Artful Pursuits – Artful Musings

Category: Artful Pursuits

05
Sep
2018

Fun-N-Crafty | Country Lane Suite

categories: Artful Pursuits, Fun-n-Crafty, Stampin' Up!

Hello my crafty peeps! I’m happy to be here again this month as part of the Fun & Crafty blog hop. You should have arrived here from Stacey’s A Work of Carte blog. If you didn’t, not to worry the complete list is below! Today the Stampin’ Up! Holiday catalog is live and there are oh so many goodies! To kick off the new catalog, a few of us participated in a holiday catalog card swap to get even more creative ideas to share with you!

For my card I decided to use the Country Lane suite, which includes the Country Home stamps, Country Lane DSP, Tin Tile Dynamic TIEF, Braided Linen Trim, Chicken Wire Elements, Galvanized Clips, Galvanized Metallic Paper, and two new combo packs of Stampin’ Blends.I really love the versatility of this stamp set and the embossing folder gives so much detail, especially with the galvanized metallic paper. In the coming months I plan to use more of my favorites from the new holiday catalog in blog posts so stay tuned!

I started with a Blackberry Bliss horizontal top-folding A2 card base and because it’s a dark color I decided to include a white insert for writing a message to that special someone, which meant more stamping inside! For the card front, I began by cutting a piece of Mint Macaron to 4″ x 5.25″ for a mat and a Whisper White to 3.75″ x 5″ for the stamped panel. Next, I cut 6″ x 6″ squares of the galvanized metallic paper and ran it through the Tin Tile TIEF. I cut these into 1.5″ x 5.25 strips.

Using Memento black ink, I stamped the cotton flower image 1.45″ above the bottom edge three times on the panel. I also stamped the sentiment “happy harvest blessings” on the top of the panel. To make the cotton pop and look extra white, I outlined each stamped image using the light Mint Macaron Stampin’ Blend. I also colored the other parts of the images using the combo packs of Blackberry Bliss, Cajun Craze, and Old Olive Stampin’ Blends.

All that remained, was assembling the cards. First, I adhered the interior panel as well as the front Mint Macaron mat, the Whisper White stamped layer, and finally the tin tile galvanized strip. I clipped one of the cute galvanized clips to the panel and adhered it to the card base using dimensionals. For the final touch, I made a bow out of the braided linen trim and using a rolled up mini glue dot, adhered it to the top of the galvanized clip.

There is a ton of inspiration throughout this hop and I encourage you to grab your Stampin’ Up holiday catalog and some post-it notes, and visit the other talented crafters listed below to see what they created and perhaps leave them some crafty love! Up next is the wonderful Merit over at MB Squared Designs. Until next time, remember, creativity and imperfection live together in all we do. “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.”

~xoxo

Stacey — A Work of Carte
Christine — Artful Musings (you are here)
Merit — MB Squared Designs
Nicole — Inky Fingers Stamping
Jennifer — NW Stamper
Tobe — The Craft Sea
Pamela — Stinky Tofu

Supplies Used:
Country Home Stamps (147678)
Tin Tile Dynamic TIEF (147906)
Galvanized Metallic Paper (147805)
Card Stock: Whisper White, Blackberry Bliss, & Mint Macaron
Ink: Blackberry Bliss & Memento
Blends: Blackberry Bliss, Cajun Craze, Old Olive, & Mint Macaron (light)
Accessories: Galvanized Clips (147806), Braided Linen Trim (147808), Snail, & Glue Dots

06
Jul
2018

2018 – 19 Stampin’ Up Annual Catalog

categories: Artful Pursuits, Stampin' Up!

Confession time: I’ve been a bad, bad girl! Last November I had every intention of continuing my monthly series, Innovation Station, as well as regular posts and blog hops. After all, crafting keeps me sane. Early in November a trip to On Stage in Salt Lake City took me out of town for nearly a week and then my best friend moved (and I had to help – that’s what it means to be best friends for nearly 30 years – you bury the bodies and you help move). Once that was all sorted it was Thanksgiving and then Christmas. So no blogging for two months. Okay, not so bad, right?

