.....wish Art

2012-01-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

Busy getting ready for a graduation party here!!! My son graduated in December with his Bachelors Degree and my daughter-in-law also graduated in December with her Masters Degree. We are so proud and happy around here! We decided to wait until the holidays were over to have a party. It started with a small family party and has grown to a large family party! But that's great...the more the merrier!! Hoping to get lots of fun pics to post! So ....see you Monday, after the party!!

Wow!

2012-01-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

Surprising myself, I actually finished our vacation album that I have been working on for ....well let's just say...a long time. I love the way it turned out & love all the goodies that I packed into it. Feels good to have it completed.

And below is my first attempt at Project Life. Still not sure exactly where I am going with it and it may change as I go...but that's OK. Just the fact that I got the first week finished is HUGE!

I have not done a title page yet but I will. And I am currently working on my second week. Wow! It is really fun to create & I am sure as I go it will get easier and easier to pull it all together. Some weeks will be a bit more exciting than others but that is life, right! The point is to get it all down on paper. There is a lot of inspiration out there! I love seeing all the pages that everyone is creating. Good luck to all of you that are tackling this project too! We can do it!!

Just a Few Days Left

2012-01-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

Just a few days left to sign up and join me in my next book binding class at Craftfusion!! I am excited to offer this Japanese Stab Binding technique. It is going to be a fun class!! As always it will be left up to you for the colors you choose to use! Come & join me!!

Issues

2012-01-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

I have serious issues! Why oh why can't I just walk by scrapbook items that are on sale. I don't need them....I seriously don't need them. Yet once again I fell prey to the 50% off sale. I did get some more divided page protectors also.
I think my Project Life may have far more goodies on the page than photos and actual life moments. LOL

What is your current obsession?

Here We Go!

2012-01-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

I did it!! I got some supplies to start Project Life! Cause we all know that shopping for craft supplies is part of the fun! ;)I decided to try to keep the cost down & use a lot of what I already have. It may take me a bit longer but I think it will work. I did get some paper on sale that I plan to cut up to the correct size. I have a few done ahead, corners clipped & ready to go. I also grabbed some small note tags.

The things that I picked up were either on sale at 50% off or I used my 50% coupon at Michaels. I even grabbed a "Smash" date stamp. That was definitely a splurge. But hey...I used my coupon so it was only $2.50

I went ahead and put a few of the items in a cigar box that I had on hand. (yes...it was from another project that I never completed) But I'm using it now...does that count?

And last but not least I printed out things that went on this week. I do not have any photos yet but did write down a couple notes of a few pics I want to print. Unlike the week of Christmas I just don't have that many photos this week but I think it will work out just fine with the few I have and even a menu & some ephemera that I plan to include. All in all I am very happy with the result & just hope that I can keep it up!!

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Here are a few shots of old scrapbooks where I have used a similar technique. I think it is the same idea as Project Life in that you use the multi-photo page protectors & some slots are left open for journaling, etc. I love how they add to the overall look of your scrapbooks. I always mix and match them with regular 12x12 pages. Taking it a stop further to Project Life seems like the great way to go. So.....here we go!!

Deciding Which Way To Go

2012-01-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but my mind just races with creative ideas to try. Problem is taking the time to actually sit down and complete them...well sometimes to even start them. haha :) So... too many times I do nothing.
As you can imagine that gets me nowhere!!
So with the new year I am thinking of the things that I want to accomplish (creatively speaking) and which direction I want to take. There are so many fun ideas out there. Project Life, Art Journaling, Photo A Day, Jewelry Making, Teaching Ideas, the list goes on and on. How do you approach them without getting overwhelmed and ending up getting nothing done!
This is what I came up with...a couple key questions to focus in on what I really want to do.
Ask yourself:
1. What do I love to do the most?
2. What would I really like to finish this year that I may have been putting off?
3. How can I make it simpler to follow through on all the projects?

I don't think I will ever (as much as I want to) be one of those girls that scrapbooks her entire family photos for the whole year. It just gets too chaotic for me. Although I tell you if I could do this, like Michelle has done, boy oh boy would I be one happy camper!!! How cool is that!! Now that is organized!!
I have always scrapbooked in that style, along with the regular 12x12 and partitioned pages & pockets. When I look back at my books that is the style I like the most. So here is the big question...could I actually complete this? WOW wouldn't that be awesome.
So I thought if I put it out there I may actually hold myself accountable. SO...here goes!!! Wish me luck & lots of channeling of Michelle's stamina to follow through !!!!

What new plans do you have for a creative new year?!

Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Happy New Year!!! Wow 2012! Where exactly did 2011 go? So much to be thankful for & so much to look forward to. May the New Year bring you happiness, health, more time with family & friends, and a brand new sense of peace & joy in all that you do. God Bless!

Just a couple shots of my New Year's table. So much fun to pull together. :) Happy New Year to you all.

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

Peace & joy to you and your family this Christmas and all through the New year!

See you in 2012!

Tag...You're it!!

2011-12-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

How cute is this tag!! Made from TP or paper towel rolls...ingenious! Both the tag above and the tag below are from this blog. Last year I actually used the idea below and made initials for all of my packages. They turned out great! You can scroll back to December here on my blog to see the ones I made last year. :)

Another simple yet stunning tag! These candy canes are from this etsy store.

The adorable ornament tags are from this blog. What a great idea and pretty easy to make! The holly tags below are from the same blog. I love both of these tags!!

These cute little Santa Suit tags are from etsy! They would be pretty easy to make yourself too.

Oh my goodness! These tags are amazing! A little more work than most but so dang cute! Visit this blog to check them out further.

The cut out snowflake makes a great little tag with a little striped string to add some color! Looks like she laser cut them but you could just use a punch for the same great look!

Hope you are inspired to create your own special tags for your Christmas gifts this year!! Have fun with it!!!

Wrapping It Up

2011-12-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

How cute are these! Simple brown paper wrapping with bright red bows, string & cinnamon. Perfect

This is a cute idea....normal gift wrap with ribbon and yarn. Very festive! There is no link for this one...sorry.

Another simple wrap but it looks so good!! If you don't have a real tree even some fake greenery & a few pine cones would do the trick! These are from this blog.

I just love how most of the wrapping ideas out there are pretty basic. This one involves newspaper & some burlap. You could add any bow to the top to make it look a bit more Christmasy. This idea was found here.

These adorable little burlap bags are tied up with glittered initials. I used initials on all the packages last year and I must say they looked so good under the tree!!! Easy to do for a "wow" effect. These are from http://prettiesandposies.blogspot.com/ but unfortunately the blog is private. :( I found the photo on Pinterest.

These two (top & bottom) are from here. A beautiful little doilie makes a great topper to a brown paper wrapped package. And below is just so dang good! A little more effort but with a cricut or other cutting machine you could go to town and cut them all out at once! Check out her blog as there are more ideas there!

This adorable red snowflake makes a great topper for this gift. Easy to make & if you have kids around they could even help you out! This photo is from google with no link given.




This one is green all the way around!!! Use up those old burned out bulbs & create gift toppers for your packages. So cute!!! This was found on Good Housekeeping. Be sure to check it out as there are plenty more ideas on their site.

Last but not least are some stars! Red and green ones would be cute too! They could be made out of paper or fabric. If you put them on a cute little ribbon they could be reused next Christmas as tree ornaments! Found here.

Setting it Up

2011-12-09T08:25:00.001-08:00

I love to set a beautiful Christmas table and I am always looking for new ideas. And there are ideas in abundance out there! You can really go all out AND spend a lot of money to get the look you want. Or you can keep it simple and use what you have around the home to create some stunning tables. Here are just a few of the ones that I have found online. Enjoy!!

Starting right off with a bright and colorful setting! How fun to put the silverware in a stocking!This is from Lettecia Elsasser's Gallery on Picasa.

Love the simple snowflake & red plates to add the festive look to the table. This is from Pier1

The above table setting is just so elegant. I love the deep, rich colors. This is found on this blog.

The next two: above & below are from a great site I found with quite a few beautiful displays. Check it out!

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care.....

2011-12-06T08:07:00.000-08:00

Our family has grown and we are in need of some new stockings. The ones we have served us well but tastes change & I am ready for something new. And boy are there a few out there to choose from! Here is just a small sample of stockings. Some are very traditional and others are just plain fun! Which ones would you choose?

