Please be sure to scroll past the 2015 Northwest Paper Chase Information for today's blog post! Thank you.

This is Art 'n Soul's 'take 'n make' for the Northwest Paper Chase this year; the theme is "Games" and we chose the game of marbles. In the 'take 'n make' kit, each Paper Chaser who spends $10 (pre-tax, post discounts) will receive this kit to take home . . . 5 puzzle pieces to a Marble Puzzle, a real glass marble, and the 6x6 paper from Authentique (one of the 2015 NWPC sponsors). As marbles roll, we hope they'll "roll" their script around the page to describe their experience at Art 'n Soul; there's even room for a photo above the stamped sentiment and they can place the marble puzzle pieces anywhere they want.

Art 'n Soul's game is 'marbles.' In each take-'n-make pak, there are 5 pieces to a puzzle. If anyone finds that at least 3 of their 5 puzzle pieces actually fit together like they should, that person earns a free 6x6 paper pad from Authentique, one of the NWPC sponsors. Here's a photo of the marble puzzle . . .

And with a minimum $20 pre-tax, post-discount purchase with the NWPC Passport, chasers receive this charm. Does anyone remember rolling their glass marbles along anything they could find to use as a track?

Art 'n Soul's 2015 Northwest Paper Chase Collectible Charm

The last time I blogged, I lamented that I was trying to make some kind of art display using the shaker card technique and Graphic 45's Artisan Style paper collection. So I woke up, looked at it, and went back to bed. This afternoon, I was able to somewhat resurrect it and it will be considered a work-in-progress until after tomorrow's Shaker Play Day at Art 'n Soul from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We all hope you'll be there -- Dianne and Pam have teamed up to plan a fun Play Day! I plan to be there!

Here is my partially resurrected work-in-progress shaker project:

by Debbie Gaetz . . . still to be finished

Graphic 45 Artisan Style & Acetate
8x8 Black Chipboard
Dina Wakley TCW 6x6 Template TCW4912s Mini Halftone Borders
IMAGINE Crafts' Bronze Iridescent Creative Medium
Mini Glass Beads, Sequins
1/8" Red-Line tape; Foam Mount Tape

Okay everyone! Grab your phone or your car keys, whichever works best to get to Art 'n Soul and sign up! Helene's Magenta class featuring a new watercolor technique on Saturday, May 30, has been filled up for quite some time. Helene has agreed to add another Magenta class session on Monday, June 1 in the evening -- call the store ASAP please if you want to sign up because that one is almost full as well. The fee is $35.

Linda Presley with Rosie's Roadshow has just booked a new class at Art 'n Soul. More information will be coming to the store soon; Linda is working on 4-5 card designs, one of them being more elaborate than the others. It's only going to be one class, so call the store or stop in immediately to sign up -- this class is going to fill right away! The class will be held on Saturday, May 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the day before Mother's Day. What a great gift to you -- a Rosie's Roadshow class!



I'm very happy to offer, on the Art 'n Soul weekly email, a quick and easy technique to make a card for any occasion. This week, I'm using a die from Memory Box (Dancing Tulips 98295), a stamp from Quietfire Design (Always Be My Friend set #5615), inks from IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko (VersaFine in Olympia Green), and the 80 lb. embossed A2 Panel Card (cream color) that we sell at Art 'n Soul. 

by Debbie Gaetz

• Stamp the sentiment on the A2 Card Panel and allow to dry.
• Position the die onto the card panel and run through your die cutting machine. Die-cut another set on velvet paper (Cypress).
• Take the die-cuts out of the card panel.
• Using velvet paper in Alpine, cut an appropriate-sized piece to sit behind the open space of the die image EXCEPT for the tulip flowers, and adhere with tape.
• Turn the panel card over (finished side up) and adhere the die-cut flowers and large leaf on top of the cut-out.
• Conqueror 118 lb. card stock in Diamond White is used for the base card to accommodate the card panel. The width is 4.5" and the length (top to bottom) is 5-3/4", folded.
• Apply the card panel to the base card making sure to also secure any loose portions from the die-cut center area with adhesive.
• With the base card unfolded and lying flat, apply the Pico Embellisher in Dandelion in the open tulip flower space. Keep even pressure on the bottle until you have filled the first tulip flower. Release, make another test application, and then fill the second tulip flower. It's important that you make a test application on a piece of scratch paper before using it on the card so any air bubble(s) is released. If by chance an air bubble shows up in your work, immediately pierce the air bubble with the corner of a small piece of paper.
• Allow the card to air-dry for at least 15-20 minutes before moving; overnight drying would be ideal because the underlying velvet paper is very absorbent and the wicked (i.e., absorbed) color can "squish out" into the stem areas. Trust me!

Please give this easy technique a try; there are many stamps you can use with this technique as well. One of the new Magenta stamps, "Stylized Agapanthus" (0714.M) is perfect for this technique because the flower area is quite small and only requires a drop of the Pico Embellisher in each petal.

Stylized Agapanthus
by Magenta
0714.M

Yesterday, I discovered some new sample cards on display at Art 'n Soul. On your next visit in, please make it a point to see them in person.

by Susie Tracy

• STAMPS:
• Silhouette Script by Dina Wakley (D1009)
• Sentiment by Impression Obsession (C 14368)
• INKS:
• Memento in Paris Dusk
• (clouds) with VersaColor with a dauber

by Marj Marion

• STAMPS:
• Impression Obsession Splatter 1 (C13125)
• Impression Obsession Paint Splatter (F17030)
• Impression Obsession It's Impossible D17033)
• INKS:
• Distress Inks in Abandoned Coral & Cracked Pistachio
• DIE:
• Hearts (source unknown)

by Marj Marion

• DIES:
• Memory Box Puddles (99062)
• Memory Box Resting Birds (98527)
• STAMP:
• Local King Rubber Stamp "Notes"

by Marj Marion

• DIES:
• Memory Box Contempt Birds (30017)
• Memory Box A Little Thanks (98240)
• PAPER:  choose any handmade papers

From the Memory Box blog, a very cute card using the puddle die that Marj used earlier.

by Anne Thompson for Memory Box - inside of card

by Anne Thompson for Memory Box - inside of card

Click on this link for Anne's how-to:

http://davebrethauer.typepad.com/outsidethebox/2015/03/spring-rains.html

Dina Kowal has a beautiful card she's made for Impression Obsession.

by Dina Kowal for Impression Obsession

Click on this link for Dina's tutorial:

http://mamadinis.blogspot.com/2015/03/dt-thursday-gilded-relief-technique.html

On the "Cloth Paper Scissors" blog, they feature a 'Zentangle Book in Box' project that is featured in the April/May issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, as well as other cool projects.

"Zentangle + Fabric Art = Magic" by Nysha Oren Nelson
as featured in CLOTH PAPER SCISSORS "Quilting Arts Magazine"

Click on this link for the blog write-up:

http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/blogs/clothpaperscissorstoday/archive/2015/03/18/combining-fabric-art-with-zentangle-believe-it.aspx

Time to close for the day. I hope you'll be at Art 'n Soul's Play Day tomorrow beginning at 11:00 . . . Dianne and Pam will be there until 2:00 p.m., but you're welcome to stay as long as you like until store closing time.

Good Night!