I promised myself I’d get going again in January, but as the early months of 2018 rolled by, it became clear that blogging (and even more disturbing) being creative were the casualties of life taking a sharp and unexpected turn in the middle of March. After nearly nine years, I was laid off from my job, which is scary enough on its own, but it also meant I had to move since my home was provided by my employer (yes, I was super fortunate). You would think being unemployed would leave lots of time for crafting, but aside from two weeks of binge-watching TV as I put off processing what it meant to be unemployed after nearly a decade, my life has been surprisingly busy. Busy getting ready to put most of my things in storage and take over my best friend’s spare bedroom, busy looking for a job, busy trying to figure out health insurance (not a simple task).

Once I got moved, I was able to begin picking up the threads of my old life, including being creative. My best friend kindly let me take over a big part of her living room for my crafty zone (a table and a small Origami unit that holds the few stamps, inks, paper, and dies I kept out of storage). Can I tell you how hard it was to fill two 66 quart totes and nothing more? Just today I realized that I forgot to keep out envelopes. Envelopes. I can’t believe it! I went to storage but didn’t have the energy to dig through all the totes to find the one with the envelopes so I’ll just have to buy another package. *sigh*

As a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator I always look forward to the new catalog but given that I was in full packing/purging mode, 5′ high in bins all around my house, for much of May, I really didn’t think too much about the fact that there were 241 pages of new and returning goodies to ‘oh and ah’ over! The one great thing about being settled (at least until August when the bestie moves to Endicott, NY) is I’ve been able to figure out what I’m most excited about from the new catalog.

So, without further ado, my top ten list (plus one honorable mention) of 2018 – 19 annual catalog goodies:

Tropical Escape Suite (p. 121)
Tufted Dynamic Embossing Folder (p. 223)
Stampin’ Blends (p. 205)
Share What You Love Suite (p. 177)
A Big Thank You (p. 122)
Stamparatus (p. 207)
Animal Expedition Suite (p. 27)
Garden Impressions Suite (p. 129)
Friendly Conversation (p. 117)
Artfully Folded (p. 228)
Honorable Mention: Simply Shammy (p. 206)

Wondering why I love these things? Well, give me a bit more of your time and I’ll tell you…

I initially ignored the Tropical Escape suite, but the more I looked at the stamps and the dies, the move in love I fell. The leaf dies have inner and outline dies, making them super versatile. The DSP and the Tropical Elements flowers and leaves are beautiful as well, making this suite a win-win! The Tufted embossing folder is so pretty and when paired with tiny pearls or rhinestones, takes the look to a whole new level. I like the simplicity of the Stampin’ Blends, who wouldn’t, alcohol markers, one light and one dark, designed to blend. My main complaint when they debuted last fall was the palette was very limited. Coming out with 11 new colors was a solid expansion of these markers. I’m in love with Granny Apple Green and Flirty Flamingo.

The Share What You Love suite was the early release this year, out to demos in April and customers in May. This suite has wonderful images and sentiments as well as a double pack of specialty DSP! The bundle A Big Thank You might be something you miss flipping through the catalog, but don’t – there are great sentiments as well as builder images in this set! I often forget that the Stamparatus is new to customers since I first learned about it at On Stage last November and had one in my hands in February. With its stair-step dual plate configuration, you may wonder how you ever got along without it! I didn’t go to On Stage in April, but those who did, kept raving about the Animal Outing bundle and I agree — it is super cute. The whole suite is full of wonderful goodies including leaf ribbon and unique dies that cut both the stamped images and images from the DSP!

I believe the Garden Impressions suite might be the sleeper suite of the catalog – I’ve seen one of the stamps used as giraffe or leopard print – these stamps are certainly flexible and the dies are intriguing since they can be used with the embossing mats, giving you so much flexibility with these intricate and beautiful dies. Pretty and vibrant DSP, the Metallic Ribbon Combo Pack, and Blooms Elements round out this beautiful suite! Friendly Conversation is an unusual set with just two, large sentiments, but they are interesting enough to be the focal image of a card! I don’t normally fall in love with hostess sets, but Artfully Folded, which is origami images is so fun and playful, what’s not to love?!? The Stamparatus makes this set loads of fun! The Simply Shammy comes along a while after other shammies but as usual, Stampin’ Up! looked at what was on the market and then innovated and the result is a very thick and resilient shammy that gets stamps (particularly photopolymer) as clean as a whistle! Bonus: it fits perfectly inside the standard SU stamp case and since it’s not airtight you don’t need to worry about mold or mildew!

