Snow, Snow and More Snow

This is what's been going on at our house for the last week. We've had an extra week of Christmas vacacation due to snow days. I came out and took these early in the morning before anything but deer had messed up the perfect smooth snow. This is the nice sticky snow that piles up on branches and such quite nicely. It also packs together wonderfully for...

making a sledding hill and...

igloos. Daddy and a neighbor spent a couple of hours building this great little igloo. Throughout the night it has been snowing on it and adding thickness to the walls. The great thing is, with all that work, it looks like it won't be melting yet for a little while. Some forcasts are reporting another possible 6 - 10 inches today on the valley floor. Great for snow forts...not so great for anniversary trips and holiday travels. Although they are still predicting rain for Christmas, blech. For now we'll just enjoy the snow.

Shabby Deer

I made this card with one of Tim Holtz' new stamp sets, Reindeer Flight. Swirl is stamped in Gold Embossing Powder, then I ran the top part of the card through the Cuttlebug machine in the Swiss Dots embossing folder before applying several colors of Adirondack Paint Dabbers.
Also used:
VersaMark Ink and clear embossing powder
Lace by Rusty Pickle (I think)
Grungeboard hinge

What Have You Done...

I saw this list on a blog that I visited, and thought it was fun.
You copy and paste this list, then go through it and make the things that you have done bold.
So here goes...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (a little bit of one anyway-Swahili-in case you wondered)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (that depends on what you call rock climbing - I climbed up a dry waterfall-no ropes-and was really truly scared trying to get back down)
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt (helped anyway)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Kerri Walsh)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

You know, it's amazing, my life hasn't even been that long yet, and I've done a lot more than this list represents. I've been so very blessed to get to do the many things that I've done in my life.

A few more fun things that I've done that weren't on the list:
-Swam in the Dead Sea
-memorized 3 chapters of my Bible
-beat my husband at Ping Pong (not recently unfortunately)
-gotten cards published
-been to Zanzibar
-backflipped off of a giant rock (not the smartest thing I've ever done)
-written a song
-flown an airplane

Sooo, what have you done?
If you post this list on your blog let me know and leave a link here in your comments so we can all check it out.

Orange and Purple Christmas?

I believe that this is a color combo that I have never put together before, but I love it. My neighbor stopped by my house the other day, so I showed her some new stamps that I was working with, and asked her to look at each one and tell me what she thought of...color, feeling, etc. She gave me some great inspiration. Sometimes it's just great to look at things from someone else's perspective. Of course this is true of life as well as art. Thanks Amy!

They did it!!!!

WOW! What an incredible game!!! The Sheridan Spartan team played amazing volleyball and managed to come out with a win against Valley Catholic. They are now Oregons' 3A State Champions! I couldn't be prouder of Matt and his team.
Before we didn't get any sleep because of nervous excitement. Last night we didn't get any sleep because of pure excitement and adrenaline. The Spartan volleyball team hasn't won a state title since 1977, so this is a HUGE deal. Great job Spartans!!!

Go Spartans!

Well, it hasn't always been pretty, but we've made it through to the Championship Game! Tonight (ironically enough), we play against Valley Catholic, who was the #2 seed from our league, in the State Championship game. It's going to be a great battle for the championship!

Congratulations to the Sheridan Spartans!

I have to brag a little bit today. My husband coaches the Sheridan Highschool volleyball team and last night was a great night for the Spartans. The girls won the league championship game last night against a very tough team from Valley Catholic in Portland.

It was a really great game! I am so proud of my husband. I know that I am just a little bit biased, but I think he is a really great coach, and am so happy for the teams' success.

In addition to winning the league title, all 6 of the starting players received all league awards with 3 making the first team, 2 making the second team, and another receiving honorable mention. Matt also received Coach of the Year.

We have now had two nights in a row of little sleep, the first being anxious lack of sleep, the second being excited lack of sleep. It's going to be fun to watch them play in the state tournament!

Now, on to other things...the following picture is from the Autumn Deer Framed Art class. If you need a great gift idea for someone special, this just could be the class you are looking for. This is a very detailed project, and the results are amazing.

Kodomo Inc.

