Art Happens with Lovely Linda

Lions & Tigers & Bears, Oh My!

2012-02-16T11:22:00.000-05:00

I've been away for a very long time, both physically and mentally. New year, new directions, leading me back to where I need to be.

There's nothing like 2 weeks in glorious CA to revive a person, especially when you return to NC and temperatures below 40, dressed in your wispy short-sleeved warm weather attire. Reality revisited!

For the last few nights I've been unpacking from CHA. Stacks of catalogs to look through now with no distractions. One order has arrived with many more to come. I've rearranged the studio yet again, moving furniture but also art. New canvas art has been hung, art dolls have been shifted around the studio to new perches so I can appreciate them once more. Everyone tells me how energized and creative they feel in my studio but without the occasional facelift, I tend not to see it. So by shifting and reworking areas, I'm hoping to rediscover some of my inspirations from projects past. Last night I was mostly discovering dust!

Look at that explosion of color. My first visit to Disneyland in CA. We arrived just in time for the parade and I swear I got all choked up when it first began...the music booming. Felt like a little kid...overwhelmed. Hate to admit it but we didn't know all the characters, which hardly mattered. It was magnificent. But I was drawn to all those colors, thinking about how I could transfer that to the pages of my journal.

New classes will be taught in the studio this year, including several guinea pig classes. An acrylic album class, an acrylic CARD class!, an art journal of techniques class that of course will be my favorite, and so much more.

I placed a big order for tape at CHA...washi tapes in SO many patterns & designs, fabric tape, and wait for it...LACE tape. There's a class for sure.

New stencils should be arriving any day and that will be another class...on canvas. But students will have the option of a stretched canvas to hang on the wall or Claudine's sticky-back canvas so it can be adhered to a book cover, storage box, tote bag, apron, or even cut up for cards.

I'm most excited about the order I placed with Ranger for Dyan Reaveley's new stamps, stencils and sprays. Probably won't receive any of that til the end of March or first of April according to my email acknowledgment, but oh how worth the wait!

Another class I'm excited to offer is a small accordian book working with paints, ribbons & fabric on paper. Woo Hoo!! It's a twist on my techniques class, introducing a few new things.

Tonight I've got the girls coming over for a bit of fabric stamping. That should be interesting. Some are bringing totes and aprons. I've got quite the collection of aprons pulled out but I'm thinking about one of my white men's shirts that I wear in the studio. And I found a stash of little cloth drawstring bags that need a little something, so they may see some action tonight as well.

Since my one-day mini retreat in October went over so well I'm toying with the idea of another. I can tell you felt beads, paper, buttons, wire, and more will be involved. Interested?

Back tomorrow with a rave and a rant. Do come visit, won't you?

It's the Holidays

2011-12-29T16:24:00.000-05:00

Somebody was sick for 37 days and has now shared the bungus with someone else. Not good.

Somebody got a new Lexus for Christmas with built-in navigation, back-up camera, and side mirrors that tilt down when you put the car in reverse. Somebody still backs out of her garage looking over her shoulder while her hubby stands there hollering "use the back-up camera!".

Somebody spent Christmas Eve at the Emergency Room...the entire day...with a hubby who has kidney stones.

Somebody needs to start tending to her blog, once all the excitement dies down.

Somebody thanks you for checking in and hopes you'll do it again...soon.

Girl, Where have you been?

2011-12-13T10:11:00.000-05:00

Sick, sick, sick, that's where.

Don't know what I've got but I've had it for 17 days and counting. Cough, sore throat, earaches, no voice, and a nose on the fast track. Don't I wish I owned stock in Kleenex!

It's no fun getting sick Thanksgiving weekend and still being sick going into week 3. That's a fact. The miracle is that I haven't given it to hubby, thank goodness, who's having a bit of surgery tomorrow. Zithromax didn't touch this plaque, but the cough syrup with codeine is a godsend at bedtime. I still can't sleep through the night, but the coughing calms down for a few blissful hours.

Ask me if my shopping is done and of course I'll laugh out loud which brings a coughing spasm, so please, don't ask. We did get a tree set up in the living room on Saturday night but the decorations remain in the attic. Wreaths are on the downstairs windows and carriage lights either side of the garage door, but not on the second floor windows yet. The pumpkins and gourds were moved off the porch this weekend after sharing space with a snowman for several days. Keep in mind, I haven't been leaving the house during this illness, so that snowman didn't get picked up on my radar as quickly as it would've in normal circumstances. Tsk tsk. And my fabulous wreath with all the big, glistening ornaments is somewhere in the attic with the stockings and reindeer and other mantle decor. Can't guarantee any of this will get done since we'll both be pretty much out of commission starting tomorrow.

I've come up with THE MOST FABULOUS class ideas, and yes, the clock is ticking on me. Surely this weekend I'll find the needed boost to climb those stairs and knock out some samples.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a few holiday ideas with you so you won't feel too slighted with this post.

A tree for limited space indeed. I'd never put that many nails in my freshly painted walls but if those Command strips would hold them up, I'd consider it.

I really like this simple giftwrapping idea. Unfortunately I don't give wine at the holidays. Mores the pity...

I am such a believer in "presentation is everything" and something about this simplistic array appeals to me.

As does this... what fabulous little gift bags.

I love these simple coordinated color schemes.

But I like this one the best.
And I've got a couple of trees that would be divine for displaying tiny gift parcels like the ones below, if only I felt like making the parcels.

Did you collect any pinecones yet? It's not too late.

I'll be back, I promise. Do come again.

Nature at its best

2011-11-07T14:12:00.000-05:00

Did you by any chance watch Super Soul Sunday on the OWN network yesterday? It aired twice that I know of, so undoubtedly, reruns are still being shown. Do tune in for the first segment on nature. My stars, it was glorious. So much so in fact, that I ran it back and set the DVR to record it. Watched it in its entirety and then watched it again last night with ACC when he came in from toiling on the new pergola.

The time lapse photography was magnificent...watching seeds fall & germinate, vines begin to grow and climb in the dense forest. Or a tree in Australia that grows in salt water. Who knew?

Awe inspiring. That's what it was.

Last week's cool temperatures are gone and today its sunny and glorious outside. Too late. We've already begun moving the big pots of outdoor plants inside. The biggest, heaviest of them is still on the handtruck, sitting in the middle of my front porch. Need to find a strong body to help get it inside tonight. Maybe the plumber due at 5:30 could be persuaded since I'm not sure he can squeeze past it anyway.

But you know that cold weather is coming and it will be here before we know it. I found this photo on the BH&G site and instantly it sent me back in time to the street where I grew up, near Five Points in Raleigh. Mr. Peebles, right across the street, owned one of these huge cedar trees. I can see it in my mind, as real and true as though I just looked out the window from across the street more than 40 years ago. Funny how your mind can play tricks on you like that.

Where has the time gone? Did I really move out of that childhood home 40 years ago? Sure did. And yet I can remember it like yesterday. The year I fell in love with yellow and orange and Robert Wagner played Al Mundy on It Takes A Thief. I had his picture on my wall, next to a huge sombrero.

And I can see the crepe myrtle trees by the front porch where I got my first kiss at 12 (my word), and all the hybiscus planted along the property line, and my play house in the backyard. I can even see the shade of pink on the walls and the curtains at the windows. And that big old apple tree pecked entirely from top to bottom by that pesky woodpecker.

Might be time to cruise back by the hood and see what's changed since my last drive by. Good Grief, my drive by...makes me sound like a gangsta. Have mercy.

I digress. You should check for a rerun of that fabulous nature segment. And stick around for the short with the big mic. No Impact Man was less worthy so you have my permission to check out when he comes on, or at least after a few minutes. Giving up toilet tissue and electricity was not a good thing, Martha, and you don't need to be witness to it.

Time to Gather

2011-11-04T15:35:00.001-04:00

Pinecones, that is. We've had rain, and lots of it, last night and today. Which means pinecones are falling from the trees. And it's time to gather them up and stash them in the basement til they dry out for use around the house.

Like this.
Did I tell you I took my parents to the beach last weekend? The weatherman predicted cold and rain, and he was wrong, wrong, wrong. We had sunshine and warm, lovely days. Of course we stayed inside for 3 days playing dominoes, so it hardly mattered. But we did have hot chocolate, which makes me think of Fall.

I gathered up all the Halloween decorations yesterday. So sad. But I've still got my overflowing pots with pansies and cold weather plantings on the front porch, plus my pumpkins and gourds, and my wreath, so all's not lost.

I just need everything to last til it's time to start with the holiday decorations. I can almost hear the jingle of bells in the background, can't you?

Assemblage Projects from Mini Retreat

2011-10-31T13:50:00.000-04:00

For the mini retreat assemblage project I chose to repeat a Stampaway class using Tim's die cut houses of chipboard and my specimen boxes. They're covered with a sampling of the papers created during our first project.

These first 2 photos are of Lynda's assemblage project showing the houses in process and then the completed piece. The first house on the left has a pleated roof made of tape measures and the dimension in person is fabulous. The roof of the third house is metal flashing tape run through a texture plate and the 4th is actually done with rows of paint from a Viva Pearl Pen. And I don't know if you can see it, but look closely at the third house. The door is actually hinged and she has a clip art lady standing just behind it as though she's stepping out. Very clever.

These houses in progress belong to Laurie and the background below was taken at the same time as the houses. Check out the house on the right; that background shows off a stamped image made with the Clearsnap Magic Stamp on the right and tiny polka dots on the left created with drywall tape. The second house from the right also showcases that Penscore stamping with a stencilled flower near the roofline.

I thought this background paper was fabulous so imagine my surprise when I took the photo below of her finished piece.

Look how the colors changed. She decided it needed more contrast so she darkened it with blues. Simply amazing. And if you look closely you'll see a rub-on alphabet letter on each house which denotes each member of her family. And the token on the roof of the second house from the left has a W, which is the initial of their last name. Way cool baby. We were digging through my many stashes, looking for an embellishment for that roof and it was perfect. Kismet!

Now here are 2 shots of Bonnie's finished assemblage. Notice the metals she used and you'll see how someone who loves to create jewelry using metal objects can incorporate that same talent into other projects. She's got flashing tape rooftops on the 2 houses on the left, but lots of metal elements are on all four.

But look more closely. On her background she'd used punchinella of stars to create what looked to me like smoke from a chimney. And sure enough, the next time I looked, she'd added a chimney to the house. But the biggest hit of all are the 2 wire trees on the left. When she worked on the layout she was unhappy with the empty space and said it needed trees. So I suggested wire, and before you could blink she'd created those two coiled trees. Talk about the perfect finished result! And check out the 8 on the door. Wonder if she likes 8's as much as I like 4's?

The photo above is Moneta's houses in progress. I wanted you to see the 2 pieces of eco board she used as a door and a window, inked and stamped.

Here's here finished piece above. The paper on the largest house was a page torn from a textbook on how to build your own home. I found it at the library book sale and knew I could tear out pages to use in art, and sure enough, these little die cut houses screamed for just this touch. Can you see the stamped spiral near the top? It was created with the plastic canvas circles I provided to be used as stamps. Works everytime.

The photo above is Carol's completed assemblage and I wish I'd taken more photos of her houses in progress because her layering process was wonderful. On the first house on the left she added a clip art postage stamp, then on top she layered a small square of masonite from Coffee Break that she'd collaged, and then she added a key from an adding machine I'd disassembled years ago. Made the perfect doorknob.

The third house from the left is my favorite and not just because I watched the transformation so closely, but because it was truly unique. I'd given everyone collage sheets I'd purchased from Teesha Moore so they could accent some of the pages of their books. But Carol focused on one of those images early on in the assemblage project because the shape of the doodling matched the shape of the house. If you look closely you'll see she added perfect little pearls with a Viva Pearl Pen, but then in true Teesha fashion she added the striped accents in black with a pen. That's a button in the center of the house but she inked a red bingo marker to add that black element of N39 on top of the button. And yes, that's some of Tim's tissue tape across the bottom that reads Pasadena. Another favorite element of mine: check out the Blue Goose cigar band from Coffee Break that adorns the roofline of the house on the right as well as the metal token atop another piece of ecoboard. These girls were so intense while they worked on these projects but the end results showcase their many talents.

Now for the last 2 photos which are Sharon's project, both before and after. First she chose one of her background pieces which was antique sheet music inked and stamped with the Clearsnap Magic Stamp. It was and still is beautiful, and in a color palette she doesn't normally use. In the above photo you'll see the 2 houses in the middle that showcase her usual palette which includes Ranger's Adirondack Stream and Lettuce with a hint of Wild Plum and Red Pepper.

Now look at the finished project. Everyone was given a piece of glossy black cardstock and she chose to use that as her background instead of her sheet music. I've got to admit, I'd never have considered it, but wow, it's perfect!
So now let's talk about details. Check out the roof on the 2nd house from the left. Again, she used a Viva Pearl Pen to create all those polka dots of dimension. She's got one of those adding machine keys as her doorknob, and the base of the house is a piece of the aluminum flashing tape run through a texture plate and colored with Viva's Inka Gold. The little glass marbles along the roofline were a nice touch for added dimension.

The little house with the rounded rooftop needed an accent so we dug around in my stash and found the little string of jewels.

These photos can't begin to showcase the fun, creativity, talent and whimsy we experienced during the retreat. But I'll tell you that the best thing about a retreat in my studio is being able to dig into drawers and bins for that perfect element, and that's something I can't replicate in a class, no matter how many boxes of supplies I ship. Everyone will tell you that their kits at conventions are generous, but until I figure out how to include these little surprises, it's never going to be the same.

A heartfelt thank you to all the ladies who came to play, and to Carol and Moneta who were here from Illinois, because it was their persistence that convinced me to play hostess for a day of play.

I'm already trying to come up with a date for the next one, so no matter where you live, make sure you contact me if you're interested.

And thank you all for coming back to take a look at the photos of the finished pieces. Aren't you glad you did?

A Day of Art and Play

2011-10-26T10:27:00.000-04:00

Saturday's Mini Retreat was so much fun. Bonnie had run away home by the time someone suggested a group photo, so my apologies Bonnie.

Six ladies came to play with inks and paints and so much more I can't begin to make a list. But I can show you what the table looked like throughout the day.

Everyone was having fun no matter how they look in my photos. Contemplative in this shot perhaps?

Our paper arts project kicked off the day, stopping briefly for pizza and then kicked back in for a while longer. But those papers would be used in the assemblage project, the wearable art project and in the book art project at the end of the day, so it required much attention.

We played with so many colorants and tools you can't even imagine. Clearsnap's Magic Stamp (Penscore) was a huge hit, just as it always is in my classes. The Viva Inka Gold was popular on metal, wood, and even aluminum flashing tape.

Stencils were another favorite, as were masks. Sometimes new products hit the market and we play with them relentlessly, then put them aside. But in my classes we continue to use the much-loved items.

Remember Junkitz and their foam stamps? I pulled out my stash so everyone could play with Ranger's Dabbers. A huge hit at this little party!

Now let's talk about stamps. How could I possibly decide on which images to set out? By the time we began working on our journals I knew we'd need to stamp, so I tried to select images that would work well on 4x4 pages. But of course the IKEA cabinets lining the room held thousands more and since they're labeled, everyone had the opportunity to look for that certain stamp that would complete their page.

Our book covers were canvas that we painted using Claudine Hellmuth's Studio line of Acrylic paints by Ranger. We had solids, polka dots, stripes, as well as patterns. Just fabulous!

Nothing gets a woman up on her feet faster than stamping. Whether they were up to select an image or use an image, there was lots of activity going into the 7th and 8th hours of play. At one point Bonnie got a call and asked what time this event was supposed to end. The answer: 6-6:30, followed by laughter, because of course we didn't finish as planned.

Come back later to see the assemblage projects. Please.

What is trash, really?

2011-10-24T13:45:00.000-04:00

Before I chat about the retreat, let me clarify something from my last post. The trash collectors didn't cart away anything of value. Stamps, ink pads, books, magazines, etc were all donated to my daughter-in-law for her 2 little girls and for the private school they attend. Mind you, there are still many boxes yet to be delivered to her.

The things that went in the recyling bin were empty containers, cardboard & chipboard rolls and boxes and pieces that I salvaged from the recycling bin and then put back in the bin for pick up last week. You know, the sort of thing you keep because you see the potential, but you never get around to using. Well, it went to the big recycling center in the sky, or wherever it is, because it was taking up far too much space in my studio.

The things that went in the trash were things I'd made, or started to make, or demo pieces from my classes that were never finished and would never be, no matter how long I kept them.

Most of the "trash" was paper that again went in the recycling bin on wheels. Why do I print all those emails and tidbits anyway? I could and did fill multiple drawers of file cabinets with printed instructions that are saved on my computer that I can reprint should I ever teach that class or technique again.

