be yourself: live with passion

So much fun...

...is what I've had creating the project for April's creatologie kit, entitled SPECIAL!

Remembering the special people in my life is a good thing.

And using the special products in this 16 page album is also a good thing.

There are new papers from Basic Grey in beautiful shades of pink, green and brown...and these papers are accented by their beautiful flourishes and chipboard letters.

Today, I received the gorgeous border lace doilies...yesterday the fontwerks stamps came in...and oh, did I mention that there were custom labels created just for this kit?

Then, there's special velvet and chenille ribbon, strands of woven pearls, flowers and crackle paint...definitely special.

Here's one of the interior pages...thought you might enjoy seeing another peek of what's to come!

Thanks to all of you who ordered...it's great to see so many of you come back month after month...plus it's also great to see lots of new names as well.

There have also been some names that have come through my email...usually the day after the previous kits have sold out...wanting to know if that was really true and were there any more.  Um, no...really, once they're sold out, they're gone.  If you've put off ordering, you may want to make sure you reserve yours now...so that you can remember the special people in your life, enjoy the special products and end up with a full and complete special album.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...OR BUST!

I don't know what made me think of using that term today...maybe a little nostalgia about travel and the road trips we took from Philly to Chicago every summer during my childhood. 

You know, we certainly didn't have all of the forms of entertainment that traveling kids have today...I don't think we even had FM radio in that first car (I know I'm totally dating myself here :))), let alone the individual DVD players that each child has nowadays.

Anyway, to entertain myself, I used to track license plates to see where people were from...and I got the biggest kick out of the {whatever state} or bust signs posted in the back windows of the cars or Airstream campers.  I thought that the phrase was weird...still do...but the different states went on a list.  (See...I was a listmaker...even back then!)

Which brings me to the point of this post...finally.

On Friday morning, I'm heading to Northern California to teach a weekend of classes at My Daughter's Wish.  Last year, I taught there at the charity event called Wishfest...what a great time.  I met some really fabulous and talented women there and am excited to be going back...I hope to see a lot of them again.

I'll be teaching three classes...a flip easel book that features metal aging techniques (we'll be working with real copper sheets and mesh).  For those of you who ordered my creatologie kit last month, I wanted you to know that the easel is a different size and the techniques, colors and papers are totally different.  In addition to the metal techniques, we'll also be doing some texture painting...really fun.

The second class is a feminine book...I titled it "For Girls Only" because the colors are bright and it's filled with feminine touches...bling, flowers, satin ribbon and flourishes.  This would be a great girlfriends' book, or a Mother's Day book for your mom, or maybe daughter, daughter-in-law or granddaughter...

I'm looking forward to teaching this one a lot...it's shabby and fun...plus there are some unique painting techniques to liven up your pages.

The third project that I'll be teaching is a fun travel journal...for those of you who wanted to learn how to create a dos a dos book, this is your chance.  I've modified this one big time...it's a combo of honeycomb and dos a dos books with a clipboard cover.  Fabulous for storing travel momentos...plus a great way to highlight your trip.  Add to that some of the new Teresa Collins' and Jenni Bowlin papers, cool micro mini ball trim and unique accents...you won't want to miss this class.

Looking forward to the classes and my time with Sheri and her family!

Hope to see you there too!

Shakespeare said...

"What wound did ever heal but by degrees?"

Thank you so, so much for your kind words, for sharing your stories and for taking time out of your busy days to let us know you're thinking about us.  We appreciate you more than you will ever know.

And so the healing process begins.

It's a known fact that art and creativity are great therapy.  Yesterday, Ashley and I spent some time creating...she was making jewelry and I was working on April's creatologie kit.

I wanted to share the link to Ashley's Etsy shop with you...I'm so proud of her creative and entrepreneurial spirit.  It was a great boost to her confidence to sell a piece yesterday.  Yay for Ash!

We're taking it a day at a time...mornings are the toughest when I look at the spot where he always slept...on the floor by my side of the bed...the emptiness is just overwhelming.

We're grateful that all three of us were able to be there with him and for him...our lives are better for having him with us.

Thanks again...from the bottom of my heart.

grief...

...is like a shadow cast by a large cloud...but when you look at the cloud, there are rays of sunshine peeking through and those beams of light are our great memories.

Yesterday, we said goodbye to Thatcher.

He took a turn for the worse yesterday morning and we just knew what we had to do.

His recovery the day before allowed him to do some of his favorite things Monday evening--eating a bit of grilled salmon, running along the back wall, barking at the stranger at the door...and while he was resting on his wool rug in the family room yesterday, he was watching Babylon 5 with Ashley on her laptop (he was Ash's TV buddy and loved B5 for some reason).

We are grateful to God that He blessed us for almost 13 years with such an ideal dog.  He was definitely one of a kind.

Thatcher has been described by friends and family as a magnificent Bouvier, a teddy bear, a real gentleman, reliable and responsible, a caretaker and steady Eddie.  To me, Thatcher will always be "Mom's Boy".  He will be missed...and never forgotten.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, for your comments and emails...we appreciate them all.

the ups and downs of life...

