Gift Journals

One of my most favorite things to do is to decorate one of those cheapo composition books that you can find almost anywhere and give it away as a gift. They are simple and still a heartfelt project.

A friend of mine was running behind and asked me to help her out by decorating a couple of journals. This is what I came up with.


The two women's initials were V and E, as you probably guessed.


Then, because I was on a roll, I made another one for a family friend. (A boy, age 8) This is my favorite one. I love the edginess of it.


We have had the most amazing response to our new challenge blog, The Next Step. Wow. Thank you for all of your wonderful comments and support. We are so humbled and so excited!

The Next Step

Are you ready to take The Next Step in your art?

Today The Next Step technique challenge blog went live. Come over and visit and let us know what you think!


I can't tell you how excited I am about this new adventure that I'm taking with two amazingly talented women, Lucy Edson and Gayle Martin! This idea has been ruminating in my mind for a few months now and I'm thrilled that it is coming to fruition! I'm also thrilled that I can share this dream with such amazing women.

The Next Step is a unique challenge blog in that it combines mixed-media techniques and scrapbooking into one.

Here's how it works...

On the first Monday of the month we will be posting a new tutorial of a cool technique. The second and third Mondays are dedicated to more examples of the technique. The fourth Monday will be a wild card. We'll cover products that we love, book reviews, more examples of the technique or anything that we find interesting. Don't worry, you die-hard scrappers, each month will have at least one example of the technique in a scrapbook layout.

To play along, all you need to do is create something (anything!) using that month's technique. Leave us a comment sometime during the month along with a link to your work and you'll qualify for one of two prizes! One of them is for the most creative work and the other is simply a random participation prize.

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and take The Next Step!

Let's Begin

I know that I've been a little absent on the blogging front lately. I've been really busy at home and at my studio.

I found out this month that I'm going to be published in Paper Crafts, Creating Keepsakes and GreenCraft this fall. (Insert really happy yell!) So I've been pretty busy prepping my projects to send in. Between that, my mothering responsibilities (potty-training little E) and the start up of a new Technique Challenge blog, The Next Step, my personal blog took a bit of a hiatus.

Here is a project that I finished recently. I'm now on magazine scheduling so you'll be seeing a lot of Fall projects in Spring, Christmas in Summer and Spring in Winter. I know, I know. Pretty nutty. It works for me though. Now that I've had a taste...

I did this layout of D on her very first day of first grade. Notice the finger?

Materials: Bazzil cardstock, My Little Shoebox pattern paper, Stickles, AC pens, Luxe alpha stickers.


Have a fantastic day!

Holy Cuteness Batman!

I'm pretty sure that my title has never ever been seen before in the history of Batman. I know that T is shaking his head in shame right now too. But this week I had the cutest Batman helping me out.

I asked this superhero to mail a letter for me. Our mailbox is down the street which provides the children with ample opportunities for independent bike riding. (They think that I'm not worried, but I'm really standing at the end of the driveway praying fervently that every driver is watching for small people riding at top speed down the street. Whew.)



After giving me his most serious Batman look, he took off in his Batmobile.


The crowds of onlookers were duly impressed by his strength, agility and just plain awesomeness.

Ecology

I'm so excited to announce that Luxe has released a new line!


Don't you just love it? Did you see that woodgrain paper? And the butterflies? And the birds? Loving it all! Can't wait to get my box of goodness!

You can order it here.

You are Loved

I don't know what happened. I was working on this layout when I got a knock on the door. I answered it and in pushed this crazy black and white striped loop-de-loop.


(Journaling: Dear Cameron, Please know that you are never alone in this world. Your family will always be here for you. Behind you. Cheering for you in good times. Holding you up in bad. Just remember always...you are loved.)

(Materials: Sakura blue pen, Sharpie white paint pen and black pen, colored pencils, Bazzil cardstock, Luxe stickers)

Next came the blue and white awnings. Then the dots and donuts. Before I knew it, I was totally outnumbered by sheer craziness. They all just plopped themselves down and made themselves at home. I didn't have the heart to send them out into the world again. So they stayed.

And you know what?

I like them.

A lot.

A Quick Hello!

This week is Spring Break for the girls so we are doing all kinds of fun things. Going to museums, figuring out what clothing everyone needs for the summer, going shopping, reorganizing my studio, purging, baking, cleaning and going to bed completely wiped-out every night.

I wanted to pop in and say a quick hello from my home to yours!


This mini-art quilt measures about 5x7 inches. The paper is all My Little Shoebox. So cute! And the paint is Making Memories.



Have a wonderful week!

You Couldn't Have Known

I made this layout using a picture of my mother in 1967 for a contest at CMK.


You can see my doodles up close and personal here.


Here's the journaling for you. And a closeup of my title work. It was fun to do!