Imagine how many years I've been teaching. Just slow down and think about that. Now imagine that I plan for 20 in a class and only 16 show up, or I plan for 50 and 42 show up. That means I'm bringing home extras everytime that I toss in a box for the trip home. Then that box gets more tossed in the next time, and the next time, and so it goes. Suddenly I have boxes filled to overflowing with printed matter that I can't possibly store. So it becomes recycling material. Shame on me. These days I try not to do handouts in my classes for this very reason. Instead I offer my email address open to questions that I'll gladly answer.

So no cause for alarm ladies. You didn't miss out on a thing. And if I ever decide to really dig through the clutter, I'll invite you all over and let you help dig.

The Countdown has begun

2011-10-11T09:49:00.001-04:00

Forgive me for a brief, lingering pause...I went to see Moneyball over the weekend and ... be still my heart ... He's such a pretty little thing, and I love baseball, so it was a great movie for at least 2 reasons.

Last night the purging began in the studio. What to keep, what goes out in tomorrow's trash pick up. Too much stuff, no matter how fabulous or potentially fabulous it may be, is never a good thing. I figure if I've had it in a box for over a year, it no longer has value. Peter Walsh has proven this time and again, and I have to pay attention. And my tiniest attic cubby (4x5) is about to be tackled tonight. Surely if it's been housed behind that door since we bought the house, had the built-in bookcases done and created that little niche 9 years ago, it really needs to find a new home. I'd love to think I have time to tackle the one that's 15' long, but we'll have to save that for another rainy day.

The ideas have been floating around in my head for some time...what type book/journal do I want to teach at my retreat in 11 days? What will my assemblage piece look like? How much ephemera can I incorporate into a day of classes?

The paper arts projects and the wearable arts project are finalized. Oh my, they're too exciting for words.

If you see lights on in the studio til the wee hours, don't be surprised. Creativity is afoot.

Mini Retreat in the Studio

2011-09-30T15:13:00.000-04:00

It's official. I'm hosting a mini retreat on Saturday, Oct. 22nd. This will be a all day event consisting of multiple classes in paper art, book art, wearable art & assemblage.

Two of my Stampaway Lovelies from IL will be visiting Wilmington and convinced me to stop being so lazy and make some art. So we are!

The day will begin at 10:30 am and run through 6:30pm, with lunch served during a brief break, allowing time to check out all the displayed eye candy in the studio. We're going to kick the day off with paper art, creating fabulous colorful backgrounds. Some of those will be used in the wearable art project and some will be used in the book art project. I think you'll even use a smidge in the assemblage creation.

Email me if you think you need a day of creativity and I'll reply with the specifics.

I'm excited. Are you?

Happy Ramblings

2011-09-26T16:58:00.000-04:00

Most of you visit this blog to see and hear about art. To you, I beg patience. I just want to tell you that today I'm filled with love and laughter and I wanted to share that with you.

My mother celebrated her 77th birthday on Friday. She arrived at my house on Thursday and settled for burgers on the grill, baked beans and oven-fries, followed by nutty buddies & refresho popsicles which could be held with one hand while playing dominoes with the other.

On Friday when we were caught in a downpour at the antique festival and she realized she'd left her raincoat in my car, she whipped out a Food Lion brown plastic bag and put it right on her head, holding the handles under her chin as it filled with air and tried to blow away, all while eating homemade vanilla ice cream with a spoon in her other hand. I so wanted a photo of that, but didn't take one. And when I gave her my raincoat, opting to get drenched in order to salvage her hair, teased to within an inch of its life and sprayed with what surely must have been 3 cans of spray, she smiled and gave my step-father her bag to wear on his head. He actually received a compliment on it as we raced to the car. (Another photo op missed, but to be remembered fondly.)

Friday night I cooked a feast, served a beautiful birthday cake, and got back to the business at hand...more dominoes. While we took a break so Mini Cooper and Mercedes Benz could go out for a walk, I pulled out my IPad and pulled up Talking Tom 2. As that cat held his paw cupped to his ear, Mother said loudly "this is one stinky hand", referring to her dominoes and trust me, she did not use the word stinky. When that cat repeated the phrase in his high-pitched voice, the three of us burst into laughter, which he also repeated. And so it began, with Mother and Tommy laughing and talking, and Tom repeating everything they said, which led to more laughter and tears from us all. Our tummies ached from the uproarious laughter, which just made it all the funnier. Everyone should download that free app on their iphones and ipads. Seriously.

When she called on Saturday from my brother's house in the mountains, the next stop on her birthday journey, you could hear the dominoes clacking in the background and knew she was having a large time indeed.

Late yesterday she called from her room in the Casino to say she'd lost my step-father somewhere between the $60 seafood buffet she'd purchased with part of my birthday money, and the slot machine that had stolen another $100+. And she was laughing and beaming, just gushing with the news that she was having the time of her life. And once again, I smiled with her.

Today they're on their way back home, anxious to plan their next adventure.

I went to see baby Jackson on Saturday evening. As usual he wants nothing to do with me but adores PaPa. It's just not fair. To whom may I direct my complaints? He's talking non-stop though you can't understand a single word he says. I tried taking photos but he wouldn't be still so I have lots of blurs...baby in motion. Did I tell you he now has my strawberry blonde hair? And he has a long curl hanging down the back of his neck though it's fairly short everywhere else. Can a grandmother request the first lock of hair, do you think? I'd pay cash.

Fall has arrived with cooler temperatures and the new Fall lineup on TV. I'm overcome with happiness at the return of both. Truly overjoyed.

My new pergola didn't get painted this weekend due to the rain and the birthday celebration, but that's okay. I still haven't finished filling my new planters, and that's okay too.

I'm happy today and hope you are as well.

Playing Catch Up

2011-09-20T16:57:00.000-04:00

Time seems to get away from me, and for that I apologize. I've already had another stamp club meeting without posting photos from last month. The ATC above is a creation by Sharon with a little help from me.

Everyone was supposed to make ATC's to swap, leaving one as a background only for us to stamp and embellish during the meeting. So instead of using the background she'd made, Sharon chose one of mine.

Next I spread out a wide variety of rubber stamps so everyone could choose a face. This one is from Invoke Arts. To that we added these fabulous little glasses and hats from Coffee Break Designs. The hat is "colored" with Viva Inka Gold in a shade of green. Think Rub N Buf, but far more fabulous. You just rub it on with your finger and then buff with a dry cloth. The sheen is glorious though the photo doesn't do it justice.

I'd also spilled out a few dozen tubes of Viva's Paper Pens and Pearl Pens and that's what Sharon used to add the dimensional dots to the hat band. Don't you just love it?

I'm pretty sure this one was done by Mary, who added zentangles onto her polished stone alcohol ink background that she'd also stamped with a crackle stamp. The image is one of my favorites from Cats Life Press, and again the crown and specs are from Coffee Break.

This one was by Michele, again using one of my backgrounds. Can you see where I stamped with a piece of Clearsnap's Magic Stamp? The face image is from Invoke Arts and already donned a hot but she chose to add one anyway. And don't you just love those little star glasses?

Deb used her own background, added a face by Cats Life Press, and then round glasses, opting not to add a hat.

This month our project was to make "restructured paper", inspired by a recent issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine (look back to March/April). Michele had made more than one after seeing it then so everyone brought their craft sheets, scraps of paper, and we spent an hour getting really messy and having lots of fun with it.

This one was done by Lyn, though the Mod Podge is still milky white and wet, but she added lots of bold flashes of color, which I loved.

Lynda made this one using lots of beachy elements like a crab, flip flops, sand dollars, etc, since she's missed so many meetings while enjoying her beach house.

Laurie used lots of punches and shapes on hers...

While Michele used lots of stamped images.

Janie added lots of flowers...

While Sharon added lots of punchinella, dry wall tape and pages torn from books.

For mine, I began with pages torn from books added to the tissue paper first, then added mulberry papers, tissue papers, napkins, and more, trying to use as many Fall colors as possible.

It's going to be interesting to see who cuts them up and puts them to use before next month's meeting. Including me, of course.

Fun Where You Find It

2011-08-26T16:20:00.000-04:00

Guess who's busy unpacking boxes of new products? That would be me.

Guess who hasn't unpacked their suitcases from Stampaway? That would also be me.

And now for a real shocker...you should be sitting down. Move your beverage away lest you tip it over when you fall out of your chair...

After 30+ years, I'm teaching card classes in the studio. Oh my, I feel faint...weak in the knees...I may fall out of my chair.

It's true. Cards. Help me Rhonda.

Interested? I'm working on samples this weekend while Hurricane Irene swirls and blows and sheds big fat rain drops all over me. Truly, you should email me if you're interested.

Stampaway Art House Display Class

2011-08-19T11:28:00.001-04:00

What do you get from Linda when she teaches an 8am class? Shaky photos of less than crisp images. My apologies, but these are all I have from my third class at Stampaway. All you ladies who took my class are invited to share your photos with me so that I can post great pictures of your finished houses! Seriously.

I packed everything but the kitchen sink for this class, just as I'd done for the other 2. Roof choices were unlimited: Monopoly money, vintage tickets in gray, blue & pink, tape measures, cigar box bands, wooden nickels, Chance & Community Chest Cards, Fortune Cards, Zodiac Cards, wooden dowels,... I was out of control.

Here's a roof of gray tickets but check out those wooden nickels attached as trim. Love it!

How about pink tickets (that once were red) and tape measures for accents?

This one had staggered rows of blue & pink tickets for shingles.

I admit it...this one was my favorite. I loved the contrast of that red tape measure as a featured element, though the row of pink tickets wasn't bad either.

Ca Ching! A roof made of money! Ain't that the truth?

Days before flying to Cincinnati I found a bag of 4" long wooden dowels at the craft store. And since the houses were 4" wide, I thought they'd be perfect. Don't know if you can tell this is a round dowel, but it is. Dimension at its best.

All the ladies selected a shade of Ranger's Distress Stains for the wooden front of their house. And this one was distressed with more ink for a truly aged look. Genius!

This roof is predominantly gray tickets, but check out the green tickets beneath that peek through the holes and highlight the edges.

So many hard workers...so much to choose from...decisions, decisions.

My gals stayed busy the entire 2 hours and since the next class didn't begin until 11am, we took advantage of the extra time to keep working.

Now this is what a happy camper looks like!

This house features ticket images from Invoke Arts. The rubber bands are insurance til the adhesive dries.

The face is also from my good friends at Invoke Arts. And it's stamped on Eco Board from my buddy Harry at Rubber Stamp Concepts. Everyone was given 3 pieces of this in different sizes and shapes, and then selected from oodles of stamps after they'd applied colors to the background. And if you look closely you'll see Tim's Tissue Tape wrapped around the edges of some of these, as well as on the edges of the houses. The tape isn't to hold them together; it's just another element of the design.

Thank you to all my students for joining the fun in this class. I hope you had as much fun as I did, and that you'll look for me next year when Stampaway celebrates their 20th Anniversary.

Stampaway Specimen Box Collage Class

2011-08-18T09:22:00.000-04:00

Don't you just love finding something new? When my buddy Tim introduced his large houses die cut, I knew immediately that I'd need those in my collection. But it wasn't until 4 days before Stampaway that I knew I'd use them in my Specimen Box Collage class.

This is a class I've taught at Stampaway several times before, but each time it's different. The first time we created art dolls with castles in the background. The second time around we used a clip art "angel", think vintage photos of little girls altered with wings & fairy wands, and elements from Tim's grungeboard adding dimension and interest to the background.

So it's no surprise that I didn't want to repeat an idea. After all, the name of the class was "Secrets of a Specimen Box Collage". And 33 ladies joined me for this little adventure.

The big surprise for me was that more than half these girls had never taken a class with me before! Wow. So glad you chose this year to join me!

My classes always include techniques, and this one was a perfect example. I love introducing my students to new ideas and new "tools" for making backgrounds. In this particular class we were applying all those techniques to a background, to houses, and to roof tops. Way too much fun.

This collage isn't finished as I'm sure you can tell, but please check out all the textures on these houses. Aren't they wonderful?

I apologize for my photography, but look closely and you'll see Clearsnap's Magic Stamp blocks on the table. It wouldn't be a class with Lovely Linda if we didn't have those. And once again, I'm amazed by the number of people who don't know about this valuable stamping tool.

Check out the upper right corner of the background; it was made with the Magic Stamp I'd impressed at home with a rubber stamp. How dynamic is that?

Every kit was filled with pages torn from foreign text books including Greek, Russian, & German, plus sheet music,Asian text & newsprint, and my favorite for this class: a text book on building homes. Notice the largest house on the left: a page from that very book.

Now look at the roof of the second house from the right. Coffee Break Designs sells these wonderful chipboard pennants that I'd bought for my Elevated ATC class last year, but they were perfect for the roof of a house. Not just because of their size, but because it was an added element of dimension.

Every kit this year was packaged with a 6" stencil I'd purchased from The Crafters Workshop. They offer such a fabulous collection of stencils you can't imagine! At the beginning of class the ladies lined up to trade their tickets for a kit. It was interesting to see how often they'd sort through 3 or 4 specimen boxes, trying to decide which stencil they liked best, before moving on to collect the rest of their supplies. Only 2 came back to the front to swap out their box because of the stencil choices. I would have expected it from more.

Notice the pattern in the upper lefthand corner and on the second house from the left. Yep, those were done with a stencil.

The roof of the house on the left was cut from a large border stamp made by Artful Illusions. And the roof on the second house from the right is metal flashing tape that I'd run through a texture plate. The key and token are real. Imagine assembling 40 kits with old rusty keys and metal tokens, but that's exactly what I did. Of course there were jewels and Bingo markers, Tim's spinners & tissue tape...the ladies had access to everything.

Another new product I introduced them to was Viva's Inka Gold...a waxy pigment that adheres to metal much like Rub n Buf, but far superior in consistency & color choices. So lots of the gals used it on their metal embellishments, including their rooftops. If you scroll back up and look at the houses, you'll see several of the roofs are made from the metal flashing tape that's been colored. How divine.

As always, I thank you for stopping by to visit. And to all the Lovelies who attended my classes, a HUGE thank you. Maybe next year I should make name tags for everyone that read "I'm one of Linda's Lovelies". Think anyone would wear one?

Stampaway Classes

2011-08-17T14:10:00.000-04:00

My first class at this year's convention was a 3 hour Visual Art Journal as Memory Book. I shipped 2 cartons of supplies with a total weight of 88 lb, and that didn't include my luggage which weighed another 90 lb. So much paper, so much weight!

Everyone's kit included everything from stamped images on sticker paper to library pockets, glassine envelopes, coin envelopes, and their own set of watercolors.

We began with 2 simple techniques, one dry and one wet, and then using both background pieces I showed them how to use lots of fun tools unrelated to stamping that make perfectly wonderful patterns and backgrounds.

I brought along 5 of my own journals so everyone could flip the pages for inspiration, and of course photography was allowed to keep that creativity flowing once they were back home and ready to play.

My carry on bag was filled with about 400 rubber stamps, half mounted, half unmounted. So many choices...

I had seen a magazine ad for Sally Hanson nail colors with an entire page of nails in every color and pattern. If you look closely at the above photo you'll see where individual nails were cut out of a strip to use on a journal page.

Do you see the wine bottles in the above photo? I bought a $30 magazine that featured prize winning advertising, just so I could cut it up to be used as elements on their pages.

Not only did I pack dozens of small items in a popcorn bag, but I showed everyone how to fold and adhere it to the page of their journal to create an oversized pocket.

There were a few questions, lots of stamping, and tons of fun creating pages, as well as embellishing the book covers.

Each participant was to bring their own dye-based ink pads, and the color selections were like a rainbow.

Here's an example of someone who stamped lots of images to cut out and use later. Clearly she liked the image of the panic button!

To you it may look like chaos, but everyone spread out at the tables, with piles on empty chairs, and had a marvelous time playing.

For those of who in attendance, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude that you spent 3 hours playing in one of my classes. And to those who weren't there, I hope you can join me next year.

Check back tomorrow for photos from my other classes, and as always, thanks for checking in today.

Stampaway USA 2011

2011-08-16T10:47:00.000-04:00

What's the best thing about attending and teaching at Stampaway in Cincinnati each August? Easily it's meeting up with old friends and making new friends. This year my dear friend Mike Meador, owner of Coffee Break Designs, was sorely missed by so many of us, and certainly by me. His wife, Chris, is on my right above and the new proprietor of Coffee Break Designs, Kris Hubick, is on my left.

Mike's booth was always my first stop, and it wasn't just for the quirky inventory, but for a chance to visit with him and Chris, always a highlight of my Ohio trip. He was witty beyond words, never without a smile on his face, and the wink of mischief never far away.

Chris was gracious enough to give me a pin to wear with his photo and everytime someone would comment on it, I'd get teary eyed and have to walk away for fear I'd cry in front of a crowd. He was loved and he is missed, but I'm so glad I got the chance to visit with Chris again and to meet Kristin face to face.

