Bahamian flowers

I am a sucker for a deal. That's why I found myself on a three day cruise to the Bahamas last Friday and not running around like a maniac getting ready for the Craft and Hobby Association's Summer trade show which is now 6 days away! The cruise was on a converted ferry boat and was $158/person for 3 days. We went with 3 other couples and had basically no expectations. But it was great. We had a day in Nassau which was hot but really interesting. We explored the island a little and rented a jet ski.

So, now I am back... I am so excited to see my new product up in the Sizzix booth after 2 years of working on this. I have been testing the product at home and think people will like it- I hope so, anyway. Our seminar, "Licensing for Project Designers" seems to be under control and I had an email today from a CHA member who had some questions about something she is working on and how to proceed. She is attending the class so hopefully others will join her :-) My Designer Showcase display is getting done tonight. In fact I am on a Krylon high as we speak, after spraying my foamboard display pieces. The press kit is coming along too, slowly but surely.

I want to thank Violette for her enthusiam after winning my book, Matboard Magic, on the Inspired at Home radio show last week. I met Violette at CHA a year and a half ago. Her booth was next to ours and she was a lot of fun to talk to and hang around with. She is from Canada and has a new book out- check her web site to see it. I love her studio- it's painted purple and she has some really cool projects she's working on. I would love to be able to show you my studio but you would run away screaming! But good job, Violette!

OK, now back to work...

Heidi and the fringe

I told you a while back that my daughter Pam came by and we worked on a project together for her friend. I had found a little "Heidi" Golden Book somewhere in my travels and had to buy it. It was one of my favorite stories growing up. I can still remember the anticipation as a little kid-after we had our baths and gotten ready for bed, it would be time for my sisters and I to hop up on the couch and listen to our mom read to us.

Anyway, Pam happened to see this little book and ask if we could mat the title page and she could give it as a birthday gift to her friend Heidi. I love it anytime my kids (even when they are 25!) ask to work on something with me so we picked some colors out and cut the mat. Upon closer inspection of the book, we saw that the previous owner had taken scissors and snipped the bottom of the first few pages into fringe to make their own version of grass.

Happy Birthday, Heidi!

And we have a winner!

That would be Candace Jedrovitz! My daughter Maryanne picked a number and you were that number comment! Thanks so much to all who took the time to listen to the show and leave me your kind comments! I hope you will continue to check in and see what's new as the summer goes on. It's easy to subscribe to this blog in a feed (little gold button right under my picture). When I put up a new post, you will be notified. Fun stuff is just around the corner... Many thanks to Tiffany and the Inspired at Home family, that was a fun time! Candace, please email me and let me know whether you would like MatBoard Magic or Foamboard Magic and also need your address.

Hi Maria!

There was some discussion of shaker cards on the Inspired at Home show the other night. I had heard of them but never made one. Maria Nerius was asking about the FoamWerks circle cutter. I was telling her that it cuts a perfect 1"- 6" circle. So here is a card made using the circle cutter. If you click on the photo you can check out the perfect clean edges with no ragged edges or tears. This is one cool gadget. I may have to keep this out and fiddle around with it again...

Missed the show? Click here to listen to my segment on Inspired at Home!

Inspired at Home was fun!

I just finished my first podcast! It was fun once I got over being terrified :-) Tiffany Windsor, the host, is super organized and easy to talk to, along with her sisters Heidi and Candace. Their mom Aleene (inventor of "Tacky" glue) reminds me of my mom. And I am invited back so I'm thinking that's a good thing. Thanks to all who took the time to listen, call and chat on the chat line- you know who you are, CG's. If you didn't get to listen but you would like to, the show will be edited and available to listen to. Click on the episode you would like to hear. More info on that later. Now I am off to make 80 place cards and wedding thank you cards for one of my soon-to-be brides. The fun never stop around here :-) Really!

Matboard Birthday card

Reminder: tune in tomorrow night to Inspired at Home! NEW INFO my segment will go on at about 7:13 PM. Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!. Hope your year is great. I love you... This card's design came about by an ADD accident. I bought the EK Success birthday candles punch and couldn't wait to try it out. I punched out a section of paper, admired it and laid it down on a pile of other stuff I was working on. Went and threw a load of wash in the machine, did some other things, came back and threw a small mat I had cut to accommodate a postage stamp on top of it. It looked so cute like that, I had to cut another one in the right color and size to fit an A-2 card. The turquoise and red really pop- love those colors together... The khaki band going around the middle was printed on the computer trimmed with mini scallop scissors. The circle at the top is a disc of kraft mini-flute with a felt flower cutout from Queen & Co purchased at the Scrapbook show a few weeks ago all tied together with red hemp. The bottom is a base of the red matboard and turquoise felt on top (also Queen & Co). The red mat is layered on top of a light aqua card. The funny thing is after making this card, I looked at it and it just didn't fit Hayward's personality- he's more of a green/brown/earth tones guy. Maybe it will go to you! Thanks to Maria Nerius who reviewed Matboard Magic and Foamboard Magic! Check out her site www.favecrafts.com! So many resources...

