Heather Chevreau - Jack and little Lulu

Stationery card

2012-02-03T14:36:00.001-08:00

Sent With Love Valentine's Card

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Cloth Paper Scissors January/February 2012 issue

2011-12-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

I'm on the cover! see that little red heart? yep, that's one of my velvet heart brooches. I also have a 3-page article inside on my "vignette" necklaces.

2012 is looking real good to me!

Stationery Card

2011-12-22T08:10:00.001-08:00

Star Notes Thank You Card

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Father's Day

2011-06-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Father's day and I was so excited to have Jack give his papa these matching t-shirts i found on Etsy .. (SuperSweetCreations). Unfortunately Papa was not at all excited to wear it in public but he did let me take a picture of the 2 of them which is soooo cute. I also accidentally bought him a father's day card that was for a "grandfather".. oops! it was in such small print that i never even saw it. That, along with the t-shirt did not win me any points. I think i am going to have to buy him an ipad.

Jack turned 2!

2011-06-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

My sweet little boy is already two! As someone said to me, "the days are long but the years are short"... i feel that is sooo true with children! It took me a while to get Jack to smile in his birthday hat. I am obsessed with that Hat! I think it's the greatest thing to write the year on it so you always know what birthday it is. I found it on etsy and i am determined to get a picture of him every year with that hat on until i am dead and can not force him anymore. (i say that with great love, of course!)

strawberries and flowers

2011-05-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

We have a little garden on our balcony thanks to mother! and we already have strawberries growing but they don't have much time to hang out because as soon as my 2 year old sees one, he picks it quickly and shoves it into his mouth!.. clever little kid. I got a photo of this one before i even let him on the balcony... this one is gone too.

skull pendant

2011-05-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

For my friends birthday, I made her this skull necklace/pin with a matching wooden box! It's so cute that i think i need to make a few more!

Sailing Lessons

2011-05-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

For one of the gifts my husband recieved for his birthday was Sailing Lessons. I folded up the certifcate into the shape of a sailboat, then blopped his head onto a sailer in photoshop! I thought this was such a cute way to present sailing lessons!

Joyeux Anniversaire!

2011-05-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Today is my husband's birthday! Since he has been learning to play the guitar and Jack is obsessed with his guitar... i thought this made a cute birthday card. I assembled it in photoshop.

Sunny Day in Parc Monceau

2011-05-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

I have been in a creative wave making different necklaces that i am really excited about. The toughest part for me is giving a title to these necklaces. The ones i come up with never seem to properly give them the excitement and flair i think they deserve. So in a quiet moment, it dawned on me to name them after incredible gardens i have been inspired by and visited. This piece is the start of that and Parc Monceau is the perfect description of this piece in my opinion! All of my pieces are inspired by gardens so naming them after famous parks and gardens seems like the perfect fit. I am now excited to do research on all the famous gardens of the world!

Spring Garden Creations

2011-05-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Butterflies in the Garden is one of my new creations. I am loving the beaded chain and the the rich sparkly ribbons in this piece. It is really gorgeous in my opinion :)

Nashville

2011-05-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, I can be so lame in keeping up with my blog! First of all, i was in Nashville, TN on business a few weeks ago (who am I kidding... it's now a month ago) where i had the pleasure to sneak in a private art class with Cindy Wunsch! http://www.cindywunsch.com/. Not only does she have a personality that could light up the sky, she is a great teacher and i learn several cool and different techniques. I highly recommend checking our her artwork too. Here is what i did, which is obviously completely inspired by Cindy!

45 life lessons

2011-04-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Written by Regina Brett,
90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written."
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words :'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift

June, Me, & Claire -- My Art Buddies

2011-03-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Here we are lounging outside on a big cabanna bed in Las Vegas.
We are sooo royal.

Art & Soul Retreat 2011

2011-03-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

I had the best time AGAIN at the Art & Soul retreat this year in Las Vegas with my two buddies June & Claire.

This is what i made this year:
Day One - Fluid Romance with Kari McKnight

I learned some really cool NEW techniques in this class involving molding paster, deli paper and gold foil, which i am excited about. I also thought Kari was a fantastic teacher that gave a lot of energy to the class.

DAY TWO - Soldering for Virgins with Sally Jean Alexander

I was intimidated by this class because, quite frankly, i was a little nervous to use a soldering iron for the first time and really really didn't want to burn myself! After a tense 20 minutes or so, i started to relax and get into it. It's a lot of fun and really like what i made. Jump rings are tricky getting on and i really need to practice this. I think i need to get a soldering iron for my birthday!

