Thank You for Your Kindness...

So I was driving my Toyota this week when

I noticed something was not quite right.

(Boy, how many times have we heard that recently?)

Well....it's true.  I have a Toyota Camry that I wouldn't

part with for the world, but I seemed to be experiencing

the complete opposite problem from most.

My brakes not only worked, but they became engaged

to the point where I could no longer accelerate. 

So what does this have to do with the image above?

While our car was being worked on, the lovely Nancy who works

with my husband Paul at Barnes & Noble, offered to give him a

ride home, which was so kind especially as she lives completely

the opposite direction.

So I made this card for her.

I used my favorite Memory Box stamps along with their fabulous

papers.  I LoVe this company, I must say!

I used Martha's eyelet punch and a bit of sewing.

The sentiment was designed by 

my good friend Kristen Powers.

The car?  It's fine.  Just needed a new cylinder.

It's a classic, '97 in periwinkle blue.

No recall, no worries  : )

Autograph Sessions...Journal Spilling with Diana Trout

 

You may remember back in November, I kicked off this

new feature with internationally-known UK paper artist

Sue Roddis.

The feedback from that session was fabulous and now

I am pleased to tell you that I have a line-up of

tremendous authors and artists to share with you.

Just a quick recap on how this idea came about...

My dear friend Sarah Anderson

(The Art of Moodling) sent me an autographed copy

of Sue's book 'Handmade Decorative Books'

(click here for that Autograph Session)

and I thought it would be a great thing if we could do

something similar online, so that we could have a chance

to meet authors and other creative contributors to publications.

Coincidentally enough, Sarah has been featuring the author

of the next session on her blog over the past few weeks, so

I thought now is a terrific time to share her with you, too!

So here is my time with Diana Trout author of...

Diana...where in the US do you live & what do you love about it?

I live in Glenside, PA just outside of Philadelphia.  Glenside is great!

We call it 'Mayberry'.  I could never live far from a big city, though,

and I take full advantage of the arts and communities.

I love the hills and forests of Pennsylvania which have been a

major influence in my art-making.

I would love if you would 'toot your own horn' and share

a few of your professional credits with us...

I've been making art professionally for more than 30 years (yikes!).

I attended University of the Arts and Pennsylvania Academy of

Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

I've been published in several zines such as 'DogEared Magazine',

Teesha Moore's 'Play, Art & Life' and 'The Studio'.

I've had articles in 'Cloth, Paper Scissors' and 'Bound & Lettered'

and have published two zines, 'Something I Forgo't and 'Springfed'.

I've shown my work in numerous art shows in PA, NY & NJ

and at regional craft shows.

I am currently showing with a diverse and dynamic group of 

Philadelphia-based women artists called Mamacita.

I teach from my studio, in art centers and libraries.

I recently began teaching nationally at Art & Soul.

You have recently published 'Journal Spilling'. 

As one who journals, how is this type of writing different?

I love writing 'how-to's' and my years of teaching was great

practice for writing 'Journal Spilling'.  It's quite fun for me to write

this way because I start with the left-brain 'how-to' and then

my right-brain takes over for some magic.

Some areas of the book were written in a

'stream-of-consciousness' or 'spill-writing',

as I do in my own journal.

I enjoyed working with the North Light team.

I'm pretty disciplined and I love deadlines, so I break

projects down into do-able bits.

Most of all, 'Journal Spilling' was a realized dream I have

had for many years; bringing an accessible art-making

process to a whole bunch of people.

 

It's obvious you have a passion for art.

What else are you passionate about?

The top of my list is family, friends, students and my cat.

Paper and fabric in any form, reading, music, nature, color,

pattern, sewing and soup making.  Creative problem-solving

makes me very happy and I love to work with students

and help them find solutions.

What age group do you find most 'teachable' when it

comes to journaling?

Oh wow, I've taught all ages...teens through seniors and

everyone is super receptive.  When teaching a new group,

I spend a few moments getting a sense of my audience's

interests and experience, that way I can tailor my teaching.

Keeping an open dialogue and circling the room like an 

eagle on the lookout, I try to engage everyone on their

own level.  Very exciting!

