A Tapestry of Life

Happy Holidays!

2011-11-28T11:58:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone had a very nice Thanksgiving!

Its been so long since I posted anything ... spent about 3 months recovering from "the flood" ... but life is back to normal now ... and as awful as it was in the midst of "the mess" .... my home is prettier than ever. A blessing in disguise ... a mandatory remodel ... but its very nice!

This is one of the first projects I made when I finally had a chance to set back down in my room.

I now have an off white 2x3 travertine brick kitchen backsplash and I couldn't have a plain tissue box setting against it ... so I made this cover ... pearl metal with my favorite mold from 10SS, a little black paint and a touch of "gems" and its ready to go ...

Christmas decorations went up this past weekend ....

Don't blink .... that day will be here in a flash!

Very slow progress ...

2011-08-17T11:55:00.001-07:00

I have to admit that clutter is something that makes me a little crazy ... so after a month of living like this .....
.. I've certainly had my moments of insanity! But I pick up the pieces and get back to doing whatever I can to help with any part of this process. The photo above is/was my studio .. the only place I found sanity, but now that the painters have started, there's not too much going in there anymore. They're doing the slow tedious stuff first, so I'm hoping over the next couple days they'll pick up some speed. I can't wait to show you the "after" photos!

And this is the family room ... isn't it lovely! This shows slow progress ... damaged drywall and insulation are being replaced today ... one step ahead of the painters!

This is the living room ... funny thing ... what I miss the most is just having a chair to sit in for a moments rest!
Well back to shuffling stuff to keep out of the painters way!

Happy Day!

A little sidetracked ....

2011-08-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

... just as I was settling into the summer, staying out of the heat and spending more time in my studio, catching up on the abundance of projects that have been begging to be worked on .... I got a little sidetracked ...

NOT by choice ...

July 24, my husband came downstairs around 1 am and stepped into 5" of water covering our entire downstairs floor ... he hollered up to me .... who was still in a deep sleep ..... there's water on the floor ....

oh, really???

Being in the insurance business, we knew just who to call, and Service Master was at our door at 3 am with a crew of workers, blowers, dehumidifiers, and water removal equipment .....

They sucked up the water, removed the baseboards, put the necessary holes in the walls and left us to dry out ....

5 days and lots of heat later .... the blowers and dehumidifiers left ... only to find out that the water had corroded the motherboard on the furnace that controlled the A/C unit ... no wonder it was so hot in the house .... 100 degrees one day with 80% humidity ... pretty bad when its cooler outside than in!!

And this is my pretty kitchen after the blowers left and the hardwood was torn up .... thank goodness we were able to remove the plastic after a few days ...

Good bye beautiful hardwood ......

I'm very thankful that my art studio is upstairs and came through this event untouched ... well, until I have to pack it up for the remodel ...

I'm thankful for Farmers Insurance, who has been fabulous through this, and everyone who has reached out to help us .... I just keep looking forward to a couple (or 3) months down the road when we are whole again ...

The moral of this story is ... know where your main water shut off valve is at all times!!

Stay dry .....

A quickie ....

2011-07-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

... card ... made from some cute new stamps that I found at Frenzy Stamper last week.

Hope everyone is staying cool!

Back to basics .....

2011-05-30T09:52:00.001-07:00

I've had a real urge lately to start again ... back to the basics .... use up old product ... rekindle favorite old techniques .... scrapbook some of the many memories I've been making over the last few years.

I'm tiring of some of the things I've been doing ... and find myself longing to go back to a 12 x 12 pallet .... where each page brings such a satisfaction .... I've been looking through many of my old scrapbooks .... remembering how much I enjoyed the entire process ....

This is the first double spread, 12 x 12 layout I've done in a very long time ...... and it really got me thinking ..... back to the basics.

Have a wonderful week ....

I promised ....

2011-05-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

... so I must follow through.

I was reminded this weekend by an old friend, that it had been a very long time since I posted anything on my blog .... and I had to ask "well, how do you know" ... and she said "because I check it every day" ..... soooo, now that I know someone is actually reading it .... I promised I would post an update ..... thank you, Jennifer! Thats was just the push I needed to get back into it!

And the timing was perfect to have something to share!

I got to experience the Creative Escape preview days this past thursday evening, all day Friday and part of Saturday.

We're sworn to secrecy about everything we saw and heard .... but I will say this ..... IF you are on the fence about signing up to go to the last Creative Escape ..... go ahead and sign up. This will be my fourth year of assisting at the event, and I can say that I enjoyed the classes this time around more than any of my other years! Good projects ... useable projects!

Just before finishing up on Saturday, Bazzil sponsored a door prize .... a drawing .... and here goes my brain .... oh, I don't like drawings, I'm just so unlucky with drawings ... i never win drawings ..... oh, how I wish I could win this drawing ... forget about it, finish your project .... oh, I know that box is full of Bazzil goodness ..... oh, I wish ...... and then I hear ... I don't know how to pronounce her last name, its sharon .... and her eyes go to me .... ME?? Me .... I won??? No way!!!!

Yes, way!! I was one happy girl!

and that box was full ......

of lots of Bazzil goodness .....

Thank you to Bazzil for the special box of goodies ... and the opportunity to work at Creative Escape.

I'll miss it next year .... but you shouldn't miss it THIS year!

I've got all kinds of things to catch up on this blog with .... keep reading Jennifer .... I'll try to be better!!

Tidbits ...

2011-02-27T09:46:00.000-08:00

... of nothing imparticular.

The sky is a beautiful broken china blue with a spattering of white fluffy clouds ... far from the rain, wind and cold temperatures that have been forecast for a week. Our warmer weather is right around the corner.

Tuesday is March, 2011 .... March, 2009 is when I started this blog ... really can't believe that its been 2 years. Time just sprouts wings and flies away .... everyday I tell myself that I need to grab hold of it. My life is pretty simple. I work long hours at our business, have the duties that come along with being a wife and keeper of the household domain, and dance as fast as I can to keep up with a busy life. I enjoy quiet time at home, working in my studio, watching a little tv at night (ie American Idol, Castle, Grey's to name a few .. thank goodness for DVR's) ... and feel pretty blessed. I don't long to travel the world, I don't need to go shopping every weekend, I don't need to be on the go constantly. But sometimes I can't help but wonder if I'm missing out on something, should I want more? But I feel satisfied .... will I wake up one day when I'm old and feel like I missed out on something .... who knows ..... what are your thoughts on this?

Yesterday was a busy day, but one of my normal Saturday stops is at Frenzy Stamper .... there was a Zentangle class going on ... which I swear I'm going to take one day ... love Zentangle .... Debbie brought to my attention a 2 hour class at 3 in the afternoon .... the sample looked pretty cool ... so I jumped on board ..... went home, gathered up a few photos for the class and headed back in the afternoon ..... and I'm very happy I did .....

Joy taught an altered photos transer class ..... here's the results of what I learned ....

The photos here don't do the technique any justice ... they're going to be repeating the class in mid-March ... you locals should check it out ..... fun, inexpensive, very cool results. Call Debbie for details ... 480-946-0007.

Have a delightful week!

Spring is around the corner ...

2011-02-06T16:41:00.000-08:00

.. you can see it and feel it everywhere ... in Phoenix, at least!

After reading Carol Wingert's blog, and seeing her blossoms in bloom, I was inspired to make somthing bloom in my house. I decorated my dining room chandelier at Christmas, and now that all the Christmas decor is gone, it looked so naked .... so I made some miniature roses bloom on it, which is really nice against the rich burgundy drapes that highlight that room ... and the crystal dangles were a Christmas closeout at the French Bee ....

Speaking of closeouts .... thats another delicious thing about Spring being close .... you can get some irresistable deals on winter clothes right now ... its kind of like Christmas decoration closeouts ... you know you won't use them right now, but its hard to resist such bargains for next year! I took advantage of a few "opportunities" this weekend ... now I hope it stays cool for a few weeks longer!

I can tell spring is close too because I am having a hard time concentrating on being creative in my studio. When its so beautiful outside, it just seems I can't sit still in that chair. Thats okay though ... because I know I'll have plenty of time for that in a couple months when its 100 plus outside.

But for now, I'll take advantage of the beautiful outdoors ... which I did this morning. Metta, where I practice yoga, is sponsoring a free yoga class on the center lawn at the Biltmore Shopping Center each Sunday this month at 10:30 am. It was a tad bit chilly this morning when I arrived, but I found a nice spot in the sun. It didn't take long before Jordan had us warmed up very nicely .... there's something magical about doing yoga, outside, on the lawn, with the sun warming you up!

Have a great week!

Those days ...

2011-01-30T18:43:00.000-08:00

Does everyone have those days when you feel like you don't have a creative bone in your body ... and then there are those other days when things just fall into place without a thought and you just love the outcome!

I've been planning this day for awhile now ... all day in my room, working on projects, no interruptions ... I couldn't wait!

But then I couldn't decide what to work on ... I played with this, and then that ... I finished a couple pages in my last heirloom book ... and made this card ..... made another card.

It was an enjoyable day ... any day I get to spend all day, uninterrupted in my room ... is a great day ... whether I get things done or not!

CHA is in the air ...

2011-01-19T17:13:00.001-08:00

.. a very exciting time of the year for all us crafters, artists, hobbyists.

I've had the pleasure numerous times working at CHA in the Advantus booth, the Ranger booth, and many years ago with Timeless Touches. It's a great experience! Many hours on your feet, talking all day until your tongue has a hard time forming words anymore ... but I wouldn't trade a moment of it. It was fun and exciting to be amongst all the new products and tools and papers and "stuff" ... wishing that I could take it all home NOW!!

I've also had the pleasure of going as a retailer with my good friend, Debbie Bick of Frenzy Stamper .... being on the buying side of the counter. As a retailer you get to wander all day amongst the rows and rows and rows of vendors, doing make and takes, looking at all the new product, collecting brochures, trying to remember which row and aisle that one thing was that you wanted to go back and see!

Lots and lots of fun!

This year I won't be attending, but I was invited to make some samples with the new big caligraphy alphabet set from Ten Seconds Studio

I love this alphabet ... so versatile with so many products and applications. Its a large alphabet, but still so versatile .... check it out on the website

I made some personalized Christmas gifts using the alphabet, which everyone was thrilled with, but I failed to take pictures of .... and made these for the Ten Seconds Studio booth at CHA .... Cheryl has been working like crazy on ideas/samples and been posting some of them on the blog. I can't wait to see what she and the others came up with!

