A Joy Forever

A thing of beauty is a Joy Forever....so fitting for this little bouquet of Grape Hyacinths destined for the garbage along with the rest of the Garnet Hill catalog. I have been wanting to start an art journal - using magazine pages and doing fun things like this to each page. I am so happy with the way this turned out, though it's pretty FAR from the post I put up on Friday. It took many revolutions - many coats to cover what is hidden beneath....but I can honestly say I am satisfied. I think I might put it in my Etsy shop - if I can bear to part with it that is!! TTFN. BTW, have you done your 2006 taxes yet? Ours are done, and I am happy to say I made a BUNCH more profit than I did last year!

Saturday and I'm cooking Giada Style!

I love to watch Food TV - I love to cook too - but watching someone else do it is so much better.....just kidding! Tonight I am making a Lasagna Rolitini recipe from Giada (I alway tell my little guy I am watching Gallardia - ha ha ha....the joke is lost on a 7 year old!). She doesn't call it Rolitini - but it's lasagna - and it's rolled up - so that's what I'm calling it. I will most likely adapt the recipe and make it ALL mine - but the base came from her. She's so cute and perky - I do love watching her.

In other news, I found these awesome New Home cards for my Mom to send out for our Open House, ha ha Mom. They were on sale at Target {make sure to pronouce it tarjet - and put a french spin on it....your friends will be confused and impressed with your foreign language skills. . . . LOL.} Of course, if the people at LandMark homes don't get on the ball we'll never be having an Open House - let alone any house for that matter! They really score a big FAT ZERO in the customer service department. It's a good thing I am happy with the house so far.

I decided to get the cards from Tarjet for two reasons - they were cheap AND we had a JP wedding with just my immediate family and the pigs on the farm.... {ha ha long story} and since we had no reception - that we ARE having an Open House for our friends and family if and when we ever get our home and stuff out of storage and moved in.... I miss my stuff! I want my own ROOM!

Anywho, gotta run - it's rolitini time...

I meant to post these pictures yesterday but something happened and Blog Spot wasn't happy...

Recovering

So, I read in Ali's blog today that she was in a funk too - and I think it's going around.....but I may have discovered why....

I haven't had any new and fun projects to work on for the last couple of while's (think about that for a second, will ya??) and I think it has affected my brain. You will read practically everywhere that exercise releases endorphins in your body and {they} cause some kinda chemical reaction in your brain - and voila - happiness.

Well, I think that's how creating stuff works on my brain. Last night I started something....and I feel great today. I have been eyeballing the front cover of the Garnet Hill catalog since it came a few weeks ago. It's so beautiful and I love purple hyacinth....

So I ripped it away from the catalog, mounted it on a Fredrix Canvas Board and away I went.... this is what it looks like now... {but I am not done, so no judging yet!!} plus this is a pretty BAD picture of it....

In a FUNK!

and I think it's because of the winter and the "issues" with the house! I got up in a good mood - got my coffee - and two minutes later the phone rang and it was the builder on the phone getting me ticked off. They suck. 'Nuff said about that. Just wanted to share the Farmer's Porch and front door. Ain't it purty??

Bridge to Taribithia (spoilers...)

My Sick Valentine and I went to the movies today, and everything started out wonderfully. Popcorn, tickets - getting into the movie. Loving the creativity of the boy and the cuteness of the girl. The two children remind me of my son and niece - and as I watched the movie and their relationship blossom and turn into a really great friendship - I started hoping that my son and niece would have a relationship MUCH like that when they are older.

And then she died.

They didn't show her in the act, but MAN it was sad. Balling, can't catch your breath trying to be quiet OMG what a shock she died crying. I cried like I used to cry at Lassie movies when I was a kid. {I was not allowed to watch them after a while because I always had nightmares about Lassie.....} I sobbed so loud that the lady in front of me turned and looked back at me. {yes, her face was all red when the lights turned on too!} My shirt was wet because I was crying so much. I ran out of nasty popcorn butter napkins to wipe my face! Yes folks, that movie made me sad. We left the theater and I couldn't talk on the phone to my Big Valentine because I was crying. He asked me if it was that time. Um, NO!

However, I quickly recovered and we went to the local flea and I picked up this neato vintage original etching - which is totally fitting for my husband. The Fisherman's Love......is it the sea or is it she?? Well, of course it's both! Duh! I'm going to frame it for my big Valentine's office....

