April's Review	Catherine's Review	Chris' Review	Penny's Review	Tammy's Review

Review by April

Since my family and I live out in the country, I don't get a chance to get out much and I hardly ever get to attend scrapbook or art classes. For this reason, I really enjoy being able to purchase DVD's that offer me the chance to take a creative class in the comfort of my own home. PageSage has quickly become known for their outstanding instructional craft and hobby DVD's, and their catch phrase of "Bringing Art Home on DVD", couldn't be more perfect! One of the newest PageSage DVD's to make it's debut is called Art Unscripted with Carol Duvall An Artist Retreat. I have been very impressed with the previous PageSage DVD's I have watched, so I was definitely excited when I found out we would have the opportunity to review this fantastic production for ScrapFriends.

For this review, I received one copy of the PageSage presents Art Unscripted with Carol Duvall An Artist Retreat DVD. I would like to mention that PageSage is the first video/DVD publisher in the hobby and craft industry to go green! The Art Unscripted DVD arrived packaged in a heavy 100% recycled cardstock using soy-based inks, and included a plastic DVD tray that was also 100% recycled. This creative cover case actually folds out into eight different panels. When you open up the case, there are several pictures from the artist's retreat, pictures of their projects, along with the details of the DVD, and the supply lists for each project. The Art Unscripted DVD is filled with 7 unique instructional classes, beautiful projects, a quick reference gallery, extras like project resource guides, bloopers, tips from the projects, a ton of inspiration, and so much more! This DVD is approximately 160 minutes long, and is based on a crafting retreat that seven well known artists attended in order to share their individual mediums and projects with one another. The host of the retreat, Carol Duvall, is considered the Queen of Crafting and has her own show " The Carol Duvall Show" on HGTV and DIY. Carol invites and welcomes seven incredibly talented artists who all teach a class and then participate in the other classes. The seven teachers and projects on the DVD are as follows: Paper Sculpture with Michael Jacobs, Stamped Charms with Judi Watanabe, Polymer Clay with Judy Belcher, Metal Embossing with Magadalena Muldoon, Carving Stamps with Sarah Hodson, ATC Cards & Book with Mary Jo McGraw, and Blizzard Book with Karen Elaine Thomas. After watching each class, you are given the opportunity to view the other artists class projects or interpretations as well as close ups of the instructors finished project. There are over 150 photographs on this DVD and the one of kind gallery makes it easy to jump to each technique used to create the projects by simply selecting a button.

I was certainly intrigued by all of the projects on the DVD, but there was one that I just couldn't wait to try and this was the Blizzard book taught by Karen Elaine Thomas. The Blizzard Book looked extremely fun to make, didn't require any glue, and was all about the art of simple folding! I did do a practice run using the rice paper first and after achieving almost perfection after the first try, I couldn't wait to create my first business card holder. For my first blizzard book, I painted my sheet of rice paper with green and blue metallic watercolors and after they dried I got down to the business of folding. I used a gorgeous metallic blue sheet of handmade paper to create the cover, and then tucked my neatly folded pages inside. I decorated the cover with a chipboard flower embellishment I had created using watercolors, and then added a little bit of sparkle and bling to top it off. The Blizzard book can be used to hold ATC's, or business cards, or you could actually make one in a bigger size in order to hold whatever you desire.

Title: Blizzard Book For April's Business Cards
Products used:
Inspiration for Project (PageSage Art Unscripted DVD)
Patterned Paper (Handmade paper - source unknown, Jenni Bowlin)
Rice Paper (Loew-Cornell, Inc.)
Metallic Watercolor Paints (Loew-Cornell, Inc.)
Chipboard (Maya Road)
Rhinestone Brad (Karen Foster)
Pen (Sakura Gelly Roll)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

My second blizzard book was intended for my six year old son because he was just so fascinated with the whole folding paper into a mini book. I created the cover of this one using a cool dimensional patterned paper, and then sprayed walnut ink on all the pages to give it a more masculine feel. I added stickers and a string clasp to the cover to use for closure and I will soon be handing it over to my anxious son who wants to take it to school.

