NEW Project and NEW List (#4)

In recent years I have had the amazing opportunity to work with an organization in Northwest AR named Saving Grace. The founder, Becky Shaffer, has embraced the motto "Repairing the Breach, Restoring the Streets" by offering transitional housing and life skills education for girls ages 17-25 who have aged out of a foster care/group home situation or have been "orphaned" due to a critical home situation that has left them homeless. 

As a former foster kid, Becky has taken what could have been a negative in her life and instead used it to do wonderful and life-changing things in the lives of countless of girls in the 4 years since Saving Grace was founded. She has got to be the most optimistic and cheerful person I have every met in my life and I absolutely love her to death.

When Becky approached me a couple months ago about helping with a project for their upcoming mentor's retreat, I of course JUMPED at the chance to do something I had never done before: paper crowns! It was something I had only seen done a couple of times during all my creative wonderings online, so I really had to almost start from scratch.

First....I did a little research and found a template for a traditional, vintage style crown and came up with this guy:

My favorite scripture is Ephesians 5:19 "Speak to one another in songs, hymns and spiritual songs; sing and make music in your heart unto the Lord." I tried to fit the whole verse, but I had to settle for just the second half because of the size of the crown. 

Next, I wanted to do something total "princess" and you can't go wrong with chevron.

Chevron Duck Cloth (modge podge to add some stiffness) on Canvas Corp Craft paper, with hand rolled flowers from Canvas Corp handmade paper. The words are the first 5 words in the Bible and are my constant humbling reminder that I can create...only because He first created.

Lastly, I couldn't do this project without making a MEGA-MS-UNIVERSE style crown!

This crown was made by cutting a piece of Canvas Corp Thickstock (12x12) on the diagonal and rounding the top slightly. I then modged podged some vintage dress patterns that I then lightly gessoed and inked it once it was dry. One large BIG cluster of flowers and silver butterflies add the big, over-the-top fun feel, while the simple LOVE chipboard letters (colored with Tattered Angels glaze in Oil Slick) and a quilted background with rhinestones finish it off.

And of course..you can't have crowns readily available and not have some one model them!

This is Kaitlyn, Becky's youngest daughter, who looks adorable rockin' these paper crowns. :)

I can't wait to the the amazing projects the SG mentor's come up with based on my designs!!

List Yourself #4-Music of the Heart

Many of you might not know that MUSIC is actually my FIRST love...way before I had ever heard of scrapbooking or any kind of papercrafting, I was (and still am) a singer. I started singing as a kid and eventually went to college for vocal performance and music ministry.

So....Let's List all the Songs you know by Heart...you know...those songs that when they come on the radio, you get to the end of the song before you realize you have sung the whole thing basically on auto-pilot.

Here's my top 10 list:

How Great Thou Art

Orphans of God by Avalon

Broken Road by Rascal Flatts

Just about anything by P!nk, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood

Anything by The Fresh Beat Band (the joys of having kids)

The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars

Shout to the Lord by Hillsong

Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera

At the Foot of the Cross by Kim Walker

Vintage New Kids on the Block

Can you tell I have the most random assortment of taste in music? LOL.

What about you? What do you rock out to in the shower or driving down the road?

Share it in the comments...I'm always up for new music!

Until next time friends....

NEW Team and NEW List (#3-A Girl Can Dream)

Yesterday I got some uh-MAZING news...DRUM ROLL....

I've been selected to join an amazing group of creative women as a guest designer for Susan K Weckesser! 

If you don't know who she is, she is an amazing mixed-media artist who also designers her own line of products for companies like Unity Stamp. 

Look...here's my name!!

Eeekkk!!! I'm so excited and up for the challenge!

Now...are you ready to list with me?

Since I am in such a happy mood, let's do a fun list today!

We all like pretty shiny things, but if you're anything like me...I'll talk myself out of just about anything. Call me frugal...thrifty...or just plain cheap. :)

So let's dream a little today:

Here's my list:

* The Audi Jason Statham drives in "The Transporter."

* A Silhoutte Cameo

* An interior decorator to make my house "Souther Living" worthy. 

* A trip to Paris, London, and Australia 

* A NEW IPhone Filled with new music (and a lot if storage!)

* Unlimited Concert tickets

* A personal hair and make-up person!!

* A ridiculously expensive pair of stilletos 

* Nothing but 7 for all Mankind Jeans

I'm cheap...I know it. :) So I most likely will never own most of this list, but a girl can dream can't she? Lol

Until next time my friends!