Yeah, it has finally appeared. I am so excited to be able to share this with you. Do you remember this post: http://asteiosart.blogspot.com/2008/05/kodomo-fun.html
Well, I can finally show you the rest of the project. This is just one picture of this project. It is a beautiful set of cards stored in a wooden box. These are not just any cards...you have to check them out in more detail. Pictures and detailed instructions are now posted on the Kodomo Inc. website. You can find the details here: http://kodomoinc.com/ideas.html
I love this industry!!!

Fabulous Fall Class Projects

These are 2 of the 4 cards we will be completing in the Fabulous Fall class coming up. This class includes the Fabulous Fall cling mounted stamp set by Art Impressions. This set includes 4 different leaf images, an acorn, and 3 sayings. It is a very beautiful and versatile set.

I wish you could see the shine on these cards. I believe I counted 5 or more different metallic mediums that we will be using in this class.

A Chance to Give

Dominic's fundraiser is coming right up. If you are not a regular on my blog you can read more details about my niece Dominic below. These details were previously posted on my blog so if you have already read this you can just skip down to the next photo.

Dominic had a g-tube placed when she was 14 days old due to urgent need of complete nutrition that would help her overcome all the challenges she presented at birth. These challenges included low birth weight (4.6 lb. at 39 weeks gestation), small head, an area of damage in her brain, two small holes in her heart and a severe bilateral cleft lip and palate.She has received surgery to repair her palate and lip, but has been receiving 99% of her nutrition from her g-tube (a small apparatus surgically placed in the stomach allowing food to be deposited there directly, bypassing the mouth and esophagus).

Dominic doesn’t experience food like you and I. She has oral sensitivities, poor oral motor skills, fear, and negative associations (like vomit or pain) with food that she needs to overcome. For Dominic moving food in her mouth in a way that is necessary to eat is not natural, it is hard work.Dominic is medically ready to wean from her g-tube to oral feeding, but she needs some help.

There is a therapy available in Washington called Rapid Wean directed especially for kid just like Dominic that could have her eating significant amounts of food orally in a matter of 14 days. (to learn more visit http://tofthouse.com/ )Dominic will be entering this therapy in October, but does not have insurance that will cover the costs of this therapy. God has already been blessing Dominic and her family, and much of the money has already been raised, but as the time draws nearer, there is more that I want to do to ensure that Dominic gets the therapy she needs in order to continue growing and developing into the sweet little girl that God made her to be.

Dominic feeding her baby.

If you live in the area and are interested in helping out...this is the invitation that is being sent out to friends, family, and people who care:

YOU ARE INVITED!!!!...

To an open-house cardmaking fundraiser.

When? This Friday, September 26
What time? 3-9pm
Where? At the Scrap-a-Latte store in McMinneville, OR
(Located on Hwy 99w betweenFigaro's Pizza and Hollywood Video.)
Why? To help financially support Mic in her upcoming oralfeeding/g-tube wean therapy.

Valonda Leichty(that's me...lol) is organizing the event and will be on hand, along with all her supplies, hundreds of stamps, lots of ideas, tips and helpful, professional advice. Come spend as long as you want and make as many cards as you would like.
There will be a requested donation of $3 per card that you make, although additional donations are welcome as well.
If you are interested in attending this fun event, you can RSVP by emailing Valonda at valonda1@juno.com

Obviously this is very, very important to me, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to use my supplies and talents to bless my family and to help Dominic receive some life-changing help. Thanks in advance for joining together with me.

Bind-It-All

Ever need more ribbon storage? I made this ribbon holder by cutting thick chipboard in varying lengths and punching holes in both ends with my Bind-It-All Machine. I made it pretty by spraying each piece with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, running them through the Cuttlebug, then embellishing the spine with ribbon. I cut out the sections between some of the holes to make wide spaces enough to accomodate all widths of ribbon without wrinkling them. Oh, and I bent one of the wire sections upward to use it as a hanger.

