BUSY - ARGHHHH!

Well, I'm back from Vegas (ah, please, hold your applause. lol) And it's what I predicted: a LOT of work. So much learning, my brain is nearly full, a lot of NOT sightseeing, a moderate amount of celebrity sightings (Kim Kardashian, Cher, Tom Green...) and a lot of free alcohol. C'est la vie, non?

But now that it's September, things are really winding up (or is it winding down) with the shop. Things are so close, I can barely stand it. Today seemed like a fairly monumentous day for me, but in all reality, little tiny steps have been taken towards this for about five months now. Guh. I can't wait for it to be over and done with. But the shop is getting busier and busier. It's really insane right about now, which is nothing but good news for now and the future. XD

I've managed to catch some paying craft orders, which makes me very happy I can justify the craft spending and FORCE myself to take the time to craft. I'm just quite puzzled with my new invitation order. She seems to want everything except the kitchen sink thrown in - and very crazy, loud colors. I may need someone to help myself or the bride edit some things. Simple and elegant cards are more my forte. Maybe what I need to do is swap projects with Amy - she's super fantastic at these fabulously colored, multi faceted projects, and I like the simpler things... Which is what sh's working on at the moment also. The biggest issue I'm having is how to attach the see through vellum to the card. She doesn't want ribbon, or brads, or eyelets. And if we glue them together, you can see through the vellum. Gah! I should get back to the drawing board. Literally. She wants a silk screen of sea shells all over the invitation. I really need to get practicing drawing...

Leaving on a jet plane...

Well, today is the day I fly off to vegas for a Minuteman Press convention. It'll pretty much rock. I hope. Except for the heat. And the crowds. And the sore feet. But other than that, if I have to be working somewhere, it might as well be in Los Vegas for a while. So, I won't be around for a while. Like I was around much anyway. ha ha. I will hope to find something nifty or crafty or *something* I can post here. Hopefully it won't be all work, no play. And hopefully I won't lose my fortune on the penny slots. (crosses fingers) So wish me luck with the heat (I don't do so well in the heat). And I hope to be back blogging soon.

Long time no post!

Well, it's been over a month since my last post, and though I've been super busy, there's NOTHING NEW! Eep! How can that be? Well, it's not exactly true, let me summarize my month:

My super special secret project I've been hinting at is almost finalized! Yay! A few select people who are "in the loop" know about it and I can talk freely with them. That's been a huge relief. I still want to wait until things are more final before I say much. And by that, I mean I want to wait until I have more signatures on papers and our lawyers are satisfied. But needless to say, it's been progressing at the rate satisfactory to us. Every day more gets done, and I'm beginning to feel like my brain has been replaced with a business zombie. I don't think I'm obsessed about it, but it seems to be one of the few topics of conversation I'm capable of. Duh.

The radio station is still in limbo. Not that it's a bad thing. (see previous posts for info on said radio station). We had the CRTC hearing the first week in June. I think it went well. And at the end they said "thank you for participating, we'll get back to you on our decision whenever the hell we feel like it. Oh, say end of August. Or maybe September. Hell, don't be surprised if we don't let you know until October." And by "letting us know" they actually mean no person will ever call us or contact us with the information. We must look every day on the CRTC website, where they post all the information on an obscure link. Niiice. I guess that's the government for you. So nothing new, please stop asking me. (ha ha, I keed...)

My daughter continues to be a force in the swimming pool. She was a consistant medal winner throughout the summer at her tournaments (two bronze medals, two silver, one gold) and then she had regionals. Well, if my heart could've burst with pride, it would have. I was trying ont to let her get her hopes up because all the best swimmers in the region come out for this meet. We were not expecting her to get to the finals, but she did just that. Qualified in ALL her races (four of them, no relay) and then in finals: three first place finishes and one second place finish! OMG! She was crying, I was weepy eyed. A great mother/daughter moment! This means she's going to the provincials in ALL her events! Yeah! Unfortunately, I will not be attending the provincials. I have a conference I have to go to that's been booked for a year. So I will be spending my second year wedding anniversary AND my daughter's provincial swim meet alone in Las Vegas.