Title: Journey Blizzard Book
Products used:
Inspiration for Project (PageSage Art Unscripted DVD)
Patterned Paper (EK Success)
Rice Paper (Loew-Cornell, Inc.)
Walnut Ink (7gypsies)
Metal Clip (tim Holtz)
Stickers (EK Success, Chatterbox)
String Clasps (EK Success)

The bronze butterfly below was my first practice run at metal embossing. I thought the class on Metal Embossing with Magdalena Muldoon was absolutely fascinating! We were lucky enough to receive several different metal embossing tools from MercArt USA to compliment the dvd review, and this worked out perfectly because I couldn't wait to play with the metal.

Title: Bronze Butterfly
Products used:
Inspiration for Project (PageSage Art Unscripted DVD)
Metal Embossing Tools (MercArt USA: Teflon Tools, Complementary Tools, & Refiners)
Sheet Metal (EK Success)

Even though creating perfect pieces of metal art might take some practice, I have to say that no matter what your skill level, it was actually very easy to get started and so much fun to play with. I used a set of clear angel wing stamps to make my embossing image on tracing paper. Then I laid the tracing paper over a sheet of metal, traced the initial outline, and then found myself trying out all kinds of techniques in order to make the wings come to life. I cut out the finished metal wings and placed them behind a picture of my daughter to create my first layout using embossed metal.

Title: Dream Big
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Inspiration for Project (PageSage Art Unscripted DVD)
Patterned Paper (Creative Imaginations)
Metal Embossing Tools (MercArt USA: Teflon Tools, Complementary Tools, & Refiners)
Sheet Metal (EK Success)
Rub ons (Fancy Pants)
Pens (Uniball, & Sakura)
Sequin flowers (Queen & Co.)
Rhinestones (Me & My Big Ideas, Karen Foster)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

For my last project, I created a bookmark with two stamped charms that was inspired by the Stamped Charms class taught by Judi Watanabe. I smeared dye ink all over a piece of glossy clay based cardstock, and then added stamped images, some pen doodling, and a little bling. To create the charms, I stamped images onto a shrinky dink sheet, cut them out, baked them, and then added a little dye ink around the edges. I actually tried a few new techniques when creating this bookmark and was very happy with the result!

Title: What A Hoot Bookmark
Products used:
Inspiration for Project (PageSage Art Unscripted DVD)
Glossy Cardstock (Ranger)
Ink Pads (Ranger)
Stamps (Maya Road, Fancy Pants, Autumn Leaves)
Pen (Uniball)
Shrinky Dinks (K&B Inovations)
Rhinestones (Me & My Big Ideas)
Alcohol Ink (Ranger)
Ribbon (Personal Stash)
Flower (Prima)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

This was a super fun and inspiring DVD to watch and I look forward to trying out all of the other projects. Art Unscripted with Carol Duvall An Artist Retreat, has so much to offer and would be a great DVD for beginners and advanced artists to learn from!

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Review by Catherine

Have you ever wanted to attend an Artist’s Retreat or Workshops where famous artists from all different media teach you wonderful techniques? I know I have, but haven’t been able to do so in the past. Now, with the release of PageSage’s newest video: Art Unscripted; an Artist Retreat hosted by Carol Duvall, we can have that wish come true in the comfort of our own homes.

My first thought when I received the Art Unscripted DVD and reading the names of the artists on the cover was “Wow!” The people who participated in creating this video with Carol Duvall are definitely names that I recognize from various realms of the art world. Judy Belcher, Sarah Hodson, Michael Jacobs, Maryjo McGraw, Magdalena Muldoon, Karen Elaine Thomas, and Judi Watanabe are the artists who I would be learning from. Such big names are sure to present a DVD that would be remarkable. After watching the video the first time, I certainly was not disappointed. My mind was reeling after the first viewing. The projects on this video are widely varied and extremely detailed. I was glad that I had a video and I could go back and watch again and again.

