Distinctive Touches

Copic Sparkle Winner an Our New Home

What?  It's Tuesday already?  What happened to the weekend? 

Oh yeah...that's right... I was busy buying a home!  LOL

In all the hustle and bustle of the "Big Move" I almost forgot to post the winner of my Copic Sparkle Blog Candy!!!  So without further delay... here it is...

Congratulations to Diane!!!  Diane wrote...

Wonderful blog, wonderful markers! Take care, ~Diane

Posted by: Diane | February 03, 2010 at 12:39 PM

Thanks everyone for the kind comments both about the blog and about the product.  Diane, your Spica Glitter Pens are on their way!!!  

Now for all of you who have been begging for pictures of the new place... here they are!!!  We closed yesterday and headed over for a few quick pictures... oh, and to drop off the new TV that we purchased already!  (Rolling my eyes... the boy's toys!)

Walk along as I give you a tour...

This is the outside front.  I can't wait for the flowers and bushes to start blooming!

This is the most important room in the house... it is my unfinished art studio!!!  I've been designing and planning all week. 

Here is the kitchen... it's pretty awesome!  Now I guess I'll have to learn how to cook.  LOL

Here is one of my favorite things about the house... just look at those windows!  It's the view of our living room from the upstairs balcony.  I somehow have to figure out what sort of curtains I want to use here...  hmmmmm...

Here is the living room from the main floor by the kitchen.  See... Nate's already playing with the new TV.  (more eye rolling)

Here's something pretty cool... our bathroom... or should I say "The Spa" as it has already been dubbed.

Guess what's just off the bathroom?  A walk in closet.  And I do mean walk in... heck... we could probably drive a car in here... it's HUGE!  I'm gonna have to buy more clothes!  LOL

And the bedroom... with a nice cozy fireplace... just flip a switch and ahhhhh - how romantic! 

The view from the bedroom... LOTS of wood!  I love how open it all is.  Our dogs will have a field day running in circles from one walk way to the other.

Here's something strange...  can you say, "Arrrrrrrh"  (This is in the guest bathroom off the living room... it REALLY doesn't fit with the rest of the style of the house... I'm thinking of doing a pirate theme complete with Parrots in there.) 

And some more outside... 

The deck off the kitchen.

 

From the lot line corner... so happy to have some wooded area! The pups will LOVE that.

The back.  Yup... just look at all those windows...   who wants to come help me wash them?

Here's the side with the walk out where my studio will be.

And here's a final shot of the house...  I can't believe it's all ours... (well... it's all the banks... but we will just pretend it's not!  LOL)

We are so incredibly blessed! 

The movers and packers will be here (in OK) this week and we drive back to Atlanta on Saturday.  Then the hard work begins!

Thanks for hanging in there with me though the house tour... I've got some more sneak peeks of beautiful stamp images tomorrow - so make sure to stop back!

Hugs,

colleen

CHA Recap - from a newbie!

As many of you know, I attended my very first CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) Trade Show last week in sunny Anaheim, CA.  I can't begin to tell you what a wonderful experience it was for me.  I knew going in that it was going to be busy, but I had NO idea how CRAZY busy it really would be.  LOL

 

(I assisted at a Copic Certification class - Sherrie Siemens was demonstrating the ABS.)

My flight left Tulsa on Friday afternoon and I arrived safely in CA later that evening.  There was a tiny snafu with my room (they didn't have me on the list???) but that was quickly settled.  I hauled my jumbo suitcase (almost as large as I am) up to the room and was greeted with smiles and hugs from Debbie Olson and Lisa Strahl.  After I got over my giddy idol worshiping - I realized they were two of the most genuine, down-to-earth, sweet gals. 

 

(Our booth all set up and ready to go... before the bagpipers let the crowds in.)

During CHA it's up early for a quick breakfast before heading over to the show.  Our booth seemed to always be buzzing with excitement, whether it was a group of people learning about Copics for the first time or a number of folks who just wanted to ooh and aahhh over the coloring demos by Debbie and Sherrie (I ooh-ed and aah-ed a lot too!) 

(Sherrie demoing a coloring and blending technique.)

Talk, talk, talk is all it seems I did for 4 days straight!  LOL  By the end my voice was hoarse and I sounded like a elderly chain smoking guy, but that didn't stop anyone from wanting to stop by and listen. 

I was able to sneak out of the booth for a bit and roam the show floor... it being my first time there and all.  I didn't do the photo thing... sorry... I was sort of in awe of the whole thing and didn't think to unearth my camera from my bag.  LOL 

 

(I met TexasGrammy!!!  Bev is the sweetest - we recognized each other at a dinner one night and both jumped up and hugged.  She is as adorable in person as she is on-line.)

I met so many amazing people...  from all walks of life.  I was finally able to meet many of my "imaginary" friends from on-line... it was GREAT to finally meet them all in real life.  I made contacts with a lot of manufacturers and even found a new (to me) product line or two (you'll see more about this in future blog posts.) 

 

 (OMG... I got to meet Kendra and Sankari - GORGEOUS girls... the lighting was bad so I B&W the photo.)

After the show each night it was off to dinner (and sometimes meetings).  And even though we managed to get back to the room at a decent hour each night, sleep just somehow never seemed a priority as new friends chattered into the wee morning hours.  We all decided sleep is over-rated and we would catch up on it when we got home.

 

(Fall colors were a hit in our booth with Marianne Walker, myself, Lori Craig and Nancy Zenke)

And now that I'm home... I'm catching up...  on phone calls... on emails.... on classes...  on the preparations for the move... and yes... I've even managed to sneak some ZZZZZZzzzzs in there too.  

 

(A night out with friends!  Nancy, Sherrie, Marianne, Jennie and myself...all very tired, but still smiling!)

Thanks for stopping by to visit!  Come again soon.  I'll have some sneak peeks, some exciting news, and some blog candy to celebrate with!

Colleen

Fairy Dreams and Wishes

I'm back from CHA and I've got lots to share...  but that will come later!  Stay tuned...

For tonight - It's time to get hopping again with GinaK Designs. 

Tonight's blog hop is showcasing Alicia's set Dreams and Wishes... along with the uber cool photo box that has been the star of Stamp TV this month. 

I don't do much scrap booking... probably because most of the photos that I take are of cards... and how many scrapbook pages can I do of cards???  LOL 

But as we contemplate our next move, I've been taking some photos of the things that I really like here in Oklahoma.  Things that I will miss... like the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, the field behind our house with the horses and coyotes, the pretty creek that runs through the neighborhood... things that remind me to slow down and enjoy my surroundings.  And of course, I need somewhere to put all of those pictures... since I'm not slowing down enough to scrapbook them yet!   I'm putting them into this adorable photo holder that I made...  

I created the box from a sheet of innocent pink and then layered some Basic Gray Indian Summer patterned paper over smokey slate... and then I added a belly band of smokey slate and attached the image of Alicia's fairy onto it. 

I colored the fairy with my Copics and then added some faux stitching and doodling around the various layers.  

Super simple and very quick... the perfect project for us busy gals!

Check out these links for even more inspiration:

Jessica Fick

Melanie Muenchinger

Lee Murphy

Asela Hopkins

Erika Martin

Bev Gerard

Colleen Schaan

Suzanne Dean

Theresa Momber

Sankari Wegman

StampTV Idea Center

Now, it's your turn! Please hop over to Gina's blog to add the direct link to your blog post showcasing Alicia's Wishes and Dreams stamp set in the Mister Linkey Box. Gina will have a special prize for the one link that she chooses out of all the participating bloggers - check out her blog for the details.

School is Now in Session!

Are YOU looking to learn how to create fabric scrapbooks?  Do you want to learn how to take better digital photos?  Have you always wanted to know how to color? 

Come join us at My Creative Classroom as we kick-off the new Spring 2010 semester!

Our classes are now posted and open for enrollment.  Chose from stamping, paper crafting, photography, altered arts, fabric arts, jewelry making, and die cutting machine classes... there's a bit of something for everyone. 

And to help us celebrate and spread the news, we have started a Facebook Page!  Of course, we couldn't start the semester off with a bang if we didn't offer Prizes and Discounts now could we? 

We are currently running two contests...

#1 - We are giving away $30 scholarships to 5 lucky FANS of our Facebook page during the week of January 25th.  One lucky winner will be drawn each day of that week.  You have to be a fan to win... so check out our page HERE and become a fan!  

#2 - We are starting up our "guess the topic" contest again.  Last fall we hosted several contests where students had to try and guess the next topic in our FREE class, Everyday Moodlings. Here is how it works.

1. Below you will find the first clue to the topic we will be covering next week in Everyday Moodlings.
2. If you think you know the answer, email it to contests.mcc@gmail.com
3. Sign up for our newsletter to receive more clues and enrollment information for Everyday Moodlings.  (Already signed up for the newsletter AND the free class?... just sit back and wait for clue #2!)
4. Once the project is posted in Everyday Moodlings we will choose a winner and email them.
5. The winner will receive a $25 scholarship towards any class of their choice.

Here is your 1st clue: This item is regularly used in scrapbooking. Crafters used to be able to buy them at craft stores in a large rotating tower. Email your guess to contests.mcc@gmail.com

Click here to sign up for our newsletter and receive additional clues.

Sound interesting?  Here are the classes that I will be teaching this term.  I would love to have you join me...  