Bind-It-All

Here are some fun little notebooks that I made. I made this first one for myself, to replace a little notebook that I have that is almost all used up. I made this one with some fun pockets for receipts, list, business cards...you know, the little papers that manage to collect in the bottom of your purse with semi-important information on them. Ok, maybe it's just me. Anyway, here is what I used on this one-
Supplies:
Bind-It-All Machine and 3/4" Black Binding Wire
Thick Chipboard for covers
Brown Cardstock
White Computer Paper
Cuttlebug Machine, the Argyle Embossing Folder, and the Polka Dot folder from the new Everyday Greetings set
Paint Dabbers (Ranger Industries) Espresso, Shell Pink, and Cranberry
Grungeboard
Patterned Paper (Making Memories)
Hitch Fastener (Tim Holtz Idea-ology)

This one was made much the same as the previous one with a few exceptions.
I used Juniper and Shell Pink Paint Dabbers, and I added the self-adhesive tab clips by Making Memories. I took the image off of the one in the center and punched out a little circle from the patterned paper that I used and added Glossy Accents (Ranger) to make it match the others.

Bind-It-All

These are some card sets that I made for the retreat this weekend. Each set comes with four cards and envelopes and this neat little holder for them.
Supplies:
Bind-it-All Machine and Black 3/4" Binding Wire (Zutter)
Bazzill Cardstock
Vellum (on some of the cards)
Victorian Pattern Backgrounder (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Dusty Concord Distress Ink (Ranger Industries)
Chipboard Frame (Li'l Davis Designs)
Flowers (Prima)
Pearls (Kaiser Craft)
Lilac Silk Ribbon



Supplies:
Bind-It-All Machine and 3/4" Black Binding Wire (Zutter)
Cardstock - "Sisters" Floral/Coral and "Sisters" Stripe/Red (Wild Asparagus) My Mind's Eye
and White Linen Cardstock
Nestabilities Die (Spellbinders)
Sweet Chips Chipboard Die Cut Shapes (Crafty Secrets)
Sentiments by Cornish Heritage Farms and Hot Off the Press
Petite Petals Punch (McGill)
Pearls (Kaiser Craft)
Coral Ribbon (May Arts)

Glimmer Mists

I had lots of things to do today that didn't get done. Guess what I did instead...played with some new supplies that I've had sitting here for a couple of weeks tempting me. Now lest you think that all I did all day was play, I only sat down long enough to make one card then got back to the business of my day, but it was still a good feeling to create something without a deadline or an agenda driving me. Sometimes I have to make things just for me, not for a class or a submission.

I wish you could see the incredible shine that this whole card has, but it is hard to capture it in a photograph. The background was created with distress inks, glimmer mists, and a glimmer screen. The Tattered Angel Glimmer Mists are so much fun. I especially love how some of the more neutral colors look over dark paper.

Project Supplies:

Brown Cardstock
White Cardstock
Distress Inks (Walnut Stain, Spiced Marmalade, Aged Mahogany)
Glimmer Mist (Antique Brass)
Glimmer Screens (Fanciful)
Nestabilities Dies (Spellbinders)
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (Forest Branches)
Everyday Greetings Die (Provocraft)
Drop Pearl and Black Pinwheel (Lost Art Treasures)
Lace Ribbon (Prima)

Still with me? My sister posted a really neat poem on her blog about her daughter Dominic. You can follow the link on the left that says "my sister Birdie" if you are interested in reading it.

First Day of School

My little girl is now a first grader. Her first full day of school was a little rough on her. She came home exhausted and starving. But she loves her new teacher, and was glad that she gets to see one of her very good friends on the playground even though she is in a different class.

I just thought it was so cute. When I got ready to take her "first day of school picture", Hannah felt bad that Noah wasn't going to have his picture taken, so she invited him to join her. He didn't have a backpack to show off, so he decided to show us his bag of cereal. It's amazing how one minute they can be yelling at each other and the next minute they are so thoughtful and kind to each other. I guess I can remember feeling the same way about my sisters and brother. Can anyone relate?

Drift Creek Camp

It's time for a reminder that time is running out to sign up for the Fall Quilt and Scrapbook Retreat at Drift Creek Camp.

I will be there teaching some classes, and holding open-house style cardmaking time with my entire collection of stamps and an enormous selection of supplies. Details can be found here: http://www.driftcreek.org/Programs/Fall_Quilt_and_Scrapbook_Retreat
I'd love to see you there!

Many members of my husbands family, including us, will be getting together this weekend to remember Matt's grandpa Jake Leichty who passed away on Monday morning. The memorial service will be friday. I have already said goodbye to all of my grandparents, and am so glad that we have two wonderful great-grandma's on Matt's side of the family who are still around to be a great blessing and influence in my kids lives. I'm so thankful to the Lord for elder family members who bring a perspective to our lives that is so needed.