What are tools can you NOT live without?

I love my watercolors, Caran d'Arche water-soluble crayons

and Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils.  When I travel light,

I take just the crayons, a water brush, spray bottle and

a black pen.

In the creative world, what have you NOT done yet

that you would really like to do?

Encaustics.  I took a workshop once and am really drawn

to the look of encaustics.  The veils of colors and patterns

and the ability to use collage within layers of wax is

very appealing.

 

 Who inspires you, living or otherwise?

Carol McDonald.  She is a Vermont artist who I

found on a recent trip there.  I am entranced by her

textile prints.  Of late, I'm in love with

Cy Twombly (again).

Now it's time for a little fun...

If you could be any fictional character,

who or what would it be?

Dr. Ellie Arroway in the movie Contact pops to mind.

Jodie Foster plays this scientist and dreamer.  In my mind,

that's a killer combination.  I have a huge respect for

scientists and mathematicians and sometimes I pretend

I am a scientist.  I guess on reflection, she speaks to me because

she has a solid faith in something and then takes a leap of faith

to prove it.  It's sort of like knowing the answer to an

equation and then working backwards.  I really admire

folks who can think that way.

Coffee, tea...or something more potent?

Irish Breakfast tea in vast quantities in the morning.

Herbal teas the rest of the day.  I love my Yogi Tea.

Something more potent?

Sure!  I'll have a Belgian white beer, do you have draft?

In your creative space, TV or music?

What show or artist?

Music.  I love my iPod.  Some of my favs are:

Josh Joplin, Simon Shaheen, Joni Mitchell,

Nellie McKay, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald.

I love just about anything but rock.

 

I've really enjoyed getting to know Diana, haven't you?!

I hope you will visit 'Hub Bub', Diana's blog and I

would really appreciate it if you told her you read her

Autograph Session here at The Open Window.

I know her book is available at Barnes & Noble stores

and at bn.com

Please leave a comment and let me know what you

think of Autograph Sessions....you will definitely want

to stay tuned for who's coming up next!

Shifting Gears...Babies & Valentines...

 I have been having so much fun playing with two different paper collections, so I thought I would share these with you.

The first is Graphic45...'Baby 2 Bride'.

 

I used 3 different pages from this collection.

The base is 'Sentimental Baby' that I ran through

'The Bug' using the Swiss Dot EF.  I love this page because it has the verses to 'Rock a Bye Baby'

The next layer is 'Unforgettable'.  This page has a variety of squares that can be used together or can be cut apart.  I used 6 squares together.

The final addition was the sweet tag from the 'Tags' page.  This page has the most beautiful tags to choose from.

I distressed the edges of two layers and embellished with satin pearls, trim and platinum Stickles.

Now for something completely different.....

This Valentine card features the beautiful 'Artsy Urban' collection from GCD Studios.

I love the texture of all the collections from this company.  These papers are no exception.  The linen finishes and embossed glittered roses are so beautiful!

I die cut the scalloped hearts from Spellbinders and layered them using dimensional tape.  I added Prima flowers and centered one with an 'Artsy Urban' crochet flower.

The sweet angels were taken from 'The Book of Friendship'.  I love these chunky books that can usually be found in the Bargain Book section of Barnes & Noble.  They make great clip art!

Of course,
I couldn't finish without some vintage lace, vibrant rhinestones and icicle Stickles.

So there you have it....two VERY DIFFERENT creations.

Both will be available in my Etsy shop.

Before I go, I wanted to say thank you TO YOU!  I have loved getting to know so many of you through your visits to  

The Open Window.

I think 2010 will contain some very exciting months as we continue to communicate and share through this fabulous place.  My plans for New Year's Day is to play and create...I am making a deal with myself to use what I have.  Now, that doesn't mean that I won't be out there buying up the latest papers and stamps...that would be ridiculous!  No...my intentions are to try and use at least one thing I already have on hand in each of my projects and then share that with you.  So what do I have the MOST of that I need to use?  Paper...paper...PAPER!  Of course, many of us have things that we just don't want to part with...and I will hang on to those (and maybe share those along the way as well).  But I do need to start using more of my papers no matter how old they are.

