Before and After Studio Reno 2009

Two Days Without a Studio Is Well Worth It in the End

I never really realized how much stuff I had until I had to pack it all, who could believe that this room could fill over 10 35 gallon containers plus? Anyway here is a look at the before and after, still cleaning still organizing and still need to paint, but I think I am now home.

Before




After
Before

After

Before

After

Before After

The Bench - Welcoming, Sharing, Resting

The Bench

Isn't it interesting how sometimes you discover the simple things that make you happy. I love how something as simple as a bench offers anyone comfort, a place to rest, and place to dream.

I can't remember the last time I sat on a bench, took the time to watch the world go by instead of being in it. I first started taking pictures of benches when we went to Scotland. I thought it was interesting that almost everywhere we went there would be a bench patiently waiting for its next visitor. How it welcomed anyone who wished to stop for a moment or two, to eat a meal, to experience a first love. My first one was in Glasgow. There wasn't anything special about this bench I think it was more what it offered. JC and I were walking towards the Train Museum when I saw this elderly couple enjoying a quiet moment. I'm not sure what they were doing, sharing a book a sandwich or just enjoying each others company. It didn't really matter, I think it was more taking the time to enjoy the simple things. I imagined this to be JC and me, just relaxing and taking in the scenery around us. Of course we would have to be in Scotland when we do it.

The following are other pictures of bench's across Scotland, which is your favorite?

Studio Reno, Shopping and Life Wedding Invitation with a Garden Twist

It has been to long between posting and way to long sharing. I have been working on a number of projects mostly wedding invitations, getting my studio ready for the new flooring and finally painting my studio. Yes, pictures will follow.

The Reno
I must say packing up my studio has been a challenge, I mean oh my god I have so much stuff. I can't possible share how much, it is sick. I even had to buy big large bins to store everything, I bought 7 yes 7, 36 gallon containers which I have filled to the rim. This doesn't count the other endless Rubbermaid containers I already had. But I am getting there, little at a time.

The guys are coming tomorrow to dig a hole in my cement basement so that the floor will be level and there won't be any buckling later. So what I thought was a small job is really a big one, but soon the red floor with half tiles (the people who owned the house previous only tiled where the carpet ended) will be gone. I am going to ensure that I take a before and after pic for the record of course.


Postman Rings Twice ... in One Day
This week I received 2 special deliveries one from Two Peas and the other Papertreyink. I pretty well limit myself to these 2 places plus my Stampin Up stuff. From Two Peas I bought or should I say at the time cleared out 4 of their Wisteria Collection Paper series I am not kidding I bought 20 sheets of each style, going to make wedding invitation with them. For who? who cares I just love the paper. I also bought the matching stamp set which I will be using as part of the design. Here are the links to what I bought in case your interested.

Paper
Garden Patio Wisteria Collection Paper
French Topiary Wisteria Collection Paper
Tea Lights Wisteria Collection Paper
Jardin Wisteria Collection Paper

Stamp Set
Bitsy Pom Clear Acrylic Stamp

From Papertrey Ink I order the following sets that I plan to do wedding invitations with. A few sets were back ordered their stuff is so popular. Of course some paper and some matching ink that I will be using to make another wedding invitation, this one is for a good friend of mine that is getting married next summer. Here are the links to what I bought in case your interested.

Stamp Sets
Friends till the End
Life
Remember

Paper
Green Tea Leaves
Friends 'Til the End (match stamp set)
Raspberry Fizz (matching ink and card stock available)


Life Wedding Invitation with a Garden Twist



Here is the wedding invitation that I have designed for a good friend who is getting married this summer, her theme is a garden wedding. She loves the colours pink and yellow and using the stamp set Life from Papertrey Ink plus Patterned Bugs from Inkadinkado I created this garden delight. Everything else was using Stampin Up Product and the text was generated on computer, using RGB colours. Let me know what you think.

Here is the recipe:

1. Pretty in Pink Card Stock and Ink
2. So Saffron Card Stock and Ink
3. Vellum
4. Chocolate Chip (text done in RGB)
5. Versa Pad
6. Dazzling Diamonds
7. Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon

The Details: Bumble Bee with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

The Details: Tide with a Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon



The Details: The Dragon Fly

Just Chatter - Macro Lens Gets Up Close and Personal

Under the Tuscan Sun or in Brother-in-Laws Backyard


One of my favorite movies is Under the Tuscan Sun, staring Diane Lane again one of my favorite actresses. She plays a 35-year-old San Francisco writer named Frances Mayes, whose, perfect life takes a unexpected detour. Her seemingly happy San Francisco marriage ends abruptly and she goes into a funk. Urged by her friends to move on, she joins a bus tour of Tuscany where, on the spur of the moment, she buys a crumbling villa. She assembles a crew of oddballs and immigrants to repair the house; over the next year, as they work, she welcomes one of her New York friends who's pregnant and at loose ends, and she seeks love, first (tenuously) with her married real estate agent, then with a charming stranger. Although life gets in the way of love, Frances's wishes come true in unexpected ways, and there's always the Tuscan sun.

The scenery in this movie is breathtaking from the winding roads, a small towns, to the rolling fields of sunflowers that seem to go on forever. I love sunflowers, from their enormous size, a 32 inch (82 cm) sunflower head that grew in British Columbia. (Source: 2004 Guinness World Records) and the most heads on one plant; according to the 2004 Guinness World Records, a sunflower grown in Michigan had 837 heads on one plant. It is said that the sunflower plant has an almost 'human-like' characteristics and dimensions. Maybe this is the reason why so many of Europe's greatest artists such as Van Gogh , Monet, and Gustav Klimt used the sunflower as their subject matter.

My brother and sister-in-law planted some sunflowers a few years ago in there backyard and during one of our visits I took the above spectacular photo. I had just purchased a new Marco lens and was itching to try it out, and was beyond impressed by the end result. This lens lets you get so close its almost as if you could pick one of the seeds out yourself, it is so close.

So I am itching to take a trip this fall to Italy, spend some time enjoying the warmth of the sun and to see the fields upon fields of this glorious flower. One of the options I am looking at is Cooking Vacations they offer a variety of different vacations such as women only tours. I am looking at the Positano Cooking~Food Tour~Water coloring~Journal Writing~Travel Photography & Tea Talk it covers all the things that I love. Check it out maybe you too will get the itch and join me this September.

My Bad Blogging; Wedding Workshop; More Pictures of Scotland

This post is a mish mash of things from a humble apology to a new upcoming demonstrator workshop to more pics from Scotland.

I must humbly apologize I have not blogged in weeks. Things have been so busy, between working, designing my website, doing more wedding designs, working with brides on upcoming weddings, mentoring other demonstrators. My cup has been very full. I will however be more consistent posting this week I am on holidays starting Thursday and so looking forward to creating some new designs to share with you.

I would also thank everyone who purchased my Wedding Kits. I have been madly mass producing trying to keep up with the demand. I have also been selling a few of my Onesies Gift Sets which I love to make, they are so cute.


NEW Wedding Demonstrator Workshop Coming in September 2009.

Join me for my first "Wedding for Every Season" Invitation Workshop for demonstrators.

At this workshop you will create wedding invitations for all four season, Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. Included with the Wedding Invitation you will also create: Program, favor box, thank you card etc. Using only SU products. There will also be the optional workshop offered for creating a Wedding Guest book.

Stay tuned for more information to follow in June.

More Photo's from Scotland - Windows