The premise behind the Art Unscripted Video is that seven different artists go together and teaches a class for the other artists to enjoy. The back cover of the DVD states that “This is the essence of mixed media…assembling the best artists in each individual medium as they combine elements.” I would have to agree. Carol Duvall is the host of the DVD, and her engaging personality lends the perfect start to the video. There are seven different projects that are completed in the video, as well as an Interactive Art Gallery and Extras. The first section in the DVD is the project on Paper Sculpture with Michael Jacobs. I really like the fact that the DVD cover lists the materials that will be needed for each project so that if one wanted to she could collect their supplies and follow right along with the video to create the projects. I was amazed at the wonderful projects that Michael Jacobs creates with just paper and black foam board. I decided that my first project would be a paper sculpture project.

Title: Nature Paper Sculpture
Products used: Foam Board; chipboard
Inspired by (Art Unscripted DVD - PageSage)
Patterned Papers( Prima, BasicGrey, Sandylion)
Stamps (Tim Holtz – Stampers Anonymous; Stampin’ Up; Making Memories)
Flowers (Prima Marketing)
Metal Letters (K & Co.)
Nest (unknown)
Adhesive (AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner; Yes! Paste)

Watching this video, inspiration comes at every turn. Then next project is by Judi Watanabe and is Stamped Charms. Judi creates a beautiful stamped bookmark with layered stamped images, and a Stamped Patina Charm to go along with it. Having used Patina Charms for a past review, I truly appreciated her attention to detail and style. The third project is Polymer Clay with Judy Belcher. Again, I was completely enthralled by the ease with which Judy was able to create beautiful polymer beads, and how simple she made it look. This is one section that I will be watching many times, to try to enhance my polymer clay skills. The fourth section is with Magdalena Muldoon. I hadn’t previously heard of Magdalena, but after watching the magic she created with metal sheets I am very impressed by her talent and will be watching for more from her. Again, this is a technique that I have tried in the past, but just haven’t been completely sold on. After watching the Metal Embossing portion of the Art Unscripted video, I am hooked. I really enjoy the way that each of these artists break down the steps of their craft into easy to follow, easy to accomplish instructions. I decided that my second project would include a metal embossed piece.

Title: Adore
Products used: Chipboard (Prism Papers)
Patterned Papers (Creative Imaginations; My Mind’s Eye)
Inspired by (Art Unscripted DVD - PageSage)
Metal and Metal Tools (MercArt, USA)
Stamp (Leave Memories – embossed on metal)
Bingo Card (Jenni Bowlin)
Chipboard Circle (Scenic Route)
Gaffer Tape (7Gypsies)
Alphabet Stickers (Making memories)
Adhesive (AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

The next project on the PageSage Art Unscripted DVD is Carving Stamps with Sarah Hodsdon. I loved the stamp that Sarah created in this section, and again really enjoyed the ease that she displayed with presenting the project, as well as the easy instructions given. Sarah also showed examples of other detailed stamp images. The sixth project is ATC Cards and Books with Maryjo McGraw. The projects that she creates in this section are nothing short of amazing. The last Project presented in the video is a Blizzard Book with Karen Elaine Thomas. This project so unique and fun; a book created without adhesive, binding, or staples. Again, these are all projects that I will return to for creating new artwork.

For my next project, I decided to use the section of the video on Carving Stamps with Sarah Hodsdon. I really like the look of hand-carved stamps, and after watching Sarah Hodsdon create hers I decided I would like to create a stamp to use of my own. Having carved stamps in the past, I know how hard it can be to create detailed images, but after watching this video I was determined to create a stamp that I would want to use numerous times. I used my new stamp to create a metal clay stamped pendant, and also on a scrapbook page.

Title: Metal Clay Pendant and Stamp
Products used: PMC (Mitsubishi Materials)
Inspired by (Art Unscripted DVD - PageSage)
Artists Carving Block (Mastercarve - Staedtler)
Carving Tools (Staedtler)

 

Title: A
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Papers - Kraft)
Inspired by (Art Unscripted DVD - PageSage)
Artists Carving Block (Mastercarve - Staedtler)
Carving Tools (Staedtler)
Gaffer Tape (7Gypsies)
Patterned Paper (Heidi Swapp)
Large Alphabet Block (Jenni Bowlin)
Journaling Ticket (Jenni Bowlin)
Phrase Sticker (Crate Paper)
Rubons (American Crafts)
Adhesive (AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

There just aren’t enough nice words to describe the experience of watching the Art Unscripted: An Artist Retreat hosted by Carol Duvall. It is over 160 minutes of pure pleasure for an aspiring artist. This is a video that you will not want to watch all in one sitting. You’ll have to stop and create after being so inspired. This is a must-have video for any crafter’s library. You will want to watch it over and over again to get as much from the different artists as you possibly can. I give the Art Unscripted DVD my highest recommendation. A must-have!

