Yikes - it's August?

I know I've been a horrible blogger this week - I really do have a ton of stuff to get posted if I can just find some extra time!

But to make it up to you I'll leave you for the moment with my happy find of the day. The incomparable Suze Weinberg has a blog! Seriously, she is absolutely amazing and her blogging style will inspire you, make you laugh, and make you want to be her BFF (yup, I'm her new stalker)! I spent a good chunk of time at CHA (eek, PROMISE I will post more than just a few of the videos I took!) just watching her create (kind of a CHA tradition for me - spend some time soaking up the Suze inspiration!). I had a million things I SHOULD have been doing but it's just so hard to walk away until you see what she comes up with next! Anyways. Go check out the blog. Subscribe to the feed. And don't forget her favorite saying - "There are no mistakes - just opportunities for embellishment!".

Oooh! And also, check out Irene's blog today for a great tutorial on distressing acrylic. Her tutorials are always great but I REALLY love this one and intend to play with this later today (sigh, in between errands, a quick trip to Champaign, picnic lunch at school with the kiddo...)!

And to wrap up this morning's ramblings, here's a semi-failed pendant. I used one of the pendants from Provo Craft. They are nice and heavy and sturdy and should have been perfect. And would have been if it didn't turn green immediately in spots from the Glossy Accents. Which if there had been any green in the piece to begin with might not have been so bad. But I just don't like green with this particular piece.

I started with a piece of 7Gypsies paper (cut from the swatch book of the new line from CHA, lol, I was just so desperate to work with this line!) and added just a touch of Scribbles to glitter up a few of the lines. Then I added a tiny Prima and a faceted gem (note to self - Glossy Accents really removes any faceted effect - looks more like a mirror in person). I truly loved how it looked at that point and was excited to fill in the pendant with Glossy Accents and wait for it to dry. Well. This is how it dried. I guess you live and learn!

And the countdown begins...

The countdown to CHA, that is! In exactly a week I will be arriving in Chicago (I'll be driving so leaving VERY early next Friday morning) for a few days of pure bliss! I've been to a lot of these shows but this will be my first NOT going as a buyer but as a member of the press (I'll be going with Scrapbook News + Review). I don't know yet what to expect from this new role but I'm definitely so excited to see all the new goodies, catch up with old friends, and just be in a totally creative atmosphere for a few days!

And speaking of Scrapbook News + Review, we are looking for submissions for our August issue! You can find the main calls here. Several of the departments have separate calls now as well, including mine! Have I mentioned yet that I'll be coordinating the newly re-vamped "Altered Art and Home Dec" section? :) I'm so excited about the future plans for this section! And I'd love to see your work for it! Here is what we're looking for:

Artful Rooms - We're looking for items you have altered for your kitchen - utensil holders, spice racks, kitchen art, altered cookie sheets and cutting boards...anything you can put in your kitchen!

Options - Time to see how you keep your household on time! We're looking for a wide variety of altered clocks - any style - what makes YOU tick?

Seasonal - We're looking for items altered with summer or beach themes.

Wearables - We'd love to see anything made with scrapping supplies that can be worn (totes/purses count) - jewelry, shoes (would love to see some flip flops!), etc.

ATC's - Show us your favorite ATC's for a new ATC gallery feature!

Call Guidelines Please submit your projects with the following guidelines: - Of any size - No restrictions on whether it has been posted to an online gallery, blog, etc., but we respectfully request that you take them down when requested for publication. Submit to jfranklin@scrapbooknewsandreview.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Deadline: July 31, 2008

I hope to see some of your work!!!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with one of the projects I had in the June issue - an altered wooden gift bag I made for my dad. I'm so in love with Basic Grey's Archaic line! I also used leather trim on this and clipped off the backs of some brads to just glue them on. The chipboard letters are 1.5" Prim & Proper font from Zsiage hammered with the Tim Holtz texture hammer then inked and swiped with gold and covered in Glossy Accents. Click on the picture to see the mega version and the details!


Let me know if you'll be at CHA too! I'd love to be on the lookout for you! :)

House Number Plaque

I've lived in this house for two and a half years now and suddenly USPS, UPS, and FedEx are ALL screwing up deliveries. My boxes end up several houses away, my mail next door. I've had to deliver the lady down the street's insulin to her (what if I hadn't been home!!! It has to remain refrigerated!!). So I finally decided to put up house numbers. Well, I can't possibly just use the plain, boring ones you stick or nail to the house so I decided to make my own! I got this little scroll plaque at Walmart. Painted the back and sides with Plaid paint and then Mod Podged (also from Plaid) Tantalizing Tulip paper from Zsiage's Flouristics line (I REALLY love this particular piece of paper!). I then painted some chipboard numbers from Zsiage in black and covered them in Glossy Accents. The flowers are from Prima and I used a black pen from Sakura to edge a few of them to bring in the black and give them a little more depth. I used the same pen to edge the whole plaque and give it some definition as well. Cross your fingers for me that now I can get my own mail and packages!

Hibernating

Ok, so we got an ungodly amount of snow the past 24 hours! It took me over an hour this morning to dig my car out and a path out of the driveway, but I don't intend to use it anytime soon! I just want to do the bear thing and curl up in my nice, warm house until spring! And hey, I have enough crafting supplies to last me that long...and if not, that's what UPS/FedEx are for! Anyways, I actually did a non-Christmas project today! Not that I don't still have Christmas projects hanging about unfinished, but I think I'm done subjecting you to them, lol! So here's a little wall hanging with hooks I intend to use for my keys and purse. It's from Walnut Hollow and I used paper from Daisy D's. I really loved this piece of paper and hated to cover it with anything (plus, I would feel dorky putting "keys" or something on this...like I'd forget?). So, instead I decided to play with the design of the paper itself and completely work just with that. However (and the picture totally does not show this well - click on it to get the bigger version and it's a little easier to see the details), everything that is not white on this paper got some kind of treatment. I pulled out Glossy Accents and Crackle Accents from Ranger and Scribbles from Duncan and just kept painting it all on! There are also clear gems (from Tulip/Duncan) over all the circles. I love that I was able to keep the gorgeous paper intact, yet add my own touch of texture to it! Now to hunt down a level so I can hang it up!


Also, don't forget to scroll down and leave a comment on my post from the other day to get in the running for an RAK (which I just now remembered I still haven't photographed, lol, now that it's getting dark!).