Cut 'n Paste

Crafting up a storm!

A few years ago I read a quote in a novel about someone who found their "Contentment in Creativity". For whatever reason the sentiment of those three words really resonated with me, and I think about them often. This week, my contentment has been found working on concepts for upcoming workshops. I have a million ideas, but it's all about refining them and turing them into a project which students can complete during class time.

I am pleased to be sharing that I will be one of the instructors along with Terri Brush and Amy Hanna at Spring Art Camp April 11-15, 2013 hosted by Terri. I know that it's a long way off, but Terri's events usually sell out well in advance, so if you're interested, check it out!

The birthday boy tag

I hope you have been having a lovely week! Work has been keeping me hoppin' lately...good things are happening!

I've shared photo tag projects with you in the past, today I have a new one for you. This one was made for one of my Canadian Scrapbooker articles awhile back...but I still love it ☺. I hoard vintage photos, so using them on tags, like this one, is a great way for me to actually use my stash. Although I will admit, that sometimes I have a hard time using the originals...

I love my Gran

 
Last fall I was asked to make a collage for the Russian Scrapbooking magazine Scrap-Info based upon my Collage Workshop. I decided to make a collage with a special friend of mine in mind who has a great relationship with her Grandma. A few weeks ago, the published magazine arrived in my inbox, and I was thrilled to look through it. Those gals in Russia are a seriously creative bunch!

Here's another, closer look at my collage.
 

Shh...Baby Sleeping

 
I designed this project using the Backboard from one of the super cool Melissa Frances Ephemera Kits. I LOVE this product and had so much fun putting this project together.

Today Melissa and I are teaching two classes to our retailers at the CHA Show in Chicago. So excited to give them a sneak peek at our new product offerings before the actual show opens tomorrow. If you happen to be coming to the show, be sure to pop by our booth (#1414) to say 'hi'!.

Just a note...

 
This notebook was the project for a special 'secret' class I taught while in Norway last fall. I love the vintage photo, texture and bead-work on the cover. It was a really fun class to teach and the girls in class all said they had a blast too, which is always a bonus ☺

So do you have any special plans for the weekend? Once again, we will be glued to the Olympics. Just a few more days left...sigh...I don't want it to end. It's given our city such a magical and positive atmosphere. And to my fellow Canadians, all I can say is..."I BELIEVE"!

ps - I received a link to this last night and wanted to share it with you. I was crying so hard by the time I was done, yet there was happiness in those tears as well. I invite you to read an incredibly honest and raw story: Nella's Birthstory

God will take Care of you

Here is a collage I had the pleasure to create for the Russian scrap magazine called Scrap-Info.  While creating the piece, I felt the lady on the tin-type photo really looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and should perhaps be paired with an uplifting sentiment on the collage. I found this old saying in a hymn book, and thought it made the perfect accompaniment. Don't give up, no matter how bleak things look, God will be there...What an encouragement!

Channeling my inner Rebecca

She is constantly inspiring and challenging me.  

This little ditty was made during a workshop last summer with Rebecca at our girls weekend away with myself, Rebecca, Teresa & Charlotte. How fun!  

Ouch and ahhhhh....

I've been back from the trade show and my girlfriends escape for a little over a week now....I've been busy with work items and designing fun fall classes! But the main thing that's been keeping me from the keyboard has been a back injury. While packing up our booth at CHA, I momentarily threw my back out. It was very sore for about a minute, but then the pain went away....so I thought that everything was fine. It was only after getting home and doing laundry one night when my back went out again and this time stayed in pain for days that I've realized that I have a problem. For the past few days I've been trying to take care of my back and have been going to the chiropractor for the first time in my life. So far I've seen small improvements, but I'm sore all the time. We're hoping that it will be a short course of treatment and that I'll be back to 'normal' in about a month...we'll see. In the meantime ice packs are my friend :-)

Enough about my back, I though you would enjoy seeing a sweet piece of art I purchased right before leaving for CHA. It arrived right after I came home and I really love it. It was created by the talented Lisa Kaus. She has such a way of creating texture and depth in her pieces, and needless to say I'm beyond smitten with the fact that it uses an old doll. How perfect!

Speaking of dolls, I found the motherload of doll parts while antiquing with the girls in Michigan. I purchased a box lot and it was so much fun to unpack it and see what treasures it held. In addition, right before leaving for the trade show I received a fabulous head and doll head mold from Melissa who found them at Brimfield, and one from this sweet girl who found me one in California. How I love my collection and am so thankful for friends who are so generous and kind! 

Postmark: LA

After many months of work, and several blog hints and teases I am so tickled to reveal the secret project that Teresa, Charlotte, Rebecca, Pam, Amy and I have been working on. Without further delay, here is our baby, POSTMARK: LA

Imagine a girls getaway that fills your creative well. A trip that reminds you why you create and how much fun it can be. Imagine friends who understand your passion for vintage and your appreciation of pretty. Now imagine one of these friends whispering a dream, "we should do a book"....everyone laughs, then, a pause, and suddenly this dream seems possible. Achievable...dare we say, even fun!

Yes, as many of you guessed, we have created our own 'petit livre'! We've been hard at work designing the kind of book that we would like to read. One that celebrates friendship, vintage findings and inspiring thoughts. Heavy on the eye-candy graphics and also including several 'for your use' pages (including an embroidery pattern and vintage photos just to name a few) Postmark:LA is a visual treat.

It's been a delight to work on this book together  and I can't say enough sweet things about 'my girls' who included me on this amazing journey.

You can purchase your copy of Postmark: LA  HERE.

As a thank you for your patience and joy in sharing this project with us, I'll be giving away the embroidery project that I created for the book. Just leave a comment below and I'll draw a name on Monday! Here's a wee peek at what you could receive:

Have a great weekend everyone!

Feeling the love

Do you ever download photos from you camera and feel your breath hitch because you captured a moment so precious that it takes your breath away?

This past weekend my side of the family celebrated Rick's birthday combined with my nephew Daniel's birthday. Rick's celebration was a few months late (poor guy! trying to get the whole family together with everyone's schedule is crazy hard), and Daniel's was a week early. As you can imagine with Rick being a police officer, he is the hero of our nephews. They mimic him, ask him for police stories and are pretty much always pretending that they're police just like Uncle Rick. At one point during the evening Daniel asked to pose for birthday photos (he loves to see himself on the screen of the digital camera) after I did a few with him, I asked him if he wanted a special photo with anyone else...well surprise, surprise, he wanted a photo with Uncle Rick. The two of them fooled around a bit as I was snapping away, and I discovered as I downloaded the imaged today, this gem. It's horribly out of focus, it's in no way a good photo, but I feel it - it really speaks to me of the relationship Rick has with Daniel.

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If you'll remember a few posts back, I talked about inspiration and how I've been feeling so inspired lately, so I thought I'd share a purchase I made which has been inspiring me.

Laurie Meseroll is an artist who specializes in folk art pieces. I first discovered her work in the home of my friend Sally, and I was instantly enamored. It became a goal of mine to purchase a piece or two for my own home. A few weeks ago the site that sells Laurie's pieces, Earth Angel Toys, had a sale, so I finally began my collection. I plan to hang the painting in my studio at some point. For now it's in my kitchen.

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Before I leave, I need to let you know whose name I drew for the stamp giveaway. KIM HARTER you're the lucky winner! I'll be sending you an email for your address as soon as I've finished this post.

Have a great day everyone!