Author Archives: Imagine

Presenting Imagine’s 2023 Design Team

Posted on by

We are so excited to announce our 2023 Design Team! 

We look forward to sharing all of the creative inspiration that flows from this group of talented designers.

Let’s learn a little bit about them…

Alison Heikkila

Hello! My name is Alison Heikkila and I have been a crafter my entire life. My mom started me off with coloring and stringing beads from a very young age, and I never stopped. I have an art degree with a specialization in jewelry and sculpture, but I love working in many mediums and styles. Getting inky is absolutely one of my favorite things!  

I have an amazing husband who loves to see what I create each day (and even crafts along with me sometimes!) and two very creative kids. Sometimes the four of us craft together, which is so much fun. We’ve also got a cat and two dogs, and we reside on Long Island. 

I love to create, as I feel it truly feeds my soul. Getting a little “playtime” in my craft room each day is really important to me. I look forward to sharing projects with you. 

Blog – alisonheikkila.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/alisonheikkiladesigns/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/alisonheikkila/

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/AlisonHeikkila

Martha Lucia Gomez

Hi friends, I am Martha Lucia Gomez. I was born in Colombia, but I live in a paradise called Miami, FL USA. I’ve loved crafts forever. I used to work with metal jewelry, but one day I discovered stamps, ink and paper, and now it is my passion. I’ve realized that working with paper crafts is the best therapy. 

I live with my husband and our two daughters. I divide my time between my family, my work in a Public Relations Company and my passions: my blog and crafting on various design teams. I find my inspiration in simple things. My style is clean and simple but don’t misunderstand me – I love the simple things  plus the techniques and work involved in it. Experimenting new things is my passion and mixing products is my therapy. I love stamps, die cuts, stencils and of course all type of inks. I can tell you that I work on my crafts every single day and this is one of the ways that I found to give thanks to God for all that He gives me every day.

I love to share my creations, so you will always find me easily on Social Media outlets as Stampartpapel.

Blog – https://stampartpapel.com/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/stampartpapel/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/stampartpapel/

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/marthalucia/boards/

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/malugomez0

Katy Ingram

Hello Crafty Friends! My name is Katy Ingram. I am a wife and mama to 1 son and 6 kitties. I live in southeastern North Carolina and I LOVE making handmade cards. I started card making  back in 2016 and in 2019 I started my youtube channel and blog Eastwicks Paper and Ink. I wanted an outlet to share and hopefully inspire your creativity with my card making as well as give some tips and tricks along the way. I am excited to be back with Imagine’s 2023 Design Team and I look forward to meeting and crafting with you!

Blog – https://www.eastwickspaperandink.com 

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/eastwickspaper

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/eastwickspaperandink/

YouTube – https://youtube.com/c/eastwickspaperandink

Kathi F. Rerek

I’m a cat-loving card maker who also creates tags, art journals, and home décor pieces. I love stamping, mixed media, and experimenting with different supplies and techniques. I love to paper craft because there’s something so oddly calming about focusing on a project. My favorite part is when a project comes out the way I had envisioned it in my mind’s eye. I also like to share my creations online and always include full supply lists and detailed instructions on my blog posts.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kathi.rerek

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Kaths-Tales-2316828635206019/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/kathi_r13/?hl=en

Kathy Pisupati

Hello crafty friends!  My name is Kathy Pisupati. I have always loved art and crafting. I think my love for arts & crafts started the day someone gave me a “how to draw” book when I was 7 or 8. I have tried it all but cardmaking is my true happy place. I majored in Fine Arts & Communications in college. I love designing and blogging. I love all art mediums and cardmaking allows me to create mini masterpieces of all sorts!

I live in Arizona with my husband but grew up in the Midwest. I have been blessed to have traveled all over the globe with my family and live overseas. I also love dogs!

I love sharing my creations with you and can be found in the following sites and would love for you to follow me on my creative journey.

Blog – https://expressivepaper.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kpisupati

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/expressivepaper/

YouTube – https://youtube.com/@expressivepaper

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/kpisupati/

Linh V.