And for every weekend that has not been a swim meet (nearly all of them were) we've tried to camp, boat or relax, and none of that has worked out yet. Not even one little tiny craft! Eep! Although tonite I'm going to sit down and craft a really cool card I had an idea for. It's a corset card, and will be for my sister in law's wedding tomorrow. She's doing a really cool medieval themed wedding (the cake topper is a dragon!) Totally awesome! So I'll get that card done, and will post pictures to prove I'm really still alive. LOL So a wedding this weekend, vegas next weekend, then august is half over! I'm gearing up for quite a few craft projects soon though. Wedding invitations etc. I'm looking forward to September for several reasons though. My special little project will be finalized, which will free up my time...

Other than that, I wanted to let all of you know that the new Stampin' Up! Catalogue is finally here! Yay!! It looks awesome! Please let me know if you want to buy one ($13 each) Or get one FREE (host a party) Whoever books a party with me in September will get a FREE stamp set in addition to the catalogue! If you are a lot like me and don't have any time for a party but still would like to browse a catalogue or place a catalogue order, please contact me!

Have a fun August, keep crafting, and I'll see you all back in September!
ciao!

Finally! A Craft to Post!!

Well, after my very cranky post yesterday, I'm glad to be posting a much happier note today. :) I de-crankified by complaining and bitching to just about everyone, and finally got it out of my system. And then to make a newly happy me even happier, my friend emailed me the pictures of her chip and dip set! :)

The chip and dip set is ceramic. I went to Crankpots on Whyte Avenue in Edmonton. They're a pottery store that has all unfinished pieces. You pick the piece you want - each piece has its own price - and then for a $20 studio fee you can sit in their shop and paint the ceramics. If you're not done, you can come back and finish it later. Once you are done, you leave it there to be fired in their kiln. I've gone there a few times now, and it's a lot of fun. The pieces I've painted are painted in Hot Tamale Red and Rawhide Brown. I decided to keep it really simple and paint it in two colors that remind me of my friend. I painted the platter in all brown, then painted the edge with the red, and painted a heart in the middle. I painted the dip cup all red on the outside, and then brown in the middle, to provide a nice contrast. Once I was done painting the colors, I bought a special paint called "blooming crystals". It's full of hunky chunks, and once you put it in the scorching heat of the kiln, the chunks melt into the paint, providing a "bloom" of color overtop your base color. I decided to paint all the brown with a blooming color called spiced banana. It had brown and yellow small flecky crystals. It sort of reminded me of banana bread. I really like how it turned out (especially because I had no way of seeing the finished product before Tabitha received it!) I like how the crystals can be seen over the red edging and red heart. I made sure to coat the red extra well, so you can't see the brush strokes, but I decided to do the exact opposite on the brown parts - I made sure to leave obvious brush strokes to give it a more authentic and rustic pottery feel. I'm glad she loves it, I'm just going to have to paint myself one now! I'm terribly addicted to going to Crankpots now. It's a lot of fun, and best of all, it's a quite place away from home that I can sit, relax and craft. Hmmm. I wonder if I can play hooky from work to go...

Bitchy!

That accurately describes my mood lately. Bitchy. I don't even feel like I just came back from a four day vacation. The vacation itself was lovely! We camped out at the family farm, got a lot of boating and tubing in, the weather was glorious, and we had lots of fun away from all the craziness of real life. But, bright and early this morning reality came pounding back with a vengence. Arg! Even though I was slathering myself with SPF 50 sunscreen several times a day throughout the weekend, I managed to burn myself to a lovely lobster red. I tried toning down the redness with a self tanner, but that only managed to make the red more intense. And it hurts! Like a sonofagun! At least I know THIS pain is quite temporary. Everything else seems to have no end in sight.

