This sassy little print can be all yours! The DIY monster blog,  Little Pink Monster shows you how to create this snow leopard cover and the best part- you can make it for anything you want! Just imagine; pillows, pouches, couches, chairs! An entire snow leopard lair!

… Ok, that may have gotten a little carried away. BUT it does have the power to really spice up your space- take a look!

Before... booooring

After!!

To see more visit Little Pink Monster!

NOTE: LPM shows using a regular Sharpie marker but our NEW specially designed fabric markers, Stained by Sharpie, would be PURRFECT for this project!

The past couple of years we have presented the Sharpie world with our favorite creations surrounding “all hallows eve” and this year is no different.

Hold onto your broomsticks for this year’s edition of the Sharpie Spooktacular (cue creaky doors and creepy soundtrack).

BOOloons

A little air, an original black Sharpie marker, a dash of imagination and you have some gravity-defying decorations.

Images via MarthaStewart.com and Girly Do Blog 

Haunted House-wares

Need a solid muse for creating your macabre mansion? Start here, then add Sharpie paint markers and permanent markers and you’ll have yourself the best home in your ‘hood.

HINT: Sharpie Oil Based Paint Markers work best for projects involving; glass, metal, pottery, wood, rubber, plastic, stone, and more. They are quick-drying and resistant to water (but not waterproof), fading, and abrasion!

Spidey stemware?

Inspiration and image by Etsy designer, MaryElizabethArts, (be sure to check out ALL of her other designs!)

Try a some spray paint and a Sharpie paint pen... or 2!

Inspiration and image via The Party Dress Blog

Who needs chalk when you have a Silver Sharpie!?!

Image and inspiration via Pottery Barn

Light their way to Doomsday with Sharpie milk cartons!

Image via Eighteen25

 Ghoulish Gourds

Make your Pumpkin carving more than just the standard orange orb. Add some Sharpie detailing and you’ll be the talk of the Pumpkin block!

Image via MarthaStewart.com

Be sure to check out ALL of the Sharpie Halloween havoc from years past. It’s pure, petrifying paradise:

Sharpie to D.I.Y For

Sharpie if You Dare

Halloween Highlights

Share your own spooky Sharpie creations with us on Facebook or in the comments section!

STARTING RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW…  

Today we are launching our new “Start with Sharpie” campaign.  It’s all about our passionate fans and the amazing things they have started with Sharpie.  This year we’re showcasing our fans in a way we’ve never done before, hoping that what others have started will inspire YOU to start something with Sharpie too.     

FAN SPOTLIGHT 

Our fans (and if you’re reading this blog, maybe you’re one of them) have done some pretty amazing things with Sharpie.  We have been so impressed — and so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Sharpie projects out there – that we decided to show off some of them in our magazine ads this year. With nearly two-million incredible Facebook fans and our Sharpie Squad members, we didn’t have to look far to find the right candidates – but, the choice was definitely not easy. Ultimately, we selected three veteran Sharpie Squad members, along with a newcomer, teen singer and songwriter Marirose Weldon, who uses Sharpie Liquid Pencils to write her lyrics.  

LOOK WHAT THEY STARTED!  Please meet…  

 Erica Domesek– DIY expert, author and creator of P.S.- I Made This, Erica’s creations are inspired by some of the biggest names in fashion. She has been featured in top entertainment and fashion media, and both her website and her book feature several Sharpie DIY projects.  In her Sharpie ad, Erica breathes new life into a standard-issue pencil case using new Stained by Sharpie^®  fabric markers to create a chic purse.  The good news is you can make too - just follow the steps listed in the D.I.Y. with Domesek blog post!

Here is Erica’s Ad:

Boey

 Cheeming Boey– Known as the “coffee cup artist,” Cheeming’s work has been displayed in galleries nationwide. In his ad, Cheeming demonstrates how a Sharpie Pen and a simple Styrofoam cup can be combined to create something truly inspiring. 

Here is Cheeming’s “Start with Sharpie” ad:  

Rivard

Mark Rivard– Using skateboards as his canvas, Mark’s designs have appeared in sports commercials and viewed in galleries worldwide.  Mark demonstrates how he uses Sharpie Mini markers to create coveted custom boards.

