Sunshine Lollipops and .......

Just a short post to announce that the new challenge is up at http://candyshoppedesigns.blogspot.com/ - they are weekly now. For this challenge you need to use some lollipop flowers on your layout, card, project, whatever. I used some Bobunny paper, 2 kinds of thickers, and homemade lollipop flowers from paper scraps and buttons.
It's been a busy and tiring week but I did finish my Tuscan Olive wrap - I wove in the ends and added the beads on Friday. I am very pleased with it. Yesterday I wound yarn into balls in preparation to start my Blade scarf or Frond shawl.  I am thinking of knitting the Blade first as a practice piece. I will show some pix later.
I have been playing with some other art techniques and will be presenting a tutorial on the Galblog on Tuesday on something that is fun but very different from the normal types of stuff we all do for scrapping or art journaling.
I also received some happy mail this week - a super vintage style wall hanging from Amy (I won it on her blog). Amy, thank you so much - I love it!
Gotta go finish the laundry and read some more in my book, A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin - I really enjoy her books. Her main character is a female doctor who is a specialist in forensic medicine (like Kate Scarpetta) but the kicker is she lives during the Middle Ages so there are lots of complications.  Tonight Miss Marple starts on Masterpiece Mystery - it will be The Mirror Crack'd and stars Joanna Lumley - you know, Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved that show!

And be sure to check out the incredible kit giveaway on Lilibee's blog http://lilibeescrap.blogspot.com/2010/05/liberty-kit-and-super-giveaway-kit.html - it even has some Liberty fabric in it - and you know how much I love Liberty fabrics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also be sure to check out the Creative connection http://www.thecreativeconnectionblog.com/blog/2010/05/our-next-featured-artists-is-dara-dimagno.html#comment-6a0120a62d53b6970c013481802356970c - they have a fabulous giveaway of 3 Dara Dimago necklaces (gorgeous!) and info about the Creative Connection Event.

thanks for reading
ttfn
Chris

What would Jane do - she'd scrap

Lots of challenges this weekend (the ScrapGal crop continues tonight and tomorrow there will be a challenge posted for the May Sampler at scrapbookingsuppliesrus) but today - right now - is the newest challenge at http://whatisyourfavething.blogspot.com/ What is your favorite book? I have quite a few favs based on time of year and what I am into at that time - fav romance, fav fantasy, fav mystery - you know.......but when we went cruising on our sailboat, I only had a small bookshelf by my bed into which I could place the books I wanted with me (we also had a bag for trading libraries along the way - mostly paperbacks) - Anyway one of my favorites that I returned to time and again was this copy of Jane Austen's novels in one volume - my absolute favorite JA book is Persuasion but I also love P&P, S&S, and Emma. Northanger Abbey is good for a laugh but Mansfield Park is my least fav but it does have some great quotes.  I made the flower from a vintage hanky - the paper is "vintage" K&co with Lilybee diecut squares.  We would love to see your favorite read! Be sure to check out the fabulous DT layouts and then show us your stuff!!!!!

And also today is the new challenge for http://candyshoppedesigns.blogspot.com/ Cotton Candy - it is to use the colors pale blue, pink, black, and red - check them out - it's a fun color combo. The photo is of a compass rose that we had on our boat and now is on our front porch. It is weathering to a gorgeous patina and always reminds me of the many changes in latitude that I have experienced in my life. The paper is Stampington, the transparency is Hambly, and the alphas are October Afternoon.  Come on over and see what the DT has created with these colors and then show us what you can do!!!!!

I also have a blog post up at The Sampler for http://www.scrapbookingsuppliesrus.com/ . This layout was made with the May Sampler - check it out - it's full of wonderful products and also check out the new DT which includes Sarah de Guzman, who is a fantastic designer and one of my fellow designers at TAAFOMFT. Congrats to Sarah!!!!!

Thanks for reading and hope you have a wonderful Saturday!
ttfn
Chris

Wanna play 21?