I feel like there is so much more that I wanted to say, but I can't think of where to begin. Writing does not come easy for me, but I thank you for following along with my thoughts.

I will be back in a few days with something fun, creative, and new...hmmm...
See you then.

See you at The Venetian!

I have several fundraising events coming up, and would like to invite you to join me in helping to raise some money. These cardmaking fundraisers are going to be open-house style events. I will have all of my supplies on hand, along with ideas, tips, and helpful advice so that you can just play with the supplies and make as many cards as you like.

There will be a requested donation of $3 per card that you make, although additional donations are welcome as well.

The first fundraiser will be held to raise money for my sister-in-law Kristen Leichty. She will be raising money for her 11 month long mission trip which begins September 6th. Kristen will be traveling to Europe with Radical Journey, a program of the Mennonite Missions Network: http://www.mennonitemission.net/Work/Service/RAD/Default.asp

So if you would like to be a part of the fundraiser, the information is below:
The Venetian Theatre
Albany, OR
Monday, August 25th from 5-9pm
*the cafe will be open with coffee drinks and soda available
if you are interested in attending this event, please shoot me an email at valonda1@juno.com



This is my little niece, Dominic. Dominic will be 4 years old in November.

Dominic had a g-tube placed when she was 14 days old due to urgent need of complete nutrition that would help her overcome all the challenges she presented at birth. These challenges included low birth weight (4.6 lb. at 39 weeks gestation), small head, an area of damage in her brain, two small holes in her heart and a severe bilateral cleft lip and palate.

She has received surgery to repair her palate and lip, but has been receiving 99% of her nutrition from her g-tube (a small apparatus surgically placed in the stomach allowing food to be deposited there directly, bypassing the mouth and esophagus). Dominic doesn’t experience food like you and I. She has oral sensitivities, poor oral motor skills, fear, and negative associations (like vomit or pain) with food that she needs to overcome. For Dominic moving food in her mouth in a way that is necessary to eat is not natural, it is hard work.

Dominic is medically ready to wean from her g-tube to oral feeding, but she needs some help. There is a therapy available in Washington called Rapid Wean directed especially for kid just like Dominic that could have her eating significant amounts of food orally in a matter of 14 days. (to learn more visit http://tofthouse.com/ )

Dominic will be entering this therapy in October, but does not have insurance that will cover the costs of this therapy. God has already been blessing Dominic and her family, and much of the money has already been raised, but as the time draws nearer, there is more that I want to do to ensure that Dominic gets the therapy she needs in order to continue growing and developing into the sweet little girl that God made her to be.

This fundraiser will be the same type of open-house style event as the previous one. If you are interested in attending this fun event, you can RSVP by emailing me (valonda1@juno.com).
The event will be held:
Friday, September 26th from 3-9pm
at Scrap-a-Latte in McMinnville, OR
Hope to see you there!

Bethany's card

Do you remember the posts awhile back about the fun I had teaching middle schoolers about stamping? Well, lucky for us, Bethany read the post where I was commenting about her card, wishing I had taken a close up picture of it, and she sent me this picture. I just love the whole idea of this card, and I think she did an amazing job. She created the beautiful Alcohol Ink background that she cut the flower petals out of , and added Stickles to the centers of the flowers to add a little sparkle. Thanks for sharing your card with us Bethany!

Back from Seaside, OR

Hi everyone,
I'm back from a great long weekend. I left Thursday for Seaside, Oregon. My husband plays beach volleyball and is a tournament director for the North Pacific Beach Volleyball Association, so this year I was helping run bracket boards for the 27th Annual Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament. I am exhausted, but I had so much fun. If you live in the area you really should try to take it in. This tournament is huge! I don't have the exact numbers, but I believe there were over 900 teams participating in the various divisions of the tournament this year. Amazing! With this many teams participating, you can imagine that those of us taking care of keeping the tournament moving along were VERY busy recording wins and losses, etc. As a result, I didn't remove my camera from its case one time, so I don't have any pictures to share with you. However, if you are interested, you can find pictures from last years' tournament here: http://www.seasidebeachvolleyball.com/vbgallery.htm