Here is Mark’s “Start with Sharpie”  Ad:

Marirose

Marirose Weldon– At just 15-years-old, Marirose is already penning a name for herself in the music business with the recent release of her debut single, “I Want Love.” Marirose uses Sharpie Liquid Pencils to write her lyrics and show the world what she is starting with Sharpie.   

And finally, Marirose’s “Start with Sharpie” Ad:

Keep an eye out for them in Seventeen, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly and others, where not only can you see fellow Sharpie fans gracing the pages of your favorite publications, but you can also unlock EXCLUSIVE content and videos of each Sharpie project through the QR codes in the ads.    

GET INSPIRED…AND THEN GET STARTED: 

We like the print ads a lot because they show what’s possible with Sharpie and a little imagination.  But even better are the webisodes we created showing how each of our four Sharpie stars got started, not only with their projects but their careers and ultimatley their dreams: 

New Products, Packaging, Web Site and More

Not only are we shining the spotlight on some of our amazing fans and their work but we are also introducing three exciting new products.  You’ll want to be sure to add these to your back-to-school shopping list:  

• Gel Highlighter™:  this year’s back-to-school must-have features gel stick technology that prevents smearing, bleed-through and drying out – and makes highlighting fun with its smooth gel formulation.
• Stained by Sharpie™:  The first-ever Sharpie marker specifically developed for performance on most fabric surfaces. 
• Sharpie^® 80’s Glam: Vibrant, limited edition permanent markers perfect for creating hip, colorful masterpieces.  The collection turns back time with five new colors, chosen by Sharpie’s Facebook fans, including – Argyle Green, Leg Warmer Orange, Jellie Pink, Banana Clip Yellow and Valley Girl Violet.

We have also been listening to you over the past year and are adding new colors to Sharpie Mini (Magenta, Valley Girl Violet, Turquoise), Sharpie Pen fine tip (Turquoise, Coral, Clover, Hot Pink), and Sharpie Liquid Pencil (new barrel colors — Turquoise, Orange, Lime, Purple). You asked for it and now we have delivered!  

Sharpie’s Fresh Face

After 10 years we have taken a hint from Hollywood and given our packaging a facelift.  But don’t worry, the iconic Sharpie logo remains unchanged! The key differences include brighter, whiter packaging, a larger and angled Sharpie logo, and help with product features and benefits that makes shopping for Sharpie — in its multitude of colors, tip sizes and varieties — easier than ever.  Check it out in stores and let us know what you think!  

Another part of Sharpie’s refreshed look for 2011 is a re-designed  website – which can still found at www.sharpie.com.   

The site features a new, more user-friendly community experience that takes the best of what we had and makes it even better! Now, you can:  

• Create your very own Sharpie profile so you can connect to your friends and other fans who love Sharpie, and the profiles have also been enhanced so they have a cleaner, more ‘Facebook-like’ feel to them.
• Navigate Sharpie products in every color and tip size imaginable via an interactive color wheel (it even lets you shop for Sharpie by color – so you can see all the possibilities in, say, the color red.)
• Check out how-to videos and Sharpie fan galleries.
• See everything Sharpie  is up to on all our social sites, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the Sharpie Blog!
•  Create detailed multi-step how-to’s that combine your own user-created videos, images, and text. You can even show which products you used to create it.
•  Issue a Challenge to the community to start something with Sharpie using certain products or tools. For example, who can create the best set of Sharpie shoes, or the best project using only Sharpie Metallic markers.
• Share all the great user submissions and blog entries through an improved Share functionality.
• Greater ability to sort and search for user submissions, how-to’s, challenges, and videos by time submitted, popularity, etc.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GALLERY! 

Be sure to upload images of your Sharpie creations and share with the world via our interactive gallery.  More than 10,000 have already been submitted – we just need YOURS! 

START SOMETHING ON YOUTUBE

This back-to-school season, Sharpie will take its gallery of fan submissions to new heights when for one day, on August 27th, Sharpie stages a takeover of the YouTube homepage, where thousands of images of Sharpie creations will combine to create an interactive mosaic.  For all the details, check out the official blog post here.  

