Month: June 2010

Winner + new prize + business at hand

Winner of the adhesive (Whoops, forgot to draw last week!): Michelle in Texas! E-mail me to claim your prize.

New prize is this: I’ve got a bucket ‘o acrylic stamps, some from companies that no longer exist, all used lightly. I’m going to fill a medium sized flat rate priority box FULL and mail it to someone. Just leave a comment here to be entered, though on this one I have to ask for within USA on this one please, it’s HEAVY and international shipping would be insane.

PRIZE #2: I’ll randomly draw a second winner for a padded envelope with two sheets of Lil Davis (never been used) stamps! They’re discontinued so far as I know, but still way cool. ANYONE – from ANYWHERE can enter this one! SO if you’re not in the USA please just note that in your comment so I can put you into this one.

Now for random curls:

She picked out a 2-piece bathing suit by Carters that is actually like a t-shirt top + short shorts. LOVE the coverage for her delicate skin. The water just makes her curls go berzerk.

Now, for me back to business at hand. Now that I’ve distracted you with offering of freebie stuff, I’ve got some deadlines to catch up to. Later this week? A new creative journey post (still working on it… will be a few days), more layouts, some camp scrap inspired fun, and more…

Entertaining May: 6/5 edition

I’ve been so busy blogging about so much stuff – I haven’t done an entertainment post in a few weeks! Here’s what’s new and hopping in my world:

          

10 things I love about you by Julia Quinn gave me the post-reading good book bliss that I look for in a truly great happily ever after tale. I only read maybe 10 historical fiction books a year, and Julia Quinn is one of the few authors who can seduce me (hee hee) into reading her regency era stuff. It had it all – super creepy bad guy, hero with big secret, likeable heroine, cameos by characters from previous books… I loved it. sooo much. I have so little to say about it because I just LOVED every bit. I know one of my favorite people/bookworm friends Doris Sander loved it too – so consider it double recommended if you like a lovely romance tale.

Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep is book #2 in her series about Gin Blanco, an assassin who is pure awesome. What I love about this dark & gritty series is that while you’d think that an emotionally tormented, hard killing machine of a heroine would be too cold, too much yuck factor to relate to, she’s not. The author weaves in bits and pieces about her loyalty, love of cooking, and other little bits and pieces that make me absolutely love this character + series. Oh, and FYI – Jennifer Estep gets a big thumbs up from me on a personal level for responding to reader fan mail (yeah, from me) quickly, and with WAY more than just “hi, thanks for buying”. Made me feel great about taking the time to write her about my love of her books (hello, Karma Girl still an all time fave!!) and all.

Key Lime Pie Murder: I’m done with the Hannah Swensen series. This was my 5th or 6th book (I went out of order accidentally it seems) but this is the NINTH book in the series and Hannah continues to toy with two men who are in love with her (since book #2 at least!) and both are proposal serious about her, and know about the other man, and somehow are kind of ok with this?! I just call B.S. and no way am buying it. I’ve heard that even in book #13 she remains in limbo. I have lost major respect for her heroine for this crap so – I’m out. The fact that the murder/mystery part was lame + boring on this didn’t help matters. BUT – let me just say the recipes in all her books ROCK. Will be keeping them and using recipes for years I’m sure.

One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare is the 1st of 3 books she’s coming out with this summer, and I did enjoy my reading time with this first offering. I couldn’t help but like the horse loving hero! (The heroine… eh. wasn’t so crazy about her) I adore Tessa Dare’s writing + she’s super nice on-line too. I LOVE authors who will chat/respond to you when you talk at them via twitter or email. I think that the rest of the series will determine my overall feelings from good to potentially great, as there are a number of unresolved plot lines involving murder and the horse the three men are part owners in… we shall see. Tessa is one of 4 currently writing authors that can get me to pick up a “ye olde times” (as I like to call them) novel and love it. So I’m excited to get more summer reading time with her again later this month.

Finally I watched Leap Year the other night, and Amy Adams (as always) drew me in and held me captivated and entertained. That said, soon as I turned off the television I thought to myself “well, that was a really dumb movie.” The plot is that she goes to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend (who’s not proposing to her) and on way finds travel trouble and potentially a new (awesome) country Irish dude. THAT IS IT. *sigh* SO tired of trying to watch romance/romcom movies now a days. Seems like there’s zero plot or they try to cram the “happily ever after” into too convenient a plot. Is it just me or are movies in general getting WORSE in recent years with the good ones being more & more rare?

It’s back to books for me… I’ve got a to-be-read pile waiting for deadline madness to pass me by, including one book I keep peeking at that was a birthday gift… and another that was a gift to myself…

As always – suggestions, recommendations, and comments encouraged!

