SAHM and retired Marine Scrapbooking for the art of it, because I love my family and I enjoy creating art--could there be a more perfect combination? Independent CHA Designer-available for design commissions, kit design, class and project design, teaching events, consultation, product reviews and more!

Monday, February 25, 2008

CHEAP RUBBER STAMPS ON EBAY!

MORE STAMPS ADDED 2/27/08 ENDING 3/1/08



Did I share with you that I WON "The Messiest Creative Space" contest on My Creative Classroom's Grand Opening Celebration? Therefore I really need to work on organizing my space so my mind will be also clear to create!

MANY NEW MOUNTED AND UNMOUNTED RUBBERSTAMPS LISTED ON EBAY, CLEANING OUT MY VERY MESSY STUDIO, SOME SETS, SOME INDIVIDUAL AND A FEW GENTLY USED SETS TOO. COMPANIES INCLUDE; STAMPIN UP!, THE ANGEL COMPANY, RUBBER STAMPEDE, INKADOO, MOBE, TOYBOX, AND STAMP HAPPENS.


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Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Contest and Classes!

DON'T FORGET! The February "Fantastic Flourishes Contest", deadline 2/29/08 - See the original post for more information.


THE KISS CONVENTION IS THIS WEEKEND

I will be teaching two classes on Saturday 2/23/08, Manchester NH:


#116 Color Wash Canvas Layout:


This is pure fun with a wash of color! Create a unique background on stretched canvas then build a collage style layout to hang on your wall. Techniques include color wash variations, heat embossing, stamping, paper tearing, collage and melt art instruction. It's fabulous, with or without a 5x7 photograph! Title options include: Beautiful, Charming, Wish, Sparkle, and Believe. Bring your basic scrap supplies to class including: trimmer, scissors, dry adhesive, liquid adhesive and piercing tool. Additional Supplies: Please bring a heat tool/embossing gun if you own one.



#120 :Memory Box


Decorate a pretty Memory Box to hold your keepsakes or give as a gift. The box is approximately 8 x 11 x 3" and is shaped like a book. The class also includes a coordinating matchbook album (4x5"). Techniques include stamping with acrylic paint and ink, paper tearing and distressing with ink and acrylic paint. Learn a paper-saving technique and how to create unique images with your existing rubberstamps . Please bring your basic scrap tools to class including paper trimmer, scissors, liquid adhesive, dry adhesive and piercing tool or 1/16" hole punch. Additional materials required: Permanent brown ink pad, preferably Stazon or Palette--NOT Distress pad.

Product Sponsor: Ma Vinci's Reliquary



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Monday, February 18, 2008

Original Artwork For Sale

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This was the last thing I did before leaving for CHA! I really enjoyed painting this and decided I would put it up for sale. With my website being in the mess that it is, I figured I'd post it here.

ITEM DETAILS: Sushi Plate, rectangular curved slightly at corners, 7 3/4" wide x 15 1/2 tall, faux finish background with hand painted bird and butterfly on tree branches. The background was hand painted with ceramic glazes, the entire bird and butterfly images are hand-painted in ceramic glazes and then the item was dipped and fired. Truly I don't know much about that process, except that it started with a rough bisque product, I painted it and the studio where I like to relax, dipped and fired it. My signature is on the back, if you want a more prominent one, I have a glaze pen I can write with and then bake for permanency.

ITEM PRICE: $69 plus shipping to your location.
email: becky@keepsakedesigns.biz if you're interested.
There is only one of these for sale, first come, first served.

Becky C
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Saturday, February 16, 2008

CHA Wrap Up!

WARNING: this is a long post with lots of pictures! There is just SO MUCH to see and do at the CHA show, I will try to keep the narrative to a minimum.



Remember the Terra Bella Finishes Challenge Projects I showed you a couple days ago?
See them here:



I WON! WOOHOO! The contest was restricted to two pieces per designer and they had to be in separate categories. The "Perspectives" piece was my altered entry and the "Family Matters" canvas was my collage/canvas entry. I won first place in both categories AND took the overall BEST OF SHOW Prize! It was a very proud moment, thanks so much to Nancy of Terra Bella Finishes for such a fabulous contest and a nice reception for the awards.



