Snow, and the one that got away

If you live in NC you know we don't often see snow, and even when we do, it's not enough to build a decent snowman or provide reason enough to pull out the sleds. But one thing you can rely on: if it snows, or there's a chance of snow, the schools are closed. That's right. One week ago we got a whopping 2" of snow and schools were closed. Mind you the roads were fine where I drove, but clearly there must have been danger lurking somewhere to keep the school buses parked. Was it lovely? Absolutely! And I did see one snowman, built by my neighbor, which lasted through Wednesday when the temps hit 70 and it melted away.
Want to know what weather is like in NC? One week ago today we had snow and today they're calling for a high of 81 degrees. Now I ask you, where else but here could you find such fluctuation? Fine by me; I'm in open-toed shoes with no trouser socks.

And if you're wondering about "the one that got away", I'm referring to a class I pitched for Stampaway. Out of the 4 I submitted, they chose all but one. These photos show the Specimen Box Collage that wasn't selected.

Which of course means lucky contestants willing to drive to the studio are in for a fabulous class! And for those of you far, far away, don't fret. If you sign up for my class at Stamp Your Art Out on Wednesday night, August 5th, you'll be making very similar art in an accordion book tucked inside a portfolio. And best of all, you'll be playing with even more toys and creating even better backgrounds. Think of these photos as steps 1-4, knowing there are brand new Tim Holtz masks and Claudine Hellmuth paints to use in steps 5-8. Ooh, how exciting!

My favorite part about these specimen box collages is the assemblage itself. If you look closely at these photos you'll notice the backgrounds are the same, but the focal images are different. That's because when I begin to build my collage, I try multiple possibilities before narrowing it down to my favorite. There are two photos of each box but the final layout is different on each.

And that means when I teach this class in the studio it will take more time to assemble all the pieces than it did to create the backgrounds. Doesn't seem possible, yet it's true. I worked for hours trying to decide on the placement that pleased me most.

If you're local, this class is scheduled for Saturday, April 4th, beginning at 10 am. Do let me know if you're interested. The size of this specimen box is 8x12, which is a big one, giving you lots of space to fill with lots of backgrounds. And we all know creating backgrounds is my very favorite thing.

In the last week we've had the house measured for hardwood flooring and sized up for wiring the televisions, DVR's, etc to hide all the wires in the walls. I've also been plundering in multiple boxes in the studio sorting out finished works of art from supplies and trash. Yes, trash. One can is full, another is over half filled, and there are still lots of boxes to open. Wonder if it's possible to do a decent job sorting while watching Dancing With the Stars? Hmm, I'm gonna find out tonight.

Fed Ex delivered a case of bangles on Friday and there are multiple boxes on the way with more goodies from a recent order. (brand new Tim Holtz rubber stamps & rulers, fibers, dabbers, and Claudine's sticky-back canvas, just to name a few) I'm also working on another order for more new product. Now doesn't that make you want to rush on over to the studio? I thought so.

Stamp club is making ATC's this month so I've got to tidy up a surface to work on and get mine started. The theme is "Three of a Kind", meaning 3 colors of paper or 3 colors of ink/paint, 3 brads, 3 eyelets, 3 flowers...anything you want so long as it's repeated 3 times on each. My tiny mind is whirring away with the choices. Somewhere I have a rubber stamp of 3 dancing chickens wearing pearls, and another of 3 hippos wearing tutus in a chorus line. Hey, they'd qualify for 3 of a kind! And I can always add Crystal Lacquer, Diamond Glaze, or Glossy Accents to give the pearls dimension, or Stickles to give the tutus a little sparkle. Ahh, don't you just love creating a little art? Or a lot of art? Looks like I'm gonna be forced to get my finers inky today.