I've been sewing since I was 8 years old, so I feel right at home with a needle and thread in my hands ... that was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw these letters. I made a banner with each letter hand embroidered ...

The letters were stamped on tissue paper, colored with pencils and melted into the candles ....

The letters are perfect for embossing on metal .....

This cross is from one of the new, very cool, molds ...... the letters are a new mold too!

The funky flowers background is another new mold .... so fun, so many things that can be done with it ....

All the new molds and alphabet are on the website and available NOW!! And I'm sure that once the craziness of CHA is over, Cheryl and Megan will be posting lots of great Taco Tuesdays and great ideas!!

Here's to a great CHA!!

Sure hope ...

2010-12-26T17:04:00.000-08:00

... that everyone's Christmas was blessed and merry!

It is such a sweet time of the year ... the glisten and glitter of the decorations, reconnecting with family and friends, and the rekindling of spirit that comes with this holiday season!

And then there's always the hustle and bustle, the stress, the anxiety that also comes with this time of the year. That I won't miss!

Now its time to look forward to 2011 ... with new hope, new beginnings, new ideas, new resolutions. I sincerely hope that it brings only the best of everything to each and every one of you.

I've been busy making all kinds of projects ... many were for gifts, so I didn't post photos of them ... and now I realize that I didn't take photos of too many of them!

Now I'm working on samples using the AWESOME calligraphy stamps that Cheryl at Ten Seconds Studio created .... I LOVE them! They're big, beautiful and oh so versatile ... if you haven't ordered one yet ... you should.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy new year!

Maison de Joie .....

2010-12-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

... another fabulous day with Carol Wingert.

I feel so blessed, lucky, privileged to have attended all of her heirloom events this year. Thank you Carol for the energy you put into each one of these events to keep them unique, pleasing and challenging.

I'm going to let the photos tell the story .... and be sure to keep an eye on Carol's blog for her eloquent description of the day!

We arrived at Annette's beautiful house at 8:30 for breakfast. Carol's daughter, Ashley, did an amazing job with the food ...... breakfast was fruit cups, quiches, pumpkin cake ... to mention only a few ....

We gathered our breakfast and made ourselves at home in the resort like backyard ...

After we were fed, it was time to settle in at our places ... this is what we started with ......

at the tables, nestled amongst all the fabulous Christmas decorations ....

Carol walked us through the latest heirloom book ... this one perfect for the holiday season, Christmas white, with some beautifully elegant designs, and a touch of sparkle ......

Carol and our hostesses .... Earlene and Annette .....

The whole lucky group ......

And then before we knew it, it was time for lunch .... more delicious food .....

enjoyed in the backyard ......

and the work continues ......

there were work stations inside and out ...... the weather was a perfect 75 degrees ..

Afternoon snacks ..... chocolate covered popcorn, cookies, hot peach cobbler .... again, to just mention a few ....

Prepared by our cute little chef ......

And the day draws to a close ..... we're happy, stuffed and full of Christmas spirit and joy ......

as we watch the sunset on our perfect day .....

A very special thanks to everyone that made this day possible.

So much to be thankful for .....

2010-11-25T09:55:00.000-08:00

God keeps sending me angels .... i wasn't familiar with that song until I was watching a tv show called "The Defenders", and Jim Belushi started singing it at the end of the show. If you follow the show, it was a touching moment. I did a search on i-tunes and downloaded Kathy Mattea's version of it. Its one of my favorites now ... a song with a message ... check it out!

And speaking of angels .... I can't say that I collect angels, but I keep finding ones that speak to me .... this is my latest addition .... she flows, i love her wings and her spirit ......

On this wonderful day, I've got so many things to be thankful for ... I truly feel blessed ... I know the angels are watching over me!

God bless all of you today and everyday!

The canvas winners ...

2010-11-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

... are being announced tomorrow! Thank each and every one of you for all the donations to this great cause! Be sure to have your ticket numbers available and watch here for the winning numbers to be announced tomorrow ... and be sure and watch the Taco Tuesday!

When things just fall together ....

2010-10-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

... its a beautiful thing! An unexpected invitation brought five women together who quickly bonded, created awesome art, formed great friendships and had a very memorable long weekend.

Here's what happened .....

Cheryl from Ten Seconds Studio invited Terri, Roxanne and I to come enjoy a long weekend with her at her Bra Free Lake House. Carolyn from The Crafty Scrapper in Texas joined us too. Of course, we accepted .... upon arriving at the Lake House, the first thing we saw was the beautiful view from the deck overlooking the lake and inlet.

We then proceeded to turn the house into our art studio. Cheryl has done a grand job at setting this place up with lighting, supplies, table space and all the necessities a group needs for a great get together.

Roxanne volunteered to do all the food planning and cooking .... and she totally spoiled us. We ate like queens ....

This gorgeous creature came to visit every day, but this evening he came right up to us, stayed for awhile (he wanted dinner, I think) and then floated off into the sunset .....

The weather was perfect and we enjoyed many of our meals on the deck ....

enjoying the beautiful scenery ......

We were up early and stayed up very late (or is that early when you're referring to 2 am) creating together and inspiring each other. The slow burn technique that Terri and I learned from Julie Haymaker was a huge hit ... in fact, once we got everyone started with the woodburning it seemed like we were looking for any thing and any shape we could burn and color.

Here's a look at a few of the things we created with woodburning, paints, color pencils, paper and metal ......

And it was impossible to pick a favorite ......

Thank you Cheryl for a very special weekend.

If you're looking for a place to spend a bit of "girl" time, check out the Bra Free lake house or the country house ... I found it rather magical! You can get details on renting either location here

And now I'm off to put the finishing touches on a few of those projects ...

Enjoy your week!

Just a few days left ..

2010-10-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

... to buy tickets for the breast cancer awareness fund raiser at Ten Seconds Studio.

Please help make this fundraiser a huge success .... and pick up a cool canvas along the way!

Go here to make your donation .... 20 tickets for $20 or 120 tickets for $100.

Go here to the October 4th posting to see the canvases. I had the opportunity to see them in person ... they rock!

You can make a difference!

Under the covers ...

2010-10-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

... of the Carol Wingert Bountiful Harvest heirloom book.

Took a little bit of work and time to finish this project, but it was so worth it. Carol and her books are so full of techniques and inspiration!

First, the cover ... antique lace and appliques, the book is made of heavy canvas ..

Gold leafing, a beautiful print on old onion skin paper ....

A collage built on brown velvet ....

An interesting book making technique under "life" ...

Wax coated leaves and a spoon angel to guard the pocket behind her ....

Frogs and more appliques .....

More cool fabrics and trims ......

The last pages ... and a very fun trim on the edge of the back cover that Carol showed us how to make .....

Thanks again, Carol, for an awesome day and another beautiful heirloom book!

I'm off for a long, relaxing, funfilled girls only weekend in Texas!! Pictures next week!

Enjoy your week!!

Its ALL for the girls!!

2010-10-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

Everywhere you look its coming up pink! Without a doubt, its Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Cheryl and Megan Darrow of Ten Seconds Studio is doing a fabulous fundraiser for the cause. I am thrilled to be a part of it, along with Terri Zwicker, Jennifer McGuire, Lisa Pace, Tim Holtz and numerous others.

There are ten amazing canvases that will be auctioned off ... and ALL proceeds go to saving the girls!

Click on the link above to be directed to the photos of the canvases and find out how you can help save the girls !!

Here's a photo of the corner of mine .... I failed to take a picture of the whole thing before it got shipped off .... is it lame if I attempt to win it back ..... because I think its one of the coolest things I've ever made .... and I can't duplicate it because of all the old rusty special pieces that went on it!! Hey, its all for the girls!!

Having two sisters (and numerous friends) that are survivors, this is a cause near and dear to my heart. Please help spread the word to make this fundraiser a huge success.

Click on over to Ten Seconds Studio and help save the girls!!

It's coming fast ...

2010-10-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

... the holidays that is!

Just a quick card I made today .... Copics and Spicas ... you can't see all the glitter, but i can!

Spent the rest of the day working on my book from Carol Wingert's Bountiful Harvest. Its going to take some time to finish that project ... pictures for another day.

Today was ....

2010-09-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

... one of those magical days when I got to spend all day playing in my room. I had plans of getting sooo many things done, but I realize that I work very slowly ... but I enjoy every moment along the way. When I'm working in my room, I'm playing with colors, and digging for embellishments, and staring and looking and searching ... but to me thats all part of the fun and creation.

I managed to get five cards done today .... and I enjoyed every minute!!

All the cards have images on them colored with Copics, lots of Spica glitter, and touches of black soot distress ink.

The design of one of the cards came from this layout that Terri made for me after her last visit to Phoenix. She's great at layers and layers and layers ... and as I was admiring this today .... while I was staring and looking and searching ..... I decided to borrow an idea from this ....

Can you see where the idea came from? Ha ... I didn't realize its almost the same colors until just now ....

Then I had these cute Halloween stamp sets to play with ..... I used the spider web embossing folder and highlighted the "webs" with silver and clear Spica pens ..... I'm not a big Halloween person, but these were pretty fun to make!

I used to have a cool brown distressed background on the side panels of my blog ... it disappeared .... I don't know where it went .... hmmmmm .... plain brown is still brown, so until I can figure out where it went ..... guess that will do!

Enjoy your week!

A Bountiful Harvest ....

2010-09-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

... in so many ways! Thank you Carol Wingert!!

The lucky girls that attended this event have been looking forward to it for a few months now ... and it didn't disappoint at all!! Everything about this event was about fall ... fall colors, decor, food ... and even though we broke a high heat record yesterday at 109, you could still feel the chill of fall everywhere ... it was grand!

Patty has attended the past events held at Carols, and offered to host one at her house. We arrived at Patty's around 8:30 Saturday morning and were shown upstairs to the loft, which comfortably seated 16 working areas.

Carol had a table filled with these darling "cupcakes", seated on a beatiful china pedestal ... she had made and personalized one for each of us. So "sweet" ... yes!

At our place setting was our kit ... housed in this fabulous rusted chest ....

Carol started around 9 with the introduction of what the day would hold ....

