still me

can you guess?

So I thought I would sneak another peek…
This is a project that I made for the Ranger booth. They are planning an amazing display in their booth at CHA(with the help of my friends at canvas concepts)… so if you will be at the show, you have to be sure to go check it out. Let’s just say that I represent “worn lipstick”! (proudly!) They sent me a few items that I had to use, and one was the crackle paint. Man… I am in love with that stuff! Have you tried it yet?  I hope that my contribution made it to Ranger! I was having some shipping issues from China…
I have a favorite item that will be released at the show, and I used it on this canvas. I am not going to tell you what it is… maybe you can guess?  how many heidi items can you identify?

Did you see my pig tails on Club Heidi? (they are long gone now!)

sunny

Sunny.

It’s amazing how beautiful and sunny Arizona is. I guess this is what it feels like when you live in a cold and dreary WINTERY spot, and you come here for a vacation. It feels SO GOOD to walk outside and have it be bright and beautiful… palm trees…  not to mention: wide streets where people for the most part follow traffic laws, and you can pull through a drive through and order a large DIET COKE (NO, not a ‘coke light’, it’s NOT the same- at all)...smile. i have been feeling floods of emotions since arriving yesterday afternoon. The flights were long and Capri had a really hard time; and provided a hard time for everyone on the plane! They must not get very many families with 5 children (not to mention the 2 babes) flying on those international legs. We got so many comments and even more ‘looks’.  Not sure if it was the caravan we had going of luggage carts and strollers… or the 3 older kids terrorizing the place on their ‘heelys’…or maybe all the backpacks, bags, pillows, blankets, strollers, computers and car seats that we were shoving through the security check points…or maybe even the huge stack of passports, boarding passes, customs forms, resident cards, entry forms and such travel documents that we were having to provide at the various counters, and holding up the lines for those business travelers! Needless to say, we are a force to be reckoned with.

…
wed: all the highest priority items have been checked on the list: 1. Target 2. Haircut 3. Mexican food… This is my long-time hair stylist Heather Curl. She owns a salon called ‘Curl up and Dye” it’s at 7th Ave and Dunlap. It was so fun to see her today and catch up, and get blonde. Em went short! We always head out to the salon together as it is a bit of a trek.  For dinner, eric grabbed Mexican from a little place that is open 24 hours. The salsa and guac was fantastic. He even lovingly stopped by sonic on the way home and got everyone drinks!
I am so proud of the kids, the jet lag does not seem to be causing the problems I was mentally prepared for! Such a blessing!
i thought I should put up a cute, sweet photo of Capri to contrast her ‘game face’ photo… my aunt KJ knit Capri and Connor each a cap w/ their name on it. I just love her curls. i took this in Beijing just before we left.
in any event, we are loving catching up.. .and re-connecting.
ok, tired... and lots on the 'agenda' tomorrow!
good night.

game on...

we are READY!
i slept great last night... but everyone else stayed up as late as they could so they would be really, really tired!
all our 11 pieces of check luggage and 7  carry-ons are loaded, and accounted for. man, traveling with all these little people is a serious challenge!

arizona.. ready or not... here we come!

de-stress...

Do you think this will work?
I tried it.. we’ll see! (chuckle)… I am a last minute kind of girl… it’s when somehow, I am able to just pull it all together. my time is coming! i took a 4 ½ hour nap yesterday (gasp).. it’s was amazing. Connor must have been really tired, because he was my ‘nap-pass’. When I woke up i made choc-raspberry chip cookies.. have you seen these chips? My mom sent them to me, and I thought ‘no way’… I mean, why screw up a good thing like chocolate cookies. I broke down and tried it and they were delish. You know, some people have a cookie jar, that they put cookies in after they are made, to save them. we just have a cookie plate, as they are gone within hours of their existence.

I then let the kids loose in my studio to make bookmarks for their airplane books. They were stamping, sanding, using bling and paint pens…the works. The boys are finally interested/addicted to the Harry Potter series. I have been waiting for them to be interested. Now they are officially devouring them. lucky for them, they can just read right on through and not have to wait for a new one to come out!
I have been asked on several occasions for my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe:

Kasteler Sunday Cookies:

1 C butter shortening
1 C brown sugar packed
½ C sugar
*cream together
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
*beat really well until fluffy
2 C flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
*mix well… add chips.

Bake at 350 for 11 minutes.