So here is what I want to know from you?  What do you have the most of that you would be willing to try and use more of in the coming year's creativity?  I am sure we would ALL LOVE TO KNOW...so please leave me a comment....

Let's have fun with this!

Beautiful Places...Beautiful Things...

 

Would you find it hard to leave this beautiful setting?  Paul and I talked about that for nearly the whole day as we made our way back home from being at the lovely Osthoff Resort in Lake Elkhart, Wisconsin.  If you ever have the opportunity to stay at this lovely hotel, I highly recommend it.  Our anniversary always falls in the off-season of most resort areas, so we have come to expect the locations to be devoid of the crowds and this was no exception...but the staff took care of us as if we were royalty.

Of course I took a boat load of photos, but I will just share a few.  The weather, although chilly, was just beautiful.  The sunshine off of Elkhart Lake was so bright, it was hard to get a good photo.
Make sure you click on each of these photos for nice close-ups!

The rooms are actually condominiums that could be purchased and were complete with kitchen appliances, dining and living rooms, fireplace, patio and of course bed and bath.

The photo below is one half of 'The Elk Room' which had an enormous stone fireplace and the most comfortable seating.  The views of the lake from this room were unforgettable.

But alas, we did eventually get in the car and head home.  We stopped in Port Washington, where we celebrated our 3rd anniversary fifteen years ago at a lovely B&B.  This port town for salmon fishing is still so lovely and it was nice to visit there again.  After that, we stopped off and visited a number of wonderful gift and antique shops in Historic Cedarburg.

While in Cedarburg, we stopped at the local scrapbooking store and had a great surprise.  As my items were being scanned for purchase, nearly simultaneously, the lovely woman ringing my items and I shouted our respective names.  It was Cheryl Hussman.  Cheryl taught a variety of workshops at my store, but you may know her as a former artist on call for Stampington & Company.  Cheryl has always been a very talented artist and crafter and with a background in marketing she now does the purchasing for the store in Cedarburg.  So that was a most lovely surprise.

While there, I replenished some of my Stickles and Diamond Glaze.  I found some fabulous Christmas papers from My Mind's Eye, Creative Imaginations, SEI & Bo-Bunny.  I also found sweet baby-themed paper from Melissa Frances and some wonderful dimensional stickers from The Gifted Line & Dover.

I was truly happy though, to find a wonderful selection of Graphic45.  This photo shows just a small batch of what I bought.  The Christmas Past Collection is indescribable!  Cheryl said they cannot keep it in stock.  If you know anything about me, you know I love me some Graphic45 and GCD.  No GCD there, but that's ok.

Last but not least, we stopped off at Barnes & Noble in Brookfield as our last stop of the trip.  We needed some 'caffeinated fuel' for the final 90 miles, so while there, I picked up a little reading material for these chilly nights.  The 'Merry Sitcoms' DVD was a little bonus find.  I love retro television, so this collection of holiday-themed sitcoms will be just the thing to have on in my studio while I work...I mean, play!

So all in all...a beautiful time away.  BUT!  I missed you guys and am now glad to be back and ready to play and create and chat and challenge.   When I returned home, I had a number of messages from folks who are ready to share their stories for my new 'Autograph Sessions', so I thank them and YOU are going to love the creative stories coming up!

Thank you for letting me share my anniversary with you!
Thank you for caring...

Autograph Sessions #1...Our Guest is Sue Roddis

Welcome to The Open Window's 'Autograph Sessions'.  This is a new feature I have been looking forward to for quite some time.   I first thought about this idea when my dear friend  
Sarah Anderson (The Art of Moodling)
sent me an autographed copy of a wonderful new book and I thought to myself  'wouldn't it be nice to do something similar online for all of us who don't always have an opportunity to meet authors and other creative contributors to publications.'
 
  For our first Session, I am pleased to introduce you to the very author of that fabulous book I received.  All the way from The United Kingdom, it's Sue Roddis.  Sue is the host of the fabulous blog 'Jabberwocky' and has many creative credits to her name.  Sue currently serves on a variety of design teams including  
The Stamp Attic with lovely Sarah.  
Her first book 'Handmade Decorative Books' is available from Search Press.