These cute stockings are from this site.

From Horchow these beaded stockings are gorgeous!

These stylish stockings are from Anthropology.

These cute stockings are from etsy. Just love the burlap!

These bright stockings were found on google with no credit given. :(

A more rustic look from Personal Creations

Look how bright this one is! From this site. I am sure you could also make it yourself with a variety of felt designs. So cute!

Found on Pinterest these are from this site.

These are also from Horchow They are made from ticking...so cool.

Simple, yet so adorable. These stockings were also found on etsy. Looks like the seller is from Scottsdale too. She has quite a few to choose from. Check it out.

What a hoot! These are from the Crafty Chica here in Phoenix. They are made out of old t-shirts. How fun is that!

From Cottage Instincts blog these cute little burlap stockings could have any color ruffle on them. My favorite part are the initials...such a cute idea!

A Little Mailbox Love

2011-12-04T13:36:00.000-08:00

I love mailboxes!!! Maybe it is the small-town feel they have. The "living in the country" look that they have. Whatever it is, I do love them! And they look even better at Christmas time! Here are a few that I have found and love! Enjoy!!

This pretty mailbox decoration is from this blog

Oh and this beautiful mailbox is from Better Homes & Garden. I am not sure which part of it I like the most...the greenery or the snowflakes!

This mailbox decor has a little red tulle or netting added in to give it that pop of color. Unfortunately I found it on Pinterest with no credit given.

This pretty white mailbox display is from a landscaping company.

Look at the lights on this one! Wow! Found on google with no credit given.

And last but not least...if you don't have a mailbox...you can go out and buy one just for decoration. The link given on this photo is no longer available but the idea is a good one!

I hope you are inspired to do a little decorating yourself! Have fun!

A Little Holiday Fun

2011-12-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

Last night was my Book Binding class at Craftfusion. Seven ladies came & put together some beautiful books! We had a great time!

The top two photos are Sherry's book. Everyone was given the opportunity to choose their own papers and picture for the outside.

Each book turned out a little different which is awesome!! This book belongs to Jackie. She did a great job putting her book together. Love the music note paper!

The above book is Brittney's. She chose darker scrapbook paper for her cover. Love the look! The inside of everyone's book is filled with watercolor paper, cut & stitched together to create the pages. Everyone seemed to pick up on the binding technique & run with it. There are so many different things you can change up & create using this technique.

This next book belongs to Darlene. Wow! She did a great job with her book. I love the combination of papers & binding tape. She actually used the fabric for her binding material. So cool!!

And of course I can't have a class without a fun little gift & goodies! All in all it was a great class. I am so grateful to Charmaine at Craftfusion for a wonderful place to teach!!

Fireplace Decorations

2011-12-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

This fireplace is done very simply yet it looks so good! Found on Houzz

Wow...what about this one! A bit more dramatic but not really difficult. It really does say "Christmas Party" doesn't it! From Living Room Decorating.

Back to a simpler life in this photo. A lot of outdoor elements were brought inside to decorate this fireplace. Doesn't it look inviting! This display was found on The Enchanted Home

A white Christmas mixing the traditional and a little bit of modern together. I love how the greenery pops. Found on Camilla at Home

This one was found on Pinterest & unfortunately not given credit. It really is beautiful though!!

And of course I had to throw this one in! Does anyone remember these? I sure do. We had one when I was little. And you can still own one....check this out!

Merry Christmas & Happy Decorating!!

Holiday Treats

2011-12-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

These are from one of my favorite party sites..Kara's Party Ideas

And these little marshmallow pops look easy to make! Definitely think I am going to try this one! These are from this blog.

The one above was found on pinterest with no credit given to the creator. Too bad as they are adorable!

These little cuties are from this blog. They look easy to make & not as full of calories as most Christmas goodies. That is always a plus.

And these tasty treats were found on this blog.

All the goodies look like they would be easy to make and yet have a big impact on your holiday party. Hope you are inspired to create some tasty treats for your family & friends this Christmas!

Tis the Season

2011-11-30T07:11:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year again... Time to deck the halls!! Here are a few ideas for tree decorating that I found online.

All of these trees are from Trendy Trees! Aren't they gorgeous!

The top one kind of reminds me of something from The Grinch. So cute!

And who doesn't love some candy! This adorable tree is packed full of sweet treats! I am not sure if it would last until Christmas. haha

There are so many more beautiful trees to see on this site. Check it out!! And Happy Tree Decorating!

2011-11-23T07:46:00.001-08:00

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving with family & friends!

Oh My Gosh! I WON!!

2011-11-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

So excited to see that I was one of the lucky winners in Jeanne Oliver's Creatively Made Online Class!!! WOW!! Can't wait to take the class in January!
How fun is that!!
A big THANK YOU to Jeanne for her generosity!
Be sure to check it out!

A Quick Addition

2011-11-19T08:24:00.000-08:00

...for your Thanksgiving table! I found this little idea once again on Pinterest! Gotta love Pinterest! These little labels were made from corner tiles that you find in the hardware store. How quick & easy is that! This blog is complete with a little tutorial on how she made the labels. I think they would be cute as place setting cards for the turkey table. And they could be used over and over again.

Or they would make a nice little gift for a friend. Look how cute they are all tied up with a bow & a marker!

Eat Pie

2011-11-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

I recently saw on Pinterest a post of a sign like this one. I knew I had old wood that I could use to create it. So I grabbed a few pieces and got started.

The cool story of the wood that I used is where I got it. Before the school was built across the street and before the surrounding housing developments went in there was nothing but a field. Well a field and an old workers home. When they started to prepare for the houses & school they began tearing up the land. Which also meant down came the old building. The man running the tractor thought I was crazy asking for all the old wood & the front door. I knew one day I would use it. I have a mirror in my house that I have used the wood for among a few other projects. And now I can add this project to the list.

I love the way it turned out & it will be a fun addition to my Thanksgiving decorations! Happy Turkey Day everyone!!

Love This Idea!

2011-11-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

Look at this fabulous tablecloth!! What a great idea for Thanksgiving! I really think I am going to do this. It isn't very expensive but looks like so much fun! And as the family gets older there are fewer and fewer crafty things for everyone to do and actually have fun with. It is from blue cricket design blog. She purchased the supplies from Lowes. A drop cloth, sharpie markers & that's it!! Visit her blog to see how she put it all together!!

Save the Date

2011-11-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

Coming December 2, 2011 to Craftfusion.....Book Binding Technique Class!! 6:30-8:30pm. Join me in creating a journal from scratch to hold your Christmas lists or photos, art journaling or December Daily pages. You will have the choice of papers to make the book your own. Using this technique you can recreate books to your hearts content! How cool is that!! The class fee is $30
Contact Craftfusion to sign up! 480-821-3758 This is sure to be a fun one!! I would love for you to join me!

Thank You

2011-11-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

A special thank you to all the men and women who have fought for our freedom! And to those who continue to fight today. We are eternally grateful!! A special thank you to my dad, my father-in-law and uncles on both sides for your service. Love You!!

A Creative Way to Win

2011-11-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

I was recently told by quite a few friends that a new online class was being offered that was sure to be fabulous! So of course I had to find out more...and share it with you!
Jeanne Oliver's Creatively Made Online Class sounds wonderful. It is all about rediscovering the beauty of your gifts. It is divided into 4 sections & will be available in January...perfect as December is so busy for everyone!
Check it out!!!

Just in Time for Christmas!

2011-11-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

I want to feature another friend on my blog today....Trisha, with Beautiful Garden Boutique Jewelry! I was on the design team at Devine Memories with her. Now she is doing some amazing things with her jewelry line.

Check out her Etsy store!
Here are just a few of the beautiful pieces she has. She has even been nice enough to offer a discount to my readers!! Just go to her Facebook page & "like" her shop. She will contact you with a discount code! How cool is that!!

Her Etsy shop is packed full of jewelry. There are lots of different designs and items to choose from.

With such a great choice I am sure you will find something that you like for yourself or for a gift! Have fun shopping!

Excitement for a Friend!

2011-11-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

Samantha Kira aka Journal Girl has just launched a new product! She has designed her own stamps! I am so excited for her. Take a look at these!