NOW, puuuuulease head on over  to  www.sharpie.com to see it all for yourself! What are you gonna start?! Upload something to the gallery today.

DIY Queen: Erica Domesek

Sharpie fan and fashion fanatic, Erica Domesek, has made a career of transforming expensive fashion trends into doable DIY projects. She sees it, she likes it, she makes it, is her motto.  

Is it any surprise, then, that Sharpie is one of her favorite DIY staples? Sharpie discovered her three years ago and invited her to join the Sharpie Squad, a group of some of Sharpie’s most passionate fans. 

This year, Erica will be featured in Sharpie’s new print ad campaign, along with the standard-issue pencil case she transformed with Sharpie into a ready-for-recess — or the runway — purse using brand new Stained by Sharpie fabric markers. Stained markers are formulated for use on most fabrics and include a brush tip for expressive strokes. 

Erica's print ad featuring her plain jane pencil case turned chic clutch.

This bag may look like something off a New York runway but you can make it your own in a few simple steps, with a few simple items and Sharpie, of course!    

1- Draw the outline details 

 2- Begin shading in top flap  

 3- Continue to fill in, varying the pressure with the markers to create a lighter shades in the bottom corners. 

 4- Use a ruler to create a quilted effect.  Outline with black and begin adding studs. 

5- Place studs where lines intersect, and add stitching detail with dotted straight lines around the interior border.    

6- Mark where the grommets will be inserted.   

7- Cut slits for grommets.  

 8- Insert grommet top and bottom and align together. 

9- Hammer grommets together. 

10- Insert chain through all four grommets. 

11- Use a safety pin to join ends of chain.    

 12-  Add the last touches… a fun tassel on the chain and use Stained markers to create faux hardware that mimics a real clutch.  P.S. Glue a gem to finish it off! 

Et Voila! You’re ready for a night out on the town or a day in class; either way you’ll be stylin’ with Stained by Sharpie fabric markers! Check out more amazing D.I.Y. creations from Erica on her blog, P.S. I Made This… , follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook!

In the news segment, Domesek demonstrates how to DIY a beaded statement necklace,  a fashionable clutch for your iPad using colors from Prada’s runway collection and a Vera Wang inspired belt that doubles as a headband.  

Watch Erica’s E! segment, ”Crafty Transformations” below:

Here are a few of Erica’s projects using Sharpie markers: Kate Spade event, Ready Made magazine. 

You can also find more Sharpie-made projects in Erica’s new book, P.S. -I Made This… 

Adults are not the only ones affected by the recession -kids, tweens, and teens and are too. Jobs are scarce and with the summer months approaching, this is the time of the year when most young adults will be looking for work.

Sure we’ve all had summer jobs before – maybe retail sales of food service was your thing, but due to the lack of jobs, today’s youth is looking at summer vacation as more of an entrepreneur opportunity. “If you can’t find a job, you can create your own” says Steve Mariotti, founder of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship.

The article profiles 5+ young business owners who have taken it upon themselves to make work when they could not find it. One girl in particular, 17yr old Sonika Singh sells hand designed sneakers in her start-up ”Rage Shoes.” Like many of you, Singh uses paints and Sharpie markers to create her designs on sneakers but she takes it a step further and makes a profit from them!

You never know, those Sharpie’d sneakers, denim and backpacks you’re sporting may have potential to earn you some extra cash. Take a tip from the kids in this article and the thousands of others out there and do something! The possibilities are endless.

Are you a young entrepreneur? What are you working on?

Emily shares her design inspiration and snow leopard print project step by step on her blog. Here’s a look at a few of her pics:

Thank you for sharing your amazing Sharpie creation with us, Emily!

Check out Emily’s blog: High on the Tide.

Follow the link to sign up for the newsletter and a chance to WIN!

http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001z3OoPvvb5Bhez89JLPx25Q%3D%3D

Here are a few pictures from the event and of course you can see even more at Kate Spade.

bejewel. bedeck. bedazzel.

picture perfect

Erica Domesek

fashion's movers & shakers

glitz & glam

love these limited edition totes

If you love Erica’s  Kate Spade London tote, she offers a how-to on her site for you to recreate the design. Click here to check it out!