Thanks for hanging out with me today and listening to what’s new with me! I hope to begin innovation station this month (next week). Until next time, remember, creativity and imperfection live together in all we do. “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.”

~xoxo

11
May
2017

Innovation Station | Custom Dyed Ribbon

categories: Artful Pursuits, Innovation Station, Stampin' Up!

Hello my crafty peeps and welcome to my first Innovation Station post! This is a new monthly feature, focusing innovative tips and tricks. During the 2nd week of each month I plan to share an innovation that I find myself going to again and again.

I’ve been “innovating” since I bought my first stamp at The Stamp Cabana in Winter Park, FL back in 1997. Over the years I’ve seen things come and go and come back again! In all this time, I’ve found myself going “back to the well” for techniques that never seem to get old.

There’s nothing worse than finishing a card only to realize it’s missing something! Often I find what’s missing is a textile and my go to textile is ribbon. Many times I can get by with an off the rack neutral ribbon (black, brown, gold, silver), but there are times when I think, “If only I had a color-matched ribbon, all would be right in the universe!”, which brings me to this month’s innovation: custom dyed ribbon.

My go to ribbon for this innovation: seam binding. It’s cheap, readily available, and holds up well, but you could use any ribbon for this process. You can use many things to dye ribbon (Color Burst powders, Distress stains and sprays, or Perfect Pearls) but my favorite for custom color matching is reinkers or ink pads. Here is what you need:

White Ribbon or Seam Binding
Craft Mat
Reinkers
Ink Pads
Water bottle
Heat Tool
Baby Wipes
Craft Scrubbie
Ribbon Iron (optional)
Gloves (optional, if you don’t like inky fingers)

Custom dying ribbon is a very simple process. First, cut the length of ribbon you need for your project. Next, place a few drops of reinker, or smear the ink pad, onto your craft sheet. I start with 2 drops of reinker (you can always add more if needed). Add water to the ink.

Using the ribbon, soak up the liquid, making sure the entire ribbon is saturated. If needed, you can also spray water onto the ribbon. After the ribbon is completely covered you can add more ink if you want a deeper color.

Once you are happy with the color, dry the ribbon with your heat tool (if you have time you can let it air dry). Sometimes I scrunch it up so it looks “ruched” and other times I dry it flat and run it through my ribbon iron. I hold it in my hand, moving it around until it’s completely dry and volià, custom dyed ribbon, a perfect finishing touch for any card or scrapbook layout.

By the time you are done dying ribbon your fingers are quite inky (left hand) so it’s the Craft Scrubbie to the rescue (right hand). Inky fingers don’t stand a chance when you have the Ranger Craft Scrubbie.

Thanks for hanging out with me, and learning (or relearning) a fun innovation! Join me next month for another of my go to innovations, white washing. Until next time, remember, creativity and imperfection live together in all we do. “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.”

~xoxo

Supplies Used:
Inks: Berry Blast, Fresh Fig, Lemon Lime Twist, Powder Pink, & Tranquil Tide
Ribbon: Hug Snug Winter White Seam Binding
Ranger Craft Scrubbie
Ranger Craft Mat
Distress Water Bottle

27
Apr
2017

Fun & Crafty | Mom’s Are Golden

categories: Artful Pursuits, Fun-n-Crafty, Stampin' Up!

Hello my crafty peeps! I’m happy to be here again this month as part of the Fun & Crafty blog hop. This month’s theme is Mother’s Day. A day to honor that woman who taught you right from wrong, wiped every tear, and kissed every boo-boo! She stands firm and steady as a rock for her kids as they venture farther and farther from home, always knowing they have a safe place to return. Mom’s are golden.

My Mom is gone, having passed almost 7 years ago. So is my Gran, who is really the woman I think of as my Mom since she raised me. I have so many wonderful memories of times with my Gran that though she isn’t here with me, I feel her presence and remember the lessons and life truths she taught me. She was feisty, loyal, fierce when crossed, generous, and independent. She instilled in me a drive to be self-sufficient, to obtain all the education I could, and to never give up on my dreams. I miss her but honor her each day. Owing to the fact that both of my “Mom’s” are gone, I never really invested in any “Happy Mother’s Day” stamps so when this month’s theme was announced I was at a loss as to what to do … enter the new Eastern Palace suite from Stampin’ Up! I am always looking for alternate uses for the stamp sentiments I have and was pleased to find that the sentiments in this set are versatile, but more on that in a minute.

