be yourself: live with passion

choices...

DO YOU LIKE HAVING CHOICES WHEN YOU ARE CREATING?

I do, although most of the time, in the interest of saving time and completing projects, I don't offer tons of choices in my classes.  This one is different.

For those of you who have signed up or are planning to sign up for the torso class, both at Scrapbooks, Etc. and at Paper and Metal Scrappers, I wanted to let you know that you will have choices in decorating your chick.

I thought I'd mention some of the areas where you will have choices so that your brain can begin planning...OK, here they are:

• clear crystal or rusted iron knob
• choice of colors for chandelier crystal
• choice of colors for glimmer mist
• brown text or black text
• a variety of tissue papers to coordinate with either black or brown text
• ink or gesso over text
• trims for upper body
• choice of colored ink for stamping

OK, do you think that's enough decision making?

I had so much fun putting together another sample just to show you how a few items can give her a different look.

Now, it's up to you...but first, you need to get signed up!

Here are the store numbers:

Scrapbooks, Etc. 480-854-2302

Paper and Metal Scrappers 928-468-1188

Hope you see you either August 15th or September 20th!

It's your choice!

How does it know the difference?

We have a rain lily growing among the liriope next to the pond.

I came out to feed the goldfish this morning and saw the blossom.

Even though it gets watered regularly all summer long, the only time it blooms is when it rains...and we had rain the night before last.

Isn't it amazing that it actually knows the difference between rain water and hose water?

A very discerning plant, I must say.

Happy Saturday!

project download...

I don't know if you know about the site called mycraftivity.  It's put together by the great people at F+W Publications, the publishers of Tena's and my books, Artful Memories and Lifelines.

They have one of my projects from Artful Memories featured on the site right now and you can get a free download of one of the bandana books that I created here.  Plus they are offering Artful Memories at a great discount.

This is a very cool structure that you hand make...and its cover is made from a bandana...hence, a bandana book.

There's a story behind the use of a bandana for a cover.  Those of you who regularly read my blog know that I pretty much have a story for everything, right?

Anyway, it was right before Memorial Day weekend in 2006 and we were antsy to get out of town.  We decided to drive over to Santa Fe/Albuquerque and have a little down time.  Vern took it upon himself to find us places to stay...B&B's preferred, of course.  He is really good at finding us great places, plus he loves to research...unlike me.

He found us a couple of places to stay...both looked great...one was in Placitas and the other in Madrid.  The first night we stayed in Placitas...it was a new adobe, pristine and quite nice.  When we were at the breakfast table with the other people staying there, they asked us where we were staying the next night.  We said Madrid.  Now, for those of you not familiar with Madrid, it is not pronounced like Madrid, Spain.  The emphasis is on the first syllable and it's drawn out like this:  "maaaa-drid".  We knew nothing about that town other than it was formerly a mining town and it was supposed to be funky.  At the time, we couldn't figure out why the rest of the table gave each other these quick looks.

 Anyway, later that day, we drove to Madrid.

The town, such as it was, was buzzing with activity.  There was a weekend event being held there...music, music and more music.  Most of the event attendees were leftover hippies...aging ones judging by the amount of gray hair that we saw!

It's been a really long time since I saw that much tie die in one place, plus the long gauzy skirts, braids, beads...you get the picture, right?  And, oh yes, the interesting smell in the air...get my drift?

Of course, then there were the Harleys.

As we turned into the road that would take us to our "place of rest" that night, this is what we saw.  Dirt road would probably be a complimentary description of what our poor Suburban was bumping along on...it was quite washboardy, had washes passing through it and then, of course, there were the potholes that could swallow up a small vehicle.  Vern and I turned and gave each other the look...all of you who have been married a while know what I'm talking about...you can communicate a whole paragraph of words with one look.  This look?  What have we gotten ourselves into?

We bumped along until we got to our destination and this is what greeted us.  A diamond buried in all of the coal dust!