Also… in the spirit of peeks… here are a couple of cards I made today.
(shouldn’t I be packing!?)

um... does anyone need any ribbon? janet is unloading....

connor's world...

Alright, I am feeling as though my sneaks are skewed a bit to the traveler line, which I think is an amazingly workable set of papers… I finished this mini-book last night when I had a few friends over to scrapbook-and yet again, I was using the  traveler paper! But I want to show it so that you don’t think that this collection can only be used for TRAVEL pages and projects. It’s got it’s masculine side, as well as some feminine touches… but mostly it very neutral and easy to use, and mix and match… this is a mini-book that the ladies from the AYTR will recognize…but with a little different take. The title of the book is “Connor’s world”.  Each fold out page has a title with the word “world” in it… for example: “welcome to my world” which has  photos of  his birth; “the world revolves around YOU” “ world’s cutest connor!” “ little guy, big world” (which is photos from some of our adventures!); “you make the world a better place”; “the world is brigher with you in it!” etc. etc. etc… I keep thinking of all these plays on the word “world”
… world’s best
world class
what in the world?
Where in the world?
World famous
World wide
Your world
Small world
In your own little world
Another world
World  news
World’s cutest, fastest, smartest, etc.
See… lots of non-travel page potential!
Connor is so photogenic.. I love scrapbooking him! So I will share one more… this is one that has new stuff, old stuff, qvc stuff, feb. club heidi stuff  and that cutie photo of connor! 6 months…hard to believe!
the best part about my new stuff, is how well it all works together with my old stuff. So if you have a stash, these new collections will help you get it out of the drawers and onto pages… where scrapbook embellishments are happiest! The Feb. Club heidi kit should be unveiled any day… so watch out for that! it’s called “SUPERSIZED”… it’s big-time.
ok, I am starting the packing process. FUN.

world travelling!!

I have this nasty little habit of working on non-essential projects when I am under critical deadlines… but it’s my way of relieving stress, and getting to that ‘creative’ place. This project is a prime example of that!  I have been so excited about it… and how perfect the new ‘world traveler’ paper is.. and what great photos I have to put in this, and well… it’s been so fun for me to PLAY with. I have posted about the CHINA tour that Scrap Map has put together for September: it’s a 10 day tour based in Beijing that I get to host with Jim West.  This is the project that I will be teaching mostly PRIOR to the trip (those who are signed up will be enrolled in an on-line class as part of the pre-trip festivities!) It’s a travel journal, and those that want to create it before they come, will have it all ready to go and capture all the details of the trip! Ever since Jim first emailed me the proposed itinerary, I have been so excited! it really is an awesome, comprehensive schedule promising a truly fabulous Beijing experience. I LOVE to make travel journals before I go on big trips and creative trips so that I can compile my thoughts and experiences each day, as I go… so that I won’t forget any of the little details. The cover of this book is made from a piece of painted silk that I bought in one of the markets… as is that big ‘rose’ paper. We’ll be sending everyone coming on the tour a kit with a bunch of stuff to create the basic journal… and we’ll be adding lots along the way during the tour.  There will be more details on that later for those coming to Beijing! but this little sneak peek is for everyone! i LOVE this set of papers... and "extras". tomorrow i will show you how you don't have to travel around the world to utilize it as well!

want s'more sneaks!

this is so cute too: Janet Hopkin's Blog
janet loves the turquoise like i like pink...
(hint: silver leafing)

world traveler...

So here is my sneak peek for today!... I made this scrapbook page back in November while em was here. I just love this photo of her. I took it when we went to the fabric market, this is one of my favorite little spots there. You can see in the photo the fabrics I picked.. this was the time we went and I got the fabric to make the pillow covers to go on the couch (note the swatches!). This is one of the papers from the ‘world traveler’ collection.  Kinda works for our life right now! LOL. I also used the receipt for the taxi we took to get there, as well as the smallest Chinese money-note.  The whole collection looks so fab with the metallic chipboard. I love it.  tomorrow I am going to post something that I have been working on for the China tour in Sept! it’s a bit of a double sneak peek…more of the ‘traveler’ collection and the travel journal for the trip!     