I don't know if it's the hot and humid weather we're having lately (don't get me wrong - I LOVE the sunshine. Seeing the sun, and getting to enjoy the nice weather is great) but it's TOO hot for my liking, and it seems to make me and everyone else grumpy. I had to deal with unhappy customer after unhappy customer at the shop today. Sigh. Everything seems to be going as smoothly as the warts on a witches nose lately. The employees are restless, I'm restless, the owner's restless. The project Rob and I are working on seems no farther along than two months ago. Hurry up and wait. Hurry and wait. Wait. Everything seems to be in limbo, and I'm sick and tired of it all. Sick and tired is absolutely right. I've caught every single bug going around - and caught it twice. When I haven't been dealing with respiratory infections, eyeball infections, pnemonia, colds, flu bugs, I've been stuck with a mysterious runny nose, and a complete lack of energy to do anything. I thought the weekend away would recharge my batteries, but all it's done is clog all the problems into a shorter time frame to fix. One day back from my vacation, and I'm already ready for the weekend.

I was supposed to go to a pen turning class at Lee Valley with a friend tomorrow, but due to lack of registrants, it was cancelled. Yuck! I really wanted to make my very own pen (all my friends know me as the pen whore) I guess I'll just pile that up on the list of disapointments. :(

Lucky I managed to squeeeeeze in a small craft project for one of my oldest friends' wedding. Tabitha. I've known her since grade 6 and due to a lucky twist in fate have gotten back in touch with her this year. I got down to Crankpots in Edmonton and painted a beautiful ceramic chip and dip set. Or, at least I think it's beautiful! I couldn't get it fired in the kiln in time for the wedding, so I let her know when it was ready for pick up, and she let me know today she got it, and loves it. I can't wait to see pictures of it so I can post them here! It's been the only real craft project I got in for the past several weeks. I'll post pictures as soon as I have them. That, and her kamakaze wedding and my vacation has been the only real fun I've had in a while. (sigh)

I'm hoping to get back to the gym. My doctor has had strict instructions for me to avoid public places like gyms and swimming pools until I've been symptom free for at least a week. I can't wait to get some schedule of normalcy again. I want to lose some of this excess weight in hopes that's been making me feel tired and run down. I go for my assessment today. Hopefully the prognosis isn't too grim. But, I just won't think about it. Just close my eyes and leap.

And because it makes me happy, I have posted a few pictures from my awesome weekend. Enjoy!

PS - I swear I'll get pics of me modelling my merkin and tassels soon - as well as some of my new hats. I {heart} hats!

Hair!

I haven't blogged in SUCH a long time! It's been so busy, with my projects that I've been doing. I've started stamping a recipe book that I thought would be my "fun summer project". Uh huh. If it gets past the stage it's currently at, I'll be surprised. And amazed. Right now, I've got about 30 recipe cards with the lines stamped on. And that's about it. I still have to ... well, do everything including figure out what recipes I want to put in the book, and write them on the cards. Forget about assembling everything! Sheesh!

But I did partake in one of my favorite crafts last week - changing my hair! Maybe it's not traditionally a craft, but it is pretty awesome! In my life I've had my hair a multitude of colors (brown, blonde, black, red, cherry red, blue, green, purple, yellow, orange, fire engine red, and a combination of all of those.) And my hair has been all lengths (including almost bald thanks to an oopsie that had me chemically burn the hair off my head - right before Christmas! hee hee...)
So just this past week, I finally got sick of trying to grow it out, and got it cut into nifty layers including bangs! I haven't had bangs in forever. They're side sweeping, covering my left eye and they're driving me NUTS! Oh well. It looks good. I got my hair dyed jet black (my favorite color for my hair for the past two years) with cherry red "panels" of color chunked in. This will keep me happy until I'm sick of it next. However long that will take.

Other than that, my summer has been filled with playing catch up. Rob and I are still working on our secret project, which is less time intensive, but still taking a lot of time. And that leaves no time for anything else. One day a week we're furiously cleaning the house because we haven't had any time to do it any other day. The weekends are a wash because Kathleen is in swim club, and every weekend is a tournament. She's doing really well. She's got a whole bunch of "beat my time" ribbons and has won first, second or third in nearly most of her races, and even took home gold (for best overall) at one swim meet, and a bronze at another. I'm so proud of her, and she loves it, which makes giving up every weekend worth it, but it still leaves us with NO TIME! Ahhh! I figure I can rest when I'm dead. That just leaves me with one problem: when am I gonna get time to do my crafts?!