Hi! I’m Linh – or LV Handcrafted on social media. I live in Seattle, WA with my husband and our two dogs. I started crafting in high school as a scrapbooker but these days I also make cards, mini-albums, notebooks and all sorts of crafts. I’m excited to join such a talented team of artists here at Imagine Crafts, which I absolutely love.
It’s such an honor to join this team. There’s always so much to learn in paper crafting and I find these challenges are always an inspiration. I look forward to sharing and interacting with you on all the socials!

YouTube – https://youtube.com/@LVHandcrafted

Facebook – https://facebook.com/lvhandcrafted

Instagram  – https://www.instagram.com/lvhandcrafted/

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/lvhandcrafted/

LeeAnn McKinney

Hi there friends and fellow crafters, my name is LeeAnn McKinney and I live with my wonderful crafty enabling husband, our 2 pups JJ and Chase, along with our kitty Kit Kat. 

We have our “swimmers” as well… Koopa is our turtle, Silver and Apricot our goldfish, Cory and Cody are our cory fish, Gilligan the minnow and Picasso the plecko.

I have 3 daughters, 5 grandchildren and so far my 6 yo granddaughter loves stamping/crafting when I visit. 

I am so excited to bring my clean and simple projects and tutorials to you throughout 2023.

I can be found all over social media as LeeAnnGetsCrafty!!!

Blog – https://leeanngetscrafty.com

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/leeanngetscrafty

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/leeanngetscrafty

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/leeannmckinney

Nancy May

Hi, I’m Nancy May, mother, sister, friend, licensed clinical social worker, creative, but you might know me as Handi Scandi. I have been crafting for many years – since my adult children were littles. It started as an inexpensive way to decorate my home to make it cozy for my family, and when my children loved to get messy with me in the process it became so much more. All of my children are creatives and creativity manifests itself differently in each of us. Stamping became my safe space, if you will, shortly after my youngest daughter passed away. I needed something to focus on rather than grief, and I remembered how much I loved stamping and card making. This crafty life has taken on a life of its own and I have been introduced to the wonderful world of card making on a much grander scale. As I learn more and more about art and the creative process I find myself drawn to mixed media, art journaling, grunge, stencils, sprays, pastes, and inks…glorious inks! I am an intuitive crafter who rarely has a plan, loves to get messy and inky and shows myself grace throughout the process. I reframe mistakes as opportunities and almost never throw things away. Through all of this I am developing my own style that I have coined grungy elegance. I am so excited to be a part of the Imagine Crafts team as it opens another door of exploration, creativity and discovery.

Facebook – Nancy May https://www.facebook.com/nancy.may.904

Instagram –Nancy May https://www.instagram.com/handi_scandi/

Pinterest – Nancy May https://www.pinterest.com/nancymay1965/

YouTube-Handi Scandi’s Crafty Ventures 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_4SMddMdKd37YsMYDC2fMw

Quick and Easy “Happy New Year” Banner

Posted on by

By LeeAnn McKinney

Howdy friends and fellow crafters, LeeAnn here with a quick and easy project for you.

This “New Year’s” Banner is easy to make. I made it to hang in my craft room ushering in 2023.

Skill Level: Beginner

Time: 30 minutes

Art Supplies:

Imagine:

• Craft Mat

• On Point Glue

• Delicata: Golden Glitz

• Delicata Shimmery Silver

• MBoss Gold

• Mboss Embossing Powder Silver

• Tear It! Tape

• VersaFine Clair Nocturne

• StazOn Stamp Cleaner

Other Supplies:

• Darice Heat Tool

• Accent Opaque 120lb Cardstock

Learn to Make a “Season’s Greetings” Holiday Card 

Posted on by

By Annie Collins –

Hello Crafty Friends – 

Annie here with a Holiday card made using MBoss and VersaMagic Ink.