The flower is my own design. I cut the petals out of muslin, sprayed them with my homemade inks, doodled on them and adhered them to the page using thread and a button.


Materials: muslin, sharpie pens, AC pens, colored pencils, Webster's Pages paper, MLS paper, Ranger re-inkers, Stickles, MM ribbon

No, I Can't Hold

Frequently when I call a medical office, the receptionist asks me if I can hold. I always say yes because I can. However, the Creative Therapy challenge this week is to make something based on a mistake you've made in your life. This made me think about the times that I placed my life and my heart on hold for some reason. I did this a lot as a teen. I would put myself in a holding pattern so that I could fit in with the crowd or with a boyfriend. This was a major mistake that I don't want to repeat. I made this ATC with that lesson in mind.

This was quite a therapeutic exercise. I highly suggest it.


I never want to place my heart on hold again. I want my life to forever be moving forward toward new and exciting adventures.

On Frogs and Such

Zo received a tadpole/frog kit for her birthday last year in June. Unfortunately, her mother didn't check the availability dates for the live shipment of frog eggs because they don't ship until November. However, because there was a freakish lack of frog eggs at the source this year, she didn't get them until February. Nice gift, huh?

Anyway, we have 1 tadpole who just grew some bitty legs so we're pretty excited about the whole thing. Zo and Dani wanted me to bring them into class to show everyone. So I did today. I prepared a 30 minute lesson including weird frog facts, a brief explanation of the frog life-cycle and a little art project. It was so much fun! I think that the kids enjoyed themselves too. What is even better is that their teachers didn't mind that I brought the littles with me. Q was in the baby-backpack, E played around and C participated in the lesson. I couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable time.

It was really satisfying to spend time with the girls in their environment. Observing them in school cemented my inklings that they are blossoming into well-mannered, sweet, intelligent and interesting individuals. I am so in love with them. (And of course with the other little people in my life.)

When I was done with my lesson, one of the children in D's class asked me if I had any more pets to bring in. I wish I did. (We have dogs, but I'm thinking that wouldn't be a good idea...) Now, I totally want to get a freaky pet like a tortoise (ok, I've wanted a tortoise since that one lunch I had in a garden in Belgium where a tortoise roamed free. I thought that was the coolest thing ever.) or maybe a lizard of some sort. I don't know if I could do a tarantula. I'd like a snake, but I know that if I did that, certain beloved individuals would NEVER step foot in my house again and because I love them more, I'll refrain. A chinchilla would be coolish. Not a ferret though. While T and I were on our firstish dates, we were playing card games with friends and I was kneeling on the floor in a skirt. Unbeknownst to me, there was a ferret that ran loose in the apartment where we were. I found out about this lovely pet when it crawled under my skirt and caressed my bottom. I jumped up and screamed, totally embarrassing myself, almost ripping my bestest skirt ever (wish it still fit...) and losing that hand in cards. No, a ferret won't do. Nor will a bird, of any sort. We tried the bird thing when I was a teenager living at home. Paco Bob systematically bit each person in the house until we all hated his every feather, squawk and screech. We gave him up to someone who would love him more. And she did. I'll have to do a little research on this topic. That and a little convincing...(giggle) Hmmm...the possibilities...

Thank You Sakura

I was recently the winner of a pack of Sakura's new Moonlight gellyroll pens thanks to a challenge at Creative Therapy. When she sent the pens, Linda (at Sakura) asked me to make a card for them. So I did.


I used some Autumn Leaves alpha stamps and colored them in with the moonlight gellyrolls while holding a very wiggly baby boy. (Sometimes, you just gotta create when inspiration strikes...) Luckily, this was a very easy card to complete. I love the vibrant results! Aren't those colors lush?

However, I wanted to do something more because Linda was so sweet and sent me an extra set of purple shade gellyrolls. Just because.

While I was making my card, I found that the pens were extremely juicy. Delightfully so. Like a sweet peach in summer. (However, the pens have no nutritional value whatsoever. Just so you know...) I wondered if they would work on fabric too.


They do.


And so the mini-fabric quilt was born.


The first quilt (4 1/2 x4 1/2 in.) was made with the Moonlight pens. They were the best because of their juiciness. The second quilt (5 x 7 in.) was made using the purple shades pens. The package consists of three different shades of one color. They aren't quite as juicy, but the subtle difference in color lends to some cool effects. Unfortunately, online you cannot appreciate the sparkle that is in the "however long the night" part. Too bad. I guess we'll all have to pay Linda at Sakura a little visit. Very soon. (giggle...)

I sent off all of these beauties today. I do hope they arrive safely!

I Can't Stop Talking About...

Last week, while my parents and littlest brother and sister were in town, we went to the Desert Botanical Museum in Phoenix. I loved every second of it from the butterfly garden to the blooming cactus and the Chihuly glass sculptures, it was simply spectacular.