Busy busy busy busy...

I've had some pretty awesome stuff I've been wanting to blog for a while, (I've found the BEST repent sinner cards I have been DYING to post pics of) but unfortunately I've had so much to do and such little time. Not even one evening of crafts have been squished into my crazy busy schedule. :( (sigh)

I've got my own personal crafts, some 3-D boot shaped party favors to make, wedding invites to finish, pants to hem, a whole house to clean, I must get over all my infectious illnesses so I can be cleared to go back to the gym so I can feel guilty about NOT going to the gym. Work has been super crazy busy, and THEN I get a call yesterday asking me to testify at the CRTC hearings! Eep!

If you don't remember (or have started reading my blog more recently) I had posted a few months back that my boss had put together an application to obtain a broadcasting license for am FM station for the County of Leduc. It's this big, huge, long and technical process just to put the application in, and then if it's accepted, you have to appear before a panel of experts who ask questions, point out problems, clarify facts in your application. Well, that was yesterday, and I was asked to appear and speak on behalf of my boss. I was honoured to be asked, and excited to be a larger part of the entire process, so I went. It was a really interesting day. I got to see how the process works, see other applicants pleading their case, and answering questions. I got to speak about the research done and programming. I feel a bit bad about not answering more questions, but if I did, I would probably be feeling bad about saying the wrong thing. Heh. So now it's a waiting game. Wait for their decision. It's only a few months away...

Nippleicious!

I've had a very busy week! I've had birthdays and anniversaries and parties and out of town visitors! Oh my! But that also means I have awesome things to write about this week.
Wednesday was my big 3-0 birthday! I had not been stressing or worrying about "no longer being in my 20's" even though I think that's what the mainstream media wants you to believe. I think there's a certain grace and elegance to aging. And I was certainly sick of hearing "you're ONLY in your twenties?" I dunno. I think a certain amount of credibility goes with you when you've got wisdom and experience (aka age).
Despite not being very worried about my big day, I didn't want a giant birthday, so I opted for my usual wednesday night karaoke, and invited friends and family (and strangers) to come out and help me ring in my new age. It was wonderful. Lots of people I love showed up, and I got some amazing home made gifts! Two gifts stood out, and they're the subject of this post:
Nipple Tassels.
What is it about getting older and wiser? I've always been very secure with myself and I like to think I'm fairly confident, so it was hilarious to get not one but THREE pair of nipple tassels! Hooray for older, sexy and confident women! Of course, these were to go with my new fuzzy, glittery merkin that was a present from Amy. (please go to her blog at http://themadstamper.blogspot.com/ I have learned a lot from Amy who I lovingly refer as my Craft Guru. She's awesome to the power of ten!)
She made set #1 of the nipple tassels. Hers were made with purple sequins with a border of pink sequins glued to fabric shaped in a cone. Long white tassels dangling from the center complete the look. They match wonderfully my blue and green merkin she also made. (merkin is a public wig that became a fashion accessory for hookers in the 15th and 16th century. When a hooker had an STD, part of the treatment was shaving the pubic area, so if a potential customer realized she had no pubic hair, that was a tip off that she was 'dirty' so the wig was created so that the hooker wouldn't lose business after treatment. Now merkins are making a come back as "outerwear" for clubbing, and berlesque shows)
Set #2 was made by my sister Cindy, who although wasn't able to celebrate with me, she made some awesome nipple tassels. This pair, was created by forming foampaper into cones, and then gluing fine pink blue and copper glitter into a heart shaped pattern with copper colored tassels glued in the center.
Set #3 was given to me by Cindy, but made by her friend. These are very traditional pasties with gold sequins glued onto the foam cone, and red twisty tassels glued in the center. I love them all, and can't wait to try them out!