Come over to http://candyshoppedesigns.blogspot.com/ and meet the new members of the Design Team - they are all so talented and I feel lucky to be able to work with them for the next four months. The challenge this time is "21" - whatever that means to you - 21 things you want to do, the age 21, the game 21, and in my case, I couldn't think what to do and then I realized that I could use my grocery list. I used some vintage Love Elsie paper, October afternoon and Pink Paislee alphas, a vintage Dick & Jane image, and some real ephemera (LOL) - a checkcard from King Soopers from when we lived in Denver and the envelope that a Publix giftcard came in from several years ago. Be sure to come on over and show us your stuff.

A short post today as I have lots to do, and it is so beautiful outside that I want to finish things and get out there - a walk on the beach would be so perfect!

Hope you have a wonderful week and thanks for reading,
ttfn
Chris

Some challenges- CSD, The Sampler, and Sketchy Thursdays

The new challenge is up at http://candyshoppedesigns.blogspot.com/ and it is "It's raining, it's pouring". We want to see your layouts about raindrops or teardrops - pretty wide range but it's be gotta be about water and drops. I took this photo in my yard after a heavy rain - I love how GREEN and shiny the leaves are and how the water droplets just pop. The paper is about a year old - I received it in a kit that I won and could never figure out how to use it because it is so unique - the black stems and leaves are flocked like velvet. So I decided to add some button flowers, a scrap of fabric, a Maya Road April calendar (it is actually April and of course, April showers bring May flowers. LOL!) and some scraps of Basic Grey Origins paper. I used part of a poem by Langston Hughes - I have always loved his poetry.
"Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby."

Candy Shoppe Designs is also holding a design team call so check it out. I will be staying on as Lemon Zinger but some of our Lollipop Girls are leaving so we need to add some new designers. Check it out - it's a fun group!

Head on over to The Crop Spot at Scrapbookingsuppliesrus for the latest challenge - to use chipboard on your layout. I used some Maya road chipboard fruits - I painted them with acrylic paint and added felt leaves. I also used some of the Cosmo Cricket Material Girl and Garden Variety papers from the April Sampler kit as well as a piece of the Core'dinations cardstock, the rick rack, and Prima lace all from the kit. While you are there, check out the DT call - I only have one more month with The Sampler but I know that it will be a good one and you should apply - the kits are great!

Be sure to get in on our bloghop from yesterday at ScrapGal - check out my blog post from yesterday or head over to http://www.scrapgal.com/

Hope you have a great weekend. My DH had to open at the golf course today so he got up at 5:15; unfortunately I also woke up so I got up and watched New Moon while I drank coffee - I have to admit that I really liked Twilight better. I have to go in to work at the gift shop for a while today, then pick up a book and an audio book from the library, and then go grocery shopping. A busy day!

 I did this layout for Sketchy Thursdays challenge blog - just love their sketches but I don't seem to find the time to do them . I was playing around painting and when I saw their sketch, I just thought - why not do a layout without a photo? I used some really cool real wood paper for the background, some masking tape, and Pink Paislee alphas.

thanks for reading and
ttfn
Chris

A sampler of photos

The new challenge for Candy Shoppe Designs will be up tomorrow and it is to show us your unloved or funky or bad photos - use them in a layout. I used some proofs from some photos taken when I worked at a CPA firm - they were doing a brochure and wanted to show some of the employees - they gave me these little proofs and selected a different photo for the brochure. These photos make me laugh - I look like a dedicated little accountant. ROFL!!!!!!  We would love to see your layouts so come on by and show us your stuff!!!!
I did this layout with some of my new favorite products - I just love that Dear Lizzy paper and those Maya Road calendar and journal cards.  I added some alphas and lace from my collection, and a crocheted bookmark and ribbon from a box of candy.
ttfn

Chris

Some sneak peeks and signs of Spring

The azalea bushes in my yard are blooming like crazy - absolutely brilliant splashes of fuschia.
I apologize for not blogging all week but this has been a crazy and busy one that got totally out of control. Here are a couple of sneak peeks from projects I finished that I will be able to show you in a couple of days. The first one is made from some of my newest favorite products and is for Candy Shoppe Designs.

and this one is for TAAFOMFT - wait until you see the challenge and the fabulous layouts by the other DT  members. They are all so talented and I love working with all of them, and of course, Julie is the absolute bestest boss anyone could ever have!