We went to the Silk Market today to pick up some stuff to bring home… this shopping experience is like nothing you have ever experienced… it’s amazing.  There are several places like this, but this is the biggest and probably the best.… it’s called ‘silk street’, ‘silk market’, ‘silk alley’… all different names. It used to be just a street or alley, that had vendors set up in an out door type situation. Now it’s in a really nice building with about seven floors. Each floor is a different kind of thing that you can buy: toys, souvenirs, electronics, art, relics, clothing, silk, jewelry, sunglasses, watches, shoes, bags/purses, on and on… (it’s not all silk like the name implies). I intended on taking a few more photos, but the whole experience is completely overwhelming! You see, nothing has a price tag on it…most the people who work there can speak ‘market english’. The vendors are super aggressive; they have little booths that are PILED with merch. As you walk by they grab your arm, and try to pull you into their stall, or call out asking if you want to buy whatever they have… “hey lady, want to buy a purse?”  they love to talk to the kids… they love kids. Well, once you decide what you want to buy… it’s time to talk about ‘how much’. The conversation switches to the calculator for communication as you go back and forth trying to settle on a price. They usually start out RIDICULOUSLY high and drop to like 25% of their original asking price quickly. it’s always an adventure! Today was the first time I have actually purchased something on the jewelry floor. Everytime I have been there, I wander around all the different jewelry counters- they all have similar stuff... of course, they are known for pearls. But they have any and everything. They have pieces that are already made… or you can design WHATEVER you want and they will make it for you right there on the spot! The possibilities are absolutely limitless…as a result, it’s felt impossible for me to make a decision! Today I bought some turquoise strands! The lady made it all just my size, and I am thrilled! The black onyx is calling my name! maybe next time…
I have been fighting off the urge to make chocolate chip cookies for days now.  So, I am giving in and watching ‘american idol’.

oh... as long as we are sneaking peeks... maybe you know Keisha Campbell... she is a 2Peas Garden Girl, and an amazing scrapbook artist-and get this, she lived about 10 minutes away from me right here in Beijing!  i have enlisted her to help make a few samples for my big QVC appearance as well as the CHA booth. she banged out 10 fabulous-keisha-pieces and has a little sneak on her blog.

as promised...

as promised… here is another little sneak… maybe it’s a bit predictable… the black and white.. the houndstooth.. ah… I LOVE IT SO MUCH. in the whole creative process, you have to have FUN. deadlines are so far from fun… but last night, i decided I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer, so I  turned off my email and started cleaning up my workspace so I wouldn’t dread coming in here in the morning, and I started to play around with some of the scraps laying on the desk. in my opinion, nothing is more inspiring than scraps. I am not really sure why…I think it’s because it is what it is, and you kinda have to make it work as is. anyway… needless to say, I got a little carried away, and these are a few of my little creations. I didn’t scrapbook per se, just made card after card. I think that it’s easier to make cards when you have certain people in mind. Each of the cards I made represent someone I need to write something to… either a thank you,  a congrats… or even just letting them know they are appreciated for just being. here is the catch 22 that  happens… I have really good intentions when I make stuff for people…but then I end up loving it, and have a hard time GIVING it! my mom has resorted to raiding my scrapbook room, looking for things that she thinks may have been intended for her…or sometimes I try the route of sending them a photo… and hoping that the ‘thought’ is enough (lol… right chanel?)… anyway…this is some of the collection. I must say, it’s very enjoyable to work with! (wink)!

carefree

With January coming to a close, with the promise of a CRAZY FEB… among other things… it means that CHA is right around the corner… little new-prod. sneak peeks should start popping up. (CHA is the Craft and Hobby Association trade show.. this year it’s in Anaheim the second week of feb. It’s not a consumer show… it’s primarily for store owners to come and check out everyone’s new release product collections and write orders…)  We are officially one week away from loading up our whole crew and taking that international 12 hour flight back to the USA. I have all these notes written to myself of things I need to pack, things I need to bring home to leave, gifts I want to bring home, stuff I need to bring for QVC and CHA… as well as lists of what I want to bring back! I have a Costco list, a Target list, and a list for what each kid is in need of.  We are in big trouble if I loose any of my lists. I feel like my head is spinning. It’s just too much to keep in my brain. Anyway, I was working on a new ad, and thought I would share this photo… at the CHA show, I am releasing 3 new collections of 12x12 paper. This is a first of this kind of release from me. I am really excited about it. I am not going to give all the secrets away before the show.. just a few of them! this photo has 3 papers from one of the collections… it’s called ‘carefree’. There are 6 different 12” papers… each is double sided.. so there are a total of 12 different designs in the paper collection alone. I have showed a few other tidbits already, and I will drop a hint or 2 each day until we leave…  new stuff makes scrapbooking SO MUCH FUN!