Shared with us the amazing technique filled heirloom book that we would be creating .... might I just add that she is incredibly talented!!!

After the introduction we headed to the kitchen for our first feast ... breakfast!

After feeding on croisants and quiche and fruit and all the other delectables we headed back upstairs. Carol presented each of us with our "cupcake" and we introduced ourselves.

Lots of sewing going on .... we each had our turns on the numerous sewing machines ....

The first 4 hours flew by and it was time to head back to the kitchen for lunch .... this is our grand hostess, Patty. She and her husband did all the cooking and cleaning ... what a delight!!

Each meal was presented with a complete menu listing .... lunch was turkey and pork and sweet potatoes with all the special trimmings .... a truly bountiful fall menu. So delicious!!

Patty's home is so pretty ... groups gathered here and there during meals. It was so easy to feel right at home.

Several more hours flew by ... and it was time for dessert! I can't say this was the highlight of the day because there were SO many highlights, but these were a favorite!! Those white balls are balls made of red velvet cake dipped in the perfect icing, held on a stick in the bouquet .. no one wanted to pull them out of the pot, but we all wanted to eat them!

After dessert it was back to the loft and time to start winding down .... the perfect end to a perfect day!!

Carol, you're the best!! I can't thank you enough for the efforts and energy that you put into making these days so special for us lucky ladies that get to enjoy this with you!

I'm off to unpack my goodies from yesterday and fondle my book a bit!

Enjoy your week!

Home again ...

2010-09-12T08:56:00.001-07:00

.... from a week long trip to NY ... not the city, but the beautiful country outside the city.

After resting up from the dreadful "red-eye" flight ... we spent a couple days in Verplanck with Frank's parent. This is where Frank was born and raised .... about an hour outside the city, north I believe. Verplanck is so small, it hasn't made it on the map yet, you still go to the post office to pick up your mail ... but its a beautiful little town on the edge of the mighty Hudson River.

Saturday we joined brother Mike on his new 21' boat for a day on the Hudson. We had light clouds and cool weather when we started out, but by the end of the day, on our way back, we had dark clouds and white caps .... an exciting end to a great day!

Sunday was a family Labor Day picnic in brother John's backyard. Lots of food and family to celebrate Labor Day and Frank's birthday.

Sunday night, after the family gathering, we headed up north to Sleepy Hollow Lake to spend the evening and next day with sister Vicki.

This picture of the Hudson River is taken off the front porch of a historical sight call "Olana"

The property at Olana is gorgeous, perched upon the top of a mountain surrounded by gardens and picturesque views of the surrounding rivers, lakes and mountains.

On my visit to Michigan to visit Dawn and David, Dawn motivated me to start using my good SLR camera, instead of my tiny convenient pocket camera .... so I was playing with it on this trip attempting to capture some of the beauty around Olana.

Monday afternoon was spent at Sleepy Hollow Lake on sister Vicki's pontoon boat. Another beautiful place!

As many times as I've been to New York with Frank to visit his family, I've never spent anytime in the city. Someday I'll get there and enjoy Broadway and the food and all the sights the city has to offer .... but its hard to tear away from the beauty the rest of the state has to offer.

But now we're back home ... back to work ...... and hopefully back to some studio time.

Next Saturday is another day with Carol Wingert to make the latest heritage book ... i can't wait. Pictures, next weekend.

'till then ... enjoy every day!

Creative Escape 2010

2010-08-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Another great Creative Escape behind us ...

I'm resting up today from a very busy and fun filled three days.

Thursday was the Technique Boutique. All afternoon the attendees get to visit with the teachers at the trunk show, and go table to table collecting handouts, and making projects that they'll need for some of the classes. These projects are ones that take a little more time or explanation than what regular class time allows.

I worked at the table making organza and tulle flowers for Heidi Swapp's class.

Friday morning we arrived in our classroom for the AV set up at 7 am .... we set up and organized the classroom .... watched as the attendees lined up outside each of the classrooms for when the party began at 8 am sharp! All day Saturday is another round of classes.

This year I had the great pleasure of working with Claudine Hellmuth.

What a sweetheart, she's funny and knows more about paint than anyone I've ever met.

In class, she taught nine painting techniques which were then mounted on a canvas for display.

The Scrapbooks Etc store, on location at the hotel, was constantly packed with people and products to buy.

Everyone seemed very happy with the mix of teachers, classes, food, and hotel ..... if you've never been, you should definitely consider it for next year .... I'll see you there!

Have a great week ....

Hello ....

2010-08-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say "hi" to anyone reading this.

Life has been fast paced recently and I haven't had much time to spend in "my room". I call it my room because I always feel odd calling it a studio since I don't really consider myself an "artist". My room is where I go when I need a bit of sanity though, and today I plan on spending some time in there.

I taught a beginner Copic class at Frenzy Stamper yesterday. Thanks to all the ladies that took part in it. I love this class, watching the addiction to these things take over ... makes me so happy to see others partaking in my pleasure!

Getting excited about Creative Escape this coming week. Being a volunteer, I get to experience the excitement these ladies feel as they go through all the planned activities, classes, sharing the event with their best buds ... its great fun and motivation!

The day to day buzy-ness at work everyday remains constant. I thank God everyday for allowing us to weather the economic storms of the last few years easier than so many others out there.

Yes, we all have our real life things keeping us busy .... kids heading back to school, grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, repairing, maintaining ..... and speaking of all that, I'd best get busy or I'll use up the little bit of time I might have today to spend in "my room".

Have a great week!

A quick glance ...

2010-08-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

.... into a most delightful week.

I arrived in Wisconsin late Sunday afternoon, after an uneventful flight, just in time for brats for dinner.

First thing we did was head down to Terri's basement to figure out what projects we were going to start on. Cheryl from Ten Seconds Studio asked both of us to make a canvas for the fundraiser she does in October benefiting breast cancer research. Of course we accepted and that was our first task to accomplish. Keep watching 10SS blog for details on the fundraiser ... here's just a teeny piece of our canvases in their beginning stages.

Canvases complete ... now for our woodburning projects. These were to keep us busy on the ferry ride across Lake Michigan.

Tuesday Morning we packed up our bags, our wood burnt pieces and we were off to Ludington, Michigan to visit Dawn and David.

We colored all the way across the lake .....

Dawn and David met us at the dock and we headed straight to the local brewery in downtown where we had dinner on the patio and a few great local beers.

If you're ever traveling to Ludington, Michigan be sure to stay at the Viking Arms Inn ... Dawn and David are the best of hosts. Dawn had a bag of local goodies (i.e. fudge, chocolate, honey, postcards, maple syrup to mention a few) waiting for each of us .... and I must add that they've got some of the most comfortable beds for their guests!

Next morning we were up early ready to hit the town. We spent the day strolling the little shops downtown and checking out the locals ....

and the self portraits on the beach ....

Thanks Dawn and David for such a fabulous time!

Next morning it was time to get back on the ferry and return to Appleton. We had things to color, but we were more interested in napping on that leg of the trip, so the colored pencils stayed packed away .... until we got home .....

Then it was back to the basement .... the woodburners and colored pencils came out again ...

Here's a few pictures of what we did ....

And meet the girls ......

Good times with great friends!!

Creative Escape 2010

2010-08-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's less than a month away ... and rumor has it there are a few spaces that opened up due to last minute cancellations. This event is usually sold out very early on, so if you've been looking for something special to wrap up your summer with .... this is your chance to jump in ....

here's a few details .... don't wait .... just do it!

Don't miss the ultimate scrapbook indulgence hosted by Bazzill Basics Paper and Heidi Swapp, in Arizona, Aug. 26 – 28, 2010.
Bring a friend and enjoy:
* Ten classes taught by some of the industry’s greatest teachers.
* Products from fabulous scrapbooking sponsors who love the legacy of scrapbooking.
* A chance to trade projects and goodies with CE friends in the beautifully decorated Provo Craft Swap Room.
* A place for inspiration and ideas with the girls in the wild and crazy House of 3 Crop Room.
* Delicious gourmet meals and decadent surprises.
* A chance to participate in fundraising-fun with teachers past and present and the ScrapMap Cruise team… all supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
For more information, visit www.creativeescapeaz.com. Register now!

See you there .... I'll be with Claudine!!

Just got back from a fabulous week with Terri, and Dawn and David in Michigan .... what a blast ... sorting through the 750 pictures that all of us took ... I'll find a few good ones and be posting them soon.

Leaving on a jet plane .....

2010-07-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

... heading to Wisconsin, for a whole week, to visit Terri!

Leaving my dh behind to take care of everything.

We've got big plans this trip ... actually venturing out of her basement .... we've got some canvasses to make .... for something special coming up at Ten Seconds Studio ... we're taking a ferry ride (on a big ferry) across Lake Michigan to Ludington to visit Dawn and David at their Inn .... we're gonna have some fun ... and its going to be cool (as in less than 112 degrees) ... I hear they're getting lots of rain too .... I'll see if I can bring any of that wet substance home with me!!

I'll bring back pics .....

Catching up ...

2010-07-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

... or trying to, at least!

Seems like the world is just spinning at a rate faster than we can keep up, just hang on ... its a crazy ride!

Haven't had much time to sit and be creative lately, but I still have that need for a little solitude in my studio. So whenever I can grab a few minutes, I color. I always have stamped images at hand and I grab some copics and I color. Its quick, its satisfying and a great stress reliever ... even if its just for a few minutes .... and then when I do have some creative juices flowing I've got images all ready for some quick card making.

We qualified for Farmers Toppers Club this year. Its a three day event once a year, held in different locations around the United States. Throughout the year you have to reach many requirements in every part of our business to achieve this opportunity. Its not easy, but with lots of hard work and determination, its achieveable!

This year we experienced the Lost Pines Resort in Bastrop, Texas ... just a ways outside of Austin. The resort was beautiful, our business meetings informative, and a alot of fun re-connecting with many of our business associates that we only get to see once a year at these events.

There is lots of acreage around the hotel where you can wander ... this was taken in the "butterfly garden" .... and I just kept wondering how the butterflies know how to come to this spot?? But they seem to .....

And the mighty Colorado River borders alot of the property ....

The last evening is the awards banquet and dinner. At the cocktail party I was mezmerized by these two beauties .....

This lady looks to be a stone statue, but then she starts to move to music, so gracefully ....

