Bringing old back to life ...

old stashes of product and old techniques is what I'm referring to! I've tried it with clothes, but that doesn't seem to work for me .... anyway as I was saying .... I'm blessed to have a large variety of products in my studio to play with and blessed to have experienced many classes and retreats over the years taught by some of the best artists and teachers in the industry.

I had a good friend visiting from California this weekend, and we were browsing through some old scrapbooks .... I kept thinking to myself that there were some great ideas and techniques in these books that I haven't used in a long time.

Also, I love Jennifer McGuire's articles in Creating Keepsakes using old tools to make current embellishments ... she's always got some great ideas!

There are so many new products in the scrapbooking/stamping industry being released constantly .... I always love new products ... especially tools (I am a tool junkie) .... but I've decided to challenge myself trying to mix some old product in with the new .... actually attempt to use up some of that nice stash!! And just because you don't see those old products on too many projects anymore, it doesn't mean that they're not still very cool!

Speaking of old techniques ... this is one Tim taught years ago .... but it still remains a favorite of mine. Now with all the new die cuts it just makes it more enjoyable. Out of inventory came silver tape, wood mirror, alcohol inks, used my Ten Seconds Studio tools .... new to the mix were the new Tim Holtz Sizzix dies ....

Its hard to get a photo with all the silver reflection, but you get the idea.

Hope you had a great Memorial Day, and remember to say an extra prayer for all of our soldiers fighting for our country and our liberties, all over the world.

God bless them all!

Enjoy your week.

Preview Days and more ...

I don't remember that last time I got to spend four straight days playing with ink and paper!! It would be sweet if I could pull it off more often ... but I think that might be what they call retirement!

Friday and Saturday were preview days for Creative Escape. This is where the teachers get a practice run through their classes, and the staff and volunteers get to make the class projects ... perfect opportunity to fine tune it all for the CE attendees in August. We make the projects, then they get sealed into a box that will be returned to us at the event. Its all top secret at this point!! But I will tell you there's some pretty awesome projects!!

I get to assist Claudine Hellmuth this year ...... and it just happens that her project was one of my favorites ..... AND I LOVE her paints!!

Finished up preview days at 5 on Saturday evening, and went straight to the airport to catch a 7 pm flight to Oakland. My buddy Bick invited me to a special event at Hero Arts for store owners only.

We arrived at Hero Arts Sunday morning to a box full of new stamp images that were released just this past week ... lots of new fun stuff!! We spent all day Sunday making cards using the new images and all kinds of techniques. The cards were then transferred onto display boards ... which just happen to be on display at Frenzy Stamper ...... and the new images will be in stock at the store very soon, as well.



Saturday night the whole group that attended had dinner at The Boiler Room, which is just down the street from the Hero Arts warehouse. Its housed in an old Ford Motor Company building. This was the coolest restaurant, excellent food, and the old building was spectacular!

Monday morning, back at it making more cards and display boards .... and then a tour through the warehouse. I admire Hero Arts now more than ever .... I've always loved their product, but have a deeper appreciation for them and their efforts in producing their goods in the US, and their efforts in making the product and warehouse more green, doing their part in protecting our environment.

The event ended shortly after noon on Monday and our flight wasn't until 7:30 ... so a quick trip over the bridge into San Francisco. We had dinner at the end of Pier 39 overlooking the bay and Alcatraz. Too bad it was grey, windy and raining ... but how can you not have a great time in Frisco .... a quick tour through Ghiradelli square .... and off to the airport!

What a great time .... thanks Bick for inviting me to tag along!

And now a quick week and it'll be a nice long Memorial Day weekend .... enjoy!!

Catching up ....

Just in time for Mother's Day! Wishing every women out there a very special day .. whether you're the mother of your children, dogs, cats, or fish ... whichever, each and everyone of you are special! Enjoy YOUR day ...

These beautiful amarylis opened up just in time for the occasion. These were my mom's favorite flower. She had them in her garden, lots of them, as far back as I can remember. She would send me to school with bouquets of these for my teachers ... so today my sister and I took a bouquet to the cemetery for her ....

And yesterday I took another fabulous all day class with Julie Haymaker at Frenzy Stamper ... again, if you haven't ever taken one of her classes, you should. She's awesome and the projects are just so dang cute!! This is "Walking Rusty" .. not to worry its my camera, not your eyes, had a hard time getting a clear photo of her .... Julie's got some great classes coming up over the summer at the store ... Call Bick at 480-946-0007 for details ...

And a few simple cards I put together. Its so satisfying to me to grab my box of scrap papers and sit and make cards out of all the scraps ... they don't have to be masterpieces .... just cute and quick ....

So now I color images with my copics whenever I feel like coloring, then when I feel like making cards ... I've got images ready, grab my box of scraps ... and get to making cards!

And no card I make is complete until the inside is decorated as well ....

And last ... I've been wanting, but putting off, getting a smartphone ... I was holding out for an iphone, but just hadn't made the leap yet .... would I use it, do I need it .... but opportunity presented itself and I took the leap ..... its not an iphone but it is a DROID .... and my gosh!! .... what a blast! ... what a smart phone!! ... I haven't quit playing with it since I got it .... and i've still got sooo much to figure out about it!!

Hope your week is awesome ..... mine will be ..... a few days of work, two days of preview days for Creative Escape ... and two days of a special event at Hero Arts! More about all that next week.

Enjoy!