The owners had been called away to Texas due to a death in the family and they left us a note and a key...and the house all to ourselves except for a very quiet family member who had one of the upstairs bedrooms.  We had a suite off the side of the first floor and one of the owners' friends came in to make breakfast for us the next morning.  What a great place to stay...they aren't in the B&B business anymore or I'd give you their name and site so that you too could experience Madrid.

The next day, we went through some of the funky shops of Madrid (they have a lot of galleries with very unique pieces of art...remember when I talked about the dark side of altered art?...yep, those kind of unique pieces).  Our last stop was at the Madrid Mercantile and that's where Ash and I found the bandanas.  They had tons of them in all different colors and patterns.  I picked up a half dozen or so and that's when the idea hit me.  I needed to make a travel journal to showcase Madrid and cover it with one of the bandanas.

Here's another bandana book that I made with yet another one of the Madrid finds.

They are small, quick to make and funky.

So, there you have the inspiration behind the bandana book.

Hope you take advantage of the free download and enjoy your project!

Happy Weekend!

for those of you who wanted the recipe...

...here is the link to the Williams Sonoma recipe for stuffed heirloom tomatoes.

I used bulk sausage instead of what they called for.  Call me crazy, but I didn't see the point of buying it stuffed and then unstuffing it...

I also used herbes de provence instead of oregano, omitted the dried pepper flakes and added finely chopped fresh basil.

Oh yes, and how could I forget?  I substituted red tomatoes on the vine for the heirlooms! :))

In case you're wondering what the pic has to do with stuffed tomatoes...absolutely nothing!!!!

I like including pix in my posts and thought you might enjoy seeing a detail of the top of the torso.  By the way, in addition to teaching the torso class at Scrapbooks-Etc. on Friday, August 15th at 10:30 a.m., I'll also be teaching it at Paper and Metal Scrappers in Payson on Saturday, September 20th...you'll need to check their site for the time, which means I'll need to check their site to find out when I need to be there!

If you make the stuffed tomatoes, let me know what you think.

Until later...

all fingers and thumbs

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like you're all fingers and thumbs?

That's what I felt like yesterday morning.� I've got deadlines...and they are looming over my head...and my head said that I needed to work on them.

Unfortunately, the rest of me didn't feel all that cooperative. �So, after spilling some glue, getting crooked cuts and losing my paper piercer in the mess, I ditched creating.

I got some paperwork done and got to know my Gilbert neighbors at the post office (it was a line to the door day there). �Then,I decided to retreat to the kitchen and cook. �I enjoy cooking, although some days more than others, but I enjoy eating every day!

I had seen a recipe for stuffed tomatoes in the latest Williams-Sonoma�catalog and decided that would be on the menu.

I read through the ingredient list and it called for heirloom tomatoes. �OK, this is Phoenix in August...the ultra short tomato season is long gone...where was I going to find heirloom tomatoes? �Those of you who have fabulous farmer's markets don't know how lucky you are!

Ashley told me that she was pretty sure that AJ's carried heirloom tomatoes. �For those of you who don't live in the area, let me tell you about AJ's. �It is a gourmet marketplace, a boutique grocery, if you will, that carries unique foods, has its own sushi bar, sells delectable pastries and breads that you might have to mortgage your home or sell off your firstborn to afford...you get the drift...exclusive and expensive.

Well, I wanted those stuffed tomatoes so off to AJ's I went. �I went over to the produce aisle and sure enough, there were the heirloom tomatoes. �Their presentation was gorgeous...all beautifully arranged in a basket with the larger tomatoes on the bottom and the smaller on top. �I checked the handwritten sign that was also stuck in the basket and it read "Heirloom Tomatoes, $7.99/ lb." �WHAT????? EIGHT DOLLARS FOR A POUND OF TOMATOES??? �NO WAY!!!!! �I looked at the sign a second time just to make sure I wasn't misreading it...no, I saw it right the first time. �I have to describe these tomatoes to you...their colors are a bit different from standard tomatoes--orange, yellow, a purplish color and some in various shades of red. �Their shape is quite different-the one I picked up from the top looked sort of flat with two cheeks hanging out the sides...strange and not at all stuffable. �Just for kicks, I weighed that cheeky tomato and it was 3/4's of a pound...wowzers...$6.00 for one tomato! �That would be like a gallon and half of gas! �I let go of that 'mater in a hurry and meandered over to the tomatoes that real people eat...red, perfect in shape, genetically engineered and hothouse grown, but most importantly, stuffable and affordable.