I have a blog post this Tuesday on the Galblog - please come by and check it out, and I will definitely be back to show the big pictures of the above sneaks.

Have a super Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!
ttfn
Chris

Green Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Check out the new going green challenge at http://candyshoppedesigns.blogspot.com/ - this time we want to see a monochromatic green layout - mine isn't quite as green as I had hoped - I glimmer misted the background (a shopping bag) but it isn't as dark as I had wanted it to be - otherwise I used green fabrics, papers, ribbons, painted alphas, whatever. Be sure to check out the challenge as we have a lovely prize from Wild Olive Kids.
Just a note to say that even though Harlee-Quinnz Designs is no more, they have formed a new company that will be offering papers and ephemera digitally and stamps online.
GECKO GALS
and what is more appropriate than for me living in Florida to be a gecko gal! LOL!
(and by the way, my car insurance is with Geico. LOL!!!)
so you will be seeing some new layouts done with the new Gecko gals papers, etc.

Hope you had a nice day - I worked on 2 layouts, a new project for Scrapgal that is fairly complicated, and quilted on the watercolor quilt for our bed. I also won a set of copic markers on ebay (yay!) and signed up for a drawing with mixed media class at our art museum. I am so excited - I know this will improve my drawing and painting skills very much - we will be working with pen and ink, pastels, acrylics, and other innovative techniques.

Don't forget to join us at http://www.scrapgal.com/ on Friday evening for our crop and chat - we have lots of prizes and it will be lots of fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ttfn,

Chris

Playing catch up or catch me if you can or something like that

First of all, I want to show you my layout for the Candy Shoppe Designs March 1 challenge (you still have plenty of time to enter) - it is to go green and recycle something - I recycled the green mesh vegetable bag. The prize is a really good one - from the etsy store WILD OLIVE KIDS - definitely check it out!

I did this layout for the March 10 Crop Spot at Scrapbookingsuppliesrus using the March Sampler - don't you just love that Dear Lizzy Spring paper (sigh), the cool Prima stars, the Hambly overlay (I cut the borders off of a frame), and the Maya Road journaling card. The kit actually has Dear Lizzy alphas in it but unfortunately American Crafts didn't ship them quick enough for our DT kits so I used some old Jenni Bowlin alphas.

And for Scrapgal, we are celebrating the 40 days up till Heather's 40th birthday and the challenge for this week is to scrap your teen years or the 80s - I picked the 80s - this will be another page for my mini constructed of Prima packaging. Be sure to come over and check out our contests and challenges - we have some fantastic prizes this month - Cosmo Cricket, American Crafts- really awesome!!!!!

This layout is for our year-long on-going challenge to scrap top 10s - March is 10 things to do before you die so I picked 10 places that I would like to visit before I die - I read travel books and cookbooks about places that I would like to visit so I piled some up and took a pic. The expatriates page is one I scanned from an original Banana Republic catalog that I have - back from the days when BR was pretty much all mail order - I loved their clothes - and then they started doing stores and they were so cool - they looked like stores in exotic places - sigh - can you believe that I still own and wear a long sleeved top and a silk chiffon scarf that I bought way back then! Ah, memories........Back to the layout, you can see that I am obsessed with those Hambly frame transparencies. LOL!

thanks for reading and hope you find some time to join us in the challenges. Have a great weekend!

ttfn

Chris

A new month and new challenges!

Ah February morn! cool and rainy - a pot of Russian tea made in my pink and black cat teapot and drunk from my pink Victoria bone china mug - a wonderful day to stay inside and create!