When I first saw the suite I didn’t immediately fall in love. Actually, it was quite the opposite, I really didn’t like it very much but I challenged myself to order one of the bundles and work with it during the month of April. Little did I know when I set this challenge it would turn out to help me create this month’s Mother’s Day card and help me fall a little in love with the Eastern Palace suite. The suite features three new In Colors, Tranquil Tide, Fresh Fig, and my favorite, Lemon Lime Twist. It features mandala imagery, some interesting dies, and wonderful embellishments. The DSP showcases geometric shapes and adds in Dapper Denim to the other colors. It’s opulent and rich. In May, everyone will have a chance to purchase one of two bundles (premier or starter) before the new catalog goes live.

For my card I used a piece of Tranquil Tide card stock cut to A2 size (4.25″ x 5.5″). The DSP was cut to 4″ x 5.25″, and I also used a 3″ piece of the Fresh Fig card stock behind the DSP. First, I cut out the flower mandala shape using the matching thinlit die. This die is unique in that it doesn’t cut out the outer shape, but instead cuts out the “petals”, which you can lift up, adding dimension to your card. I decided I also wanted to split the DSP so that I could insert a piece of Fresh Fig card stock behind and create some interest in my card. I used one of the layering circle dies to cut out a badge for the center of the mandala die cut and used one of the circle stamps and a sentiment (to think of you is to smile) from the Eastern Palace stamp set. I stamped the circle in Fresh Fig and the sentiment in Tranquil Tide on Whisper White card stock. While not overtly “Mother’s day” this sentiment reminded me that whenever I remember my Gran I always smile, which seemed perfect. Because the card base is so dark I also inserted a 4″ x 5.25″ Whisper White panel inside and stamped one of the smaller images from the Eastern Palace suite to tie in the Lemon Lime Twist ink. The finishing touch, a rhinestone on the circle for that little pop of bling!

There is a ton of inspiration throughout this hop. Since you started here, I encourage you to grab a cup of coffee and visit the other talented team members listed below to leave them some blog love! Next up is the talented Pamela over at Stinky Tofu. Until next time, remember, creativity and imperfection live together in all we do. “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.”

~xoxo
Beanie

Christine – Artful Musings (you are here)
Pamela – Stinky Tofu
Kathy – Stamp-A-Blog
Susan – Stampin’ by the SF Bay
Stacey – A Work of Carte
Jennifer – Northwest Stamper

Supplies Used:
Eastern Palace Premier Bundle
Inks: Lemon Lime Twist, Fresh Fig, & Tranquil Tide
Paper: Eastern Palace DSP
Card Stock: Tranquil Tide, Fresh Fig, & Whisper White
Rhinestones

08
Dec
2016

Fun & Crafty | “Oooh, Something Shiny!”

categories: Artful Pursuits, Christmas Inspiration, Fun-n-Crafty, Stampin' Up!

Hello my crafty peeps! I’m happy to be here again this month as part of the Fun & Crafty blog hop. This month’s theme: “Oooh, Something Shiny!” is one we can all relate to, particularly at this time of year. I’m sure you are NOT like me … I’m sure your Christmas and New Year’s cards are already done … however, should you find yourself in a last-minute rut, I hope you take some inspiration from the below as well as all the other inspiring projects in this month’s hop.

If you are anything like me you look for stamps and dies that are versatile. When I saw the “Greetings from Santa” stamps and “Detailed Santa” dies, I knew it would be simple to create a number of cards that were different. Far from requiring a lot of thought, these dies and stamps are pretty straightforward in their versatility making them some of my favorite ‘go to’ sets for holiday cards.

For this month’s hop I decided to showcase the simple versatility of these stamps and dies using three different card stocks and three different glitter papers. Each card contains the same elements, but each looks vastly different due to the color combinations. The first combo, ‘Straight Up Christmas’, combines red and white. It is simultaneously colorful and whimsical. The second combo, ‘Frosty Friends’, combines red and dazzling diamond. This is the bling-y version of the card. The third and final combo, ‘Winter’s Magic’, combines silver and blue into an elegant version that evokes a cool winter’s day.