When C saw this sculpture, he called it The Crazy Tree. Yeah, it is. But in a really cool way.



All those crazy worms or balloons (again C's vocabulary) are blown glass.


See what I mean?


How cool is that? We bought a membership so now we can go everyday for a year. I tell you, I'm so psyched about it that I read the book of museum events all night. I talked about all the fun stuff going on there with T for hours. ( He loved every moment.) I brought it up again at breakfast this morning and got the kids all excited about going on Flashlight Tours, Hayrides and seeing the sculptures. Here's how the conversation went this morning.

Me: Ok, guys, so I've been reading about the Desert Museum...
Cam: Which one is that?
Me: You know the one with the crazy tree..
Cam: Oh yeah.
Todd: You didn't stop reading that book all night.
Me: I know! I'm just too excited. Anyway, I've been reading about all the cool things we can do there...
Danika: When will Zo and I get to go?
Me: Next week when you have Spring Break we'll go.
Danika: Good.
Zoey: Yeah, because we didn't get to go with you because we were at school. (Sad face)
Me: (Sympathetic glance to Zo) Okay, so about what I've been reading...they have these flashlight tours that you go and carry a flashlight. (excited faces from the kids) and you walk around in the dark and see cool stuff like flowers that only come out at night, and lizards and mice and snakes.
Cam: Will the snakes bite us? (Zoey and Danika looking worried too)
Me: No, the snakes won't bite us. They are too small.
Cam: What if there is a big snake?
Me: They only have king snakes and they eat rattlesnakes so there aren't any snakes that will bite us. (I'm thinking that this logic might just be...ummm...logical. He clearly doesn't buy it.)
Cam: What if a snake bites me?
Todd: A snake will only bite you if you step on it or sneeze on it. Snakes are hypochondriacs. Just don't step or sneeze on one.
Danika: What does hypochondriacs mean?
Todd: It means they are scared of germs.
Danika: (Puzzled face) Oh.
Me: (rolling eyes and laughing)
Cam: What if I step on a snake?
Me: You won't step on a snake. You'll see it with your flashlight.
Cam: But what if I do?

And so on...we covered the snake topic for at least 15 minutes...and I never sufficiently soothed C's worried heart. But, we're still going. I'll just make sure no one has a cold when we do...

And sometimes I wonder why I have trouble completing a thought...hmmmm

Happy Birthday Cameron!

Today is Cam's 4th birthday! With all the climbing, jumping, superhero stunts and running, I'm just so grateful he's made it through another year.

To continue the year-behind-trend, here's another layout of my guy at 3 years. Everything on here is Luxe except the pen (AC) and the colored pencils (Prismacolor).


A close-up of the title. I did the same technique of using the negative portion of letter stickers. You can also see that the stars are raised thanks to some pop dots. It just gives it a little more dimension.


This layout came together very quickly because all of the layering was done with Luxe's journaling jotters and journaling stickers. No cutting! (Except for the stars.)

I spent all afternoon yesterday making cupcakes for Cam's preschool class today. I did everything from scratch, frosted them using a special star tip and sprinkled them with colored non-pareils. When Cam got in the car after school, I asked him if he liked his cupcakes and he said that he did except for the gross frosting (can I just reiterate the homemade part? oh and the all afternoon part?). He said that some of the other kids threw their cupcakes away because they didn't like them either. Oh.

Next time I'm opening up a box and a can.

That's all I have to say about that.

Humph.

Happy x3

On the eve of Cam's 4th birthday, I've got a layout of his 3rd birthday. (Yes, it took me an entire year to get this done!)


Here are a few close-ups.

I ran out of alphabet stickers so I took the negative and adhered it to black and white Luxe pattern paper. I doodled and colored (with colored pencils) the spaces in the pattern paper.

The letter set that I used didn't contain numbers so I used an E upside down for my 3.

Journaling: After Cam blew out his candles (in a very saliva filled way) he immediately took a huge bit out of the side of the cake. He was so excited that he forgot to cut.

Cameron had so much fun on his 3^rd birthday! From Mom and Dad he received a Bumblebee transformer because he’d been asking for a robot for months. He also received a squirt gun from Uncle Dane and other wonderful gifts from the Grandmas and from Nate and Mandy. We started a new tradition on his birthday of going out to pick up a gift. He chose a big T. Rex.

Materials:

Cardstock: Bazzil

Pattern paper: Luxe Simply Jotters and Luxe Classic Black II Duct Tape;

Stickers: Luxe Simple Alpha Stickers, Luxe Simply Epoxy; Luxe Simply label stickers

Ribbon: Luxe

Pens: American Crafts Slick Writer

Buttons: Paper Studio

Other: DMC Embroidery floss, Prismacolor Colored Pencils