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Meet Guest Designer Pocono Pam: Big Heart, Brilliant Crafts

by Jennifer Kray on Apr 16 2024

Welcome to our monthly Guest Designer Spotlight! This month, we're absolutely delighted to introduce you to the incredible Pocono Pam. She's here to share her creative journey and dazzle you with her amazing projects. Get ready to be inspired by her unique flair and captivating crafts! Meet the Maker 'Happy Sunday everyone! Pam …Pocono Pam here. I am excited to be a guest designer this month. I enjoyed most crafts as a child, but always loved to color. I discovered the stamping and adult coloring community in 2009 when I moved from The Bronx, New York to the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania and instantly became hooked! I love to surprise strangers and essential workers with handmade cards. I believe when you choose to give someone a handmade card, you are sending a message that they are special. I am a Copic Certified Instructor and am always looking for different ways to use my stamps. She especially loves adding afros to images. I feel it is important we see ourselves, family, friends and neighbors in our creations. I hope you will find inspiration in the April release.' The Projects Pam has created a series of stunning projects exclusively for us this month! Let's take a closer look at some of their inspiring creations You Are Unique Pam's first card is a stunning display of seahorses that seem to dance amid ocean waves. This project features the intricate “Seahorses of the Sea” stamp & die set paired masterfully with the “Ocean Waves 6x8” stencil, for a beautiful and fun card! She employs a striking color palette that captures the essence of the ocean's mystery and the seahorses' grace. It’s a scene that invites you to ponder the wonders hidden beneath the sea's surface. You can recreate this oceanic beauty or infuse your own style using the same Seahorses of the Sea bundle and Ocean Waves stencil. A Cheerful 'Hooray' Celebration Pam has done it again with a card that exudes cheer and captures the eye! She's used the "Hooray Word Die" to make a bold statement that simply pops off the card. It's a delightful combination of celebration and craft that instantly brings a smile to your face.The backdrop of this joyful card is nothing short of a sprinkle of happiness, created with the "Sprinkles Layering Stencils." It's as if confetti is dancing in the background, celebrating right along with the word 'Hooray.'Using these Bright Rainbow Paper Pouncers , Hooray Word Die , and Sprinkles Layering Stencils, you too can create a card that shouts 'Hooray' in every hue. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, a promotion, or just the everyday, let Pam’s design inspire you to create something that brings a burst of joy to someone's day. You Are So Extra - A Statement Piece Pam’s third showcase is as striking as it is playful, a true testament to her larger-than-life crafting persona. The bold declaration, 'You Are So Extra,' is not just a sentiment—it's the star of the show!Against colorful polka dots created with 'The Center Polka Dot Stencil,' the message sparkles with a sprinkle of glitter, adding just the right amount of pizzazz and depth. It's a card that stands out, just like the person it's celebrating.This design is perfect for those in our lives who dazzle us with their extraordinary ways. With the You Are So Extra Word Die and The Center Polka Dot Stencil, creating an impactful card that's as memorable as it is sparkling is at your fingertips. Follow Stay up-to-date with all of Pam's crafting escapades and connect with her on these platforms:My Blog: https://www.poconopam.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pocono.pam.3 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pocono.pam Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/darealpoconopam YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PoconoPamA heartfelt thank you to Pam for being our Guest Designer this month and for sharing her talent with us. Her energy, creativity, and passion for crafting have truly been an inspiration. We are grateful for the unique perspective she brought to our community and the beautiful projects she has shared. Until next time. Happy Crafting, Jennifer