It's Saturday

and my little Valentine is sick. Sick lay on the couch all day sick. Sick turn off the TV sick. Super dooper sick. His cheeks are all flushed, nose dripping down his face, head splitting don't feel good sick. I don't like it when he's sick, poor baby. This is my one ScrapMuse layout for the February kit. I don't really have to do any since I design the NL and organize the team - but I did this month. Amanda hasn't given us the final deal on uploading - but since many of the members have their kits already I think it'll be ok. I hope it'll be ok. This layout just kinda popped outta my brain in about 20 minutes, stitching and all. I love it when that happens!! There's been a little lull in projects from EK. {However the BIG 3 x 150 is here now and I should be thinking of that....} I've been thinking of my next "big gig" that I want to accomplish. Letting my brain recooperate before I tackle it. Coming up with sketches, measurements, research. Details. Success for this project will be in the details and a great research assistant :-)

Well, TTFN eveyone. The sickie is calling......

9:26pm: The sick child is in bed so I thought I would edit this post to share the following project I did for the Spring Issue of Creative Techniques Magazine. It's shown inside the magazine as well - along with a nice little 12 x 12 page I did of my little sick Valentine. I used mostly Basic Grey for this project and a 12 x 24 Canvas Concepts canvas - gotta love them TOO!

It's Friday, TGIF!

and more sharing. When I was a little girl - like 4 ish - my Dad brought home this little teeny, tiny black poodle from a hunting trip (exactly what a dog and hunting have in common I am not sure) and we named her BeBe (bebette in french means black bug - and I probably spelt it wrong) and it was love at first sight. Another thing about me was I never liked to play with dolls - they didn't talk back and just were so boring....but I loved to dress my dog (and cat) in my doll clothes. I don't think I grew out of that little habit....as I love dressing my little doggie, Guinness. I also have discovered I am quite crafty, who woulda thunk it huh? I passed the - teach yourself to crochet class in 10 minutes and managed to figure out how to make this little gem for my little doggie doll...

I also would like to give myself a little round of applause - as I finished my Mother's birthday present - from 2 years ago! Well, when I started it I had no distractions to speak of - and along came two book contracts, traveling, moving, building a house, deadlines for EK and what have you....but it's done. Just in time for me to start another birthday present for her - and it's due on March 28th. I think I'll choose something a little less involved....and before I submit that idea for the 3rd book.....people - am I crazy or what? So, this is some kinda crazy Art quilt that I am totally loving....and thinking maybe I should make one for myself....

Have a great day everyone!

Coastal New England

Finally got things to cooperate - here are the other two images I wanted to post. This is at the end of our very long driveway - and me with my favorite hat, I love my Life is Good hat!

Baby, it's cold outside!

Look at those beautiful blue eyes will ya?? We were waiting for the bus this morning - it was cold and windy but I managed to get a few before the battery conked out....(freakin' thing...) Anywhoo, we ended up with about a foot (I think) of snow from our blizzard. I was disappointed this morning when I got up - all the intense winds blew the snow from all the trees...I so wanted to take Winter Wonderland photos to share....anywho, have a great day everyone!

4:21pm Eastern Standard Time

The storm stopped for a bit but now it's back in full swing....and it almost sounds a little like there is sleet hitting the window. Lots of heavy winds and big flakes, and it's really cold! I sent Ian out to blow the stink off - he's getting so that he needs a bit of time doing something besides being inside!

11:30 am Eastern Standard Time

It's piling up right now....

It's a Valentine's Blizzard!

It's a snowstorm today. This picture was taken at 9:05 am....I will post updates of the snow fall levels along with pictures throughout the day for those that may be interested ....the cute little house in the background is my OLD house, the chick pad with the purple front door, under the eves painted purple, and the fence and trellice purple with lots of beautiful pink and white flowers inside....a TRUE chick pad! The kitchen was hot pink and the bathroom is still purple with purple flowers stenciled over the wainscotting....Loved that place....but now I love my new place. Which - I'll give you a 2 second update on that - nothing has happened since it was delivered.

I'll leave you with these little things....my Mom bought me a little reminder that spring really isn't that far away - my favorite flowers. A bouquet of Daffies, tulips and Purple Iris.....

And, my little Valentine blowing you ALL a Valentine's Day kiss.... ;-) Sorry it's blurry - batteries died and now I have to figure out how to charge my Big Valentine's camera...