EVENING CLASS: The Art of Steampunk Jewelery with Brenda Mattson

I only took this class because June and Claire wanted to take it and i didn't want to be left alone! I discovered that steampunk jewerly is interesting to make and has a history. I walked away having made these 2 pieces and i really love them.

DAY 3 - Color My World with Lisa Kaus

We all have taken a different Lisa Kaus class last year so this year was a similar experience. Paint, crayons, collage on wood. I just LOVE this whole medium and want to do more of it. I love the vibrant colors and i think i have a real knack for it! Oh and my baby jack on the carousel for the first time... priceless

My little one found my paints

2011-02-22T12:49:00.000-08:00

My little guy is 21 months old and he really likes to get into cabinets and drawers, which we had to put those babysafe latches on..... however, i was holding out on my creative desk since he never noticed the cabinets below or the drawers. There is always too much crap on the desk to distract him. But this past sunday, the honeymoon is over. He discovered the cabinet with all the paints stored inside!.... Uh oh... Honey?!, we need to put those latches on my desk now... yes, dear.

Bloom

2011-02-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

i think green and brown are my colors -- i am in love with this pendant that i made and have been wearing it. My friend Joyce thinks i should call it Bloom. I think i will.

Red Velvet Series

2011-02-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

These are of the first in my Red Velvet Series.... i am obessed with this gorgeous Red Velvet I found and i am having fun embellishing them Swarovski crystals, czech fired glass beads, decorative brads and lace. They look so luxurious to me that i just want to sip champagne while i wear them.

I have also found this one-piece pin back with bail that I am now putting on the back of my pieces because it allows them to be worn as a necklace or a brooch. The bail allows you to string a chain or ribbon thru it so you can wear it as a necklace or a choker. As a brooch, you can wear it on your hat, scarf, jacket or in your hair. Wherever we need a little "je ne sais quoi" ! I am slowly getting them on my etsy shop!

Collage of Antoine & Jack

2011-02-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

There is a lovely couple in France that we are good friends with that had son just 10 days after our son was born. The odd thing is that our sons look a like and got along very nicely. I decided to make a collage of some of the photos i took and i really like how it turned out!

Tracey Pezen

2011-02-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

I have a very talented friend at work who just whipped up this little painting for me and gave it to me for christmas! how fun!

Christmas 2010

2011-02-09T12:34:00.000-08:00

By now, everyone got their Christmas presents from me and here are some of the things i made by hand

Below, I made little ornaments made out of wood and wire of my family

The next 3 images pertain to 2x3 sized magnets that I collaged with images of the recipients’ loved ones. I then gift wraped them with tissue paper and used the birdy cut out to place the receipients name and then placed in these organza bags! so cute!

Here a made a collage for my darling sister-in-law who worships her children and grandkids

I also made some wooden statues of my boy. My sister recieved the garden themed one and my mother got the fairy looking one!

I also made one for my darling friend bettina of her little baby girl. This photo i took of her seemed to work so perfectly in this fairy rendition

I also made some slip-knot bracelets for many of my friends. They are fairly easy to make and when you find a fabulous stone, I think they are quite chic! I also wrapped these up nicely with red organza bags.

I also made some amazing sugar scrub by hand and made cute little labels for them with the recipe. I found nice glass containers at the Container store.

jack mug

2010-12-01T14:35:00.001-08:00

Blank Project Collage Mug

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Year 2010

2010-11-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

Year In Pictures New Year's Card

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Inka's photos

2010-10-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

My friend INKA is currently living in Africa has been taking some amazing photographs and here are 2 that i just fell in love with!

Design Sponge Blog

2010-10-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

I regret to say that I am new to subscribing to Design Sponge and I wish I knew of it earlier! -- It is really fabulous with lots of great ideas especially the DIY and the Before & After sections.

http://www.designspongeonline.com/

Ann Wood Handmade

2010-09-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

My friend Tracey introduced me to this gal who makes just wonderful birds out of fabric (and other creatures). Each one is charming with lots of character... I just love them. http://www.annwoodhandmade.com/

Vertbaudet

2010-09-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

My new obsession is this store in France, Verbaudet http://www.vertbaudet.fr./ (There is one in England http://www.vertbaudet.co.uk/ if you want it in english) which has the cutest blankets, pillows and sleep sacs for little kids!! How cute are these below... i want all of them!

