Yup

Nothing says "it's time to party" quite like confetti. It's pretty to look at, fun to throw, and delightfully messy (though I think that L may disagree that anything can be simultaneously delightful and messy). Since I had no specific reason to celebrate this weekend, I decided to take a virtual approach to my confetti-throwing - whipping up a set of free printable gift tags with a confetti-inspired design.

Fun, huh. There are a total of 10 tags on this ready-to-print sheet, all featuring bright and festive confetti-esque patterns in varying sizes.

Ready to create your own confetti gift tags? Download this template, grab a sheet of cardstock, and print away! From there, you'll just need to trim them to size, punch a few holes, and attach some string. Enjoy!

My current craft obsession with chalkboard Contact Paper continues! And because I just can't seem to get enough, I whipped up a set of Chalkboard Mason Jar Cards that is now being featured over at CRESCENDOh. Want to learn how to create your own? Check out the full instructions here.

While dabbling in some card-making recently, I made a discovery of epic proportions: Contact Paper + Cricut = awesome. As if I didn't already love them enough on their own, when you put the two together and it's sheer magic! It's kind of like the whole peanut butter and chocolate thing ... you know, "two great tastes that taste great together." Except that you probably shouldn't go around tasting Contact Paper or your Cricut, because that would be strange and/or dangerous.

Anyway, getting back to my point, when you feed Contact Paper into your Cricut and select an image from your favorite cartridge, you end up with an intricate, adhesive-backed shape that can easily be affixed to just about anything. Choose a cool, patterned Contact Paper and, well, the results are just too fabulous to resist.

And since the cut-outs themselves are so very fantastic, it takes almost no effort to transform them into eye-catching greeting cards. Wanna know how I did it?

DIY Woodcut Card

Supplies

• Blank kraft greeting card (or kraft cardstock to make card from)
• Cricut
• Wood-grain Contact Paper
• Damask Décor Cartridge
• White gel pen

Cut a piece of Contact Paper (approximately 5" x 7") and adhere it to your cutting mat. Select the Damask 10 Card image from the Damask Décor cartridge and cut one at 4-1/2" (using the Real Dial Size setting). Once the cutting has been completed, carefully peel the shape and the backing off of the mat. I used my Cricut spatula to lift the shape off of the mat - it made it much easier to release the intricate sections of the design without any accidental rips. Peel off the backing and stick the cut-out to the front of a kraft greeting card, centering it.

It looks a little bland as-is, so it's time to start adding some accents with a white gel pen.

Begin by adding an outline to all of the open sections on the inside of the card.

It looks better already, doesn't it? Next, add some lines within the open spaces to make the woodcut stand out even more. Don't worry about being overly precise ... it's the imperfections that makes these cards fun.

You can also experiment with adding other elements - dots, vertical lines, etc. - in some of the open spaces for added effect.

Finally, outline the outside edge of the shape with your gel pen. I varied the border thickness around the points to pull them out from the kraft background even more.

Ta-da! Now you have a finished card that's ready to share with someone special. And since the Cricut/Contact Paper combo is such a blast to play with (and because the Damask Décor cartridge has so many cute shapes that work perfectly for this project), I also whipped up a couple of other versions using different designs. Here's a card that I created using the Damask 3 Card design (also at 4-1/2").

And here's yet another version - this one features the Damask 31 Card design (at 4-1/2" as well).

These DIY Woodcut Cards are such an easy way to make an eye-catching card in just a few minutes. I do, however, have one piece of cautionary advice ... you won't be able to stop at making just one!

Happy Cricut-ing!

I love Photoshop. I love playing with effects, experimenting with color combinations, using brushes and textures, and exploring different typefaces. I feel nimble and dynamic when I'm working in Photoshop, like I can do exactly what I want to do without having to think about each step along the way.

But I haven't always felt this way. In fact, there was a long time in which Photoshop felt completely foreign to me ... it was just a large (and expensive) piece of software that was installed on my computer and hardly ever got used. It had more tools than I could ever possibly need (or, so I thought), and it was utterly overwhelming.

Now that I've had about a decade to get to know Photoshop and all of its capabilities (and quirks), I've realized that it doesn't have to be overwhelming, even for newbies. To help take the "ahh!" factor out of Photoshop, I've developed a one-day workshop that is specifically for artists who want to get a handle on the basic, must-have skills.