I crafted the above necklace from a large silk flower that I purchased with several others at a thrift store. I took the flower apart and sprayed the petals with black cherry glimmer mist and then sewed them back together making sure to fold them over to the back leaving a place through which to pull the ribbons that I used as the necklace. I added some netting and attached a vintage heart pin on top. I created this necklace for the current Artz de Scrap challenge - to alter an artificial flower. You have until the end of February for this challenge! Have fun and try something outside the box - or should I say, outside the flower!

This layout is for the new Candy Shoppe Designs challenge - something for the single girls and primarily to use an arrow in your layout. So, do you think chocolate is better than a man? Sometimes I wonder......... Be sure to get us your layout or project by the 14th! We have a great prize!

The next two layouts are for the Scrapgal Manufacturer of the Month contest - this month is Little Yellow Bicycle, and both of my layouts are done with LYB Baby Safari girl papers. The above photo is of a house in New Providence, Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, The Bahamas, and the alphas are Thickers and the flowers are Prima.

On this layout of my niece, I also used die cuts from Pink Paislee and Jenni Bowlin, and some stickers from K&Co. The animals came from a set of African papers and embellishments that I purchased at a thrift store. You have until the end of February to post your LYB layouts and projects on Scrapgal! We offer a prize at the end of the month.

I am sewing the borders on to a watercolor-style quilt top that I made about 2 years ago. Hopefully I can finish it by the end of February so that we can use it on our bed - since it is queen-size, it is quite a bit of work! I meant to post the quilt I finished made of my mother's fabrics but that will have to wait until another day - it's so dark it would be hard to get a good photo of it.

 Tomorrow is the traditional day to celebrate Imbolc, Candlemas, or Brigid's Day (in the same way, it's Groundhog day). It is halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and symbolizes the end of winter and the beginning of spring.As always, I will light candles and say a prayer of thankfulness for my many blessings. When I lived in more northern climes, I always felt tired and depressed at this time year, longing for the return of the sun and the warmer weather. This little ceremony always cheered me and made me feel that winter would soon end. In Jacksonville the azaleas begin to bloom and even in Colorado we would begin to see crocuses and grape hyacinths by the end of February - their bright cheery blossoms blooming definitely through the snow. It's time to watch movies and read books that are set in warm sunny places. Hope you have a great day and think happy spring thoughts!

 thanks for reading and have a great week.

ttfn

Chris

In with the new and some happy news

The new challenge is up at http://candyshoppedesigns.blogspot.com/ and it is to use your newest supply. This is my layout - I bought some funky Ranger inks at Tuesday Morning (very inexpensive) that are brightly colored and have scents. I was working with them and got the coconut creme (it smells like suntan lotion) ink all over my hand. The heart card is new, and I made the crepe paper flowers from Jenni Bowlin turquoise crepe paper ribbon. Be sure to show us your newest supplies in your layout - the prize is from Blue Moon Scrapbooking Kits and it is awesome - wish I could win it!!! also we are trying to get 300 followers on CSD so come on over and become a follower.

And now for some fantastic news - one of my goals for 2010 was to sell a painting, and I just got a call this morning that my Cattleyas painting that was being exhibited at the Art Museum sold!!!!!!!!! I can't express to you how thrilled and motivated I am by this. I feel so thankful and blessed right now.

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday and week. I am going to watch the football games this afternoon and hopefully finish the hand quilting on the quilt I made from my mother's fabrics. I would like to get the binding done this week. And one of my other goals for this year to finish a painting a week - this week's one is not finished yet so I want to finish it tonight or tomorrow.

thanks for reading and ttfn,

Chris

Something sweet and some challenges

I am now officially a Candy Shoppe Design Lollipop Girl, and my lollipop name is Lemon Zinger (I don't know if you remember but Celestial Seasonings used to have a wonderful tea named that - maybe they still do but living in Colorado when they first started, I worked for a printing company that did some of their printing and they used to bring me tea when they came in to check proofs so I have a soft spot in my heart for them - even though I know they were bought out) - sweet and tart. Above is a layout I did to show my new lollipop name - I painted part of the background and made the straw flower on my little loom.

