be yourself: live with passion

I think I need a new wardrobe!

With these new additions to my jewelry collection, I'm thinking that my closet needs a wardrobe update!

Ashley has been busy putting together two bracelets and one necklace with the vintage charms and beads I ordered from French General.  She did such a fabulous job...I keep telling her that she should open an Etsy shop and sell some pieces!

I figured out that my niche in making jewelry is to glue pieces together...which is all I had to do to make the disk necklace and bracelet.  Glue I can do...I've had lots of practice with that! :))

Now that my fall catalogs are coming in on a daily basis, I guess I need to start thinking about some new clothes...of course, who can give sweaters or jackets a single thought when the temps are still in the high 90's during the day?

So, maybe I'll stick with my summer uniform of khakis and a black shirt or jeans and a black shirt and let the jewelry enhance my clothes....sheesh, what am I thinking?  There's no fun in that! 

Have you come across any funky clothes finds for the fall?  Where are your favorite places to shop?

burning rubber this weekend...

Lest you think I've taken up racing (although I've been known to burn some rubber on occasion), let me explain.

On Saturday, I was at Scrapbooks, Etc. prepping my upcoming classes for Wishfest at My Daughter's Wish next weekend.  Part of my prep work was to die cut some cool new shapes from Accu-Cut to create funky accents for the two mini books we're doing. 

It was a huge project and the piles of cut dies were mounting (pretty close to 1500 of them!) when I started smelling something funky.  A couple of minutes later, someone walked into the lab and said, "What's burning?  I smell burning rubber!"  Tee hee...it was exactly what I smelled and it was coming from my die cut machine.  I had the thing moving so fast that it was literally burning rubber!  True confession time...I created the stink!  Who would have thought you could burn rubber while scrapping!

Anyway, the kits are done and shipped and I'm really getting excited about heading out on Friday morning.

If you are contemplating signing up, may I tempt you with some vintage flowers?  Can't wait to share the girlie pink book on Saturday!

Happy Monday! 

it looks like someone did not want his picture taken!

                        

                          You expect picture taking 'tude from your teens...but from your turtle?????

two thumbs up!

My friends at scrapbook.com recently gave me several colors of a new product they found at Summer CHA called Glimmer Mist.  This product, made by Tattered Angels, can be purchased here.  It comes in over 40 colors and I have to say, I can't wait to start adding colors to my collection.

I played with two colors, Bronze and Patina.  I created an oval background (by using a serving platter, then cutting with scalloped scissors) and sprayed a light background with the two colors...I knew where I wanted to place the bird so used Patina in that area.  I then masked over the piece with the bird, branch and leaf Heidi Swapp masks.  I lifted the masks, repositioned them a bit and then sprayed again so that I would get a mottled look.  The real life results are amazing...I wish you could see the gorgeous shimmer on the surface of the paper.  Glimmer Mist contains metallic elements similar to those found in Radiant Pearls, Twinkling H2O and Pearl Ex and is mixed with a sprayable ink for easy use...the end result is a totally shimmery finish on your paper.  You can print on it with an ink jet printer once the product is completely dry.  Metallics in home decor are hot for the fall...with a product like this, I think metallics will be hot in paper arts as well!

To finish my project, I then used rub-ons and pre-printed journaling for the quote, added a couple of crocheted flowers from My Mind's Eye (which I also lightly sprayed with Bronze mist) and stitched it onto black cardstock.  I added some ribbon knots over the stitching and stamped Autumn Leaves flourish stamps into the corners  (the ink that I used actually is the same color as the Glimmer Mist in real life...the scanner changed the color...it obviously has a mind of its own!).   

This stuff is awesome!  I can't wait to incorporate it into some of my projects...this was just fun and games to see how the product worked.  Needless to say, I'm impressed.  I think the only challenge you're going to have is deciding which colors you simply have to have.  :))

willing in the cooler weather...

We have seriously had enough summer here in Phoenix.

Seriously.