Amazing Alcohol Inks

All in Once Space: Inspiration Journals

Express Yourself: Portraits in Multiple Mediums

The Coloring Craze

The Coloring Craze II

Everything Copic

Stamptastic Techniques 101 (Beginner)

Stamptastic Techniques 102 (Intermediate)

Layered Collage for Cards

Unsure of how on-line learning works?  Check out my MCC Info page HERE for more details.

Have a wonderful day! 

Colleen

Copic at CHA and other Certification News

Soon... very soon, I'm going to be jumping on a plane and heading to sunny California!  (At least I hope it is sunny.) 

I'll be attending my very first CHA event and I'm so excited!  I will be assisting Sherrie Siemens during the Copic Certification class on Saturday... (There are actually two certification classes being held at CHA this year...)

Jan. 22nd, Anaheim, CA Taught by Sherrie Siemens & Kathy Sanders Open to Stores and Designers, Opens to the public next week

Jan. 23rd, Anaheim, CA Taught by Sherrie Siemens, Colleen Schaan, & Kathy Sanders Open to Stores and Designers, Opens to the public next week

If you've been waiting for a certification class and you are going to be in the area... don't wait... sign up for one of these two classes NOW!  Be the first to receive the all new Certification Manual - click HERE for more details.  

Don't worry if you can't see me at CHA... I have markers and will travel!  LOL  I've been working on my spring schedule for certification classes and have two already set up and more in the works.  You can always check out my Copic Certification Class page HERE to get the latest updates. 

Here's what my schedule looks like so far...

Certification Class Schedule for the Southern Region for 2010

March 13th 2010 (Saturday)
Lafayette, Louisiana
The Courtyard Lafayette Airport (Marriott)
*Applications available beginning the week of January 17th

April 19th 2010 (Monday)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The Courtyard by Marriott - Fort Lauderdale East
*Applications not available yet

You can find more information about other Certification events and Applications for open events HERE.  

Come join me and make your world a colorful place!

Colleen

Not all THAT difficult!

I am truly blessed.  I sometimes think that one person doesn't deserve all this happiness, but hey... I'm not going to complain about it!

I've been blessed in so many ways - both big and small - a wonderful family, amazing friends, a successful career, a dream job teaching for Copic, an exciting move to the big city, and now this... one of the most exciting things that has happened to me so far...  

I've been asked by the team over at Gina K. Designs to join the new Gina K. Designs Card Club Design Team!!!  Of course... it was a no-brainer to say yes immediately when Jessica contacted me about it.  I kept asking her if it was some sort of joke... did they really want ME? 

Apparently they do!  (You can read more about it HERE and see the other mondo-talented gals who are going to have to put up with me on the team!  LOL)

I've long admired Gina for her sweet personality, her smart business decisions, and her honesty and kindness.  She is someone I look up to - so you can imaging what an honor it is to be asked to join her team.  I am truly humbled.  

And even though I am not going through any difficult times right now (far from it), I know many people who are.  I have one friend in particular who is facing the death of her mother - always a terrible ordeal, but doubly so during the holidays I think. 

I made this card to let her know I care. 

I masked off three squares and sponged the insides with Aged Mahogany Distress Ink by Ranger.  I then stamped the flower image and the sentiment from Comfort and Peace by Gina K. Designs using the same ink at full strength.  I used a white velvet ribbon from Basic Gray to give the card a touch of depth and texture. I hope this brings her a sense of comfort and a small bit of peace.

As for me... What a day... what a week... heck - what a year I've had!  I'm so glad you've let me share my blessings and triumphs with you today!  Make sure to come back on Sunday night for some fun new stuff!!!

"A" is for Apple - and a Winner!!!

First off I want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who visited and left comments on last week's blog post! What a wonderful community of crafters you all are. 

I know you are dying to know who won the big Copic give-away... but I'm going to hold out just a bit longer...  well... at least until the end of this post!  LOL

I wanted to share this card with all my blog readers... it's for you!  I got this adorable little Apple Emma from C.C. Designs and this was my first attempt at coloring her up.  I wanted a traditional fall/school look so I stuck with a basic red and green color combo.  The green patterned paper actually wasn't the right shade of green, so I whipped out my G24 marker and colored the paper to match the image.  (Gotta love how easy it is to make everything match with your Copic markers!)

I wanted to cut out the image with my scallop Nestability, but somehow I got it mis-aligned and one edge got chopped off... so I improvised and came up with this fancy bit of framing. 

I added a few stitches, some highlights on her cheeks, some eyebrows, and a tiny button nose to help her breath.  Isn't she sweet?  Just like all of you!

(Colors Used: E0000/E00/E02/E21/E25/E27/E29/G40/G21/G24/G28/R22/R24/R27/R29/E50/E42/E35)

Now... for the part you've all been waiting for...(drum roll please....)

I had over 360 comments - and I printed them all off... chopped them apart, piled them on the floor and then drew one... (with the help of my dogs!)

           

And the lucky winner is....

Lisa Gobea!!!  She writes...

    Wow, your Santa is just so over the top wonderful. Congrats! I use mostly the sketch, and I make cards to put on my blog that I started just to share my joy of Copics. I just found these wonderful markers this summer only after I had purchased the Stampin Up set of markers. Well what can I say, I sold those on ebay and spent the money to buy my first set of Copics.. I have never looked back.. I highly doubt that I will ever used another brand of markers..My copics give me all of the results that I have spent hundreds on hours and money on to get and never did. I want to get the airbrush system next. But I am afraid that will have to wait until after the holidays...lol...Have a great day.

Congratulations Lisa!  Please contact me and let me know if you would like the ABS-1 or the 12 Sketch Markers!  

Hugs to all... and thank you for visiting!

colleen

Colorful Blog Hop Celebration - With Candy!

*Commments are now closed.  Thank you to everyone who visited and commented.  I will be posting the winner on Monday, November 16th.

It is with butterflies in my stomach and stars in my eyes that I make this announcement...

I am joining the Copic team!!!  

I was contacted by Marianne a few months back and she asked if I would be interested in teaching a few Copic classes in the area.  Ummmm, YES!  (Didn't even have to THINK about that response.)  Apparently my students have been talking about me... and she was hearing good things (OMGosh - thank you thank you thank you students!!!)  LOL

I was a bit concerned that our upcoming move would put me out of the running for teaching classes, but our Atlanta location is actually a better area.  So...

I will be a Copic Regional Certification Instructor for the Southern region. 

I am SOOOOO pumped!  I will be able to travel and teach the ever-popular Copic Certification Classes AND meet TONS of wonderful crafters along the way! 

I just spent the past few days in Eugene meeting with Marianne, some of the other Regional Instructors, and the amazing people who run Imagination International Inc.  I can't tell you how honored I am to be representing such a wonderful company and to be working with such an amazing group of people!

I am joining a WONDERFUL team of uber-talented ladies and we are celebrating with a Big Ol' Copic Blog Hop and a chance for you to win some totally-rocking Blog Candy!

To participate, please leave a comment on THIS post answering ONE of the following questions:

1. How do YOU use your Copics?
2. Which Copic products do YOU use and WHY do you love them?
3. Why do YOU wish you had Copics?

There will be two ways to win:

1. One winner from each blog will be randomly chosen.
2. We will be reading through comments as well.  If we find a testimonial that we REALLY like, then we will contact that person about using their story for our CHA booth and they would then be given a prize equal to that of the random winners.  Make your comments good!

Wanna know what you could win?  (Well Duh, of course you do!) LOL

Winners will get their choice of either an ABS-1 or any 12 Sketch Colors.  WOW... now THAT'S a prize worth playing for!

          

Our blog hop will be open from Wednesday, November 11th through Saturday, November 14th.  Comments will be closed on my blog at midnight (CST) on Saturday, November 14th.  

So... go start hopping!  Please visit the other team member's blogs for more chances of winning!

• Marianne Walker
• Debbie Olson
• Sherrie Siemens
• Sally Lynn MacDonald
• Sharon Harnist
• Lori Craig
• Michelle Wooderson

And because I couldn't post without some EYE CANDY as well... here's my latest Copic creation!

 

I stamped the "I Believe" Santa image from Flourishes and colored him with my Copics (C00/C1/C3/C5/E0000/E00/E02/E93/R02/R05/R22/R24/R29/R37/G12/G14/G16).  I LOVE using stamps like this with stippling because it makes is super simple to color... already showing where the highlights and shadows are.  All I had to do was add color.  Easy Peasy!  I kept the layout simple and uncluttered with just a button (colored with my Copics as well) and a bow.  "I Believe" that this might actually be my holiday card this year! 

Thanks for stopping in today and celebrating with me. I want to send celebratory hugs out to:

The members of the Copic Blog Team

Debbie Olson

Michelle Wooderson

Sharon Harnist

Sherrie Siemens

Sally Lynn MacDonald

And the other Copic Certification Regional Instructors

Northwest: Sherrie Siemens / Marianne Walker

Southwest: Marianne Walker

Northern Midwest / Chicago: Kathy Sanders

Central Midwest: Lori Craig

Southern Midwest: Sharon Harnist

South: Colleen Schaan (HEY - THAT'S ME!)

Northeast: Sally Lynn MacDonald

Western Canada: Sherrie Siemens

Eastern Canada: Sally Lynn MacDonald

Floaters: Debbie Olson / Marianne Walker

So Thankful...

I have truly been blessed and I am thankful for so many things. 

I just wanted to share a quick project that I did with this in mind.  