You can get your own set here: Paperbag Studios

If you scroll down on the page at Paperbag Studios you can see some samples of how you can use these new stamps. A few different artists give their take on designing with Samantha Kira's creations! I ordered mine today! Can't wait for them to arrive. Hop on over to the site & get your own copy of the fun stamps!! Support an artist & have fun all at once!

Play Along

2011-11-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

Join Dawn DeVries Sokol in her NaNoJouMo for the month of November!!! A local Arizona artist that has published art journal books, etc. For the month of November she is recreating her popular journal prompts from last year! One a day for the month of November! It is sure to be fun! I plan to join in ....you should too! She has even set up a flicker group for everyone to share their artwork! No pressure or elaborate pages are needed...just some fun to get you inside your art journal!
Won't you play along!!!

A Few Tricks but Mostly Treats!

2011-10-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

Just some of the Halloween goodies that are around my house. I had such a good time creating them. Quite a few of the ideas this year were from Pinterest. (yes, I am addicted)
Most are going to my family but some I shared with friends & neighbors!
These little stacked treats are from Pinterest. Just a cute way of displaying the candy.

I think these bags were my favorite...so simple & easy. Cut out of newspaper and glued at the edges I then scalloped the top edge with scissors & stamped the word "treat" and the birdies in black acrylic paint. One set was filled with caramel popcorn & the other set was filled with a mixture of the popcorn, candy corn, tootsie rolls & caramels.

One more from Pinterest....Pumpkin Muffins! These are the ones that you see made from a box of yellow cake mix & a can of pumpkin. That's it! I frosted them with cream cheese frosting. They were tasty but I do admit they were a little more like a cupcake than a muffin.

One item which didn't make it into photos (because it was eaten too quickly!) were the mini apple pies! Oh my they were good! These too were from Pinterest and could not have been easier to make. Refrigerated pie crust unrolled, spread melted butter over the top, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar & slice into 1 inch strips. Cut an apple into slices & roll up each slice in one of the 1 inch strips. Bake for about 15 min. at *350 They tasted like little apple pie bites! Yummy! They went quickly that's for sure!

This is a simple display of multi-sized jars filled with candy. Just a cute way to set out the candy!

Some handmade pumpkins- easy to make & very inexpensive too! styrofoam ball covered in fabric & tied at the top with some wire. Twist the extra wire around a pencil to make some curly ends. A stick from the backyard poked into the center & then hot glue some moss, a fall leaf & a little lace at the base of the stick (which is now your pumpkin stem)...that's it!! Oh & I did add a little stamped tag too. Quick and easy!

Happy Halloween!!! Hope you enjoyed the treats & the tricks that I used to create them!!

Abundance

2011-10-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the Craftfusion Make-n-Take day. It was a fun filled day with lots of projects going on. All the teachers showed up to share their ideas. There were so many new people & lots of familiar faces too! This is the banner that I showcased as part of my make-n-take. If you joined me you had the chance to make the first tag on the banner. At that point you were given a choice....you could add a fun little flower that we learned to make onto your house or purchase the entire banner & add the house to that with all the letters.
It was a fun way to encourage everyone to keep going with their ideas & create something with the make-n-takes from the day!
It was a wonderful day & I am grateful to Charmaine at Craftfusion for allowing me to join in the fun!!!

If you would like to purchase a kit for the banner there are a few left. Stop in the store & pick one up. It comes complete with supplies, instructions & photos.
*Forgot to mention...if you would like to purchase a banner kit I will be happy to mail one to you! Just leave a comment with your email and I will contact you. Thx!

Look at this baby!! Wow...it is jam-packed full of vintage Christmas goodies! All hung from an altered hanger. Very cool. This beauty was made by the talented Jill from Scrapbook.Com. She taught the class in Payson last week at Paper & Metal Scrappers. I was given the opportunity to join a friend for the class. SO glad I did. It was an amazing class! Everyone in the class was so thrilled with the project that it is becoming a holiday meeting! We will fill this baby up each holiday with different decor! How fun is that! Thanks Jill!

Thanks for stopping by!

Craftfusion Make-N-Take

2011-10-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

Craftfusion will be holding their first all day Make-N-Take event on Saturday October 15th!! You can meet the teachers and create the projects for only $3.00 each. It is going to be a fun filled day!!! I even heard from a little birdie that there will be refreshments, drawings and prizes!!
Hope you can come!! I would love to see you there!

So Many Things.....

2011-09-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

Or should I say...Sew Many Things! I have been wanting to get a free-motion sewing foot for my machine and I finally got one today. I do have to say it is harder than it looks. But I am so excited to keep practicing! I plan to use it for scrapbooking and other projects!! Sew many possibilities!

Next up are my other new projects...bookbinding! I have lots of friends in my Mixed Media group that are so good at this. I have been wanting to give it a try. Here are my first two attempts. I taught myself and am pretty pleased with the results. Of course more practice is needed but I love the process and look forward to making more!!

Another view of the spines of the books.
I just love trying new things.
Oh and I love it even more when they work. :D

Next up is my Corona Tree!!! I have been wanting one for quite some time. My husband found one today and planted it. Looking forward to lots of limes in the future!

Looks like there are some already starting! How fun!! Gotta love a Corona Tree!!

There are lots of new adventures on the horizon for me and I am so excited! Stay tuned for more to come!

Oh and if you are interested my class is posted at Craftfusion!!! The date is Oct 8th! Check it out & come join me!!! I'd love to see you there!!

An Amazing Find

2011-09-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

While at my mom's house the other day she brought out these amazing books! This is just one of her scrapbooks that she put together as a young girl. This particular one is filled with movie stars and people that she liked.

There are newspaper clippings, magazine photos and articles. It is absolutely fabulous!!

I will try to post some of the other goodies that are included in a few of her other scrapbooks. She gave them all to me and I think they are just an amazing find. How fun to find out that your mom scrapbooked when she was young. And saved them until she was 89!!

Exciting News!

2011-09-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by the owner of a great new craft/mixed media shop in Chandler to come & teach. Oh my goodness- I was so excited!
Well, I am very pleased to announce that I have two classes hitting her schedule very soon. I will be sure to keep you posted on the details. In the meantime...take a look around her website: Craftfusion and her blog: http://craftfusionaz.blogspot.com/
She has lots of goodies for all your mixed media projects!

Whenever

2011-09-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

My youngest son moved into an apartment near ASU so we are once again "empty nesters". I admit I do not like it. It is way too quiet. I love having all the kids around but I am trying to stay busy.
So...my son loves the show "How I Met Your Mother" and when I saw this sign on Pinterest I knew that was something I had to make for him. So off to Michaels I went to purchase some art board. I stenciled it using letters from my cricut and then hand-painted it all. I LOVE the way it turned out and can hardly wait to give it to him. It is light weight so it will be easy to hang on an apartment wall. Now I am off to find the next project to keep my busy. :)

Ain't That The Truth

2011-09-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

A friend recently asked me to make a sign for her sister-in-law for her birthday. She had gotten the original at an art festival & couldn't find another one. So....I set out to make it work. I am so happy with the way it turned out. And her sister-in-law loved it! Wahoo!! (mine is the top one)

*not sold, not for profit...just for a friend. please don't freak out ...

A Little Summer Fun Just Feels Right

2011-09-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

Road trip!!! Very spur of the moment road trip with a great friend. We headed to California to visit another friend and her girls while they were puppy-sitting for her brother. On the boardwalk one afternoon we stopped to take pics and much to our surprise these Navy guys jumped in! Definitely old enough to be our sons but quite a hoot just the same. The middle one was so shy and jumped a little when I put my hands on his shoulders. Didn't mean anything by it just wanted to pose for the photo. Too funny!!!

Here is the little sweetheart that we were puppy-sitting. It was really difficult not to bring her home with me. She was only 9 weeks old and such a good girl. Very well behaved and just so dang cute!!

We had a great time while in San Diego! So glad we jumped at the chance to take a road trip!!

Sew Much Fun on a Hot Afternoon!!

2011-09-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was class/party time again!!! The girls that had signed up for a previous 12x12 class that I had to change were asked to come back for a new & improved day of fun! It was so hot outside I decided to go with a luau theme! Why not make it tropical!

Setting up for this one was so much fun! I still am not sure which part of this is my favorite! All the decorations just make me smile!

