Ten Two Studios

Design team member Peace Schuyler made the pretty Tattered Hearts playing card garland above using images from the Tattered Heart faux postage sheet. She also made the House That Love Built garland below, using Gummy Spiders, Anti-Valentine Bingo, and Anti-Valentine Sayings digital sheets, plus a few images from the In Mourning sheet.

Design team member Carolyn Brady made the pretty pink artist trading cards above using the Raspberry Truffle Pieces & Parts digital sheet.

Design team member Peace Schuyler put her own spin on pretty pink artist trading cards, using images from the Day of the Dead goodies available from Ten Two Studios.

Design team Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser made the heart-shaped door hanger shown at left using matboard textured with gesso & acrylic. She decorated with an image from the Little Love sheet and words from the Valentine Bordered Sayings digital sheet.

Patti also made the polymer clay and laminate chip hanger below, using images from In Mourning and Anti-Valentine Sayings.

Design team member Deirdre Attaway made these variations on envelope corner bookmarks. The ones above use images from Metal Tin Homespun, Valentine Bingo, and Valentine Words. The bookmarks below use images from Anti Valentine Bingo and Anti Valentine Sayings digital sheets, and the Femme Fatale collage set.

Design team member Peace Schuyler made the Eric Clapton inspired postcard above using an image from the Red Things collage set and a red ticket from the Christmas Tickets assortment. She used a Red Print Mini Folder, and images from Red Things to create the not so loving card at left.

Design team member Carolyn Brady made the pretty clay heart ornaments at left using images from the Little Love sheet. She also made the chipboard heart ornaments below, using images from Black & White Standard dominoes, Anti-Valentine Sayings, and Pharmacy Labels.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky made the pretty valentines and matching envelopes at left using images from the Homespun Hearts collection. She also made the slightly less cheery cards and envelopes below, using Gummy Spiders and Anti-Valentine Sayings digital sheets, plus a few images from the In Mourning sheet and Dreadful Dollies faux postage.

For the next week or so, the Valentine’s Day eye candy will be giving equal time to Anti-Valentines—in a very unique way. Exhibit A:

Design team member Peace Schuyler made these pretty bingo card hangers using images from the Cherry Delight Bits & Pieces, and Chocolate Raspberry Bits & Pieces digital sheets. So sweet!

Peace also made these slightly less sweet hangers, using Gummy Spiders, Anti-Valentine Bingo, and Anti-Valentine Sayings digital sheets, plus a few images from the In Mourning sheet. So snarky!

Here are a few examples of the Valentines you can make using digital sheets and kits from Ten Two Studios…

These cards were made using the Gilded Hearts Pop-Up Card digital kit.

These cards were made using the Queen of Hearts Cards & Pockets digital kit.

These cards were made using the Puppy Love ATCs & Envelopes digital kit.

These cards were made using the Instant Love Card digital kit.

Valentine’s Day is two weeks away, so it’s time to get those little gifts and cards going! Before I start in with the Valentine’s Day eye candy from the design team, here are just a few items you might want to get started now…

Let’s start with a few altered matchboxes. They’re simple to make, but look so pretty and unique when they’re done. Tuck a few little personal goodies inside for your friend or beloved.

These are Victorian Hearts matchbox shrines:

And these are Filigree Hearts matchbox shrines:

Want something even simpler? Try these Cupid’s Hearts matchbox wrappers:

Or these Queen of Hearts matchbox wrappers:

Thanks to everyone who put their creative goals in writing for the Creative Resolutions Giveaway. Here’s hoping we all complete our goals, and grow as creative beings in 2012.

102 resolutions mean I owe you 10 free subscription winners—and here they are:

Linda Conover
Phoebe D
Susan Salyer
Lisa Jacob
Linda Jowers
Jeneen (Weekes1066)
Shelby (Shelbyparker01)
Adriann (adriann7)
Kelly (kshannoka)
Patty (animatarian)

I’ll email you later today with instructions for completing your subscription.

Happy new year, everyone. Now get off the computer, and go make something!

(Artwork by design team member Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser.)

