I hope you all enjoyed your Mother’s Day as much as I enjoyed mine. My family made me feel very special. First I was treated to a Dyan Reaveley class at Stampers Anonymous. Carolyn Ross and I went together and had lots of fun. I can promise you this is the messiest my hands have ever been in my LIFE! I think the one thing I really loved about Dyan’s class was she didn’t give you time to over think what you were doing when creating the background for the album. This is one of my issues with art journaling… I over think everything! I just need to do it and free my very detailed, over analytical creative brain. Dyan gave you the perfect amount of time to do the technique and move on… no over thinking allowed just do it and go. If you have the chance to take one of her classes when she is back in the USA do it… you will LOVE it and be so happy you did.

After the class with Dyan, Ansley and Alan took me to dinner at Fuddruckers (Poor Terri was sick). I had a super yummy salmon burger and laughed at how excited Ansley and Alan were with the amazing coke machine… so many flavors to pick from… I had a raspberry flavored Diet Coke and stuck with that, they on the other had tried several different kinds… Vanilla Root Beer, Peach Sprite and Strawberry Sprite. Not only was I treated to a class and dinner but I was also treated to some Faber-Castell Mix & Match Color Gelatos & Clear Stamp Sets in (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Metallic and Neutral) as well as the Metallic and Essential Gelatos. These were all purchased from The Crafty Scrapper. So as you can see I had a wonderful arty family Mother’s Day.

And I just have to share this crazy family photobooth photo. While eating at Fuddruckers, I attempted to take a photobooth picture of all of us together… but it didn’t quite work out as well as I was hoping. The laughs I get every single time I look at it certainly was worth the attempt though…

Photo 1: Trying to get all of us squeezed in the photo.
Photo 2: Where is Alan? He didn’t know it was going to take three more photos and I’m telling him hurry squeeze in quick. Then Ansley got hit with some super bright lighting and is nearly blown out of the image.
Photo 3: Alan almost made it back in time and Ansley is laughing to hard to look at the camera and this time is half blown away with bad lighting.
Photo 4: Three again at last… it’s us and I’m just going to embrace it.

Hugs!

It’s that time of year again! Sign ups for Artistic Journey 2012, sponsored by Maya Road and The Crafty Scrapper will open Wednesday, May 16th. I’m super excited to be teaching along with Maya Road Design Team Members, Dina Wakley and Angella Peardon.

This year, I’m going to teach a really cool project that includes chicken wire. I cannot wait to show you some sneak peeks!

So don’t wait around to sign up for this super fun and amazing event. It sells out FAST and when you hear your friends talking about all the fun they had you are going to be so sad you missed out.

I love this group of ladies… they were so fun and even made their own super cute t-shirts for the event!

Hugs!

The one thing about me and my blog is I really do try hard to keep it real, honest and true. I don’t want to hide behind it and make people think my creative life is so amazing, exciting and wonderful. This industry has lots of wonderful perks and I enjoy it immensely. I know I’m blessed so please do not take this wrong and think I’m not grateful and appreciative but this industry also has LOTS of stress, frustration, at times unrealistic deadlines, a little backstabbing here and there (sad but true) and idea stealing (again sad but true). I try not to focus on the bad part, just the good and share my love of art and all things vintage.

So I thought I would talk to you today, about three behind the scenes things you might not think about…

Creating on Demand with certain products is something I learned early on and goodness am I ever so glad I did as it can be quite challenging and stressful. Creating on demand with a 24 hour turn around is even more stressful. If you were given say, five products and you can only use these 5 products with maybe your own paper choice and are given 24 hours to create something that everyone will see publicly would you be anxious or get a creative block? Even though we are considered professionals in the industry most of us still have these feelings. So be kind with criticism as you never know how long the designer had to create their piece.

Blogging… blogging takes up a LOT of time. So be kind to those who miss a few days or maybe even a week. I know when I post a tutorial is takes me at least an hour and sometimes two to post the photos, include the supplies and tools and write up all the instructions. Some days I(we) just do not have an hour to devote to blogging, especially when CHA comes around.