Sharon was the only one of my local girls to attend, for her fifth year, and we were both exhausted when we returned home Sunday. The good news: according to an email from her yesterday, we've both caught up on some much needed sleep now that we're back in NC.

Another friend is Carol, whose husband Gil spent more time with me on Friday than she did. We found ourselves together on an elevator ride and after an hour of chat outside the classrooms, parted ways; he to search for a local coin shop and me in search of food!

Carol has attended 2 of my art retreat weekends, and like several others, she wanted to know when the next one will be held. Start looking at your October calendars girls!

I failed to get photos of Mary Jo McGraw, Cecile, Connie or Tammy. I was too tired to think straight and never once pulled out a camera while we were on the show floor. Michelle and Anne from St. Louis invited me to their room on Friday night after the Preview Party for our annual show & tell. We missed Lori, who didn't attend this year, but still managed to eat pizza and laugh til 3am!! And again I didn't take a single photo. Sheesh!

I did get to visit with my pal Barb, even had a chance to sit and eat with her during the Friday night event. She was dolled up here for the Flower Power theme. When I asked if the curly locks were hers she said "Yes, I paid for them"! Too funny. I got a big hug and wouldn't you just know, she was covered with glitter, which meant of course that I was also covered with glitter for the rest of the night. Help me Rhonda!

Greg of Marco's Paper was over-the-top fabulous as always. One big flower. Yep, that would be him.

Ted, at the Stamper's Anonymous booth, took flower power in a completely different direction. How divine is he???

I failed to get a photo of my dear friends Joni & Mark, owners of Artful Illusions, but I did get one of Lemon Drop. Isn't he a jewel? And I liked his shirt so much that I bought one for myself. (Actually bought 2, but one was the same artwork he's wearing, just in a lovely shade of brown to flatter my blonde hair.)
More to come, including photos from all 3 of my classes. Thanks for dropping by and do come again.

Art House Display Guinea Pig Class

2011-08-01T10:49:00.000-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I had a few "guinea pigs" over for a test run of an upcoming Stampaway class. I designed this class so that everyone had the same set of supplies but was curious to see if they'd be uniquely different.

For a guinea pig class I put out 10 times what I'll pack for an actual out-of-state class, so options were overwhelming. Roofing choices included vintage tickets, miniature playing cards, fortune cards & zodiac cards from old vending machines, Chance & Community Chest cards as well as Monopoly money, Funny money from another game, wooden sticks, wooden nickels, wooden tape measure pieces, cigar box bands, cigar bands, buttons, and a huge wooden cigar box filled with every kind of game piece from dominoes & checkers, to Monopoly houses & hotels, bingo markers, tiddly winks, and oodles more.
I also had photocopies of old train tickets, war tokens, & tape measures of every color. I just knew the tape measures would be a huge hit, but alas, I was mistaken. Another option were photocopied sheets of letters and numbers, which were also not chosen. At CHA there was a picket fence in the Ranger booth, with each picket stained a different color with their line of Distress Stains, so I put out coffee stir sticks as well as decorative wooden sticks which I could just envision stained and applied to the roof of a house. I guess not seeing that picket fence in person explains why no one went for the wooden rooftop.

So the big surprise was that everyone used the vintage tickets. Sharon & Michele went for the green ones while Mary went for faded red. Sharon added cigar box bands at the top and on the edges. Michele had her Martha Stewart fringe scissors so she used funny money on the eaves of her roof, which she turned into fringe. Mary used a piece of corrugated cardboard across the peak of her roof as an accent.

Here's a close up of Sharon's roof, and I see she also included a row of the red tickets.

This is Mary's roof. Notice how she turned her tickets to create the look of tiles overlapping one another.

And this is Michele's roof with the green tickets turned so that the holes were lined up on the outer edges. But look closely at that fringed money. Way cool!

Each kit also included strips of stamped tickets (images by Invoke Arts). Mary used individual tickets on the back of her house with rows of them under the eaves on the front.

Michele added a wooden nickel on the back and used the ticket strips on the front.

Sharon used ticket strips on the front but used just her metal elements and eco board on the back.

The final note I'd like to add was that I had a pack of 250 sheets of paper, with about 2 dozen already pulled out, and everyone made their selections from the ones I'd originally chosen. Michele narrowed her choices down to 3, all with green, but in the end changed her mind and went with a collaged pattern in browns.
Sharon went with a beautiful blue, which isn't a color she uses much, but at the end, her color palette for the entire house could be found on the shirt she was wearing.
Mary had never taken a class with me and had certainly never been anyone's guina pig, so I really didn't know what to expect from her. She worked slower, taking time to experiment with different embellishments, and that was interesting to watch. When she commented that she wanted a clock to go with a ticket that read "the time is now", I pulled down a jar full of watch faces & parts. The one she selected was white and everyone encouraged her to add color since nothing on the house matched that stark white. And of course they were right as we pointed out options for adding color to metal.

A new product I brought home from CHA was Inka Gold by Viva. This is a waxy colorant that you apply with your fingers and buff with a dry cloth. Their advertising calls it a metal gloss paint, but it's not at all what you'd expect. If you scroll back up and click on the individual photos of each house where Tim's Ideaology frames and coins are featured, the photo will enlarge so that you can look for the detail.

On Mary's frame she chose a green and applied it just on the oval ring of the frame. On Michele's house she chose a pink and applied it in the same way on the frame but completely covered her metal coin that says Believe. On Sharon's house she used gold and covered the entire metal frame. In person, it was a fabulous yellow. And when you look at that photo, look at the imagine coin. She added the yellow over the entire thing and then highlighted with the pink.

I wasn't sure about packing them for the class but the girls made the decision for me. It's a must have for everyone to try.

I confess that a bonus for me as an instructor is wandering around a classroom to view the color choices people make. You can always find someone who loves purple in a large classroom, or the girls who go for the shabby chic look.

And while the houses were lovely I knew immediately that Michele would go home and continue to dress hers. She never fails to impress me by finding exactly the right element that was missing. Just last week she emailed to tell me she was still tweaking the art doll on the bookmark we made as our stamp club project, and I could just see that little girl coming to life under her expert hands.

So I'll be packing vintage tickets & stamped ticket strips in every kit for Cincinnati, but I'll also be packing some of all the other goodies just in case someone wants to take that road less traveled.

Will I see you there in my class? Hope you've been inspired. I certainly was, so a huge thank you to my guinea pigs. You gals rock!!

Dresses at CHA Summer

2011-07-26T14:27:00.000-04:00

If you read my post after attending Winter CHA in California, you saw the scrapbook paper dresses. Well check these out:

This is an art journaling paper dress by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. No kidding. How incredible is this?

How about this one? The skirt is made of broken tea cups and saucers. Can you see all the cup handles?

And this one dressed in packages of felt balls. You've gotta love all this imagination.

Motherboards and Art Doll Bookmarks at STARS

2011-07-26T10:01:00.000-04:00

Hello,
I've returned from a week in Chicago attending Summer CHA (Craft & Hobby Assn), and before telling you all about the show I wanted to show you projects from this month's STARS meeting.

For years I've been teaching a class I call my "motherboard". In recent years there have been magazine articles referring to this type of art as "masterboards". Doesn't matter to me what you call it. My idea was to create colorful, layered backgrounds that would be scanned into my computer and then printed for use in projects, maintaining the original forever, rather than cutting it up for art.

When I traveled to Orlando for Stampfest last month, I'd made photocopies that we used as backgrounds for ATC's, which were housed in our Elevated ATC Shrines by Coffee Break Designs.

So for stamp club, I pulled out some of those same copies, stamped my favorite art doll from Teesha Moore, and then let the ladies choose one to decorate in the creation of a bookmark.

Normally I'd want this doll layered and dimensional, but to save your spot between pages of a book, flat was required.

Everyone was given a white pen from Ranger's Inkssentials line to add accents. I also had a few white Marvy Reminisce gel pens which are also fabulous for everyone to try and compare.

So let's start at the beginning. I stamped the art doll on copies of my backgrounds. Next I used some of my newest rubber stamp purchases from Lost Coast Designs and stamped more of the motherboard copies, giving the girls a contrasting background to use in the creation of a hat. The dolls were layered onto scrapbook paper, hats were added, and then the doodling in white gave each one their own unique personality.

Sharon's doll had a dunce-type hat while Michele used 3 of them to create a different look. But notice the patterns on the dresses. Sharon chose to add accents to her dress while Michele accented a dabber dot only.

I love the pattern on this dress that I created with a stencil and white paint, but look at the hat Janie added with a wide brim. She also created a choker and straps for sandals. And she chose to highlight some of the stencilled areas as well.

This doll wears a crown.

And this one has punched dragonflies added to her dress.

I confess I love this background, created with a stencil from Coffee Break, and the colors of ink I'd used, but notice she has tiny punched swirls added. And the image I stamped on extra pieces that created her hat is truly going to be a favorite for a long time.

Our swap for July was bookmarks so I found it appropriate to let everyone create an extra one as the monthly project. I was busy pulling more supplies and didn't make one at all, but of course you know I will...later.

STARS Challenge

2011-07-07T11:03:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago during stamp club we were trying to come up with an idea for a swap. This month for instance we're swapping bookmarks again, something we haven't done in a while. Instead of a swap we agreed to a challenge. Everyone brought a ziploc bag of goodies that included handmade paper, scrapbook paper, stamped images, die cuts, stickers, ...just oodles of stuff. We all took home a bag and returned last month with a finished piece for the owner of the bag.

The above 5x7 legal pad was covered by Laurie for Sharon, using the papers, rub-ons, etc that she'd included in her bag. Notice the alcohol inked metal washers strung across the top?

Joyce chose my bag and completed this scrapbook page for herself, featuring a photo of her granddaughter. That 12x12 sheet was actually created by Joyce with strips of papers I'd cut up. The die cut birds were plain white but she decorated them to match.

Lyn had filled her bag with stamped images related to golf, and Michele made her a portfolio from a colorful file folder, using those images and adding lots of fun elements.

Pockets filled with handmade tablets for notes and lists. Lots and lots of pockets with things tucked inside.

Lyn missed the meeting and hasn't picked up her portfolio yet, so if you're reading this, I've spoiled the surprise, but doesn't it make you want to race over today??

As usual at the meetings I'm so busy oohing and aahing over everything that I forget to take pictures, so I don't have photos of everyone's projects.
But I did take a photo of the shadowbox collage I made for Michele.

This was a class I taught at Stampaway last year and I had some of them left over so as a last minute decision, I made one using quite a few of the elements she'd tucked inside her big bag. The background was a piece of cupcake scrapbook paper. Honestly, it wasn't a pretty paper, but I spritzed it and stenciled it, turned it sideways to disguise the cupcakes and then tried my best to cover the majority of it.

The roof of one house was heavyweight cardstock she'd run through a texture plate. The second was aluminum flashing tape she'd run through a different texture plate and colored with alcohol inks. And the third was covered with tiny metal cupcake liners.

Two of the houses were covered with papers she'd inked, and one was covered by fabulous tissue paper scraps I'd been hoarding for decades. She'd stamped an "M" on a piece of mulberry paper with fibers, and I colored it to match the background.

We all agreed it was a lot of fun and that we'd take on another challenge like this.

Now doesn't this make you want to get creative with a few friends tonight?

More Stampfest Fun

2011-06-30T15:45:00.000-04:00

My first class on Saturday morning was the Whimsical Assemblage, using an elevated ATC shrine kit from Coffee Break Designs.

I'd love to tell you I took photos of the completed projects, but of course I was running around like a crazy woman and didn't take a single one.

The kits were filled with goodies and the supplies I shared included Ranger's acrylic paints by Claudine, which are fabulous, giving great coverage in just one coat, and in a wonderful array of colors.

They also received wooden triangles, stars, flowers & spheres from Ready-to-Decorate/DIY Bangles. When I noticed the ladies adding polka dots I realized I should've told them the end of the paintbrush handles made perfect dots. Better late than never with my instructions.

I don't know if you can see the tiny little bird shadowboxes in these photos, but these are also from Coffee Break, along with the chipboard pennants.

So if any of you ladies would care to share your finished pieces, please contact me so we can get them posted here. I know everyone would love to see them, especially me!!

Now here's a really funny story for you. I taught 2 back-to-back classes on Friday morning and then hosted a table at the Make & Take party Friday night. On Saturday I led make & takes in the Just For Fun booth all day, as the gals made these ship in a bottle cards.

Saturday night was my Art Journal of Techniques class from 6-8, so I was back in the classroom around 5:00 to get everything set up. The first 2 gals to come in the room stored their stamping suitcases and began looking at the all the goodies we'd be using in the class. The excitement grew as I continued to put out more and more supplies. So when more gals began to arrive we discovered the first 2 were in the wrong room. They were looking for a Visual Art Journal class in the room next door and didn't want to leave!

That continued to happen right up until the beginning of my class, and we'd all laugh as the ladies who were excited about the goodies began to groan in realization they too were in the wrong room.

So for the ones who stayed and played for 3 hours instead of the scheduled two, I thank you.

Looking forward to more play time next year girls!

Stampfest Orlando Specimen Box Collage Class

2011-06-28T10:36:00.000-04:00

Four days in Orlando in June...I say it every year, ... hot, humid & wet. I think it rains multiple times per day in Florida whether I'm there or not, so I know I'm not singled out, yet that's how it feels.

The sponsor of Stampfest is Just For Fun, and once again Debby pulled out all the stops for everyone. Shirts this year were tie-dyed and fabulous, in my colors!

My Specimen Box Stencil Collage Class was a huge hit, and the end results were all unique and fabulous. But of course the best part is always seeing the smiling faces and knowing that everyone enjoyed themselves.

I asked my students to bring their own palette of dye based ink pads, in colors of their choosing, so it was interesting to see the combinations.

The making of each background piece is always fun, watching them follow my directives, trying to decide what I'm up to and why I ask them to do certain things. But when the assembly begins, they get it and they love it.

Here are a couple of perfect examples of what I notice in my classes. We're all drawn to specific colors and the ones we choose for our art are often the ones we choose for our wardrobes.

If you love purple, you love it in all aspects of your life.

Just look at that stack of Ranger Adirondack ink pads. Warms the heart, doesn't it?

As with all my classes I brought along supplies for everyone to play with such as drywall tape, punchinella, and my favorite of all, Clearsnap's Magic Stamp, formerly known as Penscore. I'd impressed a tapestry image rubber stamp into each rectangle, and it was a great addition. And of course each participant got to keep all those stamping tools.

Just look at this blouse and the color palette on her pieces. I tell you, we know what we like!

Here was a mother/son duo that were quiet and hardworking and then wowed us with their finished masterpieces.

Below are photos snapped throughout the class, while they were busy inking and stamping, creating those different pieces that would become the end results showcased proudly in their specimen boxes.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended this class and had fun with me. I enjoyed your company and enthusiasm immensely.

STARS are busy girls too

2011-06-06T09:44:00.000-04:00

Big changes are taking place in my studio. There are new lights, a new shelving unit to hold that oversized paper & chipboard I bought months ago, and furniture has been rearranged yet again. In addition to all that, I'm working on my kits for the 3 upcoming classes at Stampfest in Orlando. I host STARS, my stamp club on Thursday, the 16th and then fly out on Thursday, the 23rd.

And that made me realize I didn't post photos from May's meeting to show you what a creative group of girls attend each month. The first photo above was made by Sharon. Don't you love those flowers? And this photo was a mini book Michele made to fit an altoid tin for her mother. You know how much I love teeny books. Just check out those backgrounds.

Joyce had shown her mother-in-law how to make the never-ending cards, so of course she brought one for show & tell.

This was our project one month when Joyce
was hostess, though we didn't use glitter. You know that's strictly forbidden in the studio.

Ophelia, who doesn't make it to meetings anymore, has been doing demos at Jerry's Art-O-Rama for some time now. Michele has been to watch and brought her own art journal, with pages she'd decorated, inspired by Ophelia.

So even though you're not here with us, you're still part of the club!

I handed out chipboard row houses at the April meeting, challenging the girls to make something with them. And then of course I forgot about it completely and didn't even do one myself.

But Joyce remembered and made this fabulous little vessel with houses all around, backed by yellow cardstock to add light in the windows.

Laurie had stumbled upon a fabulous deal on scrapbook paper at Michael's (a penny a sheet!!), so she'd made this little bag and added the row houses as an embellishment.

And Michele created a masterpiece that isn't complete, but the imagination this required was astounding!

Here's the back view showing the stripes of the paper on the inset houses.
And if that weren't creative enough, take a look at the art made with Clearsnap's Penscore/Magic Stamp and the lid of a Downey bottle.

There's nothing like gathering once a month with a group of talented girls to make you want to be creative. If you're not already in a club, and can't find one nearby, you should start one of your own. The fun can't start until you do.

Stampaway Art House Sample

2011-04-29T16:58:00.000-04:00

When I'm designing classes I try to use old & new products, but I also want to offer a unique project that hasn't been done before. I designed a similar house to this for a CHA project, but needed to expand on that idea for a full length class and this is a sample of the first house I designed for the upcoming Stampaway convention in August.