Sisters

Don't you love this stamp? As soon as I saw it I loved it. I can't help but think of my sister Birdie when I look at this stamp. She loves nostalgic things, and she has light brown hair while mine is very dark, and she is taller than me(even though she is younger). I don't get to see my sister very often because she lives in Mexico City with her husband and two kids. BUT I will get to see her soon! They will be coming in October for about a month and a half. We are very excited to see them and to hug them all...especially her little guy Damien who we have not met in person yet. Anyway, its not all vacation, they are coming for. My niece Dominic is coming to have some intensive therapy. Dominic was born with a cleft lip and palette. She has already had surgery to repair those, but she will be receiving therapy to learn to eat without her feeding tube. This is going to be huge for Dominic and for their family. We are just waiting to see what God is going to do through this therapy.

About the card above. The Sisters stamp is made by Cornish Heritage Farms from their Sandra Kuck collection. I used a brayer to ink up the image with Tuxedo Black Momento ink by Tsukineko. The image was colored using Prismacolor pencils, and blended with a Copic Colorless Blender. The pink paper is by Making Memories and the patterned paper on the left is from the Urban Couture collection by Basic Grey. The words on the right were stamped with Walnut Stain Distress Ink by Ranger, and additional shading and edging was added with the same ink.
One of the details that I love is that I had this neat scalloped lace that just happened to line up really well with the scalloped edge of the paper. I love when things work out like that!

I'm back...for now

It has been a long absence, but I am enjoying my summer to the fullest. We have been on my husbands family farm for awhile. My husband helps out with harvest every summer. And the kids and I have been enjoying farm life as well.

Such fun to get back to my computer only to discover that my friend Lauren gave me a fun blog award. Now I'm really feeling guilty about my blog neglect, lol.
So here are the rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Add links to those blogs on yours
5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

And here are some great blogs that I enjoy:(I still haven't learned how to add a proper link...somebody feel free to help out this poor computer illiterate)

1. Lauren Nwachukwu - http://www.everythingaltered.com/

2. Vicki Chrisman - http://vickichrisman.blogspot.com/

3. Missy Coburn - http://johnmelissacoburn.blogspot.com/

4. Sharon Johnson - http://notimetostamp.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/

5. Marianne Walker - http://ilikemarkers.blogspot.com/

6. Asela Hopkins - http://www.hopartstudios.typepad.com/

Well, I didn't completely follow the rules, but if you want to visit some great blogs here are some fun choices...enjoy.

Now, I came across this little tidbit recently...interesting:
"Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe."

Cuttlebug Embossing Techniques

Get ready for a new class coming soon to a store near you (if you live in the Wilamette Valley *smile*). The new Cuttlebug Embossing Techniques class is currently being scheduled for the fall. The first ones will be in September. I will post the dates as soon as they are confirmed. Sooo...you have some time to save up for a Cuttlebug if you don't have one yet. Each class participant will need to bring their own Cuttlebug machine, and you will receive an embossing folder as part of the class. The class will include 10 different techniques and variations on those techniques. There are so many different looks you can get with these folders...SO much fun to play with.

I've been having a great time in the last week, with friends and family visiting from out of state, and out of the country too. My sister is here visiting from Mexico right now. She and her husband are pastors in the mountains of Creel. It is great to have her around for a little bit. We are hoping that all of us will be able to be together this fall. We haven't all been together since my dad died almost 4 years ago. In any case, having her here us a blessing, and we are thankful for each and every bit of time that we get to spend together. With that said, I need to go pack up my stuff and head to my moms house for a little more time with her before she has to leave.
Have a great day!

Young Artists

Just wanted to share a couple more inspiring pictures of young artists at work. In the photo above, they are working on a mini album. My sample is below:

Each person got to make it their very own. Stamping it in their own style and their own colors. They learned how to cut their own paper to get the different sizes of layers, stamped whatever they wanted in it, added the die cut words wherever they wanted to put them, and then learned how to use the Bind-it-All machine to put it all together. I love that every single album was completely unique and their own.
In my sample you might recongize some of the new Cornish Heritage Farms Scrapblocks stamps. Awesome 6x6" background stamps. I LOVE them! The kids loved using those huge ones too. The one on the front cover is Vintage Ledger, probably my favorite of the bunch, although I love all of the ones that I have...Vintage Ledger, Pin Dot, and Fine Houndstooth.