And this lady ... yes, the plant is a lady .... she's on stilts wrapped in these vines ... and if you look very closely, you might see her gorgeous face peaking out .... she wandered the hall with such grace in her movements ......

Its been a warm 112-115 in Phoenix this past week, with humidity higher than or normal. But, hey, it happens every year ... we've got lots of air conditioned opportunities .....

I'm off to the next adventure of life ... hang on ... have fun!

Just another day ...

2010-06-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

Hello ... it is another beautiful day ... remember to laugh often ... its good for the soul!

We have long time family friends visiting from Germany for a few days. A big family get together this afternoon.

I was able to complete my French Marketplace book yesterday, photos and all ... this is the page that came in the jar ...

This book is loaded with techniques ....

Love the canvas bag ...

The flags are stitched, and distressed and crackled and shiny with glossy accents

Printed on linen ...

Fabric flowers and chalkboard paint on chipboard ....

and there's a piece of chalk in the canvas bag, so we can erase and change the chalkboards!

Enjoy your week .... looking forward to a long 3-day weekend celebrating the 4th of July!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T09:07:00.001-07:00

Lots of Dads out there being treated extra special today ... enjoy it!!

Last month the Creatologie kit was a "HE" book .... this is definitely one of my favorites to date. Unique in the stitching and design ... got it all put together, complete with photos, just in time for Father's Day. I couldn't decide the best way to photograph it ... none of them do the book justice ... but you'll get the idea ...

Have a great week!

Welcome to the French Marketplace

2010-06-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

Another fabulous event at Carol Wingerts ...

Twelve lucky women gathered at Carols last Saturday to begin the process of building her latest heirloom book. This was the entry into The French Market Place ...

The presentation of the kits and place settings where almost too pretty to touch .....

But we did break into them .... this is the almost finished cover to my book.

Since this event was in June, in Gilbert, everyone assumed it would be too hot to sit outside, so the tables were moved indoors. But to everyone's amazement, the weather was a perfect 92 degrees ... almost underheard of for a Phoenix summer! Carol had the couches set outside with numerous workstations. It was a perfect day!

The food was fabulous .... we were fed and catered to all day by Carol's lovely daughter, Ashley.

And we definitely had an opportunity to pick up our favorite embellishments at the marketplace!

Thank you Carol for another fabulous day. You are so full of inspiration and talent!

Bringing old back to life ...

2010-05-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

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 ...

2010-05-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

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 ....

2010-05-09T17:34:00.001-07:00

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!

Copic Certification

2010-04-25T13:06:00.001-07:00

Last Monday, Debbie Bick and I went to the certification class put on by Copic. This is where you spend the entire day with the "pros" of copic markers, learning everything you ever wanted to know about the markers, and lots of techniques!

What a great day ... information and coloring all day long!!

This is Marianne Walker ... giving us some tips on depths and transparency ...

If you're into Copics, be sure to follow Marianne's blog

She's an amazing artist, and the blog is full of in depth tutorials.

Keep your eyes open for some Copic classes at Frenzy Stamper ... and .... Debbie will have the air gun system set up at the store very soon!

Greatest of intentions ...

2010-04-17T10:10:00.001-07:00

I had ... to put the rest of the photos up of Terri's trip .... and then time escaped me ... once again .... but here's how the rest of the week played out ...

As you all know, once you start redecorating a house, it never stops where you thought it would ... it's like a big vine, it just keeps growing and getting bigger and bigger ... what started as the corner of the living room, managed to creep through the entire house. It became one big work in progress through the entire week

The individual photo frames all over the den became a wall display ...

Making space for the rest of the room to be decorated with this very cool collection of ceramic pieces ... these are just the candle holders .... you've really got to see the rest of the pieces to truly appreciate the entire collection ...

Toward the end of the week, we managed to put the finishing touches on the living room ....

Then it was into the master bedroom, we added this gorgeous beaded trim to the bottom of the drapes and liked it so much .... we got out distress inks, re-inkers and perfect pearls and went to work on the plain off white lamp shades ....

I've always loved my house, but ever since we moved into it 5 years ago, I've always wanted to add all the special little touches that we accomplished this week .... now, its perfect!! It truly was a special project, shared by special friends!!

But wait ... we weren't done ..... still had to finish up the alphabet canvases .... LOVE how these turned out!!!

And our last adventure was the Controlled Burn class at Frenzy Stamper with Julie Haymaker. If you've never experienced one of Julie's classes, you really should sign up for the next one ... she's an awesome teacher with some very cool and unique projects.

And we finished with a big high 5 ... for a class project well done and a week full of fun!!

the next day ....

2010-04-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

... we pretty much decided to stay home, start a couple projects we had been planning. This is where we started .... a project we wanted to work on together, that we had been contemplating for about 3 or 4 years .... it started here ....

Progressed to this ...

We texturized the canvases with stucco and used lots of gorgeous colors .... Claudine Hellmuth's paints ... they're beautiful!!

We played with this project all week long .... scouring through every corner of my studio looking for the perfect embellishments ... making a list of the items we needed to find .....

But in the meantime we were also working on another project. We planned to redecorate my living room while Terri was here ... i had some basics, and collected a few things here and there, but, again, it was something we wanted to do together .... so we started with this ....

As the week progressed .... we hit a few antique stores ... and almost every Hobby Lobby in the city ... we are fortunate to have six of them now!! And we continually hit the jackpot .... oh do they have some great collections! It slowly started to take shape ....

But wait ... there a just a few more items we need to hunt down .....

Priceless ....

2010-04-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

Such a satisfying week .... spent with a dear friend ... doing the things we enjoy ... just sharing the moments ..... here's where we began ....

Saturday morning started with a pedicure at the Alvadora Spa at the Royal Palms Resort. If you haven't ever experienced this place, you really should, especially this time of the year when the flowers are blooming everywhere!

We had a delicious lunch while we were getting our toes all prettied up for sandal weather, then wandered the grounds ...

Decided Greta should get married here, in the wedding garden ... well, in 15 years or so when she's old enough ..

Couldn't resist hanging out here for just a bit ...

And whats a trip to Scottsdale without going to Sprinkles?!

And then ... what stamp store has this awesome fountain right in front of it .... Frenzy Stamper, of course!! It wasn't too hard to spend alot of time and $$$ in there ...

Then we hit 7th Ave ... Melrose, Paris Envy, Rust and Roses, and lots of little antique stores ..

Day one was full .... and fun .......

Two peas in a pod ..

2010-03-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

... thats what we are! Terri and I .... ever since we met in 2002. We met working a scrapbook show in Mesa for Club Scrap, and we've been best of friends ever since.

She arrived Friday evening ... and i had every intention of recording each day with photos posted here, but we've been going 100 mph since she arrived ... thank goodness she's taking pictures ... because I keep forgetting!

We browsed through my scrapbooks yesterday morning .... a real walk down memory lane! It really reminded me why I love making scrapbooks full of photos AND journaling. There was so much detail information in the journaling that we might have otherwise forgotten .

We're making amazing stuff! Hitting lots of antique stores! Running here and there ... and having a blast!

I'll eventually get around to posting some photos ... but for now ... well, we've got big plans for today!!

An afternoon in Paradise!

2010-03-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

A walk on the beach ... or a horseback ride .... both accomplish the same thing for me .... a complete mental cleansing.

I used to own horses, and do alot of trail riding, but that was in another life. I haven't had the opportunity to go riding for awhile. But a friend called me last month .... said she had gotten some discount coupons for Cave Creek Outfitters ... 50% off on a two hour ride!! I was all over that one.

The first two times we had the ride scheduled, we got rained out .... but this time ... the weather was perfect! So worth the wait .... 75 degrees, a nice breeze, sunny skies ... and a desert green and blooming!

Such a great time ... and I'm not even sore today!! Well, except for where my leg got a little too close passing a cactus ... but I got all the needles out!

Jake was a great ride ... he likes to rub his belly on scrub brush ... I could always tell when he was "eyeing" a good one ... and had to direct him the other way!

The desert is a beautiful place!

Enjoy your week!

Nuances de Printemps

2010-03-09T07:28:00.001-08:00

Hmmm, I don't know what that means actually ... but it sure was a good time!

My friends, Tiffanie, Linda and I headed to Carol Wingerts this past Saturday morning for this event. We were greeted at her front door with this ....

We were there to experience a special day creating one of her heirloom books in the quaint surroundings of her backyard paradise.

We stepped onto the patio where Carol had place settings for 15. Each setting had this fabulous metal tin filled with antique and new buttons, lace, findings, flowers, trims ... all the makings for a fabulous book. The center pieces on each table held alot of her own personal stash items and trims that we could pick from as well.

We started the morning with homemade pastries and breads, fresh coffee, hot tea ... fresh tulips and the eiffel tower. Later in the day we had salad and pasta for lunch, and the afternoon was full of some of the yummiest cookies ever!!

We each had a darling handmade flower for our name tag.

Carol gave us an overview of her book, and some instruction on making some florals and other embellishments that went into the book. Then we just started creating ..... it was awesome!

Carol had a little shopping area set up for us as well .... she knew we all love to shop and we were all so inspired. We all walked away with a bag full of treasures to add to our books, as well as recreate another!

Here's the whole group that attended .... from Virginia, Texas, California and Arizona.

Thank you Carol for a fabulous day, for opening your home to all of us and sharing your amazing creativity and talents!

New metal, New molds!!

2010-02-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

A couple days ago ... the sunset glowing on the head of Camelback Mountain .. this is the view out of my studio ....
Today ... the same view ..... the perfect day to stay inside and play ...

Metal was a good choice today! I recently received a gift from Ten Seconds Studio of all the new molds and metal colors .... Wow! They're awesome!!! Thank you Cheryl ...

So this is what I did today ... the base is a great 9x9 shadow box that Debbie Bick carries at Frenzy Stamper. The shadow box is covered in black metal embossed with the new mold that looks like draped fabric, or burlap, lightly sanded. Each of the squares on top are 4 layers of chipboard glued together, then covered in different colors of metal, embossed with the new mold that has the poem written by Geoff Darrow.

The Butterfly is a set from Cuttlebug that cuts the butterfly, then has the embossing die with it; 4 different embossings. Each butterfly has a little different body containing rhinestones, stickles, sequins, or other little findings.