More Sharing

We have a Winter Storm coming - 12" - 18" of snow on the horizon with blinding winds and the chance of freezing rain....looks like I better get out to my LSS and pick up some essentials to get me through. ha ha. Since my Valentine is in RI and I am in Maine I thought it best to post his present here - just to see if he comes and comments....and just in case we loose power tomorrow with the treacherous weather we are expecting! See Joe, I knew what I was thinking yesterday - I just didn't have this finished for you. :-) I keep telling him he can't visit my blog without leaving a comment, but he's more the quiet, lurker type...ha ha. Anywhoo, eight years ago yesterday he proposed to me - and of course I said yes. He bought me a beautiful diamond ring to give on VD but couldn't stand his excitement and I ended up getting it a few days early....that's quite alright with me - since I am not much of a secret keeper either. This year I got a Nora Jones CD and Godiva.....yum! Anyway, about the Valentine Fish, I've taken a bajillion pictures of this and can't get it quite right....but this great catch serves two purposes.....My Valentine was born to fish - and is obsessed with IT and THEM as much as I am with being a Paper Artist - AND he's certainly a keeper in my book. :-) This art is a brook trout with Vintage Dictionary pages about fish, flies and salmon in the background. And, of course it's stitched and has a real fly on the right near the mouth of the fishie....I drilled a hole in the plexi glass and inserted the fly that my little helper so graciously donated!! The label on the fish says "brook trout". I have to say, this is much more cool looking in person - because the fish piece kinda sits in the center of the frame - in outer space and you can see through all sides of the art....I hope my Valentine will post on whether he likes it or not!!

Happy Valentine's Day Freak!! Love ya.

Amazon ROCKS!

OMG, Amazon dot com has a HOT new Release list, and Sewing on Paper is number 1o....I am happy - oh so happy. I discovered a while ago that you could check your sales rank, not quite sure exactly what that means, but my sales rank two weeks ago was 512,741 - a month or so ago is was 508,112 or something like that. drum roll please Today the Amazon.com Sales Rank for Sewing on Paper is 147,541. I jumped 356,200 spots in a couple of weeks.... Martha - did you talk about my book already on your show? THANK you thank you! Kate the Secret is working! just a side note - I went from #10 on the hot list to #11 in the time it took me to make the post....ha ha. Tomorrow it will be on #1....

I learned "the SECRET" at Absolutely Everything!

Kate Farricker, the owner of from Absolutely Everything was very fun and gracious for my trek to Topsfield to teach at her store. I arrived on Friday (and shopped before anything) and got the classroom set up and then did some more shopping and talking and brainstorming. I love hanging around Kate because I think our creative energy is feeding from the same part of the universe (Kate :-) and the ideas flow and flow and flow. It's great. So, when the store closed we went off to her lovely home and had a sleep over with another very fun lady, Elisabeth. We laughed and ate and laughed and then watched "The Secret" that Oprah talked about last week. Now that I know the secret, watch out Martha because I plan on being on your show teaching you how to Sew on Paper .... more on that another day when I have nothing elese to share with you....

Anywho, teaching in Topsfield on Saturday was wonderful! I had 18 ladies - bright eyed and bushy tailed - and ready to Sew on Paper first thing in the morning. I was a tad bit nervous (for about 30 seconds that is) and my spidey senses kicked in and I think I rocked the house. Well, this is what Kate had to say about the class:

We had tons of fun this past weekend. Catherine Scanlon's sewing on paper class was so much fun we have rescheduled her for Saturday, March 31, for a two class session in sewing on paper and chipboard. (I am so excited that I actually had a chance to sew on chipboard...it looked so foreign to me!) We are making an 8x8 chipboard album, covered with sewn elements, using the new black & red Basic Grey papers. The afternoon class will have instruction for making either artist trading cards or 8x8 scrapbook pages. We will learn to sew the 8x8 page protectors to hold ATCs or leave them plain for 8x8 pages--your choice. Details on price and time to follow. Please call the store if you are interested. Catherine did a super job teaching the class, and everyone went home with a gorgeous finished project.

So, I have permission from the fun girls in the class to post these pictures so you can get an Idea of how much fun we had:

The last picture is Kate, isn't she just adorable! Thanks Kate for a wonderful time! Can't wait for March 31st.

Germaphobe!

Yesterday while shopping at JoAnn's (*hate that place, so dirty and messy and they never have what I want....) the school called and said my boy was in the Nurse's office feeling like he was going to puke. So I finished my transaction and got my booty over there. I was going to just take him home, but Joe thought it was a good idea to take him to the clinic (shudder, I hate that place too) so off we went. Getting ugly the whole way because that place makes me sick to my stomach to - and since we had NO appointment I was psyching myself up for a long afternoon waiting.....and waiting.....and waiting some more. That's what the Navy makes you do best - HURRY up and wait. Anywhoo, after 65 minutes of Ian touching everything in the nasty waiting room we got a private room where he touched everything there too. I made him wash his hands after touching the floor. He kept touching his eye and that grossed me out. Anyway, the diagnosis - after 2 hours and 20 minutes - Strep Throat. Yup....yucko. As I was waiting, I got more and more and more uptight. The conclusion, I am a germophobe. I can't stand the thought of germs - and the nasty things that take over and eat your body or the nasty Staph that is resistant to drugs - yuck. I was in a state when I got home, just ask my husband. I had a beer though, and after washing my hands about 100 times felt much better!

