Typeface Tuesday

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Jess Amazing

I’ve spent a few hours scouring the web for some fantastic new free fonts, and this is what I’ve found for you. I highly encourage you to use other fonts, too, even if you have to pay for them. Typographers spend countless hours and painstaking detail to create some amazing typefaces that we tend to take for granted. Luckily there are a number of sites out there promoting the art of typographic design. Keep that in mind, homies. As always, click the image to go to the font download sites. Cheers.

Here’s a great site listing more free fonts that look nice, if you care to visit.

And last but certainly not least, check out this amazingly talented lady. I just discovered her site today while surfing for fonts, and I have to say— she just might be my new design icon. I’m in love with her style and aesthetic and her site. LOVE it. She has some free adorable fonts for you, too, but you have to seek them out. It’s well worth it. She also has an entire shop of adorableness that I know you will love. Check her out:

Fun with sprays

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Jess Amazing

I’ve been a fan of the color mists and sprays for several years, so I was thrilled to see Pink Paislee release their Mistables line last year. This past weekend, while at a creative retreat, I started really playing with them and I had a ton of fun.

This was my first layout. I used the Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist on the background, alternating between spraying really close to the paper and a little further away. That caused it to pool in certain areas, but because of the embossed pattern, it stayed within the shape. I wish you could see it up close & personal because in the light, it really shimmers.

I didn’t really know what else I wanted to do with this page, so I just started putting some things on it. The picture of Barbie is timeless and when I think of her, I think BLING. I decided to go to Gaudytown and flirt with the possibility of going overboard. I created a little sequin confetti border around the image, and decided to match it with a shiny, shimmery ribbon. I added a foldy from Sasafrass but it seemed like it needed some glam so I went over the design with some Stickles.

Notice this one: I used the same paper but with the opaque Mr. Huey’s mists. I started with custard and then layered on the darker colors to create this hombre effect. I’ll have a video demo up within the next few weeks because I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how I did it. I love the look and it was so much fun!

After I got that rolling, I just splattered a little paint on the top right to try and balance out the black, put my photos down on some American Crafts POW paper, added a strip of washi, strip of paper, label & year plus my Remarks letter stickers. I finished the page with a ROCK rub on at the top left and part of a ticket at the top right. Excellent.

Did I blow your mind? Get out there and play with some of the new Heidi Swapp papers, or make your own and play with the mists. Have fun!!!

Right now…

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Jess Amazing

This is what’s been repeating in my head. It’s just too darn catchy, darnit:

And this is the title track off a lovely EP I just purchased this weekend:

You can get it, too.

Be back soon with some new favorite font links. Cheers.

So true.

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Jess Amazing

Source: smokingdesigners.com via Jess on Pinterest

Source: chic-type.com via Jess on Pinterest

Always remember…

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Jess Amazing

After posting yesterday about my watercolors, I took them on a little creative journey to the page. I layered several colors interspersed with some acrylic paint spread on the page with my palette knife, and just played and played. At the end of the evening, I had made this for you:

Ideas + Inspiration

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Jess Amazing

I’m in need of some crafty inspiration this afternoon, so while I listen to the Cards game I’ve been browsing some cool ideas online. Check ‘em out:

Source: paperissues.blogspot.ca via Kelly on Pinterest

I love this idea of layering strips in the background and putting them seamlessly together. Definitely trying this tonight!

Image source: http://www.journalofcuriousthings.co.uk/2012/03/ill-fated-trip.html

Source: maggieholmes.typepad.com via Kelly on Pinterest

I wish I could mist like Maggie Holmes, but mine never comes out that way. Love it.

Source: shariscrapbook.blogspot.com via Lori on Pinterest

I’m totally doing this spiderweb on my Halloween mini!

Well, there are the ideas I was looking at today. I’ll be back later with more inspo! Cheers.

Fun with Bakery Bags

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Jess Amazing

I recently purchased some truly excellent bakery bags because I thought they were super cool. It’s impossible to buy just one – well, I guess it’s probably possible but would not be cost effective. Therefore, I got a nice bundle and thought I’d figure out what to do with them later.

I may have found a fun solution: gift wrapping!

I had two instances in the past few weeks where I had a gift card for a friend and wanted to spruce it up a bit. After all, everyone should get to open gifts on their birthday, right? I went to my trusty craft desk to figure out how to fun it up and I saw the bakery bags.

I grabbed my current favorite spray paint, the metallic gold from Lowe’s, and went to town on a simple Wilton doily. While it dried, I wrote in the card and put it inside the bag.

On the bag, I used some yellow washi tape along the bottom, then adhered my doily down. Next I added a border sticker from Sassafras Lass parallel to the washi, tucked an old ticket into the top of the doily, then added a Sassafras sticker at the top right of the doily.

I punched two butterflies with my Martha Stewart punch and folded them in half, adhering them center to center so it looked like one. Next came the washi banner and Studio Calico star before I grabbed my trusty October Afternoon letters.

I tossed in an assortment of crinkled paper strips, sequins and paper shapes and then I folded the edge over and sealed it with more washi. Fun, no?

Happy birthday, Oreo!

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Jess Amazing

Everywhere I’ve gone today, people have been talking about Oreo’s 100th birthday. It’s crazy cool to think that the Oreo was first invented/created in 1912. Whoa.

image source: sxc.hu

In honor of those crunchy little round morsels of goodness, here are some excellent inspiration ideas from, what else, Pinterest. Click the image to go to the pin. Enjoy!

Source: buddingbaketress.blogspot.com via Debbie on Pinterest

Source: howsweeteats.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com via Valerie on Pinterest

Source: bakersroyale.com via Audi on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Kaley on Pinterest

And extra special WOWs go to this one:

Source: daily-nail.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

March Madness 2

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Jess Amazing

Last month I posted about starting my March album base pages and since it’s now March, I wanted to share some of them with you:

It’s kind of ironic that I used the “Fun Times” tag on day 1, since that’s when I was still really, really ill. Go figure. LOL.

This one is super simple but came together nicely with the Sassafras Lass paper, trim and corner sticker. Love those Amy Tangerine thickers and the October Afternoon Mini Market letter stickers.

I absolutely adore this puppy sticker from October Afternoon.

I will never grow tired of using doilies in my projects. THANK YOU to whomever thought of using them in crafts, layouts, etc. So awesome! The balloon is a House of Three Daily Junque printable that came on a bonus disc when I ordered the collection from HSN.

This Sassfras paper is so precious and I will forever be grateful to Michelle Clement for the design. I love its simplicity and elegance. Just added an OA butterfly sticker at the end of some washi tape and more of those Amy Tangerine thickers.

I’m in the process of finishing up today’s page and then I’ll take more photos of the completed pages so far and the base pages for the rest of the month. I also have an altered book that I’ve been working on (although now it’s kind of the norm thanks to Maggie’s awesome class) and an altered sketchbook in addition to the April printable calendar and a ton of St. Patrick’s Day printables. Have a great day!!

CHA-W 2012: part 2

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Jess Amazing

On Day 1 of CHA I was amazed and overstimulated and had a hard time focusing. My job was to take photos of the new products and subsequent projects but I quickly got overwhelmed and missed a lot of great photos. Fortunately, my partner in crime was there with her camera on hand! Now I just have to get her pics.