Pricing… Whether it be classes to teach at stores or online workshops I know I work my tail off as well as many others in the industry. I make sure everyone has full detailed instructions, color photos, unique vintage finds, supplies, etc. So by the time I(we) create the project to teach, kit it, take photos, write the instructions and spend 3 to 4 hours teaching it I(we) have put in many behind the scene hours preparing. Just something to think about  as I(we) get from point A to point B. By the time you divide all the behind the scenes hours and the teaching time, pricing usually is pretty reasonable, please be kind.

Please don’t take this post as a lecture. I just want it to be something for everyone to think about. I(we) in the industry try hard to make people happy, we really do. I love to share ideas and am very giving and open with information, so please be kind.

Hugs!

Sunday evening, after Ranger U was over I along with Carolyn Ross, Aurea Estelle and Ronda Palazzari got the pleasure of going to Suze Weinberg’s house for dinner. She and Lenny “The Lenster” as Suze calls him were the BEST… so gracious, entertaining and funny. It certainly was a dinner I will never forget.

While Lenny was getting dinner prepared Suze gave us a tour of their amazing home. They have art hung and displayed from all over the world. It is the most eclectic collection of art I’ve ever seen. Sprinkled among all their unique art you will find art pieces created by Suze. What Suze does with Bees Wax and UTEE is amazing.

After dinner we took a group photo laughed some more, got into the car and chatted and laughed all the way back to the hotel. It was a wonderful evening and I will reflect on it for a long time.

Thanks, Suze!

Day 3 started out with Dyan Reaveley and her awesome funky, quirky adorable self. Her art journaling has taken the craft industry by STORM and has me quite intrigued. Dyan will be in TEXAS at The Crafty Scrapper Thursday, May 10th & Friday, May 11th and it’s all the buzz.

During Dyan’s segment we played with all her Dylusions Ink Sprays, Perfect Pearls and or course her stamp sets. For this vintage, keep it clean, cream & black with a muted pop of color, kinda girl… I was INSPIRED! I was inspired with her colors, style and techniques.

After lunch it was time for Tim Holtz to teach us all the super cool techniques using his Distress line.  You can pick out Tim’s unique vintage grungy style anywhere. I like that you can do vintage grunge like Tim’s or a vintage shabby chic like me using the same products… it’s that versatile.

We got to play with all kinds of products like his new Distress Markers (GASP I know), Distress Powders, Distress Stains and Distress Inks. We were crazy busy and having so much fun.

My favorite technique was Photo Tinting. I cannot wait to try this on some of our old family photos to use in altered projects and into unique embellishments. I have lots of ideas!

Once it was all said and done we completed 80 Techniques in 3 DAYS.… these 2 days total 24 hours in all… that makes 80 TECHNIQUES in 24 HOURS… talk about a creative marathon. This experience was amazing and I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to attend. It really was the most amazing experience.

Thank you, Ranger!

This morning we started our day with Claudine Hellmuth. Claudine is such a sweet and very funny lady. She was quite entertaining and filled our heads with so many techniques and ideas my head was spinning by the time we stopped for lunch which was some awesome square pizza.

During Claudine’s class we painted, transferred, glazed and tinted. The hands on experience you get with each instructor here at Ranger is unbelievable. They give you so much information that honestly by the end of the day my brain hurt and once again was swirling with ideas.

During Claudine’s class Ronda and I laughed at the difference in our work area. She ALWAYS had a little mess here and there and I ALWAYS had mine cleaned up after each technique. So typical.

After Claudine finished her morning with us it was Tim’s turn. He crammed so much information into our brains in 5 hours. I was truly amazed at how much information he taught in that amount of time. We used Stickles, Paint Dabbers, Alcohol Inks and Pigment and Dye Inks. And I never knew just how funny Tim is, as he just says it like it is (which I love) and some of the stuff that flows right out of his mouth is hilarious.

