NEW YEAR'S EVE CRAFT ALONG GOES VIRTUAL!

Greetings friends!

I wanted to give you a few days to test the chat function so you can all be a bit familiar with the way it will work New Year's Eve. Please sign in and say hello, and let me know if you're planning to be here, even for a while. (I know there will only be a few night owls who are up all night, but that's okay!) 

See you at 7 New Years Eve, Cowgirls!

CKC CONVENTION: WOOHOO! PROCRASTINATORS BEWARE!

I just registered for 10 (can you stand it?!?!) yes TEN classes at the Creating Keepsakes Convention coming to St. Louis in April! I am SO excited to go...this is my first jaunt into the scrapbook convention world. Some of the class titles I'm taking are: What's All the Chatter? Live, Laugh, Love 4 Ribbon Techniques Spring Photo Wreath Canvas A la Carte Isn't that FAB?!?! Lots of classes that are NOT typical scrapbooking...and oh, get this, MOST ALL of the classes that would be considered "altered art" are full to capacity. I waited too late to get in (BOO) but I'm sure I'll find someone playing "show and tell" while they are at the convention. And I'll take notes like MAD...

Oh, just a bit of inside info: The Holiday Inn Convention Center (where the Convention is being held) is completely sold out...you would do better to consider a nearby hotel...there are about 6 of them in the same immediate area.

Here's the website for those of you who might be interested:

After all the Valentine madness, I am going to begin a project for a friend, as well as join in a Yahoo neighborhood swap. Today I participated in a virtual birthday party for a sister blogger...here is my birthday photo contribution:

This "global community" is WONDERFUL, isn't it? I DO SO LOVE being a part of your bloggy world!

More soon!

Paula

ANOTHER DAY...ANOTHER VALENTINE!

Greetings dear ones! Well, are you SICK TO DEATH of all the Valentine hubbub that has assaulted you from this blog? For those who are, you may want to listen to the music and mindlessly drift away for a bit...for those who are chomping at the bit to see what INCREDIBLE creation I've assembled, read on!

This is another little goodie from Wilna Furstenburg, designer and teacher extraordinnaire in my Valentines Day online class. (Those of you who did not sign up are soooooooooooo sorry...aren't you????) Anyhoo, here's project two for my amazing niece Emileigh:

This is SO MUCH FUN...I NEVER "do" Valentines, and this year...well...I can't make them fast enough! What projects are YOU undertaking for YOUR sweeties?

By the way, the vintage valentine this week is FABulous...you don't want to miss it! Stay tuned!

More soon!

Paula

FAVE Photos of 2008 (1st Quarter)

Greetings friends! I've been busy creating...madly creating (my workspace is a TOTAL wreck and will testify to this fact) Working on my make-n-takes for the Scrapbooking and AltAred Art Retreat.(There is now a paypal button on the post so you can click and pay...how conveeeeeeeeeeeenient, yes?)

Here is my latest project...I got the kit from the amazing WIP blog...and then, in my usual fashion, went about ALTARING it. I usually work within a theme (to a fault) but this time I determined to use the elements in the kit and little else. That left the colors and the page layouts much more random....which is great. I like random. I just don't DO random very often. But, in doing so, I learned it's a good way to use up those extra small bits of paper and ribbon. Soooooooooo, "waste not, want not" as my gramma used to say. (She also used to say, "There's snow outside up to my 'fork'"...which is, at the moment, also a true statement. I'll make a project of her witticisms someday...) Anyhoo, here's my version:

More soon!

Paula

7 DAYS: 7 FUN PROJECTS! DAY 5

Here is a fun and wildly creative project for you to do either for Christmas gifts, or save it for a winter afternoon craft event with the neighborhood kids... Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you (fanfare please)

If you'll recall, last winter I stayed with my nieces while my sister and brother in law went on an overseas trip...it just so happened the stay ocurred during the "worst ice storm in 75 years". We were without power, without heat, and largely without entertainment. Springfield, MO was declared a national disaster area, and the national guard was called in to prevent looting and other lawlessness that happens when folks are desperate.