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The Sound of the Sea Helps Tides Rise

by Brenda Noelke on Apr 15 2024

Happy Monday, Picket Fence friends!! Brenda here with a shaker card created with goodies from the Ocean Odyssey Release that just dropped yesterday!! Such a fantastic release!! My card today features the Seahorses of the Sea Stamp Set & Coordinating Dies, the Beachcomber Fabulous Glossy A2 Card Fronts!! I started much like I do most cards, by stamping the seahorse from the Seahorses of the Sea Stamp Set onto white cardstock with PFS Black Hybrid Ink. I colored him with Copic markers, added highlights with a white gel pen and used the Coordinating Die to cut him out. Next, I created my shaker by die-cutting a panel of cardstock from the Beachcombing Fabulous Glossy A2 Card Fronts with the smallest rectangle die in the A2 Rectangle Layering Die Set and cutting an oval with a die in the Basic Die Cutting Set 1 Die Set. Can we just take a moment to appreciate how stunning this cardstock is?!? So beautiful!! I adhered the oval in the center of a panel of burnt orange cardstock that was cut out with the largest die in the A2 Rectangle Layering Die Set. Acetate and foam tape were adhered to the front panel, Tropical Breeze Sequins were added for the shakers and the layers were adhered together. The sentiment is also from the Seahorses of the Sea Stamp Set. Not only does the sound of the sea help the tides rise...it totally relaxes me!! The sentiment was stamped onto white cardstock with burnt orange ink and cut out with the Coordinating Die. The seahorse and sentiment were adhered to the front of the card with liquid glue and this card was complete. I LOVE these colors and who doesn't love a shaker card?!? Be sure to check out the fabulous Ocean Odyssey Release in the shop!! Thank you so much for spending part of your Monday with me!! Have a great week!! Brenda

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April 2024 Release - Ocean Odyssey

by Jennifer Kray on Apr 14 2024

The Picket Fence Studios April Release brings the calm and mystery of the sea straight to your crafting table. With a fresh palette of tools and designs, this lineup invites you to channel the seaside vibe into your creative work.

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You are so extra... 3 cards session!

by Silvana Chambon on Apr 10 2024

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Picket Fence Studios´ blog! It´s Silvana here and today I bring you a fun, mixed media style 3x1 session of cardmaking. I love when I can make multiple cards in one session and also gives me the opportunity to play with a lot of products. First of all I want to say there´s a reel on my Instagram where you can see the process that I´m going to explain, if you are a more visual learner. Let´s start for the background. I used two A2 pieces of watercolor paper. Over the paper I put two colors of Paper Splatter Watercolor: Liquid Turquoise Blue and Liquid Pink Blossoms. I used a plastic bag to make the look: tied a knot on the end of the bag, put the knot in the inside, put some air on the bag, like a balloon, and tie the other end. Put some Paper splatter over a surface, tap the the part with the first knot, which is wrinkled and you will get those marks over the paper with the paper splatter. Repeat over the two pieces, and change colors. When the pieces were dried, I used one of them and put some little details with the Polka Dot Scarf 6x8 Stencil with some black ink. After that, I looked for a piece of black cardstock and gave it some shine with the Paper Splatter: Liquid white Snowflake applied with a brayer. After that I cut it with the extra alphabet die in the new Pinking Shear A2 Cover Plate Die . I chose some letters and glued them over the background. I cut the background with the shadow die of the You are so extra word die. I cut that piece with the inner part of the die, the actual phrase "you are so extra". I made the same process with a piece of black cardstock: I cut the two pieces together, centered so I obtained the phrase and the thin extra shadow. I also cut an extra piece of black cardstock with the shadow die. Now I started to assemble the first two cards. I glued the background onto an A2 card base, then, in the shadow´s "hollow" I glued the thin black shadow, and then the word made with the background. For the second card, I glued the thin shadow piece left from the background over the extra piece made withbthe black cardstock. Then I glued the word with black cardstock in place. I put some foam tape under the word and tape it onto an A2 card base. I added a word and some sequins from the All about the galaxy Sequin mix. The bonus card was made with all the leftovers: I glued the second piece of paper with the Paper Splatters on a card base and then glued the alphabet piece made with the black cardstock and white paper splatter. I put the letters in their places and chose two numbers to make a 23th birthday card. Simple but with a lot of color, contrast and shine. I hope you enjoyed (and understood!) the process and the result! Thanks for stopping by today. See you on my next blog post. Have a fantastic week. Silvana

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Go Be Extra with Justin Adkins

by Justin Adkins on Apr 09 2024

Justin is on the blog today sharing a fun way to combine our Fabulously Glossy Cardstock with Word Die Cuts and Stencils! Come check out how he "weaves" the details together!