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Review by Chris

PageSage produces outstanding instructional DVD's. It's that simple. I can't say it any better than they do: "PageSage sets the standard by showcasing the best artists combined with great production standards resulting in exceptional DVD's for the craft and hobby industry." Oh yes' I agree! I have had the privilege of reviewing a few of PageSage's DVD releases. I have purchased several others on my own. I have not yet been disappointed. The artists selected are some of the best in the industry; the instructional component of the DVD is always easy to follow resulting in successful projects; the production quality is of the highest caliber; the galleries have great examples and the blooper section is always good for a laugh. In short, it's a complete package.

One of PageSage's newest releases is Art Unscripted, an artist retreat hosted by Carol Duvall. This DVD is significantly different from other PageSage DVD's which I have viewed. Usually, a DVD revolves around a single theme: clay, altered art, fabric, paper folding, etc., and features the perspective and work of a single artist. In this new DVD, there are 7 different artists along with host Carol Duvall. Each artist is a specialist in a different area: clay (Judy Belcher), carving stamps (Sarah Hodsdon), paper sculpture (Michael Jacobs), mixed media (Mary Jo McGraw), embossed metal (Magdalena Muldoon), paper crafts (Karen Elaine Thomas) and stamping (Judi Watanabe). Many of them have produced individual DVD's with PageSage. How, I wondered, would the DVD tie them all together to provide a cohesive viewing and learning experience? It didn’t take long for me to figure it out.

At the beginning of each segment, Carol Duvall introduces the artist, who explains their component of the Artist Retreat. During the Retreat, each artist created the projects presented by the other artists and at the end of the DVD, all of the projects by each artist are showcased. The foundation for many of the projects was a shadow box sculpture created and instructed by Michael Jacobs. Each artist then presented their part of the project (for example, Judy Belcher created the feet for the shadow box), with a complete supply list and step-by-step instructions. Many of the artists integrated the projects into the shadow box structure or used the shadow box to display their particular project. At the end of the DVD, each artist's work for the week was displayed as a total package. In this way, although including many distinctly different techniques and projects, the DVD keeps a cohesive thread running through-out. I truly enjoyed this particular format.

As I watched the DVD, trying to decide which projects or techniques to feature for my review, I kept returning to the shadow box structure itself. I have always wanted to create a shadow box/shrine-type structure, and Michael Jacobs presented the instructions in such a clear fashion, I could not resist. Although I kept to the basic elements as he presented them, I did add my own touches. I painted my structural elements and then stamped on them. I separated the drawer element into two distinct boxes and added a shelf to one side. My elements are put together in a way that will allow me to use them to display many of my mixed media projects and small books and albums. I did find a couple small measurement errors in the instructions, but nothing major and I was able to rectify the problem with little trouble.

Shadow Box
Products used: Inspired by Michael Jacobs’ Paper Sculpture segment of PageSage’s Art Unscripted DVD
Patterned paper (Basic Grey, Boxer)
Paint (Jacquard, Lumiere, super copper; Delta, Texture Magic, country red; Ranger, acrylic paint dabber, black)
Stamps (Hero Arts; Hampton Arts)
Black Foam core board
Adhesive (API, Ultimate glue; Loctite, super glue)

Once I had the shadow box completed, it needed legs. So I turned to Judy Belcher’s polymer clay segment. In this segment, Judy explains how to create blended colors in clay and how to create decorated pieces that can be used as feet or other elements. Judy's instructions were very easy to follow and I learned a new technique for creating blended colors of clay.

Clay Feet
Products used: Inspired by Judy Belcher’s Polymer Clay segment of PageSage’s Art Unscripted DVD
Clay (Van Aken, Kato Polyclay)

I loved the twisted metal embellishments also created by Michael Jacobs and decided that my shadow box shelf could hold a vase of flowers. I made several twisted metal flowers and added some polymer clay cane beads inspired by Judy Belcher. The vase is simply three layers of the foam core board left over from the shadow box. I can see using this particular technique to create embellishments for layouts and cards as well as altered projects. These metal elements can be shaped in a variety of ways and can be flattened to fit on a layout or card.