Of course this isn't finished, but at least it gives you an idea of what we'll be doing in the class. Inking & painting, spritzing & staining, and so many fun things.

Years ago at an antique festival I found an entire box of old movie theatre tickets and raffle tickets for a bike. They were certainly aged, but again, I tend to look at potential rather than dirt. Once I decided to add Tim's Tissue Tape the old tickets were an obvious choice for roof shingles. Don't you agree?

And of course I had the chance to play around with the new Eco Board, which inks beautifully and stamps even better. Just check out those faces! Divine.

I'll be back with another totally different house later. Thanks for visiting.

Cigar Box Storage

2011-04-29T12:10:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, I collect wooden cigar boxes. A year ago I found 4 oversized boxes that measure 22x7x5, and though I wasn't sure at the time what I'd do with them, I knew potential when I saw it. Recently I had 3 ladies in the studio on a Saturday and it seemed the perfect opportunity to pull these boxes out of storage. Ophelia didn't stay for the play date, taking hers home instead, but Sharon & Lynda stayed, and what a time we had. If you think I'm not serious about my art I should tell you we began work on these around 2:00 and they didn't leave for home until 8:45pm!!

Each box is divided inside so that 5 varieties of individually wrapped cigars could be showcased in each section. So of course that spoke to me as a new home for my Ranger Distress Stains, Dabbers, & Dimensional Pearls, plus my Clearsnap Smooch and Smooch Spritz. Of course the box isn't anywhere near large enough to hold my entire stash of those products, but you get the idea. Attractive storage!

Mine isn't finished of course. It was one of those days when I was so busy scrambling to find the perfect embellishment for their boxes that I couldn't even slow down to think of my own. Mind you I have oodles of ideas, and one of these days it will be finished, but better to show you photos now of my work in progress than to wait for the end result.

The top is hinged and can be left open or closed, depending on the height of the products I store inside.

I chose decorative scrapbook paper by K&Company that would coordinate with the yellow lacquered finish on the box, allowing me to leave the edges unfinished and still have a lovely result. On Sharon's box she used Tim's Tissue Tape on all exposed edges, and Lynda used ribbon.

Lynda brought hers as part of her show & tell at this month's stamp club meeting, so below are photos of hers, already filled with goodies.

Pretty fabulous, right?

Today my plan is to showcase my house class I'm teaching at this year's Stampaway convention, but I wanted to show you these first.

Do come back, won't you?

Busy girls are happy girls

2011-04-27T09:49:00.000-04:00

I have a rubber stamp that says "time flies whether you're having fun or not", and I tell you, I'm having fun. I know I've been away a very long time, but I'm back now like a woman on a mission. Let's start with a few photos of recent endeavors.

My local stamp club had a challenge to make a mini book with no theme or guidelines, but plenty of time to think & plan, and then create. But if you know me at all, you know I don't work that way. Instead I carry on with life until the deadline arrives. So the day before the meeting I went to work.

I'd gotten new papers from 7 Gypsies after January's CHA Show, so I wanted to include those. And Tim had given me a set of the new Ranger Distress Stains to try on my wooden bangles & beads, so I knew those had to be used. And then I went for my stash of saved toilet tissue rolls!

First, I flattened them with my hand, then brayered the edges with a wooden brayer sold at Home Depot for wallpaper seams. Worked beautifully on the cardboard tubes!

I used the Stains to color the ends of the tubes that I planned to leave exposed, and they took the colors beautifully. Next I cut my papers, wrapped them around the tubes and creased them, removed them to add adhesive, and then adhered them.

The tags are a combination of inked and collaged mini works of art. I used my Bind-It-All to create the book, added my ribbons to the tags and collaged the wrapped tubes.

The final step was to add wired ribbon as my closure. Best of all, because it has the wire to hold the shape, I can slip it off to open the book and then slide it right back on without ever untying the bow.

I'll be back later to show you a few more things I'm working on these days. I'm teaching 3 classes at Stampfest-Orlando in June so guinea pig classes are about to take place in the studio.

But this week I'm working on samples for my Stampaway classes in August. I designed an 8" house with a frame on the front to display small works of art. But because its 3D, I have all those sides & the roof screaming for creativity. I've got 3 of them that are all totally different but totally fabulous. Check back on Friday to see those!

Happy Birthday Baby

2011-03-17T16:39:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Jackson. One year old today. Where has the time gone?

CHA Displays

2011-02-15T12:29:00.000-05:00

Talk about a new appreciation for yarn!

I'm guessing these were covered hula hoops or something similar.

I found this to be very inspiring...loved the colors.

Now this is cool...I don't care who you are!

And these paper dresses were a great way to show off their line of papers, don't you think?

Inspiration everywhere. What a great show.

CHA - Zentangles

2011-02-10T10:52:00.000-05:00

Zentangles in color; how fabulous is that? No, I don't have time to tangle. But I certainly appreciate the effort and result. Who wouldn't?

The couple who began it all were in the Sakura booth giving 20 minute tutorials and several booths featured artwork, such as Design Originals.

I like the idea of including rubber stamped images of course. They speak to me.

And instead of the usual black on white here's an example of white on black.

Feeling inspired yet?

Winter CHA Favorite - Dyan Reaveley

2011-02-08T09:05:00.000-05:00

Last summer I told you about Dyan Reaveley, Ranger's Senior Educator in Europe, who dazzled me with her demos in the Ranger booth the entire show. This year she introduced her new line of rubber stamps and I can't wait to get my hands on them all.

I love her use of color, her whimsy, and her imagination.

Here's a closer look at the birds in their hats. Is this me or what?

I've been crazy about birds for a couple of years now so this was right up my alley. And her sheet called "Around the Edge", plus her tips for creating borders, is now my favorite as well as her top seller.

Now check out her umbrella images with the polka dots and stripes. She turns them upside down to create boats and cuts them apart to create butterflies.

And do you remember I told you she rolls an entire paper towel roll over her wet work to absorb the extra inks? Just look behind the framed piece and there it is in living color.

Her specialty is journals and I would have gladly brought them all home with me. All my antique ledgers that I've ripped apart over the years for kits are journals in her capable hands.

As are children's books, store-bought journals, handmade journals, and even her father's algebra book, lightly coated with gesso first so print is still visible but no longer the focal image.

She plays around with different color palettes, making me realize I've got to leave behind the safe and sure and do the same.

She also has sheets of clever sayings. Below is a little masterpiece featuring her favorite and mine: "I don't like you, you're very ugly and you've no manners at all." Of course you need to hear her read it with her British accent for full effect.

I'm back with new products already arriving which means classes can't be far behind.
Come back later for more photos and info from CHA!

Oh What a Beautiful Baby...

2010-12-28T15:17:00.000-05:00

Did you have a wonderful Christmas? David and his family came over on Christmas Eve and I squeezed and pinched and kissed the baby until I was sure he'd scream at the sight of me for the rest of his life. And as predicted I was headed for bed at 4am where I tossed & turned, trying to get comfortable until the clock went off at 5:10am to start my day. ARGH!

I'd seen a digital laser beam thermometer on Martha Stewart's show and thought I wanted it. Well, I got it; all $90 of it! So now I'm mortified and thinking I shouldn't keep it. Will I really make candy? I never have before. If I keep it I'll have no choice, right?

Have you ever seen anything as sweet as this little guy? I could just eat him with a spoon.

So as great as my gifts were this year, getting to play with Tiny Tot two days in a row was the best gift of all.

I'm sick with icky ears & throat, and of course my voice is gone, but at least I didn't start getting sick until the day after Christmas. Merry Christmas to me.

Here's looking forward to New Year's.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-21T11:08:00.001-05:00

Are you ready for Santa? Really? How'd you do that? Every year I swear I'll do better and yet, every year at 4am on Christmas Eve I'm sitting in the middle of the living room floor wrapping gifts. Forget ribbon. It never happens. Ever.

Remember I wanted to do something different this year with my cards? Well I've done something different. They're all stacked in a pile with mail. Think junk mail and medical statements and Harbor Freight sale papers. Not exactly what I had in mind.

I've been a busy bee in the kitchen for over a week now. Yes, you heard me right...I did say kitchen. I've now baked 32 loaves of pumpkin bread, half with pecans & half without. And I've made 12 batches of Chex Party Mix. Wish I could tell you I was done now, but alas, I'm only halfway done.

Every year I prepare gift baskets for the neighbors filled with miniature candy bars, pumpkin bread, party mix, a small potted plant, a pretty dish towel, and toys for the kids. We were in Rocky Mount last Friday night and dined at Cracker Barrel where I found these tiny wind up toys that are retro chic. There's a clown with a ball on his feet that jumps and spins around, flipping from his butt to his back, and my favorite, a tiny monkey clapping symbols together as he walks around. Honestly, I'd like to keep them for myself instead of giving them away, but I won't.

There are also gift baskets to be prepared for my co-workers and hubby's co-workers and of course family & friends. The list is never-ending.

My son and his family will come over on Christmas Eve and of course I don't want anything to keep me from squeezing tiny tot the entire time. My new favorite thing: put him down on the floor on his back and watch him immediately roll over and start belly crawling away from me. He's just like David at that age: refuses to get up on his hands & knees. What's up with that? David would belly crawl using his elbows to drag himself across the room. From there he progressed to crawling on hands and toes, butt high in the air, never putting his knees down on the floor. And then it was walking, moving from one piece of furniture to another.

Little Jackson will belly crawl away from me and at the last minute I grab his feet, drag him back, and flip him over on his back. He laughs. I laugh and squeeze him til I'm sure he's bruised, and he's flipped back over and begun the great escape again. I could do it for the rest of my life, assuming I could keep him frozen in time at this age, which of course won't happen.

Shopping for a 9 month old at Christmas is no fun at all. Sleepers, yawn. Nerf balls in every shape and color, ...slightly less boring. But I'll be honest with you...remember that photo of David sitting in my big yellow dump truck? I found a truck by the same manufacturer, almost identical except that this one has oodles of buttons for different sounds. Yes, I read the box and yes, I see it's for ages 3 and up. I'm going to take out the batteries and squirrel it away til he's old enough to play with it. Just like that rocking cow that's also stored away.

Can you hear that hollering coming from Apex? Yep. Hubby says enough already; quit buying toys for the kid he's gonna be one day, and enjoy the kid he is today. Gotcha. Did you guys see that new toy...

For the first time in the 8 years we've owned this house our tree is (a) artificial and (b) in the first floor living room rather than the second floor family room. I didn't put it there, trust me. Nor did I wire on the extra strings of lights (they are fabulous), nor did I hang a single ornament. (Well, to be honest I have gone back over it and moved one or two or twelve). But other than that, and my armchair critique from the loveseat or the stove, I didn't do a thing.

Since we now have a TV the size of Baltimore permanently hung above the fireplace I had to tweak my mantle display. Those 18" reindeer that are made of heavy steel coils that bounce and sway and bob and weave are now displayed on the new foyer table amidst ornaments, berries & elves. My snowman collection isn't displayed, though there are about a dozen in the kitchen, hidden behind canisters of party mix and stacks of pumpkin bread loaves.

There are Barbie doll mermaids & twinkling fairies, bags of candy & wrapping paper, rolls of curling ribbon and boxes of Christmas cards, rolls of tape and at least 3 pair of scissors all over the table (and the chair seats & backs), but the decorative red tablecloth has been located and lost. If it turns up I'll eventually clear off the table and put it on there, with a fabulous centerpiece right in the middle.

Surely before the baby arrives on Friday. That's the goal. Well, the goal is sooner, but I'm clever enough to know it won't happen until Friday. A realist to the end.

Yesterday I had an email reminding me gently but firmly that my Stampaway submissions haven't been received. Tick tock, there's a deadline you know. So next week I'll be up in the studio, nose to the grindstone, creating fabulous art projects to dazzle everyone. But first there are about 100 gifts scattered on the living room floor that have to be boxed and wrapped.

Merry Christmas to me, and to you of course. Wishing you joy & laughter this holiday season, and hoping you'll come back to visit after the madness calms down a notch or two.

And before I forget, Santa came early this week in the form of new Droid phones. I've finally figured out how to answer my phone which is more than I can say for someone who shall remain nameless. Unfortunately I keep tapping the wrong contact name and once the phone dials and I hear it ringing I don't know how to make it stop short of powering off my phone. Less than desirable results don't you know. Gotta figure that out! Sooner rather than later! So if I've inadvertently dialed you, I apologize.

If you call and I don't answer, not to worry. I can't say I've figured out voicemail completely but I got in there once already and would bet I can do it again. Don't have a clue about texting or checking (much less sending) email, so fuhgedaboudit!!

Listen for jingle bells and the laughter of children and enjoy the upcoming week. The New Year will be here before you know it.

Still Here, Weary, but Well

2010-12-02T11:11:00.001-05:00

Has cold weather arrived for you yet? I heard a rumor that we were down in the 20's this morning. Have mercy. I might just have to pull out a coat this week, which is unheard of for me.

Did you overeat during Thanksgiving weekend? Surely I wasn't the only one. I've now cubed the last of the leftover turkey to add to a slow cooker of homemade vegetable soup this weekend. Did I mention I don't eat vegetables and have never tasted vegetable soup? Chicken noodle and chicken & rice are my only soups, but hubby will take care of it sooner or later. My freezer drawers and big freezer are running over with vegetables from my mother's summer garden so it's time to take drastic measures.

Have Christmas cards begun to arrive at your house? The first came from our investment broker, then one with the newspaper the other day from our carrier and now one from my little brother & his wife. Guess that means it must be time to shop for cards because we all know I'm not going to make them. Me, making cards. Yeah, that's gonna happen.

I've always displayed them on the front door but this year I'm going for something different. Perhaps on the foyer mirror like this, or on the bannister like the first photo. Decisions, decisions.

Tomorrow both my husband and my son will celebrate birthdays. And you know the rules...nothing Christmas is displayed until after the hoo hah of the big day. It's a rule. Doesn't mean I can't think about it...just means I can't act upon it.

No doubt you've wondered at least once in recent weeks what happened to me. I've been a busy bee in the laboratory, um studio, designing class projects for CHA in January. Once again I've been invited to teach classes as well as setting up a demo booth and filming some quick technique segments for a manufacturer. Hard to call it "work" when it's so much fun to dig around for supplies and unexpected elements. There are bits and pieces of paper items, corrugated white cardboard, balsa wood, inks & other colorants, plus adhesives, and dare I say it, glitter everywhere. Particularly glitter everywhere, and you know I ban that product from my home, so drastic times are at hand.

No sneak peaks I'm afraid. Top secret, hush-hush type work. Once these are complete it's time to finalize my convention submissions. Deadlines just slay me.

In the midst of all this creativity there are changes afoot in the studio. Hubby hired a handyman to work on my empty house in Garner and the man rented it for his family. Great for them but not my pocketbook since a few minor repairs were required as a result of the last tenant. They were in need of a table & chairs so I'm loaning them the one I originally used there, which has been stacked high with all my purchases from the last 2 years. If you've been in the studio you know the farm table I'm referring to...the one with piles on it and under it when you first enter the room. Don't ask me where I'm moving those piles because I'm clueless, but the chairs are already gone and the table will be this weekend. Yikes!

I also did a little shopping recently for paper, but not just any paper. I'm talking 750 sheets that measure 28" x 40" and another 750 sheets of heavier paper that measure 25" x 38". And then there's the pile of chipboard that measures 25" x 35". Can you tell when I'm cooking up new classes? And of course you know one of my farm tables is completely covered with all that, so once again, storage ideas are much needed but slow to arrive.

Next time you visit the studio let's hope everything has found a new home, out of sight! And in case you're wondering, no, I don't see a holiday open house in my future this year...at least not one that includes the second floor. Although I'm just dying to show off my new wool rugs and the new furniture layout and drapes, so we'll see...

Art Journals in Action

2010-11-03T10:57:00.000-04:00

Last month our stamp club project was twinchies...2" x 2" works of art that we could incorporate onto the front covers of a journal made from a composition book. The twinchies (which I didn't think to photograph yet) were fabulous...so much so that no one wanted to risk damaging them by adhering them to the front of a journal that would be tossed into a tote bag. So I took one of mine since I had an extra and added it along with other pieces to create this fun cover.

The red horse was cut from an IKEA postcard. I included one of these in everyone's kit for the night. Art is all around us if you just start looking, so whether its a cracker box, a frozen entree, or a magazine, take a few minutes to really look. The phrase "live happier" came right from a magazine page. I trimmed it down and sealed it with a piece of clear packaging tape, then mounted it onto blue cardstock. Now that flimsy magazine page is sturdy enough to weather the storms I toss its way.

The "altered journal" came from words I stamped on different colors of cardstock, and the image of the art chick is from Zettiology.