Supplies Used:

Imagine:

Mboss Embossing Powder: Shimmering Night Sky

VersaMark Ink

VersaMagic Ink: Sea Breeze, Aspen Mist, & Aegean Blue

Sponge Dauber

Tear It! Tape

On Point Glue

Craft Mat

Other Supplies:

Brutus Monroe: Let It Snow Stamp Set

Brutus Monroe: Mixed Media Stencil 6×6: Snowfall

Recollections brand 110lb Cardstock: White

Recollections Brand 65lb Cardstock: Light Blue

Sequins – Blues & Clear

Make a Holiday Gift Box Using Vertigo Translucent Sheets

Posted on by

By Neva Cole –

Vertigo is a beautiful translucent material to use in creating projects, in today’s tutorial, I am sharing tips and hints to make your project shine!  The perfect ink for this box is StazOn,  as it is the only ink that will dry on Vertigo and other plastics. 

Skill:  Intermediate

Time:  1 hour

Directions:

Step1:

Vertigo can be cut with scissors OR with a simple die.  Complex dies do not work well with most plastics, Vertigo included.
This particular box needed 8.5” by 5” section of Vertigo, 12” x 12” sheets can be purchased directly from Imagine Crafts website.  Recycled packaging may be substituted for Vertigo, however the results will not have the stunning effect the the patterns that Vertigo provides. The Pebbles pattern of Vertigo was used for my box.

Step 2:

Place a few drops ink from StazOn Blazing Red inker on a plastic surface to use as a palette. 
On the INSIDE  of the box use a cotton swab to color each of the pebbles from the center out. 
A little goes a long way with the translucent colors. 

Step 3:

Metallic StazOn ink is slightly less translucent than the other colors. 
To capture more shimmer, apply a drop or two of StazOn Metallic Gold on the INSIDE of the box
and move the ink with a cotton swab to color around the pebbles.

Step 4:

Continue to add StazOn Metallic Gold ink to cover the remaining areas of the inside of the box. 
Set aside to dry, as the Metallic ink is a bit thicker and takes a longer to dry. 

Step 5:

Using StazOn Jet Black, stamp the “Merry Christmas” sentiment on the OUTSIDE of the box.
This keeps the interior of the box ink from lifting and to have the correct orientation. 

Step 6:

Tear It! tape is perfect to hold the bottom of this gift box together. 
Assemble box and determine the best placement for the Tear It! tape. 
Unfold box and add Tear It! tape, my project called for five sections to hold the box in shape.

Remove Tear It! Tape liner and assemble gift box. 

Decorate with matching ribbon and fibers to close the top and keep your gift secure.

Art Supplies

Imagine:

Vertigo–Pebbles 12” x 12” sheet

StazOn Inkers–Blazing Red and Metallic Gold

StazOn Jet Black

 Tear It! Tape

Other:

Bakery Gift box die–Lifestyle Crafts

Cotton Swabs 

Sentiment–Christmas Blessings Taylored Expressions

Misc:  Gold Ric Rac and red fibers

Create A Holiday Tree Ornament Using Creative Medium, Memento and Brilliance Inks 

Posted on by

By Katy Ingram

Hello Friends! Katy here and for todays project I thought I would used a variety of products with some die cuts to create an ornament for the Christmas tree. 

In todays video tutorial I explain each layer of the ornament starting with the snowy background which uses the Creative Medium with a snowflake stencil, once dried I applied the Brilliance Ink in Pearlescent Orchid, Pearlescent Purple, Pearlescent Lavender and Pearlescent Sky Blue and was blown away. Check out the video for all the details on how this ornament came together. 

I hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by. 

Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Time: 10 minutes 

Art Supplies

Imagine Products

Poinsettia

– Memento Ink Angel Pink, Love Letter, Lady Bug, Rhubarb Stalk

– Delicata Ruby Red

– Pico Embellisher-Shimmer

Greenery

– Memento Ink Bamboo Leaves, Northern Pine

– Pico Embellisher-Shimmer

Woodland Wreath

– Memento Ink Toffee Crunch, Rich Cocoa, Espresso Truffle

Back Panel

– Delicata Ruby Red

– VersaFine Clair Nocturne

Snowflake Background

– Brilliance Inks

– Creative Medium-Shimmer

On Point Glue

Tear It! Tape

Multi-Purpose Squeegee

Other Products:

Spellbinders Poinsettia Die

Spellbinders Woodland Wreath with Feathered Friends Die

Spellbinders Blizzard Stencil

The Greetery Botanicuts Pine Bough Die

Simon Says Stamp The Magic of Christmas Stamp Set

Kat Scrappiness Holiday Village Slimline Border Die

Honey Bee Stamps Simple Alpha Stamp Set

Lawn Fawn Acetate

Make a Holiday Card Using VersaColor and Painter’s Tape

Posted on by

By Kathy Pisupati –

creating art for Imagine Crafts!  Today I have a new tutorial for you.  This is an OLD technique it is still fun, but messy!  What do you need?  A fabulous VersaColor Ink and some painter’s tape or any masking tape!

Skill Level: Intermediate

Time to complete: 1 hour

Step 1

You will need a top-folding card base measuring 4 1/4 x 5 1/2“. You will also need another white panel measuring 3.75” x 5”.  Grab your masking tape and a VersaColor ink.  I used Cardinal.  At this point you can put on some gloves if you want but I didn’t.  I swiped the ink across a 5”piece of tap.  I then laid the tape across the white card stock panel, put a piece of copy paper over it and pressed.  I repeated this stripe 4 times.  I like the texture of the stripe.

Step 2

Next I smushed some of the Cardinal ink on my glass mat, added water and with a paint brush I splattered the panel.  I did the same with some gold water color paint.  Finally, I spritzed the Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray in Sparkle all over the panel.  Can you see the shimmer?  It is pretty!

Step 3

Next, I cut the panel with a die and added a piece of red stock to the back.  The red card stock is 1/4’’ larger than the striped panel.  Adhere with some On Point liquid glue.

Step 4

Now cut a hole from the panel and the red card stock you used for the frame.

Step 5

Cut a panel of white card stock slightly smaller than your main panel.  Add liquid glue to the back of the red circle.  Use your main panel as a guide, place over the white panel and press your circle into place.

Step 6

Cut a slightly larger circle from acetate or old packing and glue to the back of the main panel.  Add foam tape all around and add flat embellishments to the center.  I used gold confetti from Kat Scrappiness.

Step 7

Die-cut a few of the medium sized snowflakes from the Kat Scrappiness Snowflake Trio and glue together.  Then I used the Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray and spritzed the snowflake.  I also splattered it with gold water color paint.  It was still a bit too white so I pressed the snowflake into my Delicata Golden Glitz ink pad.

Step 8

Cut a circle frame using the die you used for the front panel and a slightly smaller one.  Glue this inside the cut out on top of the acetate. Adhere the snowflake on top of the acetate and allow to dry. Add a sentiment, I used the Christmas Stack Sentiment from LDRS Creative with the Sentiment Stack Shadow.  I glued these together and then popped it up with foam tape. I also added a few of the gold confetti around the outside of the card and some dots to the frame with a gold gel pen. I added foam tape to the back of the panel and adhered to an A2 top-folding, white card base.

I hope you enjoy this card and the tutorial. Thanks for stopping by.

SUPPLIES

Imagine Crafts

• VersaColor Cardinal

• Delicata Golden Glitz

• Sheer Shimmer Craft Spray SPARKLE

• Imagine Craft Mat

• On Point Glue

Other

• Kat Scrappiness Snowflake Trio

• Circle Dies

• LDRS Creative Christmas Sentiment Stack Stamp

• LDRS  Creative Sentiment Stack Die

• LDRS Creative Shadow Stack and Die

• Essentials Rectangles for Stitching by Ellen Hutson

• Kat Scrappiness Round Gold Confetti

• Gold Gel Pen

• Gold Watercolor Paint

• Paint brush

• Spellbinders Platinum 6 Die-Cutting machine

• Colored card stock

• Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb

• Paper Trimmer

• Teflon bone folder

• Foam Tape