Good Bye 2013...Hello year of Choices!!

It's the last day of 2013 and it's a day for looking back and looking ahead. 

If you've been around since last year, you know my One Little Word for 2013 was "NEW." I wanted a year of new passions, new dreams, new plans and a new, more confident me. And...I think I fulfilled my 2013 One Little Word. 

I quit my job so that I could focus on my art and my family and it was one of the best (and scariest) decisions of my life. 

I put myself out there artistically and tried new things that in the past I was too intimidated to even try. And you know what? I found out...I'm actually pretty good at them. 

I took steps to figure out my little place I this big industry of paper crafting and found a home with Susan K Weckesser and The Craft Warehouse Design teams and a couple of temporary homes with Authentique Paper and Want2Scrap. 

I learned a lot this year about grace, both for myself and others and learned to let go of the fear of being judged and just be authentically who God has made me to be. 

So...as we say good-bye to 2013, it's time to pick a new One Little Word. 

This year I picked: 

It might seem like a weird One Little Word, but let me explain..

Each day, just like I choose my outfits, I get to choose my attitudes, my thoughts and my actions. 

I can choose joy or mourning. 

I can choose grace or judgement.

I can choose faith or fear. 

I can choose trust or solitude. 

I can choose just getting by or I can choose a full life. 

My life is what I choose and my choice is for it to be awesome. 

What about you? What's your One little Word for 2014? 

Leave me a comment...I would love to hear it. 

Thank you so much to all of you who have made it YOUR choice to go along the creative journey with me.

Here's to 2014!! 

XOXO--Keri

Quick and Sweet Gift over on the Susan K. Weckesser Blog!

I'm always super excited when it's my day on the Susan K. Weckesser blog!

Head on over there today and see my quick and sweet last minute gift idea...the beautiful altered bottle (in it's former life it was a maple syrup bottle from The Fresh Market!)

My Sweet Earth Blog: Quick and Sweet Gift

Sometimes things just don't go as planned...

Did you ever decide to take a leap and then things just didn't work out as planned?

Well that happened to me recently. 

I decided to try and participate in a small craft fair that was being held at my kid's school. I bought the materials and spent hours and hours making projects. I was set to go!

Then...snowpocalypse hit, keeping us home-bound for 6 days and due to reschedule events, they ended up canceling the event. UGH!

In the beginning I was a little sad that I had spent all this time and money and now what was I going to do with all of these great things I had created.

Then...I thought...ETSY!

So I decided to take my failed plan and give it a little tweek!

My etsy shop will be for many projects you have seen on my blog and other blogs.

Ready to shop? 

Here ya go: The Creative Life Studios Shop!

Below are some of the projects from the canceled show...just to tease!

XOXO,

KERI

Pin-Win-- DIY Light Box

If you're like me, you love Pinterest, but rarely actually do anything with them. 

However, today I wanted I share my most successful "PIN-WIN" 

This pin leads you to a tutorial on how I make this easy and amazing DIY Light Box. 

DIY Light Box from Flax and Twine

My hubby made the base of mine using the box from a new piece of furniture we had just bought. 

Here is mine: 

My studio table is a 6ft old dining room table. The canvas you see is an 8x10, so you can see that it is easy to accommodate large projects if you make your frame larger. (This picture makes my canvas look like it's floating! Lol) 

Check out the tutorial by Flax and Twine. I'm sure you'll love it! 

And thanks Flax and Twine for a great and easy to follow tutorial. 

Xoxo

Keri

Banners of Hope

Hey Lifers!

I am so excited to share this with you today. 

I am honored to be participating with the CHA Banners of Hope cause this year at Crop and Connect Annaheim. 

Banners of Hope is an amazing group of artists who gather together to use their talent to inspire and give strength to those struggling in hospitals and through other tough situations. 

At CHA next month, banners will be displayed during the show before being shipped all over the country to give people hope and encouragement. 

For me...I went through so many mental options and stared at my blank piece of fabric forever (fear of the blank "page!")

Finally, I just grabbed a bunch of my favorite Tattered Angels colors and made my background, with no real thought in mind. I just needed to get rid of the white. 

After I was done, my hubby came in and said "Hey...that looks like a face!" And of course I was like "Your're crazy...it's just an abstract background." But..the more I looked at it, I could see the details he was taking about. 

So...here is the finished products: 

I've never been a drawer of figures, but I'm finding I kind of like it. This is my first face and it took a little while to make me happy, but I think she is beautiful. 

Here is a few closeups:

The whole project is done with black and white acrylic paint and Tattered Angels Glams, Mists and Glazes on canvas fabric. The fabric was so generously donated by Meridith Fabric. 

The title came at the end. The colors and the fact that her eye was closed made me feel like she was just taking a moment, within the storm she was going through, just to breath and remind herself  that she is strong and can make it through this. 

Want to see more Banners of Hope? Check out Pinterest an search #bannersofhope !

Are you feeling inspired to help others? Let's see YOUR Banner if Hope. 

Until next time...stay creative and spread hope!

XOXO

Keri

Feeling Sketchy Post for Susan K Weckesser!

Yesterday was my day on the Susan K Weckesser Blog My Sweet Earth!

Normally, I am not a scrapbook sketch person, but when I saw this one on The Paper Issues Instagram feed, I knew I had to use it:

I saw those triangles and I immediately thought: Susan's Celebrate the Simple Stamps for Unity Stamps!

Here is what i came up with:

I used Basic Grey's Persimmon line because I thought the colors went so well with my vintage photo (and yes...that is me WAY back in 1983!)

Wanna see more?

Click Here to head over to Susan's Blog!

Until Next time Friends!!

XOXO

KERI

Want 2 Scrap Guest Post!!

I have been sitting on this project for over a month so I am so happy to finally share!! 

Head on over to Want 2 Scrap's blog for full details and more yummy pics!! 

http://want2scrap.com/blog/guest-designer-keri-woodall-sallee/

Until next time...Stay Creative!!

Xoxo-Keri