New stamp line

THEY'RE HERE!

I am so excited! Today I launched my new stamp line! 4 separate themes! First is a Crazy Lace stamp 8.5 x 11 for backgrounds. Next is a mysterious women faces line, then a macho men's faces line, both with large and small faces, as well as power words in original fonts that can be sold by the full sheet, half sheet or quarter sheet. Finally, my patterned birds and quotes, jammed packed 8.5x11 inches completely full of images! I will be selling them at the CREATE retreat in Lisle IL at the Vendors faire on Fri night Aug 26th~ whoo hoo. Been waiting a long long time for this to happen, finally found the right company to work with.

Preparing for classes

I'm excited to be preparing for classes. It feels good to check and double check my lists and workbooks and I enjoy stuffing the workshop kits and goodie bags for class. I love making the samples. And I make multiples, just to make sure all goes smmmmooooothly during classes.

This year I have 3 more venues -CREATE in Lisle IL, at the end of this month, Art & Soul in Portland OR September 30-Oct 7, and at Townsend Atelier in Chattanooga TN, November 4-6!

I'll be teaching at Art & Soul Virginia Beach March 1-6 2012 and at Art & Soul Las Vegas, June 14-18 2012.

Got plenty of new classes up my sleeves, and also teaching some well requested favorites- I can't wait!!! I hope to see you all very soon!

Playing with ICE!

My Rockin' Resin Reliquaries

As many of you know, I injured my arm and shoulder and have been down for the count for several days now. The Dr. said ICE would help....BOY was she RIGHT!!! Little did the Doc know I have a stash of beloved ICE Resin that I have been experimenting with! I can't say enough good about it, I've been using it in my Knead-a-Mold molds I've made, I've been using it with my polymer clay, I've been making jewelry, and I've been using it in my journals and on paper!!!This stuff is amazing, I've had no problems from fumes, and it's so user friendly!

Here is a peek at a class I'm developing for next year called Rockin' Resin Reliquaries.

No wasted minutes here!

Seems as if we have been having to spend tons of time in waiting rooms and on hold on the telephone lately. Rather than watch my life slip by and feel frustrated at the loss of the precious time, I've been carrying a sketch pad around religiously! I'm excited about an upcoming project I am working on that is circus related, so I've been concentrating on that. Here are just a few sketches I've done this month in those otherwise "wasted" moments. Taken on my cell phone, which also has been the source of inspiration as I've "googled" photos of clowns and such to sketch from as I wait my turn in line...

Background journal pages

It's been 100% crazy around these parts- not enough hours in the day, not enough days in the week, not enough weeks in the month to get done all I need to. It seems that after a 18 day visit from the little, the house and studio are wrecked, the paperwork drudgery (like insurance & bills- I hate reading that stuff!) has piled up, my mojo is shot, and I'm having trouble finding my usual stride of getting things accomplished.
I'm busy developing new classes to propose, and getting together supplies for upcoming classes. I'm also trying to get a few outstanding swaps completed and in the mail.

These are some of the background pages I created for a journaling group I am in. I hope you enjoy them- they were a combination of pages I stamped and painted, then imported into photoshop to give them lighter centers to make it easier for my friends to journal on. I love finding new ways to re-use my own work. I hope you are all enjoying your summers too!

CREATE Update

"Harry's Sisters"

"Boys will be Boys"

Did I ever have a great time at CREATE Costa Mesa! The artists in my classes were so wonderful and open and willing to just jump in and try anything I threw their way! Each Artist inspired me with their totally new interpretation of the formula I set in front of them. It always amazes me how in these classes we all start witht the same supply list, yet no 2 finished projects look alike. I am so proud of my peeps- each and every one of them wildly successful!

And I can't say enough about the CREATE staff! The event staff was an awesome team that buzzed and zipped around keeping everything running. The editors were friendly and approachable, and so very generous in their informational dealings with us! Truly makes me happy, since CPS and CPSS are some of my very favorite magazines! They were so wonderful, every need was fulfilled, every comfort had been planned for! The meeting rooms were large and spacious, and the temps were just perfect. The hotel was easy to navigate, and the rooms were clean and spacious. I loved that we had an outside balcony, and I was able to keep it open on day.

Besides getting to see many wonderful friends I've gotten to meet at other venues again, I also had the pleasure of getting to meet some longtime on-line friends! How fun to put the faces to the names, the personalities to the life stories we've shared. What a blessing.

Another real JOY and pleasure was getting to meet my roommates! I was so fortunate to room with Pam Carriker and Jen Cushman. Both are awesome artists and authors, and I couldn't have been luckier to have had the incredible opportunity to spend time with each of them. They are both such amazing wealths of information, and talent! We had such a great time together. It was like meeting long lost sisters or something. We all were able to enjoy an evening class together one night, and Dawn Sokol's "Doodle Soup" was just the ticket! We giggled and relaxed the time away, as creative Dawn lead us thru some fun doodle exercises. It was just the thing to recharge us after long days of teaching and traveling!

I was a bad bad puddy tat- I forgot to take pictures...I'll get better I promise...

To appease, I will reveal some new mixed media fluid acrylic paintings I've been working on.