The complete view ....

And then, is a day complete, without a little copic coloring?

Enjoy your week!

New Stamps!

2010-02-21T12:11:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this little girl just make you laugh? I couldn't wait to color her with Copics! Debbie at Frenzy Stamper brought in this new line of stamps that she discovered at CHA. They're from a company called Unity.

I fell in love with the packaging ... very natural looking and brown! They're wood mounted with a unique twist to them ... stop by the store and check them out ...

The distressed dots on the background of this card is one of the new ones too ... they stamp really nice!
These flowers in the vases are a new one from Unity, as well. Another image I couldn't wait to color with Copics! I'm working on the technique of coloring glass and water ... its challenging to get the transparent look of the glass and water just right, with the shadowing. This is a perfect stamp to practice with.

And for my Club Scrap friends ... this IS the year of completing projects ... these cards are from a card set that came in the Stratosphere kit, back in April, 2007. Not that I'm a little behind ... but like I said, this IS the year to work on these projects! There's that distressed dot background again ....

Hope you're enjoying what is probably our last "winter" weekend this year. I was supposed to go horsebackriding today, but we got rained out ... rescheduled for next weekend when the sun will be shining!

Have a great week!

NEW Distress Inks ....

2010-02-17T16:41:00.000-08:00

... are in at Frenzy Stamper! Call Debbie at 480-946-0007 .... she ships! Don't forget the refills too!

Creative Escape 2010

2010-02-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

Sign ups for the lottery to attend this event are happening right now! They'll start drawing names on February 15.

Don't miss out, its quite the experience!

Check out the information here

http://www.creativeescapeaz.com/

What an event! Great teachers, great hotel and great location!

This will be my third year as a volunteer at this event, and I'm so excited to be a part of it. Wonder who I'll get to assist this year. First year was Tim Holtz, second year was Carol Wingert ... this year could be Claudine Hellmuth, Jessica Sprague, Pam Black ... just to mention a few ..... what fun!!

Five Fingers and more

2010-01-31T18:47:00.000-08:00

Well, not really fingers .. they're toes! Yes, these are my new shoes, or slippers actually. Weird, yeah, I know ... but comfortable!! I discovered these over the weekend .... they're called Vibram Five Fingers. These are soft leather, beautiful purple (yeah, Debbie, i know you're jealous!), and intended for inside use. But the Classic design has a sole designed for walking, running, hiking, kayaking .. all kinds of outdoor use.

I'm into yoga. 2, 3, 4 times a week ... love it. We work our feet, alot. There are lots of studies on how healthy feet make for healthy bodies. These shoes are like walking barefoot, allowing your feet and toes to work naturally.

If you want to find out more about them ... check out the website here ... http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ ... or try them on at Fitness West in Tempe, 209 E Baseline, Suite 108. They're getting a new shipment in on Wednesday ..... i'm keeping my fingers (toes) crossed for a pair of classics in my size!

This is what the sole looks like ... tricky taking a picture of the bottom of your foot! Hmmm, wonder if CSI would confuse these with real toe prints??

And then I did something today that I haven't done in a long time. I made a simple scrapbook page. As I was working on this I found myself thinking how fun it was to just go back to the basics. Used up some old product, threw in some new product, didn't worry about it being a "masterpiece" ... just wanted it to tell a story.

Saturday, February 20th, I'm teaching a Copics and Cards class at Frenzy Stamper, 3:30 to 6. Call Debbie at 480-946-0007 for more details.

Enjoy your week!

Tornadoes? Rain?

2010-01-22T05:18:00.000-08:00

I live in the desert ... I'm not even sure I spelled tornado right .... and rain, well that is a scarce and beautiful thing. But last night ... we had a storm pass through the valley that has already gone down in the history books as one of the worst storms to ever hit Phoenix and the state of Arizona!

Around 5 pm, the governor of the state issued some emergency status, the airport was shut down for several hours and lots of flights were cancelled ... i only remember that happening once before when the temperature outside hit 122, and they were afraid the tarmac at the airport would melt the rubber on the planes tires .... and the wind proceeded to blow harder than I've ever seen. There were two tornado warnings issued, but thankfully never were confirmed to be tornadoes.

And the rain ... in many places we had 4" of rain fall .... thats more than we usually get in a year. Yes, things are a bit saturated this morning!

And snow .... lots and lots of it up in the mountains.

Being in the insurance industry .... I'm hoping we didn't loose too many roofs last night!!

But I love this kind of weather ... it refreshes and revitalizes me ..... just in time to head off to CHA tomorrow! Can't wait to see all the new and exciting things!!

Photos of the fun stuff .... next week

I love picture frames ..

2010-01-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

.. full price, half price, bargain frames ... i just love cool picture frames ... and then follows the hunt for the perfect photo to compliment the frame.

But, I have to admit, there's nothing better than searching the closeout aisle at Hobby Lobby, or the markdowns at TJ Maxx, and finding the perfect frame, preferably marked down to a mere pittance, that can be painted, further distressed, covered with paper, or embossed with metal .. so you get the picture. Terri, my idol, is the master of turning the ugliest frame you could imagine into a piece of art!!

In my last post, I mentioned that I found a great deal on some very nice frames. They started out purple and chartreuse. I like to wear those colors, but I'm not so fond of them on picture frames.

So I spent the day today, retooling them a bit ... cuttlebug embossing folders with metal .. and thanks Dawn and David for making it even easier!!

... and the best part is .. the templates fit so perfectly into their spots, that I didn't have to permanantly adhere them, so I can redo the design and/or the color any time I'd like!

Now the hunt starts for the perfect photos!

Took a break ...

2010-01-09T16:43:00.000-08:00

... and didn't even mean to!! Whoooooosh, and two weeks went by!!!

The only creative thing I've managed to get done since Christmas is this:

Happened upon some great frames ... with bright purple and green fabric inlays ... marked down to next to nothing. I grabbed everyone they had, as all I could see was embossed metal inserts in place of the fabric. I cut out chipboard pieces, covered them with metal, embossed with cuttlebug embossing folders, and slipped them into the space covering up the fabric. Love how it came out!

I hope everyone's new year .. and new decade ... is everything you want .. and need .. it to be!!

The morning after .....

2009-12-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

A bittersweet relief .... sad to see the joy of the holidays pass by again, happy that the hustle and bustle is complete for another year. I hope everyone had a fabulous time with family and friends and had at least one very special moment, near and dear to them!

I certainly did. I was working on a very special project the last couple weeks before Christmas, totally stressed trying to get them done in time. Couldn't share it until now because I didn't want to take any chances of spoiling the surprise!

My mom passed away September of 2008, and my sisters and I spent a good part of 2009 sorting through her belongings and getting her house in order. I was able to quietly gather up enough of her clothing, the pieces that we all recognized and remembered, to make a couple quilts.

Yes, they look like the "quilts of many colors" that don't particularly match, but they are beautiful to us. They hold years and years of great memories!
All bundled up with love ....
We cried, we laughed ... very special moments!

I only wish she'd had a larger wardrobe so that everyone in the family could have one .. but I'm sure these will be passed down for many generations.

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

Wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas surrounded with family, friends and everything special to you. May God bless everyone with a happy, healthy, prosperous and blessed New Year!!

Here's the last Christmas project for this season ... a dimensional tree, all done with Ten Seconds Studio metal, all glittery and full of sparkle (that you can't see in the photo) .... now we're onto planning and cooking the big meal, wrapping presents and tying up all the loose ends for this holiday season.

Have a very merry and bright one!!

Wish I could make time ....

2009-12-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

... Like i make dinner, (thanks Terri for putting that idea in my head) because there just isn't enough of it to go around during the holidays! Everyone is feeling the pinch. Don't we all wish we had the time to bake all our holiday special recipes, to check out all the beautiful holiday displays and special shows, to really enjoy the shopping trips to pick out the perfectly special gifts for friends and family .... yes, its all about having the time to really enjoy the special moments of the holiday season!!

My hat goes off to the working moms, who have children at home, and that have to keep up with all the demands of the holidays. I don't know how you do it except with the help of an angel or two!!

I've been spending alot of time working on a very special project, which I'll post about when its done .... a true labor of love!

Through the hustle and bustle of the season, I hope everyone has a little time to just sit back and enjoy their families, friends and many blessings!

Are you ever guilty ....

2009-12-06T07:52:00.006-08:00

... of not seeing what's right in front of you?

I love leaves, fall colored leaves .. on trees. I love fall colors .... I travel to Wisconsin, New York and into Northern Arizona to see fall colored leaves on trees. They're beautiful.

But this week I opened my eyes and this is what I saw right next door to me ...
I've lived in my home for almost 5 years now. I've noticed these trees before, but never really paid attention to them. But last weekend, the sky had a patchwork of clouds with sun shining through and it brought a beauty to these trees that I had never "seen" before. They looked like they were on fire they were so aglow .... unfortunately I didn't have my camera in hand at that moment, but it sure got my attention. Now, I see these trees everyday and admire their beauty.

Take a look around you, is there something you're missing? Look at the distant landscape, the close landscape ... do you take the mountains for granted, the sunsets? How about the people that surround you ... when was the last time you took a moment to really appreciate your wife/husband, your parents, your siblings? kids? pets?

In these busy and trying times .... we sometimes forget just how fortunate and blessed we are.

Take a moment and look ......

Nothing better ....

2009-11-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

.. than a long weekend full of family, friends and fun ... and getting lots accomplished!

A little shopping on Black Friday ... just can't say no to some of those opportunities ... a new Christmas tree and decorations up on Saturday .... and studio playtime on Sunday.

When I saw this stamp at Frenzy Stamper on Friday, i just had to color it with Copics! And when I saw the "whatever ..." stamp ... well ... they just went together at the moment. It just makes me laugh!

Happy Cyber Monday!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

2009-11-26T05:26:00.001-08:00

Through good times and bad, we all have so many things in our lives to be thankful for!

I wish everyone the most fabulous day, spent with loved ones, with plates full of food, and a day to focus on everything good.

May God bless each and everyone one of you!

Discover Copics!

2009-11-19T10:56:00.000-08:00

I'll be teaching a basic class using Copic markers at Frenzy Stamper, Wednesday, December 2 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Come play with me! Get a Copic in your hand and discover why everyone is falling in love with them!