  

 Sue...we are so glad that you could join us today....
let's get started:

  1.....Where in the UK do you live 
and what do you love about it?

I live in Crewe in Cheshire in the north-west of England, famous for Rolls Royce cars and the railway! I was born here and my family still live here. The Cheshire countryside is lovely, and I can be there in just a few minutes from home. I wouldn't want live in a city although I love what a city can give........exhibitions, museums, art galleries, shopping!.........but I am always happy to head home!

2.....I would love if you would 'toot your own horn' and share your professional creative credits with us....

OK, this is not something I particularly like to do , don't get me wrong, I am proud of what I do and have achieved but I'm not too good at shouting about it!

Of course there is MY BOOK!

I have also been published in several UK craft magazines particularly Craft Stamper over the past 10 years. I have also been pleased to have work featured in Somerset Studio, Somerset Weddings, Somerset Home and Handcrafted, Altered Arts magazine, Paper Creations magazine, Tweety Jill Publications ATC and Altered Arts books, Scrap and Stamp Arts magazine and Art Specially magazine in Holland.

Blimey, quite a list when you write it down!!

I also teach workshops and demonstrate at several venues across the UK.

3.....It's obvious you have a passion for paper.  What else are you passionate about, art or otherwise?

I love my garden! I think of it as another creative outlet, mixing colours and textures but with plants. I also love to travel and be inspired by the things I see.

I like to read when I get time and to make jewellery again when I get time.

4.....'Handmade Decorative Books' is your first foray into publishing.  How did you find the process of writing a book to be?

It was exciting, frustrating in parts, hard work (especially when you leave things right to the deadlines!) lots of things rolled into one. At times I was sick of the sight of the projects, at others I was inspired and the work flowed easily, I was glad to see it done and not have to think about it any longer (it sort of took over for a while!) and then pleased to see it published. Seeing it out there for sale was strange, the feelings took me by surprise. I have been published many times in mags but being soley responsible for a book was quite daunting, seeing people buying it and hoping they would like it was scary!

5.....A common question, but what art tools could you NOT live without?

mmm...although a common question it is hard to know what to put to the top of the list, depends on the project really! For a purely paper piece, I need a sharp craft knife, a metal ruler, a cutting mat and my 3M double stick tape dispenser. For an altered project, the list would be glue stick, old book pages and gesso. For a stamped project, the one thing I use ALL the time is my trusty Memories black ink pad.

6.....In the creative world, what have you NOT done yet...that you would really like to do?

Now, that's a hard one............how about have a piece on the front cover of Somerset Studio, I'd like that!

And I'd like to write another book!  Not sure on what exactly but something along the mixed media/ altered route I think.

 

7.....Who inspires you, living or otherwise?

Now that's a hard question!

I get inspired by all sorts of things, not just people...........I love primitive art, folk art, old traditions, the natural world around us.........I like anything quirky, disparate things put together like they were meant to be, things slightly "outside the box" things, installation art......

 If we are talking about people, then I do love the work of the Glasgow 4, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, his wife Margaret MacDonald, her sister Frances MacDonald and Herbert MacNair..........I think partly because of the flow of their art, the flowing lines and curves, the use of nature, the colours and textures.............I love Art Nouveau for the same reasons.

On a completely different note I also love the work on 
Michael deMeng  

  8.....Now it's time for a little fun...if you could be any fictional character, who or what would you be?

Oh I think there is only one answer to that.............the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland!! Bet you thought I'd say Alice didn't you!! I have this "thing" about being late, I hate it, so what is more appropriate than the rabbit!

9.....Any favorite snacks that you keep within reach in your studio?

Not much of a snacker! How holier than thou does that make me sound!! LOL

I try to stay away from chocolate as it gives me migraines, so what good are treats without chocolate!! I do love good ice cream, though I wouldn't take it into my work room, I am so clumsy it would end up all over something!

10.....Coffee, tea....or something more potent?

Well, if you are asking tea or coffee then definitely coffee, I don't drink tea, but in answer to the more potent part, a nice glass of cold Pinot Grigio, a good Shiraz or a G&T..........not that I'm an alcoholic, of course!!