After having over 100 degree temps every day last week, I decided to will in the cooler weather.

I bought some little white pumpkins and set them out over the weekend.

Last night, I made a fall type of meal...a one pot Greek chicken dish a little like a stew.

Don't know if that had anything to do with it or not, but this morning, it was actually cool...as in feeling a bit of fall (as much fall as Arizona can have :)) in the air.

Whatever it takes...

more inspiration!

One of the other books I bought in my recent hunt for inspiration was French Inspired Jewelry by Kaari Meng.  Kaari is also the author of The French Inspired Home and owner of French General in California.  I had the opportunity to briefly meet Kaari at CHA in January and she seemed like such a nice person.

Many of you know that I'm not into making jewelry...at all.  In fact, I'm jump ring challenged...anything to do with jump rings-creating them, attaching them, soldering them...even touching them...sends me into frenzied frustration.   That doesn't mean that I'm not inspired by her ideas...or that I can't have some of the pieces made.  My daughter, Ashley, loves making jewelry...she says that it relaxes her...go figure.

So, after pouring over the book, I've figured out that there are several pieces I want.  Ashley is willing and I'm hunting for the parts and pieces I need to make it happen.  If any of you know a source for brass-ox plated disk chains, would you be willing to share?  I've found a source for bracelets and Ash can probably connect several of them to make a necklace, but if there are necklace chains already put together, that would be even better. 

I've placed my order with French General for several kits which contain vintage parts and pieces for two bracelets and one necklace...Ashley had made me a bracelet a while ago and I just love it, so I decided to order some different color ways...can't wait for them to be put together....I'll definitely post.

Take a peek at the book if you have a chance...even the way the pieces are displayed are inspirational...especially to a paper artist.  Kaari has included old labels, vintage flowers and leaves and all sorts of ribbons and notions in her display pages...definitely a feast for the eyes.

BTW, I had no clue there are so many online sources for beads...I had a happy time searching through the many sites last night!

Happy Monday!

only today...

This morning, I was thinking about just how busy life is for all of us...I've been listening to friends talk about kids starting school and all of the activities that are associated with that, being busy at work, being in the middle of remodeling projects, deadlines happening every week for projects...you know what I'm talking about since I'm sure you are right there as well.

Have you ever thought about how many times you've put off doing something you really wanted to do today in order to do something you felt you had to do?  I have and sadly, it seems to happen more often than not.  This morning, I felt inspired to try something new, to learn and to grow in an area where I had little experience...creating paper flowers.  At war with that thought in my brain was the thought that there were so many other more important things that needed to get done.  Sound familiar?

Yesterday, I got my new inspiration book shipment from Amazon.  In the stash was this book-Fanciful Paper Flowers by Sandra Evertson.  Sandra's art makes me smile...it's fun, fanciful and just so whimsical that it makes me feel like a little girl playing with paper dolls, scissors and all sorts of cool stuff like ribbon, buttons, crepe paper, glitter.

This morning, I wanted to make a paper rose.  I'd never done one before and it looked so cool in the book.  So, I ditched all those things that had to get done and instead painted my brown paper bag with light pink paint.  I improvised on my tools (instead of the sculpting tools she recommended, I used a melon ball maker and a bone folder-I know I'm going to need to get the actual tools since my substitutions don't work as well :)) and made my paper rose.

I think that working with paper shaping and sculpting is a little like solder...it takes some practice.  So, just like I'm no Sally Jean Alexander, neither am I Sandra Everett.

I'm glad I took time today to do this...it was fun and it was good for me to do something out of my comfort zone.  Every time I look at this rose, it will serve as a reminder to me that yesterday is gone, tomorrow is a mystery and the only thing we have is today.

Hope you totally enjoy your today. 

time flies...

...when you're having fun!

Most definitely.

This week has just flown by...and I'm having fun.  I have a Life Stories class at Scrapbooks, Etc. this morning and it's all about fun printing techniques and how to incorporate them into your layouts and projects.