OK, into the cart went a bag of tomatoes...then fresh basil, mushrooms, sausage, fresh parm and a baguette...oh yeah, I also splurged on some of those amazing looking watermelon radishes...they look so cool.

Fortunately, my "all fingers and thumbs" plight of the morning didn't follow me into the kitchen and I was able to put together a pretty good knock off of the Williams-Sonoma image of their tomatoes.

Of course, once I picked up the camera, the fingers and thumbs returned and every one of the stuffed tomato pix turned out fuzzy...this one being the least fuzzy of all. �Oh well, one of those days.

But, at least I got my stuffed tomatoes...they were a big hit...all gone!

Today will be a better day. �It's Vern's and my 31st anniversary (yes, I did marry quite young, thank you very much), we got rain last night and I'm feeling a bit more creative. �So, I'm off to meet my deadlines.

Hope you have a great day.

ETA:  OK, I don't know what TypePad is doing with putting those annoying little boxes between sentences...and other random places...but I can't get rid of them.  If anyone knows what I need to do, please share!  Thanks!

if you haven't seen it yet...

...there's a new kit release over at creatologie!

We had a record breaking first day yesterday...WOW.  It was fun getting emails from so many of you.

"It's A Secret" is only a suggestion...you can theme this mondo (think muscle car) accordion with any topic you choose.  For a detailed description of the project, head over to creatologie.

You can pre-order now...kits will begin shipping 8/28/08.  Can't wait to share this one with you!

happiness...

Franklin D. Roosevelt said some powerful words when he made this statement:

"Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort."

While that's not the only key to happiness, to those of us who are creative, this statement definitely rings a bell.

It seems like pretty much every post I've made in the past month has been about some creative effort.  Probably because that's pretty much what I've been doing.  As I had mentioned in a previous post, this fall season is the busiest I've ever been with respect to teaching and because the venues are vastly different, I am creating many different projects.

On August 23rd and 24th, I'll be in Connecticut and Massachusetts, respectively.

I'll be teaching two very fun, technique-loaded classes on the 23rd at Scrapbook Clubhouse in Westbrook, CT.

The "Little Things" journal is one of the projects that I'll be teaching and I'm excited to share some of the fun techniques in this one...liberal use of Glimmer Mist, metal accents, paper folding, and lots more.

The other class that I'll be teaching is the much loved Dos-A-Dos travel journal as shown in this previous post.  This one is a classic and because you build it from scratch, you can repeat the design over and over again, with different applications each time.

It's going to be fun and I'm looking forward to meeting so many of you who have written and told me that you will be there!

On Sunday, I'll be back at Right At Home Scrapbooking in North Attleboro, MA.  Sunday is an all day, technique-intensive, FUN!!!, class featuring metal.

Metal is hot!  Just check out popular home decor sites and you will see metal accents, zinc topped tables and even metal toned wall paints.

Page after page of this easel book project features some metal technique.  I named my project "LIVE", but this is really an unthemed project, just waiting for you to add your own personal touch.

Get ready to get those hands dirty (you know by now that's one of my class trademarks) as you learn how to age metal, emboss it, stamp on it, etc.  Then there's the added bonus of creating texture with masks and a medium.  The aqua and dark chocolate colors of this project are wonderfully complimentary to the metal accent pieces included on your pages.

  If you check out the peeks of the pages we'll be doing, you know that we will be stepping outside of the box quite a bit...a great way to get those creative juices going.