They are great for making your Christmas cards and gift tags!

For more details or to sign up ... call Debbie at 480-946-0007

One happy dog!

2009-11-13T10:13:00.001-08:00

Two happy dogs .... especially when they get to go for their walks! Every morning they give us the "look" with those big dark eyes .... sitting, staring, waiting for the sign that we're heading out.

Now Wesley is 14 1/2 years old, and his eyesight and hearing isn't quite what it used to be. But he still loves to go for walks, but he was spending more time sniffing every tree and bush along the way than he, or we, were walking ... so here's how we resolved that issue! We got him a pet stroller ... best thing ever!! (thanks Claudine Hellmuth for that link) Wesley took to it without any issue at all. Now he walks a little, rides alot, walks a little more ... and he's happy as can be .... and now we're all getting better exercise.

Great class!

2009-11-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

I took a class with Zana Clark from Stamp Zia on Thursday evening at Frenzy Stamper. A couple friends who are quite familiar with her products highly recommended her .... and I'm so glad I did.

This is what I made. We started with watercolor paper, and applied numerous of her products, in layers, to create this look.

She's demo-ing at the Mesa Stamp show today, if anyone is heading out there.

Check out her products .... they're pretty cool!

Practice, practice, practice ....

2009-11-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

After watching demonstrations, for years, at CHA ... knowing full well that I could get totally hooked ..... I finally caved and started my own collection of Copic markers .... and I'm loving them!

The easy flow, the blendability, the beautiful colors .... yep, I'm hooked!

Here's one of my first efforts ......

I have to thank Debbie at Frenzy Stamper for bringing them into inventory ... makes it much easier to feed my addictions!

And speaking of addictions ..... SPICA pens! Spica pens are high quality glitter pens .... they're like Stickles with precision! They are part of the Copic marker line and go hand in hand with them ... many beautiful colors! Debbie was so nice to bring the entire color line of Spicas into inventory too!

These pens just color my world!

Happy Days!

2009-11-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

A very busy, productive weekend .... my favorite kind!

Frank was busy playing golf, watching ASU football, and the Yankees ... he's a die hard Yankee fan from growing up watching them as a little boy. He's hoping they finish off the world series tonight!

I was busy making this ....

Its a plain little wood chest that I got at Hobby Lobby when I was in Wisconsin. Its covered with 10SS pearl metal, highlighted with Rangers dimensional pearls acrylic paint, which gave it a very cool marbled effect. There's close to 180 smokey topaz gems on it ... and it just sparkles in the light! The drawers have cork lining on the bottom and distressed papers on the sides.

And of course the back has to be pretty too ...

And my Copic markers and 10SS tools fit perfectly in the drawers!

Frenzy Stamper has Copic markers in stock now!! If you haven't played with them yet ... oh, yeah, you really should try them out!

Hey Phoenix people!! Do you know that we now have two more Hobby Lobby's that are having a grand opening today?? One is on Cactus and Tatum, the other Ray and I-10 .... both, much closer to me than the others!! I won't tell you how many times I've been to the one on Cactus and they've only been open a week!! Oh, I'm in trouble!

Have a great week!

Watch out for the ghosts and goblins!

2009-10-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a ghoulishly happy halloween!

Click on this link for a special FREE offering from Jessica!

JessicaSprague.com. Grow Your Skills.

Absent, but having so much fun!

2009-10-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

Before I tell you what I've been doing ... a quick update on Erin. She's going to physical and speech therapy still, but doing great! She's slowly regaining her strength and getting her life back in order.

Me .... I just got back from a week with Terri. I can't even tell you how much fun we had and how special it was! First of all, she has this basement that would be an envy for any artist. When I'm there, we rarely leave the basement. Her husband knows this and her children know this. We come up only for meals and the bathroom. And what a sweetheart her husband was over the weekend ... making all our meals ... and just hollering down the stairs when it was time for us to come up and eat.

I arrived Thursday early afternoon .... we made a quick stop at our favorite shoe store before heading home to start our first project.

We made our version of a class from the Club Scrap retreat earlier this month

The next morning we headed down to the basement in our jammies with coffee cups in hand and started designing what was supposed to be a big metal project. Throughout the day it took many shapes and changes .... a 360 degree turn and it became this. The frame is 22 x 28, and this photo does it no justice. Its cork background ... the words are distressed grungeboard and chipboad, embellished with rusty objects, woven trim and metal squares. If I had a suitcase big enough to hold this, there would have been a battle over who was going to keep this piece! But sweet Terri sent me home with the ingredients to make another!

That evening we added photos and embellishments to my most recent Carol Wingert book. I love leaves and autumn colors, so its full of photos that remind me of just that.

Next morning, back to the basement in our jammies with coffee cup in hand. Today we decided to play with wax. We played, experimented, added, deleted, re-designed .... and ended up with these creations.

Next was a project from the Farmers Market kit .... a magnetic board .... and here's what we did with it ...

Next morning, back to the basement in our jammies with coffee cup in hand ... decided to work with metal today ... We made the frames out of foamboard, covered them with dictionary paper. distressed them and went to work on the metal.

The best Hobby Lobby is in Appleton, and of course we made time to do our 3 hour shopping trip and found lots of treasures!

We started a 4-drawer wooden chest thats going to be covered in metal, but darn if it wasn't time for me to leave by that time, so that project is sitting upstairs in my studio waiting to be finished.

Thanks Mike, Jack and Greta for letting your mom and I share these very special times together!

The miracle ...

2009-10-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

I drove to California last weekend with my sister, Erin's mother. We spent the mornings helping out with the new baby, Peyton, and Makayla, then spent the afternoon and evening at the hospital with Erin. We watched Erin progress each day, almost by the hour, you could see more life come back to her ... and I'm happy to say that she went home yesterday!! She's got a few weeks of intense physical therapy to get her strength back, but she IS our miracle! We're so proud of her for the fight for life that she put up. Here's little baby, Peyton ... we, also, watched him over a three day period, almost double his intake of food ... he's growing like a weed!

And one of the many highlights of the weekend was to watch Makayla play soccer with her team, the Glitter Girls! 5 and 6 year olds, no referees, no goalees, not too much structure even, but 45 minutes of such joy and laughter.

And each night, Mallory and I spent hours putting together the scrapbook for Erin. All the work last weekend on the pre-made pages, made this task so much easier. Thanks again, my friends, for taking part in that. I do believe that book will make Erin feel like she didn't miss the first 3 weeks of Peyton's life ... and I'm sure she'll treasure it. Who knows, maybe she'll show it to Peyton when he's grown ... and what a story to tell that goes along with it.

I've got the BEST friends ....

2009-09-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

About ten years ago, a group of women came together. We all had two common threads .. we were all members of Club Scrap, and we all shared the same passion for scrapbooking. We started meeting once a month, sometimes working on particular projects, teaching each other new techniques we'd learned, sometimes visiting stores together, and forming strong lasting friendships.

We've shared some amazing adventures together over the years and I treasure each and every one of them!

On September 11, my niece, Erin, gave birth to a healthy baby boy! What a great day .... but by that night Erin had developed some complications. Over the next two days, she had emergency surgery, and ended up on a ventilator in ICU in very critical condition. Yesterday we got the best news since all this happened ... she breathed on her own for 1 1/2 hours, and she recognized her husband and pictures of her kids!! This is the kind of stuff you read about in the paper, or see on TV, but not in your own family .... we are so thankful for her baby steps forward .... and the thoughts and prayers from so many people.

Erin is missing the first weeks of her new baby boys life, so her oldest daughter, Mallory, is putting together a scrapbook, so Erin will be able to see his progress through photos when she is feeling better. Mallory hasn't scrapbooked before ....

So back to my friends ...... Club Scrap donated several packs of paper perfect for a new baby boy, along with their famous ALSB (assembly line scrap book) instructions, so we had a gathering of the group at my house yesterday. We formed several "assembly line" lines ... and we pumped out a good supply of pre-made pages to help Mallory accomplish the scrapbook for her mom!

These photos don't show everyone that was there, but from the bottom of my heart I thank each and everyone of you for taking part in making this happen. Thank you Dinah and Tricia for supplying us with the perfect batch of goodies!

I really do have the BEST friends!

Happy birthday, Bug!

2009-09-18T11:11:00.001-07:00

This is Vito, he's my baby! He's six years old today.

This morning was a perfect fall morning, crisp air, nice breeze, leaves blowing in the air ..... so big baby, tough guy got an extra long walk. He was sniffing, and rolling in all the wet lawns and scratching his back with the green blades of grass. Loving every second of it! Thats why he looks a bit "scruffy" and his curls are enhanced more than normal.

I think he'll get pizza for lunch, cake in the afternoon and balloons just for him, maybe some chewies, and a few more toys to shred .... whatever he wants!

Love you bug!

I love to make books ...

2009-09-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

... I love how they come together and just feel so nice, so "book" like ... and to think I made it!

But I've never finished one ... from front to back, with photos and embellishments, I mean finished, filled .... until this past weekend!! This book is full of hidden spots and little books inside the big book ... must have 40-50 photos in it ... and the blues and browns just called out for my Bahamas photos.

I started with Carol Wingert's August Creatolgie kit. If you haven't experienced them, and you love to make books, you need to check them out. They come with all the instructions, the paper, the embellishments, and special techniques to complete it ... you just add your own touches and photos. This kit truly inspired me to finish one to the end! Thanks Carol!!

Where does a week go ....

2009-09-05T07:40:00.001-07:00

... whoosh, and its gone!

Last weekend (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) was Creative Escape. Wow! What an event. Close to 600 women at the beautiful Wild Horse Pass Resort, 8 very talented teachers bringing their varied styles into their workshops.

Each day was full of classes, activities and fun ... no one had a moment to rest. If you want a complete recap of the weekend, you can visit Carol Wingert's blog, Tim Holtz's or Heidi Swapp's.

I had the distinct pleasure of working with Carol Wingert this year. A great talent, a real sweetheart of a lady. Thanks Carol for inviting me into your world!

If you're not familiar with Carol's Creatologie kits .... click on her link to the left. Her September kit is up for pre-orders right now. All I can say is these kits are addicting! The September kit reflects Autumn ... anyone that knows me is aware of my passion for autumn colors and autumn leaves ..... I'm all over the September kit! And what perfect timing .... i'm heading to Wisconsin to visit Terri .. mid-october .... autumn colors, autumn leaves!!