I'm teaching an "Inching Towards the Holidays" class over at My Creative Classroom and it focuses on four creative holiday projects that use inchies in them.  Some use traditional stamped inchies and some, like this inchie frame, use non-traditional inchies. 

I made this one for fall/Thanksgiving and another in blues (with a layout that is a bit different) for winter/Christmas.  I really like how they turned out and they were so easy to do. 

(Sigh)... time is running short again, I've got a plane to catch in the morning and a busy few days... but I'll be back on Wednesday with something big... I mean REALLY BIG!!!  Stop back then, you won't want to miss it!

Thanks everyone for dropping in today!

Life is Full of Surprises - Big News!

Well... life is good.  

If you have followed my blog for any amount of time, you know that we move a lot.  We started out years ago and have lived in Green Bay, WI; Waverly, IA; Waterloo, IA; Kansas City, MO; Green Bay, WI (again - three different locations); Longview, WA; and Muskogee, OK. 

And now... we are headed to Atlanta, GA! 

I couldn't be happier!  I'm so excited to be headed to the big city!  

Nate was promoted and now has an office... WITH A VIEW!!!  Ohhh-La-Laaaa!  We knew it would happen some day... but this was a bit sooner than expected... so came as a slight surprise.  But a VERY, VERY pleasant one at that.

We are excited to be moving to a place where we can easily travel, we can soak in some culture (the symphony, the theater, the pro-sports events, the fine-dining), and we can find LOADS of activities to suit our creative and technological needs. 

I'm pumped to think that there will actually be CRAFT and ART stores!!!  What a joy and a treat for me!

We are in the early stages of what I'm calling "The Big Move" and it will be crazy and nutty around here for the next few months... (and you are asking how that is different than normal for me?)  but I hope to still blog as often as I can and be crafty every chance I can sneak some time in. 

I just wanted to share the good news... life really IS full of surprises!

A Pile of Fun!

Wanna hear a story? 

We have a dog.  His name is Takeo.  He is 3.  He likes to bark.  A LOT.  He can open our shades.  

One night (wee in the early morning hours actually) my husband and I were startled awake by Takeo's terror filled barks.  He had opened the shade and was furiously barking at something outside.  By the tenor of his yowls and yips and snarls there must have been something HUGE lurking in the back yard. 

We both jumped out of bed fully expecting the house to be broken into by large, brutish thugs at any moment. 

Takeo was just about bouncing off the walls as his barks echoed through the house at this point.

Silently (and a bit terrified) we crept up to the window, turned on the outside light and peered out...  

The terrifying beast that met our eyes?

A turtle! 

Wasn't as cute as this pile of turtles from Hambo, but pretty darn close! 

Darn dog!

Hambo Stamps (one of my all time favorite stamp company for funny images and quirky sayings) now offers digital stamps as well as the regular red rubber ones.  I was THRILLED to snag this "turtle pile" image (along with a few others that you will see soon).  I used it to create this card for my mother's birthday.  I thought it was fun.  Turtles make me laugh... especially when they are creating a well-balanced cheerleader-like pyramid!  (I'm sure THIS would really set Takeo off...)

I used my Copics to color the image (printed the image onto Georgia Pacific card stock with a Kodak ink jet printer.  No problems with smearing or smudging. 

Speaking of Copics... I want to thank the wonderful ladies that welcomed me to Amarillo, TX this past weekend.  I taught my Copic 101 class at a sweet little shop called The Paper Garden.  It was such a super group of gals... full of questions and ideas and joy about coloring.  It was a blast!

Thanks for stopping by!

My First Fabric "Face"

The world has just gone crazy people!!!  I am sick for a few days and when I come back to post on my blog I find out that TypePad has changed it's look!  (Maybe I should have payed attention to all of those "We're Changing Our Look" posts that I kept getting...) LOL  Anyway... I'm tootling my way around the new layout and hoping for the best!  

Speaking of changes... I have a project to share that is a change from my ordinary!  I've spent the last year stamping and coloring and coloring and stamping... and I wanted to try something new.  So I went Textile! 

On a whim I signed up for a course called Faces On Fabric with Terri Stegmiller.  Create a painted and quilted, fabric wall hanging with my face on it... okay sounds cool... but did I fail to mention that I've never quilted before in my life?  Have I told you that I DON'T really sew?  Oh... who needs to know what they are doing... just jump right in.. that's MY motto!

So I did.  And I LOVED every minute of it! 

Here is how my FOF quilt started... okay... the drawing part wasn't so scary... I can do this!

And here is how my FOF quilt ended up.  Well... I'll admit that I'm no Martha Stewart... but hey... I'm pretty darn impressed with myself!!!  (Just don't look too closely at the stitching... that was a bit more scary than the drawing!  LOL)  It turned out EXACTLY like my drawing... I'm so PUMPED!  It's 15x15 and is just the perfect size for a small wall hanging. 

Even though I REALLY didn't have time for this course... I'm SO glad I took it!  I learned SO much and I'll definitely be creating more of these fun projects.  

Hope you enjoy seeing it!  Hopefully I'll be back sooner rather than later. 

Easy Peasy Pretty!

I've been doing so much coloring lately for all of my coloring classes that I almost forgot how to stamp a traditional card!

I was asked to create a mini-tutorial for Everyday Moodlings, our FREE class over at My Creative Classroom.  The topic... masking!  Each teacher approached this topic differently... some used masking fluids and paints, some created mixed media pages with a masked poem, some used stencils as masks with ink sprays and while others masked out images with stamps and post-its. 

Me... I created a brayered background by masking a fancy frame and the setting sun.  I stamped the silhouetted flowers AFTER I took my masks off to give the impression of depth.  You can check out my tutorial HERE.

(If you are not a registered member of the free class, it will ask you for a key code to get enrolled.  Don't have it???  Sign up for our FREE newsletter - get both the key code and all of the latest news on classes and special offers happening at MCC.)

Tomorrow we will be posting another great set of free tutorials on... well, the topic is a secret yet... you'll just have visit MCC tomorrow to find out!

Pretty Pot!

It's finally Friday and I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend. 

Today I want to share something non-paper related...  My very first "I LOVE IT!" pot.   It's not my first pot... oh no.  I've been taking wheel throwing classes up in Tulsa since January and this is probably my 100th pot.  But it's the very first one that I absolutely LOVE!  

It is made with 5 pounds of clay and measures about 8 inches tall and 6 inches wide at the top.  It is the perfect size for a small houseplant or possibly a great container for large kitchen utensils. 

I just finished up the last glaze class and this was my final piece.  I experimented with overlaying two glazes - both with the same base.  I knew that the blue glaze tended to run a bit, so I rimmed that over the green.  I am so thrilled with the results!  The area where they overlapped has a hint of a buttery yellow. 

While I still have a long way to go and a lot of practicing to do, I am excited to see the progress I've made.  Now to talk my hubby into buying me a wheel for Christmas...

Thanks for stopping in today.  Have a super-duper-fantabulous weekend! 
Hugs

Papertake Weekly... YOU could win!

I FOUND SOMETHING NEW!!!

Sorry to shout...I just HAD TO... you see, I found these new images.   Yup... Uber Cute and PERFECT for coloring with my Copics.  And guess what...  they are Digital!!!  OMG.  I've resisted digital up until now because I really like the feel of wood and rubber, ink and acrylic.  But I saw these adorable "Pixie Chicks" over at Charmed Cards and Crafts and knew I had to give it a go.  It was actually much easier than I thought. 

Here is just one of the sweet little elves... (there are a bunch in the download).  I call her Holly, The Holiday Elf.  (Brilliant - I know!!! LOL)  She is soooooo sweet!  There are all sorts of things in the download for her to be sitting on, but I really just wanted her... so I cropped the excess circle under her legs and it sort of looks like she is sitting on a swing or a wall.  (Oh, okay... so it really doesn't, but I like the way it looks anyway!) 

I used Copics to color her in, Stickles glitter glue for the wings and the fur trim, and a white gel pen for the highlights in her eyes. 

The layout for this card comes from this week's challenge over at Papertake Weekly.  (It sort of evolved from the sketch into this... I would say I was "inspired by" the sketch...)  Check out what their awesome DT did with the sketch..  WOWZERS!  And play along... you could win a $25 gift certificate from My Creative Classroom... good towards ANY class being offered this fall!  (And there are a LOT of them!)

Good luck. 
And thanks for stopping in today!

I'm Craft Class Crazy!!!

Something must be in the air... or maybe it's in the water.  Wherever it is... it is creating quite a stir over at My Creative Classroom! 

Did you know that we opened our fall classes for enrollment on Tuesday?  Yup, sure did!!!  Have you checked out all of the fan-tabulous classes we are offering this term?  No???  Well... what'cha waiting for - get on over there and see all of the amazing new classes (and the super talented instructors).  Whether you are interested in Photography, Digital Scrapbooking, Jewelry Making, Mixed Media, Getting Inky, Fine Arts, or Stamping... we have something for everyone!   (These links are just a smattering of of your choices.)

We've got a lot of 'em... I personally have 15 classes running this fall!  I've been taping video, clicking pictures, and typing till my fingers are numb these past few weeks to get them all ready.  Check out my full class listing HERE and see if there is something that might interest you.  Find your inner artist in my Express Yourself: Portraits in Multiple Mediums, or hang out with me and do some inchie art in Inching Towards the Holidays. 