Kim Smith sent in a photo of this winter angel, made using Angel Doll Bodies, and a piece of patterned scrapbook paper pleated up to make the skirt.

Design team member Corinne Stubson made this wintery book using a SNOW Letter Book, some manila envelopes, and images from the Winterhalter faux postage sheet.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky made this little winter book from a set of Blue Print Mini Folders, and decorated it with images from Little Christmas, Visit From St. Nick, Christmas Rounds and Merry Elements.

Andi Mullholland decorated a Single Microscope Mailer with images from the Winter Wonderland sheet and the Winter Words digital sheet

Design team member Deirdre Roberts put together this letter book to hold a few favorite Christmas photos. What a great idea for family members far away—show them your holiday in pictures, in a pretty letter book! You’ll find letter books for several occasions here.

Class begins on Friday, January 20th.
The final lesson will be posted on Monday, February 6th.

What do you do with an altered book once it’s finished? Wall Books will show you how to create books that hang on the wall, like canvases, allowing you to display and enjoy them like the art objects they are.

This four lesson class will take you through the process of creating a wall book, step-by-step, using short videos. You’ll watch me put together my own books, learning all my little tips and tricks, including how to fake real photo postcards, how to age realistically, and how to assemble a book that looks as though its various pieces have simply been blown together by the wind. You’ll hear my thought process as I pick books, gather objects, and make design choices, and will have my ear as you make them yourself. At the end, you’ll have a lovely piece of book art to hang on your wall.

How online classes work:

• First, you’ll need a computer that can view Flash videos, like this one:
  

• If you can see and hear that video, you’re good to go! Purchase the class using the Add to Cart button above.
• Your payment will generate an email with a link to The Classroom message board. Go there, and register.
• Within 24 hours (M-F), I’ll log in and approve your registration, and set up permissions for you to view the class. You’ll receive an email letting you know you’ve been approved.
• On January 20th, 23rd, 30th, and February 6th, I’ll upload lessons to the class board. The class lessons are broken up into short sections, most of which include a 5-10 minute video. Work through them at your own pace, building your book.
• If you run into trouble, ask questions on the message board. I’ll be there to answer your questions daily.
• At the end of the class, you’ll have a new book, ready to hang on the wall.

You’ll need these basic supplies:

• At least one large glue stick.

• A liquid solvent-based glue like E6000 or Goop.
• Super glue.
• Tacky glue, or a thick white glue.
• A craft knife, or a heavy Xacto knife.
• Clamps or chip clips.
• Paper clips.
• An awl.
• Wire cutters.
• Off-white cardstock.
• Chalks.
• Cotton swabs or chalk applicators.
• Chalk inkpads.
• Distress inkpads.
• A green kitchen pot scrubber sheet.

The first lesson in the class discusses choosing books, and includes information about the supports and hangers you’ll need to create the wall book structure. You will have to obtain these items after watching the videos that discuss them. I strongly recommend that you not choose a book until after you’ve watched the videos for the first lesson.

The books shown on this page were made while I was shooting the videos for this class. Some of the images used in creating them are also included in the class lessons as printables.

Design team member Peace Schuyler made this set of artist trading cards using images from the Winter Wonderland microscope slide sheet and the Christmas Rounds sheet.

I hope you’ve enjoyed all the holiday eye candy that’s been rolling by this month. Special thanks to design team members Carolyn Brady, Corinne Stubson, Deirdre Roberts, Livia Hajovsky, Peace Schuyler, and Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser, who are all on Santa’s nice list again this year (despite being eternally naughty), for all their talent and hard work. Without them, it would be a bleak holiday season at Ten Two Studios.

Here are all the holiday projects I chose for this year’s display:

Design team member Deirdre Attaway is so clever! She sent in this last minute photo of paper bags she’s using to package her holiday cookies. They’ve been decorated with images from Metal Tin Angels and Christmas Cheer Inchies.

Design team member Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser is a brilliant calligrapher, and incorporated that enviable skill into this card. The lovely gold writing is accented with a gold bottle cap and images from the Christmas rounds sheet.

