Prima Education Team 2012-2013

New Year's Traditions with Nic!

We just love Nic's idea for today! We all get overwhelmed (especially this time of the year) and we can start focusing on the negative. This little project will help all of us put a new spin on things and start looking for the positives!

 

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Hey, Nic here!  I'm just about organised for Christmas apart from a little bit of scheduled panic time on the 23rd when some of the presents I have purchased online haven't turned up, but apart from that everything is ready to go!   

So with Christmas nearly upon us I figured it might be a great time to look forwards to some New Year traditions.  I love a good tradition as much as the next person and usually I love those ones that happen by accident (like the traditional birthday cake my Mum made as I was growing up, it was called a 'slippety cake' and all the candy was designed to slide down the outside - a tradition that was the result of some frosting that was a little too runny one year, I suspect!) but I saw this idea on Pinterest and had to give it a go.

It's a gratitude jar.  A designated jar with a pen and small pieces of paper provided.  Whenever something good, cool or generally fun happens within the family, it should be written down on a a small piece of paper , folded up and put into the jar.  At the end of the year the jar is opened and all the good stuff is read through - clearly it's an idea is just about as good as mixing peanut butter and chocolate.. seriously, very cool.

I'm a little buh-humbug about things like this but you know what; I think my family would rock this, the kids would get into it, so here goes.

I gathered an old jar.  I sanded the lid so that paint would stick to it.  I gathered some embellishments, paints and some favourite flowers - I'll admit, I've used these exact same flowers over and over lately, I'm in love with the teal and red thing, and even more in love with the Shabby Chic thing - I'm going with it!

I painted the lid with some Gesso and added the 2013 on top and then added more paint - it's incredibly rustic looking, that is perfect, just how I wanted it.   I covered the jar with a strip of Tea Thyme paper, inked edges and slapped-on white paint for artistic effect :)

Then added a doily (taken from the coffee shop where I may or may not have had a cheese scone this morning) and a favourite vine - this one is an older Prima release but when you love a product you stock up, exactly what I did with these vines.

Then you start adding flowers.  Teal and Red are auto-pilot embellishing for me.  When my hand reaches for my old favourite Corine flowers, I don't fight it.  I have a "Go with what you love" scrapbooking policy lately.

Embellish, distress, ink and paint to your heart's content.  I have added various different flowers, leaves, crystals and one of my favourite vintage trinkets with the 2013 on it.  This was orginally black but a little white paint rubbed in and it soon fitted in to the theme of my jar.  I've also added white paint over and around my white flowers.  Today's goal was obviously to make it as shabby as possible!

At this point we call it done.  A really quick project using all the products I love.  It fits in beautifully with my already white-and-teal lounge theme and it'll sit all year next year gathering wonderful family memories for me.  Roll on the good times!

Supplies used:

• 844721     Tea Thyme Paper
• 543242    Winter Branches Grape Vine
• 548834    Corine Flowers
• 552473    Avon Rose North Country Flowers
• 560577    Crystals
• 559694    Welcome To Paris Vintage Trinkets
• 550073    Alphabet
• Others:    Jar, Paint, Doily, Pen & Paper

http://www.nichoward.typepad.com/

 

Life Journal with Nic!

Hey, Nic here, excited to be with you again, this time to share my version of the Prima Life Journal!

The Prima Life Journals are popping up all over the world and this one will be making it's way around New Zealand soon - more news about that, but first I'd love to share a little more about it. 

Do you remember the old 'circle journals'?  Books that were passed between an organised group of people, and they all completed a page until the book finally found it's way back to it's owner. 

 

This is a similar concept, but a little more relaxed.  There is no organisation about where the book goes.  There is no plan, just pass the book between scrapbookers (cardmakers, mixed media artists, anyone that wants to create!) to complete one page each until it's full, then it gets sent back to Prima to be admired forever more!  There is only one major rule - and that is that the book has to be passed from person to person by hand, no sending in the mail.

I started with one of Prima's amazing albums, gorgeous as it is, but I wanted to personalise it to make it unique to this project.

I added white crackle paint around the edges of the album, took off the handle and covered the front and back with some of my favourite Tea Thyme paper.  I loved the antique-old-worlde feel of the paper with the leather and brass fittings. 

Then it was time to get in there with texture paste and my often-used 7x7 mask.  (Love this one, use it all the time!)

After that I added scraps of papers, some older Prima vines and just started adding leftover Prima flowers in various colours... it's a GREAT way to use bits and pieces.  I finished with some canvas pieces, gems, alphas and a whole lot of coloured sprays, and it was done.

