Sunday, September 19, 2010

Rolodex Swap - Summer 2010





I just love the Rolodex Swaps on the byhandartists!  My Rolodex is filling with beautiful artwork - this is a way better use for a Rolodex than what they were designed for....

The other day I was showing you my version of the Tim Holtz technique for embossing tags. I had this stuff out and thought, well hey, why not emboss my Rolodex cards?  I didn't have to do anything fancy like for the tags.








Here is the sandwich I used through the Wizard:

And here is a detail of the card (this is one of the variations, there were a few of them)




Card Synthesis:
Tim Holtz Embossing Folder - Bingo & Patchwork
Rolodex punch

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Birthday Card

My friend is celebrating her birthday today...
Happy Birthday Susan!

and she even got her card on time!

Here are some detail photos


Card Synthesis:
Burgundy Cardstock
Decorated Paper
Spellbinders Shapeabilities Fair Isle  Pendant
Spellbinders Lacy Squares
Embellishments: Pearls and Ribbons

Oh and the inside...

Friday, September 17, 2010

Using Embossing Folders on Tags

I was working away adding new things to the site recently and took some time to check out this particular entry on Tim Holtz's Blog. He has solved the problem of directional embossing on a tag!

I carry the Number 8 tags he mentioned in the blog post.
Here is my version of his technique.  It's only a problem with the embossing folders that have direction, like this one.

If you're interested you can check out the tags on my site and his embossing folders - I've just added a couple of folders that initially escaped my collection/detection earlier. You can find them on the Product Update Page along with the other awesome things I've brought in recently.


Another item you might like is the Kraft Tags. Such a yummy colour!


Make sure you're subscribed to the Quietfire emails - Wanda will be teaching an online class on Quietfire Creations next week using Tim Holtz Embossing Folders.  Don't miss it!

 
 

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Colours of the Rockies

On our way back from ABC 2010 in Red Deer, we spent several days in the Rockies.  They are so incredibly spectacular.
The mountains are made up of only a few colours (excluding the white of the snow, which isn't technically a colour).
The grey of the peaks.


The green of the alpine forests.


The  incredible turquoise of the rock flour filled streams and lakes.

The brilliant, audacious colours of the alpine flowers

and Rust; minerals contrasting the grey limestone of the mountains and very sad and shocking, the colour of the dead trees killed by the Mountain Pine Beetle.


We had such a wonderful few days and the weather was perfect.
I can hardly wait to go back! I'm dying to take a painting workshop here. And next time I'll have a better camera, although I didn't do too badly with my point & shoot!


Monday, September 13, 2010

ABC 2010: The view from the conference store!

ABC 2010 is now over (can you tell I wrote this weeks ago?). Wow! What a week! I planned for set-up to be a snap, but that was optimistic. Note to self: when you think you need 6 tables, ask for 12 and you’ll be close to correct.

Traveling over the Rockies was uneventful except for sitting in the van at Golden while we waited an hour for the roadwork to be finished. That’s what novels are for…. Or naps. The van was sitting pretty low on the trip out. Paper is so heavy!

Don’t always believe your GPS. Although I’ve taught classes in Red Deer several times before, I was always chauffeured back and forth to Red Deer College! Never underestimate the power of asking a human being for directions….

A huge thanks to Sandra B. for her enormous assistance in setting up. I think she is now quite comfortable with the more than 60 shades of W&N Watercolours that I carry as she filled the whole display!
I had my share of technical difficulties. I just don’t do this pack-up and move thing often enough to be proficient at it! But John Neal had difficulties, too. As with Island Magic, his books didn’t show up. At least he knew where they were this time! I don’t know how he survived as the Boston conference had finished only a week before and here he was in Red Deer. “His” Michael was off at the Iampeth conference which was running at the same time as ABC 2010! I have huge respect for John and what he does for the calligraphic community.
Thanks to those of you who remembered my friend Susan from Island Magic. I would have loved her to be at ABC 2010, but working 7am-10pm every day is the kind of job you can only ask a friend to do once in a lifetime! (although if I’d asked, I know she would have done it!) Susan’s Mom died 5 days before my Dad at the end of April.

Simply Accounting and I had ongoing battles at the start of this conference. I now know why I pay the big bucks for technical support! By the second day I could print invoices – if you need one and didn’t get a detailed one from the first day, just email me with the invoice number on your receipt and I will email it to you! Sorry for the inconvenience!
As you can see, I didn't take many photos.....

So what were the big items at ABC 2010? These are off the top of my head….
The circles of Bombay Ink (now sold out)
Schmincke Tro-Col (I'll be getting more of this in stock soon!)
Arches Black Cover

Each day the store sponsored a draw with about $70 worth of product included! Our winners were:
Bill L – Kelowna
Barry C – Calgary
Corrine A – Red Deer
Jo-Anne R – Red Deer (you should have seen the look on her face when I handed her the bag of goodies to be presented at the evening program. She asked who won and I showed her the name. Too cute!)
Barbara M – Calgary

Thanks so much to the organizing committee for inviting me – it was simply wonderful to see all the “old” faces and meet some wonderful new ones.

A big round of applause should go to Karen Jackson and Roxanne Fairbrother for being such an awesome team and handling everything that came their way.

I’d like to thank Sandra B again (she kept me sane those first few hours and came back in to help out on the first few days) as well as Cheryl D and Joanne R who read me product numbers to speed the line ups!
And yet another thanks to the pack up crew, who packed everything quickly and efficiently. I really appreciated the help so much! My brain was numb by that point.

I’d love to go back again, but this time can I take a class? Although I might have to stalk Mike Kecseg since I missed his class in Red Deer.….
See you all at ABC 2020!