List Yourself #2- Daring to Dream Big

I'm sitting here outside the room where my youngest (who's 3) is fulfilling the first little dream her little heart has ever had...she is taking her first dance class. 

I know...I know...what can a 3 year old know about dreams? Maybe not much according to an adult, but what is so great about kids is that they aren't afraid to dream! So far no one has told them they CAN'T be a ballerina or a firefighter or a magician or a fighter pilot. Their dreams change with everyday and every new experience. 

So...for you dreamers or those of you who have lost the ability to dream, today's list is for you. 

Fear can be our biggest obstacle. Fear of failure ( my biggest.) Fear of others. Fear of success. Fear of injury. Fear of...you fill in the blank. What is holding you back from your BIG DREAMS? Maybe next to your list of dreams, make a list of your fears. Sometimes writing them down can help you face them or recognize fears you never knew you had. 

Here's my list for you of what dreams I would follow if I wasn't scared and what fear is keeping me from achieving it:

Skydiving-fear of dying (!)

Auditioning for The Voice-fear of failure 

Have More Female friends-fear of being vulnerable 

Have more close friends-fear of abandonment 

Being a household name is the papercrafting world-fear of trying and being told I'm not good enough. 

So what about you? What are your BIGGEST dreams you would dream if no one (including yourself) told you you couldn't do it?

While you'er making your list, keep this picture in your mind:

This little girl just fulfilled dream #1...it's never too early...and it's never too late. 

Until tomorrow my friends.....

NEW Layout and NEW Book!!!

Did you think I had fallen of the blogger-sphere? :) 

Summer has begun in our world and that means 3 kiddos that need to be entertained. Sound familiar? But! I will still find time for me..or I might go crazy over the next 10 weeks. 

Wanna know one way I'm gonna do that?

I was browsing Barnes and Nobles one day and came across this book:

I was intrigued...list making as a way of self-discovery? And I thought...."I L-O-V-E lists! But how can it help me discover anything? My lists are usually To-Do lists." (which usually only helps me discover how little time there is in a day!)

But as I opened the cover and started reading some of the topics, I realized there were a lot of things I didn't know about myself. Like..list the biggest turning points in your life...list all the activities you would do if you weren't so afraid...list your biggest dream and most recurring nightmare. 

Have you ever thought of these things? I haven't. 

And not all of them are super deep..some are ways to remember what you've forgotten ... Like " list everything you can remember from your parent living room growing up" or "list some important things you lost over the years."

And some...well...they're just fun: List the types of people you think should never get behind the wheel or List this regular everyday items you wish you never had to buy again.

Are you ready? Let's do this journey together....

Today's List: List the situations that always make you cry.

My list: 

Break-ups in movies

Death of a child

People achieving their dreams

Feeling out of control 

I'm excited to take this journey and hope your excited to take it with me!

And now....you didn't think I would leave you without a little creative inspiration did you?  

Today on the Scrapbook News and Review Blog, it's Color Inspiration! 

Can you be inspired by this:

I loved the unique color combo so I chose to focus on that for this Layout called "It's a small world" about the worldwide friends I've made through CHA.

You can't go wrong with Heidi Swapp and Pink Paislee, right?

Until next time my friends, let's continue on this creative life together...and discover all we can be. 

God Bless.

Trying something NEW!!

I have always LOVED the look of mixed media artist Christy Tomlinson, but my "let's make a plan" brain has always been completely intimidated by the need to "JUST LET GO AND CREATE!" that her style requires. (Anybody else feel that way?)

I tried a few times, playing on canvases, but never made a project that I felt was complete so I got a little disheartened and stopped trying....figuring maybe it just wasn't for me.

Then I got some great advice from an online community. One of the participants said that if you want to start in mixed media, start by watching videos of artists who inspire you. Simple advice right? I was like "DUH!....Why didn't I think of that?"

So I spent some time on good ole' YouTube searching for Mixed Media tutorials and to be honest...I watched some that just totally didn't interest me, but I also found so many that I just "OOed and AAhhed" over. They had me saying things (out loud!) like "That's a great idea!"..."Oh that's why that didn't work for me."....AND "I can do that!"

That last one..."I can do that!"...was freeing because watching other people do projects start to finish took some of the mystery out of the PROCESS...because...if you've ever looked at a mixed media piece (like Christy Tomlinson) there is so much going on and sssoo many layer, it is so hard to figure out where to start. Watching a few masters in action gave me a chance to break the process down into manageable pieces instead of concentrating on the end project as a whole.

Wanna see what I am up with?

