Sharing A Make’N Take

Feb 25, 2015

Sharing A Make’N Take

This altered chalkboard stand is the make’n take Caroline with Maya Road had me teaching, last weekend at Scrapbook Expo in Grapevine.  It was super popular so I thought I would share it with you blog readers. Supplies Needed: Chalkboard Stand, Twine Cording Ginger Root Brown, Vintage Felt Posies ~ Carnation, Leaves, Trinket Pins ~ Vintage Round Pearl, Strips of Patterned Paper, Alpha Stamp Set, Archival Ink Tools Used: Scissors, Hot Glue Gun & Hot Glue Stick Instructions: Using Archival Ink and an alpha stamp set, stamp your word onto a strip of patterned paper. Using a hot glue gun and hot glue stick, attach a leaf and word strip to the back of the felt flower. Cut a piece of twine cording long enough to create a bow, attach bow to back of felt flower as...

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Create Mixed Media Art Retreat ~ Artists Faire

Sep 18, 2014

Create Mixed Media Art Retreat ~ Artists Faire

Tomorrow, Friday night, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. I’ll be participating in the 2014 Create Mixed Media Artists Faire at the Wyndham Garden North Hotel Dallas. The address to the hotel is 2645 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, Texas. I’ll be in the Couture Ballroom sharing a table with Caroline Lau/Maya Road and will be selling handmade jewelry and fabulous vintage packs of assorted greeting cards, cabinet card photos, jello molds and more. These items are perfect for collage, embedding into resin jewelry and assemblage art. Caroline is selling all kinds of Maya Road goodies. She always has some amazing goody bags which sell out fast so get there early as you don’t want to miss out.   It will be a fun evening so stop by the table for a visit. I’d love to chat with...

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3rd Annual Creative Retreat ~ Bellagio ~ Class 2

Nov 22, 2013

3rd Annual Creative Retreat ~ Bellagio ~ Class 2

I shared a sneak peek of my “Textile Collage Sampler” a few days ago and today I’m sharing a sneak peek of my second class “Charmed Memento”. In this class I’ll show you how to take a simple wooden spool and turn it into a beautiful piece of wearable art. You’ll use pieces of linen burlap and scallop trim to cover the spool then add accents of iridescent rhinestone trim and vintage buttons. You will create a unique charm holder from copper wire that will attach to the base of the spool to display charms like a miniature handmade crocheted doily lovingly created by my mom, a vintage button, a glass bottle you fill with a bit of sand from Lake Como and a chandelier bead ready for you to add words to from a...

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3rd Annual Creative Retreat ~ Bellagio

Nov 20, 2013

3rd Annual Creative Retreat ~ Bellagio

In six months I will once again get to enjoy the beauty of Bellagio, Italy. This place is so magical and if you want to see how amazing a trip Caroline and I had all the while teaching, creating and making new friends just check out these past blog posts. It was an amazing adventure. Laura really knows how to put together an amazing event. Every last detail is thought out and filled. AND are you ready for this… she just had TWO SPOTS OPEN for her 3rd Annual Creative Retreat May 17th – 24th. It was sold out but sadly two ladies had to back out so if you want to experience a fantastic creative retreat AND make some amazing new friends you need to jump on this opportunity NOW as they will...

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Crop & Create ~ Winnipeg Recap

Apr 9, 2013

Crop & Create ~ Winnipeg Recap

My goodness are you Canadians ever so lucky to have all the Scrapbook & Cards Today Crop & Create events available to you throughout the year. Catherine Tachdjian really knows how to put together an amazing event. There was not one little detail overlooked. Each table was draped, had a bouquet of fresh spring flowers, chocolates and an event schedule. She had make n takes for everyone to do if they wished Friday and Saturday nights, as well as an amazing dessert bar. I’m still thinking about this dessert bar. It was CRAZY insane amazing. The classes during the event were spaced nicely and every single person I met was so warm and welcoming. Truly awesome. All day Friday and Saturday, you could find Catherine and Jen at the registration table or as I thought of...

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Imperfect is Perfect to me….

Mar 29, 2013

Imperfect is Perfect to me….

When I found this beat up old utility cart at Frisco Mercantile I could not get my hands on it fast enough. I had been walking up and down each and every aisle looking for something to put in this very spot. I knew I needed it to be a certain width and height, wanted it to be an open piece so it would not close off the room too much, look nice and it had to be large enough to hold all the items seen. Well when I stumbled onto this cart and saw that the price was $18.00 it was sold. Yes it is scratched, yes it leans a bit to one side (but it’s still level) and yes it squeaks when the wheels roll but I think it’s imperfections are what makes it...

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CHA-W 2013 ~ W should stand for Whirlwind

Jan 21, 2013

CHA-W 2013 ~ W should stand for Whirlwind

CHA~W was a whirlwind for sure. There were so many exciting things to see and do I have no idea where to start. To me CHA is like a mini reunion, it’s always wonderful seeing old friends and making new ones.  Below are the adorable make n takes Caroline designed for me to teach each day of the show. I love that she always has a different one each day. And can you believe some attendees have created every make n take I’ve done with Maya Road since my first show with them in 2007. The Maya Road make n takes were so popular that each day by 1:00 we finished all we had prepared and had to scramble to come up with a new one. My table is always crazy with a line...