Then, the first Candy Shoppe Design challenge for the year is up - show us something about you and be sure to use an "I" prominently in the layout. Check out the great DT layouts. I decided to do a little something about what I hope to accomplish in 2010 - I want to paint a lot more, to love spontaneously a lot more, and to laugh out loud a whole lot more! the background is Cosmo Cricket Early Bird, the small frame paper is Webster's Pages Home for the Holidays, the alphas are thickers, the rub on is lilybee, the lace is Prima, the fabric is Amy Butler, and the flower is an orchid from Michaels. This challenge runs until the middle of the month so check it out!

Over at Scrapgal we have several contests and challenges going on so be sure to come over, sign up, and join in with the fun on the forums and gallery. The above layout is #1 in our Sketch contest for January. I sprayed and masked the background with 2 shades of glimmer mist and the winter trees glimmer screen. The papers are Basic Grey Nook & Pantry and Webster's Pages, the rub ons are Hambly, and the stickers are Basic Grey Indian Summer. The photo is of Brian long ago in Aspen. Every October on the weekend near my birthday we would take a long weekend and drive up to Aspen to enjoy the changing color of the aspens and maybe a dusting of snow. We always ate breakfast on Sunday at the Hotel Jerome, and one year John Denver sat at the table next to ours. He was obviously a regular and went over and grabbed a pot of coffee off the sideboard, filled his and his companions, and then asked us if we wanted a refill - what a great memory! There was also an incredible outdoor crepe wagon that made the most delicious cinnamon crepes (I think I have a photo of that place - I need to scrap it). Our last year in Colorado we actually drove down to Santa Fe and Taos, and it is one of my favorite sensory memories - it was late late afternoon as we drove into Sante Fe and you could smell the spicy mesquite fires burning - it was so cozy - the hotel had a big fireplace in the lobby and it was so romantic and exotic - great memories!

Well, this started out as an intro to Candy Shoppe and an invitation to join in challenges on CSD and on Scrapgal, but it became a trip down memory lane, or should I say, a trip up memory mountain - thanks for reading and have a great first week of 2010!

ttfn

New Moon rising - Team Edward vs Team Jacob

So I think we all know what movie will be out next week. LOL!

I am the guest designer for Candy Shoppe Designs this month and the challenge announced today is to create a layout or paper project for either Team Edward or Team Jacob. Now I admit I would pick Edward over Jacob in a heartbeat (pun intended) but most of the other designers picked Edward right away so I took Jacob - and actually it was a really fun creative experience. I had no idea what to do and then I started thinking about the motorcycles and I remembered a great quote from Jacob at the end of Eclipse about speed and just getting away so it really came together quickly. I found both the wolf and bike images on the web, the patterned paper is Lily Bee, the smaller paper is one that I did with that fantastic glimmer mist technique where you spray 2 different colors on 2 different pieces of gloss stock, and then smush them together, the silver and gold leaves were from Michaels (on sale for 10 cents after Christmas last year), and the alphas from Heidi Grace. The journaling reads (a quote from the last page of Eclipse), "Feel nothing but speed, and bone, working together in harmony as the miles disappeared behind me."

I have begun to obsess about Christmas presents and am feverishly creating in every spare moment - knitting, painting, and sewing. I also saw a button wreath that I want to make and a really cool tree done with old book pages. Tomorrow after work I plan to run by Pier 1 as I received a catalog, and they have listed a couple of cool reindeer that I need to check out for the herd (did I mention that I collect reindeer - LOL!!! notice the new banner!!!!) The herd is currently hibernating in its special container but will be waking up just after Thanksgiving and will be available for photos. Those pictured above are the white/cream group, there is also a brown stuffed group (including a couple of moose that were gifts), the red "girly" group, and the natural woodsy group that have their own tree. And, of course, there are the big tree group that just hang around!!!! I have had some of these reindeer, including a little Rudolph, since I was a child. Maybe I should do a mini book! So many ideas and so little time!

Thanks for reading, have a great week, and ttfn

Don't forget to get us your favorite vacation/trip layout at These are a few of my favorite things challenge blog by Saturday, November 14!