Don't forget the golden-oldies too.  I'm re-offering a few of my most popular offerings from the past two years.  Learn to color realistic images in The Coloring Craze and the Coloring Craze II, jump on the stamping bandwagon in one of my Stamptastic Techniques classes, or go crazy for Copics in my Everything Copic class. 

I know I will be spending a lot of time over at MCC this fall... both teaching AND taking classes.  I would LOVE to see you there! 

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Card Details
Stamp: Stippled Rose (SU Retired)
Inks: London Fog (Memento)
Coloring: Copic Markers
Other: Nestabilities die cut, black organdy, Copic Multiliner - black

I'm Here if You Need Me.

Happy Friday all.  I'm so glad it is finally the weekend!  I'm a bit worn out from all of the running around that I've done this week.  It was the last week of my Surface and Design pottery class up in Tulsa.  I've got some really nice pots waiting to be fired in the kiln and I can't wait to see the results of my glazing experiments.  (If they turn out, I'll share pictures.)  

I have to decide whether I'm going to sign up for a third Throwing class on the pottery wheel.  I REALLY learned a lot during the intermediate class, and I would like to go on to the advanced class... but I just don't know if I have time this fall.  I will have to wait and see.  I've got so much else on my plate right now.  (What else is new right?)

We are ALMOST ready for our Fall Kick-Off over at My Creative Classroom.  There are a few new instructors and TONS of new classes!  I can't wait for the opening of enrollment... be watching next week for that announcement! 

And lastly, I found some time to be CREATIVE this week.  I was browsing though the latest uploads on SCS a few weeks ago and was completely drawn in by this card that Jeanne S. created.  It was simply, it was clean, it was perfect!  I knew that I wanted to use the layout in a card of my own... and so I pulled out my Elegant Flowers set from Gina K Designs and paired it with a pretty matching sentiment from Verve.  The irises are colored with Copic markers, punched out with a scalloped circle Nestability, and then sponged with lilac ink. 

It was really hard for me to NOT use any embellishments or doodle any frames on this card, but I think it turned out really pretty!  It would make a super fast and easy thinking of you or sympathy card.

Thanks for the inspiration Jeanne...  and thanks everyone for stopping by!
Have a wonderful weekend.

Teaching In Tulsa!

I'm super excited to announce that I will be teaching a Copic 101 workshop in Tulsa this fall. 

The details are all worked out and the date is set.  If you are in the area and are interested in learning how to use Copic Markers... join me in class!

           

            Where: ScrapHappy's
                        7142 S. Memorial Drive
                        Tulsa, OK 74133

            When:   Saturday, September 26th
                         10:00 am - 1:00 pm

            Cost:    $35.00 (includes three sketch markers and classroom materials)

            Call:     (918) 250-0472 to register

For a full class description and more information, please visit the ScrapHappy's website.

Card Details
Stamps: Sugar Nellie (Pen Pal), SU (Mini Mates)
Paper: SU (Brocade Blue, Night of Navy, So Saffron), Georgia Pacific (White), Basic Grey
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black
Other: Copic Markers, mini buttons

           

Stop and Smell the Roses

I sure hope you all had a wonderful weekend! 

This is a scheduled post... so I'm hoping it shows up in a timely fashion on a Monday morning.

Nate and I decided last minute to head up to Waterloo to help his sister celebrate her 30th birthday!  (Happy B-day Steph!)  I spent the end of the week cleaning the house, doing laundry, and packing up for myself and our two dogs (my hubby can pack for himself... that way I don't get blamed when something is forgotten LOL).

I just wanted to share a bright sunny card with you on what I HOPE is a bright sunny Monday... 

Just because...     I wanted to share.

Isn't this just a pretty card?  (If I do say so myself!!!) 

The Stippled Rose (retired SU) is probably my number one "go to" stamp for sympathy cards and for anniversaries or weddings... anything that needs to be subtle and elegant.  But today I decided to use it on a card that was just a bit more... well, fun!

I stamped the image repeatedly and then got to work coloring.  I typically color the roses in a light purple or a pink or red... but again, bright and sunny won the day and these became a golden yellow.  I also have never done this stamp with my Copics.  I usually reach for my watercolor crayons so that I can get a soft velvety look... but this time, I wanted a bit more vibrancy... so Copics it was!  I am REALLY happy with how they came out.  I can almost smell them! (ahhhhhh...)

Anyway, I wanted to keep it simple so I just quickly matted the image layer with black and some sunny yellow... added a quick sentiment... and Voila... Fini!

Hope YOU are all having a Bright Sunny Day!
Thanks for stopping in!

Eat Up!

It's a HOT, HOT, HOT week here in Oklahoma and I'm enjoying every second of it.  The temps are supposed to be in the triple digits all week.  Sigh... love it! 

For all of you who think I never do anything but work, I just have to tell you about a fun little day-trip we took this past weekend.  A fried of ours is a member at this little "club" where members all own cabins on the river.  Most families spend the entire summer at the cabins and everyone knows everyone.  There is even a "main house" where meals are served if you don't want to spend the time cooking.  It's pretty cool.

Anyway... we tagged along and spent part of the day there on Saturday.  We arrived in time for lunch (burgers and hot dogs) and then jumped into canoes and "floated" down the river.  Along the way we hopped out (most of the river was only about knee deep) and did some fishing.  It was a blast!  After spending the afternoon floating down the river and soaking up the sun, we showered and headed out to a "cocktail hour" before dinner.  Dinner was a shrimp boil and boy... it was delish!  After a few more hours of socializing and making new friends, we headed home with full bellies and tired bodies.  It was bliss.

Of course, Sunday brought back work... and I spent some time in the studio making cards.  Here's one of my favorite ones from the bunch.  It's cute and simple. 

I've been trying to plan ahead a bit and do some holiday samples.  I can't remember who makes this stamp... but I use it every year around Thanksgiving.  I'm not a big turkey eater... I'd prefer ham... so this is right up my alley! 

I colored the image pretty simply with Copic markers.  I used my circle Nestabilities to cut out the image and mat it with the scallops.  The Happy Holidays sentiment is from SU. 

I haven't used Kraft card stock if forever... and I just love how this combination turned out.  (Kraft, Night of Navy, Pumpkin Pie)  I also used just a touch of Ranger's Distress Ink (Tea Stain and Marmalade) to grunge up the edges. 

A bit of paper piercing and a wide bow finish it off.  Quick and easy! 

Okay Peeps... I have to run.  I've got a card or two to work on before I head out to Tulsa for another pottery class.  (I promise to show pictures of some of my successful pots soon.)

Have a Happy Day!

Favorite Card Friday - Buzzing with Excitement!

I am SOOOOO glad it is Friday!  I feel like I've been stuck in slow-motion this week while the rest of the world is set on fast-forward! 

I'm busy working on some great new videos for my fall classes at My Creative Classroom along with helping the new instructors get set up and ready to rock and roll.  Some of the instructors have been announce and some are still "under wraps"  and I have to say... when you all hear who has joined us for the fall and spring terms you will jump-for-joy!  I know I am!!!  (I know... it's not nice to tease... but I just can't resist! LOL)  You only have to wait a few more weeks to find out who's teaching with us and what classes are being offered!

I'm also coloring up a storm! (Here's a peek at one of the images I've been working on...I'll show you the final projects soon.)  I've been whipping up some samples to send off to The Paper Garden where I will be teaching a Copics 101 class in October.  I'm buzzing with excitement... I just can't stand it!  Tara and I are hammering out the final details... but I can tell you that I will be at The Paper Garden in Amarillo, TX on October 17th  for a demo in the morning and a class in the afternoon.  I'll have cost and sign up details to you ASAP.  If you are in the area, I'd LOVE to see you there! 

And, since I can't show you any NEW stuff just yet, I'll share one of my FRIDAY FAVORITES... 

Details:
Stamps - Stamps Happen: Three Bees, Karen Foster Snap Stamps
Ink - Memento (Tuxedo Black)
Cardstock - (SU Marigold, Bayou Blue, Chocolate Chip) (GP White)
Other- (Copic markers, wide grossgrain ribbon, large brads colored with Copic markers)

Thanks for stopping in today, have a wonderful and safe weekend!

Black or White?

Some days I just can't make a decision... today is one of those days!

Recently, one of our friend's dog passed away.  It was completely unexpected and I can't imagine the sorrow and grief the family is going through. 

I decided to make a card for them letting them know that we care and that we are thinking about them.  I pulled out my new Comfort and Peace set from Gina K and got to work.  I wanted to make something understated yet pretty... and this set was the perfect choice.  I stamped some of the flowers onto a light pink layer and matted that with a darker pink as the focal point.  I also knew that I wanted to use the beautiful flowered paper from Basic Grey's Phoebe collection. 

That's where my ability to make a decision came to an end.  I couldn't decide whether I wanted to use black or white as my card base and neutral... so I made a card using each.  Same layout... same materials... only one with black and one with white. 

I have to say... I STILL can't decide which one I like better.  I think I'm leaning towards the black... because it has a bit more contrast and I think that makes the pink pop a bit more.  Yet I really like the soft, quiet quality of the white card too.  (Sigh)

I even went so far as to decorate the inside of each... thinking that might make my decision easier.  It didn't.

What do YOU think? 

Black... or White?

A Sneaky-Peaky!!!

Remember those wood blocks I was searching for in the last post? 