Here is another example of things that I try out that just don't work....caramel apple bites. Sounds great right! But alas all the caramel just rolled right off the apple bites onto the plate. I am sure a different type of caramel would have worked better. But they were still yummy!!

Table settings for class!

                                           Kit & supplies
                                            along with name tags-just for fun!!

Box lunches were on the menu. I decided since there would be quite a bit of sewing that the class should be a bit longer to allow time to complete the project. So I included lunch! So glad I did. It was lots of fun to prepare. We had homemade waldorf chicken salad croissants, fruit kabobs, veggies, chips in little bags (don't think we got a pic of those), Jone's soda or Mike's hard raspberry lemonade and strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Using mason jars for drinks and dessert is a favorite! They just look so dang cute. I know...I am a little crazy but hey...I have a good time. :)

So good on a hot afternoon!!

The ladies hard at work! Many of them brought their own sewing machines so class went a little quicker. Although as per my classes...I usually pack too many things into the album and today was no exception. We stitched, used our sewing machines, carved stamps, made homemade stamps from foam & painted our way through the pages.

Some of the them didn't want to be on camera....hope it is OK to show this view from a distance. Everyone seemed to have a good time.

Here is a shot of the front cover of our album. It was so much fun! Thanks to all the ladies that shared the day with me!!

Family Fun, Flames & A Failure

2011-08-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

It was birthday celebration time around here again!! This time it was Papa & John. To spice things up a bit I decided to make some mustaches to snap photos with. I thought the boys would make fun of me but instead everybody was game & had a blast with them. Made for some fun pics.

I used my giant cupcake cake pan again. It is just so dang cute. This time I wrapped it in paper like a real cupcake & added a banner. I am really glad I bought the cake pan (40% off coupon at Michaels)...well worth it!

I tried a few other new things. I love to experiment at our family parties to see what works and what doesn't. I carved the radishes to look like little mushrooms. They remind me of the Mario video game. haha! They were ok but then what do you do with them. Maybe I should have put them in a little jar so they stood up straight. Not sure if this one will ever be repeated.....

The next test was dipping cherries in white chocolate. They worked just fine but they only tasted OK...not wonderful. Honestly I prefer the cherries just plain. So...doubt that one will be offered again either. I would count it as a failure. But definitely fun to try!

Now you would expect me to say this was a failure but nope...this is just "up in flames"! I saw a recipe online for S'More Pie! My family loves a simple chocolate pudding pie. So I made that with the graham cracker crust and topped it with marshmallows. The idea was to bake it and brown the marshmallows and viola' you have S'More Pie! Well Miss Smartypants here thought it would be quicker to broil the pie and that way the pie wouldn't get warm but the marshmallows would brown. Nope...wrong again!! They caught on fire!! I would have loved a photo of the flames but we were too busy putting them out! You would think I would count this as a failure but it was just too dang funny to be a flop! We laughed for days about the "flaming pie". Well worth the mishap to have some good laughs and fun memories!

So...here's to an awesome birthday party and some really fun memories!! Maybe this will "spark" a new idea for a party favorite!

Goofing Around

2011-07-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

Just a little goofing around on a hot summer day! So many things to be grateful for!

Sucked In

2011-07-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Here is the reason that I haven't been on my blog lately! I am totally hooked on Pinterest. It is so much fun!
Dangerous, but fun! So forgive me...I will be back soon!

A little Adventure

2011-07-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

Our Art Group met again last night at The Creative Quest in Glendale. It is quite a distance to go & sometimes I think I will skip it but I am always glad when I go!! Just sharing ideas and seeing the talent of the other women always leaves me inspired. These women are SO good at what they do.

Just throwing in a few layouts that I have done lately for my long overdue vacation album. Not sure why this is taking me forever but it is.

It is fun to relive the adventure & relaxation that we had on this trip. It was a much needed getaway for both of us. And we are grateful that we had the opportunity to go.

Oh and the top photo is my attempt at watercolor. I have a long way to go & lots to learn but it sure is relaxing! I received quite a few great tips last night. And I have a few other new ideas up my sleeve!
Here's to a creative week!! Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July!!!

2011-07-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

Today was apple & peach picking day!! We have so much fruit on both trees! Yummy!!

The birds get a few of the apples but we still have a ton.

The ones that aren't quite good enough go to the horses next door. They love it!

We added a couple nets to the peach tree this year and that really helped keep the birds away. The crop is much better this year because of that.

We will still have another couple days of picking left as the fruit isn't all quite ripe yet. But boy is it delicious!!
I see peach cobbler in the near future!

Next up a family BBQ!!

And of course more swimming!

Happy 4th of July everyone!!

My next adventure....

2011-06-26T19:01:00.000-07:00

is going to be making some of these!

I went with some friends out to dinner the other night and then to a little "Grand Opening". (more of that in a minute) At the Open House they served some yummy food...and all of it was displayed in such an adorable fashion! I loved it. We tried the little pies on a stick or pie pops. They were delicious and looked pretty simple to make. Definitely on my next party list.

They also made the little cakes in mason jars. This has been on my party to-do list since the rootbeer floats that I made for the birthday party. I was thinking strawberry shortcake, but really the sky is the limit. You could layer any type of cake in the little jars & display them in such a cute way.

So the little "Grand Opening" that we attended was for Urban & Ivy She had some really cute jewelry on display. She uses lots of different colored stones & wire. She is just getting her website up and running...so there will be more added as time goes on. She is young and has quite the entrepreneurial spirit. I am sure she will be successful!

All in all it was a fun evening!!

Would you like fries with that?

2011-06-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

Father's Day this year was pretty low key. Just perfect actually!
At the last minute I decided to try these cute little burgers & fries that I saw online at bakerella. The ingredients looked pretty simple so I thought....hey, why not give it a try. :) And it worked! I am so excited that they turned out!

I set the table in the usual Father's Day theme...tools. I have done this for years and I really like it.

This year I added the cute little coffee cans that belonged to my dad. He kept them in the storeroom full of nails, etc. It just made me smile to set them on the table. Of course flowers from John's garden finished it all off!!

Just another shot of the surprise dessert. My husband thought it was actually a hamburger in there. haha Actually it is a yellow cupcake, brownie, frosting & sugar cookies! So happy that it worked!!! Still smiling. :D

Twisted Twelve x Twelve Class

2011-06-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

I am excited to offer another class in my home! This one is called Twisted Twelve x Twelve! We will be creating a 12x12 album filled with 20 pages (10 front & back). Not your normal scrapbook...we will be twisting it up a bit. We will be stitching, painting, carving & stamping! Class will be Saturday June 18th from 11 am until 4 pm. With lunch included!

The front of the album will be covered & decorated. There will be different fabrics, paints & stamps available to alter the book & make it your own.

Below are a few samples of the pages we will be creating.

Most of the pages can be easily changed to match the theme that you want for the photos in your album. Your album will be uniquely yours!

It's going to be a fun day!! I can't wait!!

A Little Birthday Fun!

2011-06-07T09:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had a combined birthday celebration for my boys! Sometimes parties come together quickly and easily and other times they are a little harder to pull together. This one took a little effort. :D But in the end it was a blast!! Wahoo!

These are a cute little idea that I found online. Chocolate dipping sauce from the fruit section of the grocery store & a microwave...you are ready to go. Dip the marshmallows into the chocolate & roll in crushed graham crackers. Smores on a stick! So cute and really delicious! I will definitely do this one again.

The nice part about having parties in the summertime is all the fresh fruit available. Yum! We also purchased BBQ Pulled Pork from Joe's Real BBQ a favorite around here! I put together small sandwiches with some bake & serve rolls from Sams Club..oh they are delicious. Lots of side dishes and of course the boys favorite Pretzel Salad. And you have a party!

This is the dessert table. We had cake, the Smores, zucchini bread ( gift from our neighbor) and wonderful cherry cinnamon rolls that my daughter-in-law made. I also served rootbeer floats. That was a hit! Who doesn't love a rootbeer float! Serve them in cute little mason jars...even better! So fun!

I found a cake pan at Michaels that I fell in love with. So with coupon in hand, off I went to buy it! So worth it! Such a fun little pan to use for parties. It says on the packaging that it requires 1 cake mix but I recommend 1 1/2 as the top section didn't quite fill completely. (I hid that part with frosting) ;) When you are finished you have an oversized cupcake! So cute!