They're a quick and easy craft project! Adhere the tassels and merkin using eyelash glue, spirit glue or double sided tape, hold (hold firmly, but don't press too hard) while glue is drying (between 5 and 10 minutes) then shimmy and shake! I will get pictures up eventually of me modeling these wonderful creations, but until then, you can admire these pics.

Happy Mother's Day

This post may be coming just a tad too late, but I thought it would be fitting to write a little something for all the mothers out there. Happy Mother's Day. You are all appreciated, and all special to a lot of people. Even if sometimes you don't feel appreciated. You are.
I could write a long and gushy note about the power of motherhood, and how special moms are, but I think you all know it in your own special ways. So, to all the mothers, grandmothers, mother stand-ins, give yourself a pat on the back, and know that you have changed the lives of so many.

And being a mom myself, I couldn't be more proud of moms everywhere, and am honored to have so many in the ranks that have done so much. Happy Mother's Day!

Star Trek Beaded Bliss

I don't know if this counts as "art", or as "crafts" or both. Or does it even matter? American artist Devorah Sperber creates wonderful works of art using Star Trek as her subject matter. The sheer amount of work that goes into her pieces boggles the mind. Her works include beads strung on mono-fillament, pictures woven with chenille stems (or pipecleaners, in lay terms), spools of thread hung on wires, and then hung. Some require special viewing. I would like to explain, or describe her work, but no words I put to it seems adequate enough. Or maybe I'm just too high on Dayquil.
Check out her website, and especially the Star Trek link http://www.devorahsperber.com/ It's awe-inspiring for geeks and non-geeks alike.

Doesn't feel like May...

Today is May Day! Grab a ribbon and dance around the ol' Maypole! Traditionally it's the celebration of winter's end, but on this grey and wet day, I'm not so sure it's really over at all. We've had rain, sleet and snow this week, and the weather fortunetellers aren't sounding too optimistic. But, I love May Day partially because it signals the exact two week mark before my birthday. A birthday that I'm fairly excited about despite it being the big 3-0. What's the big deal about it anyway? The awkward teens are over, your insecure and partied out 20's are behind you, and when you're 30, you have things mostly together, you're secure, confident and it's when things really start to come together! So many exciting things are starting to happen to me and in my life, and I can' help but think experience has a lot to do with that. Besides if I got all upset at this birthday, how the heck am I gonna react to my 40's?? So while I'm not depressed about my birthday, I AM depressed about this weather. When are we gonna get some SUN?

May Day is steeped in many traditions. A primarily pagan celebration to mark the end of winter, christians "sanitized" the holiday after they brought Christianity to the pagans. But now it's sort of an excuse in much of the world not to work. Mostly Europe and Australia. It's become "Worker's Day" or "Labor Day" and celebrations range from Catholic Masses at midnight, to marathons, a drink-fest, a day honoring the monarchy, parades, feasts, and Scotland has a mass midnight skinny dip - which is totally awesome! You can even get lei'd in Hawaii for Lei Day. In France, young men give sprigs of Lily of the Valley to their romantic interests, who accept the flower with a kiss. That's a sort of romantic idea, especially because that flower is the official flower of May. Let's just not bring up that Lily of the Valley is traditionally used in funerals. M-kay?

So while we suckers have to work here in North America, let's not forget our pagan or christian roots, or if you're just looking for an excuse to miss work, drink, feast, kiss, get le'i'd, skinnydip, run around, or dance merrily around a pole - or all of the above - celebrate May Day if only to forget about this crappy weather, and to kick off the countdown to my birthday!

Last Spring Class

My last spring craft class was a hit! We made all sorts of wonderful paper lanterns and decorations to deck the halls in preparation of spring. We'd had horrible snow over the last couple weeks, and I for one had been getting some serious spring fever! Oy... But yesterday and today were warm with no snow in sight, so I'm just going to forget that there's sleet and snow in the forecast for the rest of the week and weekend. I really don't want snow this weekend. We've got so many things planned for outside... Like the bottle drive for K's swim team, the rodeo and fair in Leduc, and the parade (where I will be handing out balloons for the rug rats...) Nope, it just *can't* snow...

Enjoy the chinese lantern pics. I'm excited to begin work on my own craft projects for the next month or two...