Fellow Designer and Friend, Cindi Bisson taped a segment of Ana Araujo's new web show, When Creativity Knocks. Cindi created a change purse using Makins Clay, here she is setting up before taping.



I LOVE Basic Grey papers! They have many new and gorgeous lines out, here's my favorite, "Boxer" and they also have stamps out now that are right in line with their style, they work great with their new chip boards and paper lines.

Visible paper trends emerging are photographic or picture style background papers. Most had a softer feel like watercolor painting or sketch art, not a photograph. A marked increase in hand made elegant papers at the show too including bold prints with flocking and/or glitter and dimensional metallic or painted accents.




New albums from Pioneer, very decorative covers, great styles.



I mentioned the Webster Group earlier, but wanted to share a few of their items. Their biggest sellers are the decorate yourself ceramic items that you color with a sharpie marker and the special finish on the piece makes it permanent when the marker dries! A more grown up approach to that science is the picture on the left, custom gift items, a platter or wedding item that guests sign or you could also make art on it as a gift. The album I told you about, it's a kit and looks like a very professionally printed coffee table book when it's done. Claim to fame is that is only takes 1 hour to make and you bind it yourself. You should be able to find these items at the larger chain stores, Michaels or Hobby Lobby etc.

I have a tendency to tell you about items that make me think out of the box, maybe a little less expected or trendy. Since I am mixed media, I don't stay in the scrapbooking/paper craft section for the entire show, I figure there are enough other sites covering just scrapping, I want you to see the entire show.

I found this site that seems good that reported on the more trendy paper companies and their new releases if you want to check them out! Scrapbooking top 50

Cheers,
Becky C

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

MORE COMING FRIDAY

I am wiped out and I have a 4 am wake up call, so I will finalize CHA postings on Friday when I return to Maine.

Meanwhile, feel free to post or email me becky@keepsakedesigns.biz

The show was slow today, everyone was wrecked and ready to head for home. I went by the Scraponizer again today on the way to tear down the Fashion display after the floor closed and THEY HAVE WON ANOTHER AWARD!

pictures and details on Friday.

Make art everyday.
Cheers.
B

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Wednesday, February 13, 2008

CHA Day 4


for my fellow designer, Cindy Roland. "let's Talk" ((contact me)) here is her latest flower art on display at CHA Winter @ the Worldwin paper booth.



HELLO! THE SCRAPONIZER reported as one of my favorites yesterday is now an AWARD WINNER!




Collage Unleashed by Traci Bautista

COLLAGE in color! it doesn't have to be brown OR distressed!, check it out.





RASPBERRY - chipboard w/ lazer details. quality and more! This is a great NEW company out of Austrailia, first time exhibiting, expect great things from them! The have papers with matching adhesive chipboard stickers that are fresh and will set trends for sure.


My BFF Cindi B, and I at the Hollywood event tonite, aren't we cute?


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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

CHA DAY 3

My day began with the Queen of Crafting herself, Carol Duvall who was being interviewed on the CHA stage! A dream come true for me to meet this icon, a lovely, friendly and personable woman, what a pleasure! She has a new book out!

product picks for today! something new......... SCRAPONIZER an amazing new organizational tool for scrappers and also other crafters. Basically clear compartmentalized containers that can file vertically in a file folder or basket or horizontally on a shelf, they can be personalized/decorated too! check them out!
LAZERTRAN! Finally a printable transfer paper for multi media art that works in an inkjet printer instead of a lazer printer. Actually they offer a wide range of different printable art papers. Good stuff!

RAINBOW TAPE: I loved this product, first because it's a mom and pop company. I met Mr. Robert Kaufman at the show! This tape is bold, flexible and fun! here is an image of the best sample at the booth! LOVE the stained glass effect made with the black tape, many colors available and it can turn corners..................... woohoo! Be sure to hyphenate when you visit their site: www.rainbow-tape.com




TIM HOLTZ has a line of new and fantastic metal embellishments to accent his distress art style. Tags, shaped clips and numbers.


TIM SITING! Tim was at the Ranger booth demo-ing today! I'm so sorry I couldn't get an image of what he was working on, the booth area was swamped as usual!


