Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Luckier than the Draw

 I have recently won four prizes leaving comments on blogs.
Last week I won this set of Mini Blueprints, with seasonal themes.
This was not just the luck of the random draw, Mario picked them personally from the comments on t!m's blog.
Thank you for making me feel special.

Right is my 'Thank you back' folded for mailing in it's little box.
 Left is a close up of the box and my favorite stamp that won me the prize!









Below, an ornament made with that stamp.



I always leave a comment when I visit a blog, even if just to say TFS (thanks for sharing) or Nice,
With my present luck, my words may come back to haunt me, so I'm being mindful of leaving a plucky comment!

Comments ( no prize today alas- tho  stay tuned- blog hop with prizes coming) and questions always welcome.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Drawn and Decorated

 I'm taking a watercolor brush lettering class online with Val Webb.

The first week is into and block letters and I love it.
At left is my second attempt, that I'm 

showing you first, because I like it- what a difference a day makes and a few hours of practice.

I like that Val gives you all the tips and tricks up front. I feel she really wants to share with me what she knows, instead of keeping technique a mystery and maybe you learn by making mistakes.

I'm also enjoying sharing on a FB page just for students. Everyone learns and everyone teaches there and it's inspiring and comforting.

See below

This is an exercise in control and  creativity that isn't quite right. I enjoy posting it just as it is so others won't be intimated!
 

This was my first altered block lettering piece. i wasn't thrilled with it, and still it was an enjoyable process and i can't wait for next weeks lesson!



Comments and questions welcome.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Desert Island

If you were stranded on a Desert Island and you could only have one stamp, what would it be?
Mine would be the Flourished Heart by Quietfire Design.

Christine over at  Scraptime, got me hooked on postcards.
Spring and Summer Distress have been alluding me, and this is my last effort to use them as collections. Time to just think of them as colors.

Compare and contrast....
At left is the first card dabbed and swiped through Lemonade, raspberry and ocean on the craft sheet and spritzed and dried in layers.
(fav new craft tool-$4.00 iron- no holes -from the thrift shop- dry and flatten in one step)

Clear stamps-love the gift- I'm sticking with rubber -random quotes, and then I got excited stamping with white, gold and silver acrylic paint. It added texture and dimention.


Right is the second card used to mop of the ink left on the
craft sheet.

Brights and lights.

What's missing?
I added some heart flourishes (mini images) and I'm good to go.

Huge shout out to t!m and Mario(s) for all they do for the craft community and my recent prizes from the blog.
If your are new to t!m you are in for a treat, and please tell him I sent you! I'm trying to lure him to Asheville for some classes.

Labyrinth stamp- carved by me! and shout out to Carol BFF, labyrinth queen, yarn bomber and tai chi playmate- also hoping to road trip her down here-for lots of reasons!

Comments and questions always welcome.

to read what is on my heart, please visit Still Waters Refuge

Monday, July 2, 2012

Friends

When friends open their hearts to me with hard stuff, it might be easy to say lots of things and I'm learning it's often best to keep my ears and heart open and my mouth shut.

I want each of you to know how important you are and how creative and amazing you are. Just as you are.
You are enough, wonderfully enough, just as you are.

More Summer Distress and some simple stitching for a fab seamstress who is on my heart right now.

The quote- that says it all -by Quietfire.



Comments and questions always welcome.

Yard Long Beans

Continuing in the veggie ATC series.

Having fun using the new Summer Distress Colors.

Wish I had a watermelon seed packet! The Picked Raspberry is more melon to me than berry!

Huge shout out to Elaine- proprietor of Black Mountain Farmers Market, where I get and grow my beans.

Know your Grocer! BMFM has the best and freshest of local carefully raised produce and Elaine (and Harry) treat their customers better than family. {you know what I mean}

Stop by when you are in Western NC and youc an see these Veggie ATC's on display and come home with the fixings for wonderful meals.



Comments and questions always welcome.