Giving books for Christmas? Why not dress them up a bit, with items made from the Christmas Beauties (above) or Winter Friends (below) bookmark sets? Each set comes with pieces to create matching bookmarks, book plates, and gift tags. Add a little bit of handmade to make your gift extra special! Best of all—these are digital sets, so you can have them in your hands, ready to print, cut and glue, in just moments. You’ll find several styles of bookmark sets here, and instructions for quick assembly posted here.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky made these soldered microscope slide ornaments using images from the Angels & Madonnas Standard Dominos sheet. Livia says she likes to use the dom images when making slide ornaments so she has that extra strip above and below for embellishment.

Design team member Carolyn Brady made these three snow-encrusted bottle cap magnets using images from Christmas Rounds for a recent upcycled holiday ornament workshop. She cleverly used white dimensional paint for snow—less expensive than snow paint, and easier to handle on small surfaces.

Need a quick and festive decoration for your mantel or window sill? Try these Snow Angel Cone Dolls. The digital set contains two dolls with wings, to print on heavy paper, cut out and assemble.

The finished dolls are seven inches tall, and designed to sit over battery operated tea lights, so they glow and flicker:

You’ll find them in the paper dolls section, and really simple instructions for assembly are in the projects section.

Design team member Peace Schuyler always sends her photos to me with some sort of message that makes me laugh. In describing these little chenille doll ornaments, made using images from the Holly Jolly standard dominos sheet, a little Baker’s Twine, and some scraps from Red Print Mini Folders, she suggested I title this post, “these suckers only take like 10 minutes to make”, which totally made me laugh out loud. Good job, Peace!

Design team member Corinne Stubson made these two postcards with images from the Voices of Angels collage set.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky made these soldered microscope slide ornaments using images from the Angels & Madonnas Standard Dominos sheet.

Design team member Carolyn Brady made these clever folding artist trading cards for a recent swap. She cut up some Red Print Mini Folders, and decorated them with images from Silly Santas and Festive Pennant Alphabet.

Every year, at least one design team member sends in a Christmas ornament with Edgar Allan Poe on it. Here’s a version from design team member Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser. She made a transfer from an image from the Silly Santas collage set, applied it to a Clear ATC Base, and embellished it with a a Swirly Wire Hanger.

Each year, I ask readers of this blog to set some creative goals for the new year. And they do. Read the resolutions for 2011 and 2010, and you’ll see hundreds of hopes for the coming years.

So, it’s that time of year again—time to make some creative resolutions for 2012. Leave a comment on this post, telling me what your creative goals will be. Decide to conquer a technique or medium, learn a new skill, or set aside more time for personal artwork, and put your decisions in writing. One comment per person, please, and your comment must be limited to goals for creative pursuits.

On January 1st, I’ll close the comments on this post, and draw names from the list of people who have posted resolutions. Each name I draw will win a free six month subscription to The Monthly Muse (or six month renewal if you’re already a subscriber).

If 10 people leave comments, I’ll draw one name. 20 comments, two names. For every ten comments, I’ll draw another name, so spread the word, because the more people who make resolutions, the more subscriptions I’ll give away. Post a link to this post on your blog, or email it to your favorite online art groups.

Comments are closed.

102 resolutions mean I owe you 10 free subscription winners—and here they are:

Linda Conover
Phoebe D
Susan Salyer
Lisa Jacob
Linda Jowers
Jeneen (Weekes1066)
Shelby (Shelbyparker01)
Adriann (adriann7)
Kelly (kshannoka)
Patty (animatarian)

I’ll email you today with instructions for completing your subscription.

Design team member Peace Schuyler was inspired by the little sugared houses I made for the October 2009 issue of The Monthly Muse. She made this larger version, decorated with images from the Christmas Labels sheet.

Design team member Carolyn Brady made these pretty polymer clay ornaments using images from the Little Christmas collage sheet.

Design team member Corinne Stubson has been working her magic with metal tins again. This time, she’s made a ribbon doll using the Angel Doll Bodies digital set, then backed it with a metail tin decorated with images from the Metal Tin Santas sheet and the Joyous Elements digital sheet.

Need a quick, simple something for someone who deserves a little more than a card? Try these Instant Winter cards! I whipped these two together in about an hour. The sheets are available via digital download, and the instructions for assembly are posted in the projects section.