I used a punch to make colorful tabs for everyone. Mine say Create, Appointments, Notes, Calendar, Travel, Food, Movies, Books, & TV. This little girl is again from a magazine page that advertised detergent. It had little blue dotted lines telling you what the stains were, so I simply trimmed the photo down and added my own notes, which of course would be colors of ink.

I stamped the phrases and added them around the page. And as you'll see on the edge of this and all other tabbed pages, I wanted to give them strength. I began by using a glue stick to adhere 2 pages together, then added the tab, and then ran a length of 3" masking tape, overlapping front & back of the edge. On top of the masking tape I added decorative packaging tape with polka dots. Too fabulous, yes?

This section of my book will include blogs & websites I want to check out, as well as notes to myself for class ideas or conventions I should investigate for teaching.

I know people are using their phones, etc for reminders these days, but I love the written page, so I devoted a section in my journal for appointments. The watches were a magazine ad that I trimmed to fit and then added a transparency over the top that says TODAY.

My section for notes could have been my To Do List, or anything for that matter. Just because these are the headings I came up with shouldn't keep you from choosing tabs that have more signifigance for you.

I included a section for monthly calendars and included a month-at-a-glance calendar for Nov & Dec of 2010 as well as one for each month of 2011. Which means this section has 14 pages but that gives me plenty of space for making notes each month or even adding photos.

My travel section should probably have been much larger than the number of pages I allowed. Goodness knows I'm always headed in a different direction. Several of the pages behind this tab include stamped images as well as sections of maps, clip art of postcards, etc. No matter what graphics I add to a page, the key is to leave room for my journaling.

The food section will be used in multiple ways. I might jot notes about the restaurants where I ate the last 3 nights in a row, or perhaps I'll remind myself of some new tool I need for my incredible new kitchen. The more I experiment with new recipes, the more I discover I don't have everything I need in the drawers and cabinets. Tsk Tsk.

Sitting in the hospital Monday while hubby had his surgery, I made notes on this page, running my line all around the outline of hunky Tom Selleck. Subsequent pages are also covered, but here's another shot from the TV section before I began using the book.

Clearly I subscribe to a lot of magazines, so I can tear out pages, trim down sections and make use of them in my book. If you don't have magazines of your own, visit the local library. We have a huge magazine rack and basket filled with donated magazines that are free at ours. That's where I take all of mine when I'm through with them. In fact, I have 18 on the back seat of my car right now to be donated today.

Books. Have mercy. Another section that could be a book of it's own. I added the library pocket & tucked in a library card on the main page. On subsequent pages I've already begun my notes on books I've read as well as a separate page for books yet to be read. I can see myself adding extra pages in here. Suggestions for that are easy. Take plain white copy paper, fold the sheets in half and use a rubber band running down the fold and around the outside spine of the book.

This is my movie section so of course I thought a popcorn bag was appropriate. I gave all the girls one of these as well and showed them how to trim it down, fold it, tuck it, and create a pocket for ticket stubs.

And finally, my little giraffe. No relation to the art journal, but certainly a Happy Halloween for me!
I'll photograph my twinchies and post later this week so you can see the variety of talent.

Ya'll come back now, hear?

Older and Wiser and Still Laughing

2010-10-28T10:45:00.000-04:00

Meet my mother-in-law, Frances, who just happens to be my birthday twin. Well, 33 years apart, but still we were both born on the same day. As I've done every year for the past 13, I chose to spend part of my day with her so we could celebrate together. This year her sister Mamie Lois and her brother-in-law Charlie, joined us. Charlie will be 91 in January and they've been married 62 years. Can you even imagine? Those two are real characters, not unlike good old Frances. I hope to be as entertaining when I get to be their age.

This past weekend we were in gloriously sunny Myrtle Beach SC for a bit of fun, and I'm pleased to say we had a fabulous time. Driving along Ocean Drive was wonderful but it was alarming to see so many homes for sale.

On Saturday night we went to the Alabama Theatre to see The Oak Ridge Boys. They're still as incredible as they were the last time I saw them, over 30 years ago. How is that possible?

And on Sunday night we were back for the house show, ONE, which was spectacular. The comedian Ricky Mokel is the reason we went and trust me, he did not disappoint. At intermission we went out to the lobby and bought two of his DVD's, which he graciously signed for me. Haven't watched them yet, but I can hardly wait. Check him out on You Tube when you've got a few minutes to laugh.

Now I'm trying to figure out when I can get back down there to see their Christmas Show. Performances begin next week and based on the regular show, I know it will be amazing.

Yesterday I finished the last Dick Francis book, Crossfire, that was published after his death. It was just as gripping as the first one I read, and re-read, and re-read again. I own all his books and have read several of them multiple times. Now I'm waiting for the last Robert B Parker novel, Painted Ladies, which features his Spenser character. It's still hard to believe there won't be more books coming from these two incredible authors.

I still haven't found my skeleton to put out on the front porch, but I did find the witch's shoes. And I made a few more Halloween purchases while in Myrtle Beach that are now displayed with all the others, along with the pansies and pumpkins. Can't wait for Sunday night when all the little ghosts & goblins come calling. Baby Jackson is supposed to be paying me a visit. Squeals of delight will surely be heard all over town, so listen for me.

And if you're in the neighborhood, come on over. The candy bowl is overflowing once again!

Celebrating Life

2010-10-27T09:44:00.000-04:00

Many of you know that I attended the first Stampaway convention 18 years ago in Cincinnati. Each subsequent year I've made my travel plans to get there, budgeted my money to have funds to squander, and revelled in seeing good friends year after year that I would only see at that show.

One of those friends was Mike Meador, owner of Coffee Break Designs. He was a wickedly funny, quirky, joyful man that came up with such ingenious kits and products that I was instantly smitten. Every year I would incorporate his products into my classes, sending all the ladies rushing to his booth on Friday night to clean out his inventory. By the time I'd arrive he'd be all grins & smirks, pleased as punch with the crowds who'd descended on his booth, filling their little baskets with his loot.

Just last summer I designed 2 classes around his kits . My Shadow Box Collage class, which has become my benchmark class at Stampaway, was created around his little chipboard towers as he called them. The end result was so far from the ordinary gray chipboard that most people wouldn't have recognized them as the same product.

And my Whimsical Assemblage class used his ATC-sized Elevated Box Kit. Again, I took them in a direction he'd never have gone, but he was tickled when I presented him with my samples and displayed them in his booth right up until he sold the last of his inventory. (That happened on Friday night, so if you were in his booth on Saturday, you never saw them.)

I chastised him once for not replying to me in a timely manner and his response was classic Mike. He informed me he was on "Mike time", as though that said it all. And you know, it really did. He was worth the wait, whether it was for a return phone call, an email, or my turn in line in his crowded booth, waiting for a chance to giggle with him for a few minutes.

He was adored by many people and I was certainly one of them. I miss him more than words can say. But I have a huge stash of his products in my studio and will think of him fondly with each and every creation I design using those goodies.

Love you Mike.

Fall is in the air

2010-10-19T09:17:00.001-04:00

I celebrated my birthday last week with a trip to the fair, a steak dinner, and a movie. (RED with Bruce Willis...fabulous!) My mother-in-law and I share the same birthday so we spent 3 hours with her down East and had a "large time" as little old people say in those parts. My husband bought me a Maxine birthday card that speaks, which drove the doggies insane, a cake with my favorite butter cream icing, and a helium balloon that says "Over the Hill". That boy should be careful; all I'm saying.

We stopped by Mom's on the way to visit Frances and picked up two pumpkins for my front porch. And there's the difference between city life and country life in a nutshell. Her neighbor has fields of pumpkins and told her to take all she wants. Here in town you pay for even the tiniest one. I'm pleased to say I have 2 very nice specimens. Now I have to decide if I want to paint them, carve them, or decorate them at all.

I love Halloween. I've got my witch and black cat out on the porch already. The witches shoes and the skeleton go up next.

I've got 2 strings of those little jack-o-lantern string lights and ghosts to hang from the lanterns on either side of the garage door. I've had bags of that spider webbing stuff that you stretch and pull and use in trees that I've been saving for years til I actually had trees large enough to use it well. Wonder if this will be the year?

This weekend I potted pansies in the window boxes mounted on the back deck and also in a couple of pots. I've placed one out front with the pumpkins but I might need a little something more. My mums have grown so large in the rock garden along the side of the house that we've had to prop them up with a wrought iron door mat. Unfortunately no one sees them but us and the next door neighbor.

The bowl in the foyer is filled with Halloween candy...again. And I dare say more shopping is in the cards since trick-or-treating is still 2 weeks away.

My stamp club meets in the studio on Thursday night and we're swapping Twinchies, plus decorating composition book fronts with them before moving on to working inside the books. It's going to be a fun project and I'm excited to see how everyone incorporates all the goodies I've been putting together for them. Check back Friday for photos of the fun and the end results. I'm betting we'll knock your socks (or boots) off!

The First Day of Fall & Mom's Birthday

2010-09-23T10:05:00.000-04:00

Fall has arrived, which is hard to imagine here in NC since we're going to hit a high of 95 today. Sheesh! But I'm ready for it and the cooler temperatures it promises to bring.

I'm ready for the leaves to turn and hope to make a trip to the mountains while the display is at it's best. I've got a few things to change in the house to mark the change of the season as well, though it's hard to pull out afghans when it's still in the 90's.

Today is also my mother's 76th birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! They're coming to spend a night or two and I'm looking forward to that. I made 4 batches of Chex Party Mix and wrapped 2 of the big plastic containers with white tissue paper & streamers of curling ribbon. Not really her gift but she'll be tickled. We'll eat from the unwrapped container while we play dominoes tonight. And I'm making apple dumplings using a recipe from my friend Lynda, instead of a cake. Totally different from my mother's recipe, so I'm hoping she'll be impressed. Is it too early to start baking????

A bit of fun with the STARS

2010-09-21T09:54:00.000-04:00

Many of you know I began a local stamp club ages ago called STARS (Stellar Triangle Area Rubber Stampers). Last Thursday night it was my turn to come up with a project so I decided to use some IKEA frames I had left from another class. Our swap for the month was to make at least one large background, any technique, that would be cut up to share. So I suggested we take it a step further and use hand punches and die cuts to create flowers to decorate these frames.

I had made several 11x17 sheets and used a vine die cut so everyone had a base for their flowers. My color palette was made up of greens & blues with a little raspberry thrown in for good measure. I'd also made sheets with other colors of course. Those of you familiar with my "motherboard" will recognize the dimensional pearls and dabber dots & stripes you see on flowers in all these photos.

We began with ink pads to color the frames, then punched oodles of flowers. One of the girls brought lots of hand punches with the tiniest flowers you've ever seen, and those were a huge hit.

I had asked another member to bring along her Big Kick and a few more flower dies, which she did, so no one was standing around waiting for anything. In the above photo you'll notice lots of dimension created by curling the petals on each flower.

No two were alike, which is always the case with this group of talented ladies. Our backgrounds were also different. There was overstamping in brown (rather than the black I always use), embossing, textures, even inking and painting over scrapbook papers. Clever girls!!

For the members who couldn't be with us this time, you missed a LOT of fun! For those that came, thanks for playing along. And for those of you out of town and out of state, wish you were closer!

Ah, to be a kid again

2010-09-17T18:48:00.000-04:00

This is probably my favorite photo of my son...taken more years ago than I prefer to think about. The truck he's sitting in actually belonged to me. One of the best Christmas gifts I ever received as a child. It ran on batteries and would go forward, in reverse, the wheels could be turned with the little steering wheel inside, and best of all, it would really dump. I played with that truck for years and years, then saved it for the day I'd have kids of my own. And then Tiny Tot destroyed it. As a child David couldn't tolerate a sticker on anything. He'd start tearing off the decals while waiting in line to pay for a toy. I can remember when he bought himself a Nissan Pathfinder. You wouldn't have known what it was if you saw him driving it because I swear he removed every emblem, be it metal, plastic or adhesive. What's up with that?

This was another favorite photo, only because he's wearing his little hogwashers. He always kept his hands tucked inside them, just as he's doing here.

Labor Day weekend I had some of my family over for a cookout and David had these old photos on a disc for me to download, including a few of my grandson shortly after he was born.

Now that's a keeper if I ever saw one, simply because of that goofy hat. Am I right? Next weekend they're having family photos taken because he's 6 months old as of today. Can it really have been six months ago that he was born? Have mercy. Time flies whether you're having fun or not.

I know, it's shocking, but yes, that's my high school portrait. Back then I thought I knew everything, so in that respect, nothing's changed. I still think I know pretty much everything. And of course, I didn't then and I certainly don't know.

But I do know that I'm a happy little camper most of the time. So here's a huge thank you to my family and friends who keep me laughing.

And here's to being a kid again.

Read a good book lately?

2010-09-02T09:49:00.000-04:00

Many of you know I'm attacked by allergies several times a year, and for the past 2 weeks and 2 days I've been plaqued once again. How do you pass your time when you're ears are so stuffy that you can't hear the TV? By reading of course...when my meds don't have me sound asleep...as I've been most of the time.

Some of you may remember the movie One True Thing with Meryl Streep and Renee Zellweger, but the book is well worth reading.

Just to clarify, yes, I read all four of these books by Anna Quindlen and have requested more from the library, but they're not necessarily the "happily ever after" type, so be warned. However it should tell you something that I read one (Every Last One was the first I read, which happens to be her most recent), and I immediately wanted to read more of her work.

If thrillers are more your type, you've got to check out Lee Child and his Jack Reacher series. Again I read his most recent, 61 Hours, which was a 7-day loaner and finished it in just over 2. Which meant I had to have another so last night I checked out Bad Luck & Trouble.

But if you just want a good laugh, you know I love Lee Smith. I've just begun Family Linen, which so far is hysterical. And normally that would be a good thing but it makes me start coughing, which is a very bad thing these days.

And I've also checked out a few cookbooks in conjunction with all these cooking shows I love to watch. Of course I'll have to feel a whole lot better before I trade my chicken noodle soup for something more substantial, but surely the day will come.

Thanks for coming by to visit. Do come again.

Tiny Tot

2010-08-23T11:19:00.000-04:00

Say what you will but this little guy's getting teeth. Drooling like crazy, chewing on everything from his fingers to his toes.
Admit it, he's adorable.

Stampaway: Whimsical Assemblage

2010-08-20T08:51:00.000-04:00

What do you get when you squeeze 33 women in a room with assorted paints?

Concentration...quiet...

followed by murmurs then chatter...

Then come the wet wipes to remove some of that wet paint...from the assemblage as well as hands, arms, elbows, shirt sleeves...

Only a few gals finished their projects or even came close, but I think everyone loved the Ranger Dimensional Pearls for accents.

The kit included several items for embellishing such as Coffee Break's chipboard pennants. Then for whimsy I packed wooden triangles, flowers, discs, & assorted shapes & sizes of beads from Ready to Decorate. They're the same people who manufacture my DIY Bangles.

I had photocopied some of my own backgrounds so the ladies could stamp an image of a face and then add a masonite crown. The crowns were a huge hit.

So thanks to Mike at Coffee Break for designing those elevated box kits, and to Vijay and Kelly for the wooden beads & shapes, and to everyone for coming to play with me again!! You were all fabulous.

Stampaway: Art Journal of Techniques

2010-08-19T10:27:00.000-04:00

Many of you know that I began teaching classes at a tiny stamp store in SC called The Stamp House. The entire store, including the storage/stocking area was 300 sq ft. Hard to imagine for someone with a 500 sq ft studio, but it was true. Audrey would display the cards and artwork I made and for months afterward tourists as well as locals would ask how to replicate them and then buy the necessary supplies. So she rented an empty retail space across the parking lot from her store and we began to offer classes.
Over the years as I continue to travel and teach I'm still fanatical about creating backgrounds, and my classes for those techniques continue to draw a wide variety of students. This year's class in Cincinnati was no different.

We played with inks of course, Ranger's Dimensional Pearls (still a favorite of mine), and lots of goodies from Clearsnap, such as their Smooch and Smooch Spritz, their stylus tools & tips and their Magic Stamp (Penscore for those of us who are older than dirt).

I love showing others how to add new things to their creativity like needlepoint rounds and dry wall tape, but some of those old tried & true tools like the Magic Stamp delight as much today as they did a decade ago.

We had a lot of fun in this class, with lots of laughter. No surprise there. If you were in attendance, thank you ever so much for coming to play with me. And if you missed it, look for my name on next year's schedule and sign up to see what all the fuss is about.

Stampaway 2010: Wednesday night's class

2010-08-17T15:38:00.000-04:00

Stampaway began with my Shadow Box Collage class at Stamp Your Art Out on Wednesday night.

Our glass-topped specimen boxes were 8" x 6" x 2" this year and housed 3 chipboard houses/towers from Coffee Break Design. The ladies brought their own ink pads but I also provided Ranger's line of Acrylic paints by Claudine Hellmuth. This meant the combination of color was truly unique to each gal in the class.