Finally, I moved away from the shadow box (at least temporarily) to create an awesome little book designed by Karen Elaine Thomas. Karen's expertise is folding paper, and this little book is created with no glue, no staples, no stitching – just folding, both the inside pages and the cover. I was a little skeptical that it would stay together, but it does and it's fantastic. I sprayed my rice paper with some glimmer mist sprays from Tattered Angels and then stamped some images before folding it up. This book is the perfect size for ATC cards and will fit nicely into one of my shadow box sections.

Blizzard book
Products used: Inspired by Karen Elaine Thomas’ Paper Crafts segment of PageSage’s Art Unscripted DVD
Patterned paper (Kaiser Scrapbook, Esperance, sand dune)
Rice paper (Yasutomo & Co.)
Glimmer mist (Tattered Angels, daffodil, robin’s egg blue, forest green)
Stamps (Inque Boutique, Nightingale)
Ink (Stewart Superior, Memories, black)

I must say that this is one of my all-time favorite DVD’s from PageSage. I really enjoyed the inclusion of different artists with different techniques and perspectives, while tying everything together with a larger project that encompassed all the smaller ones. I know I will return to this DVD many times over, as there are still several projects I wish to create and techniques I want to try. I hope that this is the first in a series of many such DVD's. If you're looking for a high quality DVD that has variety of content, look no farther. PageSage has it all in Art Unscripted

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Review by Penny

The new PageSage DVD "Art Unscripted with Carol Duvall: An Artist Retreat" brings together seven well-known artists from around the country to teach their craft to each other. The DVD runs approximately 160 minutes and retails for $29.95.

The DVD is divided into seven projects. All of the projects are fairly complex in the number of steps and the number of supplies you will need. The instructor goes through each project step-by-step, however, so that a true learning process of the project is available to all skill levels. As a viewer I felt like an invited guest to an exclusive creative workshop.

The variety of projects will not disappoint. The projects include:

• Paper Sculpture with Michael Jacobs
• Stamped Charms with Judi Watanabe
• Polymer Clay with Judy Belcher
• Metal Embossing with Magdalena Muldoon
• Carving Stamps with Sarah Hodsdon
• ATC Cards and Book with MaryJo McGraw
• Blizzard Book with Karen Elaine Thomas

The paper sculpture segment involves foam core board, acrylic paint and basic tools to demonstrate how to construct a custom box or structure.

Rubber stamping projects are turned into cute little charms in the Stamped Charms segment. It's a quick and easy project. I took inspiration from this segment to create my first project. I stamped an winged heart image on cardstock twice. I took the first one, cut it out and glued it to the back of the tag. I used a circle punch to cut the second image and center it in the tag plate so that the two images lined up. I glued beads around the heart and then covered it all with several layers of Magic-Glos for a glass-like finish.

Title: BFF Necklace
Products Used: Art Unscripted with Carol Duvall DVD (PageSage)
Cardstock (Prism)
Stamp, Markers (Stampin Up)
Beads (Me & My Big Ideas)
Magic-Glos (Lisa Pavelka)
Other: beads, charms, tag plate, thread

The polymer clay segment demonstrates how to create a Skinner Blend of clay without a pasta machine. I had no idea what a Skinner Blend was but after watching this tutorial I can't wait to give it a try!

Magdalena Muldoon walks the viewer through the creation of a gorgeous metal embossed piece. Along the way she describes the individual metal-working tools, their uses and how they look on the metal. I felt like I had a great handle on giving this a try without ever embossing metal before.

Carving Stamps is one of my favorite projects. Sarah Hodsdon shows us how to create our own custom stamp images! It's easy to understand and begin making your own. I was inspired by this segment to pull out a carving block and create my own custom stamp. My stamp image is the curly arrow pointing to the photo.