Lucky for me, these nieces are two of the most creative souls I know...and so we (when the power was finally restored) watched musicals non-stop and made altAred books, scrapbook pages, and...yes, you guessed it, sock monsters.

I had found the above book at a bookstore and picked it up on a whim. I am not a sew-er per se...but I couldn't resist those button eyes and darling little faces.

As an aside, bear in mind one of the chores I was to do was to make sure the girls got all their laundry caught up and put away. There happened to be a BASKET FULL of socks not yet pulled together with their "mates"...uh oh. Creative fodder. The girls and I made a mad dash to the basket and began the process of monster making...

Most projects require very little sewing, and can be completed in a few minutes. Instructions for each little monster are included in the book...

Behold...monsters on parade...

Excellent instructions can also be found online at: "Sockmonsters"

More soon!
SMOOCHIES!

7 DAYS: 7 FUN PROJECTS!

Greetings, dear readers! It ocurred to me (much to my horror and thrill) that there are only 7 (count them) SEVEN days til Christmas Eve!

WOW! WHOA! And HOW did this happen?

SOoooooooo, as if you don't have enough to do already, and since 7 is my favorite/lucky number, I am going to make 7 quick and simple projects for you to steal and use this Christmas. Some are original, some are not...but ALL are a) quick b)easy c)relatively inexpensive. Sound good? Let's begin!

I have been having an absolute relentless craving for peppermint mocha...ANYTHING! And so, assuming there may be more of you out there (and you KNOW who you are!) Here is a quick and simple gift idea for kids, a hostess, or yourself on cold, wintery days!

"SNOWMAN SOUP"
I pkg instant cocoa mix 15-25 miniature marshmallows 3 hershey's kisses
candy cane Put all ingredients into a ziploc sandwich bag. Make the following tag:

"I was told you've been real good this year
Always glad to hear it
With freezing weather drawing near
You'll need to warm the spirit
So here's a little snowman soup
Complete with stirring stick
Add hot water, sip it slow,
It's sure to do the trick!"

For an inexpensive gift for a whole family, add mugs, a basket, and festive wrappings!

And finally, lest at this late hour you are not "feeling it" yet...another blast from the past! Aren't the costumes AMAZING?!?! AND LOOK at those waistlines! MORE soon (can you STAND it?) And oh, for those of you who (like me) cannot get enough of the mad merriment, check out one of my fave blogs from scrapbooker, artist, extraordinnaire, Ngaire Bartlam: Blog Me Baby!

AltAred Art Class

My AltAred Art class was a hit with kids of all ages...

We had a blast (so much so in fact, that I forgot to get a picture of ME!) and made some FABulous creations...many who attended want to get together once a month for more AltAred Art madness...we'll see what happens!

Hi Honey, I'm Hooooooooooooome!

I am back from the AACC conference and wow...does my brain hurt! I walked my legs to stubs and overtaxed my mental faculties the entire 4 days...but learning is SO MUCH FUN!!!

Anyway, two of my classes were taught by medical doctors, one a neurosurgeon and the other a psychiatrist. They showed images (scans) of the brain after a period of depression, alcoholism, ADHD, caffeine...WOW...what a MESS! They then explained the connection between neurological activity (or the lack thereof) and extended, untreated mental illness. And THEN (for free) they threw in a brain that was a heavy caffeine drinker and compared it to a healthy brain. OH MY GOODNESS. He said that the brain is 80-85% water and caffeine (as everyone knows) DEHYDRATES it and THEN it begins to misfire. The picture was truly a shriveled little mess...see more examples of these brain scan images at Dr. Amen's website.

SOooooooo, guess who's sworn off caffeine? Yes, it's true (COLLECTIVE GASPS HEARD FROM MY READERS) *I* the solidly sworn 42 oz. bucket-o-Coke drinker shall seek to give up the foul drug in an effort to restore my brain to a healthy plumpness. So water it is.

So, a final farewell to coffee...homage to my drug of choice...I submit to you the following: