Learning something!

 
So, two layouts with grids as promised. Really enjoying the class at Get It Scrapped http://debbiehodge.com/blog/ Obviously, I am learning more about my style. I love layered elements, color, patterned paper and usually more than one photo. The "CHA 'bra'va" LO has a little inking, stamping and "Stickles" so I like some techniques on a page but generally not a lot. The "GT Good-bye" LO has some inking and stamping and both have hand written journaling. So, a energetic contemporary style with lots of layering.
I'm also trying to learn a little about design in general and Adobe Illustrator in particular. A challenge; but, I do not think this insurmountable. We'll see how I do. I'm going to say now that I'll learn more from fixing mistakes than I will learn from the books, lectures and demos, LOL!

Did you get your prize from the 12 Days of Christmas Give Away on the blog?

 

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Hi, folks! If you did not get your prize from the12 Days of Christmas giveaway please contact me at poirierbrodekaren@gmail.com. I may not have received your contact info e-mail or there may have been a communication glitch.

Please let me know so I can investigate.

Hope the New Year has been treating everyone well. I'm a little behind here at home but it's gradually coming together. 

Taking a wonderful class at Get It Scrapped right now. It's the Guided Study Critique workshop. First, the best part is a kick in the butt to get layouts done. Second is the absolutely wonderful teaching staff and the curriculum content. It's a bit pricey; but, there is so much "hands on" it's worth it. Of course, not for everyone, especially limited budgets. However, the free content on Get It Scrapped is available to all and well worth checking out. www.debbiehodge.com

I'll post my layouts soon as I'm done fixing a few things and then need to get good photos of the final layouts.

Nadia and me in the bras I designed for the Be Aware Flash Mob and bra auction

Nadia in the bra and with Jo Pearson's lighted Minnie ears on her head

Karen with Jo Pearson 

Such fun! Got a photo with Vanna and really surprised Cal with an autograph. We are devoted watchers of Wheel of Fortune!

Hamming it up with Rina and Lisa at the Charity Wings booth

Robin moderating

Wendy Crafts

 Just a few photos from CHA. Will look for more to share!

Do check out my friend Angela Daniels' cute You Tube video. I contributed to the photography in that one (the photo of her with Jo Pearson and the one with Steve Piacenza). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2CWf6s-ois

Also, cousin Nadia has started a blog. I think a couple of months she'll need to change the name to The Once Virgin Crafter! http://virgincrafter.blogspot.com/

Where I'm at in my craftiness

On top is the beginnings of my bra for the Flash Mob dance. As you can see, mostly purchased flowers, some handmade. However, I have assembled the less complex ready made flowers into more intricate shapes. So, definitely some crafting going on here. As you can see, I did not put any large flowers centrally. That, in my opinion, is a design disaster unless you are going for humor. I am sticking with cool shades of yellow, red (pink), green and blue green. I like the way these colors seem happy! Still. lots of gaps so much more flower gluing ahead. And, yes, fellow Craft Wars fans I am trying to not incur the wrath of Jo Pearson and am avoiding glue strings!

The second photo is a scan of page 86 of Vogue magazine January 20132. A really fun issue, I encourage you to buy it or check it out at the library. This is the skirt I like. I have that exact lace featured at the skirt top but do not think it will work on someone larger than a size 2. I think I'll modify some applique to use on my version. I did not attempt to make or buy the top. I got this one http://shop.nordstrom.com/sr?keyword=Classiques+Entier%C2%AE+Lace+Trim+Ponte+Peplum+Top+IVORY+X-Large&origin=keywordsearch&contextualcategoryid=0 at Nordstrom's and think it will look good. Hope my skirt alterations are successful. It's fun to figure this out. 

Well, back to crafting!

 

Twelfth Night on January 5

Another busy day. Joe and my cleaning lady, Kim, tackled most of it and I put away most of my Barbie dolls. We got about 85% done which surprised me. Guess we were just in the groove. Barbie packing up is pretty easy, still about 5 to go.
I have most of the flowers selected for the floral flash mob bra and hope to start hot gluing tomorrow. Just ache too much to even think about it today. Pretty much have the other one planned out so wish me luck in getting them done tomorrow. Also, need to work on those conversation heart sneakers.
Dropped by the tailor today to get a skirt altered. I saw this lovely silk skirt in Vogue magazine this month. It's pink with lace appliques and vinyl tape (reminds me of Washi tape strips) scattered across the front. Of course, the skirt in Vogue is about $1300, a little more than I want to spend for an item I'm not likely to wear much. However, found a pink silk skirt several sizes too large on sale for only $40 and am getting it altered so even with $30 for alterations it still costs less than $138, the original price on my sale item. I found almost identical appliques to the Vogue article skirt for about $15 that I'll tack on myself and then I'm trying to decide if vinyl tape would work on the skirt. Maybe it will need fabric adhesive as I'm not sure the vinyl tape is sticky enough. Voila! When I get this done I'll definitely post a photo. It won't be the original but I'm thinking it'll look pretty good, especially for what it's going to cost me!
Aren't I a creative soul? And you have not seen any of my projects yet - I plan to post some work in progress shots tomorrow.
My Mom is not in the best of health. I spent a lot of time today on the phone talking to her doctor and the case manager and nursing staff and my aunt trying to determine what is best for her. She is on the edge of needing more than just assisted living. I think that might mean a trip by me to Victoria in the near future. I'm hoping not until May. I have a medical meeting in NYC in March and that might be as much cold weather as I can take. Of course, I'll be in a hotel or taxi in NYC so it won't be too bad.
Thanks for all your comments and playing along with me to celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas. I sometimes would put the kids shoes out on Twelfth Night so the Three Kings could leave money in them on Epiphany morning. So, I think money is a final fitting give away for this series. How about a $35 gift certificate to Scrapbook.com?
Leave a comment here to enter. Good Luck!

