Crown Bracelet Workshop Announcement!

If you are in the Rancho Cucamonga area Aug. 19th from 10-4 please join me and my good friend Andrea Villareal as she is hosting my Bracelet "Bar". We will be creating these lovely crown bracelets, the workshop comes with TWO bracelets but you can buy extra crown bases and make as many as you want! Not only that but Andrea is also doing a wonderful make and take using Close to My Heart products!
Workshop is only $52 and includes Andreas wonderful lunch made personally by Andrea. Click here to sign up:

And the Winners are....

Selected for my blog giveaway is:

Mary G!
 Mary G.June 21, 2012 2:42 PM

Oh, my, that necklace is AMAZING!! SO beautiful!!!!

Why thank you! And now it's yours!

The random number generator selected comment #91. And boy did I get dizzy scrolling and counting! Twice, as I wanted to make sure! Congrats Mary I hope your love the necklace! I will contact you for your mailing details soon!


And so excited that the Graphic 45 Winner came form my blog too!

Chosen From Denise Hahn's blog:

-Julie Short: "This is totally and absolutely gorgeous. Having just had the Ladies Diary Range arrive I have been oohing ahhing and procrastinating. Now I am totally inspired.
I hope your Birthday is a very special one."

julie pop over to the G45 blog for info on claiming your prize!

Me at 43

This is a picture of me in my blue room at 43. June 21 2012. At 43 I find myself to be in a very happy place. I have decided to stop climbing the corporate ladder and putting my passions into something that is more meaningful to me. Not that I have any regrets or feel like I wasted time, but the time just seemed to right. I think we all need that approval, acceptance and appreciation and for many years I got that at work. Now in the creative world I find I get it here too. I can't tell you the feeling I get when I go over to the Graphic 45 blog and see all of the comments made when my projects are posted. But I think the best part of creating is the calmness that is brings to my inner self. It's been so wonderful to have something that fills me outwardly and inwardly. In addition I have so many wonderful people in my life, so at 43 life is good!

May Arts Graphic 45 Blog Hop and Giveaway!

Hello everyone. I am very excited to say that this is my VERY FIRST G45 blog hop! And ironically it's my Birthday! So to celebrate, not only am I going to share a wonderful tutorial with you, I am going to give away THIS COMPLETED PROJECT too! Simply follow my blog and leave a comment on this post and I will choose a random winner to be announced June 25th at 6pm PST here on the blog. (if you are already a follower just let me know in your comment!)

So what's in the box? A handwired necklaced created with Graphic 45 and May Arts Ribbon!

To purchase some of the Amazing Ribbon in the tutorial visit May Arts  CLICK HERE!

Visit Graphic 45's Blog they are ALSO having a giveaway!  CLICK HERE!

{I used May Arts Silk Ribbon for this bow- this is my FAVORITE!}

{I used 5 different types of May Arts Ribbon to create the necklace}

{I used another May Arts Ribbon glued to the interior to hold the necklace in place}

{The box and the image are all from Graphic 45's new line A Ladies Diary, look for it in your local scrapbook store or online now!}

{The neclace is made from wrapping May Arts Ribbon around heavy gauge wire}

Please pop by these other amazing blogs to see what they created!

Denise Hahn: http://www.inmyblueroom.blogspot.com/ <----- you are here!

Laura Denison: http://www.followingthepapertrail.blogspot.com/

Susan Lui: http://luv2scrap-pages.blogspot.com/

Jen: http://jenshearsdesigns.blogspot.com/

Candy: http://candyscraps.typepad.com/scraps/

Kimberly: http://serendipityvintagestudio.blogspot.com/

To view the tutorial please click on read more below!

Cowabunga! Trinity Paper Arts Surf N Swim Altered Gift Tin

Welcome to the Clearsnap and Trinity Paper Arts Blog Hop!! Our Design Teams have "teamed up" to share layouts, projects, and more featuring Trinity Pap[er Arts' paper collections and Clearsnap's distinctive inks and accessories. From sports to summer and everything in between, kick your sandals off, grab a cold lemonade and enjoy the inspiration.   Hop along to each blog listed below and leave a comment.

http://clearsnap.blogspot.com
http://trinitypaper.blogspot.com
http://tamisanders.com/
http://taylordconcepts.blogspot.com/
http://thoughtsoftraveling.blogspot.com/
http://stitchcutcreate.blogspot.com/
http://www.arteypoemas.com/
http://www.kitsnbits.blogspot.com/
http://inmyblueroom.blogspot.com/
http://www.rukristin.blogspot.com/
http://sabrinaalery.blogspot.com/
http://www.jaxbeanstalks.blogspot.com/
http://www.hydrangeahippo.com/
http://scrapbookingischeaperthantherapy.blogspot.com/
http://whatsinalousyananut.blogspot.com/
http://blueyecicle.blogspot.com/
http://www.twotearsinmybucket.blogspot.com/
http://faerieenchantment.blogspot.com/

Each comment is an entry into a drawing to win the entire Trinity Paper Arts' "Surf N Swim" Collection!