Dolan Geiman Artwork

2010-09-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

Below is one of Dolan Geiman's pieces, which i really love. He was a the Renegade fair this year and i have seen his work at the One of Kind Show for the past couple of years in Chicago. I am completely inspired by his mixed-media collages and he sells his stuff on Etsy too.... it's cool stuff. http://dolangeiman.com/

Christmas Pins on the way

2010-09-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the christmas pins i have been working on - "Noel" which means christmas in French because i am so french. i LOVE all the rich greens and gold

Here is my humorous side... everyone loves snowmen right? and this pin is more practical in the sense you can wear it all winter- it's not just a christmas thing!

gift box

2010-09-20T14:18:00.001-07:00

Here is a gift box I made really quick with some scrapbooking elements... ( i don't scrapbook but i love all the papers, ribbons, and little dodads.)

official photo at Renegade

2010-09-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

Again, renagade had a free black & white photobooth in which we could take our pictures... this year i took it with my darling Claire and we had fun with all the props they supplied this year! My favorite is the bottom left.

Below is last year's photo with my darling Bettina and my son.... the only prop they had last year was the mustache.... but it was still fun!

Renegade 2010

2010-09-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

Went to Renegade again this year (i have been going for the past 5 years or so) and since i knew it was a sold out fair of 300 booths, i was anxious to see what new and exciting booths they were going to have this year. Unfortunately it was the usual suspects at Renegade with the exception of a few new booths. Above shows a few bags this gal from Argentina made out of Vinyl from recycled train and bus seats. The bags were pretty colorful and cool. Her website is http://www.vivazapatabags.com/

Claire (below) particularly like this boyfriend bag.... knowing claire makes this especially funny.

Above is my possy with our new little member. Here they are showing off some handmade hats made by Shannon Mulkey designs that were cute but were not purchased. She also had cute scarves with pockets on them... check her out at http://www.ilovepatina.com/

There was a really fun band playing throughout the fair... I just loved how they dresses and their entire fun attitude!

Oh and here is another original booth this year that i manage to get a photo. It's basically a necklace made out of neckties. We really liked them but were stumped with what outfit to wear with it? too bad i didn't get her card.

My first rummage sale

2010-09-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

So, i was inspired by my friend June Pfaff Daley and decided to give rummage sales a try since i am so amazed by all the great stuff she finds for practically nothing! But, of course, I go on a friday for a rummage sales listed and when i arrived, the lady said it's not until Saturday. Well, it took me 30 minutes to get there and i was not going to head back on a saturday, but she was nice enough to dig deep in her basement for ribbon that she had that i said i was interested in. Well, here is my little stash of ribbon that i picked out and half of it i am not even crazy about but i thought i would get it really cheap.. well, i got it for $15... I know I know, i should of negotiated here down, but she made a special trip to go into basement to dig up the ribbon and then told me about how her mother died and that's why she is selling everything... so i felt i had to pay extra for that, i guess.

the 2 necklaces i bought were a buck each which was fine.. i will use those pearls for some fancy snowman :)

Happy Easter 2010

2010-04-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Jack's first Easter

Circle Pendant

2010-03-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

The new edition of my Pendents, now in a circle. This one was inspired by my mother and sister who are quite the gardeners!

Jack and little Lulu ETSY SHOP open!

2010-03-05T13:36:00.000-08:00

My Etsy shop, "Jack and Little Lulu" is finally open! After years of friends and family telling me I should sell the things I make, I finally came up with something that I enjoying making repetitively and can make them reasonably priced, not to mention that i think they are really adorable. I sold 12 of them before i even got my etsy shop going. I am posting one a day and I am continually make more as I go. So keep my shop in mind when you are looking for a unique gift!

Faerie Tea Pot

2010-03-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

Since my mother loves Faeries to the point that she named her home "Faerie Glen," I made her a decorative tea pot in her favorite theme.... I had a really fun time painting and collaging the tea pot and oh the glitter!

Dolls for Big Girls with Jan Harris

2010-03-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

This photo shows Ms June Daley and I working on our Dolls... June's doll is on the left. The beginning stages of them after we cooked their heads.. and i will metion now how gigantic my doll's head is... Look to the toaster oven photo below to see the difference between my dolls head (the largest) and everyone elses. How did that happen?... i wonder and I know the culprit to blame is friend Lorraine Garcia who keep telling me that my head was too small and i should make it bigger. No doubt i was sitting with the girls who made large dolls but there is no excuse that mine turned out to be the biggest of all. I love my doll but you can't miss her!

