A: You'll need a photo editing program with a background eraser function. Depending on the program you use, this feature will allow you either to click away the white space or run around the edges of the image to remove it. For best results, use an image with clean outlines, and set the tool to a large size at 100% hardness. When you're done, be sure to save the image as a .png file to preserve the transparency. (If you resave it as a .jpg, the transparent areas will revert to white.)

A: I love to make my own backgrounds! Using the same inks on the focal panel and background is a great way to tie card elements together. Some of my favorite backgrounds have started as happy accidents - they're made from a sheet of cardstock placed under my work to protect my table from inks or paints that are brushed or sponged or spritzed off the edge of a panel. Sometimes I'll 'clean' my ink or watercolor palette by misting the surface and wiping or dabbing it with a piece of watercolor paper. The Wrinkle Free Distress technique is another favorite for starting backgrounds. Once the ink is dry, stamp or stencil, then sponge the edges for a beautiful background panel. You can also layer multiple background stamps with different colored inks, or use the MISTI to stamp a background stamp, then shift it for a shadowed or repeated pattern.

A: A light sanding with a nail file will wear down those little bumps without affecting the holes on the card front. By the way, when I went to research this online, the first article I read said that the raised side of the piercing is the front! Apparently we are all doing it wrong...

A: Photo paper and watercolor paper are verrrry different in their properties... so YES you can use it, but not in place of watercolor paper. Photo paper is made to immediately capture ink and pigment, so once you put color to it, you won't be able to blend it around. I do like using it with watercolor powders, especially the ones that are a blend of different colors. The photo paper takes an indelible 'print' of the inks, which really works well with the dynamic motion of the watercolor powders and makes layering fun. The colors are so vibrant, too. You can also ink up a stamp with dye ink, mist with water, and stamp to the photo paper for a faux watercolor look. Since you have a big stack of it, take some time to play around with it and see what it can do!

A: I did a little research and found that putting the feathers in a plastic bag with mothballs will get rid of mites. To rid the feathers of bacteria and viruses, soak them in a 1:1 mixture of rubbing alcohol and peroxide for at least half an hour. Finally, wash the feathers with a mild hand soap to remove any dirt and oils, and allow them to dry in the sun. For more details, please visit this blog post. Don't forget to share your projects in the gallery so we can be inspired!