Pay it Forward...

Are you creative? I didn't know I was till my god mother told me "I have always been". It was like the Glinda telling Dorothy "YOU had the power inside YOU all along".  I really didn't realize.. But since that day I have learned so many techniques and fun things to do to be creative.

and anyone who has crafted with me knows I am a speed crafter!  And a very fast learner. :)

So I have learned a lot.  And in return I have taught a lot. At one point I was teaching at 7 stores in California and at all of the Charity Wings Events.  I dont teach as much now, except to my friends and I have two art/scrapbooking/mixed media clubs that I host each month.. learn more here.  always room for more :)

Anyway, the point of this post is to encourage you to share your talent!  Pay it forward! and if someone takes what you have taught them and makes it their own you can feel so proud! If no one shared their talents, could you imagine?  and if no one took what they learned and made it their own, could you imagine! It's because of this that we have such a colorful artistic community. 

My dear friend Miss Vicky taught me how to make buttons stacks and I fell in love with the technique. Because of her teaching me a technique I got to design for Blumenthal Lansing!

here are a few more pieces I have made for them.

I had so much fun making these pieces and I love that is came from a technique that was passed on to me by a friend.  I hope I made her proud!

Yay! The gag order is lifted!

Just kidding! I have been dying to post pictures of some jewelry that I made for Blumenthal Lansing.  I was so thrilled they asked me to design for them! I was nervous because this is my first time doing something like this where I got paid to design art. Well, I guess I have done invitations and scrapbooks but this felt different. My first assignment was to make 3 projects for Michael's!

A bracelet, a necklace and a scrapbook page.  

I was nervous about the scrapbook page because over the years I have discovered I am really not a scrapbooker.  but I made something that I liked and they liked it too!  I had to wait till Michael's got to see the pieces before I could blog about them but I just got the ok. Helen from Blumenthal, the Craft Project Coordinator, loved them so much she commissioned 3 more necklaces from me!  Ill post photos of those soon. She has a great blog with lots of good ideas!

Hope you like my creations.  I think I am going try to get some on my etsy store... haha!  try is the key word there! and here I am, I made it to Designer on their website!

I love Blumenthal because they have been incredibly supportive of Charity Wings aka Scrapbook Royalty AND Liane is someone that I have come to consider my friend.  Here is Liane making Suzi Blu art when she came and volunteered at NJ Scrapbook Expo.  She hates having her photo taken and wouldnt look at me but she is a beautiful charitable soul and I love her to pieces!

Sometimes I get inspired...

I had a nice cozy dinner with two lovely friends of mine, Cheryl Waters and Laura Bray....

Cheryl is a lead Fiskateer and that is how we met.  Laura and I met at a ZNE retreat a long time ago and then just kept running in to eachother and knew we had to become friends!  These women are both extremely talented and wise.  When I spend time with them, some of their wiseness rubs off on me.  I am a lucky girl and a happy people.

Cheryl brought gifties for us.  Here is what I call, her version of a "pig in a blanket".

I love it so much.  I know I am supposed to take it apart and make stuff with it, but I am not going to. Its perfect just like this!

and Laura made dinner and had gifts of course! She gave us a sneak peek of some yummy goodness she is designing and made another attempt at teaching me how to embroider! She said I am a natural and I had nice stitches :)  hee hee!  All I got to do was part of the hair but it was very relaxing and fun because we could chat and stitch and every once in a while Cheryl or I would say out loud, "oh no!" or other versions of that phrase :) as we would get a knot, or break a thread or whatever. It was challenging and fun!

and then I came home and got cracking on my dress forms for my next Outside The Book Club Quarterly Swap!

I cant for the life of me get this photo to upload right side up!!  darn blogger!! deep breath! I'm a happy people :)

I have room for a few more members if you want to join. Its so fun and this coming meeting, next weds Aug 17th. we have the awesome Tracy Weinzapfel from Helmar as my guest. She is a creating genius and...

she is bringing a fun make and take!  Can't wait! Click here to read the blog with more info on my groups. I do 2 each month!

Can't seem to get a post up...

Ok, I am going to sit here and write something.  I am totally missing blogging but I just can't seem to get a post written that I like.  My brain is all funny these days.  There is so much going on in my life between having a new boyfriend which was so unexpected, and being over half way through this year that I gave myself to get my company in order... well, I think my brain might be shutting down a little.  It was such a crazy first half with non stop travel and now not so much which is good.  I like being home too.  But I am a bit disoriented from trying to make a life for myself while trying to be with someone and having a little bit of a limbo going on with career, and other hopes and dreams.  Maybe that is it. I am in limbo.

Yes, that is it... I am in limbo.

And its not an easy place for me to be.  I hope I figure it out.  I think I can.   I am a happy people after all.

I remember this day.  I am pretty sure I didnt have a worry in the world.

Can't seem to get a post up...

Ok, I am going to sit here and write something.  I am totally missing blogging but I just can't seem to get a post written that I like.  My brain is all funny these days.  There is so much going on in my life between having a new boyfriend which was so unexpected, and being over half way through this year that I gave myself to get my company in order... well, I think my brain might be shutting down a little.  It was such a crazy first half with non stop travel and now not so much which is good.  I like being home too.  But I am a bit disoriented from trying to make a life for myself while trying to be with someone and having a little bit of a limbo going on with career, and other hopes and dreams.  Maybe that is it. I am in limbo.

Yes, that is it... I am in limbo.

And its not an easy place for me to be.  I hope I figure it out.  I think I can.   I am a happy people after all.