I used Authentique Paper's "Curiosity" paper line (aren't the colors fabulous!?) for the background and also my inspiration for the title. The rest was just building layers and trying not to THINK too hard about the end product. After each layer, I would evaluate and think "Is it done?" "No?" "What does it need? More light? More Dark? Does this spot or that area feel vacant?" It's a process.

Here are a few closeups!

Love using Bubble wrap for easy dots!
 I also used a  Tattered Angels Screen with my  Tarnished Silver Glimmer Mist.

I mixed some Black Acrylic paint with some modeling paste
and, using an old credit card, scrapped it across another Tattered Angels Screen.

No project is complete without Washi, right?

I love this little picture from one of the Authentique Papers that peeks through the background.
 I feel like that girl is me because SSOOO many time I sat at my studio table,
 head leaned on my fist, just staring at the canvas. The word hidden under it says "imagination."

This paper was my favorite from the whole line...I think adding the little people  to the project
 gives us the reminder of childhood and how much fun it was to discover and learn NEW things
...back BEFORE we became adults and had so many responsibilities. 

And last, but not least...trying NEW things and having that CURIOSITY requires being FREE...FREE of others expectations...FREE of your own expectation....FREE to MAKE MISTAKES.

I am so excited for all I've learned and the boundaries I feel I've pushed in my creativity.

I challenge each of you to take one thing (creative or otherwise) that is out side of your comfort zone and face it head on and take a  NEW adventure this week in YOUR Creative Life.

Until next time friends.....

Keepin' it NEW in 2013!!

This past weekend I added to my stack of NEW experiences for 2013...

I RAN MY FIRST HALF-MARATHON!!

You read that right! I chugged along for almost 3 hours and ran 13.1 miles through the streets of Springfield, MO for the Go Girl Half-Marathon. 

My hubby got some awesome pics like this one with my time shot. I will take that time for my first race! :) Especially since 5 weeks ago we weren't even sure if I was going to be able to run bc of an injury. I lost 2 1/2 weeks of training because of it. 

Another fantastic action shot!

These girls were my fabulous "coaches" and cheerleaders! Deana (in pink) was my go to girl when I was like "what am I doing?!?" She and her sister, Diana (in blue) are avid runners and after they finished (with an amazing time of 2 hrs 11 minutes!), they came back and ran the last 1/4 mile with me, yelling encouragements the whole way. 

These beautiful ladies are my sis-in-laws. They, along with Deana, were part of my original inspiration to get off my butt and run. They decided just a few days before the race to put their running skills to the test in a half-marathon. They are very lucky to have each other as BFFs, neighbors, and running partners. 

Ok...one more pic. At the end of the race, they had a place where you could pick different sayings to customize a shirt and when I read this one...I knew I had to have it. 

Too funny right?!?!

So...here we are. Almost halfway through the year and for the first time ever I feel like I am keeping my "new year's resolution." I am having NEW experiences, finding NEW venues of creativity, and daily making the choice to wake up to be a NEW and better person. 

I hope and pray that you will continue to join me on the ride through MY Creative Life as you live YOUR life to the fullest. 

New Layout and FIRST time on the SNR Blog!

I am so excited to be featured on the Scrapbook News and Review Blog today for their Color Palette of the Week.

This week SNR is focusing on the color NAVY!

Navy is such a classic and versatile color. Just by what you pair it with, you can go masculine...feminine...sophisticated or fun!

Here is this week's color palette:

I have to admit..the quilt is not something I would ever have in my house...it's just not me. LOL!

But, when I saw this color palette, I INSTANTLY remember a collection by Teresa Collins called Now and Then. 

To me, the collection was a muted, feminine version of the color palette I had to work with. The only thing missing was that golden/camel color at the beginning. So, I added a little My Mind's Eye Lost and Found hexagon paper and some Pink Paislee Wooden Letters painted gold.

Here's a quick tutorial on the flowers!

1) Cut your flowers from whatever die or punch you have available in 3-4 sizes. I used Tim Holtz's Tattered Flowers by Sizzix. The die has 4 different sizes on one block, so it made it super easy to cut a lot a one time.

2) Lightly spray your flowers with water and then scrunch them up.

3) Let them dry completely (hit them with a heat gun if you need to speed it up!)

4) Once they are completely dry, ink them if you want and layer them up! Plan out your flowers BEFORE gluing because you don't want to get to your last flower and realize you have 2 that are the same size or pattern.

5) I added 7Gypsies silver studs for my centers, but you can use buttons, crystals, stickers...what ever you have on hand. 

I hope you enjoyed this quick little post! I can't wait to show you more of my Creative Life!