This weekend was a real high.  My two classes at Paper and Metal Scrappers were awesome...so glad I brought extra kits!  It was so fun to have their customers pull into the parking lot wanting to know if we were on a field trip (while we were outside aging copper), getting excited about what we were doing and then signing up for the afternoon class or buying a kit to go!  There is so much enthusiasm in that store, starting with Brenda and Barb, the owners and then filtering down to the customers.  Love it...can't wait to go back later this year. 

Vern and Ashley (and the horses) ended up coming up there with me.  They took the horses on a trail ride that exhilarated and challenged all of them...a real high for them and a real sense of accomplishment as well.

Today, on the other hand, was definitely a down day.  Our almost 13 year old Bouvier, Thatcher, became suddenly disoriented this morning, started losing his balance and walking like a drunk, eventually couldn't walk and generally looked unwell.  By the time they reach that age, you know that each day is a gift and that it is inevitable that one day, you are going to have to make that very, very difficult decision.

After watching him for a little bit, we thought that today would have to be the day.   I have to tell you that I spent most of the morning crying, remembering the good times with him, hugging on him, etc.  We called Ashley at school and she came home early from classes.  One of us stayed with him all morning long and watched over him.

Eventually, he got up and went outside.  He began moving around a little more normally, was interested in our lunch food, and definitely had more energy and focus.  Right now, he's eating his dinner...with lots of enthusiasm.  We think that he may have had a stroke.  Our research indicated that dogs recover from strokes much faster than humans do...and he does seem to be recovering.  We're going to keep a close eye on him...and, for sure, we don't want him to be suffering or in pain.  We will appreciate the moments we have with him...what happened this morning was a certain reminder that life is fragile.

all is quiet on the Western front...

...at least for tonight. 

The creatologie kits went out today...wow it was amazing, thanks to everyone who ordered.

When the postal carrier came to pick up the boxes, I was still in my PJ's, sealing up the last box.  It's exciting to see the numbers grow each month!

I have to say that I couldn't do it without Vern and Ashley...both with their support and their hands on help (they are really good at stuffing kits and boxes!)...and they are so tolerant of the chaos, boxes and irregular schedules that accompany kit week!

I'm taking tonight off...and tomorrow it starts again with kit prep for my weekend classes at Paper & Metal Scrappers in Payson.  The morning class sold out so they opened a second class in the afternoon...that only has a couple of places left so if you're interested, you may want to give them a call right away at 928-468-1188.  Totally excited about sharing the project and the fun metal and texture techniques that are part of it!

Off to grab a quick dinner out and then...blissful quietness...

wishing you...

                                 

                                                     ...a happy and blessed Easter!

A WINNER!

Vern was elected to randomly pick a number and he picked #77...comment #77 belongs to

KIM IVY, WHO LOVES CHOCOLATE BROWN AND MINT GREEN RIGHT NOW...MAYBE BECAUSE OF THE THIN MINTS SHE'S EATING!

Congrats, Kim!  If you email me your address, I'll send out your frame and Making Memories papers and embellies!

Thanks everyone for playing...I loved reading each of your comments...you just never know if your favorite color combo will show up in a future kit or class project!  ;)

say it with letters!

When sweet Deb asked me to do a guest designer spot for say it with letters!, I was so excited...first, because I love Deb and wanted to support her and her business and second, because I LOVE letters!

Deb told me to pick what I wanted to work with and I immediately thought of my friend Sydney who is having a baby in April.  Sydney loves handmade stuff so I thought I'd make her something...and, after having two boys, a little girl is finally joining their family so doing something girlie would definitely be in the plan.  (Hopefully, Syd is too busy riding herd on the two munchkins of the male variety she now has to read this...I won't see her until next week and this is a surprise.)

I asked Deb for the BABY letters and then ordered the square scallop from her to create the "window pane" hanging.  The scallop is a 24" square...so it's a great size to add lots of pix.  The idea is for Sydney to add and change out baby photos with a little poster putty that won't damage the patterned papers.  I chose a cardstock weight, high quality paper from My Mind's Eye with that in mind, but a lighter weight paper with a couple coats of decoupage medium on the surface would also work.

I ended up photographing it outside against a weathered sign...there was absolutely no wall space in my house that would accommodate this piece!

For a list of products used and the process, check out the say it with letters blog.  Here are some close up shots.

If you're looking for some great wooden letters and shapes that are high quality and reasonably priced, check out say it with letters!  You will be happy you did!

   

smelling like dirt!

In the spring,

at the end of the day,

you should smell like dirt.   (MARGARET ATWOOD, Woman's Day Magazine, Apr. 1, 2007)

So be it, Margaret!  It's spring...it's the end of the day...and I smell like dirt.

It's so worth it, though...the back yard looks tended again...the containers are filled with little posies...there's lots of color out there...and I'm off to shower!  :))  It's been fun reading about the colors you are loving...here are some of the flower colors I'm loving today!