Tim had Alain’s Extreme Stickling items brought into the education room so we could all see them up close. These photos do not do these items justice… they sparkle!!! The pumpkin is gorgeous and is covered in Orange Peel Stickles. I swear they could sell these things they are so pretty. The dress form and egg are covered in Waterfall Stickles. This color is gorgeous blue, purple iridescent color… at least this is how I see it. It sparkles like no other. I cannot wait for his next Extreme Stickling video. No telling what Alain is going to Stickles, this time. But I do know he is certainly up for the challenge.

The last product we played with for the day where Ranger’s Alcohol Inks.… they had color after color after color of dried Alcohol Inks in the new Tim Holtz Ink Palette. This palette was filled with 36 colors of Alcohol Inks and reminded me of melted jolly rancher candies, so of course I had to take a photo.

Day 3 is going to be spent with Tim and then Dyan Reaveley with her Dylusions Signature Line. I hear this day is way messier than yesterday… the paper towel roll and baby wipes will be sitting right next to me for sure!

Hugs!

There are no words to describe how awesome it is to be so fortunate to attend Ranger U. Today was incredible from start to finish. I’ve played with all the products we used today and learned so much new information. I cannot wait to get home to play and try out all the ideas I have swirling inside my head.

Each person had a personal basket of supplies and tools and we had a stack of Tim Holtz and Dylusions stamp sets to share. We got an amazing tour of the warehouse which was super interesting to see how each product was put together from start to finish. When we got to the area where they assembled the ink pads we each got to take a new pack of the new SPRING Distress Ink Pads as soon as they were done. I cannot wait to play with these. The colors are awesome.

After the tour it was down to business… the first half of the day Tim taught us all kinds of fun techniques using Embossing Powders, Vintaj Patinas and Perfect Pearls.

After lunch we started learning all the wonderful things you can do with UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel). The possibilities are endless with this product. As you all know I LOVE any kind of MELT ART so I was in HEAVEN!!! Tim taught us one awesome technique after another and gave many wonderful praises about Suze Weinberg and all the cool techniques she perfected over the years with this product. It was such an incredible day.

All around the education room you see incredible display boards and projects created by lots of designers in the industry. There is inspiration every where you look.

Then before dinner at the Ranger Picnic me, Tammy Tutterow, Ronda Palazzari and Carolyn Ross had a little fun with the Pocketbooth App I have on my phone. As you can see Tammy and I had fun messing with Carolyn and Ronda. I cannot wait to share with you all the fun things we did today. I know it’s going to be an action packed day filled with loads of technique by Tim and Claudine Hellmuth.

Hugs!

Okay let me just start out saying the five years I’ve waited and wanted so badly to visit Tinsel Trading Company was so WORTH it!!! This store did not disappoint me one bit, every single square inch of this place is filled with amazing vintage and gorgeous gift items. The story of how the store came to be is a wonderful story and if you are as interested in knowing as I was chatting away with Marcia Ceppos… you can read all about it HERE. It’s a great story of how her grandfather got started.

Once we left Tinsel Trading Company we headed out for a great sight seeing walking tour mapped out for us by Marcia. She basically had us walk one huge square that once finished had us right back to Penn Station so we could head back to Tinton Falls, NJ.

We saw the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Times Square and the gorgeous New York Public Library. One thing that really amazed me is how much greenery is in city. There are trees, shrubs and flowers all around. It really is quite beautiful. And while in Times Square Carolyn and I at this amazing lobster roll while sitting in Times Square people watching.

And my “Traveling Apron” is having a wonderful journey… Tinsel Trading Company, Red Bank NJ Transit and Time Square… can you see me and Carolyn standing together in the middle photo on the giant screen outside Aeropostale? Tomorrow… it’s all about Ranger University! Cannot wait to be there. Will tell you all about it tomorrow.

Hugs!

The fun started before we even took off… the lady that sat next to us was most amused that is for sure. When she got off the plane she told us we were really funny and quite enjoyable… I think I saw her run as she exited the plane little did she know this was only the first half of our flight, we weren’t getting off so she was safe.