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Creating a Cozy Window Scene

by Colleen Balija on Apr 08 2024

Hi friends! I admire cordmakers that can create an amazing scene on their card, but I have never been able to acquire that knack. So today I want to share my way of creating a scene card that doesn't make me want to pull my hair out! Let's get started! The products that I'll be using for my card are the Floating Dreams stamp, The Right Pair of Boots stamp, Simple Plaid stencil, Basic Die Cutting Set 1, and Swanky Friendship sentiment stamp. First, I wanted to create a wallpaper scene that you'd find in a home, so I stamped Floating Dreams stamp in black ink onto a white 5.5x4.25 card panel. Then I inked the panel in shades of yellow, moving from light in the center to darker at the edge of the card panel. I felt like the yellow resembled soft lighting reflecting from a window at dusk. Next, I focused on the window frame using Basic Die Cutting Set 1. I die cut the set onto a white and black card panel. I used the white card panel for the windowpanes and the black panel for the frame around the panes. The black represents the outside of the house, so to make it look a bit more realistic, I stenciled white ink onto the black panel using Simple Plaid stencil. I adhered both pieces over the wallpaper panel created earlier. I had intended to add clear acetate behind the paned windows to represent glass, but I forgot. Oh well! The final step was to create a cozy flower box beneath the window! I stamped a sentiment from Swanky Friendships onto the white window box die and then adhered it onto the card panel with foam tape. Then I stamped, colored, and die cut several flowers from The Right Pair of Boots stamp (they were the perfect size) and tucked them in behind the flower box! I finished with glossy accents over the flower stamins! It was so easy to create this cozy scene, and it works to bring us to a place of warmth and fondness! Grab your Picket Fence goodies and see what you can come up with for a good scene!!! Thanks for stopping by today! To shop the products I've used, click on the product description.

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Basket of Flowers

by Andrea Shell on Apr 05 2024

Hello there! It's Andrea back with you, and today I'm sharing a card featuring some products from the newest release. Aren't you just loving all of the flowers?! I am! My card features the new A Basket of Wildflowers stamp set. I stamped the basket with brown ink onto kraft cardstock and the flowers with Black Hybrid Ink onto white cardstock. I colored the flowers with Copics and cut everything out. For my background I used one of the panels from the new Wildflowers Fabulously Foiling Toner Card Fronts. Using my Minc, I transferred Brown Bear Fabulous Toner Foil to the panel. Next, I applied blue-violet ink to the panel with a Life Changing Blender Brush and then colored the flowers with Copics. I trimmed down the panel slightly and adhered it to a white card. I cut a slit in the basket and tucked in the flowers, adhering them with a combination of liquid adhesive and foam squares. I attached the basket to my card with foam tape and tied a twine bow around the handle. My sentiment is from the More Fancy Sentiments stamp set. I stamped it with Black Hybrid Ink and diecut it with the coordinating dies. I popped up the sentiment with foam adhesive and finished with a few Iridescent Moonshine sequins. Thanks for stopping by! *Affiliate links used at no cost to you.