Although this class was suppose to be taught by my favorite Judy Wise, Jan gracefully filled in for her and did a lovely job! I never knew how much fun making dolls could be! I just love how mine turned out with all her little quirks and all.

Feminine Icon with Katie Kendrick

2010-03-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

I love how Katie Kendrick paints her faces and it was a real treat to watch and learn from her!

Gridlock Class with Lisa Kraus

2010-03-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

The Gridlock class was also one of my favorite classes. I loved the idea of creating different patchworks of art on wood. I loved hammering nails and other things into the peice and then covering with beeswax. Very cool!

Perching Pixies Class from ART & SOUL

2010-03-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

The first class I took at the Art & Soul Retreat in Las Vegas was Perching Pixies with Stephanie Rubiano. This was a great class and learned a lot of different cool techniques... the most challenging? the jewlery's saw! Here are 2 that i finished in class of my son, Jack.

First Heart Pendant

2010-02-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

The very first Heart Pendant i made was a year ago. Claire is the lucky owner of this heart pendant as she was also my first biggest fan. Here she is holding my son Jack.

Heart Pendants

2010-02-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

Here's the first batch of Heart Pendants i made all by hand with ribbon, felt, embroidery threat and chain. I sold most of them before valentine's day. They are a huge hit! I am busily making more as i am getting more requests. An Etsy shop will be opening soon!

2010-02-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

I am going to the ART & SOUL Retreat in Las Vegas on February 20th! I am so excited! Above is my FatBook page that i contributed. I am really looking forward to recieving the whole Fat Book and seeing what everyone else did for a "It's Las Vegas, Baby" theme!

2010-02-16T09:49:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by the snowmen on the cover of Cloth Paper Scissors in the December 2009 issue but could not make them realized until my very best buddy in the world, June Daley sent me EVERYTHING i needed to make these gorgeous snow dolls!

my little Jack

2009-10-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since i had the chance to blog... but with good reason! My son, who is now 4 months old, is my new love!

Necklace with Pendant

2009-03-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

My friends Bettina & Damien DAMBOURNET celebrated their First Wedding Anniversary - "Noces de Coton" and I brought them a bouquet of flowers with photos of their wedding day and made Bettina a pendant with one of the wedding photos and created the necklace to match!

2009-02-18T14:32:00.000-08:00

Oh how I envy my little dog when its cold and snowing outside!! I just want to curl up and stay in bed too!

Ribbon Heart Pendants

2009-02-18T14:20:00.000-08:00

I made the large Ribbon heart for fun in the spirit of St. Valentine's Day and then started thinking how cute they would be smaller as a pendant! What do you think?

2009-02-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

Here are my first two attempts at jewelry making.. a necklace and bracelet. The necklace is a wire and bead technique I learned which I hope I can get a little more creative than just putting crystals together with a chain... even though this necklace does look really sweet with a t-shirt.. it's simple. I love the bracelet... it took a couple hours to make but love the finished product!

Orchids Blooming in February!

2009-02-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

We thought our Orchid plant was dead when all the blooms fell off last fall. With continuous attention and watering it has exploded with 28 buds and so far 4 blooms! yeah!

Orange Peel Boxes!

2009-02-03T08:21:00.001-08:00

This is really cool - making boxes out of orange peels.... the peels dry after a few days and resemble cardboard in weight and texture. In order to give them shape, place them over a glass

or plastic container in order for them to dry and take shape. It takes a couple day for them to get completely hard... then you just decorate them! Now i just need to figure out what to put in them!

This is GOOP

2009-01-07T15:29:00.001-08:00

Goop is a newsletter that usually comes once a week from Gwyneth Paltrow and so far I have really enjoyed them. She shares recipes, her personal travel notes, advice she gets and follows, and so much more. I especially like her section on "be". If you like Gwyneth Paltrow then this is a fun newsletter to sign up to!
http://goop.com/

Fabric Heart Pin

2009-01-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

I was so tickled to recieved this gorgeous handmade heart pin from my friend Merryn in the UK. She is so creative and talented and it arrived in the card above it. The pin has so many subtle colors to it.. i love the turquoise mixed with pink, purple and hot pink.. it so adorable and i wear it whenever i can! thank you!

2009 New Year's table setting

2009-01-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

We celebrated New Years at our house with some friends. I placed various gold christmas bulbs and tinsel into champagne classes to represent the bubbles in champagne... i thought it look festive as a table decoration and could not resist giving everyone a snowman clown at their place. I thought it added a touch of wimsy to an otherwise formal looking table.