Embossing Projects!

Here are some of the pictures from the embossing class. All supplies are Stampin' Up! It's a shame you can't see all the pretty, shiny, happy details in these pictures (and we did about eight projects - not all of them are pictured here), but it was a really fun class, and we all ended up with embossing powder and glitter all over our clothes, hair, and my house. I've been finding glitter for days now. You know it's been fun when the cleanup takes a long time! I think we all honed our embossing skills quite a bit! All the techniques we used can be found on the Stampin' Up! website at www.stampinup.com

Tomorrow I have my final spring class - the Crop-A-Dile class! I've got tons of fun projects planned, most of them to celebrate spring in your house - and out!

Ceiling Cat is Watching You...

Nearly everyone I know is familiar with this internet cliche. If not, do some googling and you soon will be acquainted. For everyone else... Ceiling Cat is now available in CRAFT FORM! Yay! My friend TwystNeko introduced me to this wonderful paper craft, and now ceiling cat watches me craft... I'll admit it's a little creepy, but there's far worse things he could be watching...

Holy Helium, Batman!

As far back as I can remember I've always wanted to (and always thought it would be super cool) have my very own helium tank. I think every kid has similar thoughts. You can do so much with helium and helium balloons! Kids fantasize about filling entire rooms with them, inflating enough to lift you to the moon, inhaling the helium to sound like cartoon characters (and although I don't endorse this - it IS a common thought among kids).

So guess what I get to pick up tomorrow? A helium tank! Seriously! I'm so excited, I feel just like a little kid...

I'm going to blow up balloons for a trade show, and then for the Leduc Rodeo parade :)

No time for real posts

I apologize... I haven't been a good blogger. :( I have been all work and no play, therefore, no updates on *my* crafts. I've been doing a fair bit, but no time for pictures and uploading. I've got all the samples from my embossing class - which was a success, and I can't wait to share the pictures with you, but until I get less busy, or God puts a few extra hours in a day, or I can evolve to require less sleep, you'll just have to make due with what I got.

Which today, is a friend's website. She is amazingly talented, and has an artistic viewpoint very different from mine. Her images are beautiful and thought provoking. I'd call her a digital artist, creating all her designs (on her website) through digital media. And she has a blog that I think most people can relate to. Please enjoy: http://kinetickarma.com/

And I'll be back soon with pictures of the embossing class projects. But before I can get those to you, I'm going to have to make all my samples and cut materials for the Crop-A-Dile class on Friday. I have nothing prepared so far, and only tuesday and thursday to work on it. Wish me luck!

Getting on my soap box...

HELP SUPPORT A NEW LEDUC RADIO STATION!

Okay, so it's not a 'craft' per sey, but I'm using my 'circle of influence' to get the word out on a project that I've been working on for 18 months! My boss - Mark Tamagi has put in an application to the CRTC to apply for a broadcasting license for am FM radio station for the city of Leduc and Leduc County. The application has been approved, however the frequency that we've asked for (102.3FM) has been requested by someone in Edmonton trying to start ANOTHER Edmonton station. We want, we NEED that one since it's the only frequency to reach all of Leduc County. And it would be pointless to have a Leduc County station that does not represent everyone in the County. SO... We're asking everyone who wishes to show their support for local radio to sign a petition, or write a letter of support. Our goal is to have so many letters of support to show the CRTC that this is a desired service. We would like 1000 letters of support and 5000 signatures on the petition by April 28. View the application at Minuteman Press at Leduc, or go to the CRTC website at www.crtc.gc.ca If you would like to offer your support, send me an email saying you support CRTC application # 2007-0994-1 for an FM Radio station. Email them to me at smitygirl~at~hotmail.com with your name, address and phone number. Please know your information will be used in strictest confidence. Thanks for all your help! It's exciting to be a part of something so groundbreaking! And the most exciting part is yet to come... I'll keep all of you posted on details as they emerge!
Alana

Love, Robot

I just got back from our last ski trip of the year. Jasper was beautiful this time of year! I only wish I brought my camera to show you some of the beautiful sights we saw. And, I am appropriately tired and sore. :)