This class will focus on some of the most useful techniques for bloggers, Etsy sellers, and anyone else who wants to stop feeling overwhelmed every time they open Photoshop. We'll spend the day doing hands-on exercises that include cleaning up photographs, adding type to images, creating clipping masks, working with layers, and much more. Plus, every attendee will walk away with an original book that will detail all of the topics covered during the workshop so that they can be easily repeated at home.

Want to learn more about the class? Visit the Beginning Photoshop for Artists with Sarah Meehan course page for all of the details!

It's official ... my crafting bucket list just got a little bit shorter! After toying with the idea of dabbling in art journaling for years, I actually rolled up my sleeves gave it a shot. And what a shot it was - a full weekend spent learning from art journaler extraordinaire Pam Garrison.

We played with paints ...

And I got to experiment with some supplies that are not ordinarily part of my art-making repertoire.

The whole process began with a blank sheet of kraft butcher paper, which we doodled on with ink and then covered in bold, fabulous color.

Of course, Pam made it look super easy, as she whipped up a perfectly delightful painting in a matter of minutes.

Then came my favorite part - making the books. Pam gave us a demo of her very cool (and totally achievable) technique for creating hardcover books. Seriously, this was so stinkin' awesome!

After having bound my very own book, I came to the decision that I wanted to bind anything and everything that I own. Who knew that book-binding could be habit-forming?

After our books had been bound, it became apparent how very blank our inner pages were. Pam guided us through her process for building layers of paint, paper, ink, and more to create depth on her pages.

My main goal in decorating my pages was to push myself to explore some unfamiliar territory ... getting out of my creative comfort zone and letting go of the fear of making something that I didn't like. Pam touched on this topic throughout the class, and continually reminded all of us that there was nothing that couldn't be fixed or covered.

She also encouraged us to approach our pages without any specific result in mind - to simply let each step of the process inform the layers that followed. It was so exciting to watch as the splats, streaks, and imperfections of the early steps became the centerpieces of future layers.

It was also really fun to be able to swap scraps and bits with neighboring artists as we built our pages. Paint chips, pattern tissue, doily scraps, washi tape ... they all found a spot in my journal.

Along with her stash of paints, inks, and stencils, Pam also brought a hefty stack of her completed and in-progress journals. They were absolutely amazing!

After spending two full days immersed in art journaling, I walked away with a new-found appreciation for all of the work that goes into crafting an art journal. I also caught the art journaling bug in a big way, and I have a suspicion that the last few blank pages in my journal won't be staying that way for long.

Art journaling is one of those things that is perpetually on my "to do" list. With the bits of paper and scraps and paint and other wonderfulness, it just seems like so much fun. But it's the blank page that is underneath all of these awesome elements that has kept me from giving it a go. What if things go horribly awry and that lovely, blank page that is filled with so much potential gets destroyed in its prime by an errant swash or some over-ambitious stamping? Ok, so maybe that's a tad overly-dramatic, but you get the idea.

Well, luckily for me, I'll be getting some guidance on my journaling journey (or my "journaley" for short). I'll be spending this coming weekend with the amazing Pam Garrison, who will be sharing all of her journaling know-how in an art journaling workshop at Studio CRESCENDOh.

Image by Pam Garrison

Her journals are too cool for words, and I'm super excited to be able to learn some of her techniques. Who knows - maybe I'll finally get in touch with my inner-art journaler.

Image by Pam Garrison

I'll be sure to share some shots from the weekend, but I can't promise to take too many since I'll be busy getting my journal on. :)

A couple of weekends ago, L and I found ourselves in Hollywood unexpectedly and took it as an opportunity to do something that we never do - to be tourists in our own neck of the woods. We have both lived in southern California for nearly all of our lives, so we take all of these really amazing things that people travel from all around the world to visit for granted. So much so that L had never even been to Grauman's Chinese Theater. Well, it was time to rectify this situation once and for all ... with one really epic day of local tourism. First stop, Grauman's.

I'm totally a sucker for the classic era of film, so visiting the prints of the Marx brothers and Harold Lloyd were highlights for me.

And, of course, we just had to stop and see Marilyn.

But I think my favorite may have been Gilda herself - the incomparable Rita Hayworth.

Our second stop was the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum. I did my best to channel my inner Marilyn to recreate her famous steam vent scene ... believe it or not.

Then it was off to the Guinness Book of World Records museum, where we took full advantage of the fun house mirrors (and I sprouted a third leg in the process).