"Les Roses"

(This one is ALL Pam Carriker's fault, she gave me a GREAT new white gel pen and I tried it out and it wrote on EVERYTHING!!! So obviously I went crazy with it and the bas relief!)

Artiscape, Art & Soul Hampton revisited!

Goodies on our Vendors table at Art & Soul

Wow has time ever flown! In a little less than 3 weeks Mike and I've been all over the place, and visited with friends from around the country!

First, we had a visit with our good friends Kathy from TN, and Andi from WV. So nice they could come in early and spend time with us! First Mike made us his awesome world famous ribs, we enjoyed the comedy styling of John Pinette. The next day the girls and I spent a glorious day stimulating the economy of Dublin Ohio at Miss Biddies Coach House & Tea Room, and then shopping at The Morgan House. Not finished yet, we finished the day with a car full of goodies from The Greater Columbus Antique Mall.

From then the race was on. Artiscape was in full swing, with Mike, Kathy and I setting up and them vending while I demo-ed my new favorite tools, Knead-a-mold and Casting Resin! (More on that later!!!) So all day & night Friday and Saturday we were swamped busy. Our booth was small but mightily filled with goodies, and the shoppers and other vendors were so much fun!

Sunday was my "Happy Bird Sings" clay covered journal class, taking the majority of our day. Had great students, and a lot of fun. Andi shot home after her classes, and Kathy and Mike and I wound down getting Kathy ready for the Airport the next morning.

Upon arriving home from the airport, I was lucky enough to spend time with my cousins Wendy and Laura. Sadly, we lost Laura's mom- my Aunt Linda, and I was heartbroken at not being able to attend the funeral due to my Artiscape commitments, but thank goodness I got to spend time with my girls. We were the closest in age, and so of course we spent lots of time together growing up. I miss my time with my cousins. Now that I'm always travelling, Wendy is in CA and Laura has 5 kids- that time is precious and scarce these days. They kindly helped me re-stock my supplies for my booth and we spent nice times together at the Antique mall and then splurged on Jeni's Ice Cream. If you've never had their Bangkok Peanut....OHHHH MY! Thai Chili Spice, Peanuts and Coconut....ice cream that sets your mouth on fire....I DREAM of it...

Then Easter! And Mike was on the freeway, and a Canadian Goose flew right into the car! Smashed the windshield, dented the roof, and sent glass all over him. The Lord was good and spared Mike from any injury, and other than being shaken and having an un-driveable car, all was well. We scrambled, and Mom lent us her car, as the very NEXT day we were to leave for Art & Soul in Hampton VA.

Mike's Easter Goose Encounter

We loaded the car to the gills, and headed out- stopping at Andi's to spend the night. Mapquest said it was exactly halfway... Mike and I were used to our GPS, and my Mom's was totally different. We ended up going thru the most twisty, turny, 180 degree, one laned roads, but we eventually got there, and we had a lovely, VERY rural drive doing it. We hit an antique store with Andi and found even more goodies, and had a fun dinner out. A nice evening chatting and then off to bed to get ready for the next day. Of course Andi had prepared her WORLD FAMOUS Creme Brulee' French Toast, and so Mike and I waddled to the car and said goodbye, knowing we would meet up with her again in a few days at Art & Soul!

Mike and I went through the Monongahela National Forest & Park, and the George Washington State Park on our way to Hampton Virginia. Lovely all- stomach did not like the curves much though...

Hooray! We arrived at Art & Soul, and I taught 2 full classes of the most awesome and open-minded, creative artists! Each and everyone a happy success story! Fluid Romance and Event Journals Extraordinaire! Can't say enough good about the experience! Everyone was positive and happy and thrilled to be there, enjoying the venue and each others company! Class spaces were wonderfully large and comfortable. The hotel rooms were lovely suites with plenty of space to sit and work and still be comfortable.

I got to spend good down time with my friends Christy from VA and Deb from TX, along with Andi and a new friend Adriane. Seemed I also got to quickly connect and see dozens of friends in the halls and at breakfast every day.

I also was fortunate to meet several of my art heroes- which is always a big kick! I was so pleased to meet Suzanne McNeill, Pam Carriker, Lesley Riley and Susan Lenart Kasmer. Fabulous ladies each and every one!

Vendors Night came, and with a WHOOSH it went, but boy did our booth just BLOW OUT the goodies! Can't believe how many empty containers we had on the table at the end of just 3 hours! I just barely had a few minutes before opening to scour the room, and a few minutes after closing to go back and pick up my treasures. I always have to stop at Lesley and Tom Venables table- they have the most MARVELOUS goodies! And Lesley is an awesome instructor on top of it all!

Finally the sad day came. Art & Soul was over, and we headed home. Mike and I shopped at little out-of-the-way antique shops all the way home to restock our supplies for our vending booth again. And WOW! What cool stuff we found! Can't wait to show you!

Whew! If you've hung-on this long, my thanks. I don't know when I'll get to get back again, as I am leaving for the CREATE Retreat in Costa Mesa CA in just a few days, and I am crazily getting ready for those classes. Unpacking, Repacking, Restocking and Shipping has taken it's toll on the house. Thank goodness Mike will be home this time, to keep things under control!