Christmas is almost over

Well, almost over. Still a couple of prizes. Comment on this post for a $20 gift certificate to Big Picture Classes.
Crazy busy day! Got my hair done which takes FOREVER! Always looks fabulous, though. That part I like.
Got some great hot pink bras at Loehmann's for not much, like that, too. So went to JoAnn's (Yes, conversation hearts there, I figured if M had them then J did also, so, THX), and of course I did not find quite what I wanted to go with any of the ideas I had. However, new ideas! I plan on a "Hello Kitty" themed bra with fuzzy polyester fleece HK designs and bows and heart bling, too.Probably black buttons if I have the time. The other one will feature flowers, mostly pre-made ones. Since we are doing the flash mob to honor Cheryl Waters (seen in middle above between Kelly-Jo and Wendy-Jo) and her cancer fight, with our Be Aware Foundation donation, I think I'll put some handmade Cheryl-like flowers on it. Of course a little glitter and bling will be added but mainly flowers.
I'll have to see which design works out when I actually put these ideas together. Obviously a creative process! I may let you folks vote IF I'm done in time. Note: big IF.
Tomorrow my cleaning lady will be here so I think we'll start to take down some of Christmas. The pressure of being gone for CHA is getting to me. I ride around on a handicapped scooter while there and talk to people. It's not like I do anything profound; but, being gone can be stressful. Just too soon after the holidays this year.
So, after the cleaning tomorrow it's chores - crafting and packing and making sure things are tidy and bills paid.
I chose my One Little Word for this year. It is COMPOSE. I think being creative and calm are worthy aspirations for 2013. Did any of you choose a word for the year?

Where does the day go/

Today just raced by me. I was up and at it early. I've done the household chores, gone to exercise/physical therapy, been grocery shopping, and picked up an item from the department store that I'd ordered on-line. Now I'm sitting here at 6 pm, and while I realize I did a lot, I'm wondering how it seems the day disappeared.
I've so much to do, too. Need to find some conversation hearts - wonder if any stores are carrying them yet. I want a photo of a wallpaper of hearts to decorate some shoes. I do plan to post that project when I've got that done. Shoe Attitude is good stuff, and it is easy to make a pair of white sneakers custom. Check out my October 2012 post for my last shoe project. They have different packaging which promotes use on other surfaces, too. I'm sure you can use Shoe Attitude on most items, as I believe it is the same formulation.
I had been thinking of doing a little purse art too. Now, I'm not so sure, if the days escape me like this; I'll be lucky to get my "flash mob" bra decorated and the shoes completed. I do have a few ideas for the decorated bra. Just buttons and bling is one, another idea involves flying piggies, yet another a Freda" inspiration and the last idea I have involves tea cups. At least I have some ideas - time to get it all together is another story.
I am thinking of learning more Digi scrapbooking after CHA as I have not done that in months. I was just getting into it and feeling like I was passing the beginner stage and then I stopped. I know I have to go back and relearn a few things.
I suppose that will be a 2013 resolution - try to become a decent intermediate level Digi Scrapper.
How many of you folk are Digi scrappers? Do you switch back and forth if you also do paper or do you use hybrid techniques?
Prize for the 10th day of Xmas is another $10 gift certificate to Scrapbook.com. Just leave a comment here for a chance.

Happy New Year

I suppose most folk who offer prizes on their blog are doing it for marketing reasons or because they have extra stash to unload. Posts are probably well designed and prizes carefully thought out ahead of time.
As you have probably guessed, this is a bit more random and for fun. Just a commitment to offer some cool stuff to those who read here and a commitment to some more than usual blogging.
No new New Year's resolution re blogging; still plan to blog my twice a month. Very happy that is one resolution I maintained in 2012! I guess it is one I'll make again. Sometimes, like now, there may be a bit more blogging and every now and then some fun prizes.
So many thoughts rush in on New Year's Day. Thoughts of the year past. The most recent event was the loss of Great Aunt Jeanne. She was 95 and in poor health recently. Yet, she will be missed. I've been trying to get my thoughts together for a note to cousin Ron (Jeanne's son) and his wife Vicki. She was the last of that generation, a child of immigrant parents. Her life spanned so many changes in the world, it sets my mind reeling!
I am not planning a lot of resolutions. Thinking about projects like One Little Word and Project 365 or maybe Project 52. Of course, more photos means better photos. Still, it is hard to make those kind of plans. Not that either is a lot to do but some days I'd just rather do nothing at all!
Did you folks watch the Rose Parade today? It was awesome. We went in person a few years ago on a Rose Bowl parade and game tour package and we loved it! I liked visiting the floats in the park in Pasadena after the parade when I lived in Southern CA. The designs get better and better and the flowers were so amazing - I think the cold weather helped. The Kaiser Permanente float was just so cool! I really liked the photo representations on the Delta float, too. Disney's "Cars Land" was another fave and those traditional puppets on the Indonesia float were breathtaking. Liked the bands and the gorgeous cars and horses, so pretty much was happy with the entire thing. Will look for a good photo of roses to put on this post but it will be photoless for now.
Woke up this am and resolved to take a nap because I did not sleep well. Off to do that now and consider other plans for 2013. Do share some of your resolutions.
Comments today will be entered in a prize drawing for a $10 gift certificate at Scrapbook.com.