Italian Snowman Clowns

2009-01-02T14:18:00.000-08:00

I don't know what came over me, but I saw a similar clown with instructions from the Martha Stwart website and sorta ran with my own version giving them shoes and legs to stand on.... they have glitter all over them... they look like a cross between a snowman and clown.. they look italian to me for some reason. Anyway, i am tickled with how they turned out. They were fun to make and just cute to look at.

Filou under the Christmas Tree

2009-01-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist taking a photo... Filou would often take naps under the christmas tree! too cute.. My kept saying "Filou thinks he is a little gift to us!"... i think he is.

Glass Blowing Class

2009-01-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

Carolyn took me to a glass blowing class and we attempted to make some glass ornaments!... here are some of mine.. all mishaped, but charming in their own way... I loved making different color combinations... but it is definately an art that needs practice!

Snowman Tag

2009-01-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

I love this tag that my friend, Aurelie from France, sent to me. She said a friend of hers made it and i wish i knew how to make something like this, too!

Another Votive

2009-01-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

I made this votive for a gal that works in my office for christmas. It's an old photo of her mother as little girl with her dolly (so cute). I just loved the quote from e.e.cummings and thought it went really well together. My college loved it and cried. I was really thrilled she loved it.

Ornament

2009-01-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

I also made an ornament using the same image but added some glitter to it. I made a couple of bookmarks too for the men... even the bookmarks have some glitter on them.. they get facied up like that.

Votive to Didier's Mother & Grandparents

2008-12-18T09:44:00.000-08:00

My french friend Didier, has the most wonderful wedding photo of his grandparents, which i used in this collage. I added the photo of his mother, when she was obviously just a little girl, from another photo. This will be my birthday gift to Colette, his mother.... she was New Year's baby !... Didier is going to get a bookmark out of this image since he is a bit of a snob with his artwork collection but his sentimentality will appreciate the bookmark, I believe. tee-hee.

IF: Rambunctious

2008-12-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

OK. Here is my first attempt to contribute to Illustration Friday. all I could think of was my dog and how he loves to sneak into the shower and steal my sponge... this time, I caught him!

2008 Holiday Card

2008-12-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

2008-12-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of my grandfather and I am a little obsessed with it at the moment. For christmas, this image, once a ATC, has now transformed into a bookmark and a lovely gift for family... especially accompanied with a book!

Votive to the Chevreau Children

2008-11-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

I made these two votives for my husband's sisters. One is 11x14 and the other 8x10. I love the old studio posses for the children each holding a bouquet of flowers. Their mother died when they were really young so father was a huge influence in their lives. We found an old Carte Identite of their fathers that I used in the backround.

Laurie Mika's Shrine Class!

2008-11-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

This is the shrine I made from Laurie Mika's shrine class. It is the happiest shrine ever made from accidentally buying white clay instead of dark colors as Laurie recommends! I highly recommed Laurie's classes as she has a wonderful energy and she is a wonderful teacher, not to mention that polymer clay could be so much fun!

Anahata Katkin - Symbolic Icon Class

2008-11-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to get into one of Anahata's classes back in April at Artfest. These are the 2 collages I created in her Symbolic Icon class. This was one of my favorite classes and maybe it's because Anahata is one of my favorite artists.

Raevn's Nest Art Retreat

2008-10-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

RAEvN's Nest Art Retreat was so great! http://www.raevns-nest-art-retreat.com/ Thank God it was a huge success and there will be one in 2009, but will be held the fourth weekend of October.:Thursday October 22 - Sunday October 25, 2009. Above are my cohorts and new BFF, June "Faff" as she accidentaly got named while i was high on mirgraine medication!

Below is the charm i created with shrinky dinks for the swap, my Chunky page (both front and back) for the Chunky books we recieved at the retreat and lastly my new ATC card for this retreat. This time I was inspired by my grandfather and it inspired me to change my blog heading. This is the first time i have ever done charms or chunky pages and it was a good challenge and lots of fun to make.

Friday, I took Judy Wise, Encaustic Collage class. Here is a Wonderful photo of her looking suprised I created a decent encaustic collage! (tee-hee) it was so cool to cover a collage in beeswax... it gives the art an interesting look that i plan on exploring a little further!

I also took Judy Wise's Artful journal class on Saturday which i really enjoyed becaue she had us make various backround pages and gave us lot of ideas for starting your journal page and one of the pages we drew our portrait and I acutally found this exercise fun!