PS- HOW do I find time to read? Well, I get 45min-1hr most every day at gym doing cardio, and I sneak a chapter in here & there as a special treat here at home. You’d be amazed where and when you can find a bit of time to read if you want to…

Organizing: the bottom line

Keep it simple + flexible

Shelves and simple boxes can be used & reused for dang near anything. You can move, change, and alter your stuff as you see fit. Personally I liked paints & inks in shallow plastic tubs/boxes better than on shelves, but my kids could get into them that way, so up on the shelf they go. Things like this are all over my space – they move, change, and flow with the times. This is why I never committed to (and am glad I didn’t) one big scrap room system or organization unit.

I’m just more hodge-podge-y. Sometimes specialty items are simple and great too – like my thread spool holder. Other times generic cheap stuff really rocks my socks.

I think that if you’re organizing purely for esthetics, you’re going to be miserable. I found long ago cute lidded containers and so much other stuff out there would just NOT be good to work with.

Bottom line? What matters is that however you keep your supplies they’re easily accessible/useable AND it’s not a pain to put stuff back where it belongs. Before you get into something too deep, try using it… or at least imagining using it. That eighteen inch high jar to keep buttons in sounds cute, but imagine the one you want is down at the bottom. Newsflash: you’ll be digging a LONG time to get to it. Then you’ll need to put it all BACK.

Yes, if there’s one lesson I’ve learned is that storage is so NOT about how you are keeping things when they’re not in use, but how much trouble it is to get out and put back stuff.

I have a few areas still totally in disarray here, and when I get them fixed/cleaned up I’ll be sure to share how that goes.  This weekend I want to get ahead of some looming deadlines (all FUN stuff), and work on a new creative journey post for Tuesday… oh, and if you know me at all you’ll know SO MUCH MORE to come… I’ve got a big list of bloggy fun – it’s gonna be a great summer.

PRT #22

An image from my (insanely busy) yesterday…

I doodled & looked at my picks of the week for a bit during PRT (Paperclipping Roundtable) yesterday. Yep, I got asked to be on the show at the last minute and after a bit of frantic re-arranging got myself all settled in for a fun couple of hours with the PRT gang. I listen to the show every week and always talk back to it (ha!) so it was fun to be able to contribute again. Seriously, it was so much fun – loved talking unfinished projects with everyone. SUCH a cool podcast – I’m grateful Noell, Izzy, and Nancy do this every week. You can subscribe on ITunes (I do!) and for all the details you can check it out here:

http://www.paperclipping.com/2010/06/02/prt-022-burnt-cookies/

FYI – Big Picture is a sponsor this month and that means there’s a discount code! To use it go to the link above and you can see the info on getting 10% off on a BPS class! (My class Camp Scrap is totally eligible!)

Inside the studio: Made with love

I’ve been looking around the studio and thinking about the homemade items I have displayed. I find them inspiring.

The felt + photo magnet you see at bottom left can be found on Ali’s blog. I have items that I made, and also ones that were made for me like the AMAZING card my friend Kendra sent me…  

Until a few years ago this sewing sampler hung in my Grandma’s house. We made it together when I was 8 years old, she picked the colors (to go in her home, after all) and I was the world’s worst sewing student. I love that it’s here with me now.

A favorite quote (it’s a part of a not-so-great canvas piece I have hanging on my wall)…

I used to work with a woman that made cigar box purses. At the time I thought her the most innovative, amazing artist of all time. I was in awe that she could do such things with beads and paper. I still love it’s Wonder Woman goodness, and so I keep it on the shelf.

This next is a 5×7 canvas experiment that is likely on it’s way out…

Sometimes I let things go, and I think that’s ok.

One Christmas years back I got a Claudine Hellmuth original poppet piece… I adore that Claudine’s work is here in the studio with me. Likewise, I cherish this sweet Valentine I got this year from my favorite NYC-living and cupcake eating friend Kelly.

Without a doubt the best thing my mom ever made me…

It’s a little box with Molly Shannon on the front, and I nailed it to the wall by the door. It’s not the “best” piece she’s ever made, but it was made for me, and it’s perfect. I also have two “M” monsters (though one is missing)  by the coolest chick I know (a sister from another mother who reads this blog – hey T! I see you!)

I love them so much I’ve taken them on trips before – just for an added smile.

I also have a paperkins me made by my friend Tia and in the background you can see a custom horse needlepoint (I think it’s called needlepoint!) by my dear Aunt – she made it in the colors of my horse when I was a teenager and I’ve had it on my wall in every home I’ve lived in.

What does any of this have to do with my studio space or organization? Just that having hand crafted bits and pieces is inspiring to me, and often I forget how much handmade love is right here in this room – and not all made by me. I keep a box (missing in “scary closet” at moment) of handmade cards I receive, and other small treasures too. I can look through it when I need a pick-me-up or just want to be creatively inspired.

I believe that building myself a pretty and happy creative nest encourages productivity, creativity, and new ideas.

So much more for me to see & do – I’ve got a second article at SBUpdate all about the little pieces, and I’ve got about 10,000 things on my “share with my blog friends” list. LOTS more to come soon.