Handing over the mic this morning to Sharpie Intern, Jacque Smith.  A ’09 grad, Jacque majored in PR at Illinois State University with minors in French and International Studies (pretty impressive, eh!?). With a love for new technology and all things social, “Jack-attack” has been helping the team stay on top of new trends and hot topics in the ever-changing social space.

Recently, Jacque had the chance to lead a Q&A with potentially one of our youngest and ever-so talented Sharpie Artists, Miriah Garnett…

Sharpie fanatics would agree: give someone a Sharpie and expect  INKspiration! Read how Miriah Garnett created a stylish design on her sister’s book bag (that got the sister seal of approval), her other Sharpie uses, and Miarah’s advice to other young artists:

Tell me about yourself:

I’m Miriah Garnett, an International Baccalaureate student at North Hagerstown High School. I love to listen to music. It’s a big part of my life. Along with music, I enjoy painting, decorating, doing my nails, scrap booking, reading, texting, and of course shopping.  I am a big fan of R&B, hip-hop, pop, and old school music. I’m a fan of M&Ms, especially the new pretzel kind. I’m a huge Twilight fan. I have read all the books and I am anxiously awaiting the premier of the 4th movie, Breaking Dawn. Some things I don’t like are: stinkbugs (they’re really gross), country music and gory horror movies.

What year in school are you?  Any favorite classes?  Extra-curriculars?

I am in the Eleventh grade. My favorite class is Biology, because I really enjoy sciences and plan to go into the medical field when I’m older. I am involved in the art and scrap-booking clubs at my school.

What inspired you to design a book bag for your sister?

In Kindergarten, it has been a sort of tradition to decorate your tote bag for school, which is something I even did as a kid. So, my little sister Armani (being the girlie girl that she is) wanted a cute design for her book bag. To get some ideas, we went to our local fabric store to look for some pretty prints or designs for some inspiration. We found one that was pink with doodles. Using this design, I incorporated my own twist to it and went all out decorating the whole book bag in this manner.

Of all art supplies, why Sharpie?  What made you choose to customize the backpack with Sharpie markers?

I chose Sharpie because, since my mom is an art teacher, we have always trusted Sharpies to have precise lines and long lasting effects. Sharpies have also always had bright and vibrant colors that I love.

Have you customized any other school supplies or accessories?

I use Sharpie markers to label school supplies and clothes, make card designs, when organizing, to color Shrinky Dinks, to sign t-shirts, and to draw temporary tattoos.

What goes into designing a backpack? How long does it take?

Designing a book bag is actually a very simple, easy, and creative way to design something by adding your own unique touch. In order to design one all you need to know is what you want to create on your book bag and what Sharpie colors you would like to use. Depending on how intricate the design is will determine how long it will take to finish the book bag. The designs could range from flower patterns, to a drawing of your favorite sports team’s logo. The possibilities are limitless.

Dad, Mom, and Armani show off her new, stylish bookbag

How did your sister react to your Sharpie masterpiece?My sister absolutely ♥loved♥ the book bag. It was cute and girlie and was everything she was hoping for. It was definitely something we would not have found in the store.

Top 5 essential items that are always in your book bag:

1. Books (I’ve never gone home from school without books—ever!)
2. My huge, graphing display calculator
3. Different colored pens and pencils, including my Sharpie markers
4. Portable hole punch
5. USB flash drive

Aside from customizing some really cool backpacks, what else do you enjoying doing on your down time?

As I said before , I love listening to music. I am also a big fan of shopping for shoes. Even just shopping in general “floats my boat.” I also love to design and paint my own nails. It’s something I have started doing for a year or two and really enjoy. It’s a different way of expressing yourself.

One last question… are you a fan of Glee or High School Musical? What character do you relate to the most & of all the cast members, who would you most want to design a backpack for?!

I’m a fan of High School Musical! My obsession phase is very much over, but I can still sing any song by heart . I would have to say that of all the characters, I relate to Gabriella Montez the most because of having to transfer to a new school and meet different people. I can also relate to her “nerdy” side because of being part of the IB program. If I could design a backpack for someone, it would have to Sharpay Evans because of her bold and unique style—it is a style within itself.