I took the Michael DeMeng class Friday night which was the Matchbook Reliquaries. I love the idea of making little shrines out of matchbooks and did the best i could in 2 hours! Laurie Mika put a little rub&buff on the jewels so they did not look to new! thanks, Laurie!

My Fabric Journal for Artfest

2008-03-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Since we all need to bring a journal for Artfest, I decided to make a fabric cover with the Artfest logo sewn on there. Since i learned this quilting technique from Teesha Moore, the host of artfest, i felt making this type of journal was very appropriate!

ATCs for Artfest

2008-03-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

So i am getting ready to go to Artfest http://www.teeshamoore.com/ and I have made about 100 of these Artist Trading Cards to swap with other artfesters! What you can't see from the photo is that i embelshed them with glitter and sparkley pens. This is my first time going to Artfest so I hope they are good enough to trade.

Lace Knitted Scarf

2008-03-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I find knitting very meditative. It occupies my mind enough so I don't get too hooked up in my thoughts or the television. I have made 2 of these "lace" scarves already in brown and blue. i just love them. They take awhile to make because the yarn is so thin (i used cashmere) but it is well worth it. they go with everything.

Gift Boxes

2008-03-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

I have made several gift boxes like the one above and each time I feel that I get better at them. This one I made for my mom! These are so fun and easy to make and I think they really add to the gift and in making someone feel special! I basically us ink, decorative papers, brads, stamps and doodling!

Fabric Journal

2007-12-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

I took a Fabric Journal class taught by Teesha Moore (she is a very cool art journalist - check out http://www.teeshamoore.com/). I love how the quilted cover turned out and i love it as a cover on a journal!... the feel and texture of it is so cozy! It's not hard to make but it is time consuming to sew and quilt it by hand but the irregularity of it is what makes it so cool!

Pendants

2007-12-28T11:20:00.000-08:00

I found these pendant trays at http://www.paperstudio.com/ they come in a bunch of different sizes and they are so fun to make. These are my first two. One of my little dog and the other of my grandmother... i created the images in photoshop and did my best to measure them so they would fit in the pendants exactly the way i wanted them. Then i poured this 3D Cyrstal Lacquer (also sold at the paperstudio) over the top. It takes like 2 days to dry and you need to be careful of air bubbles... but it is so worth it in the end! they turned out so great! i can't wait to make more!

Christmas Ornaments

2007-12-28T11:14:00.000-08:00

Made these christmas ornaments last year for my family. I photoshoped the photos to the proper size and added elf hats on everyone to go with the christmas elf theme. After printing the images, i added glitter and outlined the figures to make them pop! I used Inkssentials - Memory Frames. They come in 3 different sizes.

2007-12-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

My beautiful cousin passed away suddenly in september. I created a few versions of a card for her memorial and support of a scholarship fund that is being put together. Any preference?

Photo of Filou - Our doggy

2007-12-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a little christmas photo of Filou (feelou) our little maltese in front of our christmas tree this year. He is a pretty good sport to put up with all the photos i can take of him! For these kinds of photos, I always use the Portrait mode with the Slow Sync Flash so that it picks up the lights in the backround and gives everything that wonderful soft lighting.

Litte Red Knitted Pouches

2007-12-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

I have been really busy busy making holiday gifts this year. I decided to take on the project of making little zipper knitted pouches for all the girls on my list. I really underestimated how time consuming they are to make and even more so since i am quite challenged when it comes to putting in zippers or using a sewing machine!... by the way i just bought a used sewing machine and i am trying to figure it out as i go! Despite my challenges, I think they turned out pretty cute and i had fun picking out different fabrics to place into the pouches making them all different. I felt addicted to the red boucle yarn i used -- just loved the texture of it.. so decided to keep that the same on all of them. Below is how i made them:

knit one row, pearl next; repeat until the desired size you want the pouch, fold in half, right sides facing; sew sides together with yarn needle. I used a 5mm gauge needle for an 8 gauge Boucle yarn so that it was a nice tight knit.. and i made 26 stitches and about 10 inches long.

Zipper: Unzip zipper and pin inside pouch, and hand-sew in place with strudy thread.

For liner, use thin cotton fabric. Fold down short ends 1-inch, wrog sides facing; iron to crease. Fold cloth in half, end to end, righ sides faceing; sew along sides using 1/4-inch seam allowance. Do not turn inside out and just pace liner in pouch and whipstich folded ends to zipper tape directly under zipper's teeth. Then add a ribbon to the to zipper!

I added a cute little santa tag with a long explanation about how much love i put into it! If anyone needs me to email the tag to you, just let me know.