{creative chick}

card inspiration from VSN

forever ago i participated in some of the Virtual Stamp Night over on splitcoast stampers... i have fun getting together with other a muse addicts and being challenged to create.. JUST FOR FUN! :) PLUS there is always some goofiness being had on the webcams  ;) 

these fun times happen periodically and on the a muse lounge they post some of the challenges.. and you can win some fun prizes!! make sure you check it out... after the holidays of course ;) 

so here is what i came up with.. my crafty desk was a war zone... and i didnt have time to clean it.. so i kept it simple, pretty much using the same set of stamps for almost all the challenges!

for the card above.. we needed to find a card to CASE.. i chose this card and went to town!


for this card we did a technique called "blurred vision watercolor technique"

 

for this card we had to do "anything but the ordinary" so i chose to create an ATC card ;) 

for the last challenge i switched up stamps and colors for "costumes throughout history"

and then heather decided to challenge me, cause i was pouty that the night was over.... my creative juices always flow the MOST late at night... i was trying to remember what she was challenging me... and now i forgot.. (maybe where i wished i was?? )but i made this super cute card because of it... i used a colorful creations custom stamp as well as a muse and some other randoms :) ... after the snow we just got i wish i was there RIGHT NOW! 


  
 
 
  
 

advent calendar 2009

so here it is.. the advent calendar i designed for this year... i started teaching it in JULY this year! crazy!!! and even more crazy, is i have my calendar for 2010 already designed.. in my head, but the gears are turning.. and it is going to be FABULOUS!!  each year i have to out do the last ;) you're not going to want to miss the 2010 advent calendar... TRUST me ;) 

erin had a great idea with this years... to keep the frame up all year to hang pictures and cards from ;) and melissas husband bob, created all the custom sized frames for me... then i just needed to paint, shabby chic and put the wire on ;) OY this years was definatley a time sucker for the kitting!!

2008 advent calendar: was on the 7g atc spinner
2007 advent calendar: was a mini muffin tin.. the tags slide up so you can hide a lil goodie ;) 
2006 advent calendar: was on the back of a cookie sheet.. each number is its own magnet.. this year i made one for each of my girlies.. a tradition they all love :) 

  
 
 
 

wedding photos

as the snow was coming down and in between my MANY shoveling attempts.. i was lucky to be able to edit these photos, and *pretend* to still be in mexico. 

meet candice and shaun levy ;) i just met them a couple of weeks ago myself! they asked if i would take some photos at their wedding, while we were in mexico.. i said sure.. but i can't promise anything... i am by NO means a professional photographer... i had TWO things going for me... 1. i have been in a GAZILLION weddings ;) and 2. I am inspired ALL the time by some of my friends who take amazing photos ...... 

after a mini photo chat with steph.. and some editing tips and her sharing some goodies from HER bag of tricks.... i'm really pleased with what i got ;) 

thank you candice and shaun, for letting my play with my camera, for being soooo photogenic, and for your wedding event partaking in front of the most amazing backdrop ever!! :) 

here are a few of my faves (with some more posted on the left in a photo album) @ chocked full cd's of images are on their way to Minnesota....  

         
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
  

home from mexico

i'm home from mexico! it was fabulous!!!! 100% fabulous!! i thought i would share a few photos with you.. and then in a few days i will share a few wedding pics of the wedding i shot while there ;) 

 lot of these pics i stole from lyndsay.. thanks to her i have proof that i was actually in mexico ;) thanks lynds!!!

enjoy! (pretend your there instead of here... cold snow on the way ugh)

       
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

vacation bound!!

sitting here in Boston... waiting to board my flight to Mexico!!!! how perfect is it that as I gear up to leave were getting hit with a winter storm?! of course I'm
still wearing my flip flops ;) don't want to waste luggage space with silly shoes!

so what's on my agenda for thus vaca?
rest
relaxation
reading
sunning
drinking
relaxation
sleeping
sunning
drinking
relaxation
and a lil drinking ;)

today... i am thankful :)

today i'm just chillin' on the island with mister harley... getting ready for some of my girls to come this weekend for some craftiness.. and silliness ;) 

i already celebrated thanksgiving last weekend with some of my chosen family ;) 