PLUS, a second winner will receive Smooch Spritz in Gingersnap, Designer Foils in Blue, and Design Adhesives! 

For extra entries, post about this blog hop to Facebook, Twitter or your blog! Just leave a comment on either company blog telling us what you did and each comment will count as your extra entry. And now, let's heat up the summer!!

Today I created this cute little tin using Trinity Paper Arts- Surf N Swim by Christopher. This paper set went perfectly with a new set of Color Box chalks called Queties- small stacks of Cat's Eye pigment inks. The one I used is called Fiesta! This collection of Surf and Swim is double sided and has a great mix of patterns and larger design prints for full page layouts. The colors are vibrant and the card stock is nice and thick! So if you are like me and you keep all those cute little gift tins because you know "I'll use that for something!".... Time to get them out and give them new lives!

{I got to use the BOY I found of these vintage advertising pieces}

{Trinity paper Arts sticker, raised up on some foam core and backed with some burlap}

{I used smootch Spritz on this sticker trim to make it shiny and of course inked all the edges with my Color Box pigment ink}

{I also used smootch spritz on the "waves" I made by curling the card stock around a pencil}

{This pennant is also from the Trinity Paper Arts collection, it was just too cute!}

Supplies:

Trinity Paper Arts Surf N Swim

ColorBox Queties- Fiesta collection

Smootch Spritz- Ice Rink

Smootch Glitz

Something Sweet for Cynthia! Mixed Media canvas

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Cynthia Flores. I created this fun 5x5 canvas for her Birthday- commemorating our common love of sweets! Hugs and Happy Birthday to you!

New Graphic 45 A Ladies DIary Projects Featured today!

My projects are the first to be shown of the Graphic 45 today featuring their new Collection A Ladies Diary. Pop on over and check them out!

Hey you stole my idea- But you did it first! LOL!

Okay, so we have this little tradition, when we get together to celebrate girlfriends birthdays - the Birthday Girl(s) always bring a little thank you gift. Usually something inexpensive and handmade (you know how WE do it..ha ha ha!) Well since June is my birthday I was wracking my brain as to what I was going to make for the girls, especially keeping in budget- so I went to Dollar Tree, I always find inspiration there! So I found these little resin birds- the colors were not to my liking but I can do something with them! So I bedazzled them with cream paint, crowns and sparkly iridescent glitter. But ALAS I forgot to take a picture of them for my BEFORE shot- So I started googling and low and behold I run across The Dollar Diva blog. She has an amazing blog filled with ideas from Dollar stores so please check it out. While I found a picture of my birdies before- her "after" looked amazingly like mine! Just goes to show you creative people can come up with the same ideas, it's not impossible! But DIVA you did it first! Here is the link to see her little birdies HERE, and here are mine! So glad I stumbled upon her blog-super creative and fun ideas!

{This is the little gift bag I put them in}

Christly Tomlinson Your Living Canvas Pics so Far!

I have been having so much fun taking Christy Tomlinsons Your Living Canvas online class. I am SO not used to using colors..well at least BRIGHT colors like these, even though they are some of my favorites. I am finding that for me, just trying to emulate her class sample has been the best way to go about it. Then I am not all mired down in trying to use my creative mind, I am just doing the techniques and learning them. Not to say that there isn't a little of my self expression in these, but it just hasn't been the point.

{Tyler even came in my craft room and said, "hey that looks just like that one (hers on my computer screen) then he looked at me nervously to see if that was what he should be saying! LOL}

{this one is quite not done, funny thing is she used these little crystal vintage scrapbook buttons on her, and I had just happened to just buy those!}

This class has been great for getting me out of my comfort zone, and so far I am very happy with the results!

Technique Video- how to cover uniquely shaped objects

Please see the pictures of this project HERE on the Graphic 45 blog!

Altered Ukulele Featured Today On Graphic 45

This is a gift that I made for two special ladies, who started out as employees and ended up friends. The first project I made for them was for their Second Chance Prom where LGBT couples "re-did" prom and got to go with their partners! And now they are married and vacationing in Hawaii.... this is  for you sweet friends...Jennifer and Jazmine, you can see the Ukulele picture holder I created for you HERE. And today the G45 blog I share the stage with The Gentleman Crafter- Jim Hankins. Jim is truly amazing, I alter things, and Jim just makes it out of chipboard! There are so many talented men out there crafting and creating so why not jump on over to his blog and check out his creations HERE!