Happy happy news

Good morning! just a note to announce that I have been selected for the Scrapbookingsuppliesrus new kit club Design Team. I am soooooo excited and honored to be a part of this group of such talented designers! Check out their Crop Spot blog
http://www.scrapbookingsuppliesrus.com/blog/article/view/?article_id=10082

for the info and a giveaway.
Also more happy news - my layout Faith is published in the current issue of Scrapbooking News & Review in the article Thankfully Faithbooking. Yay!!!! The layout is one I did about having been through the hurricanes - the journaling reads "some things you never forget but faith in God will see you through"
The above layout is for the latest Candy Shoppe Designs challenge to do a layout about yourself and use lots of little photos or small squares. Not really my thing but I did it sort of like a little quilt with squares.
Gotta go - working extra again this week. and tonight is our monthly art club meeting and I am helping with the food so I have to make 96 zuchini bites this afternoon. Very yummy and easy but still it takes time.
thanks for reading and ttfn

So, what are you reading?

So, what are you reading right now? I love to read and always have. So far this year I have read 74 books, but last year I read 96 so I doubt if I make it to that amount. Some of my favorites this year have been Death comes for the Fat man by Reginald Hill, The Private Patient by P D James, several Australian murder mysteries by Kerry Greenwood, some fantasies by Gillian Summers, the Night Villa by Carol Goodman (her books are very good!), Jacqueline Winspear's latest mystery, the Blue Blood vampire series by Melissa de la Cruz (in the Twilight vein), Ariana Franklin's latest, Laurie R. King's latest (and then I reread her entire Mary Russell series again), Qui Zialong's latest, Wake by Lisa McMann, Susan Hill's books, Patricia Briggs' series, several by Juliet Marillier, the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (BRILLIANT), a couple by Michael Connelly, a couple by Donna Leon (I love her books and just salivate when she describes the foods and wines), several rereads by Mary Stewart (just finished This Rough Magic last week - it is set in Corfu, and one of the TAAFOMFT team members just went to Corfu so I just had to reread this book), and today I finished A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell. As you can see, I enjoy well-written mysteries and fantasies. I do occasionally read non-fiction but it's funny - I used to read lots of how to, self improvement, and biographies but now I would rather be entertained. I reread my Jane Austen's almost every year but I don't read much other "serious" literature. I have to admit I read so much of it when I was getting my degree (English literature with an emphasis on Victorian lit) that I rarely dip into it now except for Bleake House by Dickens which is one of my all time favorites.
So, as I asked, what are you reading? Got any suggestions?
I made the corner book marker (above photo) this afternoon for a Candy Shoppe Design blog challenge - super easy!
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Scat by Carl Hiassen (it's a young adult book but just as funny as all of his adult books). He moved to Vero Beach (the town in which I live) several years ago from Miami. Stuart Woods also lives here, and his Orchid Beach series is written about this area.
Have a great day tomorrow and tune in Wednesday for the next These are a few of my favorite things challenge!!!!!!

