Thursday, January 31, 2008

My first canvas


I am starting to get photos loaded of all of the projects I have been doing with my Cocoa Daisy Kit. It will be available to order starting tomorrow!


This is the first canvas I have ever done. A little bit intimidating but it was super fun to change it up and work with something different in a different size.
I love this photo of Tiara from last summer thinking she could fly. And we often talk to her about faith helping her through tough times, this is a perfect reminder for her to to hang in her room. She LOVES it!


It was so very cool when this kit arrived..... neat to open this box of goodies that felt like it was custom designed just for ME!
I guess it kind of was :)
It is made up of all of my favorite things to play with,
So for me it is a real box full of inspiration.


There are some fabrics and really cool tins, Making Memories glitter sticker sheets (you can see peeking out under my stamps in the other post) and cool Ki memories lace cardstock. The very cool new thick overlays from Hambly, lots of yummy distressed papers and all kinds of goodies that make me want to create

On this canvas I used the crochet lace wrap from Fancy Pants, the rub -on wings from Hambly ( I love these rub-ons they are silk screened so feel nice and thick like they are painted on your page), a sheet of notebook paper from Making memories adorable noteworthy notebooks ( you get 5 different sheets in the kit) and I used the left over negative sticker from the 7 gypsies label book in the kit as a mask to paint the circles, highlighting them with the super fun silver leafing pen for a bit of sparkle ( I LOVE this thing!!!)



I have been working on detailed instructions with photos of all of my projects so that those who purchase the kit will have a guide to go by if they want to play along. Just a fun little extra goodie. Stay tuned for some more projects I will keep on posting them as I load the pics!

ETA: for those of you that have been emailing me with some photo questions- This step shot was taken at night by lamp light. ( see the big shadows on the paint bottles?)
How is it so bright?
A few things. First I am using an external flash that is pointed up to bounce off of the ceiling so that it spreads out and lights the area but does not create that harsh flash light that happens when it is aimed directly at the subject.
Then I also have my white balance set for indoor lighting so that the photos do not reflect the yellow light of the lamp. I am also using my 50 mm lens ( a new happy toy) which is pretty incredible for indoor low light settings, and I have my aperture set all the way down to 1.8 which is as open as it goes with this lens to let the most light in.
Hope this helps!
There are only so many hours in a day, can't always stop when the sun goes down :)

Look what the mail man brought me today!!!


My stamps!!!!
I am totally excited about these! I have been working on a few fun projects as the upcoming Guest Designer for Cocoa daisy in February, and one of them is these two stamp sets manufactured by Kah-Mei at Fontwerx!!! The alphabet is my lettering that I use on lots of my projects; I have gotten quite a few emails asking where people could find stamps like this so I am really happy to be able to say HERE!
That set is called called "Jellybean toes" and the little set is called "Life Labelz" , just a happy little set for making some little label stickers of your own.
Close-ups below



Wednesday, January 30, 2008

and this is......

Me working on the project that got my hands so dirty!
I am busy working away on some really fun stuff so stay tuned for more info in the next few days ;)

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

note to self:


Creating really is for fun, don't sweat the small stuff.
Mistakes are going to happen, we are human after all.

So wipe it on your hand

and try again......



and again........



and again!!!



laughing at myself yesterday; I seemed to have extra shakey hands and no matter how hard I tried I wibbled at the wrong moments. My project ended up working out but I was really having to just push through the momentary ugliness and tell myself that it was ALLLL good, and a happy accident was just waiting to happen :)
So, with clay stuck in my rings and paint under my nails I bid you a very happy Tuesday!
Be patient with yourself, you deserve it :)

Saturday, January 19, 2008

off and running!


or should I say climbing, kicking, creating....etc.

We took a very well needed break from extra-curriculars this fall.
When it was time to sign up for dance and gymnastics, music and whichever lessons the girls would be taking...we just didn't.

I took a travel break after teaching in France and we all just enjoyed a little bit of a slower more solid schedule for a bit.
It was great for helping Tiara to settle in to 3 full days of kindergarten and Emilea and I fit in a lot of great reading and good time together.
Little Kaiella just goes with it no matter what we do, so she has been happy as pie no matter what we are doing or not doing.

The breather was good for them, good for us, just the best thing to do for everyone.
And now we are ready to jump in again and get some more going on.
All of the girls are taking swimming; amazing to see Tia doing so well in the water and it just makes me grin to watch Emy ( she's awesome! has always been a real little fish)
Emy is taking rock climbing and LOVING it!!! She LOVES climbing everything in sight, so this is really her thing. She is doing a cooking class too. It is neat having a girl who is getting a little bit bigger and doing some bigger girl kind of things, so much fun!
Tiara has started indoor soccer, Kaiella tried but felt "too little" for now so she colors her little pony book on the side lines ( hee hee, little sweet one)
and the two little ones are doing an Art class together.


Cam and I are quite enjoying watching them all, for us seeing them having fun and being really happy, makes us so so happy. But everyone needs a bit of activity so we are taking care of that for ourselves too. Cam is truly passionate about hockey so we have made sure he is on a team playing for the past couple of winters and I am trying to get back to working out at home at least 3 times a week. It always feels good to be moving.

I have been booking travel again, and classes all over the world for 2008 it will be great fun.
I am excited for the new adventures to come for our family.
It is feeling like the start of a new year filled with the promise of good things for us all.


Thanks so much for the Birthday wishes for Tia she feels so special, and for all of the nice comments on her cake!
have a great weekend

Thursday, January 17, 2008

a different kind of art

A BIG Happy Birthday to our little Tiara
Can't believe she is SIX!!!
She wanted a cake with horses on it so this was my attempt...I love to surprise the kids but this year she wanted to help. I can't deprive the birthday girl, can I? so of course I let her go to town...then she sat perched on our kitchen stool watching me add every itty bitty bit of icing. She was just beaming.
You've got to love how easy it is to make a kid feel really special.
I saved the horses for the big reveal though, and my dear girl was as pleased as can be.
She told me it was better than the cakes at store and said
" you sure put a lot of love in this one for me mama!"

Here's to cuteness, licking the beaters and being 6 years old

Sunday, January 13, 2008

cookie day in Kindergarten





I had such a great time baking cookies before the Christmas break with Tiara's kindergarten class. The kids were so excited for the anticipated baking day, and the results were just adorable. They each made one for the grade 6 students who often come down to help them open lunches or read with them, and the kids were all so very proud of their careful creations.

Tiara was so pleased to have me there with her, I can remember that feeling when my mom came to volunteer at my little school. She did often which I now understand was pretty cool of her since she was a single mom raising me and running her own business. I thought she was just the coolest mama in the world and was always excited to have her around. ( Thanks mom for all of the time you put in!)