More Drift Creek Camp

Middle school boys are so funny! Look at the expressions on their faces. They volunteered to be in the picture though, so I'm guessing that they enjoyed themselves and ended up being pleased with what they made. I thought they did great! I wish I would have taken a close up of the card that the girl in the grey sweatshirt and jeans is holding...no names here... She made an awesome card by stamping those great Technique Tuesday flower petals on an alcohol ink background. She cut them out, adhered them to a white card, and stamped cute little tiny flowers between the petals before adding her sentiment. SOOO cute!
Remember that creativity and willingness to experiment that I was talking about? One the girls stamped this great Stampers Anonymous image on her face using Distress Ink. Surprisingly enough it lasted a whole day before finally being removed. And the cling mounted stamp was perfect for this because it had enough stability that she could press it evenly onto her face, but was flexible enough that she could wrap it around and get the whole image. She told me that she wants a tatoo that wraps around her eye like that someday. I wouldn't want a permanent image like that on my face, but I thought it looked cool on her in a temporary version like this.

Back from Drift Creek Camp

Have I mentioned that I love middle schoolers? I'm back from a great time at Drift Creek Camp. There were around 90 campers, and I'm not sure how many of them I saw, but I do know that we went through over 250 cards, and created more than 50 mini albums. I had a total of 12 different sessions with about 13 - 17 campers in each session. I love the wide variety of creativity represented in the great bunch of kids that came through. If I put a group of adults into a room full of supplies, gave them some basic instruction, then said, "Go for it, make whatever you want, and just have fun," I don't know what would happen. But when you do that with middle schoolers they just hop up grab some stamps they like and get started. They don't overthink everything, they just have fun creating. It is so refreshing. I will share more later, but right now I have lots of laundry and unpacking to do.

I'm off

This is my van last night when I was almost finished packing up my projects supplies...exciting!

More fun classes

Saturday was an awesome day of full classes at Stampin' Cat Studio. Including the first ever Crafty Secrets Bird Lovers Class, which went really well, and was actually over full. If you were hoping to attend that class and couldn't make it, don't worry, we will put it on the schedule again. One of the highlights of my day was meeting the sweet lady in the red shirt in the picture above. We had already gotten part way into the class when she mentioned where she was from, and all of a sudden I realized that this was the Tanya that I had been exchanging emails with...laughter and hugs followed. I love this industry!

I'm so excited! Guess what I get to do this week? Ok, I'll tell you. I get to spend my week at a middle school camp making cards and albums with 6 - 8th graders, and teaching them how to use Distress Ink and Alcohol Ink. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about this. Call me crazy, but I love middle schoolers, and I love watching them experiment and try new artsy things. Middle schoolers are so willing to just try things and see how it goes. It's so fun to see what they come up with. Anyway, I'll be out in the woods enjoying nature, and of course, will be without computer access, so...have a great week everyone...until next time,

I love summer!

I love it that my husband is a teacher! We have been having lots of fun since school got out. Of course this has resulted in me being very negligent in my blogging, but hopefully you can forgive me. The picture above is from a couple days ago. As a family we went to Scotty's Playhouse, an incredible indoor playground at our church. It is open to the public at no cost, built in memory of several children for our church who are in heaven now. If you would like to learn more about Scotty's Playhouse and the See Ya Later Foundation formed in honor of Scotty Banke, you can check it out here: http://seeyalater.org/Templates/ScottysPlayhouse.html
The next day, we took the kids fishing at Small Fry Lake, a part of Promontory Park. Small fry lake is a 1 acre lake, specifically for children to go fishing at. It is free, and is stocked with trout. The drive there is beautiful, and so is the lake. I love how they have made every part of they lake very easy for children to fish from, there are well-kept bathroom facilities on site, and just up the road is a tiny play area with a covered picnic table right there. So we fished for as long as the kids wanted to, then had our lunch right there by the slides and swings. It was such a perfect day, and that is even without catching any fish.
Noah wanted to hop right in the lake and catch them with the net. We could see them jumping, but we didn't get there until mid afternoon...not exactly prime time for fishing...so we didn't get to eat any fish. But then again we didn't have to clean them either :).