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The Right Pair of Boots

by Brenda Noelke on Apr 03 2024

Hello, fellow crafters and happy Wednesday!! Brenda here with a card featuring The Right Pair of Boots Stamp Set from the Botanical Blooms Release!! If you know me at all, you know that I am obsessed with shoes...especially boots, so this set is right up my alley!! Combine a boot with flowers and I couldn't love it more!! I stamped image from The Right Pair of Boots Stamp Set onto white cardstock with PFS Black Hybrid Ink and colored with with Copic markers. I used the smallest die in the A2 Rectangles Layering Die Set to cut it out and adhered it to a panel of black cardstock that was cut with the next largest die in the same set. Next, I die-cut the Pinking Shear A2 Cover Plate Die (bonus...this comes with a complete alphabet set) from a panel of paper in the Cotton Candy Clouds Fabulous Glossy A2 Card Fronts Pack (this complimented my flowers perfectly) and adhered it to a white card base. The two rectangle layers were adhered to the background. The sentiment is also from The Right Pair of Boots Stamp Set. It was white heat embossed onto black cardstock, fussy cut and popped up with foam tape. To finish, I added dots to the centers of some of the flowers with a yellow gel pen. I LOVE how this turned out!! In fact, I have a pair of boots just like this...minus the flowers, of course!! Thanks so much for stopping by!! I appreciate your time!! Brenda

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Pink gerbera for an amazing friend

by Silvana Chambon on Apr 02 2024

Hello, everybody! I´m Silvana and today I´m bringing an inspiration card for you with some of the newest products from Picket Fence Studios. The main focus is the pink gerbera stamp from the Brighter Days Gerbera Daisy stamp set. This beautifu set was designed by Kelly Taylor and it´s gorgeous. It comes with diferent sentiments to choose from and you can find the coordinating die too. The background was made with Mustard Seed Distress Oxide ink over a watercolor paper and cut with the new Pinking Shear A2 Cover Plate die. The contrast between the magenta and yellow makes this card pop with color and bright. I also made some white details over the gerbera flower to make it pop even more. To finish the card I added a sentiment from the same stamp set. I stamped it over black cardstock with embossing ink and white embossing powder. I hope this card brings joy and light up the day for a really good friend. And if you read all this I hope you like it too! Thank you so much for stopping by. See you in my next blog post. Have a fantastic week. Silvana.

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Spotlight on Winners: Pear Blossom Press Collaboration Highlights

by Jennifer Kray on Mar 31 2024

We've just wrapped up our collaboration hops with Pear Blossom Press, and the winners are in! Big thanks to everyone who participated and made these events a success. Check out who won and join us in celebrating their creativity. More fun awaits, so stay tuned!

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Just thinking of you! with Justin Adkins

by Justin Adkins on Mar 29 2024

Today, Blog Team Member Justin is sharing a fun way to create a textured background using some inky techniques, our newest Paper Glaze Luxe Sampler Set, and our More Fanciful Feathers Die Set! We'd love for you to fly on over to this post and check out all the details!

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Adding Texture and Dimension with Stenciling and Ink Schmooshing

by Colleen Balija on Mar 28 2024

Hi friends! I love to add texture and dimension to most of my cards, but I like to keep as simple as possible. So, I've got a fun and glittery card for you today! The products I'm using are You Are So Extra sentiment die, Indian Summer stencil, Paper Glaze Luxe in Gold Ring, Paper Watercolor Splatters in Turquoise Blue, and reactive inks. First, I grabbed some reactive inks in shades of teal and blue. I like to use reactive inks because they react to water and adds interest! You can find reactive inks just about anywhere! Placing the ink directly onto a glass media matt, I sprayed a little water over the ink and then placed a piece of watercolor cardstock, sized 5.5x4.25, right over the ink and moved it around a bit. Then I dried it with my heat tool and added another layer, repeating the same process with each color of reactive ink until I was happy with the background. Then I added water over the inked-up panel to get that cool reaction that is unique to reactive ink! Once the panel was fully dried, I stenciled Gold Ring Paper Glaze Luxe over the inked-up area using Indian Summer stencil. I like that you can still see plenty of the inked-up area beneath the golden glaze! I set the panel aside to let the glaze dry and focused on the focal point - that HUGE sentiment! For my sentiment that says, "You Are Extra", I die cut the bottom layer onto vellum and the top layer over a panel that I had inked up and stenciled with the same ink colors as the background and the Indian Summer stencil. This is a very large sentiment die, so I could get away with adding extra detail to it! Anywhere I can add detail, I'm on it! I adhered the sentiment over the background panel and finished with liquid watercolor in Turquoise! This card has so much interest because of the colors, the texture, the dimension, and the shine! Get playful with your stash of PFS supplies and see how you can come up with an easy card that adds texture, shine, and dimension! Thanks for stopping by! To shop the items I've used on my card, click on the item description!

