September Events - mark your calendars now!!

THANK YOU to everyone who attended our

Avonlea Workshop last Saturday (8/25)!!

We had a great turn-out and I was so excited to have so many of you join us!

(Barbara, Carolyn, Cathy, Jackie, Jessi & Lyn, Rosann & Kay, Ruth, Susan, and Vicki!)

Cricut Creativity Class

Friday, September 7th (6:30pm-8:30pm)

Come join us to learn how to use your Cricut machine

with our fabulous "Art Philosophy" and "Artiste" cartridges!

We will make one creative project for $2 each...

OR your project is FREE with a $15 or more purchase!

(the purchase can include the pre-order of this month's workshop kit).

Photos of this month's Cricut Class project will be coming to my blog soon!

Moonlight Workshop

Saturday, September 22nd (1pm-5pm)

Pre-payment to reserve your kit is due to me by 9/15 

to guarantee that it will arrive in time for our workshop date.

The full kit is $35

to create 2 layouts and 6 cards (includes stamp set for you to keep).

The basic kit is $25

to create 2 layouts and 6 cards (includes use of my stamps).

The “cards only” kit is $15

to create 12 cards (4 each of 3 designs).

Add the “Halloween Countdown” blocks to any kit for $12 more! 

 

 Moonlight layout #1 - Left side

 

  Moonlight layout #1 - Right side

  

 Moonlight layout #1 (full view)

 

 Moonlight layout #2 - Left side

 

  Moonlight layout #2 - Right side

  

  Moonlight layout #2 (full view)

  

 

 Bonus Project - Countdown to Halloween Blocks (size = 3" x 3" x 3")

Add to any kit for $12 more!

 

 Here's the Moonlight Workshops-on-the-Go stamp set (above) we'll be using!

(You can own this stamp set when you purchase the $35 kit).

 

Here are the embellishments (above) we'll be using!

Sparkles Black & Grey Assortment Z1754 

and Haunted Assortment Z1741 for the layouts only*

*Please note that the "cards only" kit does not include the Haunted Assortment,

 only the Sparkles, half-pack of the the paper, and 12 card bases with envelopes.

    

Finally, here are the 6 cards you will have the option to make with us using
the scraps you will have left-over after making your layouts!

You can also choose the "cards only" kit for just $15!

(create 12 cards total - 4 each of 3 designs).

I'm so looking forward to teaching you some beautiful coloring 

and ink-blending techniques using our NEW alcohol-based marker sets!

Two cards to "Fall" for!

(I hope that title doesn't seem too vain for this post, I'm just TRYing to be clever with my title here, lol!) I love the Autumn here in Barstow when the weather finally starts to cool down and I feel the mood strike me to start stamping bunches of colorful autumn leaves (since we don't get as many "real" autumn leaves here in the desert, lol)! The Heart2Heart blog challenge this week is to stamp and create something with either "leaves" and/or "trees" and as usual lately, I haven't had much time for creating this week (other than the few hours I spent on a scrapbook layout I'm prepping for a gathering coming up next week). But... I do have tons of things I've created in the past that I have been wanting to share here on my blog for ages, so I couldn't resist taking advantage of this opportunity to share some fall-themed creations with you all, and here... they are!

The standard size card (above) is one I created back in 2007 for the "Humble Artists" swap I was a participant in. The Nature's Vein stamp set (D1232) that I used for the leaves was one of my favorites back then and must still be a favorite of many since it hasn't retired yet in all this time and is still available to order! I also used a lot of scissor distressing, sanding, and ink distressing on this card. The white streaks on the cocoa cardstock "half-oval" shape is white acrylic paint that I added with a fan-shaped paint brush (easy)! The other stamp set that I used to stamp the background is Goodness of Life C1286 which is now a retired stamp set I believe.
My 2nd card (just above) is also a standard size card that I designed a while back (in the fall of 2008 - a few of you may remember creating this card with me at my Open House!). It uses the Perfect Day papers and the Treasure Life stamp set (D1306) that is shown on page 53 of our current Idea Book. The leaves here were stamped with cocoa ink while the flowers were stamped and set with clear ink and embossing powder so I could do the "embossing resist" technique. To get the embossed image to resist the ink, I just used sponge daubers with cocoa and sorbet inks to sponge in some color around the flowers (and then used a tissue to wipe off the excess ink that resisted from sticking where the embossed image is). It's very simple do but allows for such a "wowie!" effect! So I hope I've inspired you even just a little today - Welcome Autumn!! - my favorite time of year!

Three very EASY fall cards!

These three cards are inspired by a card created by one of my CTMH downline team members, Katrina Sikora. I also used Wishes - Simple Expression for my inspiration (p. 40).

I needed a card design that would be quick and easy to create with a group of about 30 teenagers in about an hour and a half. I was asked to teach card-making to a group of 13-18 year-old girls (the teen mothers program at our continuation high school). The teacher of this program is one of my regular customers and this is the fifth time she has asked me to come to her class to stamp with her girls (I do it once or twice each school year). I'll be creating these cards with them this afternoon and I am so looking forward to it! Each girl will only make one card to start (and then maybe two each if there is time), but I altered my sample card designs each slightly to show them that they can change up their card layout a little if they want to.

Because I am donating all the supplies we use (I consider it a community service thing and a small tax write-off as a bonus), I wanted to use up some of the bulk "Free Spirit" papers and bulk Outdoor Denim designer ribbon I've had tons of and have not used for ages. I don't expect any sales to come from the class, but it is a great way of spreading the word about what I do (I'm always hoping the girls will share what they made with their parents and generate some interest there - lol). I know shades of blue really aren't very traditional fall colors, but I wanted to make it work so I could use up what I have and I think I really like how they turned out. Who says you can't use blue to create fall-themed cards?!! Colors I used are Colonial White, Desert Sand, Indian Corn Blue, and Outdoor Denim. Hope you enjoy seeing them!