Oh and I used my little upcycled candle holder to display the giant cupcake! I purchased it at a consignment shop for $6 and hung some crystals on it. I want to add a little more to it but that will come with time. I do love it! I plan on using some of these ideas again at other parties.

We ended the party with some swimming! It was such a nice day spent with family celebrating my boys! So worth the extra effort it took! I love my family!!!

Altered Apron Tutorial

2011-06-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

I received this cute little apron made out of a ticking fabric when some friends & I served at the rehearsal dinner for our good friend's son's wedding. The food was catered and we played the role of caterers/servers. It was so much fun and a great way to help out our dear friend! Soon after that my mind started spinning with ideas to alter it!
Well fast forward a few years....yes, it took me that long! Another friend owns an adorable quilt shop here in Arizona called The Old World Quilt Shoppe. A mutual friend Cyndi and I took a trip over to Dee's shop and I decided that it was a good time to purchase some cute fabric for my apron make-over. I knew I wanted some bright fabric so these are the colors that I chose.

Next up I decided on ruffles....just simple ruffles, but with the bright colors I knew it would look good. So I cute a strip of fabric for the first ruffle, folded it over with the wrong sides together & ran a loose stitch on my machine across the top. (At this point I really should have either pinked the edges or ran a zig zag stitch along each edge but I didn't. I was too excited and jumped ahead.)
After pulling one string and gathering the ruffle to the desired fullness I pinned it to the apron and started stitching. I was so excited at this point with the look! :)

Next up...the second ruffle. I chose a bright orange and repeated the process that I used on the first ruffle. I need to add here that after you cut your fabric and fold it over it works best if you stop and iron your ruffle. It just gives it a crisp look and also makes it easier to work with while you are sewing.

Repeat the process for the third ruffle. I just love it so far! It was quick and easy and really changed the look of the apron.

Since I was so excited to put this together I left the edges unfinished and needed to hide that so I grabbed a piece of ribbon that I had been hoarding..I mean saving, and decided to stitch it right over the rough edge of the top ruffle. As I stitched I gently bunched up the ribbon so that it would have a more ruffled look itself. I am very happy with the result!

Originally I had planned on adding homemade flowers to the front of the apron but looking at it at this point I decided it needed something more. So I chose pockets! After all they would be very useful while teaching classes in my new apron! So I used the leftover fabric from the first ruffle and cut out pockets. I tried it with one large pocket but didn't like the look so ended up with two pockets. Simply cut the fabric a little larger than you want the pocket to be & fold the edges over twice so you have a nice clean edge & stitch. You could at this point sew two pieces of fabric together to make a stronger more durable pocket but knowing this would be used more for looks than actual storage I opted for a single cut of fabric. And of course what pocket is complete without a ruffle! I used the leftover orange fabric for the little ruffles making sure to turn the side edges in and stitch so that they would have a clean line. Also for these ruffles I chose to stitch them under the bottom edge of the pocket so that none of the rough edges would be visible. Measure where you want your pockets on the front of your apron and stitch down. Of course leaving the top open for use. :)

My original idea of handmade flowers using the fabric from the ruffles just didn't look right so I opted for a gerbera daisy from Michaels. I simply cut the stem off and hot glued it to the front of the apron.
Here is the final product! I am in love with it!!! So proud of myself for FINALLY finishing it!! Wahoo!
So grab a plain apron and alter it...you will be amazed with all the possibilities you can come up with to make it uniquely yours! ENJOY!!!

From the Garden

2011-06-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Came in on Memorial Day to find these on my counter!! What a great guy!!

Thank You

2011-05-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the many men & women that keep our country safe! May God richly bless you and your families!

In No Particular Order.........

2011-05-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

Spending the day working on our vacation album. Long over due!

I must say it is a great way to relax over the long weekend. I am not complaining.
We had some neighbors over last night & sat out by the pool, chatting...it was great!

Also plan on finally altering a fun little apron with fabric from my friends shop...The Old World Quilt Shoppe

Hoping to have a few leftover scraps to decorate a cute little straw purse that I got the other day!.
Of course pics will follow! Dinner tonight with my Father-in-Law! Looking forward to not cooking..teeheehee My mom took off after her hectic move to her new place. She is on a long road trip in a motorhome with my aunt. What a blast!! Tonight they are going to a class reunion in our hometown in Iowa! How fun for them both! I am SO happy for my mom!!
Next month she celebrates her 89th birthday! How cool is that!

Hope you are enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend with some fun activities!! Do something you LOVE!!

A New Day

2011-05-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

A little time in my art journal......

Wishing....

2011-05-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

I was right here again! It's been a very busy couple of weeks! OK...a whirlwind! We moved my mom unexpectedly into a retirement community. It is a good thing but I under-estimated how difficult it would be to go through all of my parents things. She is downsizing so there are many things that have to go. We are so grateful that all the things that she truly loves she gets to take with her. Yahoo!!! Already in the 3 days since her actual move we have her all set up...pictures hung, everything put away! Amazing! Now on to the garage sale & then sale of their place.

I realize it is a process and a very good move but still an emotional one. So for now I am going to take a little break & dream of being back here on this beach!!!
See you again soon! (wink, wink)

a little therapy with friends

2011-05-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Once a month on a Tuesday I get a chance to break-away with some new friends and enjoy a little art therapy. I never really accomplish much but so enjoy the time chatting and creating with some very talented ladies!
Above are a few things that I purchased yesterday. Always fun to have some new toys to play with, right!

I also purchased this book recently. I was so pleased to see that many of my friends are published in this edition! How fun is that!!!

This has been an extremely busy month with lots of emotional things going on so the chance to get away was so worthwhile. Thanks to Samie Kira for introducing me to this very fun adventure!!! I am loving it!!

return to sender

2011-05-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love this Roman Shade! I stumbled upon this photo and thought I would share it with you. And the best part is that it comes with a free tutorial! How cool is that!
It is from The Brooklyn Limestone. She provides the tutorial and also the download of the elements you need to create this shade yourself.
So many possibilities....

Here are a few of the steps...

Stages of Playing!

2011-04-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

At the Mixed Media Art Group on Tuesday there were a couple of ladies that were watercolor painting. Their journals were beautiful. I decided to try it out. I have done it a little in the past but not a lot. I checked out two of the artists that they referred me to. Laure Ferlita and Jane LaFazio

Laure offers online classes that look amazing. She takes you on imaginary travels and teaches you to draw & paint. Her blog alone is gorgeous. Jane does quite a few different mixed media crafts. I didn't spend nearly enough time looking through all of her endeavors. Check them both out!

I just kept adding a few things to my page.
I finished it off with a verse...first one that came to mind when I looked at the flowers. Luke 12:27&28

Do something new & fun this weekend! Enjoy!

Supporting Friends

2011-04-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

Isn't this beautiful! A friend Samantha Kira put a call out to come to the aid of Japan. She put some of her art up for sale and 75% of the profit went to Japan. I jumped on the opportunity to have some of my new friend's artwork and help out all at once.

It is proudly displayed in my craft room now. I just love it! Thanks so much Samie Kira!

Sharing Art

2011-04-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last night was the Art Group get-together. What fun it was!! Dina Wakley organizes it all!
There are such fun and talented ladies that attend! I am absolutely thrilled to be included.

Samantha Kira and I rode over together again & I always enjoy chatting about the art world with her. Of course Dina was there along with two special guests...Jaime from Crafters Workshop. And also the talented Julie Fei-Fan Balzer.

Samie Kira and I sat with Penney and April and April's adorable 7 week old baby boy Dylan. Oh my goodness he was cute! And he seemed to love being there...he was so good all evening long. Penney does some amazing journals too...check her out!
April was carving some stamps...they turned out great!

At the table behind us was Kay, Karla, Krista and Julie K. Kay & Karla both do amazing watercolor work! Wow! They are taking some online classes and their journals were just gorgeous! I didn't get a chance to talk much with Julie K, she was working on some sketches. And Krista was working with her copics. She is a Rep in the Valley and so I knew her from my previous job. She was always the enthusiastic Rep that followed through with her ideas. Love that!

And of course I have to throw in the pic with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. It was so nice to meet her and watch her work. She was extremely nice and you can tell she just loves what she does!
Thanks for a wonderful evening ladies!!!