What I especially love about these two products are all the extra images and dies that can be used to add little touches to your envelopes. Here are a couple of examples of what I mean.

Oooh, something shiny wouldn’t be complete without a wee bit of Chibitronics fun. Below is the fun trade I created for a demonstrator event back in September. I used the Cookie Cutter punch and stamp set to create this light up reindeer to guide Santa’s sleigh.

There is a ton of inspiration throughout this hop. If you started here, please visit the other talented team members listed below and leave them some blog love! Until next time, remember, creativity and imperfection live together in all we do. “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.”

~xoxo
Beanie

Tobe B – The Craft Sea
Christine Szekeres – Artful Musings (you are here)
Pamela Wu – Stinky Tofu
Kathy Thisted – Stampablog
Jennifer Blomquist – Northwest Stamper
Danielle Elvin – Going to Collage

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Greetings from Santa
Dies: Detailed Santa Thinlets
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler, & Whisper White
Glitter Paper: Dazzling Diamond, Silver & Red
Ink: Versa Mark
Embossing Powder: White & Red
Other: Fine-Tip Glue & Embossing Buddy

28
Nov
2016

Nani ke Ola Blog Hop: Butterfly Kisses & Dandelion Wishes Album

categories: Artful Pursuits, Mixed Media, NKO Design Team

Hello and welcome to the first ever Nani ke Ola blog hop! Today each blogger is focusing on the new 7 Dots Studio collections, Cotton Candy and Writer’s Block. I love 7 Dots Studio and was so excited for the new collections, particularly Cotton Candy. You should have arrived from Heather Thompson’s blog and started at the Nani ke Ola blog. There is a giveaway so make sure to visit each blog and leave some love for a chance to win a sweet prize!

I’ve been a member of the NKO Design Team for a little over a year, and in that time, I’ve had a chance to spread my wings, get messy, and be inspired by some of the most wonderful artists around. I know you will agree that these are some talented ladies, when you see all the creativity of this blog hop.

As I said, I was over the moon when I saw the Cotton Candy collection. It is dreamy and whimsical and includes teal and salmon a favorite color combination of mine. It’s like it was tailor made for me. I knew I wanted to combine the lush papers, stickers, chipboard, and other elements with products from Prima Marketing’s Memory Hardware collection. There are wonderful mixed media elements in this collection and you can really create something beautiful combining the lush papers and elements from 7DS with the great products from Prima. If you like the Memory Hardware line, I encourage you to let Jennifer know. She stocks some Prima products and is always listening to what her customers are excited about. I used the square album, flowers, rhinestone chain, resin heart, sequins, lace trim, and domes in this project.

I began by “dry” painting the album using some Vintage White Folk Art paint. The advantage of dry painting is that it dries quickly since you are using so little paint. It also creates a “shabby chic” / distressed base for the album. HINT: You only need to paint the edges since paper will be covering most of each page. I also began sketching out what papers would go on each page. I do this by cutting up the 12×12 papers into 6″ squares and also cutting smaller pieces (4×6, 3×6, and 2.5×4). Next, using Walnut Stain Distress ink and a round blending tool I inked the edges of all the papers. I cannot stress enough how elegant this simple step is. Visually, it adds so much dimension to the papers and ties each page together. Once the pages are cut and inked, I begin laying them out, moving things around and finally “locking” in the design of each page and 2-page spread.

Next, it’s time to begin gluing things down. I like to use a really strong tape runner (like 3L Scrapbook Adhesives My Stik permanent adhesive) or Scor-Tape. For this album I created photo pages, waterfall pages, and pocket pages. After the pages were done, I began thinking about embellishments for each page. For the chipboard I used some clear and copper embossing powders. To get embossing powder to stick to the chipboard, simply use VersaMark or another ink (like Delicata Black Shimmer ink), apply the powder and heat set. The 7DS collection kit comes with two sticker sheets, words and icons, one cardstock elements sheet, and one die cut tags sheet. The waterfall pages consist of 5, 4×6 panels. To create the glue tab, score each panel at a quarter inch and crease using a bone folder. Apply tape runner to the “tab” and beginning at the top, adhere each panel, placing the next panel tab right next to the one above. For the pockets, apply adhesive to the bottom, left, and right sides, leaving the top open to create the pocket.