Well, after tearing my studio apart and cleaning out the bins in the closet, I finally found them... and put them to good use!

Here is a Sneak Peak of another Self Portrait project from my new Express Yourself class that I will be running this fall.  I CAN'T wait!!!  I'm sooooo excited about it (the class AND the project).

Now that I'm done with the portrait projects, I can concentrate on coloring up some samples for a Copic Class that I'm going to be teaching in October in Amarillo!  (I'll post specifics as soon as I have them.)

I also am a bit behind in my card making... I have a few birthdays coming up and I unfortunately need a pet sympathy card for a friend. 

Thanks for stopping in... I'll have more later!

Hugs.

Why I Haven't Blogged...

There are so many reasons I can't seem to keep up with my blog lately...

but this is the REAL reason.

It started out as me innocently searching for a box of wooden blocks that I wanted to use for a project (that I would have blogged about)

... and ended up like this!

Even the animals had enough sense to run and hide.  I should have too.

I'll be back with some actual projects soon...  well, once I dig myself out of the debris.

Hugs!
colleen

I'm a Doodl'in Fool!

Okay...  Call me crazy!  Come on... do it, I deserve it! 

I just can't seem to stop myself! 

I just keep adding and adding and adding stuff to my "plate" ...it's a disease!

• Not only am I pounding out 6 brand spanking new classes for the fall
• I'm re-organizing and re-posting 9 others
• I'm working a bit "behind the scenes" to help Jeri and the new instructors
• I'm teaching my water fitness class
• I'm TRYING to keep up with blogging (yeah, I'm not real successful with this one...)
• I'm organizing my stamps to sell (I own over 600 sets and haven't even seen some in YEARS!)
• I'm working on a technique article that I REALLY want to get published
• I need to clean up and remove some class video files from my computer - SPACE... I need SPACE!
• I have 12 boxes of "books and resources" from when I taught English... they've moved with us and never been opened - it's probably time to start tossing!
• I have some home maintenance that has been left undone for WAY too long!

• And Now... I've signed up for an 8 week class on DOODLING!

That's right... DOODLING! 

I know what you are saying... "But Colleen, You already know how to doodle... you doodle all the time!"  And of course, you'd be right.  But it's been ages since I've doodled and this class just caught my eye. 

I have to say... I'm really enjoying it!  

Here is my first assignment...  Stephanie wrote out the words and we just had to put pen to paper and doodle away!  It was SO much fun to just let go and forget about coloring for realism and trying to be perfect.  I will say that I had to force myself to STOP before I got too out of control! LOL

Stephanie will be re-running this class again in August.  You can find more details on her blog Homegrown Hospitality. 

Well...  I've doodlee-doodlee-dooed enough for one day!  I've got work to do.

Thanks for stopping in - See you later!

Weeding Woes! (Gross Alert!)

Hope you all had a rockin' weekend.  I got some artwork done on Saturday (I shouldn't say done... it's still in progress and I'll share soon) and it finally cooled off a bit yesterday so I could get some yard work done... yippie!

I dead-headed all my roses and my hibiscus plants (we have a few hummingbirds who visit those daily), and I weeded out the flowerbed in the back yard.  Now mind you...I really wasn't planning on doing any yard work... I was just outside throwing the ball for our dogs when I absently started pulling weeds.  One thing led to another and suddenly I was knee deep in mulch and dirt. LOL

Well, because of my lack of planning, I didn't really have the proper "gardening" attire on and that eventually caused a problem.  I painful, throbbing, bleeding problem!  

 

Yup...  somewhere during the pulling of the weeds I developed a blister that promptly broke open.  I didn't even realize I was getting a blister until I gave a hard yank on one resisting weed and the skin tore off!  Yeeeeoooowwwwwww! 

This is what it looks like today.  NOT PRETTY!  I guess I have to leave off weeding the front yard until this heals.  Good thing it is my right hand...  I'm not completely out of commission. 

Craft Room.... here I come!

Have a good Monday!

You Rock!

Man... summer seems to be flying by!  I can't believe that we are nearing the end of June already... where has the time gone? 

During the last two weeks we drove over 2,000 miles to see friends and family.  Phew... I sure don't want to go on another road trip again any time soon... my rear end is permanently shaped like the car seat!  LOL 

But... we had a blast!  The reunion was amazing, my parent's party was a success, and our visit with Nate's family in Iowa was a blast!  It was so nice to see all of our friends and family. 

During our vacation, we also celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary!  WOW...  13 years - the very best of my life! 

Of course, I had to whip up a card before we left...  and here it is!  I just think it is sooooo friggin' cute!  The hugging couple is from Eat Cake Graphics and the heart and the sentiment are both from Verve.  Now, Nate isn't really that tall... and I'm not quite that "stout"... so don't be thinking it's supposed to be us!  LOL

I've got a few more cards to share and a few other tidbits from our trip... but I'll save those for another posting. 

For now, I'm going to go out and enjoy the sun. 

Hugs!

Summer Fun

I can't believe that I've been out of school for 20 years!  20 YEARS!!!  Yeeesh.

Part of the reason for our trip to Wisconsin was so that I could attend my 20 year high school class reunion.  I have to say, it was a blast!  We had a huge turnout and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  It was so nice to reconnect with friends of old and to make new connections with people I didn't really know all that well in school.  It's amazing how everyone seemed so different yet so much the same.  It made me feel both very young and very old at the same time!  LOL

The rest of our visit was spent chatting it up and partying with family and friends at my parent's retirement party.  That also was a big success and while the weather didn't cooperate at first, it turned out to be a beautiful day. 

I was able to get in a little bit of stamping before I left, and this is the card I made for my mom and dad.  I figured now that they weren't working, they could head to the beach and relax (yeah, right!!!)

The image is from Eat Cake Graphics and is colored with Copic Markers. 

After spending a few days in Wisconsin, we headed back towards home and have stopped in Iowa to spend a few days with Nate's family.  He is happy to have the chance to play some golf with his father and I'm happy to rest and relax with his mom and the girls. 

I'll be back to post again in a few days... thanks for stopping in!

Headed North...

I'm HEADED North! 

We just passed the border into Wisconsin...  whoopie!  So far the trip has been pretty good with light traffic and not TOO much road construction (although I'm sure we are in for some here in Wisconsin.)

I've got internet access here in the car, so I decided to update my blog and make a quick post. 

We are headed to Green Bay for my 20 year class reunion and I'm really looking forward to seeing all of my long lost friends.   I'll post later with details of how it went and possibly some pics.

To give you something fun to look at today, I'm going to give you a SNEAKY quick peek at one of the projects I just finished for one of my new fall classes over at My Creative Classroom.  It's obviously only part of the image... I don't want to give too much away yet! 

Can you guess what it is?  (There is a hint in this post actually!!!)

I'll pop back in when I get the chance... thanks for visiting!

Hugs,

colleen

For the LOVE of COLOR!

You know how when you find some cool new product and you want to tell your friends all about it?  Or you see a totally cool new technique and you can't wait to share it with others? 

That's how I feel about a class that I just took.  I can't wait to tell you all about it!  I'm SOOOOO geeked that I can't hardly sit still! 

You all know that I am a fiend for color; that my world is filled with aquamarines and fuchsias and periwinkles, a few drops of crimson and a dab of chartreuse, a touch of lavender and a hint of tangerine... but did you know that I'm not alone in this obsession? 

I mentioned in a previous post that I was taking a class with Teri Martin over at My Creative Classroom.  Teri is a tremendous artist who is known for her watercolor and text/calligraphy combinations.  Well, Teri is almost as crazy for color as me... and her class was all about color... and how to achieve a color pallet that worked together using just three basic colors!  

I don't typically work in watercolor, but I figured I would give it a go in her class because... well, because I wanted to learn something totally new and push myself to use a medium that I wasn't as familiar with (although she told me I could do the same thing with my acrylics). 

I learned how to make some wonderful and stunning color pallets... with all of the colors working together PERFECTLY!  It was amazing.  We also were prompted to make some mini-painting "studies" and while I was very nervous about those, I jumped right in.  This was one of my favorites that I did.  I really like the blue and purple background... and the text... well, let's just say that I'm going to be a VERY attentive student in Teri's future calligraphy classes.  LOL

I know a lot of my readers are color crazy like me... and I TOTALLY recommend Teri's class Understanding Color (I'm told she is going to be offering it again in the fall).

That's it for now...

Have a colorful day!

colleen

 

Sweet Greetings

I'm busy, busy, busy...

Now that I am starting to feel a bit more like myself, I've been getting back into the swing of life - and enjoying every moment. 

I started swimming laps on Monday.  I'm slow; I'm winded, but I'm SWIMMING...  Yippie!

I've also spent some time in my studio making a few cards to share.  I was on such a "coloring kick" that I sort of neglected some of my other materials... and I wanted to get back to some sweet but simple styles. This is one of my favorite "go to" layouts!  I've done zillions of cards like this... and love making them each and every time.

Here's the same layout... just skewed a bit.  These cards are also another great way to use up some scraps of your patterned paper.  (This is from one of my Basic Grey collections.)  These cards are super simple... super quick... and a SUPER way to showcase some of your sentiment stamps. 

Add a quick embellishment or two - a clear button with a blue bow and some faux stitching for the first one and some dots of liquid pearls and a velvety ribbon for the second one - and you have a great greeting to send to a friend.

Now to go find some friends to send these to...  LOL

Hugs to you!
colleen

What's Up?

