Basically, this class is going to be fab!

Check it out you guys!

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. As crafters, we have all had moments when nothing in our stash was perfect for the layout on our desks, and no amount of invention could make that purple button work where a red one was needed. In recent days, however, that has all changed. Basically Bare has released dozens of embellishments can be customized easily to coordinate with any project with a minimum of fuss. In “The Bare Necessities,” Miss Art’s Teacher Jess Mutty teams up with class sponsor Basically Bare to bring you the tools to ensure you are never without the perfect embellishment again. From felt to acrylic to chipboard to canvas, the easy-to-follow videos in this class will have you customizing colors and textures with the ease of a true artist. Crafting the perfect embellishment will become your newest necessity on May 20th, 2012.

So yeah, if you’re not a student at Miss Art’s yet you need to get yer motor running and sign up!  My class (and tons of others) is a super fun way to learn new techniques and get inspired.  I hope to see you there!

Free Class Weekend!!

The headmistress at Miss Art's would like to invite you to our biggest free class event yet! Beginning on Friday, March 23rd, you will have 3 days to check out three of our most popular classes for free, no subscription needed.

Three of our 201 class have nearly completed their 12 months of availability, and each of these amazing classes deserves a farewell party! The Secret Garden with Stacy Cohen, B. You! with Heidi Kelley, and All About Me with Bethany Kartchner have all been around for nearly a year, and will soon be removed from our class schedule to make room for some amazing new classes. That means that this weekend is your chance to check them out one last time, for FREE! If you've been thinking about joining our student body, consider this your campus tour, led by three amazing teachers. When you visit us, head to the "Classes" page to view this weekend's free classes. We'll see you there!

In The Bag

Vanessa Menhorn has a cute little class at Miss Art’s Papercrafting School right now all about creating luminaries from vellum.  They’re super pretty and functional.  I expanded on that idea after watching her video tutorials and used her measurements to create this little bag.  All I did to modify her instructions was add twill ribbon handles and more twill around the inside edge to cover the staples. 

This would make such lovely packaging for any small gift. It took very little time but is so much nicer
than a boring old gift bag from the store! I love the idea of using these as luminaries but now we have
two ways to make use of this great class from Vanessa!

That’s My Mama

I only have a handful of heritage photos and I use them sparingly.  The January Vinnie’s Vignette kit from Miss Art’s Papercrafting School was pretty much just begging for heritage photos and I couldn’t wait to cut up all those gorgeous roses and lace bits! 

These are photos of my mom and her older sister when they were knee high to a grasshopper… so cute!

I inked the edges of a regular kitchen doily and used it as a background. I also inked a 12 x 12 Crafter’s Workshop stencil for the rosy background accents.  I gathered lengths of the lace  into half-round bunting type embellishments and used them to accent a couple areas.  And how much do we LOVE those wooden buttons?! I can’t get enough of them!

Check out the full kit at Miss Art’s!

Fresh Air

I really love the colors in my layout today from the Miss Art’s kit Vinnie’s Vignette.  This kit is full of softness and Spring… and that’s just about what I need this time of year to breathe a little fresh air into the Winter gray. 

Little Things

Both my color pallet and design elements everywhere in home décor and design right now. It doesn’t hurt that I absolutely love these colors and patterns! Chevrons (or zig zags) are also popping up everywhere in design these days. I like using them as a more masculine touch, even though I am perfectly comfortable putting floral prints on my boy pages.

The chevron pattern was easier to make than it looks. I cut 1” x 1” squares of patterned paper and then cut each of those into triangles. Then, you simply stagger the triangles in two lines. I added some stitching to reinforce the pattern.

I really enjoy picking a kit apart to find the unexpected uses that go beyond a first impression. In this case Vinnie’s Vignette initially appears to be an ultra feminine heritage kit but I think I did a pretty decent job with this layout of my little guy. I’ll be back next month with a more traditional look for this gorgeous kit but check it out in full detail at Miss Art’s Papercrafting School!

Free Class Weekend at Miss Art’s!

Has Halloween left you covered in sweet wrappers, partially duct tapped to your child's abandoned costume with a bank account balance that's more trick than treat? If your feeling more hallow than happy let Miss Art's headmaster treat you to a fantastic, but time sensitive offer. For this weekend only, (November 4 - 6th) enjoy a tuition free class designed to renew your creativity, and go easy on your wallet. You can even snack on the candy "taxes" you've stolen from the kiddos while taking the class. Beginning on Friday, November 4th, you will have 3 days to check out one of our most popular classes for free, no subscription needed. In “Layered Layouts”, you will accompany our inspired resident architect, Julie Winks, as she explains the essential underpinnings of daringly designed layouts. We hope to see you in the class room and if you enjoy our class that you'll be kind enough to leave an apple or a comment for the teacher.

Julie Winks for Miss Art’s Papercrafting School

Check out this great free class at Miss Art’s Papercrafting School, where it will be available starting on Friday morning!

Join Me for “Kit Couture”!

A femme fatale would never leave her haughty home in ill fitting fashion. On the contrary, every time she strikes an iconic pose her ensemble is hand picked to accentuate each positive feature. Similarly, a chic crafter hopes that every kit she purchases will suit her paper personality perfectly, but we all know that every now and again we open a box which shrieks “not me!” In “Kit Couture,” Jess Mutty teaches essential tailoring skills that make every kit a perfect fit. In 4 easy-to-follow videos, Jess will teach you to dissect and sort a kit’s contents to identify themes, hidden gems and customizable items. In this 101 class you’ll watch a generic kit transform into three distinct styles; simple, vintage and contemporary. “Kit Couture” begins salvaging awkward acquisitions on 9/20/11.

You can follow along with me in this class using the “Amelia’s Solo” kit from Miss Art’s Papercrafting School:

The “Kit Couture” fun begins September 20th… be there or be square!

Miss Art’s Announcement!

I am pleased to be announcing today that I will be teaching a video class on getting the most from kits  at Miss Art’s Papercrafting School  in October!

What is Miss Art’s Papercrafting School, you ask?  Where HAVE you been!?  Miss Art’s is the latest and best place to go for papercrafting and scrapbooking classes.  They are taught by video by some amazing instructors and cover all kinds of topics like misting, journaling, mini albums, layering and much, much more.  There are multiple subscription levels and the quality of these classes (we’re talking multiple videos per class here!) is outstanding.

Want to know more?? Check this out:

The kids are heading back to school and you should to0!

The headmistress at Miss Art's knows that new backpacks, school supplies and first day apparel can reduce a crafters budget to milk money, so for this weekend only she is offering you a tuition free class. Beginning on Friday, August 26th, you will have 3 days to check out one of our most popular classes for free, no subscription needed. In "The Secret Garden," the talented Stacy Cohen teaches you how to create a shadowbox effect on your layouts by adding dimension through layering and creating beautiful floral clusters. Stacey even earns a little Extra Credit by providing you a step-by-step demonstration on how she creates her trademark crocheted page accents. We hope to see you in the class room and if you enjoy our class that you'll be kind enough to leave an apple or a comment for the teacher.

Wow!  This is a great chance to check out Miss Art’s! The Headmistress will post the free class at 10 pm EST on Thursday, August 26th, so that it is available on Friday morning for our International guests.

And don’t forget to check back here for more updates about my upcoming class in October!