  

luke and the guys at Coast Guard Station Merrimack River have joined to form a team to try and raise money to help fight and find a cure for prostate and testicular cancer. they are all growing a "Mo"stache for the month of November as silly as they'll look, to show that we are dedicated to the cause. you can donate here to help fight in this cause

landon wanted to look like daddy ;)
 

today i'm reflecting on all i have to be thankful for, and thought i would share some of them with you:

* fabulous friends... really the best ones i could ever have.... ones i consider my family
* my dad. simple as that who wouldn't be thankful for jimbo
* mister harley.... i thought long and hard before adopting a kitty... and i am so glad i went to the centerville MSPCA the day i did.. even though they were very busy, i'm happy that i spoke up and asked if the lil black and white kitten was a boy... i'm so thankful i brought him home and into my heart ;) 
* my island... grateful to have a fun lil apartment, that i can afford.. that fits me perfectly
*my crafty space.. i'm SO thankful to have a place that can stay kinda messy.. but it inspires me to create and continue to come up with creative classes
* my job (colorful creations and a muse): i tell people all the time how lucky i am to LIKE my job... to not dread going to work.. i know how lucky i am to be creative on a daily basis, and for that i am thankful

a few things this year to be thankful for:

* all my girls spending my 30th bday with me
* celebrating with josie and ayden on their day, being part of that
* my creative endeavors, being on ali's blog, teaching a crazy amt of classes for a muse, even my first retreat
* being able to spend more time with my dad this year (his races, whale watching, his first concert, white water rafting)
* i'm also thankful that in 13 days i will be beachside in warm mexico for eight days ... i so NEED this :) 

i have been accused of being a bad blogger.... i know i have been, sometimes life is just moving TOO fast... and there are more important things to be doing then blogging ( like island harvesting hahaha) so i apologize i have been neglecting... BUT i always come back ;) 

feel free to add me on facebook too.. as i'm always updating my status there ;) it's just TOO easy with the iphone!

happy thanksgiving everyone!

 
 

 
 
 

.... and because he is SO handsome

and i know he's the only reason you read this blog anyways ;)  for your viewing pleasure.....

more upcoming classes!!

i have updated my classes page AGAIN with a couple more projects....

i am teaching the book that ali edwards featured on her blog... AND were doing some more artsy stuff on the inner pages

 

i am also teaching a fun class with the ten seconds studio metal... and some other fun techniques...

 

you can find all the details where and when on my classes page.. check it out!!

details from seattle

a bunch of us a muse instructors got together from all over the world (alaska to new foundland!!). we gathered at the a muse shop in seattle for training. It's always nice to see everyone in person ;) we converse so much online! 

 here are some pics from the weekend... i stole a few from the girls on facebook as i wasn't very good with my camera this year!

1st photo: a lot of the gang 
2nd photo: wicked freakin cute window display at the shop
3rd & 4th: we went out for a few drinks sat pm... this was taken at ozzies, where their cover stamp was the amuse skull!!! the bouncer thought we were out of our mind when all us girls started squealing and jumping up and down :) 

5th photo: super cute haloween goodies from rhiannon (who i nicknamed "rhin-an-na-non" .. you have to hear it ;) it's fun to say!!)
6th photo: and the fun place setting we had at our dinner the first night

      
flying into houston and trophy cupcakes in seattle
  
all the times i had been to seattle i hadn't had a chance to make it to the market... so this was a MUST on this trip :) it was fun!! i swear the octupus was moving!! eeekkk!! and look at those clams!! long necks... not quite sure how you eat those..
  

while i was away melissER and erin took care of mister harley for me... this is a small pic, but basically he found a baggie of ribbon, ripped it open and ribbon bits all over the island when i came home :) erin snapped a pic with a lil love note from mister harley "dear momma, i miss you but i sure do love a muse ribbon, love mister harley"
    

and this year in seattle... we didn't get lost once!! which after last year... that is BIG News ;) we kept getting turned around last year.. and the fact the have a free way running through the city made it difficult to get around... so our joke last year was "left at the pink elephant" theres a car was with a HUGE sign of a pink elephant... last winter lyndsay sent me the most clever card EVER!!! and i never shared it with you... so here it is ;) 

classes have been updated!!

i have updated my classes page!! Be sure to check it out!! I will be at Ink About It (westford, ma) in November and December. I am excited to be visiting Stampassion (latham, ny) coming soon in November , and of course i have a bunch of classes scheduled at Colorful Creations (hyannis, ma)