Leaving on a jet plane .....

... 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 ...

... 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 ...

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!

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

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 ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God bless them all!

Enjoy your week.

Preview Days and more ...

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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