Design team member Deirdre Attaway folded up some cardstock, stapled in some pretty papers, and decorated with images from Merry Elements. The result was these clever little matchbook notepads. Perfect, simple stocking stuffers!

Design team member Livia Hajovsky made these punched cardstock ornaments using images from the Angels & Madonnas Standard Dominos sheet.

Design team member Carolyn Brady made these clever soldered ornaments using images from the Little Christmas collage sheet and the Christmas Cheer digital sheet, then suspended them from some Swirly Wire Hangers.

Design team member Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser made a tiny piece of wall art from a soda can, embellished with one of the Madonna and Child faux postage stamps.

Design team member Peace Schuyler made this wish book ornament using a Double Micro Mailer and images from Winter Wonderland and Christmas Rounds. Peace says, “I made a little booklet for one compartment of the slide mailer, with the intent that the recipient would write a wish there. Every year, she’ll see if last year’s wish came true, and write another.”

Design team member Carolyn Brady made these simple bottle cap ornaments using images from Christmas Rounds for a recent upcycled holiday ornament workshop. She punched a small hole in the rim of each cap, and used long jewelry head pins and beads to create the hanging loops.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky lives about 15 minutes away from me, so I know she decorates her house for every season. While I normally clip out the backgrounds of the pics the team members send me, I couldn’t resist leaving this one as sent, so you could have a little peek at her nutcracker collection in the background.

Ornament inspired by the Sugared House instructions in the October 2009 issue of The Monthly Muse, and decorated with images from the Baroque Inchies and Little Christmas sheets.

Design team member Deirdre Attaway altered some wood clothes pins, turning them into pretty Christmas clips. Wouldn’t these look great holding up your holiday cards? Deirdre used images from Little Christmas, and words from Christmas Words.

I made these tin can ornaments using some tuna cans, the Christmas Tin Cans sheet, some swirly ornament hangers, and a little beaded fringe.

Design team member Corinne Stubson made these angelic postcards using images from the Guardian Angels collage sheet.

Design team member Peace Schuyler made these matchboxes for a recent swap, using an assortment of Christmas images from Ten Two Studios. I like the idea of turning the matchboxes into ornaments by adding a bit of ribbon.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s Thankful Giveaway. The winners are:

Laure Janus
April Johnson
Laura T.

Look for another giveaway soon!

Design team member Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser made this shadowbox ornament using an image from Winter Wonderland as a transfer.

Design team member Carolyn Brady made these pretty reversible soldered pendants using images from Christmas Cheer Inchies, Christmas Words and Winter Words, and Little Christmas and Little Dickens.

Design team member Deirdre Attaway made these ornaments using images from Angels & Madonnas Standard Dominos and Christmas Words.

I made these ornaments using the Christmas Fairies Matchbox Shrines sheet, and some Tiny Glass Bottles.

Comments are closed. Check here for the names of the winners.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a giveaway, and since today is Thanksgiving in the United States, I thought I’d use this one as another opportunity to find out what makes you feel thankful this year. I know it’s been a tough one for many of us, but I find myself with a lengthy list never the less.

So. Leave a comment below, telling me the things for which you are thankful right now. It doesn’t have to be a long list, or very personal—just a few things that make you close your eyes and say a silent thank-you to the universe.

In exchange for your thoughts, I’ll enter you in a drawing for a free six-month subscription to The Monthly Muse (or a six-month extension if you’re clever enough to already have a subscription).

If 50 people leave their thoughts, I’ll give away two subscriptions. If 100 people leave their thoughts, I’ll give away five. If we get beyond 100 people, I’ll start adding more free subscriptions—so, tell your friends!

The drawing will be held on Cyber Monday, November 28th, so check back then to see if you’re a winner. One entry per person, please.

OK. Go!

There will be a little lull in eye candy blog posts this week, as I prepare things for the holidays. Watch for Christmas and winter projects to start rolling by beginning next Friday, November 25th. Yay!

Coming December 1st: The 6th Annual Original Printables Holiday Countdown. Every day between the first of December and Christmas Day, a new set of printable images will be revealed. Bookmark the link, and spread the world!