To save time I'd precut and pre-scored all the scrapbook paper to fit the boxes. Once those were secured we moved on to the assembly of the houses and then the addition of color and ephemera. I'd packed foreign text, grungeboard pieces, metal doodads, miniature puzzle pieces and charms. The magic happened as each one was assembled. I'd love to tell you no two were alike, and yet 2 different gals both used the chipboard numbers 14 included in the kit by Mike Meador of Coffee Break. Did I mention 14 is my favorite number? Too cool!

Notice that Tammy's assemblage matches her ensemble, as it does every year.

If you don't see yourself holding your specimen box it's because my shaky hands blurred the photos, so my apologies to those of you not featured here.

A huge thank you to everyone who came to play with me at the store on a Wednesday night! You girls rock!!

More photos from CHA & Chicago

2010-08-03T15:18:00.000-04:00

Thought you might like to see a few more things that caught my eye at the Summer CHA Show. Now you know I don't want to do a scrapbook page, but just look at this from a collage perspective...love all those dimensional flowers. And these too...

And here's one from close up so you can really see the details...

I was truly drawn to this dress form and thought something along these lines might be fabulous in my studio!

In the Ranger booth you won't believe this, but I never once stopped to see Tim's demo. Gasp! Egad!! How is that possible??? It's because they flew in Dyan Reaveley from the UK to demo and I was drawn to her like a magnet. Wish I'd taken more photos but I did bring home a tag from every day. Can't wait for you to come see them all.

I adore her downloadable collage sheets. Now I just have to convert US dollars to British pounds...
Here's a sample of her tags from the demo:

These were made using some of Claudine's new stamps. Gotta have those stamps, which won't ship until September. Killing me...

And just so you don't think I spent all my time inside, here are some photos we took last Friday while strolling through Millenium Park in downtown Chicago.

The kids came in swimsuits and others were out there in their clothes. They must have been locals because the adults brought towels. All those tiny tots were just squealing about how cold the water was, but they stayed in it anyway.

And the best part of the afternoon began with a bag of freshly made Caramel Crisp popcorn from Garrett's. We sat and listened to the Symphony's rehearsal while we snacked. I could've stayed forever. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

And just in case you're interested, baby Jackson has changed so much I no longer recognize him! I'm not kidding. He's now a solid chunk; no squishy bits to be found anywhere. How did that happen???

I get to baby sit on Saturday. Mimi Linda is going to get all the sugar. And hopefully new photos!

I still haven't unpacked those 6 suitcases. Gotta get a move on. I fly to Nashville on Sunday and then on to Cincinnati a week from tomorrow. YIKES!!

CHA Chicago

2010-08-01T19:14:00.000-04:00

Summer CHA in Chicago has come and gone, and I've survived another whirlwind trip. The temperatures most of the week were in the 80's; a nice respite from the 100+ I left behind in NC.

The Maya Road booth was full of fabulous samples as always.

7 Gypsies also had some wonderful eye candy. New display cases to showcase your artwork. Remind you of the class I taught years ago that I called Collage in Miniature? Sure looks like it to me.

Claudine Hellmuth has a new line of rubber stamps. Bold images are foam stamp sets and outline images are clear. Flowers, houses, abstract shapes. I loved them all!!!

She was using the foam stamps with her line of paints, which I loved. But I can also see quick, fabulous art using bold colors of ink. And if you offset the outline image over the top of the bold images, you get that retro off-register look. Loved it bunches!!

Stamper's Anonymous who also carries the Darcie's line has acrylic frame kits that scream for layered art. If you're attending Stampaway, check them out early in the show!

There was so much more, including my workshop and my mini classes for Clearsnap. I didn't take a single photo, so I should be shot. But they did have someone filming my two mini classes in their booth, along with a quick how-to technique segment between the classes. As soon as I know where you can find them, I'll post and let you know.

I've got six suitcases to unpack so check back later. Lots of show and tell still to come...

Hard at Work...

2010-06-08T16:58:00.000-04:00

Deadlines to be met...lots have passed and I'm still working on them. Photos coming of kits and artwork and finished projects.
Promise.
Picture me with my fists clinched, biting my lower lip, just as Jackson's doing here. I have more hair but clearly he's more adorable.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-05-19T14:22:00.000-04:00

This is exactly how I feel today...exhausted. I've begun building kits for Stampfest classes, which meant shopping. Just yesterday another HUGE order arrived with products from Clearsnap, Ranger, 7 Gypsies, Zutter & more, including my new Zutter Cutter!

Can you tell what I've been up to lately? I know this photo is fuzzy. I was laughing when I took it. Jackson was working his little gums in that vibrating baby seat and it was funny to me. And yes, I did make that tiny teddy bear.

This expression says it all. "woman, what are you doing?" These days I don't always know. Too many things going on at once. I'm trying to finish up everything for Stampfest in June, but I'm already looking ahead to Stampaway in August. My room was booked last October, my flight was booked weeks ago, still haven't secured my rental car...but my classes are filling quickly so I'm making my lists and checking them twice, making sure I know what I need to order now and what can wait another week or two. There's only so much storage space in the studio after all.

I can tell you that the classes being taught at CHA (Craft & Hobby Assn Show) went up this morning on their website, including the one I'm teaching for Clearsnap. July seems like a long way away, but it's truly right around the corner. I'm spending lots of time in the studio tweaking class projects, wanting to give them as much bang for their buck as I can manage in a 2-hour class. Hoping I have lots of store owners in attendance to learn a few tricks, have some fun, and take home some great goodies & finished projects. And I'm also teaching two mini classes in the Clearsnap booth on the last day of the show, so that means more work (play) determining how much I can squeeze into 45 minutes. Lots of late nights in the studio!!

Laurie W attended stamp club last week and picked up her blog giveaway basket of goodies. And like a dolt I didn't take a photo. Sheesh. I can tell you she received a T-shirt, a set of alphabet stamps from JustRite & a smattering of wood mounted rubber stamps... Ranger products included a big craft sheet, a selection of pigment ink pads, a Distress embossing pad, a set of alcohol inks, some Stickles & Glossy Accents... Clearsnap products included Smooch, Smooch Spritz, glitter, embossing powders & a Color Catcher...a set of Cutter Glide blade tool products and a set of 3 Mist-It's by Inspired Crafts, ... so much I can't even remember it all. She was pleased and did a fine job of show & tell for all the ladies at the meeting.

I'm looking for guinea pigs...it's time to experiment and see how much fun we can manage in my Stampfest classes. If you're local and you're interested, let me know.

Stampfest Orlando June 18-20th

2010-04-29T10:19:00.000-04:00

I'm headed back to Orlando in June for Stampfest, teaching 2 classes, hosting a make & take table at the Friday night party, and of course doing a demo or 2 in the Just For Fun booth on Saturday and Sunday. If you'll be in the Orlando area, come join the fun in Friday's ever popular Portfolio of Cards class. Just when you think you've done it all, there's always something new to try.

Saturday evening I'm teaching a Visual Art Journal class and the great thing about this is I've combined several classes of techniques into one 3-hour class. Lots of play time, lots of products to play with, and lots of clever ideas to share. Can't wait.

And now a favor...in June when I'm in FL with the heat and humidity, remind me how much I was looking forward to this class in April!!

And the Winner is...

2010-04-22T12:43:00.000-04:00

Laurie W! Congratulations!! You've got quite a few goodies including rubber stamps, ink pads, and more. Send me an email so we can set up a date for the delivery.

And thank you to everyone who commented, but especially to all of you who emailed with wishes and laughter. Seems there are lots of people out there who feel they have enough and don't want more. All the comments are much appreciated.

Blog Anniversary Giveaway

2010-04-15T10:37:00.001-04:00

Happy Anniversary! My blog is 2 years old today and we're celebrating with a giveaway. Leave a comment within the next week telling me why you read this and one will be chosen randomly to receive a prize package of goodies.

Here's looking toward the next year of postings!

I'm No Cook; It's that Simple

2010-04-14T14:07:00.000-04:00

Before we get to my reason for posting, I need to ramble.

I just had a bit of Mexican food for lunch (bad for me) and decided to have 8 red seedless grapes for dessert (bad to me). They weren't sweet at all so to get that tart taste out of my mouth, I ate a Little Debbie brand oatmeal cream pie (really bad for me). And then I popped in a piece of sugarless gum to "brush my teeth". Now I'm blonde which explains all this, but I could've just brushed my teeth after the taco and been done with it. Of course it didn't occur to me til I was eating the cream pie.

As long as I'm rambling about food, I wanted to give you an update. After that major renovation, mostly to the kitchen, I was still getting the jokes about not cooking. So I've been visiting several websites, printing recipes, and went shopping over the weekend. Ca Ching!!! Who knew they even made stone ground mustard and rice vinegar??? (I found the vinegar with the Asian food items. Found the jar of mustard after much searching and then found ground mustard in spice form. No idea which the recipe called for, so I stuck with the jar.) And I found chili powder for $1.48 in the Mexican section of the store, and in the spice section for $3.68. What's up with that???

So my first dinner was to be pork with a Carolina Rub, cole slaw and roasted red potatoes. I mixed the 7 spices in a bowl, cubed the pork tenderloins into 1"-2" cubes, tossed them around in the spices and then popped them onto skewers with red, yellow & green peppers plus onion slices.

Unfortunately I got ahead of myself on the potato recipe. I was just so excited to finally have a use for my Pampered Chef zester, that I did the lemon zest in my bowl first, then chopped my parsley leaves and dumped then in. Bought myself a pepper corn grinder thing from Costco as well as one filled with sea salt. The receipe called for both, so there I was, griding away over my parsley & lemon zest, which I stirred. Then I referred back to the recipe. Have mercy.

I was supposed to put the potatoes in a bowl, then add salt & pepper. Too bad. The potatoes were still on the cutting board. I'd heated the garlic and olive oil for 2 minutes and then dumped that in the bowl...which didn't go in the bowl at all according to that blasted recipe. Sort of like the potatoes that still weren't in the bowl...

So I had the ingredients. I just didn't use them per the instructions. No way I was gonna dump that expensive parsley so then I dumped in the potatoes, added the lemon juice and a few other things that escape me now, and put it all on the cookie sheet and into the oven.

Now at this point I should tell you that the recipe was very clear: I was to heat the garlic with the oil, but then remove the garlic. Turns out it was to be added to the potatoes AFTER they baked, along with most of the other ingredients. Instead I baked it all. It's been 2 days and my house still has that nasty burnt garlic smell. I've used the Febreeze. I've used the air freshener. I've emptied the trash, put orange peels down the disposal, run the dishwasher, and I still smell it.

But wait...if you're thinking that was the worst problem with my dinner, you're SO WRONG! Let's talk about the slaw. Now I'm a very picky eater and my slaw has to be very sweet and very dry. Ask a dozen people how they make slaw and you get a dozen answers. So again, I went to the web and printed 2 recipes. Both were questionable but contained sugar, so those were my 2 contenders. One called for lemon juice and one called for sour cream. I went with the lemon juice recipe, adding only half the mayo it called for, and when I did my taste test, it was DREADFUL. Period. Too much mayo; it was all I could taste. So I added more cabbage. Didn't help. Added more sugar. Didn't help. Called my mother. Called my sister. Didn't find their laughter one bit amusing. Took my mother's advice and splashed in a bit of vinegar. Took my sister's advice and added some mustard.

It was terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad slaw. We soldiered on with the finished meal. 98% of the slaw went down the disposal. I had to take an acid reducer because those 7 spices and that garlic very nearly did me in. The potatoes had no discernible flavor whatsoever and were covered with charred black bits of parsley & garlic, but they were the best part of the meal.

That stack of printed menus still sits on my fabulous granite countertop. My fridge is filled with bacon & cubed chicken, celery stalks & carrots, red (tart) grapes and parsley, lemons, limes & oranges. My new walk-in pantry has bowtie pasta and fettucine, olive oil and extra virgin olive oil, lots of new spices and a honkin' 10 bag of those little red potatoes and a 5 lb bag of russet potatoes.

Last night we had burgers, baked beans and leftover potatoes. I'm telling you, they looked a sight but were really good.

Tonight my plan was chicken salad with red grapes, walnuts and something else mixed with bowtie pasta. Or maybe fettucine alfredo with bacon, or even fettucine alfredo with shrimp & bacon. But I think I've lost my nerve. A grocery tab of $280 later and I'm afraid of my kitchen. That just won't do.

So if you're coming over tomorrow night for stamp club, expect lots of scented candles to be burning, trying to hide that burnt garlic smell. And unless I volunteer to tell you what I cooked for dinner, don't ask.

Weather and What Not

2010-04-08T10:35:00.000-04:00

There's only one thing better than having your husband cook breakfast...it's having him serve it to you on the 3rd floor deck of a beach house overlooking the ocean, listening to the waves, close to noon because he let you sleep in again. Ahh, the good life.

It's been in the upper 80's and even hit 90 this week here in NC. These photos are showing pollen everywhere. Sniff. Sneeze. Cough. Honk.

And this photo arrived from my friend Lori this morning in Wisconsin. She awoke to snow instead of rain. How is it possible that she's getting snow when I'm having a heat wave? Makes no sense to me. But then few things do.

Another Stampaway Sneak Peak

2010-04-06T15:46:00.000-04:00

Interested in learning a few techniques using things you already own, as well as a few new goodies?

You'll want to sign up early for my Art Journal of Techniques class. It's 2 1/2 hours of sheer joy!!

You'll pack your own ink pads, but I'm packing all the surprises.

I'm bringing Smooch by Clearsnap but showing you a new way to use it.

If you attended Stampaway last year and addressed an evelope, it won't be much longer before they'll be arriving in the mail. This class will be on Friday morning. I can't remember the time, but I think it's the first of the day.

It's starting to get really exciting, isn't it??

Stampaway Sneak Peak 2

2010-04-01T09:08:00.000-04:00

How fabulous are these? Coffee Break and I have some great things planned for Stampaway USA. Hope you'll join the fun in Cincinnati in August!

Any excuse to hold that baby will do

2010-03-29T16:56:00.000-04:00

What lengths will I go to for a visit with Jackson? You won't believe it. I don't even believe it. But I'm willing to cook.
There, I've said it. It's a miracle. Saturday night after 8pm I arrived with homemade vegetable soup & crackers, homemade chicken casserole & way too much rice, a lemon pie, and Chex party mix...trying to cover all my bases. They didn't run me off. Instead she woke up the baby and brought him out for me to play with, which I did with a huge beaming smile on my face the entire time.
How many diapers did I change? 4
How many times did I change his clothes? 3
Do I know how to put on those tiny little diapers? Clearly not.
I'm holding him, telling him how fabulous he is, and I feel this warm, wet spot on my leg. It's not his fault I'm a moron. My daughter-in-law thinks I was playing dolls, changing him into all these little gowns, but I swear, they were wet.
The only time he fretted was when I tried pulling this little rubber ducky gown over his head. I bought it and thought it was too sweet for words right up until that moment. So I fished around in the drawer and found lots of them with little snaps diagonally down from his chin to his arm. Ask me if I know what I'm shopping for next time and the answer will be yes!!
Is it just me or does his fuzzy little head look like he might have my red hair?

And So It Goes...

2010-03-25T14:19:00.000-04:00

Tidbits from a blonde...

Now that I'm driving that big SUV I've gone crazy at the grocery store twice. We're talking $150 worth of groceries in one trip, which I've never done. So we're unloading them all and it's pointed out to me that my new freezer is full...we're talking capacity full...and that I've got to start cooking some of the stuff I've already got in there.

Sounds like a plan. So 2 nights ago I pulled out some of Mother's frozen vegetables from her very own garden...peas, corn, butterbeans, etc. Then I cooked chicken, diced potatoes, chopped onions, poured it all in my new digital slow cooker and set it to cook for hours and hours. The end result is a ton of homemade vegetable soup. Have I mentioned I don't eat vegetables? Which means I sure don't eat vegetable soup. So now instead of 3 small quart-size bags of vegetables I've got to find room for 6 very big plastic containers of soup! Didn't think that one through very well, did I?

Have I mentioned that we've never met a dish we don't like? We've got quite the collection of dinner plates, dessert plates, bowls of every shape & size. As we add to our collection we begin to avoid sets at all costs...always keeping them on the bottom of the pile on a high enough shelf that I couldn't reach them even if I were tempted. So the last time my mother came to visit we sent tons of dessert plates home with her, intended for the local thrift store, though we suspect they never made it that far. And now I don't have enough of those small plates for bread on the table or pie for dessert. Sounds like time for a shopping trip!

Remember last year when we bought those 2 fabulous dishwashers? This week both were full of clean dishes and we were back to the same old problem...no one wanted to empty them. So as I'm running dish water in the sink I realize that I'd rather empty them than wash a dish by hand...so I emptied them both. I think I've reached a point...a not-so-attractive point. I won't say lazy or spoiled or diva, but we're all thinking it.