Title: He Has a Tender Heart
Products Used: Art Unscripted with Carol Duvall DVD (PageSage)
Cardstock (Prism-Frosted Kiwi, Nautical Blue Medium, Baby Blue Light)
Patterned Paper, Stickers, Tag (Making Memories)
Patterned Paper (Theresa Collins)
Chipboard (Heidi Swapp)
Vinyl Stickers, Chipboard (American Crafts)
Distress Ink (Ranger)
MasterCarve Carving Block (Staedtler)
Stamping Ink, Foam Adhesive, Corner Punch (Stampin Up)
Die Cutting Machine (ProvoCraft Cricut)
Die Cutting Cartridge (Cricut Storybook)
Adhesive (Ad Tech Glue Runner)

MaryJo McGraw uses a stamping resist technique to create gorgeous backgrounds for ACT cards which she turned into a booklet. This project is gorgeous and will appeal to those that enjoy a "distressed" look. I was inspired by this segment for my final project. I incorporated subtle stamping and a multi-colored background. I literally spread the paint and pigment powder with my fingers randomly - it felt so fun!

Title: Life With You
Products Used: Art Unscripted with Carol Duvall DVD (PageSage)
Cardstock (Prism-Tawny Dark)
Patterned Paper (SEI)
Flower Stamp (The Scrapbooking Society)
Stickers (Making Memories-alpha, Stampin Up-label)
Die Cuts (Cosmo Cricket)
Metallic Chalk (Craf-T)
Acrylic Paint (Anita's)
Stamp (Autumn Leaves)
Ink (ColorBox)
Pearl Ex Pigment Powder (Jacquard Products)
Adhesive (Ad Tech Glue Runner)
Other: fabric ribbon, brads, paper for flowers

The Blizzard Book is another easy-to-understand project but has multiple steps. Follow along with Karen Elaine Thomas and you will quickly learn how to make a mini album with no gluing or sewing!

The end of the DVD displays images of the original project and the interpretation of that project by the other six instructors. I found it fascinating to see how an expert crafter interpreted other projects outside of their own medium.

At the end you must watch the Bloopers that will have you laughing like you'd just spent a weekend at a retreat with good friends.

The cumulative value of this artist retreat DVD is substantial. You will learn many different techniques and styles with clear instruction to duplicate them. I had the feeling I was right there getting my own training session for each project. There was also enough interpretation provided by the other artists' creations that I felt confident I could use these techniques in my own projects adjusted to suit my style. For a mere $30 price tag, you too can experience this one-of-a-kind retreat. It definitely won't disappoint.

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Review by Tammy

Art Unscripted, hosted by the Queen of Craft, Carol Duvall, is sure to get your creative juices flowing! In this 160+ minute DVD you will be introduced to seven talented artists who will bring inspiration to each segment of this show and then, for the grand finale, you will see how each artist used each of their own crafted pieces to create a unique piece of finished art.

Page Sage continually offers high quality instructional DVD's to craft artist consumers and this DVD tops them all in my opinion. Each of the seven guests artists were invited to a retreat hosted by Carol Duvall. Each instructor taught a class while the other six participated as students in the class. Each student/teacher was allowed to use their creativity when creating their projects, hence, Art Unscripted.

The DVD starts out by introducing Michael Jacobs who is best known for his Paper Sculptures. In this first segment Michael creates a clever house frame and drawer out of foam core. He also teaches some very creative painting techniques using molding paste and acrylic paint.

Next up was Judi Wantanabe with her Stamped Charms. If you will watch the Bloopers you wonder how Carol ever got Judi's last name pronounced correctly for the introduction on this DVD! Judi showed us how to create a stunning bookmark and charm made from shrink plastic.

Now on to Judy Belcher – the Polymer Clay Expert. Judy demonstrated the Skinner Blend, without the use of a pasta machine. I enjoyed seeing this alternate version of the Skinner Blend. She then created the most decorative knobs or feet using the Skinner Blend technique and canes.

Magadalena Muldoon brought a new technique to the Art Unscripted retreat – Metal Embossing. I was completely fascinated with this technique as I am sure everyone else was. Magdalena's teaching style was very easy to follow and made you feel like this was something you could easily accomplish as well.