Looking forward to seeing many of you again!

Until then, take joy in your achievements and hope you have lots of thrilling creative efforts!

a play date just for you...

Do you remember the days of getting together with your friends and playing dolls?

Did you ever cut out paper dolls or make clothes for your Barbies?

Maybe you were more into stuffed animals and maybe you dressed them in your baby sibling's clothes?

Do you ever just want to take a few hours and play, just like you did when you were a child?

Enter "Child's Play"...a Creative Genius Workshop I will be teaching at Scrapbooks-Etc. on August 15th from 10:30-2:00.

We will be altering dressing a 16" papier mache torso in gorgeous trims and laces, book paper and tissue, stamped images, photo image transfers both in a metal frame and on tags, crystals, bling and even a drawer knob.  So, why did I strike out the word altering?  It seems that some people have this vision of altered art as being deep, dark and very symbolic...when in reality it's nothing more than changing something from its original form.  This is definitely a change of form!  Prepare to get your hands dirty as we gesso, gel and glimmer mist our way to a fully dressed, elegant chick!

Carl Fox once said, "To the child, the doll is a presence.  It is forever on the threshold of becoming, of being whatever the child or adult breathes into it.  One begins with innocence, and the experience of time breeds knowledge and the power for good and evil.  Time transforms the levels of play, which may be as secret as the confessional or as brash as theatricals to an audience coaxed with ice cream and cookies.  Nothing and everything is revealed, the heart laid bare." 

While what he said is quite philosophical and very wordy, in a nutshell, he was saying that whether we are children or adults, playing with dolls is cool!

If you've not taken time to play...or you've never given in to creating something fun, different or whimsical, you ought to try this project.  Think of how fun it would be to include it in your studio, or scrap space, or bedroom dresser...or maybe giving it as a gift to a friend, daughter or granddaughter. 

Give yourself permission to play...bring out the child in you again.  If you're still not sure, then you need this certificate to help you make a decision.  Just print out this certificate (right click on the image and then click on the print command), fill in your name, sign and date it and call the store at 480-854-2303 and reserve your spot.  Bring your certificate with you and I will give you a special gift...just because you gave yourself permission to play.

Background image for certificate from "Alphabets & Ornaments" CD by Anna Corba, published by Sterling Publishers.

See you August 15th...can't wait to play dolls with you!

getting your dibs in...

It all started several years ago when Vern and Ashley and the horses began their trail competitions.

She would walk into the room where I was and give me a list.  On that list were dates...lots of dates...dates of  all of the competitions she wanted to enter.  She had big goals.  She would tell me that those were the blackout dates for the next year...she and Dad would be out of town those weekends...just so I would know and not plan any out of state teaching gigs.

She told me that she was just wanting to get her dibs in.

After a bit of negotiating, we would settle on those blackout dates...but in fact, Ashley had really gotten her dibs in first.

Tomorrow, open registration for Donna Downey's Inspired 2009 Event begins.  It will be held May 7-9, 2009 in Concord, North Carolina.  Lots of spaces have already been spoken for by alumni.

So why would you register in August for a May event?  Well, that's easy...you need to get your dibs in before the Ashley in your life comes in with their list and gets first dibs.  Just head on over to Donna's site and get yourself registered.

Hope to see you there...I'm really excited about teaching at this event...and guess what?  I got first dibs on that weekend around our house!  :)) 

something new at creatologie...

...but it's in really, really short supply.

If you enjoy doing mini books and layouts, you'll love this one...it's a combo of both!

Just head over to my creatologie blog site for a more detailed description.

Also, the travel journal kits are sold out...for those of you who emailed me about them, if I can find a product that I'm missing, I'll be able to complete several more and release them...I'll keep you in the loop on those.

Happy Tuesday and as always, Happy Creating!

ETA:  KITS ARE ALL SOLD OUT...THANKS SO MUCH...THEY WILL SHIP TOMORROW!!!!!