Also new for Ranger is a very colorful line of pigment inks...........
and a spinner rack that has tension gribs that will hold dabbers, small bottles and the pouncer tool.
There is SO MUCH TO SEE at the show, I need to give a few shout outs to some companies that have been very generous to me and have also come out with some amazing new products......
* INSPIRED CRAFTS -the makers of Paper Glide have a new Mist It! pump pen that is fillable with whatever your artistic needs require: perfume, water, hand sanitizer, breath spray and more! AND the size is acceptable for airplane travel. http://www.inspiredcrafts.com/
* WD-40- yes you heard me right! WD-40 has a new pen filled w/ the compound that will remove stickers and or lubricate tools and reach into small controlled areas. Also, their LAVA soap has pumice that will remove even the nastiest ink and mediums from your crafty hands. http://www.wd40.com/
* BAG OF BAGS - durable handled clear plastic bags that are printable or sold plain, great for class kits, layouts, page planning and storage! http://www.bagofbags.com/
* THE WEBSTER GROUP - Great surfaces and shapes that can be custom decorated, great for kids, treasured memories and group parties etc. Frames, piggy banks, coffee mugs, platters and more! The most inspirational item: A kit that creates a digital coffee table book, including images and text, made by you, bound by you at home that only takes 1 hour to make!
cheers! see you tomorrow.
Cindy R........... I'll check out Worldwin for you tomorrow.
Create Art Everyday!

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Monday, February 11, 2008

REPORTING FROM CHA!

WELCOME TO THE ANAHEIM CONVENTION CENTER - CHA WINTER 08 SHOW!

HERE IS MY FASHION DISPLAY! "Cat Crazy" with the help of my designer friend, Cindi Bisson, we really pulled our vision together.

A HUGE APOLOGY TO THE KRAFTY LADY http://www.kraftylady.com/ for omitting her on the "Sponsor Thank You's", that was entirely my error, while adding booth#s, The Krafty Lady was listed, and somehow when I copied and pasted into the poster/thank you cards, it was removed. The Krafty Lady was a vital sponsor that donated THE BEST art molds around! They work for UTEE, Clay, Paint and many other mediums, if you love molding, these are the best available.



After we finished setting up our Fashion Display, I headed over to check out that lovely automatic machine by Spellbinders Paper Arts, the Xcalibur! they were busy setting up and getting ready for the show start.

Here is the show floor as I exited on set up day (yestereday) all the booths eagerly awaiting finalized carpet laying..................... sleeping before the rush of the morning of opening day at CHA!
Here is an interesting product I found................. I am researching childrens crafting and party ideas for a magazine article and I came across these fabulous Russian Doll kits! there are multiple nesting dolls in each kit and it comes with paint! Imagine these gorgeous dolls with all of our fantastic rubberstamping and art materials too! woohoo!
Speaking of Woohoo! I met Tracy Locher today at the Rusty Pickle booth! woohoo, you rock Tracy! Scrap on! more tomorrow, I had camera issues today so I have to go back around to take images of all the fun and fabulous finds of the day.
PLEASE CHECK BACK DAILY FOR DIRECT UPDATES FROM CHA!
leave comments and questions if you want to see something specific or want to know what is new from a certain manufacturer.
cheers!
bye for now.



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Sunday, February 10, 2008

My Terra Bella Projects! CHA Sneak Peek

Since CHA officially opened Today, I can share the projects I created for the Terra Bella Designer Challenge because they are on view to the general public here at the show! Category 1: Altered Art / Mixed Media


Be on the look out for this, I'm going to make it a CLASS! Category 4: Decoupage Art / Photo Extensions on Canvas I am NOT a painter and don't pretend to be, so this is a decoupage art project not a photo extension, but it is canvas!

Please post any questions or comments here, as I am at CHA; accessing my email is wonky but I can post here daily.

More great stuff tomorrow! I can show you my Fashion Display and my Fashion Embellishment Challenge too! THEN I'll start showing you all the new fun products and hopefully there will some of it available before June :o)
cheers!
Becky C

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Location: Sanford, Maine, United States

Retired USMC, Mom of 2, Nana to two, living life creatively in Southern Maine. Need an original creation? That's my specialty!


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