Carving Stamps is fairly new to me although I have had the opportunity to work in this medium a time or two during my crafting career. Sarah Hodsdon shared many helpful techniques on proper stamp carving and wowed me with her detailed art stamp with all of the participating artist's names etched in detail onto one stamp.

MaryJo MacGraw is a well-known mixed media artist who will teach you how to make the most unique ATC Cards & Book. During the demonstration on how to create this book MaryJo demonstrates some terrific tips including how to mask using MicroGlaze; proper use of a Scor-it board; and how to cover a chipboard cover.

Last, but definitely not least, was Karen Elaine Thomas and her Blizzard Book. With just a few creative folds, Karen made a book that would hold ATC's and she did it all without any stitching or binding! Karen also mentioned that this book could be made to hold any size card by varying the dimensions. Now that is a cool project!

While I was amazed with each project that was taught I was completely surprised to see how each artist took the individual classes to create one unique piece of art. Each artist used the Foam Core Sculpture that Michael Jacobs taught in the first class as the base for their other art pieces. In the end each sculpture was unique and reflected the styles of each of the artists.

As I began to work on my first project I was inspired by Michael Jacobs and MaryJo McGraw's painting styles. Michael demonstrated how to create texture on his foam core sculpture using a light molding paste and acrylic paint while MaryJo created a soft look to her sculpture by using a white washing technique. This led me to the first step in my first project. Since Michael worked with black foam core and I would be working with an unfinished wood piece I started out by painting my project black. Once the paint was dry I applied Matte Gel Medium for texture and then white washed the project after the Gel Medium had dried. Using Judy Blecher's Skinner Blend technique, I made photo corners and small circles from canes to add a look of vintage embellishments to my project. While working with the clay, I continually picked up my blade by the wrong end so I decided to remedy the problem and added some slices from the canes to my blade to form a handle and hopefully it will save my fingers from the sharp edge of the blade in the future.

Judi Wantanabe's shrink charms inspired me to create images from the ink jet shrink plastic that I recently purchased. The tips on how to create the perfect size piece of shrink art along with using the wire mesh over the top of the project proved to be invaluable while creating these small pieces of art. Once the charms were shrunk to the proper size, I strung them onto the end of a string of beads and attached to the project with eye hooks. Three vintage photos were placed into each frame and I covered them with UTEE to add to the vintage look. My project was complete!
Title: Vintage Frame
Products used: Clay (Primo)
How Do You Glue Frame (Glue Art & Paper Studio)
Matte Gel Medium (Liquitex)
Paint (Apple Barrel)
Clip Art (Artful Illusions)
UTEE (Ranger)
Digi Shrink Film (Design Originals)
Beads (So Charming)
Ribbon (Misc)

The idea of being able to create my own custom stamps has always fascinated me and once I watched Sarah Hodsdon demonstrate this technique I wanted to give it another try. This time I decided to go with a western theme. I recently re-discovered my tools and patterns from my leather crafting days when I was going through some things that have been in storage. Since the leather patterns that I have are copyright free, I knew I could find a pattern that would easily work as a stamp. It didn't take long before I had a suitable pattern picked out and I was well on my way to carving my stamp. With the tips that Sarah shared I was able to carve this stamp in a short amount of time with great results!

Title: Western Flower Card
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Mastercarve Artist Carving Blocks & Carving Tools (Staedtler)
Embossing Powders (PK Glitz)
Ink (Ranger)
Quickie Glue Pen
Glitter
Paper Ribbon
Matte Kote paper
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

This Art Unscripted DVD hosted by Carol Duvall contains over 150 photographs and you can easily jump to any technique that inspires you with just the click of a button. You will also find tips from each project; Project Resource Guides; and, of course, Bloopers. In the Gallery you will get to see each finished project and the ability to see how each artist took the techniques taught in the classes and made them their own. And, if all of this wasn't enough, PageSage created the quad-fold cover for this DVD using 100% recycled plastic for the tray and the cover was printed on 100% recycled cardstock using soy-based inks. They think of everything, don't they?

PageSage has developed a winner when they produced this first artist retreat called Art Unscripted, hosted by Carol Duvall. You will want to make sure you get a copy of this DVD for your personal library and I am looking forward to seeing this become an annual event!

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