One of the techniques is something I came up with while playing...at least I haven't seen it done with the group of materials I'm using...and I'm really excited to share it with the class.  If you are planning to be at Wishfest at the end of the month, I'm going to include it in one of the projects as well.  And, that's all I'm going to say about it!   I know...tease, tease! :))

Happy Friday...hope your weekend flies because you're having fun creating!

sharing some fun highlights of the weekend...

I wasn't very good at taking pix this past weekend...in fact, I don't think I even pulled out my camera at all...but, shhhhh, don't tell anyone!

Thanks to Marirosa, Tena, the onsite photographer and the good people at Epson, I do have some photos to share of some of the fun highlights of my Creative Escape weekend.

Having Jeanette out here in Arizona and being able to spend some quality time together was definitely a highlight of the week.  The really cool thing was that Pam was also able to come early and all three of us were able to shop, eat and talk...there was a lot of all three going on! 

On Thursday, the CE on site photographer took pix of attendees during the Technique Boutique.  Pam, Debbie and I traveled the boutique together and took this group picture...I'm so glad we got this one because it was through Creative Escape last year that I met both of them and because of Pam that I was invited to teach in Virginia.  I thought this was just the cutest pic...and, don't you just love the fun CE totes?

As a certifiable dress form junkie, I couldn't help but ohhhhhh and ahhhhhh over Jennifer Wagner's very artsy and fun display at the trunk show...isn't that tag apron just fabulous?  The entire trunk show was a real display of the many talents of our instructors...I loved looking at their projects as well as the creative ways that they showcased them.  Such fun.

Of course, I couldn't do a highlight post without mentioning a new CE tradition..."Eat Dessert First".  Here was the featured dessert this year.

I really enjoyed Allison's key note address...she is smart, funny, talented in so many areas and has amazing insight about women.  I have known Allison for many years;  I taught in her store for over three years, we've roomed together, created together and shared lots of stories with each other, and I appreciate her on many levels.  She is an awesome professional in the field of photography and is able to capture some of the most emotional photos I've ever seen.  She and her partner, Donna Smylie, gave me my start in the scrapping world by offering me a teaching spot at their store...quite the surprise to me since I was definitely a newbie and didn't know a whole lot...it's been a wild ride ever since!

Although I don't have any pix of us together, I just wanted to mention another very special woman with whom I connected several years ago.  Her name is Jill Davis and she is the founder of the very well known online scrapping community called scrapbook.com.  She is one talented artist and businesswoman and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her over the weekend...one thing I can say for sure, when Jill and I are together, it is never quiet...there are so many things we have in common and there is always so much to talk about.  Thanks, Jill, for a great lunch and a great time!

There you have it...a few of my favorite highlights...can you tell I had a great time?

the well of inspiration is so full...

It was a fantastic combo of play and work...actually way more play than work, truth be told.  It was Creative Escape, year 2.

Do you know how sometimes you just get so in the mode of work that you don't realize how much you need some downtime to play?  That's where I was...but this weekend totally rejuvinated me!

It's definitely different sitting in the seat of the student...trying to keep up (I'm kinda slow sometimes :)), feeling a little bit of pressure to finish the project...you all know what I mean!  Afterwards, I thought about all of the students who sat there last year in my classes feeling that same tightness in their shoulders...who also forgot all about breathing...sigh...sorry about that!  But it was fun in the long run, wasn't it?

I have lots of projects to finish up...here are a couple of my faves that need to be completed.

Just wish I could work on them today while the inspiraton is so fresh, but work and duty are calling...

It was great to spend time with my Virginia friends all day Thursday and also great to be with my local friends for the rest of the weekend-that would be Tena, Laurie and Dana!

It was also so fun to see so many familiar faces from last year and to make new friends with this year's newbies!

The Friday Night Extravaganza was also a total blast...15 minutes of fun with each group creating an altered playing card album...loved being able to participate in that event.

Don't you wish you could create today?  My thoughts exactly!

Enjoy your Monday!