Hello Update!

Hello Lifers!

I hope you are all doing amazingly well.

I have been crazy busy and although I've been around on other blogs, it's been a little bit since I updated my own. (isn't that just the way it goes!)

Here's what I've been up to:

Marion Smith Designs

This month, I had two projects featured on Marion Smith Design's blog.

The first was a simple, but beautiful project using Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel, Water Colors, Vintage Sheet Music and Marion's "Curious" Stamp Set. 

You can see the full tutorial here: Stamping Gold with Curious Stamp Set

My second project features the joining of two of my favorite companies: Marion Smith and Graphic 45!!

I used Graphic 45's Small Matchbox, along with Marion's Garment District.

You can see more pics here: Garment District Altered Matchbox

Graphic 45

I have been having so much fun stretching myself on the Graphic 45 Design Team.

Here are 3 of my most recent projects:

YES! I actually did a "Project Life" style Scrapbook layout. My sister-in-law would be so proud! LOL

Did I go a little crazy on the fussy cutting? :)

I turned Graphic 45's banners in to a spooky shingled roof for my little house made from a file folder!

What?! YES!

You can see these and more over on the Graphic 45 Blog

For Others...

Many of you know that I have a total heart for an organization called Saving Grace, which is a home that houses and helps girls between the ages of 18-early 20s who have aged out of foster care, are homeless or have a living situation that is unhealthy.

Last year I was asked to come to their mentor/mentee retreat and do a project with the ladies. We did crowns and dress because the them was "What Not to Wear."

This year I am so honored to be asked back again. This year, the theme is "Fight Like a Girl" and I was asked to design a paper mache dress form.

Here is what I came up with:

I was able to use this piece on a mixed media website that I was asked to do a guest post for.

You can read more about the story behind this piece at: Mixed Media Art-Taking Your Art Journaling Out of a Book .

For me....

As an artist in this business, it is so easy to get so caught up in "assignments" that you never create just for yourself.

Last week, I felt that tug in my creative spirit. I thought...when was the last time I sat down and created with out an agenda? An honestly...the answer was close to 5 months.

So, I decided to change that.

I pulled out this old canvas that I had played with last year, but never finished. It had mod podged newspaper covered in Tattered Angels spray ink, with a green glittered fleur-de-lie kind of shape in the corner. Ya...I had no idea where I was going when I started this one! LOL.

I've been wanting to work more on my painting skills, so I decided to use this project for some fun experimenting on my painting style. I just played....

This is what I came up with: 

She's not done yet, but I love her. I plan on adding a quote and some other fun elements, but even if I never finish it or it takes me another year, it's still a symbol of what I can do and reminder to do it more often..just for the fun of it.

So there you go...a quick little update on what has been going on in my studio.

I promise, now that school is back in session, I WILL be more faithful to blogging. :) or atleast I'll try. 

Until next time friends, remember to make your art an intentional part of your life and not an after thought.

XOXO,

KERI

P,S. Did I mention my YouTube Channel "The Creative Life Studios?" I've got a lot in the works for it!

P.S.S. Did I mention I am taking a "Belts Bracelets" class from Christy Tomlinson? Ya...super excited. More on that later. :)

Blog Hopping with the Susan K Weckesser Crew!!

  2013 Susan K Weckesser Back to School Blog Hop!

Welcome to the 2013 Susan K Weckesser Inc Design Team Back 2 School Blog Hop.  Our Design Team and Guest Designers have created a week’s worth of great projects to bring you inspiration and fun -- all themed around Back 2 School. 

We encourage you to visit each member’s blog, leave a comment and maybe find a new blog to follow.

 After you have visited all participating team member’s blogs, go back to THE STARTING POST at Susan K Weckesser’s My Sweet Earth Blog and leave a comment letting us know which project either inspired you or touched your heart.

 Don’t worry, you have all week to take your time and go through the blogs. We’ll feature a few each day at Susan K Weckesser Inc, but will draw names from comments left on THE STARTING POST for our grand prize.

Here is the list for ALL team members, but again don’t panic, we will highlight a few each day so you can come back and visit a few at a time if you want because we know how busy you Moms – and Dads – are! You have until Saturday night 11:55 PM CST to leave a comment at Susan K Weckesser’s My Sweet Earth.

Here is the entire blog hop list:

Here is the entire blog hop list:

Susan K Weckesser
Rita Barakat – Design Team Member
Lynne Mizera – Design Team Member
Jeanie Dickinson – Guest Designer
Tracy Easson – Design Team Member
Tatiana Allen  - Guest Designer
Einat Kessler – Design Team Member
Jaine Drake – Guest Designer
Julie Short – Design Team Member
JJ Sobey - Design Team Member
Allie Gower – Guest Designer
Keri Sallee – Guest Designer

HERE WE GO!!!!

I'm so excited to be an All-Star Guest Designer with Susan K. Weckesser and this week the designers and guest designers in her crew are having a little back to school blog hop!

You can't have "Back to School" with out first having an AMAZING summer, right? So I wanted to gather all of our summer fun in one place.

Here is my little project:

This sweet little album measures just 4.75 x 4.75, but holds an amazing 18 pictures! 

How you ask?

ENVELOPES!!!

By chaining envelopes together, you can form a versatile album in any size and shape you need!

Click HERE for a full tutorial I did on my blog last year on the basics of making an envelope album.

As you can see, it folds out into a fun according shape that makes it easy to display.

This is how you get 18 pictures in such a small album! Hidden behind each picture is a card that holds 2 more pictures and journaling. I fell in LOVE with these square envelopes I found at Hobby Lobby! Adding my 4x4 square Instagram pictures made this album go together in a snap because there was no picture trimming! I didn't even have to cut paper for my inserts...I simply cut the cards in half that came with my envelopes. Easy Peasy! 

 I wanted to keep things simple because the pictures and paper were so great. I used a little Washi Tape (My Mind's Eye, Carta Bella and Queen and Company) and some wooden pieces (Studio Calico and Hobby Lobby) to accent the fun prints and colors of Susan's Paper. Using Susan's stamps from Unity Stamp Company on the wooden pieces gave them instant character!

I also used her "Celebration of Simple" pennant stamps by Unity Stamp Company to create my journaling spots on each page. Creative NOTE: Changing the placement of each spot keeps the album from feeling uniform when you reuse an  image like I did!

Here is a little side-view!

Here is a complete list of products used on this project:

Flowers: Michaels, Prima Marketing, Petalloo, Hobby Lobby

Envelopes and Inserts: Hobby Lobby

Twine and Adhesive: Canvas Corp

Paper: Susie B Studios (Susan K Weckesser)

Washi Tape: My Mind's Eye, Carta Bella and Queen and Company

Wooden Pieces: Studio Calico and Hobby Lobby

Pens: Sharpie and Sakuro

Ink: Ranger

Stamps: Susan K Weckesser for Unity Stamp Company

Rub-Ons: Fancy Pants Designs

Alpha Stickers: American Crafts

I hope you enjoyed my little project and it inspires you to remember all the summer fun you had now that the craziness of back to school is here!

Until next time creative friends, happy hopping!

XOXO,

KERI