So, without having any new crafts yet (though I hope to get to my craft room today) I had to search for something crafty to blog about. A few weeks ago, me and a friend decided to try out Crankpots on Whyte Avenue in Edmonton. It's a ceramic store and everything in it is not painted yet. You choose your piece, your paints and paint it yourself. Then, they put it into the kiln for you, and: voila! Your very own one-of-a-kind masterpiece! I chose a robot. I can't wait to go back and paint some more things. Maybe a set of coasters, each one with a homestarrunner character on it...
Enjoy the pictures of my 'bot. I've lovingly named him Love Robot. Not to be confused with a Love-Love Monster...

Have a good Sunday everyone, and remember my craft class on Friday is embossing techniques. I've got about five or six projects, and there's room if you are interested in attending.

First Craft Class a Success!

Wow! Thanks to everyone who came to the first craft class of the year! We had so much fun crafting paper bag scrapbooks! Everyone's projects turned out gorgeously - and all were so different! I love seeing the wide variety of ideas that come out. I always walk away with such great ideas. Great job everyone!
Next class is the embossing technique class April 11 at 7. Hope to see you all there!

I am an idiot...

So I totally screwed up and booked our last ski trip of the year at the same time the embossing class was scheduled. D'oh! So, it's been moved to April 11 @ 7. I hope you can come - I've got LOTS of awesome projects planned.

So, here's an updated class list etc.

- Crop A Dile class April 25 at 7.

- Photobox class will be cancelled if there is less than two people signed up. March 27 @ 2:00 pm (there is currently nobody signed up)

- The Magnetic Photo Holder class has come and gone, but if there is enough interest, will be rescheduled.

- Everyone invited and welcome to attend! Last minutes are okay too just call ahead so I have a chair to put you in!

- If you have an idea for a class, a technique you would like to learn, or are interested in becoming part of a monthly stamp / scrap / craft group - please let me know!

Thinking of Hosting a Workshop?
Hosting a workshop is fun & easy! Invite your family & friends to your house, and I will come over demonstrate some crafts! Everything I show becomes yours to keep! Your guests will also get to try techniques and do projects for them to take home! At the end of the workshop, you and your guests will have the opportunity to purchase items seen during the demonstration (or anything in the catalogue!) The more orders that come in, the more free stuff you get to pick out! This is a fun way to spend an evening with your friends, and earn lots of free craft stuff!
See me anytime during the class, sign up and get an extra free gift (you will receive at your party). You can also schedule a workshop anytime by calling or emailing me.

FLOWERS!

I have it on pretty good authority that we Albertans are having a nicer winter than a lot of the rest of the world. Not to rub it in, but we're pretty smug about that, since we are the ones in winter-hell. But spring has sprung, the grass is almost-ris. I wonder where the flowers is? Wonder no more. I finally have the flowers I've been promising you!
This was created with all Stampin' Up! stuff. And at a mass-crafting rally at my house, we created hundreds of variations on this theme. But this was my favorite, so I'll share it with you. Something about the combination of blue and orange that make me nostalgic...Oilers? No. Can't guess? This was the color of the bathroom in my house growing up! Yay for color!

And here's a teaser for my next entry: MORE FLOWERS!

Happy Bunnday!

Okay, so it's not a craft, but these are the cutest pictures ever, and I had to share them with you.
Our little family includes a very sweet, loveable and mischevious rabbit named George. He's a brown French Lop, and we loved him the minute he hopped into our lives. We like teh bunniehs.
And with Easter just passing us by, the number of bunny pictures floating around is truly amazing. I would like to share with you my favorites.
And if you want more cuteness than you can shake a stick at, please visit www.cuteoverload.com for more bunnies and kitties and doggies ...

Happy ... er ... Easter?