After we left St. Louis it was straight to Newark, NJ. Our driver Steve was awesome… really funny. Once we got to the Marriott we headed out to get some food. As Carolyn and I walked across to Applebee’s I stopped dead in my tracks to take a photo of the Ranger Ind. mailbox… oh how I have waited so long to see this mailbox.

And for dinner I ate this super yummy meal… Grilled Jalapeno Lime Shrimp. It was just spicy enough and was so good. Tomorrow, Carolyn and I take the train into NYC. We are so excited and cannot wait to visit Tinsel Trading Company. I’ve been wanting to go to this store for years!!!

I’ll update you tomorrow on our journey. I’m sure it will be a crazy one.

Hugs!

Well a grandmother for only a few days. Gosh did I ever have fun texting my sister, “I’m going to be a grandmother” she has never called me back so fast ever. Texting Terri she was going to be an “Aunt” was pretty fun too. Our texting session went like this…

Me: You are going to be an Aunt

Terri: To what?

Me: A baby

Terri: This is a joke right?

Me: No (technically it is a baby… right?)

Terri: Answer your phone

So back to Ansley, she is taking care of Luke for her Child Development class and I think this is the best experience ever for a teenager! Ansley has had to take Luke to work with her (Big thanks to her boss, Candy) and has to take care of Luke’s each and every whimper and believe me there have been a LOT of whimpers and crying. Is it bad of me to get pleasure out of watching her want to pull her hair out of her head?  I mean really, she only has to take care of him for 3 days from 5:00 pm to 9:00 am. It’s not like she has him 24/7 for the next 18 years.

That smile you see on her adorable face is BEFORE he kept her up all night. This doll is really pretty amazing. Ansley has a scanner that is on a bracelet that is cut off by the teacher, so no cheating. Someone else can care for the baby but SHE has to be there to scan it’s back so there is no running away from the crying. Once Luke cries Ansley scans his back with her bracelet, this doll monitors how long it took her to get him when crying and all interactions she has with Luke.… feeding, burping, head support, holding, diaper change, etc. and SHE has to figure out what he needs.  Ansley must keep track of all interactions with Luke in his “baby book” again, is it bad of me to giggle when reading the times he gets her up?

Day 1 ~ Grade 91

8:10 pm ~ fussy 
8:40 pm ~ fussy (this isn’t so bad)
2:00 am ~ fussy
2:10 am ~ bottle (reality is setting in)
2:22 am ~ burp  (reality hits)
4:45 am ~  bottle (remember that sweet smile I was talking about… I think it left right about now)
4:53 am ~ burp    (I’m certain that sweet smile left the building)
7:43 am ~ diaper (wanting a few more minutes of sleep… so not happening)
7:51 am ~ feed     (trying to get ready for school)
8:06 am ~ burp   (still trying to get ready for school)

Day 2 ~ Grade 91

7:40 pm ~ diaper (oh the fun begins)
7:48 pm ~ bottle
9:30 pm ~ fussy
9:50 pm ~ bottle (I just fed you not too long ago)
10:03 pm ~  burp
10:11 pm ~ bottle (please, please, please sleep all night)
11:30 pm ~ fussy
11:34 pm ~ fussy (what in the world is wrong with you, please I’m begging you go to sleep)
11:45 pm ~ bottle (why did you not want your bottle a few minutes ago)
2:18 am ~ bottle (OMG)
2:28 am ~ diaper
4:10 am ~ bottle (you did not even sleep 2 hours)
4:18 am ~ diaper
4:25 am ~ bottle (are you kidding me, you’re hungry again)

This is quite an eye opening experience for Ansley and I’m really proud of how well she is taking on this task so seriously. My favorite conversation was early this morning while she was sitting on the edge of her bed trying to get ready for school.…

Ansley: Mom, I’m so tired I’m dizzy.

Me: Welcome to motherhood. Just think if this were a real baby you would be going to school, working full time & taking care of a baby that gets up at night.

Ansley: I am NOT working when I have a baby. I’m going to be a stay at home mom.

Me: I hope that plan works out for you.

I cannot wait to see what Day 3 has in store for her… so far it has been way harder then Days 1 and 2.

Hugs!