Inspired by Two

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...

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

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

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!

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

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

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?

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!

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!!

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

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.

You Just Can't Go Wrong

Really, you can't go wrong when you hop over to Lilybean Paperie blog. Melissa ALWAYS has beautiful ideas there. This month is no different. Her style is frilly with a tad bit of nostalgia and vintage thrown in there. I absolutely love it!



She is on quite a few different design teams and one stop here you will see why. She is very talented.



Be sure to visit her blog and be prepared to be inspired.

The Cutest Ever!

I stumbled upon these adorable gingerbread houses this morning. Oh my goodness they are so cute! To think that someone took the time to create each little one to add to the edge of the hot chocolate mugs....wow! Just adorable!



These were found on Not Martha's blog. She gives directions on making these little goodies. Now wouldn't that be fun to have at your next party!



Head over to her blog to check it out!

Pottery Barn Inspired

I must be drawn toward Christmas Countdowns. So here is another one that I found. The above photo is courtesy of Pottery Barn. And below you will see what Stephanie Lynn from Under the Table and Dreaming came up with. She did a wonderful job recreating the Pottery Barn style.




If you head over to her blog she gives directions on how to create this countdown yourself. There are so many fun ideas out there and just not enough time in the day to make them all....but a gal can try! ;) Have fun creating!!

Glitter Delight!

Today's inspiration comes from Linda Albrecht via Ally Scraps Blog. She shares beautiful little Vintage Village Boxes with us. She takes it one step further and tells us how to make it. Love that!!


So hop on over to the other blogs for some sweet inspiration!



There is still time to create your own version of Linda's adorable houses.