I got to do my civil duty this week too ... called for jury duty ... and was chosen for a jury. I've been called a couple times before, but never was chosen. It was/is an experience to see our judicial system close up .... and I get to go back for a second day!

Now, its a nice three day weekend. Frank is in New York, and I plan on spending alot of time with my art supplies!

Hope your long weekend is a true delight!

How sweet was this??

2009-08-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Debbie Bick, made this for me!

I just love it!

You can see other designs on her blog, just click on Frenzy Stamper in my blog list.

She learned this technique at Art Unraveled and has been hooked on making these ever since ... she used odd pieces of wood, india ink, wood yardsticks and all kinds of ephemera to complete the look.

Thanks Deb! You're the best!

I'm off to Creative Escape tomorrow ... nope, not as an attendee, but as a volunteer. This is my second year ... lots of work ... but tons of fun. So much energy buzzing around this event!

I get to assist Carol Wingert ... really looking forward to working with her ... love her style. I purchased her Creatologie kit last month ... Wow, think it might be one of the coolest books I've ever made .... check it out .. she's on my blog list too!

Lots of very cool classes .... tell you all about it on Sunday!

Wax!

2009-08-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

And more wax!

Took a class yesterday at Frenzy Stamper taught by Mike Putnam! What a great guy ... and so talented! If you haven't discovered him yet, click on the Jack and Cat Curio link in my blog list and check him out!

Here's my finished project ...

We started with acrylic paints, distress inks, transparencies and printed images on paper, then wax, and a little more wax .... lots of layers and depth to this project.

I took the photo at an angle so you could see the edges a little better ... we built up the wax on the edge, then used stamps and decorative metal plates and 10SS molds to emboss into it. Then highlighted the embossing with paint sticks, perfect pearls, stickles.

Thanks Mike for sharing your talents ... had a blast!

So much fun!

2009-08-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

The class yesterday was a hoot!

Thanks Debbie for having me, Wendy for continually pushing me, Rox for the support ... and most of all the ladies in the class that were so eager to learn!

Tons of fun!!

Metal 101.5

2009-08-01T07:41:00.001-07:00

Thats the name of the class I'll be teaching next Saturday, August 8, at Frenzy Stamper, 3-6 PM.

When I was first taken in by embossed metal, I thought it was so amazing; the touch, the feel, the look ... and I held off learning how to do it because it just looked sooooo "involved" .... but that never stopped me before ... so I dove right in!

In Metal 101.5, I'll show you all the tips, tricks, and techniques that Ive learned along the way ..... help you get started .... and then you'll be on your way to making beautiful embossed metal pieces!

Call Debbie at 480-946-0007 to sign up!

Great times ...

2009-07-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

Not sure if it was our visit to Frenzy Stamper where my cousin Alane fell in love with the "monster" dolls ....

or riding the segways around
Tempe Town Lake ....

or our day at the spa ....
but we had a fabulous time!

Its very special when you get to share time with family that you love!

The best weekend!

2009-07-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

I don't remember the last time I got to spend the entire weekend playing with all my "stuff" ... no grocery shopping, no laundry, no errands .. none of the regular weekend chores .... I never left the house, i just played ....

Here's what I made today

Definitely inspired by Wendy ... those flowers are addicting ...

The background and all the flowers are metal, as well as the butterfly ... the leaves are grungepaper ... used distress and alcohol inks ...

Another of my favorite quotes ... a stamp from Club Scrap ... and I do believe Terri did the stamp design! Love it!!

A finished project ...

2009-07-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

and just in time. My cousin arrives Monday morning and I can't wait to give this to her. I hope she likes it ... there's lots of special little things inside!

The cover .. one of my favorite quotes from a special kit Club Scrap made to benefit people in need after Hurricane Katrina. Alane was born and raised in New Orleans.

And the flower ... one of the many floral inspirations from Wendy.

Another of my favorite quotes ... "I hope we're never to old for ice cream and fancy dresses"

Special family photos ...

More special family photos ...

This could be my all time favorite photo of my mother and her sister, Alane's mom. There's a long story that goes along with this photo, which I won't bore you with, but it was a very special time that Alane and I shared together.

When Alane's son was born ...

And the end, because I just love my little cuzzin!

I sure had fun making this ... special stuff! Thanks for looking!

And the heat goes on ....

2009-07-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, its been pretty warm in Phoenix lately, but then what else would you expect ... afterall we do live in a desert! And this heat happens every single summer .... but the good part of that is there's no better time of the year to stay inside with the air conditioning and work with your favorite crafting media.

I'm so excited because my dear cousin Alane is coming to visit me in a week. Our mothers were sisters, and were very close, and we continue that family link.

Recently I ran across some photos of my grandparents and our mothers, as young ladies, so I decided to put together a small scrapbook for Alane, as a little gift when she arrives.

I made the book from a Club Scrap kit. 6x6 pages in the front which makes the lid, which opens to a box to hold memorabilia. Alane and I share a passion for the history and photos of our family.

The first page was a photo of the house our grandmother grew up in, the second page is our grandparents on my mothers side ... i'll share the rest when they're complete.

Hmmmmm, i guess i just ruined her surprise if she reads this ... oh, well, she'll know how much I love her ahead of time, I guess!

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hopefully we'll all be celebrating independence day with family and friends. Lots of pool parties, bbq's, fireworks and red, white and blue!

Please make sure you are aware of your little furry family members during the festivities surrounding this weekend. Many of them don't like the loud noises, crowds and bright lights.

Speaking of furry friends, take a moment to visit Claudine Hellmuth's blog Watch the quick video clips from her Tuesday post about Bernie Berlin and A Place to Bark. Bernie does such great things! If you can help with any kind of donation, please do.

Have a safe and great long weekend!

Home Sweet Home

2009-06-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

We just got back late last night from a 3-day stay in San Diego. Perfect is the best way to describe that place .... i think it is just always 70 degrees!

Thank you Farmers Insurance for giving us the opportunity to qualify for this event!

I can't believe I didn't take one photo .. never even took my camera out. Was just too "into" the moments.

We stayed at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter right in the heart of downtown within walking distance to almost anything ... and about 20 steps from Horton Plaza. Horton Plaza is a 5-story shopping center with some very nice opportunities!

But besides shopping, we spent time at the beach, at Balboa Park (you could spend a week there just wandering through all the museums), a visit to Body Worlds (which I don't think anyone should miss), a visit to Old Town (the livery stable was my favorite .. oh, and the shoe store) and some time with friends.

So funky ...

2009-06-20T21:09:00.001-07:00

but yet it just makes me smile. We came across this "thing" in the 80% off aisle at Hobby Lobby. Its got a deer head hanging out the top and room for lots of photos in the photo sleeves. It was marked down to 4$ .. how could we possibly say no?? All three of us walked away with one!

My friend Lia (biscuit dough, as I lovingly call her) came to visit me today, along with her friend Sandy. They both live in California.

Sandy's boss made arrangments for them to stay the weekend at the Montelucia Resort in Paradise Valley. I got a tour of it this morning when I met up with them. Wow! What a property, absolutely gorgeous.

We started out with an early breakfast, then hit Scrapbooks Etc, then Hobby Lobby, then Culvers for a little frozen custard pick-me-up, then Mystic Paper, then Melrose Place, then Paris Envy, then back to Frenzy Stamper. Tons of fun, lots of laughs and we all were so happy with the little treasures we found throughout the day.

Thanks girls for a great time today!! Come back anytime!

Poor Baby ..

2009-06-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

This is Wesley. He's my 14 year old, a sweetheart and smart as can be. He has me totally trained, just how he wants me.

A few days ago I found quite a few splatters of blood around my kitchen floor. Turns out Wesley had lost a complete "toe nail", right down to a bloody, raw stump. If I lost an entire fingernail, I can only imagine how painful that would be!

"The boys" are rarely out of our sight as they go to work with us everyday, sleep with us at night, and Wes won't go up or down the stairs on his own anymore ....

I haven't a clue how or when this happened!

So here he is a few hours later, after a trip to the emergency room.

He's been limping around and raising his paw and sleeping continuously for days now, but I'm happy to report that he now has his bandage off and seems to be out of pain, isn't licking it anymore ... and on the road to recovery.

All normal bathing and walking can resume this weekend!

Masks and more masks!

2009-06-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

I ditched work today for a few hours to take a class with Heidi Swapp at Scrapbooks Etc. And am I glad I did.

We barely finished the techniques during class, let alone completing the pages .. but let me tell you her finished pages were very cool looking.

We used her mega masks, and more masks along with distress inks and stamps to create these looks on printed and plain papers.

So fun ...

I love the feel of ...

2009-06-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

chipboard covered with paper ... more specifically ... I love to make books and boxes that ask for the chipboard to be covered with paper. They just feel so rich, and solid and tight and well, booklike!

I've been a member of Club Scrap for many years. I've learned alot of my bookmaking skills from projects we've done at retreats and in kits.

Here's one of my latest from the "Henna" kit .....
When I first looked at the printed instructions I just thought this was way too complicated, but then it became a challenge. I took it step by step and within 4 stitches the pattern became obvious and then it was just a matter of repeating the pattern until it was done. It love the look and feel of it.

I had a few friends come over yesterday afternoon for a couple hours to visit and to work on a project of their choice. Tiffanie and I each made one of these ....

which opens up to this ..... Three little cubbies to hold your treasures.

But my here's my dilemma ... I love the feel of the finished projects and books, so I make more, BUT I forget I'm supposed to decorate them as well. Hmmm, I'll get around to that someday .. and I'll have plenty of finished projects to decorate!

Finally ....

2009-06-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to finish the pages in my clipboard from the fabulous weekend in Texas at Ten Seconds Studio. At last I put the finishing touches on it today .... its full of different techniques we learned there and things I've just played around with on the metal ... discovering along the way.

This is one of my favorites. The grapes are a stamp that I scanned and enlarged, traced onto tissue paper, then onto the metal. After the embossing was done I colored the grapes and leaves with several colors of alcohol inks. I used a water brush filled with blending solution, all the while wondering if this would be the perfect application for the new Ranger pen ... which I don't have one yet ... then used black acrylic paint to highlight the detail. I tore the metal to get the rough edge, then hashmarked the entire background. The grapes are "puffed" out for more dimension.