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Envelope of Flowers

by Andrea Shell on Mar 27 2024

Hello, again! It's Andrea back with another floral card. I seriously cannot get enough of the March release! The feature image of my card is from the new Like a Wildflower stamp set. After stamping it with Black Hybrid Ink, I colored it with Copics and cut it out. To create my background, I diecut white cardstock with the A2 Rectangles for Card Layering Dies. I backed the piece with pale yellow cardstock and adhered it to a white card. I applied Blue Paper Glaze Luxe from the Nature Sampler Set to white cardstock and allowed it to dry. Next, I diecut the panel, along with vellum and white cardstock, with the Garden Topper Cover Plate Die, focusing on the foliage on one end of the die. After adhering my colored image to my card with foam, I tucked the diecut sprigs underneath, securing them with liquid adhesive. I stamped a sentiment from Like a Wildflower with Black Hybrid Ink and diecut it with an oval die from the new Basic Die Cutting Die Set 1. I popped up the sentiment with foam squares and finished with a few clear drops. Thanks for stopping by! *Affiliate links used at no cost to you.

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Die-Cut Designs: Creating Your Own Custom Shaped Cards

by Jennifer Kray on Mar 26 2024

In today’s post on the Picket Fence Studios Blog, Jen has put a spotlight on shaped cards. We’re taking the elegant arch design and crafting something special. Join us to see how it's done.

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Friends and Wildflowers Can Grow Anywhere

by Brenda Noelke on Mar 25 2024

Hello, friends & happy Monday!! I hope you had a great weekend!! Brenda here with a floral friendship card featuring some of the goodies from the latest Botanical Blooms Release!! I started by die-cutting the Garden Topper Die two times from white cardstock. I colored one of them with Copic markers, then adhered the white one behind it for added stability. The window frame from the Basic Die Cutting Die Set 1 was cut from gray cardstock, along with a 4.25” wide strip. Next, I drew the outside of the window frame onto a panel from the Clouds of Dreams Fabulous Glossy A2 Card Fronts, trimmed it down and adhered it to the back of the window. The Scene Building: Falling Brick Wall Die was cut two times from light gray cardstock. They were adhered to a panel of white cardstock that was cut with the largest die in the A2 Rectangles Layering Die Set and the excess was trimmed from each side. The window and flowers were adhered to the background panel and it was adhered to a white A2 card base, all with liquid glue. The sentiment, from the Like A Wildflower Stamp Set, was white heat embossed onto the strip of gray cardstock. It was adhered across the bottom of the flowers to complete the card. That’ll do it for me today!! Thanks so much for stopping by!! Have a terrific week!! Brenda

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Marching Into Spring With Guest Designer Annette Allen

by Jennifer Kray on Mar 24 2024

Join us for a spotlight on Annette, our March guest designer, as she showcases her trio of inspiring projects with Picket Fence Studios. It’s a celebration of craft, color, and connections!