This journal is ready to go.  It's ready to have it's first page completed (that might be my next creative venture I think) and then it'll be looking for someone to be passed to.  If you are in New Zealand and you think this looks fun, be sure to keep an eye out at crops, retreats and watch facebook to see when it might be circling near you.  You don't need to sign up to be involved, just watch for it to be in your part of the country.  

If you aren't in New Zealand but think this looks fun, you won't miss out!  There are many of these journals circling the world, keep an eye out for when one might be near you!

Prima Supplies:

• 560996 Flowers Mini Album
• 844691 Tea Thyme Marcella Paper
• 560898 7x7 Mask
• 552473 Avon Rose Northern Country flowers
• 561383 Interlude White flowers
• 560997 Banners and Tickets Canvas Pieces
• 548841 Corine Flowers
• 555498 FairyBelle Button Vine
• 550073 Alphas
• 560522 Gems
• 891565 Rusty Typo Zippers
• Other: GlimmerMist Coloured Sprays

Gorgeous Tag Techniques with Nic!

Hey everyone, Nic here with a fun tip to go along with the mixed media that we seem to be seeing more and more in our hobby these days.  I adore experimenting with mixed media and have been building more and more dimensional items into my scrapbooking for a while now, I enjoy it so much.

I especially love to build tags, starting with patterned papers, adding resist canvases and building up to add the most gorgoeus of Prima flowers and trinkets.  Adding a little colour spray on top helps make it cohesive.   This is where the finishing touches come in, things like the Prima crystals, vintage treasures and the junkyard findings are great but I often find myself reaching for some of the gorgeous Prima stamps at this stage too.

At this stage though, my piece is already bulky.  It's nearly finished and it's covered in flowers and other fun stuff.  Adding stamp imagery isn't easy when working with an acrylic block so it's time to put the acrylic block aside, ink the stamp up and use it in your projects just as it is!

No block needed.  Just pick up the stamp, whether it is foam backed or acrylic, ink it up and push it into the areas you want it - stamps are flexible and without the block the stamps can get anywhere.

The finished piece - stamps added after the bulk of the mixed media items were added in there. 

It's amazing what cool effects we can get by taking a step back and doing things as simple as we can, thanks for joining me in a little mixed media fun!

Supplies used:

• 845070 Prima Romance Novel - 6x6 Paper Pad
• 549039 Prima Sugar Blooms - Moulin Rouge (Flowers)
• 551636 Prima Resist Canvas Shapes – Romantique
• 930011 Prima Vintage Trinkets – Charms
• 560898 Prima Mask – Flourish Circle
• 557133 Prima Stamps 4x6 Musicale
• Other: Metal Trinkets, texture paste,coloured sprays, muslin fabric.

Washi Tape FUN with Nic!

Hey, Nic here with a quick and easy layout using one of my current favourite products, Washi Tape! 

 

I've been a fan of washi tape for a while now so I was thrilled when I saw Prima had some cool designs released.  Why washi?  Washi is versatile, quick, easy to use (just rip a piece off!) and the burst of colour or contrast it gives is a super cool addition to any project.

So - a project - now a while back I designed a layout I loved, it had strips of patterned paper and I used the 'design' over and over for various layouts. I decided it'd be cool to use Washi instead of some of the strips of patterned paper in the design so I gathered some Kraft cardstock, coloured sprays, Prima patterned paper, flowers and washi and got to work.

First step was to add my journaling to my 12x12 layout.  I knew I wanted a long story and I knew I wanted it down the right side of my layout.  I typed the journaling in Word and printed it on a normal piece of printer paper.  I cut my Kraft cardstock where I knew it would be covered, I temporarily adhered it to the printer paper, fed it back through the printer and then joined my Kraft cardstock back together.

I added three strips of paper, two blue and one orange, all from the Zephyr range.  I tucked a piece of lace in one layer and added some Glimmer Mist.

These two designs of washi caught my eye as the ones that would add that extra contrast where it was needed.  Love the type font especially - I swear Prima released a heap of products especially for me this last release.  Firstly the extremely teal Zephyr line, then this washi.  Thank you Prima.

And kaboom.  Extra contrast.  Love it.  What's cool is that you rip a piece off the washi  roll, stick it down and it's repositionable, move it around, change your mind, too easy.

Add some cut out floral elements from a Rosarian paper, add some flowers and a few sparklies, some photos,  (such a cute pup), and it's done. 