Repurpose & Reuse!

2011-04-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

Remember this frame? It is the display that I made a year ago (wow...has it been that long already!) for my son's wedding here at our home. The wedding was held outside so there was no means to show a video. This is the option I came up with for sharing their photos.

And here it is now!

I decided to change it up and reuse it. After all it was a great big frame. Why waste it. I spray painted the frame and then added chalkboard paint to the background. I love it! It is a fun way to leave notes.

I do have to say that I used the chalkboard spray paint and I was not thrilled with that. If I do another project I will try the actual paint so I can compare them.

So far I have changed quite a few of the items from the wedding to everyday items in my home. How fun is that!

Here are a few more:

See the centerpiece...inside the bowl is a flower frog. Those along with the votives and the little white cups the bridesmaids decorated their house with got changed to this:

I spray painted the frogs platinum, added jewels and used them for place cards on my Thanksgiving day table. The little cups were filled with nuts, candy and goodies for snacking on before dinner and the votives...well who can't reuse votives, right.

And finally I used this "wish tree" that I made for the wedding...

To create this:

It's all for fun! Look around and see what you can repurpose in your home. You might surprise yourself! :)

Surprise!!

2011-03-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

Friday night my husband and I attended a surprise party for our good friend's daughter. She was turning 18! Having just returned from a trip to Italy I thought a mini book for her would be a perfect gift. I decided to try something different. Not new...but new for me. An Explosion Book or Squash Book it's sometimes called.

I have seen them done before but never tried it myself. So off to the internet I went to figure out how to make it. It really isn't difficult... just a little origami folding, some glue and you are good to go. :D

It was fun to put together. I had taken some photos off of Natalie's facebook page to add to the book. I did have to guess a little on which ones to use but figured if
she had put them on FB then they must be some of her favorites.

It came together pretty quickly. I added the embellishments and it was complete!

I didn't even go to Italy and I wanted to keep the book! haha I was so pleased with the way it turned out. I could hardly wait to give it to her.

The surprise party was a success and so was the mini book. Wahoo!! It was fun to learn a new technique and share it.

Simply Charming Class

2011-03-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Simply Charming class! We had so much fun! Everyone did a great job! Each bracelet was unique. That was my favorite part...that everyone got to choose the things that they liked the best and only add what they wanted to their charm bracelet.

Of course lots of ideas came up to add other things to the bracelets later too. How fun is that! :)

I truly enjoy having people in my home and combining it with a craft only makes it better! Thanks to all the girls that came yesterday!

I just love what I do!! It is so much fun! Feeling very blessed! :D

Cooper

2011-03-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

This week brought totally unexpected heartbreak! On Tuesday we lost our family dog Cooper. He was a very special dog! A rescue pup that came covered in tar, ticks & mange, but our family fell in love with him in an instant! He just had that special something. And talk about dispelling the myth of pitbulls...wow! This guy was a sweetheart!

He loved everyone and everyone loved him. Good natured, very well behaved and just always ready to play or give you some love. He was a character. It is hard to explain but he was that one dog in a lifetime that attached to your heart and pulled you in. I am so grateful that we were all with him at the end. Tearfully saying our goodbyes along with his vet that hugged, cried and grieved with us. We know that he will always hold that special place in our hearts. We love you Coop!

Happy St Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Leprechaun Day!! Hope your day is filled with love & luck!

So...here are the pics from the adventure on Tempe Town Lake. Are these bikes not the coolest ever! They were so much fun to ride. We rented them for an hour-- only $20. The weather was gorgeous and we had a blast. You really can't make it into a workout if you wanted to, they just don't go that fast. So it was a leisurely ride around the lake.

It was a perfect day spent with a great friend! Loved it!


This is a shot of the old Mill Bridge. That is all that is left of it...sad. But at least they did save part of it.

Well I hope your St Paddy's day is a good one!! Enjoy & Be Safe!

Capes & Tiaras

2011-03-11T21:05:00.000-08:00


Celebrating a good friend's birthday! We had a fun day planned today. Turned out to be an awesome day! Great lunch outside on the patio at Four Peaks Brewery and then biking on Tempe Town Lake...yup! Biking on the Lake! How cool is that! The bikes have large pontoon style floats on them and you just peddle normally, it turns the propeller....and off you go! What a blast! The weather was perfect. We biked for an hour and rounded out the day with a trip to Mojo yogurt. YUM!

The top photo here is a mixed media canvas that I made for my friend. We have a running joke about superheroes, capes & ruling the world! I cannot claim the idea, it is totally taken from Curly Girl Designs. However..I have no intention of selling or marketing it so I thought it was OK to try it out for a friends gift. I love how it turned out. And more importantly she loved it too!
The bottom photo is a "50 things I love" display that I made for her also. Fun to make! And each one is always different. One of these days I need to make myself one. I have made quite a few of them for friends.
Just wanted to share these with you! Have a wonderful weekend!! Hug your family & tell them that you love them!!!

Simply Charming

2011-03-09T13:36:00.000-08:00


Here it is! My newest class! Simply Charming will be held at my home on Saturday March 26th from 1-4 pm. All that you need to bring are needlenose pliers.

We will be creating this adorable charm bracelet with found objects, rolled paper beads, UTEE, Shrink Art & some other fun techniques! Each one will be different as you will be able to choose the items that you like the most.

It is going to be a great day! And of course as always food & drinks will be served. Come and join the fun!!!

A Unique Flower Garden

2011-03-05T19:25:00.000-08:00

I have been busy today making flowers for a friend of mine. She is taking a group of women on a retreat with their church Pan De Vida in Chandler. There are quite a few young women attending and this will be one of the little gifts they receive. I am so glad she likes what I came up with!

The lesson is on Isaiah 45:3b The Lord, the God of Israel , who calls you by your name. She wanted to make sure there were crowns included, the scripture and of course the girl's names. What a sweet gift for them to remember how precious they are to their God.

As you can see the flowers are pretty simple to make...some burlap, muslin, tulle, ribbon and a small piece of canvas to stamp their names onto. The center is a small wooden disc that I glued a computer print out of the crown & verse to. I inked it and then added some Diamond glaze. You might be able to tell that the one above was just laying on top of the disc. I had tried using UTEE and it peeled right off. I wasn't happy with the way it worked, so I switched it up.
I am happy with the result & I hope the girls will be too. They can clip the flower onto anything...a blouse, a jacket, their purse or notebook...whatever they choose.

These last two flowers are examples of what I made recently for a boutique we had at our Bible study. It was lots of fun and went really well. The top flower is a small bracelet and the one below is a pin.
Simple ideas but fun to make & even more fun to wear!

Spring Fling Wednesday

2011-03-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

Flowers are starting to "pop" in the garden! I can hardly wait until they are out in full force! My husband is the gardener in the family & does a great job. I will share more when they are in full bloom!

Today it was a beautiful day so we spent the afternoon at this wonderful place! Some friends from church own this restaurant. It used to be the family farm and has been converted into a restaurant with delicious food (featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives).The main building is surrounded by beautiful gardens, lots of trees and wide open spaces. There is a cute little coffee shop on the property also. They have just done a fantastic job creating a space for people to enjoy a bite to eat and hang out with friends.

If you live in the East Valley here in Arizona then you are familiar with the spot! It was a warm & sunny afternoon and the food was delicious! Afterward we walked the grounds and just enjoyed the sunshine!

Even though our winters aren't harsh, I am absolutely ready for spring! Bring on the heat!! Happy Spring Fling Wednesday everyone!

Coming Soon!

2011-02-28T10:36:00.000-08:00

Adorable charm bracelet class coming soon! I will be holding another class in my home on March 26th from 1-4 pm. Lots of fun techniques in this one! So excited to share! I will be posting photos in the next couple of days.

Spring Fling

2011-02-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Over at This Blessed Nest she is having a Spring Fling! What is a Spring Fling you ask....well every Wednesday in the month of March you post anything spring related and link it to her blog. It could be photography, artwork, clothing, decorating, really just about anything will do.

Here is her version of a little spring happiness.....just for inspiration.
Why don't you come along and play!