Here's a springy little card to brighten up your day!  It was a card that I got published in Ready, Set, Create a while back... but forgot to post for you here.  The adorable chick tower stamp and matching sentiment are from Hambo... some of my favorite spring time images to use.  (They have their new summer stamps out too... check out the Hammock Pig!  Bwwwaaahaaahaaaaa!)  The layout is super simple... and a great way to use up some of those smaller scraps of patterned paper.

Speaking of spring...  it's FINALLY here!  Our record breaking rainfall has ceased and the sun has come out to grace us with FAN-TAB-U-LOUS temps.  Our lawn is growing like it's full of weeds... (maybe that's because it IS full of weeds...LOL)  and our flowers are glorious.  I can't resist leaning in and giving them a good sniff as I walk by.  (Good thing I'm JUST tall enough to not have to stand on anyone's shoulders to smell the flowers like those cute little chicks on the card...that bottom chick sort of got a raw deal - don'tcha think?)

And speaking of sniffing...(okay - that's a really poor transition... but I'm TRYING to tie this all in together...), I FINALLY got in to see the specialist and was fitted with a CPAP machine yesterday.  I can't tell you how THRILLED I am to have a solution to my mysterious illness!  It's been 6 months of pure HECK trying to get it all figured out... and I can honestly say that I don't know if I could have taken another day of it. 

The machine is going to be a bit difficult to get used to - it's a mix between a sexy scuba style and a disastrous Darth Vader sound...

(Whoooooo-Phshhhhhhhh... LUKE....I AM YOUR FATHER... Whooooooo-Phshhhhhhh)

but I'm willing to stick with it as I already see results! 

Hope you are having sunny skies and terrific temps... enjoy the long weekend!

The Light of My Life!

Hello all!  I've been busy resting up, reading, and doing a bit of painting and coloring here and there. (I'll share samples soon.) 

Yesterday was my birthday... nothing big... I think I must be about 29 and 3/4 by now.  Unfortunately, I spent the day mostly in bed recovering from my cooking.  No joke... I think it's about time I give up the dream of ever becoming Ms. Betty Crocker!  LOL 

Tuesday night I whipped up some of my hubby's favorite Kung Pow Chicken... and then spent most of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning Pow Kunging it back up again!  (Blech)  Trust me... NOT our favorite meal anymore! 

So anyway... I spent the day recovering... and didn't get a chance to tell you all about my cool gift.  But I'm better now and I want to brag!  Can I???? 

See this BIG box... my gift was inside.  It says Cowboy Studios on the side... I had no idea what what Cowboy Studios sold...  so I couldn't wait to tear into the box.

(Tearing.... ripping...  squealing with delight!)

LOOK!!! 

I got a Uber Duber Super Cool Light Studio for my videos!  OMG...  I'm so excited! 

I've been creating videos for my on-line classes for about a year now, and I'm always complaining about the poor lighting in my studio.  I can only video tape on bright sunny days... and when a wayward cloud goes past the window... my videos get all yellowy-blue.

Well... not anymore!  I can video tape in the darkest night if I want to!  Check it out!  There are two side lights each with 5 (count 'em five) lights... with these cool diffusers!  And then a neat boom light that can be swung in from above. 

The verdict... I LOVE EM!  No weird color... no shadows... no fading light...  they ROCK!  Now my videos can be even better!@  Yaaaa hoooooo!  Thanks sweetie - You are the Light of My Life! 

Bright Light Hugs!

"Fore" your birthday!

Remember my last post?  Well, I finally dug myself out of that mess and cleaned up my studio.  I didn't really have a choice...it was my husband's birthday last Friday.  On Thursday night, I realized that I hadn't made him a card yet, so I hustled into my studio to get busy... and getting busy in my studio meant cleaning my desk and putting away all of my painting stuff before I could get to stamping!

For his card, I used the Golf Ball image from Hambo Stamps (perfect since my hubby is a golf fanatic!).  I stamped it three times and colored it lightly with my Copics (W1/W3/Y11/Y15/Y17/YG11/YG13/YG17). I cut each image out and popped it up on the card with dots.

(Hey... did you see that Tim from Hambo is now offering DIGI IMAGES?  Check it out HERE!)

I used some old patterned paper (sorry - don't remember the brand) and some Marigold, Cranberry, and Navy card stock for the layers.  I added some faux stitching... but really kept it pretty simple.  I didn't even add a sentiment to the front.  (I put a cute/sassy saying inside... instead.)

My mojo comes and goes these days... just like my energy.  To update you on my health - some days are better than others.  I'm still doing a minimal amount of activity... and trying to get lots of rest and keep my spirits up. 

Nate's parents were here at Easter and my parents came to visit this past week(end)... so that kept me busy.  The weather is finally getting nicer here, so I'm thinking of moving a lounge chair outside and doing my "resting" out there.  I saw my new doctor last week and LOVED him.  He was very professional and had a pretty good idea what was causing my illness (the sleep disturbances) and even better, he had a solid plan for fixing it!  YEAH!  I am scheduled to see an ENT surgeon on May 4th to see if there is a surgical option for removing the obstruction that causes me to wake at night.  As much as I dread any type of surgery, I'm more than willing to do whatever it takes to start feeling better. 

In the meantime, I'll keep plugging along and playing with my stamps and markers as much as I can!  :)

Hugs!

Buried Alive!

(Gasping for breath...sipping in the precious air...feeling the crushing weight...)

... I'm buried alive and I don't know if I'm going to make it...

Phew... at least that's how I FEEL today! LOL 

Just take a look at my desk.  Well okay... I know you can't SEE the desk... just look at the stuff ON my desk! 

How in the world can I create with that mess???  (The answer is...I can't!)

I was playing with some new painting techniques last week and ran out of steam in the middle of the project.  Now I have to get some stamping done and I can't find a horizontal surface to work on! 

Uuugh, maybe if I just close the door and go read a book the cleaning fairies will take pity on me and clean it up... and hey, if I leave them chocolate do you think they might whip up a card or two for me too? 

HUGS
colleen

It's a First!

This is one of the mugs I made during my beginning pottery class.  Isn't it puuuurrrty?

 

I got tired of making basic straight "up and down" mugs, so this was my first attempt at adding curves.  It's not bad... for my first try!  LOL

This was also the first mug that I added a handle to.  (Does that make all my other handle-less mugs cups?)  Anyway... THAT my friend is MUCH harder than I expected. 

The idea is to have the handle compliment the shape and size of the mug... huh... I was just happy to get one to stay on during the firing process! 

This was also the first piece that I did a double glaze on.  And again... I've got a lot to learn!  Notice how the glaze on the left is really shiny (well, maybe you can't tell in the photo, but trust me... it's super glass-like.)  And then notice how the glaze on the right is more of a stoneware matte?  Yea, I guess I didn't think about THAT when I was dipping away.  The pretty dark blue streak down the center is where the two glazes overlapped... I think it looks cool... the instructor was NOT impressed!  (I guess overlapped glazes have a tendency to run a bit more... making them more difficult to fire.)  Who knew? 

Anyway... I'm pretty impressed with my first attempt.  The only thing is... 

It's a miniature!
 
I totally forgot that the pottery shrinks up to 10% during the drying and firing stages! 

So every mug and cup I now own are the perfect size for a child.  It's hysterical to see all these mini-mugs all lined up on my counter.

Oh...  and they each weigh about a pound... they are so thick and stout.  Whoever hefts these babies for a drink better be strong!  LOL

I guess it's back to the pottery wheel for me!

Thanks to everyone who sent well wishes and healthy thoughts.  I'm taking B12 for a boost of energy each day and I have an appointment with a new doctor in two weeks.  Hopefully he will be able to tell me if this sleep disturbance is the issue and get me to a specialist who can help.  For now... I'm taking it one day at a time!

Hugs!
colleen

Sick and Tired of being Sick and Tired!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth... but I sure feel like I have.

First of all... a BIG thanks to all of you who emailed me, pm'ed me, and posted wondering where the heck I was and how I was doing.  It is nice to know there are people out there who check in on me and keep tabs on my well-being.

Speaking of well being... I haven't been well.  (This post is just an update on my condition... so if you are looking for something crafty or inspirational... you might want to move on.) 

I have been sick since the holidays.  I thought I was just too busy, to involved, stressed out and tired from the hustle and bustle of the season.  It didn't get better.  During January, I eliminated most of my extra activities... staying active only with my job at MCC and the swim center.  It didn't help.  In February, I decided it was time to seek medical help. 

I was tired, exhausted.  I had achy joints, I had weak muscles, I was confused, foggy, forgetful. 

Week after week I went back to the doctor for testing.  Mono and anemia were ruled out quickly.  I kept getting worse. 

I was sleeping 14-16 hours a day, I became a zombie.  My water fitness students got worried.  I lost a lot of weight.  I became frail and had a hard time walking.  I went back for more tests.  

The tests showed that it was an autoimmune disease... probably Lupus.  More tests... more waiting... more sleeping... lots of anxiety.

By this time I stopped teaching the water fitness class... I just couldn't keep up. 

Then... a diagnosis.  It wasn't Lupus... it is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  The treatment?  There is none... just deal with it I was told. 

No...  I'm not a "just let it be and deal with it" sort of person.  I want options, I want suggestions, I want results.  I want my life back!   I got upset. 