I couldn't make a post without a picture so I thought I would share an old layout I did of my Streppie....so cute. And, I love the way the picture turned out in Photoshop.

Anyway, off to Topsfield Mass. to teach at Absolutely Everything....I'll talk to you peeps on Monday. Have a great weekend - and stay away from all the germs out there, LOL.

Martha and I were so SERIOUS about the Cutterpede!

Here are some pictures that my wonderful room mate Carla Sylvester took of Martha Stewart and me. Looking back on them - I wish I had smiled more and possibly tried to engage her in conversation - and been less serious! I was a little overwhelmed with the sheer fact that MY DREAM OF SEEING MARTHA in person was coming true. I must say I am thankful to Terri Clair of EK Success for chiming in and asking me to show her about the Cutterpede and let her try it. She went on to discuss paper trimmers in her Keynote - and the optimist in me can only imagine that she MUST have been referring to the topnotch instructions I gave her. AND, in case you are wondering, I saved that piece of paper she is holding and plan on auctioning it off on Ebay.....LOL, jk. But, I do plan on using it in a page about meeting her! You betchya! The above picture is another dream come true - and that is my 40 year old ASS is getting carded by some young thing that just either didn't have a clue or needs to wear glasses. Either way, I was totally flattered and couldn't wait to get that 'rita and drink it down. My 40 year old ASS could only handle one though....LOL. The above picture is how I look after 4 days of getting up at the crack of California dawn to get ready to work every day.....and to work from 7:15am 'til 5pm. This is how I look when suffering from a little jet lag maybe....getting to sleep WAY to late and getting up WAY to early - with minimal caffeine to get me going - and that was the free yuck that comes in the room! These pictures were all taken by Carla, THANKS for sharing!

Amanda, Vic, Gretchen, Martha, Vickie and so many more!

I had such a busy and what I felt productive week in California I just can't imagine where to begin!! First, I got to have lunch with Vic, Amanda and Gretchen from ScrapMuse on one day - and then lunch with Amanda and Gretchen on the others - and dinner at this fabulous Italian spot with A and G again. I so loved all the laughs we had - thanks for the Lemon Drop Mikey!! :-) The buzz of the show was Martha Stewart for sure - and it was no disappointment for me!! AT first I refused to pay $50.00 for a ticket - but my gal Dani came through and I experienced her Key Note first hand, free wine and cheese, giggling next to Susan and Gloria - the founders of Adornaments and so much more - it surely was a good thing. But the best part about Martha - well, two things - I got to give her a lesson on how to use the EK Success Cutterpede (yes - one on one with Martha for about 5 minutes. We stood side by side, I thought she would have been taller! She looks great for her age if you ask me!) I also spent some time with her Creative Director Hannah Millman (who, BTW is a brilliant creative person!) and other members of her creative team. My Martha experience was one to remember - keep a lookout for a scrapbook page from me using the paper she cut under my instruction! Another highlight was meeting Vickie Howell from the popular DIY show Knitty Gritty. I watched her (and took pictures for Danielle) filming a segment for an upcoming show. In case you aren't familiar - she comes on HGTV weekdays from like 11:oo to 11:3o. I surely have stars in my eyes! I also saw Bernie Berlin and Suzy from Canvas Concepts walk by the booth, had dinner with Debbie Hodge, hobnobbed with Suzy Ratto, and I THINK I sat on the plane in front of Falyn Cahill. It truly was a great time.

The show was productive in that I made lots of great things for EK using the new products. The Simply Classic line practically makes itself - I made 4 12 x 12 layouts, a card, a block photo holder and something else - ALL in one day. On my floater day I made some giftie things for the Michael's website. I always love rooming with Carla - and seeing Elizabeth, and Becky is always a great time. Danielle is so funny. Oh, and I got carded at OUtback one night....that must have been the highlight of the show!! I also learned how to use the Circle Scissor Plus, ladies this is a must have tool! I also brought home lots of new products from EK that I can't wait to use.

Anyway, as soon as I get some of the pictures of my Martha gig I'll post them! Until then - you'll have to imagine how nervous I was!