Sue made the Fab 4 with our very first Play Date Cafe Challenge entry and we are so glad!

It's been a pleasure having Sue here today.  



I hope you will stop at your local Barnes & Noble or other online bookseller and get Sue's book.  

Watch for Autograph Session #2 soon...you never know who it might be!

Here's to Celebrating Women!

As you can see, I have been busy once again, designing with Graphic45. Being a part of the Graphic45 community has really 'fed my' insatiable need for all things vintage.

These papers are from the Times Nouveau Collection and they just make me smile.
The verse is from The Paper Company. To keep with the vintage 'feel', I used silk ribbon laced throughout the card spine and centered it with a hand-me-down button.
The glitter is extra, too...adds a 'smidge' of pizazz!

So...what's new with you? How is autumn shaping up to be in your part of the land? Here in Northern Illinois, it's ridiculously cold and so blustery. Definitely NO INDIAN SUMMER in sight. I am looking forward to Friday as Paul uses his final batch of vacation before the Christmas rush at Barnes & Noble. As we are planning a trip to the UK to see his mum (and my dear friend Sarah, of course) in early 2010, we have opted to stay close to home and take a day trip or two and maybe an overnight away.

Thought I would fill you in on some exciting things that are just around the corner here at The Open Window.
In the next couple of weeks:

I will be featuring a terrific 'Autograph Session' with a fabulous paper artist and author
A new batch of blog candy will be up for grabs
I myself, will be featured in a Q&A on another fantastic blog

AND NEXT WEEK...
The brand new Play Date Cafe Design Team will be announced and the challenges will begin soon

So lots to look forward to! I can't wait to get started!
Will you be at The Play Date Cafe along with me?

Happy Friday!

What a busy week this has been for me. I am blessed to be able to work from home on all things creative (but of course, I do have my house-wif-y things I love to do as well). Some days just run into others and the weeks just meld together, and now here we are at the end of July! I have mentioned several times that our summer has been on the extreme mild side, so it feels as though we haven't quite reached summer and yet it's 3/4 over....but I digress......

Back to the busy week....There was the big Artful Inkables DT announcement, so I have been working on a variety of ideas....Answering a boat-load of messages of well-wishes from followers here and friends by email...I've been getting alot of hits at my gallery on SCS, so I have been following those and my Etsy store has been busy. Of course I check in over at Facebook, posting my projects and having silly conversations with my 'friends'. So I can honestly say, for the first time in awhile, I KNOW it's Friday, and I am glad it is! Paul isn't working at B&N today, so while I play, he is going to find a good movie from his DVD library (which by the way, takes up a better part of the living room wall, but I have a whole studio in our spare bedroom, so......). I think all in all, it's going to be a really nice day!

So onto the card....I thought it was fitting for the mood I am in today. The sun is shining here, the temp is near 80 degrees and the sky would look extraordinary with these heart-shaped balloons flying through the air.
I love Heidi Grace Stamps. These are from the Cheerful Bee set. I used VersaMagic Chalk Inks and and Martha Stewart rhinestones to set them off. The title transparency is from Making Memories.

Hope these colors put a smile on your face today! For now, I need to finish a couple of projects, but I'll be back a bit later to pass on some blog awards, so I will see you then!

Sharing Some Fabulous News With You

Great response to the Wednesday Favorites feature, so you can put that on your creative calendar. I have already received a batch of "you should take a look at these" from many of you, so look for one of your favorites in the coming weeks.

Today's post will be a quick one for now but I thought it would be fun to share a few of the papers I am currently working with. They are from Prima, part of their Vintage Nursery Rhyme collection. I bought the 'motherload' set, which include flocked and embossed papers, sparkly papers, all with beautiful muted tones. I made the flower last night and when I get this project done, I will share it here.

Change of subject....
You may remember reading in a post a couple of weeks ago about Paul and I spending the day in the Chicago suburbs. The part you probably remember most is that I spent the morning at Archivers, and why wouldn't you?! But the main reason for our little journey was because Paul had been asked to speak to district management about his next step with the company. I am happy to share with you that he did not have to wait very long to hear back on the next step in his career with Barnes & Noble and I can now proudly say that as of August 2nd, he will be the new assistant store manager here in Rockford. He has been a merchandising manager for nearly a year and this is just the next step.