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WILDFLOWERS SHAPED CARD

by Silvana Chambon on Mar 22 2024

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Picket Fence Studios blog! It´s Silvana here and today I´m sharing with you a simple shaped card with one of the newest dies from the March release. The card features the new Like a Wildflower stamp set. I stamped the cute image with embossing ink and used gold embossing powder. I colored it with watercolor pencils, to give a subtle shade of color. This stamp set doesn´t have a coordinating die, but enjoy fussy cutting. The card base is made with one of the dies from the Basic Die Cutting set 1. It´s the largest dome die. You can easily do that, just start with a top folded A2 card base, put the die over and slide it a little bit off the folded edge, that way the die will cut all but the fold, and secure it with tape. Run it to your diecutting machine a few times. You´ll need an extra single dome shaped piece for the background. I didn´t have cardstock that matched with the scheme color, so I colored the background with Salvaged Patina Distress Oxide ink. I glued it onto the cardbase, trimming the little excess. I wanted a little detail for this card so I did a little hole in the dome part and put a gold eyelet and a piece of silk ribbon and tied it with a black and white twine bow. To finish the card I added a heat embossed sentiment from the same stamp set that says "Wildflowers write their own stories" thinking of a good friend. I hope you liked this card and encourages you to make your own shaped cards. I leave you below the list with the products I used in this card. Thank you so much for stopping by and reading! See you on my next post. Silvana.

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You're An Amazing Friend!

by Justin Adkins on Mar 21 2024

Justin is on the blog today sharing some fun inspiration with our new Brighter Days Gerbera Daisy by Kelly Taylor Stamp Set! Learn how stamping your images in a color other than black can really change the whole feel of your image when you color it up with your alcohol markers!

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Easy Coloring and Ink Blending

by Colleen Balija on Mar 20 2024

Hi friends! I love to get my hands on a stamp that's great for coloring, as coloring is therapy to my soul! And then using ink blending techniques to frame the focal point is the topping on the cake! The new Right Pair of Boots stamp is perfect for coloring! But it doesn't have to be complicated or intimidating! My card today uses the Right Pair of Boots, Liquid Splatters in Turquoise Blue, Pinking Sheet die plate, and Basket Weave card fronts paper. This stamp set is one image, so I stamped it in permanent black ink onto a white card panel. I use permanent black ink when I plan to color because the ink won't bleed. I offset the image to the left of the card panel, allowing a place for my sentiment. Offsetting an image is appealing to the eyes. Next, I colored the boots using Copic markers in E79, E49, E39, E37, E23. I followed the shading that was added in the stamp design with the darkest markers and highlighted the lighter areas on the design with lighter colored markers. The medium shades were used to blend. I used several shades here, but you could use 3 shades in dark, medium, and light. For the shoelaces, I used BG49 because I wanted to give the boots a feminine flare to go along with the flowers! I also added a bit of Gelly Pen glitter in gold! The heel of the boot was done in C9, C7, C5 and C3. The flowers were simple to color because they are small, so I limit the number of markers to no more than 3. I used Y11, Y15, Y19, BG13, BG49, RV13, RV14, RV17, RV66, B32, B34, YG05, YG09, R24, R29 for the flowers and leaves. Below is a closer look at the boot and flowers. When my coloring was finished, I inked around the boot and flowers with a light shade of brown. Then I added more shading beneath the boot using E37 and E23. I felt like this really zoned in and framed the boot! And it helped reduce the amount of white space. Finally, I stamped the sentiment from this stamp set and then trimmed the card panel. I finished with liquid splatters in Turquoise. The final step was to die cut the Basket Weave card front using the largest piece from Basic Die Cutting set 1. I adhered the boot card panel over it, and then placed both onto a white 5.5x4.25 card base. I love how the basket weaving peeks out from behind the design! Coloring an image such as this one doesn't have to be challenging. The design already includes shaded areas, so use your darkest alcohol markers in those areas and then use the medium to blend it out, and the lightest to highlight the lighter areas. The drastic difference between shading and highlighting is what makes your coloring go WOWZA!!! Don't worry about getting it right, either. If it makes it easier for you to choose where to add your shading and highlighting, then go with it! The point is to ENJOY!!!!! To shop the items that I've used, click on the product description. Thanks for stopping by!

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Garden Window

by Andrea Shell on Mar 19 2024

Join Andrea on the Picket Fence Studios Blog today and peek into a world of color with a garden window card – where every pane is a promise of sunny smiles to come.