This could prove to be a bit of a long post and my 2nd one of the day...how 'bout that?! It's nearly midnight here in the unseasonably cool state of Illinois, but I am looking forward to some great sleeping weather.
I managed to get a couple more cards done tonight using my new toy that I talked about earlier. I now affectionately refer to it as '
The Bug', so you do not have to worry about catching anything when I share project ideas with the aforementioned 'Bug'.
Also wanted to plug these great background cardstocks from
Fancy Pants Designs. The 12 x 12 sheets of
Design Cards are terrific for building your focal points on. Both of the cards featured here and last night's card use the design cards which are slightly collage-oriented, so those of you who are a bit 'collage phobic' will really like what you can do with these.
What I have decided to do is post a few new favorite blog sites each Wednesday. Blog hopping is a fun way to spend an hour or two, if you have the time, but if you only have 15-20 minutes and have NO IDEA where to go, this will be a great way to get you on your way.
If you read my
blog roll (favorites list) you will find what I call my
'must visits'. These are blogs that I visit at least once a day, but usually several times a day. So check those out because they are consistently fabulous!
Here are my picks for this week's My New Favorite Blogs:
Vintage Papers is a great blog by Nancy Maxwell-James. The creativity from this blog has been seen in a variety of
Somerset Studio publications and the unique perspective Nancy brings when sharing her life will keep you looking through all of her archives. I am anxiously awaiting a set of
ATC's based on Marie Antoinette that I ordered from Nancy's collection. I believe there is something for everyone on this blog, so check it out.
While I was there, I found
My Desert Cottage, an outstanding blog by Karen Valentine of Scottsdale, Arizona. I am a real lover of shabby chic and it's non-stop exploration when I visit here. She has a couple of other blogs that she manages as well which include handcrafted cards and gifts. She is sponsoring the
'Where Bloggers Create' Party on Friday, July 24th inspired by the publication '
Where Women Create', so mark your calendar and make sure you stop by to see over 100 other blog sites who have signed on to participate, including
yours truly.
Last but not least, I was over at Mona Pendleton's blog
Cupcake's Creations (which I visit many times a day) and hopped from her blog to one of her favorites which eventually led me to
Ross. It appears to me that Ross started out possibly as a scrapbooker, but then I'm not sure...Ross is from Italy and the majority of her blog is in Italian. She definitely loves color, whimsy and mixed media. This is one of the most eye-catching blogs I have come across in awhile and I think it's such a fun place to visit.
I mentioned the other night that when you go 'blog hopping' you will find yourself traveling all
over the world. I have followers from England, Australia, The Dominican Republic, Asia, Canada and of course here in the U.S. Art is one of the universal languages in which we can all say "I speak a little...". Inspiration is found everywhere you look, so I hope each Wednesday you will plan to stop by to see where we'll travel to next!
Good morning everyone! I thought this morning I would share with you a little glimpse in to the chaos which is my art studio. Actually, these photos represent a few of my favorite things. I love ribbon...love, love, LOVE it. I have 3 drawers full of it as well as my glass jars and a vintage suitcase. I would say right now that the ratio is 30% gets used in my projects and 70% is collected for my personal amusement. The Marie Antoinette card above is one of four that I own by Nancy Maxwell James over at Sugarlump Studios...don't you just love that name?
I must have 100's of packages of unopened embellishments, so every few days it's like Christmas as I go through all the packages to see what I can use. Don't you just love finding things you didn't know you had?!
A small stash of my paper rolls. I must admit I haven't played with these lately, but I think it's because some have such a sentimental attachment. Many of them I purchased with my UK friend Sarah when she came for a week-long visit. We spent the most amazing day in Chicago and could barely get into the taxi with all of our bags...and by the way, I drove to Chicago. The only reason we needed a taxi was because we also could not WALK to my car with said bags!
Then there's my vintage trims that I save for very special projects. Some I acquired from my grandma who lived most of her senior years in front of a sewing machine. Her love of sewing didn't quite rub off on me, but her creativity certainly did!
Will be back later with another post and something creative to show you. In the meantime, what's your favorite 'pretty little embellishment' in your creative space? I would love to know!