The biggest question we were dealing with was where would we be willing to relocate if the need were in another store. So we are happy that we do not have to make that decision for right now. Thank you to those who have asked along the way if we had heard any news. One of the things that I love about this blog is getting to know one another enough to have an interest in someone else's life and to celebrate during the good times. This is one for my family so I am glad I have you to help me celebrate! What's going on for you that we can share?

My New Toy!

It would not surprise me if I was the last person on earth to have one of these, but I finally have my very own Cuttlebug die cut and embossing unit. I have been using my original Sizzix over the years and decided it was time to make things a bit easier on myself. Now I know for a fact that there are some new die cutting units getting ready to be 'unleashed' on the community, but I've been watching everyone's "can't live without" lists and this little machine is at the top of most.

I decided to share my inaugural creation with you before I go back and start on some new projects. One of my favorite parts of this card is the polka dot brad in the center. Nothing to do with the die cut....I just like it! It's simple but elegant, I think. I like it enough that I will put it in my Etsy store.


In the meantime, I haven't forgotten about my promise from last evening. In fact, I had several comments left for me showing a great interest in some of my new favorite blog sites. So I am looking forward to sharing that list with you later this evening.

My husband is pulling an all-nighter at Barnes & Noble in hopes of doing some major relocation of some of the sections in the store, so I will have some alone time to spend with you. By all-nighter, I mean he is not expected home until at least 3am. Now I can't promise that I will be awake at that time 'chatting' here with you, but I will be back soon and I hope you will join me!

Not As Much Stamping Today....

Had so many errands to take care of today, I have yet to get to my creative space to get anything new done. So when that happens, I try to go to my photo archives and bring you a batch of things to keep you inspired.

So what have I done today? I had the luxury of sleeping in this morning (and just so you know, I am NOT a morning person). After we had our morning cup of tea (remember Paul is English) we got in the car and headed off to the tire repair place. Boy, have you been in one of these places lately? I'm not talking about the corner garage. I'm talking about the fancy-schmancy chairs, BIG WINDOWS (love those windows), and not only did they have a bathroom, they had a GIRL'S bathroom! I had a flat tire recently and we needed to get it fixed. It seems I somehow ran over a nail or something. Seeing how are city is completely under construction, I don't see how THAT happened.

Anyway, got the tire taken care of, stopped at Barnes & Noble to see what new stamping magazines there might be, went to the grocery store, then headed off to Hobby Lobby to see what goodies they had. I came home just in time for my daughter to stop by. Her 25th birthday is tomorrow and she was leaving on a 3 day camping trip with 15 of her friends, so I wanted to give her a hug. So there has literally been no time to be creative today.

Well...the pizza was just delivered, so I am going to go have a slice or two and see if I can't get into this room for just a little bit so I can make a little something.

Is it Really Summer?

Many Northern Illinoisans are asking themselves that very question...it's only 61 degrees here...and it's rainy...and there are supposed to be thunderstorms coming, but at that temp, I don't know how.

So my trip to the Chicago suburbs yesterday was a nice day out. I spent time at the Archivers store and managed to get quite a bit of work done on some projects for my Etsy store. Of course, the first hour was spent shopping. I managed to come home with lots of decorative papers, some Bazzill Basics cardstock, althought the store informed me that they will not be stocking that brand any longer, but she couldn't tell me what brand they would have in the future. I also brought home a bunch of new clear stamps, a Penny Black wood-mount Christmas Ornament stamp that I got for 75% off and some storage solutions for my clear stamps. So all in all, a very good day!

As for Paul's interview, time will tell. But for now he is happy being a merchandising manager for Barnes & Noble. He's a book hound, so he makes a great bookseller.

So how has your day been? I have been multi-tasking today. I am working on getting some of those stamps organized in my new cases, working on cards for Etsy and taking care of basic household chores. Do you find it difficult to balance your creative time with everyday life? I would encourage you to take what time you can, even if it's just a little bit and do something creative. I would love to hear what you did today!