The wine label is a Club Scrap stamp with black paper and cork matting.

The necklace

2009-06-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Terri (aka Zwick) surprised me a few months back with a very cool necklace she made for me. It hangs so nice I forget I'm wearing it ... people never fail to comment on how unique it is! The beads are beautiful shades of golden brown, accented with crystals and special charms .... and I totally treasure it!

I had to try my hand at copying it because I wanted another with different color beads. Here's my version .... the chain is Tim Holtz ideaology, some of the charms are the PMC pieces I made at Ten Seconds Studio, an ideaology tag, with assorted beads and charms ... its fun digging through the stash to find the perfect pieces.

I wanted this necklace for wearing with denim (my favorite attire) and I think this just might work!

I think I've got it ....

2009-05-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks Debbie ... i discovered a couple other things along the way too!

Here's the active link to Wendy ... http://studio490art.blogspot.com/

I want to make a garden!

2009-05-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

Are all of you familiar with Wendy Vecchi ... her blog, her art, and her stamps? If you're not you need to go look http://studio490art.blogspot.com/
(sorry, I'm still trying to figure out how to attach an active link, can anyone help me?)

I love her work because she uses all my favorite colors, her flowers always make me smile, and her stamps are so much fun to play with.

It was time for a little break from all the household tasks today, so I decided to try my hand at one of her flowers.

I stamped on grunge paper, cut out the design, colored them with distress inks, then the fun part ... bending, rolling and shaping the petals and leaves ... and voila, my flower! The most fun of all is trying to decide what to use as the center ... so many possibilities!! I used an ideaology sprocket wrapped with fluffy fiber.

Frenzy Stamper has a good variety of her stamps in stock if anyone wants to try their hand creating a garden!!

Think I hear the washer and dryer calling me ... guess I better wash the ink off my fingers and get back to work ...

Playing with metal ...

2009-05-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

There is a new yahoo group dedicated to metal embossing. The group is called "repujado" if you'd like to search it out in yahoo groups. Lynda Abare is the moderator and does some very nice work with metal. She posted instructions for this technique for the group. Roxanne found the tool we needed, so we each tried our hand at it today.
The spiral design is done using a tool from Merck Art and made by using a back and forth motion as you turn the metal. I used alcohol inks to color the silver metal, and sanded it just a bit for highlights.

The idea of the nails holding the glass on the front is from a class with Josie Cirincione.

Those cute boys in the photo are Wesley and Vito ... my babies!

The beautiful Caribbean ...

2009-05-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

There are so many pictures that I'd like to show, but I chose just a few of my favorites .. a few of the highlights for me. Yes, the water really is this color ..

This was at the beach of Labadee, Haiti ...
In Ochoa Rios, Jamaica we ventured into Turtle Park and found ... turtles!

In Grand Cayman, we took a boat ride to swim with the stingrays, and along the way stopped to check out the starfish ...
Just a few of my highlights ... I still have to show you the projects we made.

Happy Mothers Days

2009-05-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

What a whirlwind the last couple weeks have been!

The cruise was amazing! I still have to upload all my photos. I haven't even had a chance to view them since I got back .. but they'll be coming soon with more details of the entire trip.

I spent yesterday and today at the Creative Escape Preview Days. All the volunteers, which I am one for the second year now, get to take the classes from all the teachers. Wow ... what a bunch of great projects for those lucky gals that are going to the event in August.

Keep watching for some photos .... soon!

But in the meantime ... have a very happy Mothers Day! If you are a mother I hope you are showered with love ... and if you're able, give your mom a great big hug and tell her how much you love and appreciate her.

The shoe ...

2009-04-24T20:32:00.001-07:00

Roxanne and I entered the shoe decorating contest at Ten Seconds Studio. The winner was posted today. Neither of us won, but did receive mention. The winning shoe is very cool! Check it out at www.tensecondsstudio.com

Here's a couple more shots from different angles of mine. The flower is all metal, backed with grungepaper ... thank you Wendy Vecchi for that idea!

I'm off again .....

2009-04-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

.... and this what I hope to be seeing alot of next week!

I'm going on the 10th Anniversary Club Scrap cruise to the Caribbean. I've always wanted to see these blue waters in person, and this was the perfect opportunity. I'll be sharing the adventure with many good friends. On the days at sea we'll have classes full of great projects, and the days in port will be spent relaxing, sightseeing, eating and playing

There will be tons of photos to share when I get back, and possibly a little video. I've been playing with a flip recently ... pretty cool little toy it is!

I'll share the adventure with you when I get back!

I'm back!

2009-04-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

I always thought New York was nothing but a big concrete jungle. Afterall, I was born and raised in Phoenix, and the only pictures you see of New York are the city, right?? But, this picture is what I see when I go. This photo was taken inside the zoo at Bear Mountain Park, which is about 10 miles from where Frank's parents live. That would be the Hudson River you see through the trees. It really is a beautiful area and full of history.

This is me being Aunt Sharon. That's James on my shoulders. He introduces himself as
"J-a-m-e-s" (spelling it out, rather than saying it). He had me smiling the entire time we were there .. such a cutie. And two of his older brothers, Andrew and Patrick, standing in front of me.

The 80th birthday was a very nice celebration for Frank's father. A very large gathering of family and close friends, tons of food and gifts ... he loved it.

Spring is in the air ...

2009-04-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

Isn't she cute? She's blowing into her pinwheel.

She's a bronze (NOT) statue that I recently placed in my backyard ... she is a constant reminder to play and have some fun!

I need to give her a name .... can't keep calling her "she"!

I'm off to New York .. Verplanck, NY to be exact ... don't look you won't find it on the map, but its close to Peekskill.

We'll be celebrating Frank's dad's 80th birthday ... and Easter, of course.

Check out www.tensecondsstudio.com ... the shoe I made for the contest is posted on the blog!! Roxanne and I both entered a shoe .. we shared a pair ... wish us luck!!

Have a Happy Easter!

Amaryllis watch ..

2009-04-05T22:52:00.001-07:00

.. started this weekend. Amaryllis are a flower that grows from a bulb, they look similar to an Easter Lily.

As far back as I can remember, my mom grew a row of Amaryllis on the sunny side of our house. When they were in full bloom, she would cut a bouquet of them for me to take to school for my teachers, or to the church for the altar. These flowers have a thick stem and big blossom ... how my 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade teachers must have smiled when they saw me peeking out from behind those large bouquets!

My mom had the best neighbor, Wilma, who always took care of the plants around my mom's condo for her, and shortly after she passed away, Wilma planted this row of amaryllis in memory of her.

So now ... we watch ... waiting for the blooms ....

Here's to you mom!

Impossible is nothing ...

2009-04-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

I was so wishing I had my camera with me! I had just finished my yoga class and was settling into my car. A young man was standing at the bus stop ... and must have thought I was a dirty old lady!! I kept looking at him, and he at me ... and i'm sure he was wondering what I wanted ... he couldn't tell I was trying to read his T-shirt! And he wouldn't twist the right way so that I could read the last line, but thank you, he finally did .... I'm afraid had I had my camera I'd have embarassed him asking if I could take a picture of it.

It was a simple brown shirt with big white letters ...

You see impossible

I saw the finish line

Impossible is nothing

He was a runner, the shirt was from a marathon ... but it applies to so many things in life.

Always remember, nothing is impossible, if you just keep moving forward!

Please take a minute ....

2009-03-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

... and go to Claudine Hellmuth's blog http://claudinehellmuth.blogspot.com/ and scroll down to her post from about three days ago. Its titled "My hero of the year". She is requesting as many people as possible follow the link to the Animal Planet website and nominate Bernie Berlin as "the hero of the year". Claudine provides all the information you need to do the nomination.

If you're not familiar with Bernie and A Place to Bark, please go to her website and blog, and read about her, watch the videos and then nominate her. http://www.aplacetobark.com/

I had the pleasure of meeting Bernie a couple years ago and knew immediately that she had a big heart and a loving soul. She has dedicated her life to rescuing her animals.

Please take a minute and nominate her .... She so deserves this.

Thank you.

In my head .....

2009-03-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

My friends have heard me say more than once its "in my head" .... before a trip, I pack "in my head" ... makes it much easier on packing day to just pull things out of the closet and put them in a suitcase. If I'm designing a scrapbook page, or an art project, first I make it "in my head" .... I get some of my best ideas when I can't sit down and play, so I work on them "in my head" throughout the day ..... while I'm in the shower, driving, working, wherever and they turn out pretty cool "in my head". I'll call Debbie at Frenzy Stamper and ask her if she has this or that in stock, I need it now, I've got this great idea "in my head"

So next time you hear me say that, just know that my brain is working on the most incredible piece of art "in my head" .... its beautiful, I wish you could see it

Now to just get it on paper instead of "in my head"!!

A taste of Texas!

2009-03-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

The beginning of March, a group of us took the certification class offered at Ten Seconds Studio in N. Richland Hills, TX. What a blast!! Cheryl and Megan were the most awesome hosts, teachers, and chauffeurs. You can see lots more detail if you watch the Certification Course Taco Tuesday video from 3/10/09 at http://www.tensecondsstudio.com/

The first evening we arrived, Cheryl made lasagna for us for dinner ... quite tasty, Cheryl! ... and we played with PMC ... more on that later ... next morning we got started on our first project, that proceeded to take all day long ... and even several hours into the evening. We were having so much fun, and learning so many different techniques, no one wanted to stop!

The project is a clipboard that we had to decorate ... any way we wanted ... and Cheryl gave us free run of the workshop to dig and find whatever we needed.

Here's the overall view of the beginning of it ...

The idea was to make a clipboard full of ideas and techniques ... mine is still a work in progress, but I can't wait to show you the first few pages ...

The fleur de lis is puffed out and mounted behind a cutout ... and the next page ...

and the next ...

and the next ....

and one more for now ....

Well its half done .. better go get busy on the rest of it!!

Well here we are ....

2009-03-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

... my own blog! Never thought this would happen, but I got enough pokes and I took the jump. Much easier than I thought ... and way more fun than I ever imagined! So what's next ... who knows ... we'll see ....

And my journey begins ....

2009-03-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

I have no idea or expectations of where this road shall take me. But I do think its going to be fun! Please join me along the path ....