Blast from the Past

2011-02-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

Remember this movie? Well some of you won't! (you are too young) lol But last night I got the chance to bring it all back again. A fun group of ladies included me in their "night out". There were 18 of us in all. What a great turn out, right! We enjoyed dinner together first.

Then we headed to Gammage to watch the musical 9-5. My friend Sharon invited Barb & I to attend. So glad she did. We had a great time! Of course there was plenty of laughing as there usually is when we get together. All part of the fun!

It was a cute little musical with the music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. The actors all did a great job bringing it to life. The one liners were hilarious. It was definitely a blast from the past. And all around a fun evening! Thanks girls!

JOY!

2011-02-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

Found on this blog!
Love it!!! Go out and do something fun today! Live a little!! :D

Happy President's Day!

2011-02-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

Busy turning this frame that I created for my son's wedding into a chalkboard for the kitchen!

Finally working on the scrapbook from our Dominican vacation!

Can't wait to dive into the next book in this series. My daughter-in-law gave me the first one & I finished it in a day! Loved it! :)

Finishing up my Bible study for tomorrow's class. Really enjoying this study!

And thinking of going here to catch some sales.

Hope your day is a good one! Do something you enjoy!

Just Maybe...

2011-02-19T07:18:00.000-08:00

So I mentioned that I am interested in taking this online class with Christy Tomlinson. It really does look amazing! Now you can have a chance to win not only the class but some free stuff! Along with the online class Where Women Create is offering a $35 gift certificate to the Scarlet Lime Shop. This is Christy's online store full of mixed-media goodies. How cool is that!!

So hop over to Where Women Create and check it out and Just Maybe....the winner could be you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T09:14:00.000-08:00

Some of the Valentine's that I made for the kids. OK...big kids, but it was still fun to hand them out. :D

We had a big Valentine's dinner this weekend. Complete with a big "heart" cake. Love it! Today my husband and I are heading out to spend the day together. Can't wait!
Hope your day is special too!!

Operator Error

2011-02-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

This is part of what I created the other night with Samie Kira. I want to take it a little further and experiment, but for now it is OK. I definitely had fun with it.

Got a little help today from my friend's daughter Natalie. I was stuck on photoshop trying to make my blog header. She came to my rescue and reminded me how to do things. I just don't use PS enough to quite get the hang of it. So...thanks Natalie!

She had come over to cut out circles for her Minnie Mouse outfit for MORP on my cricut. It worked and she saved a ton of time. Can't wait to see the finished product. I am sure it will be cute!

Have a great Valentine's Weekend!

This One Looks Fun

2011-02-11T16:52:00.000-08:00

Found this online class that looks great! Christy Tomlinson is offering a mixed media class this month that I am planning on signing up for. Love her style and the class is only $35. I am very excited to explore what she has to offer. Stretch my wings a little and have some fun! If you go to her blog today she is even giving a special treat out to her blogging friends.....a download of her artwork.

Isn't it amazing!

I Didn't Chicken Out!

2011-02-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

photo via new beautiful

photo via lilymoon

Had such a great time last night! I was invited by Samie Kira to join her at the art group she attends. I was so excited and so scared all at once. I did not feel adequate to participate in the art journaling process. But with encouragement I jumped in and went for it. I didn't chicken out (I did come close)! I am SO glad I did! I was rewarded with an amazing opportunity to meet some wonderful artists. Many have been published and are gifted contributors to the art world. I was a bit star-struck! They were generous and sweet, funny & talented. I learned so much!
Thanks so much to Samie Kira for pushing me to jump in! It was well worth it!

typography via positive things

photo via rozart

Happy New Year!

2011-02-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

It is the year of the Rabbit. That is according to the Chinese calendar. This year I plan on participating in the "Red Envelope" tradition. What a privilege to get to do this! My daughter in law explained it all to me & I looked up the rest. So I decided to share it with you!

"Red Envelope"

Red envelopes are given out during Chinese weddings, Chinese New Year, and other holidays.

What Is a Red Envelope?:
A red envelope (紅包, hóngbāo) is simply a long, narrow, red envelope with money in it. Traditional red envelopes are often decorated with gold Chinese characters like happiness and wealth. Variations of the red envelope include red envelopes with cartoon characters and red envelopes from stores and companies that contain coupons and gift certificates inside.

Unlike a Western greeting card, red envelopes given at Chinese New Year are typically left unsigned. For birthdays or weddings, a short message, typically a four character expression, and signature are optional.
Some four character expressions appropriate for a wedding red envelope are 天作之合 (tiānzuò zhīhé, marriage made in heaven) or 百年好合 (bǎinián hǎo hé, happy union for one hundred years).
Why Are the Envelopes Red and Are There Other Colors?
Red symbolizes luck. Other envelope colors are used for other occasions, for example, white enveloped are used for funerals.
When Are Red Envelopes Given and Who Gets a Red Envelope?
Red envelopes are handed out to younger generations by their parents, grandparents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends during Chinese New Year. At some companies, workers may also receive a year-end cash bonus tucked inside a red envelope. Red envelopes are also popular gifts for weddings and birthdays.

When giving someone a red envelope, use both hands to present the red envelope to the recipient. Giving and receiving red envelopes, gifts, and even business cards is a solemn act. Therefore, red envelopes, gifts and name cards are always presented with both hands and also received with both hands.

How Much Money Goes Inside the Red Envelope?:
It depends on the situation. There is great debate over how much to give. The amount of money in red envelopes given to children for Chinese New Year depends on age and the giver’s relationship to the child. For younger children, the equivalent of about $7 dollars is fine.

More money is given to older children and teenagers. The amount is usually enough for the child to buy himself his own gift like a T-shirt or DVD. Parents may give the child a more substantial amount since material gifts are usually not given during the holidays.

For all occasions, certain amounts of money are to be avoided. Anything with a four is best avoided because 四 (sì, four) sounds similar to死 (sǐ, death). Even numbers, except four, are better than odd. Eight is a particularly auspicious number. The money inside a red envelope should always be new and crisp. Folding the money or giving dirty or wrinkled bills is in bad taste. Coins and checks are avoided, the former because change is not worth much and the latter because checks are not widely used in Asia.
Taken from source below:
Chinese New Year: Red Envelope
By Lauren Mack, About.com Guide

This is one of the envelopes I made for my kids! How fun!

So Blessed

2011-01-31T09:16:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday 10 women gathered at my home to take a class. Oh my goodness! We had such a good time. I am truly blessed!
Getting ready for the class. As usual there were lots of pieces in the kit. I can't seem to help it. haha

Cupcakes with a "Home & Family" theme. At least that was what I was going for. :)
Kits & name tags below. The name tags are made out of canvas and intended to be added to the book when the day was over.

The set up for the ladies & some of the food. One suggestion was made that I should serve wine...hmmmm...now that's a good idea! ;)

The girls hard at work. :)
Below is the front cover of the project. We made it through the stations that I had set up and all that was left at the end of class was to tie the book together & add photos. Wahoo!

Sherry, Myself & Amanda!

Sharon, Myself & Chelsea

I hope all the gals had as much fun as I did that day! Lots of creating & good friends...I am truly blessed!

A Chance to Win

2011-01-24T09:01:00.000-08:00

I want to share with you an exciting chance to win a free online class from Celine Navarro called "Colorful Designs"! Head over to her blog: The Green Frog Studio to see the details of the class. It looks like a great one!

Today on Donna Downey's blog she is offering an opportunity to join in the fun for free! How cool is that! Just pop over to her blog and enter for a chance to win. Who knows....it could be YOU!

Good Luck!

Altered Book Class

2011-01-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

Excited to be offering another class!! I had such a good time last month creating a class and hosting the event that I decided to do it again. This time I have put together an altered book with a family & home theme. It turned out really cute with lots of fun techniques. It's gonna be a great day. I am so looking forward to it! What a fun thing to be able to do. I just love it! No pressure, no big expectations just good friends and lots of crafting. I am so grateful to be able to do this! What could be better!!

2011-01-11T07:56:00.001-08:00

2011-01-09T07:33:00.000-08:00

Lam 3:22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

Lam 3:23 They are new every morning; great is your faithful ness.

Praying for peace in the Arizona desert today. No matter your political views we are ONE people standing strong in a great nation...TOGETHER!

Right Around the Corner

2011-01-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that Valentine's Day is right around the corner! I found this cute little tutorial today and wanted to share it with you. Presented by Robin-Marie.