(Artwork by design team member Livia Hajovsky.)

I hope you’ve enjoyed the results of our tea tin challenge. Thanks to design team members Carolyn Brady, Corinne Stubson, Deirdre Roberts, Livia Hajovsky, Peace Schuyler, and Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser for rising to it, once again.

And now, we come to the final tea tin project, by design team member Peace Schuyler. I had just finished congratulating the team on thinking outside the box (and then kicking the box around the block and turning it into a hat) on this group of projects when Peace’s project arrived in my inbox. It’s awesome.

Peace used images from Gypsy Caravan, some tiny glass bottles, and a whole lotta magic. So there.

Design team member Peace Schuyler decorated the outside of her tea tin with images from Pink Brocade Inchies and Pink Things, flowers and pearls, making a deliciously girly holder for—fish ornaments! She used images from April Fish and fishing lure pieces. And glitter glue. Lots of glitter glue.

Design team member Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser turned her tea tins into candle holders, with a little help from French text pages, baker’s twine and images from Paris Ephemera.

Design team member Deirdre Attaway made some hilarious decorated clothes pins to go into her matching tea tin. She used some French Text Pages, and images from Bare Naked Ladies and Nudie Cuties.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky is organizing her favorite markers with this tea tin, decorated with a little Asian text, and images from Deco Standard Dominos.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky decorated a tea tin with Joss Paper, Asian text pages, and images from the Japan Collage Set.

Design team member Carolyn Brady turned a tea tin into a shadowbox by cutting a hole into the side. She decorated it with images from Metal Tin Rossetti and Butterfly Cigarette Cards.

Inspired by the cryptex from The da Vinci Code, design team member Corinne Stubson decorated a tea tin with images from Fresh Brewed Bits & Pieces, Leonardo’s Anatomy, and Italian text pages.

I usually ask the design team to create projects based on a holiday or event. Last month, I asked for something a little different.

I drink a lot of iced tea in the summer, and my tea of choice is currently Republic of Tea Blackberry Sage. It comes packaged in lovely metal tins, which I don’t have the heart to throw into the recycle bin, even when I have a pile of them set back already. So, I packed pairs of them up and sent them to the design team members, and asked them to make whatever they wanted.

You’ve already seen the first one of the resulting projects—this Halloween centerpiece from Corinne Stubson, made with images from the Charmed digital sheet, and used it as a vase to hold some silk flowers, and a figure made from pieces from Wicked Doll Bodies:

Corinne also made this autumn version, using images from Metal Tin Fall Flappers, and Butterfly Cigarette Cards.

Three cheers once again for the talented members of the Ten Two Studios design team, for creating all these fabulous Day of the Dead themed projects:

Design team member Peace Schuyler made these winged shrines using Spanish Text Pages, Fiesta Matchbox Shrines, and Skull Beads.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky made this book using Manila Envelopes, and an assortment of items from the Day of the Dead and Halloween items from Ten Two Studios.

Here are some festive Day of the Dead ornaments made by design team member Peace Schuyler. Peace disassembled some flat, solid colored fabric flowers, and reassembled them with multi-colored layers. She topped them off with centers made from bottle caps and Colorful Skellie Rounds, embellished with some skull beads.

Design team member Carolyn Brady created this brilliant, colorful Dearly Departed book using all the Day of the Dead themed sheets and a brown paper waterfall book.

Design team member Corinne Stubson made these oh, so simple bracelets using a little grosgrain ribbon, some Velcro, and a few images from the Club Dead Microscope sheet. Corinne says, “I just cut these out, glued them to the ribbon with Perfect Paper Adhesive, with a top coat of the same, put on the fasteners, and voila! Instant bracelet.”

Design team member Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser made this lovely Day of the Dead themed book, using an assortment of Day of the Dead images from Ten Two Studios.

Now that Halloween is over, it’s time for some Day of the Dead celebration! Traditionally, Dia de los Muertos celebrations take place November 1st and 2nd, but since the design team has embraced this theme so enthusiastically, we might have a week of it here at Ten Two Studios.