Once the inside of the book was complete, I began working on the cover. Using a new Memory Hardware acrylic dome, a resin heart, some moss, a few rhinestones, some sequins, and rosette trim I built the focal piece of the album. Anything heavy was glued down using hot glue to make sure it would remain in place once the dome was sealed. HINT: If you paint anything that is going inside the dome make sure to let it dry completely and also rub your anti-static powder tool over any painted surfaces. Also, seal the dome to the backing paper using clear or matte Glossy Accents in a very thin layer. Using too much medium will make it seep into the dome and your floating bits will get stuck to the medium that seeped inside.

Up next, Kathleen Bement White. Make sure to visit and comment on all the blogs for a chance to win the giveaway!

I had so much fun creating this album. I hope it inspires you in your creative pursuits. If you started here, please visit the other talented team members listed below and leave them some blog love! Until next time, remember, creativity and imperfection live together in all we do. “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.”

~xoxo
Beanie

———– THE GIVEAWAYS ———–

	To qualify for the giveaway, make sure to follow and comment on each of the blogs. You have until 12/01/2016 to comment. The winner will be announced on the Nani ke Ola blog on Monday, 12/05/16! Good luck everyone!

For an additional giveaway, make sure to follow us (@nanik3ola, @beanie_me, @heifer21, and @lccrafts85) on Instagram and comment on the prize photo. You have until 12/01/16 to follow and comment. The winner will be announced on the @nanik3ola Instagram on 12/05/16! You can search Instagram using #NaniKeOlaBlogHop and when you receive your 7 Dots Studio goodies make sure to post pictures of your creations using this hashtag to join in the fun!

Supplies Used
Cotton Candy Collection Kit
Cotton Candy Chipboard
Cotton Candy Hex Stencil
Prima Marketing Memory Hardware Line

03
Oct
2016

World Card Making Day 2016

categories: Artful Pursuits, WCMD

So, this past Saturday was World Card Making Day (WCMD). After watching a FB live by Catherine Pooler, I decided to finally join StampNation, which is an online community for paper and mixed media crafters. I first learned about StampNation from My Sweet Petunia when they conducted a contest and the prize was a Stamp of Approval box from Catherine Pooler. Begun a year ago, SOA is a curated box of creativity for paper crafters. A new SOA filled with various products comes out each quarter and they always sell out (sometimes in a matter of hours, sometimes in a few days).

Anyway, I’d thought of joining SN over the past few months but I’d resisted. On Thursday Catherine did a FB live talking about what StampNation was planning for WCMD (actually a whole weekend of fun, with videos, prizes, tutorials, and challenges) and I decided to take the plunge and join. So far I’m not sorry I did. I spent a good part of Friday looking around the site and Saturday making cards for several of the challenges. I also made cards on Sunday. I’d meant to write this post on Saturday, but each time I was back at my computer it was to upload a new creation, not take the time to write a blog post.

Anyway, I wanted to blog about this so I decided to share a few of the things I created so far. We have until 10/22 to post our creations (there are over $450 in prizes) so I plan to join a few more challenges. It’s just what my creativity needed. Simultaneously, another friend posted a picture of a “half-a-puppy’s” worth of cards she was sending out to friends for WCMD and she encouraged us to send some snail mail love. I decided to join in and ended up sending out about 25 cards to friends. I put a little post-it inside with the following message: “Happy WCMD 2016! Pay it forward? Consider sending this (or another) card to a friend. Snail mail rules!” I had a lot of fun sending out snail mail to friends and enjoyed WCMD 2016 immensely. So much so, that I cannot wait for WCMD 2017!

Until next time, remember, creativity and imperfection live together in all we do. “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.”

~xoxo
Beanie

18
Sep
2016

The Great Crafty Escape of 2016

categories: Artful Pursuits

I have been so low on creativity lately that I decided to attend my friend Jennifer’s crafty weekend. She does this event twice each year (in the spring and the fall) at the local Hyatt House in Bellevue, WA. You get a 6′ table all your own in addition to snacks and goodies from Jennifer. The goal is to work on your unfinished or planned projects.