Last night I made 4 batches of Chex Party Mix. I have another 3 batches measured out to go in the oven tonight. You guessed it...my mother and step-father are coming tomorrow for a late night of dominos. (According to the dictionary I can spell that with or without an e; both look wrong.)

Tonight I'm making chicken casserole. Had to do something with all that chicken I cooked the other night that didn't go in the soup. Me, cooking, ...more than once in a week. Make a note of the date and time; it may never happen again. Or better yet...me in the kitchen every night this week!!! And not just passing through for crushed ice or coffee. It's a miracle!

In the last week I've read 3 books. Probably the last Jesse Stone book Robert B. Parker ever wrote, one by John Grisham, and I already can't remember the third. Last night I began not one, but 2 new ones. Another John Grisham and one I read about in the paper called The Postmistress. I'll let you know how that goes...I'm thinking one will win out over the other.

I've been busy in the studio. I'm teaching a workshop at the Summer CHA in Chicago plus 2 mini classes. I've added Stampfest Orlando to my schedule in June, and my local girls are screaming for classes in the studio. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Did I mention my grandson? Went to see him Sunday night and he slept the entire time I was there. What's up with that?!?!?!

It's Official: I'm a Grandmother

2010-03-18T10:33:00.000-04:00

Baby Jackson arrived yesterday at 11:04am, weighing 6 lb 12 oz, measuring 20", with all his fingers & toes. He's got my son's nose & mouth, and my father's dimpled chin, just like me and my siblings.

His nails need to be trimmed but he has yet to cry. Such a content little fellow, we can hardly believe it.

Better photos will come. I was too excited last night and didn't want to put him down long enough to worry with cameras.

I don't want to be called Grandma or Granny or MeMa. My daughter-in-law says there's already a MiMi in the family. I'm thinking MiMi Linda. Unless someone can give me a better idea...I'm listening...

Stampaway Update #1

2010-03-15T09:52:00.000-04:00

Once again I'll be teaching 3 classes at the Stampaway convention in Cincinnati OH. My first will be at the host store, Stamp Your Art Out, on Wednesday evening, August 11th . If you've taken one of my collage classes using real specimen boxes before, you'll be thrilled to hear that this one is almost 3" deep! Just imagine all the fun you'll have and the dimension you can create.
This is also the first time I've added dimensional pieces of this magnitude. If you're in the area I hope you'll come play with me and all the fun toys I'm packing from Coffee Break Designs, the Tim Holtz Ideaology line, Sizzix, and more!

More sneak peaks to come regarding my other convention classes later this week.

Goodbye Old Friend...Hello There Gorgeous!

2010-03-10T11:02:00.000-05:00

It's time to grow up and get practical. Which is why this weekend I bought myself a more sensible car. I've been in love with my Toyota Celica since I saw the first ad for this body style. Couldn't wait for them to hit the dealer's show floor and raced right over to buy one. Helen and I both bought new cars together. We went to the Saturn dealership to buy her car and then drove down the road to the Toyota dealership to buy mine.
That was on February 26, 1996. Have mercy, can it really have been that long ago??? And my son has been asking for that car since that day, so all those years ago I promised if I ever replaced it, it would be my gift to him.
Yesterday I got the tag for my new car and began emptying the Celica. Now I'll have the tires rotated and balanced one more time (since it's paid for), and I'll have the alignment done one more time (ahh, the deal I got on that lifetime alignment package!!!) and I'll even vacuum & wash it one last time. Then it's all his...and I'm thinking I'll hand over the keys this weekend.

Which of course brings us to my new sensible car...my Lexus SUV. Have mercy, I drove it home Friday night and have fondled and caressed it ever since. Got the title, insurance & tags business settled yesterday and drove it again last night & this morning. Bigger vehicle for sure. Much higher off the ground so I can actually see what's in front of the minivan in front of me now. Always hated not knowing who the moron was holding up my lane of traffic.
Bigger engine. More get up and go. And of course that means gas guzzler! Going from 30+ miles to the gallon to just 20 mpg is going to KILL ME. And paying for premium gas instead of the least expensive is really going to send me over the edge.
So when you see me on the highway gripping that gorgeous wooden steering wheel and puttering along like some little old lady it will be because I'm staring at that huge computer screen displaying my mpg, willing it to improve, knowing it ain't gonna happen.
I'll be easy to spot in parking lots too. I'm the one circling to find 3 spaces together til I'm accustomed to the turning radius. Last night at the auto parts store looking for license plate screws I pulled into a space and left 4' behind me. Seriously. I looked at that line and I looked at the back bumper 4' away from it and shook my head. Inside the auto parts store they were trying to sell me one of these cameras for backing up so I asked what about one on the front so I can see if I'm close to the curb...and what about one for each side so I can see how far I am from curbs and painted lines. And they were just laughing their heads off, but I was dead serious! At this point I can use all the help I can get.
So steer clear & don't honk your horn and distract me. Instead send me an email later to say you spotted me, and tell me how easy I was to pick out because of my halted acceleration when pulling away from a stop light. My worst fear has been realized. I'm now the moron holding up the lane of traffic!!!

Can You Believe I Took a Cooking Class?!??!

2010-02-26T15:01:00.000-05:00

It's true, I took a cooking class One of my Christmas presents from Helen, which we attended last night. It was called Crepes for You. The instructor began by asking our names and why we were taking the class. (I was next to last in line, so I listened intently to them all.)
They loved eating crepes and wanted to see if they could learn to make them. They were already making them and wanted to see if they were doing it right. Someone gave them a box of mix, which has long since run out, so they wondered about a recipe to make more. One gal wanted to fix something for her picky toddler that wasn't hot but wasn't cold; the fact that there would be no crusts would be a bonus.
Finally it's Helen's turn and she says how much she loves to cook. So of course I say how much I hate to cook, but this class is a gift from her, so we'll see how it goes. It gets a huge laugh from everyone, like I was joking.
Hello?!?!? It's not a joke. Don't let that brand new kitchen with all those fancy appliances fool you!
She proceeds to tell us all we ever wanted to know about these crepe makers, and she's brought one to sell... for $130!!! Are you kidding me? And no one says a word, so of course I pipe right up and ask whether I can make these things in my everyday skillet I use for cooking pancakes.
Turns out that yes, you can, and she has two tiny skillets over on the gas burners to prove that point. Tiny round skillets about the size of a dessert plate. Mine is much larger and square I say. She wrinkles her brow and twitches her nose, telling me she'd be worried about it not being round.
Honey, it doesn't worry me one iota.
We began by watching her make perfect crepes which she filled with different things at each different station. She also did different folds at each station. Now we all know I'm a firm believer that presentation is everything, so I'm really into that portion of the class. That portion that included her making perfect crepes and perfect folds. That is not to say that mine were perfectly round or perfectly folded, but boy were we having fun!
Station 1 was at the stove with the skillets. First up was ham & cheese folded into a quarter of the original circle, with the promise of ham & shredded cheddar cheese in every bite. SOLD!! I liked everything about it, especially the filling.
Next was a knock-off of Chicken Cordon Bleu. Make the crepe, flip it, and layer swiss cheese, slice of ham, small pieces of cooked chicken, and then roll. Drizzle Grey Poupon Mustard/Mayo blend from squirt bottle inside before rolling and outside as a topping. Again, I'm liking it a lot!!
Station 3 was lovely to watch but not anything I'd ever eat. Cooked spinach with garlic, spices, ricotta, etc. for the filling. This fold was an envelope. Place spinach in the center in a line, fold overcrepe one third, then the other third, and then fold over the two sides/ends. Now it's completely enclosed and really does make you think of a gift packet or envelope. Marinara sauce is added on top. So I'm thinking browned hamburger, mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce!
Station 4 was dessert #1...strawberries & whipped cream. We learned the butterfly fold and the nest. Helen snatched up the butterfly fold and the two of us ate it before the whipped cream had a chance to melt.
For the butterfly fold you add the sweetened, chopped strawberries into a quarter of the crepe before folding. A dusting of powdered sugar, a spoonful of strawberries and a lot of whipped cream finished it off. What's not to love about that? The nest is made with a crepe folded in half with no filling, the ends brought together with the 2 spatulas, and then strawberries & whipped cream added into the middle. I'd gladly eat either one.
Next was a crepe with Nutella drizzled on one half before it's folded. Then powdered sugar is added on top and more Nutella drizzled over it. Hazelnut is not for me, but I liked the idea of it. I'm thinking chocolate syrup would work just fine. And I'll let you know if I'm right.
After all the demos we set off to try both the skillets and the crepe makers. Mastering that little wooden rake on the crepe maker was easier than I expected. Using 2 spatulas is the key to success let me tell you when attempted the folds. All in all I had fun, I learned something new, and I absolutely would make crepes at home...in my square pancake skillet. Perfectly round crepes are not required by me.
Now if I'm in a restaurant and I have a choice of a ham & cheese crepe or a ham & cheese club sandwich made on a croissant, I'm going for that croissant. Truth be told, I'd go with the croissant at home too.
I understand I can make my mix ahead of time and prepare them for guests, making the presentation and wowing everyone. But we'd all starve to death, watching one person eat at a time. But I think I could do it just for the two of us, beginning with the ham & cheese and finishing with the strawberries. But first I have to buy 2 of those slender little spatulas...

And a Scottie Wins Best in Show!

2010-02-17T14:23:00.000-05:00

Don't believe people who tell you that dogs can't see images on TV screens. For the last two nights Mini Cooper and Mercedes have watched the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Okay, I admit it, they didn't watch it non-stop, but they'd watch for 5 minutes at a stretch and then be distracted by something actually in the room. But sure enough, they'd be sitting up, ears perked, and watching it again moments later.
So in our house where the Scottie rules, we're thrilled that Sadie won best of show.
You go girl!!

The Passing of My Two Favorite Authors

2010-02-17T09:31:00.000-05:00

Back in the very early 1980's I discovered a British author by the name of Dick Francis, who wrote incredibly entertaining mysteries revolving around horses. It might be a jockey or stable hand or trainer featured as the main character or it might be a yarn about transporting horses overseas for races, but each one had me hooked mere pages into the story.
My favorite character, Sid Halley, was featured in 3 of his novels. So if you have the time to visit your library in person or on the web, request Odds Against, Whip Hand, and Come to Grief. Once you're hooked on this guy you'll want to read all the others.
I not only own everything he's ever written, but there are favorites that I've read 3 or 4 times each, such as the ones featuring Sid. If you wait a few years between readings, they're familiar, like family you see only at funerals or reunions...you enjoy they're company, but you can't remember who-done-it, and once again, you can't put them down.
His son Felix helped with the last 4 books and while they're different, they're still good, so today I look forward to what Felix has in store for me in the years to come.

My second favorite author, only because I discovered him in recent years, was Robert B. Parker. While in California last month I learned of his passing and again, I felt it as a personal loss. I've read all his Spenser novels and enjoyed each and every one. As a matter of fact I finished one 2 nights ago that was written last year but tells about the childhood of the character Spenser, to give you a background into what made him the man he was to become.
And I'm on the waiting list for his latest at the library and anxiously await the email announcing that it's finally my turn to read it.

I have more news to post later today, including the 3 classes I'll be teaching at Stampaway, with photos!! But it was important to me that these two very talented men be acknowledged for the delight they've brought into my life.

I do love to read a book, or two, or twenty. Can't imagine my life without books. Which is why today I can't imagine my life without the characters these two talented men brought into my little corner of the world.

TGIF; let's think about Valentine's Day

2010-02-05T11:29:00.000-05:00

I have so much more to tell you about CHA and all the new goodies, but not today. I've dragged 4 heavy suitcases laden with product and samples up to the studio, but you've seen the mess in that room, so they're just inside the door.
Last night the roads were clear enough that we could finally go collect Mini & Mercedes. Ahh, to have the babies home where they belong... Both have put on TONS of weight, (thank you Mother for feeding them from the table) and both need haircuts, which are scheduled for next weekend.
I began flipping the pages of my new Martha Stewart Living magazine today and I was calmed by the soothing colors page after page. I also flipped the pages of my new House Beautiful, which is all about the color blue, and again, certain shades drew me in. Alas, too late. No more painting in my house!!!
Although having said that, I do plan to do something different in the studio. It will be lovely, but it will also be a while. Can't think about that til the room is cleared.

Meanshile Valentine's Day is a week away and I want to do something crafty again this year. Last year I wrapped large Hershey bars with scrapbook paper, which was inexpensive and still nice. But I'm feeling more adventurous this year.

I can certainly repackage seeds to give as gifts.

And I can use decorative paper to wrap boxes of chocolates or cans of hot cocoa mix.

I can actually reach my stash of brown paper bags in the studio, so adding a tiny potted plant inside and tying on a ribbon or bow is within my power.

I bought a new roll of wax paper yesterday so punching tissue paper hearts to sandwich between 2 sheets and iron would be no trouble. I can always bake more tiny loaves of my pumpkin bread to tuck inside. No one ever gets tired of that little treat!

And we all know I have hundreds of old rusty keys. This idea from Better Homes & Gardens is something I can manage.

But why not make lots of paper hearts in all shapes and sizes and scatter them around? Leave one in a neighbor's mailbox or tucked under their door knocker...under windshield wipers if the rain ever stops...tuck one into the pages of a library book...leave one with your tip next time you're out for dinner...mail an envelope full to the doctor's office or to the vet...
You get the idea. Be clever. Be kind. Be back...

Winter CHA Show: My first order was for new rubber stamps

2010-01-26T00:57:00.000-05:00

How much do I love these new rubber stamp images? Had to place an order. Can't wait for them to arrive. I smell a class. Interested?

Nethercutt Museum Again

2010-01-26T00:49:00.000-05:00

I forgot to mention that we paid another visit to the Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar during this trip. Enjoyed the tour a second time. I'll have a Rolls please; help me figure out how to pay the insurance, won't you?

We also visited the Reagan Library and enjoyed that a great deal. Had our photo taken boarding Air Force One, doing the presidential wave. Will post that another day.

Oh Sure, NOW the Sun Comes Out!

2010-01-26T00:43:00.000-05:00

Can you just believe it? 3 nights with a balcony overlooking the marina and it rains, with cold wind blowing. Bah humbug. But the morning we're leaving this locale and heading south we awake to our first day of sunshine since arriving in CA. I'm telling you, my luck is holding.

We drive away from that sunshine and hit the rain within minutes, which stays with us all the way to Anaheim. Now CHA has begun and you guessed it: I'm inside the convention center from 9am to 6pm and yes, the sun is shining!!!!

So much for vacationing in CA in January. Write it off, let it go, it's CHA and it's divine!!!
More in a minute, with photos!

You've Got to Laugh...

2010-01-19T23:50:00.000-05:00

I'm laughing because the alternative won't do me any good.
Before I forget to mention this again, we've been in CA since the 16th and haven't seen an open rest area on any highway or freeway, anywhere. Instead you see signs telling you that the upcoming rest area is closed from Nov. 1, 2008 to Dec. 31, 2010. Or the next one that says it closed Dec. 1, 2009 and won't be open before Dec. 31, 2010. The state has no money to keep rest areas open????
So now let's add to the lack of restrooms all the rain & wind and cold temperatures. Such a lovely time we're having.
We had rain 2 days & nights of rain getting to, staying in, and leaving Carmel.
It rained cats and dogs last night in San Simeon and continued this morning as we headed across the street for breakfast. The waitress informs us that Hearst Castle was not only closed yesterday but is closed again today due to the high winds and rain. Are you kidding me? I drove down that twisting, winding Hwy 1 in the rain yesterday for the sole purpose of visiting this castle and they've shut it down again?
What can you do? You eat your breakfast, get back in the car and head out for Santa Barbara. We didn't stop for lunch, which was a mistake. But we did find our first open rest area. You'll soon know why that's such a good thing. About the time we hit Santa Barbara we hit a traffic jam like you can't imagine. 3 lanes narrow to 2 with a sign that reads "road construction next 3 miles". And 2 car lengths from the first sign is a new one that reads "road constuction next 15 miles". And now the right lane ends and all traffic is merging into one lane which is chaotic. But wait! There's an entrance ramp dumping more traffic onto Hwy 101 South at the very spot the lanes have merged into one. Who's the moron in charge of this stuff?!?!?!?
We sat in that bumper to bumper line for an hour, barely moving and were thrilled to finally get past it. We both commented on how grateful we were to have found that rest area open for business. But the euphoria was short-lived...like less than one minute, because our rental car died on us as we climbed a slight incline. We coasted over to the emergency parking shoulder right next to a call box in total shock.
I used my cell phone to call Alamo, who tells me first that they're going to have a wrecker collect us and take us to our hotel. Then he comes back on the line to say no, they're going to bring us a car, and then back again to say we're going back to plan A. First he says they'll get to us in 1 1/2 hours, then it's 30 minutes. It was 2 hours before they arrived with a Chevrolet that's smaller than the Nissan Altima we've been driving.
But it runs beautifully, which is certainly an improvement, so we'll keep it thank you very much.
And while we're waiting for the tow truck my cell phone never rings. I've now missed 8 phone calls, 4 from the tow company, and we can't figure out how to turn the ringer or the vibrate mode back on, no matter how many buttons we push. It's been ringing all day but from the moment I called Alamo, there's not been a peep. When it rains it pours...isn't that what they say?
Alas, we've now checked into our hotel with a view of the marina (less than 30' from our balcony) and had a fabulous seafood dinner at the end of the road, also overlooking the marina.
I'm wearing my piggy footies, sipping my ice water, and awaiting the new episode of Modern Family. What more could anyone possibly need?
So I'm still smiling and able to laugh about all this, and have high hopes for tomorrow. First stop: Verizon, to get my phone whacked back into shape. And then we're off to explore. Keep your fingers crossed that the car keeps moving!

