Amazing week! NEW BABY!

Wondering where I've been all week?

I had the awesome experience of welcoming my very first nephew on Tuesday Nite (very nite). Jacob arrived after 24 hours of anticipation. He is healthy and perfect.
I am so happy for and proud of my sister and brother in law. And grateful that they allowed me to be a included in the entire event. All I can say is "AMAZING"!.

Last nite I took the girls to visit their cousin for the first time. Girls just fell right in love.

So now I will attempt a normal life again starting next week. I can't wait to get my hands on PAPER, INK and GLUE!
See you next week!

New Magazines - Somerset Studios & Cloth Paper Scissors

I subscribe to two awesome magazines and drool while waiting for each one to arrive every other month! They both come within a few days of each other and I usually spend countless hours thumbing and re-thumbing thru them.
This month's issues (Mar/Apr 2011) are no different! I am so amazed at the detail that goes into the projects shown and love to read the back stories.
 




I am especially inspired and curious about one article in the Somerset Studios issue. Artists Making a Difference in places like Uganda, Kenya, Haiti and many other nations. Just sharing, teaching and living art. How one person can make such a mark in places that otherwise are filled with hurt and need; it's something that always tugs at my heart. One day I wish to be able to surrender to these callings as well.






You can read more about this article and see tons of amazing projects in the current (Mar/Apr 2011) issue of Somerset!




I'm looking forward to another great week! Spring is really starting to kick in. The temperatures are becoming a bit warmer and spring showers are in full swing. And not to forget, daylight savings next Sunday!
there are new cards available at Art Partners and the Muse now... and more to come soon~ If you have any theme requests or suggestions... let me know!
Have a great day! see you soon...

Etsy Treasury - LOTUS FLOWERS

I finally took some time to make another Treasury on Etsy. I love how you can spend hours on end just checking out all the awesome products... You can click HERE to go directly to the etsy site and to purchase from these artists!

Treasuries are the perfect way to share the things that catch my eye!

This time my theme is LOTUS FLOWERS. 

I am amazed at this mysterious plant. It starts in the murkiest mud and as it roots, & has the power to clarify it! It reaches towards the surface of the water with this extremely tough and flexible stem and finally blooms into a perfect flower!

It is the only flower that has a 90 degree temperature (which can warm everything around it) and each night it closes and descends into the water. When the sun rises, it too rises out of the water untouched by the impurity!

It blossoms for 3 days and then produces a seed to start the whole process over!

I really never knew how amazing these flowers were! 

The lotus symbolizes the purity of heart and mind.

  I hope you enjoy this collection~ And had a great weekend! See you soon...

Encouraging Swift!

I've always loved the Swift! They are found a lot in artists' collages... I did a little research and the symbolism of the swallow is very encouraging.
"Swifts were seen as a symbol of good luck. Since they flew close to land then a sailor would know he was close to land once he saw a sparrow flying by the ship. This was a good sign as it meant a safe end to a dangerous journey."
I decided to use this encouraging bird in my newest card...

The stamp is from clear art stamps and the sentiment is Tim Holtz. The paper is Daisy D's. I did some machine sewing on four corners and raised the layer onto a Kraft cardstock which I dry embossed: Fleur De Lis.

I am battling a little cold this week and have been so slow on making cards. Mainly I am in the designing phase and will crank out the final choices soon. Tomorrow we get to play at Stacie's for our monthly meet! I'm hoping to get back to 100% next week.

See you soon!

PS. Good luck, Emily, at the Tech Fair tonight!  YEA!

**Update**

Em and her partner placed 4th in the Design Challenge. It was a great experience for all of us. So proud of the girls for having the courage to get up in front of so many people and try their best in designing a marshmallow launcher! Great  Job GIRLS!

Giraffes are sooo CUTE!

Another baby card. This one is a little different in size. I thought it would match the length and shape of the giraffe's long neck :)

Stamped, distressed and raised on dimensionals... swarovski crystals and beautiful Basic Grey paper. Two corners of the layer are tucked into the brown layer.
Envelope is whisper white.

New Wedding Card

Tis the season of love... mmmm Spring...!

So I am inspired by the new blossoms that will be breaking through in the coming months...
I made this wedding card with prima flowers and hand glittered them with ulta fine glitter. Jewels and dimensionals make this card pop! Elegant with clean lines and basic white layers.

I will be delivering cards to the stores soon! Baby and wedding and hopefully some birthday!
Hope you have a great week!

Young Authors County Entry ... My Emily!

Emily wrote this winning poem as her entry for this year's Young Authors contest.

Tonight we celebrate with her teacher, Ms. Corridon at the new BOE building. We are so excited for and proud of Emily!

On a separate note... my friend posted this music video on facebook this morning and I think the tune is really catchy!

 Enjoy your day and HAPPY WEEKEND! (a little early *wink!)

The White Rabbit...

I have always loved Alice in Wonderland...
The story book and the movies are all such fun to read and watch!

This White Rabbit card is stamped in blk  and colored with alcohol markers. The clock image is from a decorative wrapping sheet. Layered onto Basic Grey paper.

Sentiment says, "Why, sometimes I've believed in as many as six impossible things before breakfast.  - Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There."

I have one more work day left this week... and then it's the weekend! YEA!
I hope you are enjoying your week as well!

It's SHOWER Time!

Tomorrow is my sister's baby shower! Little Jacob is due in just over one month... I can't wait to meet him.
I am busy today getting ready for the shower. We have close friends, good food andgreat fun planned for the day.

Quick Baby Girl card

Hi... just passing thru today!

Had a baby girl card to share that I made last week... a onesie is stamped on to polka dot paper and then cut out. The bunny is stamped onto the front and flocked with white flocking and glue. I made a wire hanger out of 22 gauge copper wire in silver and put everything together on dimensionals. Stamped more polka dots on the yellow layer and raised that layer as well.
Stamped sentiment.