I attended this back in the spring and didn’t get much done, but I decided that I had a better plan of upcoming projects and would be more successful this time around. It’s funny, last time I was judicious and smart in my packing and didn’t get much done and this time I feel like I packed everything but the kitchen sink and got a lot done. Go figure.

One thing I knew for sure is that I didn’t want to do the whole weekend. Last time I was there Friday night, all day Saturday, and most of Sunday. It was simply too much and come Monday I was exhausted. So, I focused on Friday night and Saturday, leaving Sunday for rest and time with my best friend, which turned out to be perfect!

I had a bunch of new goodies from Lawn Fawn, Stampin’ Up, My Favorite Things, and Concord & 9th that I wanted to try out and I am happy to report that I was able to try out almost everything I brought. I created some Halloween treat bags that I will use for our intern team at work, I experimented with the new Concord & 9th Christmas Cottage stamps and dies, the new Lawn Fawn stitched pop-up hill dies, and some new unicorn and bear stamps from My Favorite Things. In addition, I got to play with my MISTI and a bunch of interactive dies.

Here are a few of the things I created:

I will confess that I don’t always support my local store, but I’ve been trying to get better about buying local. If you live in metro Seattle here are my three favorite places to shop: Ellen Hutson, Impress, and Urban Scrapbooker. The first is not a traditional brick and mortar store but has a great variety of products and manufacturers, the second has two great brick and mortar stores as well as a decent online shopping option, and the last has one of the best discounts available (a standing 15% off for Club Urbie members). Thank you for sharing some of your time with me today. Until next time, remember, creativity and imperfection live together in all we do. “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.”

~xoxo
Beanie

12
May
2016

Copic Jumpstart: Bonus Lesson

categories: Artful Pursuits, Copic Jumpstart

One of my favorite coloring mediums are Copic markers. While they are amazing, they can also be frustrating. How to blend them? What colors go together? I’ve long wanted to get a bit more education with Copics so I decided to take a Copic class with Sandy Allnock. If you are interested in taking the class, visit here to sign up. There is a cost savings if you sign up before class begins on May 27th!

Originally this class was to begin on May 6th, but due to the Copic marker shortage, was delayed until May 27th. For anyone who signed up by May 6th Sandy offered a bonus lesson, which she delivered on Friday. It was coloring a squirrel. The squirrel was a digital file that we could download and print onto our cardstock and then color. Several of the class members created fun squirrels (a pink one, one with a rainbow-colored tail, and many others). If you have an Instagram account you can view some of these here. I started out making one that followed the steps laid out and then I got a bit adventurous. Here are pictures of my two squirrels.

I am really looking forward to the first lesson on May 27th. I will do my best to post about my adventures working with Copics during this class. Until next time, remember creativity and imperfection live together in all we do. “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.”

~xoxo
Beanie

26
Apr
2016

2016: The Year of the Organizer

categories: Artful Pursuits, Get Organized

I am part of a group on FB called the Fun n’ Crafty Stampers and back in December our group leader challenged the group members to set some goals for 2016. This year may be the year of the monkey for those who follow the Chinese New Year calendar, but for me it’s the year of the organizer.

Initially, I resisted participating (as a rule, I am not a fan of resolutions for more on that see: I Resolve and No Is a Complete Sentence) but on January 9th I took the plunge, deciding to participate and creating two main goals for 2016:

Each month we report in on how we did on our goals that month. It’s been a great start to the year, with major strides in regular blogging and crafty space organization. Below are a few pictures of the organization projects that I completed in January, February, March, and April. Among the things tackled: wall unit to hold spray stains and stamps, labeled and organized all of my Distress products, new 4-drawer unit built and labeled, new large cabinet organized by supply type (washi, adhesive, paint, canvas, punches, etc), new sequin storage, and mounted and labeled embellishment cubbies.

In the works for May … die and matching stamp storage and researching 12×12 paper storage as well as a bit of purging of items to sell at the upcoming Crafty Garage Sale being held at the Holly Hills Clubhouse on June 11th from 10am to 2pm.

Until next time, remember creativity and imperfection live together in all we do. “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.”

~xoxo
Beanie

Favorite Organizational Supplies
Sequin Organization
Cubbies (wall mountable)
Really Useful Box Organizer
Tim Holtz Spinner
Ranger Product Labels
Avery Sticker Paper
Recollections Craft Storage Solutions
Brother P-Touch Label Maker