I then had a sleep lab test.  It was the worst night of sleep I ever had.  The lab called... apparently I may have sleep apnea caused by an obstruction. 

There's light at the end of the tunnel. 

There're more appointments, seeing specialists, possibly more sleepless nights in the hospital.  But there's also hope!  THIS I can deal with... this I can fix. 

So that's the long and the short of it.  I've been sick and tired... and I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired! 

One of these days, when I have enough energy to climb those stairs, I'll head to the studio and possibly create something... until then, I'm going back to bed!  LOL

Thanks again for checking in on me. 
HUGS!
Colleen

CHA-CHA-CHA-CHANGES...

Morning blog readers!  Hope you had a wonderful weekend.  It was warm and windy here and I sure enjoyed the sunshine. Of course, I woke to lowering clouds and gusty rain, but at least it is still warm.

I actually spent some time with my stamps this weekend after being inspired by a neat tutorial over on Laurie Wilson's blog.  I wanted to give it a try and I needed to make a birthday card for for my mother-in-law (I'm doing pretty good on the whole "get them made and mailed on time" so far this year.)  Here is the card I made... I'm not really thrilled with it.  It took FOREVER to do all the masking and then in the end, it wasn't really the best image for the technique... not much "overhang" to cut around... but well, what's done is done.

Now... onto my "cha-cha-cha-changes" I know that some of you have noticed that I am not blogging every day lately.  You'd be right!  After some thinking (and even more thinking) I've decided that I needed to streamline my daily activities to be more productive.   You know that one of my resolutions was to try new crafting areas... and I've been working on LOTS of new projects and classes in some of those areas.  (I'll share more info on this later...)

I've also been pondering the purpose of my posting. You know that I LOVE to teach and to share and to inspire... and I want to make sure that's what I'm doing here.  With my daily posting schedule, I felt I needed to make something and write about it every single day... and guess what happened?  My creativity disappeared... my samples were mediocre... and my writing became dull and trite. I wasn't doing what I hoped to do... I couldn't inspire when I wasn't inspired myself. 

SO.... I've decided to take some of the pressure off and throw caution (or at least my blogging schedule) to the wind.  I'm going to break free from my regimented, scheduled, neat-and-tidy ways and go with the flow.

I'll create when I'm inspired, enjoy the process, play when I want, and more importantly... share when I have something to say!  (Want to know when that is... make sure to subscribe to get email updates.)  I plan on sharing ALL of my creative endeavors here too... not just stamping, so buckle up and get ready for an inspirational ride.

Thanks for stopping in!

colleen

Project 52 - #4: Iced In

I think Mother Nature has a really warped sense of humor.  Usually I like that sort of thing... but after this little joke, not so much!

Welcome to Oklahoma winters. 

Oh, I know all of you up north (and pretty much everywhere else around the country) are saying, "Can it Colleen, you have NO right to complain...  we're stuck with tons of snow and sub-zero temps... suck it up!" 

But well, I'm complaining anyway! (That's right... it's my blog and I'll cry if I wanna!) 

Anyway, I figured I would share the photos that I took to document my fourth week of Project 52.  (I actually have another project that was inspired by the "great ice storm" of last week also, but I'm not quite finished with it.)

As you can see, there is a pretty thick layer of ice covering pretty much everything.  This was the very first day.  We had three solid days of icy-rain.   I didn't even attempt to take a photo after the first day.  That would have meant daring the dangerous "falling and breaking my leg" ice-slicked porch or patio or driveway... and that my friends, just wasn't happening.  

The dogs weren't too fond of it either... whimps!  

Schools were closed for 4 days, most of the town lost power by the second day, businesses shut their doors, and trees limbs started falling.  (We were lucky enough to have power the whole time, although we did lose our Internet service and our satellite TV.) 

That was Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday... by Friday it was almost 65 degrees. 

Here's to global warming!
Colleen

Thoughts For 2009... and a cool new project!

This is a two part post.  Part I (Thoughts From 2008) was published yesterday. 

First... I want to wish you ALL a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Now for my Thoughts For 2009...

• I hope to continue my healthy habits.  Nate and I have found a slimmer, lighter lifestyle to be just the right fit for us. 
• I would like to get published in a PRINT magazine this year.  This is actually a two-part goal as I am hoping to have both my writing and my artwork published.  (I guess that means I actually have to SUBMIT something doesn't it?  No one's gonna come knocking down my door begging for my skills!)
• I hope to go into partnership with a friend this year.  I was recently bitten by the 'business' bug and I think I have what it takes to run a small business...with some help of course! LOL
• I wanna go to Italy!  There is a chance that the Schaan's will be headed overseas sometime in the fall.  If there's a will, there's a way!!!  I'm totally there!
• I'm looking forward to my 20 year class reunion this June.  We are past the "who got fat and who got bald" stage... and now we are just really happy to meet up with old friends.  
• I AM going to expand my artistic skills.  I want to learn to create with new mediums.  I've already started down this road by signing up for a pottery wheel class... I can't wait!
• Can I get my cards out on time for once?  My goal is to send out cards BEFORE the event happens.
• I hope the new year brings me wisdom to deal with the challenges that are sure to arrive... and the patience to go with the flow.

I'm not asking for much am I? 

Actually, I have a good start on quite a few of these... and some others are just 'keep on keeping on' kind of things. 

One of the things I'm most excited about this year is expanding my artistic skills.  Don't get me wrong... I love stamping and making cards... but I also know that there is SO MUCH MORE out there that tickles my fancy.  To help me keep this goal, I decided to join my friend Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and her Project 52. 

 Project 52's concept is to get a year of your life recorded in some way.  Each week (for one year) we will create something (anything) that records our thoughts, events, emotions, or actions for that week.  It doesn't have to be scrap booking... it can be ANYTHING... and that is the part that gets me all geeked!  I plan on using Project 52 as a way to explore all sorts of creative arts... from jewelry making, to metal working, to pottery, to encaustic painting, to mixed media and collage.  I can't wait to get started!  I'll be sharing my work with you each week... so get ready for an exciting year!  Better yet... join in on the fun and play along too!  

Well... the new year is beginning... I better start moving forward too! 

hugs,

colleen

Thoughts From 2008...

This is the first of a two part post... I'll be doing a "year in review" of 2008 today, and I'll finish up with a "thoughts for 2009" tomorrow.

It seems like just yesterday that I was writing about the year 2007 and now, 2008 is only 24 hours from being done.  Can you believe it?  Gaaaah!  At this rate, it will be 2050 and I'll be doddering around with my walker before I know it!  LOL

Even though it goes quickly, I always like welcoming the new year... there is something calming and freeing about starting over or starting anew.  But before I can welcome 2009, I have to indulge in a moment of sentimental weepies and say farewell to 2008.  (Sniff)

2008 - The Year in Review

• January 2008 brought us unseasonably warm weather and some sleepless nights in our 'storm shelter' as tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma and Kansas.
• My Creative Classroom officially kicked off in January - and the next 12 months were a whirl-wind of successful creative chaos with new classes, new responsibilities, new friends, and new challenges.
• Michael Buble sang his heart out in OK City (and I got to be there to see it!)
• I was honored to be a member of four different (and amazing)  design teams.
• I spent a wonderful week in Phoenix, AZ with my gal pals from the Washington Book Club.  (I have to add...  I think Phoenix is the COOLEST place on earth and I want to live there!)
• Spring found me on the golf course ALMOST as much as my husband.  I took some private lessons, purchased some cute clubs, and practiced my "trophy man" swing.  (While I haven't played in months, I do plan on taking out the clubs again next spring.)
• I satisfied my Copic Craze by becoming a Certified Copic Instructor!
• I started working as a water fitness instructor at a local fitness club.  Along with swimming laps, I am teaching daily classes to an adoring (if slightly waterlogged) audience. 
• I lost 20 lbs... and am sure those last 5 will come off someday... (results of above activity).
• I was a part of something special when one very deserving family was accepted into the Habitat for Humanity program.  They are well on their way to owning their very own home.
• Our own 'leaky' home was FINALLY fixed  (knock on wood)  when we stepped in and took over the repairs!!! 
• I was accepted (and attended) Ranger U - the ultimate in education about Ranger products from Tim Holtz, Suze Weinberg, and Claudine Hellmuth.  (I can't say enough about this experience... really, I can't!)
• Nate traveled (a lot) to Mexico and (a little) to North Carolina for work.
• My husband and I took a swimming workshop that ROCKED OUR WORLD!
• We made some new 'gaming' friends (finally) here in Muskogee - who would have thought? 
• We lost our beloved Urie, but have been blessed with the good health and happiness of Duke, Akira, and Takeo.
• And... The year ends like it begins... Christmas week was unseasonably warm (78 degrees) and severe weather threatened.  Ahhhhh, Oklahoma!

Come back tomorrow for my New Years Resolutions and that cool new project I mentioned on Monday.
Hugs,
colleen

*The photo on the side is an ATC project that I did earlier in the year.  I attached three "About Me" ATC's to a piece of ribbon and made a door hanger.  They are collaged with torn DP and sentiments, stamped, sponged with inks, the picture of me is my own 'photo drawing' technique, and I glazed them with some gel medium that was tinted with some alcohol inks. 

Happy Holidays

Just stopping in today to wish everyone a...

Happy Holiday

Nate and I spent Christmas Eve with some friends and did our own gift exchange - I got him an electric ukulele and he got me a new MacBook laptop!  We are such geeks!!!  LOL

Nate's parents arrived safe and sound on Christmas day and we have been eating, shopping, and playing games ever since. 