Potentially a very quick layout that can easily use scraps of paper, this layout is super easy to do. I'd love to see yours if you give it a go, link me up! 

Products Used:

• 844547 - Rosarian Darby Paper
• 844448 - Zephyr Zanella Paper
• 844509 - Zephyr Parfait Paper
• 561192 - Washi
• 561161 - Washi
• 560577 - SIIC 18 Crystals
• 562595 - Rosarian Perles Flowers
• 561253 - Puccini Flowers
• 555399 - Alphas

 

 

Pretty Pages Class with Nic!

Pretty Pages
Layout & Technique class by Nic Howard.

 

Join Nic in this newly designed layout class perfectly suited for those that like simply elegant pages.

Nic is well known for her dimensional charm and building multi layered pages with subtle techniques and this class is no exception.  She’ll use a variety of products including texture paste, chipboard, coloured sprays and floral embellishments  –  your class kit will be filled with gorgeous products from Prima Marketing Inc. You’ll receive enough products to complete two detailed layouts, both of which will be shown in the full colour step by step instructions included in the kit.  Any leftovers will be easily used with the inspiration and techniques you learn in this creative class suited for beginner and seasoned scrappers alike.  Learn more about Nic: www.nichoward.typepad.com

Sydney PaperCrafts Festival. Nov 2nd-4th, 2012.

Limited spaces. Book by contacting yourcreativejourney@live.com

Shabby Chic Treasures with Nic!

Hey there, Nic Howard checking in with my first post for the Prima Educator blog.  I really wanted to show you the Prima product I'm most in love with right now, so choosing a topic was easy - I love the Prima Shabby Chic Treaures! 

The Shabby Chic Treasures are gorgeous as they are, they have a lovely vintage look that makes them easy to add to any page.  However, they are easy to colour as well, so I thought I'd show you one way how!

One of my favourite ways to colour them is to paint and add a metallic sheen.  All you need is some acrylic paint, a paintbrush, your favourite Prima resin piece and some metallic rubs of some kind.  I've got some Ranger Perfect Pearls powder but there are many different options you could use.

Paint your chosen piece and let it dry.  I could have used a lot of different colours on here, I could have painted the leaves green and the heart bright red, but I love how metallic rubs look on black, so I chose to paint the piece dark in colour. (I kept the heart really dark in colour by painting it black first, then adding the red on top).

Add your metallic rubs. These Prima pieces are so intricate and the Perfect Pearls catch on the highest parts, leaving an amazing looking embellishment!  (I'm seriously in love with this heart piece from the La Couer set).

There are already a whole lot of ways you can incorporate the gorgeous embellishments into your artwork, but once you colour them the options open up even further.  I've used a La Couer  frame which I have left plain, along with my coloured piece on this mixed media tag which is displayed in a frame in my home.  The metallic colouring looks great as the light catches it, I'm always so happy with the result when I colour them like this.

(Spot the other Prima products I've been colouring too, the canvas pieces, flowers and leaves!)

These Ingvild Bolme Resin Shabby Chic treasures come in all sorts of designs.  From frames to hearts, to angel wings and other vintage images.  My desk is constantly covered in all manner of paints and other colouring agents, sprays, metallic rubs and other mixed media goodness as I work with them.  Including them in tags, layouts or artwork for your home is so easy to do - have fun with it!

Please visit me at my blog, I'd love to see what you do with these treasures!

Products used:

• 891442 Shabby Chic Treasures, La Couer
• 561031 Canvas Pieces, Swirls
• 556273 Pixie Vine, Almanac
• 539337 Belle Artes Novelty Flowers
• 920982 Flowers Sculpture Pieces
• 539689 Autumn Leaves, October
• Other: Tag, Ribbon, Paint, Coloured Mists and Sprays, Metallic Rubs

July BAP

Two of our educators jumped in and participated in the Build-A-Page challenge this month!

This month's sketch was designed by Educator Jennifer Mattot! How cool are her artsy touches?

First up: we have Janine Koczwara with this beauty.

 

"I was feeling totally down creatively so I decided to have some fun (before the BAP sketch went up) just playing with some “Anna” techniques for the background, just to have fun and re-charge a bit creatively.  I then have used this background as the basis for my LO based on the BAP sketch.  This is such a great way to use up left over bits and pieces and older stuff that is lying around." ~Janine

 

 

Products Used:

• 533359  Gallery Roses
• 533304  Gallery Roses
• 535094  Sultan Centres
• 535124  Sultan Centres
• 540449  Innoscence Flowers
• 540227  Innocsence Flowers
• 540364  Innocsence Flowers
• 536183  Monarch Centres
• 536985  Felt Devines
• 536350  Clear Stamps
• 843625  A4 Londonerry Paper pad
• 554316  Alphabet Stickers – Doodle Deux
• 551445  SIIC
• 811907  Felt Alphabet
• 554484  Wood Buttons
• 555306  Chipboard - Songbird

 

Nic Howard also made a BAP layout using our newest line: Zephyr.