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CHA~W 2013 Schedule

Jan 11, 2013

CHA~W 2013 Schedule

Just one more day until the fun begins and if you’ve got a flair for buttons make sure to come find me and ask  for one of my “Delight In The Seasons” Flair Buttons. I have a limited amount of buttons to pass out and once they’re gone… they’re really gone. Each flair button will have a number written on the inside. If I blog, tweet or facebook the number that matches the one on the back of your flair button you win an autographed copy of my book “Delight In The Seasons”. Caroline will pick the number Monday, the 14th around 3 p.m. You must pick up the autographed copy in person at the Maya Road booth #565 and have your flair button to verify you are the winner. If the winner does...

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Inspiration for a Crafty Weekend

Nov 30, 2012

Inspiration for a Crafty Weekend

Since I am cleaning out and reorganizing my craft room, this week, which is total torture but thankfully I have an awesome neighbor, Jennifer who is helping me and keeping me on task. I just keep telling myself once I’m finished it’s going to be so awesome working in it once again. These are just a portion of the empty boxes I had to go through, empty out and put stuff away. Caroline Lau is to blame for LOTS of these boxes. Anyway, I thought I would take a break and go through my blog post Archives and find some weekend inspiration for you. I plan on making all my Christmas gifts this year and if you are as well, well there might be a few things to inspire you. Sometimes it good to...

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An Afternoon in Verona & an Evening in Venice

Oct 2, 2012

An Afternoon in Verona & an Evening in Venice

September 22nd Caroline and I along with Laura, her daughter Victoria and a group of ladies from the retreat got up early that morning to meet our driver so he could take us to Venice. Laura planned a stop in Verona so we could each lunch and site see for a bit. She named off some sites she thought we would love to see and sent everyone on their way. To which we all headed in different directions. Photos 1, 2 and 3 are photos I took in the Piazza Bra. There’s a fountain in the middle with benches and trees. You can get coffee and gelato and it has an amazing view of the Roman Arena. Photo 4 is of Juliet’s Balcony. The area was super crowded but still cool to see. Photos 5,6, 10,...

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Still Here…

Sep 10, 2012

Still Here…

This is my work area due to the results of one insane deadline after another which I have more approaching faster than I care to think about. I LOVE what I do and feel very fortunate to get to do it but right now, in order to keep any amount of sanity I have left, and depending on who you speak with there is a very broad spectrum to my sanity, I must surrender to the fact that I cannot do it all. So for now I will be taking a blog break and hopefully get back on schedule in a few weeks. I am heading to ScrapFest, Wednesday (need to start packing) to help Maya Road with set up for all their awesome make-n-takes, teach some workshops and host an area crop then...

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Chicago Art and A Random Quote

Jul 25, 2012

Chicago Art and A Random Quote

This sticker, which was about 12″ long was attached on a boarded up window in downtown Chicago. It wasn’t far from where I got off the train with Caroline and Emily when we were heading to Navy Pier. This art piece reminds me of the kind of stamp Julie Fei-Fan Balzer would carve. I like the way the artist has “You can feel it in your mind” mixed among all the doodling. This neat tile piece was discovered as we walked out of a tunnel and up more stairs than I want to remember. I have no idea where this is but it was on our way to Navy Pier. I’m the one that looks like the total tourists when Caroline and I are on an adventure. I just follow along keeping my eyes...

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Fun at Navy Pier

Jul 23, 2012

Fun at Navy Pier

Friday, morning after playing an awesome game of Tetris trying to fit everything into my suitcases Caroline, Emily and I got on the train and headed for downtown Chicago to see Navy Pier. We walked and walked and walked for what seemed like forever… I think Caroline and Emily know how far we walked but are keeping it a secret from me. I swear, I thought they were trying to do me in.  But thankfully, there was an amazing breeze, cooler temps and loads of laughs along the way. Once we finally arrived, which was well worth the walk I have to say,  Navy Pier really is a neat place to visit. We went into the mall and got a Jamba Juice and while walking inside, Emily noticed this neat kiosk that would take your...

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CHA-Summer 2012 Day 1

Jul 17, 2012

CHA-Summer 2012 Day 1

Today was a total blast of a day. It was a busy one with make-n-takes, teaching a meeting and more make-n-takes but it was a fun one. Here is a run down of day one… 10:00 – 11:00 ~ start make-n-takes in the Maya Road booth. Gail Holley an instructor for The Scrapbook Page and More was my first make-n-take attendee AND knew the password *** I love Maya Road Pearl Bead Chain *** so she won a signed copy of “Delight In The Seasons”. 11:00 ~ take workshop kits and supplies to my classroom then head back to the booth to do a few more make-n-takes. 11:45 – 12:50 ~ back to the classroom to set up for my workshop “Welcome Home with Maya Road.” 1:00 ~ 3:00 ~ Teach my “Welcome Home...