So Much for Sunny, Warm California

2010-01-18T23:57:00.000-05:00

We packed for sunshine and warmer temperatures than we left behind in NC. It's not warmer and it's certainly not sunny.
Yesterday I drove from Bakersfield to Carmel by the Sea in drizzle, then heavy drizzle, then rain. Thank goodness we packed raincoats with linings since it hasn't gotten above 54. We walked to lunch and dinner in the rain. And today it was not only pouring rain but the winds were severe as we walked to and from Em Le's for breakfast.
Then we were off to San Simeon on Hwy 1, with the mountains on the left and the ocean on the right. Less than 5 miles down the road I was car sick and had to get behind the wheel. I averaged 30mph all the way down, dodging rock slides and looking everywhere but over the edge and down at the churning ocean. Ugh.
We made it and found elephant seals at multiple spots the closer we got to our destination. We did a bit of antiquing in Cambria and Cayucos (found nothing), paid $3.76 per gallon for gas and then found it for $2.99 naturally. Best part of this afternoon was our trip 4 miles down the road to Harmony, population 18. No kidding. We visited a pottery and a glass blowing studio where I bought a fabulous pen. They offer a 1 hour class where I could learn to blow glass and make myself a vessel and a paperweight for $125, but I decided to pass.
Tomorrow we tour Hearst Castle and hit the road again for Santa Barbara. They're predicting more rain and cold temperatures for the next 3 days. But we're out of the mountains now so maybe I can get back in the passenger seat and actually look at the ocean.

Didn't believe me, did you?

2010-01-11T16:52:00.000-05:00

The first 2 photos above are different views of my studio, with books piled high on my tables, just as I said. And the bottom 2 photos show the empty shelves in the family room and in the library. Which explains all the furniture, art, etc also piled up in the studio. ARGH! Makes me want to scream just showing you the photos. Imagine living with this mess.

These 2 photos show guest room #1 and guest room #2, packed with furniture, laundry, bedding, Christmas packages, tv's, nightstands, lamps and so much more. Just imagine 3 days before Christmas with part of the gifts wrapped and buried in one room while all the unwrapped gifts are buried in the other. We were up til 4am on Xmas Eve trying to get everything wrapped.

And I know you can't tell a thing about the color in these photos, but trust me, it's glorious!!! We had a crew of 8 working on both floors of the house at once.

Check back for photos of the finished rooms...

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-11T08:58:00.000-05:00

Better late than never...I have a stamp that says just that, and I should be using it daily.

It's been a long time since my last post and so much has happened. The house is painted both upstairs and down. The color on the first floor is glorious!! Remember all those $4 paint samples I purchased over the last 4 months, and hated? My husband selected a color from the painter's color wheel of samples and purchased 10 gallons of it. Sight unseen!! Talk about a leap of faith. It's beyond beautiful, which makes me wish we'd gone with the same color on the second floor. Instead we stuck with Tuscan Sunset.

Now having the painters complete all those walls, ceilings and that 2-story stairwell in one day is beyond a miracle, especially since it was 3 days before Christmas. The wall art and most of the knick knacks are still stashed in guest room #2. We haven't purchased a new rug, or new bedroom drapes, but we're living in relative comfort downstairs.

The same cannot be said for the second floor. All furniture, wall art, rugs, etc were stowed in my studio...and remain there today, much to my dismay. We emptied thousands of books from the built-in family room bookcases, from the library bookcases, and even from the master bedroom, stacking them all on my farm tables in 2' tall stacks. One of my 4 tables is still stacked but 2 have been semi-cleared, moving the books to the floor. Just imagine navigating aound thousands of books without knocking them over as I race around, opening drawers & cabinets, trying to create art.

And in the middle of all this we've both had the flu. I'm better, he's worse.

My job today is photographing my Stampaway submissions and getting them to UPS. They're 2 weeks late. (Thank you Connie!!!)

Wish me luck.

Back later for more news... Thank you for checking back after my absence.

2009-12-04T12:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my son and my husband both celebrated birthdays. I never begin decorating for Christmas until after December 3rd, which means the push is now on to buy a tree & crawl in the attic in search of 77 boxes of holiday decorations, etc. I've been shopping for cards. No, I don't make my own. Are you kidding me? Still haven't found the perfect ones, but I'm determined.

I loved this bowl filled with holiday stuff. Could be gift tags or cards received. Could be recipes for guests to take as they leave, assuming I was to get my act together and invite people over for nibbling of treats, and assuming they wanted the recipes.

Now I don't really do a lot of baking, but even I could make these cookies. I've been saving my coupons for those refrigerated rolls of sugar cookes. And surely I can stick a straw in the dough to make these little mouths. Why I simply adore this idea. How about you?

Where Have You Been?

2009-12-04T12:43:00.000-05:00

I'm not lost. I'm still here. Up to my neck in alligators.

I survived November, barely.

December is racing along whether I'm ready to go with it or not.

I've begun my shopping if gift cards count. They do, don't they?

I'll be back shortly...

Happy Halloween

2009-10-30T10:31:00.000-04:00

It's been quite eventful in my little corner of the world lately. Lots of hush- hush artwork I'm not allowed to discuss. Lots of fun. Lots of inky fingers. Lots of late nights.

Half the decorations are on the front porch. The skeleton still needs to be dangled from the wire spring, the ghosts need to be hung from the carriage lights, the strings of jack-o-lantern lights need to be hung around the front door, and the spider webbing needs to be stretched. I've decided not to use the tombstones this year and may regret it when I look back at the photos, but we'll see. Never did pick up a witch's hat and broom to go with those fabulous shoes, but it might still happen.

Have to tell you that I'm the Halloween nut in our household, humored to a point of course by my better half. So when I pointed out all these things that we still needed to do, I got a big laugh at the "we". I don't climb ladders. Not even foot stools because I don't do well with heights, so I guess you could say I was using the royal "we". The other day I was in the craft store and in front of me was this tall thin woman who had to be about 80 and she was buying scarecrows and pumpkins and such for her yard. I smiled widely because I knew that would be me in 30 years, still going strong, still decorating like a crazy person for the trick-or-treaters.

It's supposed to be 80 tomorrow here in NC which means there will be some hot kids inside their costumes. I can still remember the year my son was dressed in fake fur as a Star Wars character and I was in shorts and a t-shirt, knowing full well that he was dyin' in that outfit. Seems like a lifetime ago...

Here's wishing you a Happy Halloween from the biggest kid of all...me.

Big News for my B-Day!!

2009-10-20T12:06:00.000-04:00

My birthday gift from my son this year was the announcement that they're having a baby. Today I found out it's a boy.
Me, a grandmother...how in the world is that possible?
Have mercy...

Happy Birthday to Me...

2009-10-15T11:36:00.000-04:00

It's official...I'm old as dirt. Had to happen sooner or later, right?

Don't you love these clever gift wrapping ideas? Maps, newspapers, & pages from old books used as wrapping paper are quite lovely when you add a pretty ribbon & bow. And how about an old wall calendar? How cool is that to circle the date? Another inventive idea for those of us with lots of colored cardstock: cut it in strips to create the look of ribbon, pull out a hand punch and punch out circles...I think that's very clever indeed!

Speaking of old things, isn't this a unique idea for displaying face clothes in the guest bathroom? I use a wire basket shaped like a pig, but I'm thinking this is pretty cute too. Especially today since I'm suddenly faced with an appreciation for old things.

Next time you're passing a yard sale or flea market, check out the old costume jewelry. Sometimes you can find an old brooch that would be the perfect topper for a tiny gift box. Or buy strands of dime store pearls and cut them apart, gluing them on individually. Mother has given me tons of those pearl necklaces and I've been sharing them with the kids in the neighborhood who play dress-up, but now I'm thinking of new ways to use them.

If you've got any old hardback books around and feel like folding pages, why not make yourself a message center? Tuck in the reminder postcard from the vet or the tiny appointment card from the dentist. Rubber stamp envelopes for next month's bills & birthday cards, and tuck them into the pages too. Save those coupons for delivery pizza and tuck a few of those in there as well. You never know when they might come in handy. Then add a favorite photo to make you smile each time you pass. I recently received a postcard from Sweden and it would be perfect on display. And if the leaves have begun to change in your area as they have here, why not tuck in a vibrant leaf or two?

It's a dreary, rainy day here but I've got a perfect cup of coffee, so life is good. My old piggie bedroom shoes are looking worn & loved, but then so am I, so I'm still smiling. If your day is less than perfect seek out a child and ask them to tell you a joke. It'll be corny and the delivery will be less than perfect, but it's guaranteed to make you feel good about life.

And one last thing. If you don't know what a "dime store" is, you've missed out on a great childhood treat. Which means there's something to be said for growing old. Go ask your mother or your grandmother and get them to tell you about the great shopping you could do with loose change back in the old days. I'm going to send an email to my big brother and remind him about those shopping extravaganzas we used to make weekly to the Person Street Five & Ten. Paddle balls, silly putty, play dough, pick up sticks, a barrel full of monkeys, jump ropes, bubbles, balloons, and my favorite candies: BB Bats and Kits. Suddenly I'm not feeling so old after all. Happy birthday to me!

Snippets

2009-10-09T16:51:00.000-04:00

It's Friday and I've survived another week. Just a few thoughts to share today. First, I went antiquing a few weeks ago and added to my key collection. It's truly a sickness. You simply wouldn't believe the number of old rusty keys I've amassed but I can't stop now.

We recently visited a boutique with a table front & center, and the bottom of each table leg was wearing a high heel. Not a real shoe of course; just made to look that one. But you know I went wild over the idea of it and now my mother is buying me wacky shoes at the thrift stores. One pair looks just perfect for a witch so I've decided to add something new to this year's porch decorations for Halloween. Those shoes, a black hat and a broom.

Saw the Cake Mix Doctor on GMA this week and now I'm dying to make her crushed Oreo brownies. Have mercy, I'm not a fan of chocolate, but they looked so good I think I won't be able to resist. Went right to the library last night and put my name on the list for both her books, along with some new fiction, of course.

Tomorrow we're off at oh-dark-thirty for IKEA in Charlotte. A bonus to reward me for rising while it's still dark outside: they're giving away a free breakfast to everyone. I was going anyway, but I'm telling myself it's a reward, so don't rain on my parade.

The queen-size bed in guestroom #1 is on a Hollywood frame with no headboard and it's making us crazy. You know that's the only room on the first floor that's received a new coat of paint (Butter Cream), so it deserves a proper bed. Since we can't decide on one we like around here, we're off in search of one, plus new bedding as well. And I'm thinking I want new curtains for my bedroom, and a new long runner for my kitchen.

I've got so many ideas in my head for classes right now that I dream about them!!! Backgrounds, collages, books, techniques, and of course a new specimen box surprise. And I've got a big order of new goodies on the way, so that's always a big treat.

One final note...I've had enough candy corn. For today.

Fall is in the air! October has arrived

2009-10-05T14:40:00.000-04:00

October's here already? How'd that happen? I've been distracted by several things in recent weeks. My TV shows are back. House is still an all-time favorite. Liking the new Flash Forward...for now. Old Christine is still a winner and so is the new Modern Family. Hank and The Middle were both dreadful out of the gate and I'm not sure I can give either of them a second chance. I've recorded 5 episodes of Dancing With The Stars and the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy, but haven't watched them yet. I've decided Jay Leno at 10 isn't much different from 11. Tick tock.

I hate to even say it out loud, but we might have found the color for the first floor. And you'll never guess where I found it...in the new pantry. It hit me this weekend when I turned on the lights and walked in there, realizing it was a nice creamy color. We painted some on several walls of the kitchen so I can try living with it. Might want to go a shade darker, but I think I'm onto something.

I've been using my new convection oven. (It should come with a warning.) In one week we had chicken casserole, spaghetti, beef stroganoff, and London Broil. Might be a record in my house.

Gotta say it again: 2 dishwashers are NOT a genius plan. Both were filled with dirty dishes at once which means both had clean dishes at once, which meant dirty dishes went in the sink til they could be emptied. And this is the funny bit. I unloaded both and began to refill the one on the right after lunch on Saturday. Guess who cleaned up after dinner and began to load the one on the left? All I'm sayin'...

I've been busy on class samples, which has been lots of fun. And my stamp club has decided to make 10 ornaments to swap in 2 weeks. I've known for over a month what my ornament would be so it's time to get started on those. We've also decided to do our holiday container swap again for November's meeting. Any container with a tiny gift inside. In the past I've disassembled Chinese take-away containers and decoupaged them with tissue paper painted with metallic paints, then reassembled them and filled them with Oriental goodies. Another year I gave tiny wooden trunks inked & stamped, filled with push pins I made using flat glass marbles showcasing tiny works of art attached to the tops of the pins. Others have made paper mache bowls, crocheted baskets with lids, decorated paint cans, altered books that were hollowed out and filled with ephemera...just lots of clever ideas. I'll have to put on my thinking cap for that one but it's hard to think of holidays beyond Halloween. That's my favorite holiday ever! I've got to hang the skeleton and spider web on the front porch, pull out the big things for the porch, buy the pumpkin and get it carved, find that little witch that makes the eerie sounds as she moves around the floor with her flashing eyes. Last year I was so tempted to buy costumes for the puppies but didn't, so this may be the year.

And while I'm designing new classes I've decided to make up kits for old classes, creating an online class Will let you know as soon as that's ready to post, so check back.

I bought a new Fall wreath for the front door and I'm so glad I did. Hope the neighbors are enjoying it as much as I am. You can tell it's Fall in the neighborhood. First a little cheerleader came around selling pizza boxes as a fundraiser (you take the empty box to the pizzaria to be filled) and then a Cub Scout selling caramel corn. Worthy causes with bonuses. Lovin' that!!

Shopping for a fire pit for the lower level patio so we can enjoy these cooler evenings. Wish me luck.

And if you find time to read a good book or two, I recommend 2 by Maeve Binchy. First read Tara Road and then read Quentins. Loved them both. I'm waiting for Scarlet Feather now. I also read A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick and I enjoyed some of it but don't know that it would ever be in my top 100, so if you read it, let me know what you think. I don't like a slow book and I don't like them when the ending is less than what I imagined. Also on the waiting list for Robert B Parker's The Professional. I just love his Spenser series and can't wait for that one. But while I was waiting I read 2 of his that are westerns: Appaloosa and Brimstone and enjoyed both. (Just thought you should know I don't limit myself to TV this time of year.)

Til next time, hope the colors of Fall are reaching your corner of the world.

Storage Flea Market Style

2009-09-23T11:10:00.001-04:00

I'm a collector. And I'm always trying to be better organized. Which is why these ideas have such great appeal. Why not combine the two loves into one and create some great projects?

An old tin can can easily be transformed into a lamp. And I can see something like this on display in my studio, can't you?

This is an old metal heating grate that's been mounted on the wall with screws, transforming it into a really cool magazine rack.

Wouldn't you love to find several of these?

This is my favorite idea of all time. If you visit antique stores and flea markets as much as I do, you've stumbled across a lot of old drawer pulls. Isn't this a simply fabulous idea?

I should tell you all these ideas & photos came to me in an email from Better Homes & Gardens.

I see old shutters at the Habitat Reuse Center all the time and I can never envision a use for them. But once I saw this one painted yellow, I knew it would be a great display piece in my studio for displaying cards, ATC's, postcards and more.

Most bird cages I've seen didn't look quite this nice, but clearly they have potential. Dowels have been run from side to side with a piece of glass (or plexiglass) resting atop them to create shelves.

I probably wouldn't use this for mail, but instead as another display space for my dimensional art. And since wall space is well gone in my studio, I could certainly suspend this from the ceiling in an unusual place. Oh how I love these great ideas!

Now if you have a corner or wall space a tall shutter would work. I'm not sure I have such a corner, but I still love the idea.

Add a bulletin board or chalk board at the top, and tuck in art work in the bottom.

I'm inspired. How about you? This will be the last weekend of the flea market in Raleigh until November because they're shutting down on Sunday in preparation of the State Fair. Maybe you should venture out and see what treasures you can find. And there's always the local thrift stores & consignment shops.

Let me know if you find anything.