Nic really rocked the line, the new wooden doors, AND look at her Green Concepts use of our packaging. Nic creatively added a colorful packaging banner under the photo for an extra pop on the page.

Supplies:

• 844509    Zephyr Parfait
• 844448    Zephyr Zanella
• 561031    Canvas pieces, swirls
• Flags     Packaging from the canvas pieces
• 550332    Prima Press
• 560850    Prima Press Alpha
• 559175    Zephyr Alpha
• 544317    Other Alpha
• 561413    Teal Interlude Flowers
• 562489    Timido Zephyr Flowers
• 561352    Encore Teal Flowers
• 891565    Rusty Typo Zippers
• 891602    Clock Gears
• 891442    La Coeur   Resin
• 891497    Parlor Resin
• 560676    Wooden Embellishment – teal doors
• 560577    Say it in Crystals small blue

 

other:

• Gesso
• Glimmer Mist
• String
• Paperclips

Our Big Picture Scrapbooking Class Winner is...

 

Marcia Smith!!!

 

Marcia, congratulations to you! Just email us (sharon@primamarketinginc.com) to claim your prize asap and we will get you set up in Nic's amazing class!

 

THANK YOU all for participating. We hope to bring you more fun give-aways, right here on the Prima Education Blog!

 

Hey PRIMA lovelies please please pull some strings and help me win a wonderous online class with Nic!!! I have enjoyed her blog and She is someone I admired the work of for many years!!! NIC if your reading this could call on the ANZAC alliance Im in NSW its practically a state of your dear NZ!!! LOL Come onnn let me win the class...PLEEEASE... Even if Iend up not being a very talented pupil I promise to at least be an entertining! LOL

Posted by: Marcia Smith | June 28, 2012 at 05:15 AM

 

Free Class Chance with Nic Howard!

 

Nic Howard is teaching another FABULOUS class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking! You can check out FULL details right here!

Dimensional Details
The Expanded Version

Are you striving to include just that little bit more on your scrapbooking layouts? Are you finding yourself admiring detailed layouts in galleries or magazines and wishing you knew how to create projects just the same? Do you want to dive into a workshop full of technique and step-by-step assignments to help you achieve your creative scrapbooking goals? Did you join Nic in Dimensional Details in 2010 and want more?

If any of the above sound like you, join Nic Howard in Dimensional Details — the Expanded Version as she uses instructional videos, handouts and audios to guide you through a variety of techniques to create stunning scrapbook pages. We all admire beautiful detailed layouts, so let's create them ourselves!

 

Want to win a free class with the talented Nic? Just leave a comment right here on this blog post and we will pick one LUCKY duck winner on Friday, July 29th! So hurry!!!

Announcing Prima's 2012-2013 Education Team!

We are excited to bring you a wonderful group of talented instructors available to teach gorgeous Prima classes any where in the world!

These gals are not only amazing designers, but they are on the cutting-edge with new techniques.

Did we mention that they are fabulous teachers too? 

 

 

Jennifer Matott: New York

Jennifer's Blog Link

What is your biggest source of inspiration?  My biggest source of inspiration is other artists.  I go to art openings, museums, galleries, Pinterest, and blogs whenever I can!  I love to see what other artists are creating and they inspire me to try new things! My students are also a huge inspiration!  They discover new ways of doing things that I might not have thought of.  It's awesome to see other people making artwork that I taught them how to do, but put their own twist on it!

If you could pick a dream location to teach this year what would it be?
If I could teach anywhere, I'd love to go to Europe or Australia!  A beach location would be amazing too!