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Maya Road Mid-Release Lisa Uppercase

May 17, 2012

Maya Road Mid-Release Lisa Uppercase

I cannot possibly explain to you all just how much I LOVE the new Maya Road Lisa Uppercase ~ Chipboard Alphabet. And not because they are named after ME but because they truly are my favorite font style and size chipboard alphas Maya Road makes. When Maya Road discontinued their Philadelphia Uppercase alphas (my first true love) I nearly had heart failure and let Caroline know I was not happy with that decision and begged PLEASE NO NOT THESE but there I sat anyway with no more Philadelphia alphas. I begged some more, pleaded some more but they were gone, gone, gone!  BUT  NOW I have a new love and I really do love these more than the first so all is well, this new set is the perfect size and I’m super happy and Caroline...

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Felting Bunnies

Mar 1, 2012

Felting Bunnies

Lately, I have really been interested in the art of felting. So the other night while I was sitting with Alan watching American Idol a few nights ago I  tried making a bunny. I cannot just sit and do nothing when watching TV, it makes me a nervous wreck, so felting is something that works perfectly for me.  THIS picture TUTORIAL is what I used to make the bunny shown above. I thought instead of using yarn to make the head and body and felt to create the ears I could make them using wool roving. This is an easy way to learn how to make adorable little bunnies. Mine stands a little less than 3″ tall.   Last night, while watching American Idol once again, I started another bunny, but this time I’m going to...

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Need some INSPIRATION

Feb 13, 2012

Need some INSPIRATION

You need to check out the latest Maya Road Designer’s Challenge Inspiration Book. Click HERE and you will see some really super cute tags that several of the Maya Road design team members created, after Caroline gave us a 7 product challenge. And I have to show you this super cute necklace Shelley Haganman sent me for my birthday. She makes the cutest flair buttons. The flair buttons for the necklace are magnetic so I can put which ever button I feel like wearing at the moment. And I must say I do think it is all about keeping calm and glittering on. I find the glitter part easier than the calm part though… gotta be honest. If you’re not familiar with Shelley’s etsy store “A Flair for Buttons” you really need to take...

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The Oh So Non-Glamorous Side of CHA

Feb 5, 2012

The Oh So Non-Glamorous Side of CHA

I thought I would share with you some of the photos Caroline, David and I took while we were all setting up the Maya Road booth for CHA-W. It’s amazing how it takes 2 days to set up and only 5 hours and 20 minutes to break it all down, re-pack panels, shelves, signs and product as well as repack all the design team projects and get everything back in the crates ready to ship back to the warehouse. It’s crazy!!!  First you start with a few handfuls of these and a nice cold Diet Coke Then we start putting down the flooring (Ronda, Laura & Emily)  After the flooring is down we start building the walls (Ronda, Laura & David)  While putting up the walls we dodge forklifts and trees (not kidding the...

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Maya Road DT Member Canvases

Feb 4, 2012

Maya Road DT Member Canvases

I always find it fun to see what members of the Maya Road Design Team create when given the same challenge. Each CHA-W Caroline gives the DT members a blank canvas and tells us to alter it as we want, she only requires that we stay true to our style and include any Maya Road products we want… it is such a fun challenge. During CHA I took photos of each  DT member’s canvas so I could share… I hope you’re ready for some amazing inspiration because this post is filled with LOTS! Andrea Wiebe Angella Peardon  Anne Jo Lexander also known as Ania Caroline Lau Dina Wakley Emily Pitts Julia Stainton Karen Grunberg Linda Albrecht Lisa Pace that’s Me Ronda Palazzari Shelley Haganman  I wasn’t kidding when I said loads of inspiration. I...

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Artistic Journey Recap…

Oct 4, 2011

Artistic Journey Recap…

What an awesome weekend! I was so lucky to get to create with so many wonderfully creative and inspiring ladies. Weeks before the event began Caroline and Carolyn put out a challenge to those attending Artistic Journey to create a tag telling three things about themselves. Once they finished they then sent the tags to Carolyn so she could create a wonderful window display. These are just a few of the tags sent.  I love how each one captures their personality. Awesome job ladies. Friday night, during our meet and greet each attendee was given a canvas apron to alter any way they wanted…. Carolyn and Caroline had stations set up all over The Crafty Scrapper with lots of trims, embellishments etc. for them to use. It was so fun seeing how different everyone’s...

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Always On The Go…

Aug 30, 2011

Always On The Go…

Since I have been a bit sentimental about how time seems to be flying by so fast with my girls I thought I would share with you a mini album I created of little Noah when he was just a wee one… I would go over and watch him off and on some days when Caroline was bogged down with work. It was always so fun watching him explore his surroundings. I created this mini album documenting one afternoon with him and as you can see he was “Always On The Go.” This is another album that is pretty easy to recreate if you need a fast album to make. The mini album, rubons, ribbon and chipboard embellishments are by Maya Road. That patterned paper is Piggy Tales. Pages 1 & 2 Pages 3...

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