JOY - an early holiday layout and original patterned paper

NOTE - IMAGE WAS DELETED AS THIS LAYOUT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE OCTOBER ISSUE OF SCRAP N' ART ONLINE ZINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I know that it isn't even Halloween yet but I noticed Christmas stuff was already at Michaels so - actually that's not why I created this layout. The current challenge at Candy Shoppe is to make your own patterned paper and since I am obsessed with stamping right now, I decided to use a couple of the Harlee-Quinnz stamps ( a border stamp and an accent stamp) to stamp this piece of kraft paper. I think it has almost a Jenni Bowlin look (I love Jenni Bowlin but have never been in a store where I could purchase any but I read her blogs - speaking of, congrats to Amy who just won a fabulous stash of Jenni Bowlin on the Moxie Fab blog) so I went with a vintage b/w photo and embellishments in the dark red, dark green, and brown ranges. I cut out the little felt heart and added the edge embroidery and the buttons. The striped pieces are cut from a little holder that I got at Starbucks with a free cookie in it (had to get a pumplin spice latte on Saturday), the title JOY is the name of the type of tea on the TAZO bag, and the journaling block was stamped from a Harlee-Quinnz stamp. I also added a fabric scrap, a lace scrap, a tape measure scrap, a Prism trim scrap, a book page scrap, a HQ Tabacco scrap, some mix and match flowers (Making memories and Lil Davis and my buttons), a Heidi Swapp tape scrap, and a couple of funky vintage buttons.
Sometimes I find myself doing layouts with a purpose - that is, to use certain brands of supplies or to answer a challenge; and other times I do layouts just for fun - just to play with my stuff. This layout started out with a purpose but it became fun - I just kept digging through my scrap box (and that's another story: Julie T-W once said she kept her supplies in her rollaround tote so I was determined to weed mine down to something like that, and though it's not quite there yet, most of my supplies and scrap stash are in a rollaround crate that is 13x15x15 - are you not impressed????I keep a few things out to inspire me but most stuff is now organized and I find that I am really using up old stuff, like alphas, etc.) and found all these little treasures.
I had a terrible night last night with my stuffed up head and with my cat throwing up 4 times - I thought animals were supposed to be easier than babies?! but today I feel way better (just tired) and the cat seems fine. I will be busy in the studio working on some projects to submit and on some items to put in my etsy shop, which will open very soon. Thanks to everyone for the encouragement!
Hope you have a great day!

Harlee-Quinnz, a quote, and a visit to the Candy Shoppe

I did the Candy Shoppe Designs blog hop and here's my layout - the steps in order: create a background, put an edge on a piece of paper, layer a pp on top, pick a photo, a closeup (okay, this is not super close but believe me, you don't want to get too close to a man who has been on a sailboat for 4 days, who stayed up much of the night, and who hasn't showered since leaving the US - got the picture?!), do something to the photo (I painted the edges), layer the photo on top of the pp, add some ribbon, add 3 flowers at the corner of the photo, add 3 more embellies, and add a title. The prize for whoever wins this blog hop challenge is a kit from http://www.studiocalico.com/

In other news, I received my design team kit from Harlee-Quinnz, and it is awesome - the papers are so beautiful and the stamps are just giving me chills. This morning I am painting but this afternoon I am going to play with my new toys!!!!!!!!!! Don't you just love these mandalas and the fairies! And the ephemera pages are just too cool!

And now another quote about home (in honor of the What's your favorite room challenge on TAAFOMFT)

"'It is but a cottage,' she continued, 'but I hope to see many of my friends in it. A room or two can easily be added; and if my friends find no difficulty in travelling so far to see me, I am sure I will find none in accommodating them.'"

Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

This weekend I plan to be a busy girl painting and scrapping - not only for the design team but also the Great beginnings challenge (I think that's the title) at Dreamgirls - I have selected a great opening sentence to a book and can hardly wait to scrap it.

Have a wonderful day!

Do you feel lucky?

This is an altered layout I did for the gesso-peso challenge on Candy Shoppe - unfortunately I used heavy chipboard and the gesso is causing it to warp a little - no matter.... the photo is of a pair of earrings I bought a long long time ago from a vendor at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival just after Florida started its Lotto (probably 15 years ago?) - they issued the coolest Lotto tickets with charming designs on them and there were 5-6 designs (no more - just a ticket with numbers now). I love these funky earrings and they are great fun to wear to parties. I used leftover alphas from several sets (you know how you get down to last few and you have trouble figuring out exactly what you can spell!) and I even had to make the U from a J and something else and the Y from an X - and those numbers were the only ones left but now I feel good that I used them all. The edge colors are water soluble pastels from Staples (these are so cool - you draw with them or color and then dip your finger in water and smear the colors - so fun - and they are really inexpensive). And, oh yeah, you had to use some money or fundage as my son used to call it so I put on a 1 dollar EC (Eastern Caribbean) coin and a French 5 centimes from one of the French islands.
Have a fun day and as Cathy Zielske says, go forth and create!
ttfn