absolute love of stamping and inking. I don't really know how to describe my style of scrapping. However, others had told me that my style is ephemera/distressed. 

I'm excited to be part of the DT for Marion Smith Designs and can't wait to see what the outcome is when I combine their beautiful products into my creations. 

You can find Irene here:

BLOG | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | YOUTUBE

Keri Sallee

Senior Artist

I have always had a love for all things creative from writing and cooking to music and art. I started, like so many, dabbling in Creative Memories when my son was born almost 11 years ago. It was pages of rounded corners and sticker vomit, but after a while I began to wonder if there was more to "scrapbooking" than this simplistic style. So I started spending time online and at a local scrapbook store finding out what else was out there. I started finding a beautiful world of textures, colors, messy fun inks and paints, and so much more than where I had come from. 

And that is how I live my creative life…always looking for ways to challenge myself and create something new. 

I have been married to the hottest red-head on the planet for almost 12 years and am the mother to 3 fabulous and funny kiddos ages 10, 6, and 4. Last year I quit my job as the Creative Coordinator at my local scrapbook store so that I could spend more time with my family and more time on my craft. 

If you ask me what my motto in life is, I would have to say there are two…

(1) Picasso once said "Inspiration does exists, but it must find you working." I strive everyday to not just THINK creatively, but to put those thoughts into my hands and make something of them.

(2) Genesis 1:1…The first five words in the Bible are "In the Beginning GOD Created…" For me it is a constant reminder that I am only able to do what I do because GOD first created me. 

You can find Keri here:

BLOG | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | YOUTUBE

Announcing the 2014-2015 Marion Smith Design Team

Hello Everyone!

Choosing a design team is so incredibly hard! Seeing all the wonderful talent that was showcased these last few weeks was amazing. I was inspired with every new email that I received and I was so honored to meet so many amazingly talented artists. I loved getting a peek inside your creative world. 

It was a huge undertaking to select a new design team and I am so sad that I can't have all of you on the team. I understand that some will be disappointed but please know that it was your beautiful art that made it a very tough decision. We loved seeing all of your awesome creations, and hope that you will continue to share them with us. 

Please help in congratulating the newest members of the

 Marion Smith Designs Team. 

Formal introductions will come later this week as we showcase each member and their talents. 

On Tuesday, we will start with the familiar faces, Angee & Aneta. 

On Wednesday, you will get to meet the new senior artists, Irene & Keri. 

On Thursday, you will meet Sandra & Erica. 

And on Friday, you will get to meet Yasmin & Jelissa.

We are so excited for the upcoming year and can not wait to see and be inspired by all our artists. This year you will see cards, scrapbook layouts, and mixed media projects, along with art journals and so much more. We also plan to focus on tutorials a bit more this year because we all love to learn new techniques, right?

Thanks for stopping by and make sure you comment and subscribe to show your support. 

Angee Carter, Texas USA

DT Coordinator

http://www.alwaysangella.blogspot.com

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Aneta Matuszewska, Iceland

Senior Artist

http:://www.artisant2.blogspot.com

http://www.mytildasworld.blogspot.com

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Irene Tan, Malaysia

Senior Artist

http://scrapperlicious.blogspot.com

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Keri Sallee, Arkansas USA

http://thecreativelifear.blogspot.com

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Erica Houghton, Virginia USA

http://ericahoughton.blogspot.com/
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Sandra Przybylska, UK

http://sandrap2206.blogspot.co.uk/

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Yasmin Tolche, Norway

www.yasminscrapperier.blogspot.com

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Jelissa Cheng, Singapore

http://jelibeanz.blogspot.com/

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Youtube

Did you breeze past those beautiful faces and forget to link up with us via social media? Don't worry. You will have another chance when you meet the new artists later this week. 

Don't forget to link, friend, and follow for awesome giveaways that will be happening all year. Also we can't forget our fearless leader; Follow Marion on her social media accounts @marionsmithdesigns to keep up with all the brand happenings. 

See you all later this week. 

Angee Carter