She shows us how to create an adorable Valentine banner out of household items. Simple and easy to make. Looks like fun!

Be sure to stop by her blog and get the full details. Thanks for stopping by!

Drawn To It

2011-01-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

Found these shots while cruising blogs today. I was immediately drawn to the look.
Found in Covet Garden, this is a shot of photographer Tracy Shumate's home.
I love the rustic but very artistic look her home has. I especially like that giant chalk board. Isn't it cool!
Just wanted to share. :)

Day 2

2011-01-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

Found a cool doodle in a magzine and decided to go with it for Day 2! It was fun to do. Nothing drastic but very relaxing. Day 3 consisted of painting a background. Day 4 I will add to it. Not sure how many days it will take to create the look I want but that's ok. Enjoying the process is what is important. So what are you working on? Did you join the art journal fun?

Just a side note...

2011-01-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

Does anyone have any idea why all of my "blogs I follow" are not showing up unless you move the mouse over them? I have re-entered them and saved them and they still appear this way. Same with the comment section now. And a few other areas on my blog. Why can't blogger let you have more control over your posting??? ggrrr....very frustrating!

Peace

2011-01-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

To start the year off I have decided to join the "Art Journal Every Day" with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. I am excited and a little nervous about the journey ahead. But I figured...why not go for it! No pressure. If I don't make it every day that is ok. There are quite a few out there participating and it will be fun to see all the creativity. For my first page I used water color and oil pastels with a little ink thrown in.

I am also joining in again this year in Ali Edward's "One Little Word". I chose "PEACE". I combined the word with the art journal for yesterday. My previous word was "TRUST". I could use that word over and over again. But if I truly have learned to "trust" then I will have "peace", right. Last year was a very big year full of many changes in my life. Big changes:

*my oldest son got married here in our backyard
*my youngest son graduated from high school
*my dad passed away
*my youngest son went off to college, leaving us with an empty nest
*I turned the big five-oh (that one is hard to say outloud)
*we left the country to try to recover (just teasing...it was a great getaway vacation and very much needed)
*I quit my job
*I started teaching from home
*we had our first holiday season without my dad

Lots of changes in my life. But through it all I learned to trust...now I have to get to the "peace" part. To learn to savor all the special moments in my life and trust that they are all there for a reason. To remain calm and not panic when changes take place. It's gonna be a great year!!!

John 14:27 (rsv) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2011 to everyone! Wow...another year come and gone. Wishing you a year filled with abundant joy and wonderful new beginnings!! May you be richly blessed!

Inspired by Two

2010-12-31T12:40:00.000-08:00

The week before Christmas I was so lucky to be able to meet two artists from two of my favorite blogs. The first was Samie Kira. I can't even tell you how long I have been following her blog. I referred to it when I taught my Artist Journal class at the scrapbook store. I love her work and all the gorgeous colors that she uses in her projects.

She works frequently with Robin-Marie on "Points of Two". They come up with amazing prompts for art journaling with beautiful examples of their own projects. All of Samie Kira's work is very thoughtful and she never hesitates to share with her readers. Just look at the one below...amazing!

Recently she made the move across country to right here in Arizona! I welcomed her to Tempe with a little note and we started writing back and forth. We agreed to meet and when she mentioned she was going to Dawn's book signing I jumped at the chance to meet them both! I was so excited!

That brings us to the next artist...Dawn DeVries Sokol. I love her blog! I also referred to her blog and her books when I taught my class. She does some amazing doodles. The above book is her newest one and the one that the book signing was for. Below is the book that she put together of artist journal pages. This book is one of my favorites! It is full of inspiration and beauty.

The above photo is from her blog and is a taste of things to come in 2011. I absolutely love the colors and doodling on this one. I am sure she will have some amazing things coming in 2011. I am just so thrilled that I had the chance to meet her!

It is always fun to meet people that inspire you! Thanks for a wonderful evening and the chance to meet you both and start getting to know you. And thanks for the inspiration that you give us all.

Just A Little...

2010-12-29T09:01:00.001-08:00

PEEK at our Christmas. I ended up using one of the ideas I posted on my blog for my Christmas tags. I love the way they turned out.

EXCITED that today is our anniversary! 26 Years!! Wahoo! So happy that we are sharing our lives together....I wouldn't have it any other way!!

HAPPY that today my son and daughter in law are moving into their first house! It is gorgeous and we are so thrilled for them.

READY to head into the New Year! It's going to be a great one!!!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T07:52:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and your family a joyous Christmas! May the wonder and peace of Jesus continue in your hearts throughout the year!

Luke 2:8-14
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Wrap it Up

2010-12-20T15:19:00.000-08:00

Adorable gift wrap ideas brought to you by The Pink Couch. She has ideas for layering your packages with all kinds of goodies. They are bright and beautiful! Who wouldn't want a gift wrapped like these!

So grab your gifts, visit The Pink Couch and start wrapping it up!

Upcycle your Christmas!

2010-12-18T07:21:00.000-08:00

Martha never fails. This is a cute idea to reuse those past Christmas cards. I love the idea of upcycling! These monogram tags are made out of old holiday cards. They really brighten up the packages.

This pretty garland is also a reuse item....the little clothes pins are decorated with old wrapping paper. What a great idea! Pair the pins with the green garland and it makes a great card display. Here are the directions.

The ideas are endless. Happy creating!!

Bring on the Glitter

2010-12-17T07:56:00.000-08:00

Another one from Tatertots & Jello! She shared with us a cute idea from another blogger, The Soladay Family. This idea is quick and easy! Everyone's local JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby have these big paper mache letters to decorate. So grab the letters you want, paint them and bring on the glitter!
Have Fun!!

A Holly Jolly Christmas

2010-12-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

Today's Christmas idea is brought to you by It's All In My Head. These would make great little gift toppers or tree ornaments. Aren't they fun! She has a tutorial on her blog that shows you how to make these cute little guys. There is still time!

Have A Jolly Time!

How About A Little Chalkboard Paint?

2010-12-15T07:57:00.000-08:00

I found this quite awhile ago and never wrote about it. I keep coming back to it. I LOVE the idea. If you shoot over to her blog, tatertots & jello ,you will see her many different ideas to make these chargers cute for every season.

OK...this may not be a Christmas themed project but wow...isn't it great! How much fun would dinner be at this table. The possibilities are endless. This was found here. Wouldn't you like to be brave enough to do this to your table?

Thanks for stopping by!

Party Time...I mean Class Time!

2010-12-13T07:21:00.000-08:00

Everything was set and ready to go. My first ever "in home" class was about to start. I had been approached by a good friend Sherry about holding a class in my home for some ladies that she worked with. They were new to scrapbooking and interested in learning. So the idea was born. I had planned a layout and a mini book.

I was so excited to combine two of my favorite things....scrapbooking and having a party! What could be better! Since it is the Christmas season I included a little gift for everyone. It was just a simple ornament that you could also tuck a gift card into and give away.

Sherry & Amanda!

Cindy & Colleen!

Sharon & Lea Anne!

We missed Jean, who was sick and Amanda who had to attend traffic school..but they both are getting the kit. :) A big thank you to all the amazing ladies for such a fun class! I am looking forward to doing it again very soon!

Ready, Set....Class Time!!

2010-12-11T07:40:00.001-08:00

Everything is set up and ready for class today. I am so excited!
These are the little "thank you" gifts that I am giving everyone. You can hang them on the tree or tuck a gift card inside and give them away.
I am really happy with the way they turned out!

There are 10 students....perfect size! With lots of room to create. :)

Display for the project...I had to keep going with the bird theme. ;)
Although I did put the real ones away so they don't squawk & scare someone.

Here are the supplies tucked away in a little bag with their name tag attached.

It's going to be a FUN day!

A Few More

2010-12-10T08:04:00.001-08:00

This delicious little tree is from Country Living. Isn't this a cute idea. Something that kids would enjoy making too. You could even use them as little party favors to send home with your guests. Very fun!

This is a cute idea found on Pam Garrison's blog. She purchased the kit to make these little goodies from here. They were created by Charlotte Lyons.

They would be great to add to the top of a gift. Really cute!

And a clever idea from Martha Stewart. An easy way to use those cookie cutters and create adorable ornaments.