It was 78 here yesterday, so the guys took advantage and went golfing.  We have been under a tornado warning since about midnight last night.  Strange weather for Christmas indeed.

I want to say a quick Thank You to all of you who sent me holiday cards... they are adorning our mantle and bringing warmth to our home.  My cards are finally done, but I have to admit that they did NOT get mailed out yet...  (I know, I know...)  I plan on writing in them tomorrow and getting them mailed on Monday.  I guess my motto this year is better late than never! 

Thanks for stopping by...
colleen

Thursday Throwdown - Blog Hopping

Morning all... just a quickie this morning before I'm off and running. 

I haven't had time to get crafty in the last few days, so I have nothing new to show you... but I DO have a challenge for you...

Head on over to one of these "challenge" blogs and join in on the fun.  Whether you enjoy color challenges, sketch challenges, specific manufacturer challenges... there's something for everyone.

• 2 Sketches 4 You
• ABC Challenge
• Color Throwdown
• Cute Card Thursday
• Inchie INKlings
• Our Creative Corner
• Papertake Weekly Challenge
• Sarah Kay Challenges
• sketch saturday
• Stamp Something
• Tilda & Co Challenge Blog
• Whiff of Joy Challenge

There's a ton more "Challenge" sites out there, but these are some of my favorites.

Have a wonderful day!
colleen

Hanging In There?

As we all get caught up in the frenzy of the holiday season, it's nice to remember that it's really the little things in life that can bring us joy. 

I've been busy cleaning (well, picking up - which is the precursor to cleaning), doing ump-teen loads of laundry, planning a holiday party, working out at the gym, teaching classes, trying to make at least a few holiday cards, and decorating the house.  It's easy to get stressed out and bogged down in it all. 

I figured that I would share this cute little reminder this week as you all are probably doing the same types of things.  Remember it's life's simple pleasures that fill your heart with joy.  (Stamp is from Whipper Snapper and Sentiment is from Verve.) 

Some stress busting tips for the holiday:

1. When you are stuck in a LONG line at the store and the person at the register needs to do a price check for a Be Dazzler... instead of thinking about how you would like to BEDAZZLE that person right to the moon, take a deep breath, smile at the person behind you and use the time to plan out your new year's eve party.
2. When holiday traffic has you seeing red, pop in a tape of your favorite Christmas music, turn it up loud, and sing along!  (at the top of your lungs and preferably off key)
3. When you are frantically baking and cooking, covered in a layer of sweat-soaked flower, take a five minute break for a cup of cocoa and a sampling of your treats! 
4. When the stress of finding "just the right gift" has your head spinning and your wallet feeling a bit light... remember that it isn't the gift... but the THOUGHT that counts.  
5. And above all else... when those dysfunctional family gatherings have you ready to pack it all up and move to Aruba... I say... GO FOR IT! 

I'll be posting as much as I can these next two weeks... but if I miss a day or two... no need to call the rescue dogs... I'm probably just buried under a pile of sugar cookies and wrapping paper.  (SIGH)

Hugs!
colleen

All I Want for Christmas...

Is my Two Front Teeth! 

You've all heard that song right?  Well, for me... it has been true on more than one occasion.  You see, way back in 3rd grade I was the victim of a horrible accident.  I refer to it as "Face Meets Brick Wall"  Oh Yeah!  Knocked my two front teeth clear out (well, to be honest, they really broke off and I was left with little nubbins).  Years of dental work and lots of money gave me back my smile, but today...I'm NOT smiling. 

One of my caps (permanent) stared looking a bit strange a while back and I saw what I thought was a crack forming.  Of course, I put off going to the dentist... until now.  I went in this morning to find out if it really was cracked... and the verdict was not good.  My caps were at the end of their long life and needed to be replaced.  UUuugh.  They jumped right in and started today.  Off came my caps (a horrible ordeal even though I have had root canal on those teeth and am not supposed to feel anything) and in came that nauseating thick goop that they use to make impressions with.  GAG!!!!  

I survived with the help of a bit of Novocaine, some wonderful "feel good" gas, and a massaging chair (I LOVE my dentist).  I now am the proud owner of a gigantic temporary cap... it's actually one cap that they sanded down the center to make it look like two teeth.  And of course, because I'm all frozen and goofy... I now lisp.  It's NOT cute... 

So yes... that's my Christmas gift (insurance is wonderful, but it is still a HUGE chunk of change).  I'd sing a few bars of that song for you.... but between the drool and the lisp... it wouldn't be enjoyable for any of us.

I had a card to share... but I think I'll wait until tomorrow.  Thanks for hanging out with me today.  Misery loves company you know! LOL

Hugs,
colleen

*PS - the photo is my OLD smile... there's no way a camera is getting close to my mouth right now! LOL

It's a Zoo out there!

So, did anyone head to the malls on Friday for the super sales?  Not this chick... I'm NOT a shopper and I don't care for crowds, so hitting the stores on the busiest shopping day of the year would not be on my "to do" list.  LOL  I bet it was a zoo....

Speaking of... that's were I headed this weekend!  Yup, Nate and I braved chilly temps and lowering skies to spend some quality time with the some real animals!  I LOVE going to the zoo.  Sometimes it makes me sad to see the animals all caged up, but most of the time I'm just so excited at the opportunity to see live animals that I would never get the chance to see otherwise. 

With the weather being bad, we practically had the whole place to ourselves... it was AWESOME!  I think we saw a total of 10 other people during our two hours there.  No fighting crowds to get up close, no strollers to bump into, no noisy school groups running around screaming... it was heaven! 

Not all of the animals were out, but most of them were, and I was able to get some great pictures.  This rhino was amazing... it was HUGE, GIGANTIC, MASSIVE... and for some reason, green???  Then there was this super cute koala/raccoon/fox thing... it had the cutest little face!  OMG.... I of course, wanted to jump right in an pet it.  The darn thing would probably have ripped my arm off and had it for dinner!

My all time favorite animals are the large cats... lions, tigers, pumas, jaguars... and of course, the Cheetah!  There were two of them and they were sooooo pretty!  Sleek and powerful.  They were moving around quite a bit and checking us out.  Good thing the fence was REAAAAALLLLLY high!  I wouldn't want to come face-to-face with one of those babies!

And oh.... probably the best part... THESE BEARS!  I don't think I had ever seen a grizzly bear IRL before.  Man... those guys are Big...I mean Tank Truck Big!!!  Cute as a button those... and funny too!  They rolled around and dug this huge hole... and well... pooped too.  Nate took a photo... gross!!!!  And guess what... Bears don't S*#( in the woods... they do it in a pond!!!!  Bwaaaa haaa haaaahaa!

Okay, chatty Colleen here has to get going.  I have something "artsy" that I'm working on and I can't wait to show it to you.

Later Gator (oh yea... we saw those too)
Colleen

Ham Anyone?

 Before I sign off for the Thanksgiving Holiday, I want to make a quick post. 

I'm Thankful For:

1.  Family that misses us.  While we can't be with our families this Thanksgiving, Nate and I are both lucky enough to HAVE families to miss.

2.  Friends who care about us.  I can't believe how many friends have opened their homes and hearts to us during this holiday season. 

3.  A wonderful, supportive, loving, happy, funny husband.  Need I say more?

4.  Our health.  We are young, we eat right, we work hard, and we play hard.

5.  YOU... without all of you, I would just be another babbling voice lost in blog land. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!  I'll be back on Monday.

Hugs,
colleen

A Horse is a Horse... Of Course... But Can He Swim?

Sorry for the goofy title; I'm in one of those moods. 

I don't have any crafty eye candy for you today, but I do have some pics to share.  I think I mentioned last week about how we have some horses that come to "visit" every once-in-a-while.  Well, I was finally able to shoot a few photos of them chatting with our pups. 

There are actually three horses, but the third one (a white one) seems to be a bit camera shy.  Or maybe it was the horrendous cacophony of barking that was taking place that kept her away. 

Takeo (the black pup)  is always full of energy and he LOVE to go out and interact with the horses.  I think if the fence weren't there, he'd be right up next to them yapping away!  Akira (the brown little lady) is a bit more reserved, although she can probably hold her own against these long-legged critters.

It has become a routine in the mornings (and some afternoons) for the dogs to head out to the back yard for a romp.  Once they attract the horses attention, they come trotting over to join the party.  It's like one big happy four-legged family!

The reason I have no project to show you is that I was in hot water all weekend... well, to be honest, it was really cool water.

Nate and I attended a swim clinic where we learned a swim stroke called "total immersion" swimming.  It was amazing!  Now, I've always been a water bug... but I never swam competitively; Nate on the other hand, was on a swim team for years. 

This swimming style helps you create a balanced, stream-lined shape to glide through the water... and after a few drills and a bit of practice, I was rocketing through the waves.  WOW!  Since I really never was a technical swimmer, I didn't have a lot of 'habits' to break and I was able to catch on right away.  It was so much fun!  We were taped at four different times during the weekend so we could evaluate and see our progress.  I took to the style like a fish to the water!  LOL  In fact, both Nate and I were invited to join the Masters Swim Team, a national team that has meets in different regional areas.  I would have to learn how to do flip turns and start from a swim start block, but I think we might just do it.  Who knows... you might just see me in London in 2012! 

Have a spectacular day!
colleen