Love baby cards!

Fortune Cookie Valentines

Valentine's Day is almost here!!! Yea! We just love this holiday around here.
This year Abby wanted to be a little different with her valentines. She requested these cute felt fortune cookies so she could write and tuck a special message into each one for her classmates. They were so simple to make! I watched a quick tutorial on youtube and got straight to work.
If you can not view the video, you can click on this link

Just a tip... the higher wool content in your felt, the better they will stand up and keep shape. I happen to have 35% wool available to me... but I would've preferred 100% wool.

Anyway, I will be able to finally slow down after this weekend. Baby shower, school party, out of town guests this week/end... all very fun things! I promise to get crackin' on new cards and have them delivered soon!
PS. the new tags are available both at Art Partners and the Muse!

I'm here... plugging away! Hope you have a great week too!

Baby shower cupcakes

As I mentioned earlier, I am throwing my sister a baby shower in February. One of the most fun parts of planning a shower is the guest gifts.
This time I decided to go with something that each guest can use. Cozy Sock Cupcakes!
These were inspired by a seller on Etsy... I can't remember who now... but a simple search for sock cupcakes brings up several sellers offering similar things.
I just bought some cozy socks, rolled them and wrapped paper around them. The ribbon is a sewn felt ribbon and is adhered with mini staples. then the paper (Prima) flower is attached with a straight pin. That way the sock won't fall out of the paper (*wink)! I wanted them to look more like cupcakes... instead i think they look a little like flower pots. But Still I'm happy with them :)


That's all I got done today. My baby is home sick again, this time with stomach flu. So I am in full nursemaid mode, rubbing feet and just spending quiet time together. Why has this winter been so brutal?

Anyway, looks like more wintry weather tonight into tomorrow, so I may have both girls home! Hoping you are all safe and healthy out there!
See you soon!

Baby boy card!

Since my sister is getting ready to have her first baby boy .. I've had a lot of baby on my mind! Today I made this cute baby elephant card for expectant parents!

I just love the simple-ness of this card... and yet the dry embossing and the metal frame really make it pop. It has a little bit of the "Pottery Barn" style to it... :)

Well as for other news... I apologize for not getting the tags and valentine's to Art Partners this week. Because of the snow, I never got the rest of the supplies... but all is well now! I will be sending out first thing on Monday!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Snowed in!

Yea! A real snow day.

Time for cocoa, jammies and a book - Light in the Attic book (by. S. Silverstein).
This is one of our favorites! We seem to pull it out so often and have read each poem several times. But yet, it seems that we never get sick of them!

One poem that was especially hilarious to us today was "Peckin".
I'm not sure if it's cause we are giddy about the snow, or if we are just plain cabin feverish... but this one made us laugh so hard our guts actually hurt. Not to mention, added many new wrinkles to my face!
If i could find a picture of the illustration, I would definitely add it here... it is half the fun.

Here it is:

PECKIN'

The saddest thing I ever did see,
was a woodpecker peckin' at a plastic tree.
He looks at me and "Friend", says he,
"things ain't as sweet as they used to be."


So as you can see, I didn't get a lot of work done today. In fact... none! But we still had fun and are looking forward to sledding and riding tomorrow!
Stay warm friends!

New Tags for Spring!

I am putting together a few new designs for the Spring Tag line.
The darker tags are 100% recycled material.
Each is hand distressed and inked. Stamped and strung.

Each is a set of four.

I will be sending this set off to Art Partners, Inc in Clarksville this week. Muse, next week.

Also, The paper fabric bookmark workshop class is going to be through the Muse (Frederick, MD) on Wed. April 13th from 7-9pm. I have taken several classes in the past and they have all been such fun!
You can sign up for this and other classes at www.shopthemuse.com! I'm so excited to be teaching my first class with the Muse!

Tomorrow the gals are coming over for a fun art day! I will be making Valentines! (for Abby's class).
I hope you are staying warm this week. It is really cold here lately... the heat just doesn't turn off! Hoping for spring soon...
See you later in the week!

Almost ready... Caps for Good

A few months ago we started knitting caps for the Save the Children organization. So far we have 11 baby hats to donate! Thanks to Rene' and Stacie, i will be sending these in very soon!

If you have any to donate, Please send them to:
SAVE THE CHILDREN
c/o The Doe Fund
173 Cook Street
Brooklyn, NY 11206

Wire Hearts Valentines!

So yesterday I made a bunch of wire hearts at Stacie's house. She showed me some wire techniques and set me free in her jewelry room! (I just love it!)


Here's a card a made! I hand sewed on the hearts and embossed the layer with dots.
Inside says, Happy Valentine's Day".

Hammered Hearts

Yea! Snow day!

Actually... it didn't snow as much as we expected... but the kids still got a free snow day! So we geared up early and headed out to sled on the hills.


And I got to have a little play time at Stacie's! I made these cute hearts out of nickel and copper wires. I shaped the hearts and then hammered them to a perfect finish!

I'm going to add these to valentine cards! I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Now for the big question... school delay tomorrow?

Heart House

Here's another Valentine! This one has tons of sewing and features a vintage french book page "house". I love all the different layers of designer paper...
We are expecting snow tonight! I hope it snows a lot... we just love when it is fluffy and white outside!
Hope you are having a nice week too!

Valentines...

Now that the holidays are over, I am really starting to think hearts!
I'm not sure why, but it looks like I am stuck on this color combo - blues, reds and pinks! It is such a refreshing combination and it's cute without being too cutsie!


I am really going to concentrate on vamping up my etsy store. It has been kind to me and I've been neglecting it. So stay tuned for more scheduled listings and new ideas!