The Prayer Flag - Guest Designer Project

Designer, Calligrapher, Artist and New Mom (just to name a few of the hats she wears) Ramona Weyde-Ferch is our Quietfire Guest Designer.  I adore outdoor flags and banners, so I was delighted to see Ramona's creation!

You may see more photos and instructions for making prayer flags on this Project Page.

Thank you so much Ramona and congratulations to you and your family on the birth of your new baby!

You can find Ramona posting regularly on her blog Jademond.  She has the most awesome photos and even though I can't read German, I can certainly enjoy her blog!

Thanks for stopping by!
Suzanne

The April 2012 New Stamps Flipbook!

I still can't believe I've accomplished this!
- this is just a photo of the cover, don't click it to make it work, because it's not very smart..... ;-)

I have admired flipbooks I've seen online and wished I could make them.  I've found sites that can make and host them for you, but they're out of my league, I'm afraid.  Somehow I found this software, which is an Adobe Dreamweaver extension, at a fraction of the cost.  The trouble was to figure out how to use it!!! It's html and two xml files plus Flash. I know nothing about Flash and what the heck is xml???  I felt like Pooh Bear at first (a bear of very little brain...) The instructions are written for someone who knows what they're doing....

I would have loved to put the flipbook here on my blog, but it requires a handful of files that have to "talk" to each other in order to make it work.  And that's before you even start adding the photos. So here is the front cover.
Just click on this link to see it online!

Thanks for looking!

Suzanne

May the Wings - Teaser!

Designer Terre Fry has been published in the Use Your Stash section of the current issue of the online magazine Scrap n' Art!  And she used a Quietfire rubber stamp in this gorgeous wall art project.....

Here is a little teaser.  If you want to see the whole project, you have to subscribe to the magazine.  I got this issue to check it out, but the free Blotter Blog is, well, er, free! There seem to be more online magazines out there than I'd ever imagined.  Terre has a number of projects in this issue. Those are her jeans on the homepage slideshow!!!  I want to see her wearing them next year at CHA..... 

There are some wonderful ideas in this issue - a little decorated bucket containing gifts for a new baby stole my heart!  You can see more on the Scrap n' Art homepage.  Make sure you scroll down and click on some of those projects!

Thanks for using a Quietfire stamp Terre!

You May Not Be Able - Honoring a Father

I wanted to share this with you and PJ said it was okay.  Below her lovely artwork is the story of how it came about.  Thank you PJ.  Pass the tissues!

Artwork by PJ Harrison

I "sent this one to my Mother to honor my Dad who passed away two Christmases ago. He was an incredibly wonderful father. He grew Zinnias every year for as long as I can remember and I followed in his footsteps when I left and started my own home. It was sort of a special bond between the two of us and when I saw your interpretation of those words, I knew exactly how I wanted to use it. "

What's in a Name?

Recently Spellbinders had their retreat for their new design team and as a Preferred Product Partner, we sent down packages of Quietfire stamps to each designer.  Here are the labels I hand lettered to go in their packages!

What's in the name?
Prima Fairy Flora cardstock (from the 12x12" paper)
Mitchell Roundhand Nibs
Ecoline ink
embellishing with Gel Extremes
Spellbinders: Classic Ovals Large and Lacy Ovals
Core-dinations Cardstock

Thanks for having a peeky-boo!

Suzanne

The Hum of Bees

This is as simple as it gets.  I wanted to show you how the Garden Delights oval fit inside the Spellbinders Floral Ovals.  And then The Hum of the Bees fits inside that.  Add a little colour and you'll have something far more spectacular than mine!!

Card Synthesis:
Quietfire stamp: from the Garden Delights set - The Hum of the Bees and Garden Delights Oval
Spellbinders: Floral Ovals, Damask Accents
Card Blanks
Distress Inks: Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo
Ink Foam Blending Tool
Pearls
Pop Dots and Embellie Gellie

Love Lives Here

Perhaps not what you expected for the first card from the new release?  But I couldn't resist!

This was my first paper flower.  How could I have held out for so long?  I used Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine Stash to make it and with the aid of Embellie Gellie I managed to keep it under control - I wound it around the Embellie Gellie and carefully pulled it off.  Believe me, that Kraft Glassine was pretty limp by the time I finished!

Card Synthesis:
Quietfire Stamp: Love Lives Here
Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black
Spellbinders: Bauble Blossoms Two, Home Sweet Home
Chipboard
Glitz Papers: French Kiss
Tim Holtz Kraft Glassine Stash (for the flower)
Graphic 45 Staples Brads
Black Cotton Twill, 3/4"
button
2-ply Waxed Linen Thread
Pop Dots, Tape Runner, Double-sided tape

Thanks for visiting!  Suzanne

Quietfire April 2012 New Stamp Releases!

Wonder why I was so quiet during the Creative Chemistry class?  I was a bad, bad student!  (But hey, I'll catch up!)

I was burning the midnight oil in the scriptorium and torturing myself over new designs!!  Here they are with a fresh springy theme in time for Easter!  They are on the web here and are on sale for a bit. I hope you like them!

Thanks to Bibi Lindahl, Chis Wallace, Monica Black and Jeneen Weekes for suggesting the quotes for this batch!

Garden Delights coordinates with Spellbinders Floral Ovals.

Stay tuned for an announcement about a Buzz Hop!
Thanks for having a look!   Suzanne

Designing Faces, Figures, Florals

I'm sure you've seen Linda Schneider's artwork!  If you're drawn to lettering and calligraphic flourishes then you can't miss it.

Quietfire Design now carries Linda's Designing Faces, Figures, Florals and More.  I just love this book!  It's such eye candy.

Here is an excerpt about the book from her website:

"Designing Faces, Figures, Florals and More is an instructional book that teaches how to draw and design beautiful faces, flourishing ladies and fabulous florals. The lessons are taught in an easy to learn, classical style, that uses doodling techniques with graceful pointed pen flourishes. The book is filled with illustrations for inspiration and instruction. It is intended to be used as a workbook so there are designated areas for the reader to draw designs along with the sample illustrations."

I think if you are a "Zentangler", you would love this book!  You don't have to be a calligrapher to enjoy the exercises and inspiration.
Here is a little fun I had recently. I think I need a bit more practice.  And a little practice will make a big difference with this type of thing.

There is no instruction on letterforms in this book - it's all about making fabulous doodles! 
Thank you Linda for creating this delightful book!

Quietfire Design carries most of the supplies Linda recommends - on the book's webpage, scroll down and click Related Products where you will find more links.

Thanks for reading! Suzanne

Hard Cover No-Sew Journal

Oh, my! Say it isn't so!  It's been far too long since my last blog post!  Blame it on the flu for taking me out for weeks.  Not so much acutely sick as dragging.
Anyway, here are some photos of that No-Sew Book project I did for Paper and Pixels online magazine which is in last month's issue.

For directions, go to Paper and Pixels January 2012 edition.

Reagents for synthesis:
Bookboard
Text paper
Linen Hinging Tape
Decorative Paper (this was Tim Holtz's Kraft Resist)
Book Cloth
Spellbinders Grand Calibur
Spellbinders: Labels Four, Labels Four Small, Labels Four GRAND
Ribbon
Quietfire Design Journal Stamp

A few notes:
Each text page was die cut with the Grand Labels Four - I alternated colours of text paper.
Spellbinders dies cut Quietfire bookcloth really well!