Last but certainly not least, we headed over to the Hollywood Wax Museum. Within minutes, L had picked a fight with one of the residents.

I got to put on my happy, peppy face to reenact the Vitameatavegamin commercial with Lucy.

And L challenged Pierce Brosnan to a serious look contest. I think it was a draw.

After spending all day seeing the sights, we limped home (or, at least, I limped home ... with a pair of mighty sore tootsies). And so ended our awesome adventure in local tourism.

Covering anything and everything in chalkboard paint seems to have become quite the rage lately, and I have totally been overcome by chalkboard fever. Fortunately, I have not yet given in to the urge to invest in gallons and gallons of chalkboard paint so that I can cover everything I own in it. I have, however, invested in chalkboard Contact paper, which allows me to get my blackboard on without the need for pesky drying times. Seriously, this stuff is too much fun ... it is easy to cut into cute shapes and sticks to pretty much any flat surface. Haven't tried it yet? Well, prepare to become addicted! The Blackboard Banner Cards below feature my beloved chalkboard Contact paper and take only a few minutes to make. Ok, enough talk ... let's get to some craftin'!

Blackboard Banner Card with Printable

Supplies

• Blank kraft greeting cards (or kraft cardstock to make cards from)
• Printable Blackboard Banner Card template
• Chalkboard Contact paper
• Pencil
• White gel pen
• Scissors
• Chalk

Start by printing out the Blackboard Banner Card template, then cut out the banner template along the dotted line. Trace the template onto the back of the chalkboard Contact paper using a pencil. Cut the banner out. Add reference lines onto the banner in pencil using the solid lines on the template as a guide. Peel off the backing and stick the Contact paper to your card. Add white accent lines onto your banner using a gel pen, following your reference lines. Trace around the outer edge of the banner with the gel pen. Add your desired message using a piece of chalk.

These are so fun to make and can be used for almost any occasion - from a birthday greeting to a simple "hello." It is worth noting that the surface of the Contact paper may get some minor scuffs from the chalk that are visible after the message is erased (but you probably won't be erasing your message anyway, because you'll be too busy packing it up to send off to the lucky recipient).

One of my favorite things at the Renegade Craft Fair was the free photo booth that was just a stone's throw away from Pam's booth. L and I kept our eye on the line throughout the day and pounced as soon as we saw our opportunity. The photo booth was fully-stocked with all sorts of fun props - mustaches on sticks, chalkboard shapes, and more - and I was immediately drawn to an over-sized chalkboard speech bubble. Of course, I just had to fill it with my most beloved word ... "yup."

Clearly, I didn't take into account the size of my bubble (and, in my defense, there was no mirror in the booth to use for positioning ourselves). My "yup" became "up." Actually, it became more like "oop," since the eyes that I drew over the "u" to make it look like a smiley face turned it into an umlaut. "Oop," indeed.

Three outta four ain't bad, right?

This weekend was the Los Angeles leg of the Renegade Craft Fair - a free, fun, and food truck-filled extravaganza for all things handmade. Aside from the fact that hitting the Renegade Craft Fair gave us an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful, sunny day amongst a bunch of crafty gals and guys, we also wanted to visit the very awesome booth of our friend, Pam Garrison.

Cute, huh? I've been spending a lot of time with Pam over the past few weeks, as she prepared a bunch of really cool handmade goodies to sell (and some equally cool items to decorate her booth with, like these paper flowers):

As soon as we arrived, we bumped into Jenny Doh and her family (though I wasn't on-the-ball enough to snap any pics, sadly) and did some long-overdue catching up. Also there to show her support was the funny and sweet Amy Hanna, who still managed to muster a smile and look adorable after getting stung by a bee on the bottom of her foot (OUCH!).

We had a blast hanging out with them at Pam's booth. They really know how to laugh (and it was mighty contagious).

Despite having endured the wrath of a feisty bee, Amy was kind enough to snap a few shots of L and I, and in the process we discovered her hidden paparazzi skills.

She managed to have us both cracking up in a matter of seconds and captured some pretty cute candid shots of us.

We returned from the Renegade Craft Fair more than slightly sunburned, completely exhausted, and with emptier wallets, so I'd say it was a big success. And a memorable success at that, one that included lots and lots of laughter, a bag full of unique handmade finds, and some well-deserved homemade popsicles.

I can't think of a single way I would have rather spent my Saturday.