Yeah, so I've been sick with respiratory infections, pneumonia, and I've caught a terrible case of Packratitis. Yep, it's bad. Causes me to be in a near catatonic state while playing the game. Irritability and irrational behavior surface, and a tendancy towards obsessive compulsiveness.
So I really don't have a *good* excuse to my absence, the only thing I can offer is: pictures! Yay! These are on an Easter theme, and don't start bugging me that easter is over. I know, I know, but it was unusually early this year, and it still FEELS like it. So there.
Now enjoy the pictures of our annual egg-stravaganza.

Kathleen made a Ukranian Pysanka this year at the Ukranian Village, and Rob and I made the usual eggs dipped in food coloring method. I was as acutely artistic as possible, and he made all his eggs an hommage to his family. Aw...

Craft Classes!!

I don't know how many people actually read this, or how many people OUTSIDE my normal realm of contact read this, but I figured it just can't hurt to advertise my craft classes here too. All my classes are $10 (supplies extra) and I have room in all that are listed here. Come out for good company, crafting and a drink or two.

March 28/08 Paper Bag Scrapbook Class 7:00
We will be using ordinary brown paper bags to create beautiful scrapbooks. (Please call in advance to order your simply scrappin' kit for the class. Also bring scissors, glue and any of your own supplies/paper/embellishments that you would like to use for the scrapbook.)

April 4/08 Embossing Class 7:00
We will be learning about five new embossing techniques to beautify your own projects. No supplies are needed for this class.

April 25/08 Crop a Dile Class 7:00
Let us demystify this wonderful embellishment tool. Learn how to use all the different settings to make 5 unique and beautiful projects. Bring your own scissors and glue.

Anyone interested in signing up for any of these classes can email me at agueutal@gmail.com or leave a comment on the blog.

Still Sick.

This is one of the longest illnesses I've had in recent memories. Which sucks on so very many levels. By the time I actually blog my craft flowers, real ones will be growing from the ground...
Since I don't have any real energy to blog today, I'm going to point you in the direction of my craft mentor - Amy. She's so talented in so many ways, and I'm a richer person for knowing her. Check out her blog - it doesn't accurately showcase exactly how talented she is.
http://themadstamper.blogspot.com/

But I'm going to go crawl to a corner, and continue coughing up a lung. Wish me well... (coughcoughcough)
a

Crafts of another color...

So I was just diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and laryngitis. Fun. At least I get to nosh for the next two weeks on freezies, pudding, jello, popsicles, lollipops and gingerale without guilt (take THAT, diet!) Which means I've had next to no energy to craft, which is especially poopy since my cousin has been sending me such amazing ideas through email.
And I've had no energy to blog either, which means the giant backlog of wonderful blog themes continue to just sit there. I promise - flowers will be coming soon. After this crappy weather, and how crappy I've been feeling, I can't WAIT to blog about some pretty flowers.
But until then, I'm coming up with a cheap cop-out: pointing out another wonderfully crafty friend of mine - TwystNeko. He's all kinds of creative, and his passion is balloons. You should totally check out his stuff: www.balloonaday.com. And if you have a couple hours to kill on a Monday, he does a webcast where he makes balloons LIVE on the internet on request. Too much fun.
Enjoy!

artblog

Phew! What a day - I was out all weekend long with a nasty virus, and got well *just* in time to vote. Did you vote tonite?
I actually had a tiny bit of time to do some of my very own personal crafting - on my skin! I love the whole art of body modification. The history of, cultural aspects, the plain ol' beauty of it. I went back to the place where my first ever piercing was done - Ritualistics. And in a plain blue room littered with fake zombie parts hanging from the ceiling, by a man with horns, I commissioned my very own private piece of art.
Yes, it hurt.

Tomorrow - flowers!

Welcome to the World!

Eh. Attempt number. Oh, I'd say about five for blogs I've attempted. This one - I promised myself - will be different. It will be. It has to be. I have interesting, relevant things to say and show, and I will do that here.
I'll have crafty links, and post pictures of all the different creative things I'm going to be up to. Photoshop, papercrafts, sewing, knitting, rubber stamping, card making, silk screening - not just mine, but the whole world of craft is my oyster...
Once I figure out what the hell I'm doing. But in the mean time, here's a picture of a zombie.

Zombies R0X0rzzz!