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Stephanie Miller: California

 

Steff's Blog Link

What is your biggest source of inspiration? My biggest source of inspiration is other artists (scrapper gal pals) that share the same passion! I get excited chatting about all the beautiful products, sharing fun new techniques and thoughts about what we can create! And then... my favorite scrappy magical moment happens! Feeling that creative sensation hit me - I just know how all those colors, beautiful papers, awe-mazing gorgeous flowers, ribbons, embellishments will all come together !! It makes my fingers get jumpy!! ta-hee! Yes, sharing our scrappers passion with each other - it's a Magical Prima Moment! {sounds a bit corny but true for me.. awww I LOVE IT!}

If you could pick a dream location to teach this year what would it be? If I could pick a dream location to teach this year it would be located at a fun craft store with a gorgeous view of the crashing waves on a beach somewhere.. anywhere.. and the store filled with happy scrappers, lots of laughter, amazing scrapping supplies, snacks, and plenty of TIME! :)

 

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Nathalie Kalbach: Germany

 

 

Nathalie's Blog Link 

If you could pick a dream location to teach this year what would it
be?  It would be New Zealand, and let me cheat and say South America too :)

Do you have a favorite color? I can't pick one- all colors are my friends! Right now I spent lots of time with my friends orange, yellow and purple :)

 

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Cari Fennell: New York

Cari's Blog Link

What is your favorite snack while scrapbooking? I love to chew on bubble gum or red licorice.

If you could pick a dream location to teach this year what would it be? My dream location to teach would be Italy. I would love to visit Rome especially :) 

 

 

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Jamie Dougherty: California

 

Jamie's Blog Link

Where would you love to teach? A dream location for me is somewhat limited, so I guess anywhere in the US or Canada; New York or Kentucky would be cool!

What's your favorite color? My favorite color right now is red.

 

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Sherry Mendoza: Australia

 

Sherry's Blog Link

 

Do you have a favorite color?

Turquoise is my favourite color. I think that is why the Sun Kiss line was one of my favorites also.

If you could pick a dream location to teach this year what would it be?

My dream location to teach would be the Greek Islands. Hopefully I will get there one day.

 

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Julie Nutting: California

 

Julie's Blog Link

What is your biggest source of inspiration? 
             Fashion, even though I am a jean and tee-shirt girl!

Tell us one thing we don't know about you!  
             I hate shopping for clothes!

 

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Trina McClune: New Zealand

 

Trina's Blog Link

If you could pick a dream location to teach in this year what would it be? I would love to teach in the snow. Anywhere that it’s warm and cozy inside with snow falling outside. We could scrap for a couple of hours, then take a break to drink mulled wine and build snowmen. Then scrap some more. Divine.

Do I have a favourite colour? No. I don’t. I never have, even as a child. I love all colours. I get inspired by them. I drool over the pinks/reds/oranges and yellows found in sunrises and sunsets. The purple in a cloudy day. The blue and greens found in ever changing oceans. Seems I have a thing for nature too?! LOL. But where better do you find the most beautiful colours in the world?

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Nic Howard: New Zealand

 

Nic's Blog Link

What music do you love to scrap to? 

I listen to the radio until lunchtime, when I change to my iPod music.  On my iPod is Black Eye Peas, Cold Chisel, The Cult, Alanis Morrisette, Bruce Springsteen, lots of old stuff that I can sing along mindlessly (and poorly) to! In the evenings I turn the radio back on.  I guess I like to listen to DJ chatter sometimes, but when it’s time to get really creative, the iPod goes on!

 

Do you have a favourite colour?

Teal – hands down.  Love it.   It sneaks into most of my pages in some form.  Teal and red, teal and yellow, teal and orange, teal and teal.

 

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Janine Koczwara: Australia

Janine's Blog Link

What is your favorite snack while scrapbooking?  I love to have a hot drink, Chai Latte, Coffee, Hot Chocolate. The flavour is less important than the feeling of a warm cup in my hands.

If you could pick a dream location to teach this year what would it be? Somewhere in Scandanavia, as I would dearly love to see the scenery and there are so many wonderful scrapbooking ladies in this area that I would love to meet.

 

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Marion Smith: Texas

Marion's Blog Link

• What is your biggest source of inspiration? Antique Shops/Boutiques/Flea Markets
  
  
• Tell us one thing we don't know about you! I love to sing!

 

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Education Coordinator

Sharon Laakkonen: Kentucky

 

Sharon's Blog Link

Where is your dream place to teach? ANY place where I can stay just a little while afterwards to visit with the store owners, students and sightsee! I would love to teach in the Czech Republic (to see my grandparent's culture); Africa, Ireland, Greece, or go back to Israel, Italy, or a million other places!

What is your biggest source of inspiration? New photos and new product really inspire me to start creating. I also love how almost everything around me can inspire in some way; from pinterest to online stores, to restaurant menus to billboards.

 

If you would like any of these talented educators to teach Prima-filled classes just leave a comment here on this post OR contact the gals on their private blogs!