Starting off the week is this fabulous set of vases and bouquets by design team member Peace Schuyler. She used an assortment of Day of the Dead goodies from Ten Two Studios.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the month of Halloween projects the design team put together. Let’s have a round of applause for Carolyn Brady, Corinne Stubson, Deirdre Roberts, Livia Hajovsky, Peace Schuyler, and Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser. Without them, this blog wouldn’t exist.

Here are all the Halloween goodies posted this month:

Design team member Carolyn Brady made this bracelet, with charms made using clear buttons and Scrabble tiles decorated with images from the Little Halloween collage sheet.

Design team member Peace Schuyler made this festive Halloween canvas using an assortment of Halloween images from Ten Two Studios.

Design team member Deirdre Attaway made these clever book plate pendants using images from the Metal Tin Witches and Something Wicked Microscope sheets.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky made this shrine using the Winged Widows Matchbox Shrine sheet, and pieces from Witches Brew faux postage and the Creepy Sayings digital sheet.

Design team member Carolyn Brady was inspired by the snappy bracelet instructions in the October 2007 issue of The Monthly Muse when she made this necklace. She used Skull Beads and Halloween Mini Dominos to decorate it.

I made these bottles using images from the Creepy Labels collage sheet. Instructions for making the bottles are posted here.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky made this book, based on Poe’s The Raven, using an assortment of Halloween collage sheets, faux postage, and a piano-hinge bag book from Ten Two Studios.

Design team member Carolyn Brady made this quartet of witchy artist trading cards using images from Witch Which, Metal Tin Witches and Bordered Creepy Sayings.

Design team member Deirdre Attaway made these party hats using images from the Charmed, Candy Corn and Pumpkin Spice digital sheets. They match yesterday’s party invitations!

Design team member Deirdre Attaway made these invitations using images from the Charmed, Candy Corn and Pumpkin Spice digital sheets.

Design team member Peace Schuyler used pieces from Wicked Doll Bodies to make this feathered ornament.

Design team member Corinne Stubson decorated a metal tea tin with images from the Charmed digital sheet, and used it as a vase to hold some silk flowers, and a figure made from pieces from Wicked Doll Bodies.

Design team member Carolyn Brady made this pendant using a matchbox and images from Pretty Poisons Matchbox Wrappers and a mini domino and image from Halloween Mini Dominos.

Design team member Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser decorated a metal paint bucket from the home improvement center with images from Strange Places and In Mourning.

Design team member Deirdre Attaway made this domino book ornament using Standard Dominos and the Winged Widows matchbox shrine sheet.

Design team member Carolyn Brady made these artist trading cards using images from the Halloween collage set.

Design team member Peace Schuyler used pieces from Wicked Doll Bodies to decorate these large matchboxes.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky made this easy book using Black Print Mini Folders. She decorated it with images from the Bordered Creepy Sayings and Spooky Bingo Cardsdigital sheets, Witches Brew faux postage and Witchy and Poisonous Labels.

If you were one of design team member Deirdre Attaway’s daughters, your lunch would come packed in one of these today:

Made using images from Metal Tin Witches, Which Witch, Scary Sayings and Halloween Inchies. Do you think she’d adopt me?

Design team member Carolyn Brady made these ATC-sized shadow boxes using tiny canvases, and images from the Leonardo’s Anatomy collage sheet.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky made the head of this pumpkin art doll from an image on the Boo To You faux postage sheet.

Design team member Peace Schuyler made this whimsical book using images from the Zombie Maries sheet.

Design team member Carolyn Brady made these Halloween charms using Mini Dominos, and images from the Mini Halloween Domino sheet.

Design team member Corinne Stubson made this 4×6 collage using an image from the Dead People collage set.

Design team member Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser made this soldered glass wall hanger with images from the Poe collage set.

Carolyn Brady made this little book using Black Print Mini Folders and a whole bunch of Halloween goodies from Ten Two Studios.

Design team member Deirdre Attaway made these three postcards using Black Print Mini Folders and images from the Which Witch collage sheet.

Design team member Livia Hajovsky made this paper art doll using pieces from Wicked Doll Bodies and Color Me Twinchie Dolls.