Matboard covered cigar boxes

Today I had a whole list of things to do. Did I do them? No. Because as I was looking for something in my cigar box stash, it was making me crazy. I love cigar boxes for their size, sturdiness, availability and general cuteness. I buy them at Total Wine for .49 and use them to store all my little doodads. However, the paper that covers them is really ugly- very busy, yucky colors and labels sticking out all over the place- what are they thinking? The labels I printed with my labelmaker are unreadable amidst everything else going on there.

So this morning I decided to give my boxes a face lift. I used scrap matboard in pretty colors and cut it to fit the side panel of the box. I laid out some labels in Publisher and inserted the different categories I needed, printed and trimmed them. Used the tape gun to adhere the panel to the box.

A few recommendations: do not cover the front panel of the box- it's very hard to open if you cover that part. The side panel is much easier to access. Also consider putting a rubber band around the middle of the box to prevent contents from spilling when you go to take it out, especially if there's stacking going on.

I know I could really have gone crazy embellishing these but I still had that list of work to do. But now when I look at the boxes, I am soothed by the pretty colors and not distracted. This also gave me the benefit of looking all through my fun stuff again. This is a quick easy way to reorganize your crafty stash.

IndyCars and Christmas shopping

This weekend we journeyed up to Watkins Glen, NY for the races. Honestly, there were a lot of cars and noise but I couldn't tell you much about who won or what happened. What I can say is the weather was beautiful and my sister-in-law Allison and I got an afternoon to ourselves to spend in Corning, home of Corning Glass. The photo is a glass sculpture seen in the lobby. There was a museum, which we intended to tour, but never made it due to all of the glittering glassware tempting us in the gift shop. Several hundred dollars lighter, we emerged with bags of Christmas and birthday gifts and so proud that we had shopped ahead. Did I mention everything in the store was 30% off? So we returned to the races in a great frame of mind. Watkins Glen is located right at the end of Seneca Lake (one of the Finger Lakes) and is spectacular. We went down to town for dinner. Although they gave the table we had reserved overlooking the water to Eric Estrada (of CHiPS fame), the dinner was delicious and we forgave them. Made it back just in time for the best fireworks display I have ever seen. The camping crowd was definitely in a party mood- we took the RV and stayed right along the back stretch along with many others- and it was fun to see all of the cool set-ups: campfires, flags, viewing stands, etc. that people had constructed. However, it's great to be home and back into work mode. I'm busy trying to get a book proposal out before I leave again. Today I did a custom order and caught up on email. Tonight I get into gear for CHA- have to create for the Designer Showcase. Come see me at lucky table #13 :-) Wednesday, July 29 in Room W204 from 12-5 and then stay for the Meet the Designer event from 5-7.

What does the Fourth of July mean to you?

Sorry, we were away over the weekend and I was trying my hand at a scheduled post. Not sure why it did not go up on the Fourth, but still want to post this: I love America. I love the people, the diversity, the beautiful land we occupy. I would never want to live anywhere else. I feel so blessed to be able to have the life we have and enjoy freedoms that so many others will never know. I am happy living in this country. This FREE country. Yes, we have our problems, but we will figure out how to fix them because we Americans are nothing if not ingenious. Two of my four children are in the military. My son is in the army and currently serving in Iraq and my daughter is at sea for three months on a Coast Guard mission. I am so proud of both of them for stepping up and protecting this precious freedom that we so often take for granted. Today I say thanks, and continue to pray for their safe returns. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers too.

Listen to Inspired At Home Radio July 12!

"Inspired at Home is hosted by creativity expert Tiffany Windsor. This lifestyle program treats listeners to interviews with featured guests and reporters who offer tips, project ideas, product reviews and creative lifestyle features. Inspired at Home radio airs on BlogTalkRadio.com on Sunday nights from 7-8:30 pm. Archived shows can be streamed directly from the website or downloaded for free through iTunes." I just got the word tonight that I'll have a 10 minute segment to talk about my book, Matboard Magic, and love of all things matboard! Hope you can tune in and check out the show. Today was spent matting and framing 5 graduation gifts I had put off for too long. Normally I am not a fan of red, black and white- it just seems very cold and stark to me. But the colors are very sharp. The school announcements were black text on white. I matted them in red and then framed in black- really sharp- so those were done for three of them. I had designed announcements and party invitations for two of the girls so matted those also which were even more fun. Tonight I had dinner with three of the graduate's moms so I was able to deliver 3 of 5 in one stop. Best wishes, Kelsie, Alix, Adriana, Greg and Conor! Make your parents proud...