We have also been working on our landscaping some. It's always nice to see that project progressing. And, yesterday, I went to Portland with my friend Amy with no kids. I love my kids, but I rarely enjoy a relaxing shopping trip with them along. It was great. We had a long list of things we needed to do since she is going on vacation soon, but even with that list to take care of we had a great time. How can you go wrong when a day involves Starbucks, chocolate, The Container Store, and a beautiful $89 skirt for $15?

Guess what I did last night? Put together Crafty Secrets kits!!! That's right, it's coming up this Saturday. The first Crafty Secrets Bird Lovers Class...yeah! In spite of my blogging absence, everything is going along great. With days this good it is sometimes hard to find my way to the computer, but I will do my very best to keep you informed and throw some inspiration your way. In fact...stay tuned. I will post some fun projects with some brand new stamps soon.

New Class Pics

This is one of 4 cards we will be making in the Hero Art Thanks Phrase CardArt class coming up in August. The stamp will be included in the class fee, and we will learn some great techniques, as well as a variety of ways to use this wonderful stamp.
AND...here are more glimpses of the fun you can have in the Ir-resist-able Art Backgrounds class. This photo shows just a small portion of a couple of papers I made using the techniques and supplies we will be using in this class. I promise to supply loads of inky, messy fun! As well as some great ideas of ways to incorporate these spectacular papers into your projects.

Well, I guess "summer" has hit. Yesterday was Hannahs last day of Kindergarten. She's ready to go buy a new backpack and start first grade. She has no real concept of "summer break". It could be a long summer. Luckily we have some excitement to break up the length of summer...harvest. The kids always love being with their grandma and grandpa on the farm during harvest time. I love it too. The smell of grass seed harvest will always bring back lots of memories for me since I grew up on a grass seed farm too. And guess what, the end of the school year brought a pleasant surprise with it...warmer weather. The next five days or so are supposed to be in the mid 70's. Just perfect!

Now its REALL Y time...

It's time to announce a winner of this fun prize pack!!! Thank you SOOO much to each of you who participated!!! I've enjoyed reading your comments, and knowing that what I write does actually get read, it doesn't just disappear into the giant world wide web. Know that each of you are appreciated.
No computed programs were used in this drawing, we did it the old fashioned way. I wrote out the names on little pieces of paper, and my daughter drew a name, and the winner is...TINA ...YEAH! Congratulations! I will get your prize to you ASAP. I hope you have lots of fun with it!

Now, on to other things. Guess what I got yesterday??? A cuttlebug! I've had the embossing folders for a little while and had been running them through my pasta maker, but while the pasta maker worked, it was definately not ideal. It is so much easier to use them in the machine they were made to be used in. And of course I'm oozing with ideas. And yes, there is a cuttlebug techniques class in the works. Let me tell you...it's going to be a good one! I know I say that all the time, but really, my excitement level as I prepare this class is right up there with the Texture Tiles Sampler class. More details to come as soon as we get this class onto the schedule.
Today I've got sample boards to make so I'd better get busy...
Until next time,

It's Time...

This simple little card is just a teaser. It's time for the giveaway, and this card is just a quick idea of what you could do with your prize if you win. Thanks to Scrap-a-Latte for being a part of this great giveaway. Ok, enough talking, let's get to the prize package...
Prize includes some of my favorite items: Botanicals stamp set by HOTP, 5 White linen weave cards w/ envelopes, 1 set of Sweet Chips Chipboard Die Cut Shapes by Crafty Secrets, 25 Mauve flowers from Prima, 1 Chalk Ink Cats Eye Inkpad in Charcoal by Colorbox, 1 set of 50 self adhesive Pearls by Kaiser Scrapbook, and 1 1/2 yds each of green velvet ribbon by May Arts and Sienna Brown Crushed Velvet Ribbon by Maya Road.
Now, what do you have to do to win? It's simple, just leave a comment on my blog telling me something you love about papercrafting/stamping/etc. and let me know if it is your first time visiting my blog or if you've been lurking around for awhile...lol. Oh, and if you REALLY want to win, send your friends over to enter the giveaway too. If they write in their comment that you sent them, I will enter your name in the drawing again. Oh, and I know some of you are new to this whole process of commenting on a blog, so if you have trouble, just shoot me an email. My address is now listed on my profile. I think that's it, I will draw a prize winner on Saturday morning sometime, so between now and then, spread the word, and GOOD LUCK!