simply me

this weeks inspiration wednesday was created in michigan at Scrappy Chic. jonesing to be creative i bought a basket full of supplies and played. "clean + crisp + fresh: new beginnings" basically a reflection of dreaming about my new space.

here's the simple how to in my inspiration journal this week.

• adhered a piece of legal pad paper to right side
• painted the background with one of my top 5 favorite acrylic turquoise paint colors
• then added a wash of white acrylic paint
• then a wash of pink acrylic paint
• punched 1 1/4" scalloped squares from the basicgrey lemonade paper pack
• tore and crumpled a manila tag, then inked with vintage photo distress ink
• added title and adhered tag to page
• created twisted book text stems and ribbon leaves
• added flowers and bling centers + buttons
• inked the edges with vintage photo and let it bleed and drip down the page by adding layers of ink and water

day 16 : studio redesign

 

desperately wanting my new countertops - they should be installed next week wednesday-ish. this is where i will put my new brother embroidery/sewing machine (I CANT WAIT TO EMBROIDER SOMETHING!)

that corner under the wall cabinet will be my desk/computer area

 

the left side of the countertop is where i will have my brand new cricut and my newly oiled and serviced turquoise typewriter. (FYI on the typewriters - i will have a couple extra, i am having them serviced so they are in perfect working condition and will post them for sale as soon as i get them all back. if you are interested i will have more details soon)

the paper i think i am going to put to the far left of the countertop. i weened my self down to just these 6 trays and they are quite full! i also have a small stack of patterned papers i kept behind my apron on the island, i have no idea where i am putting them, lol!

............................................................................................................................

FOUND

ann arbor, michigan    phone: 734.302.3060

look at this amazing piece that i found at FOUND, an incredible vintage store full of pieces of pure joy.

 

on my list of the top 10 most fabulous places to find the coolest things!

i also bought these springs, no idea why , but i know i needed them!

 

and i should have bought this!

congratulations to

Donna U said...

I posted on facebook. Thanks for another chance for this giveaway.

you win Debby’s Dream Studio giveaway! email me (donna@donnadowney.com) for your prize!

A Girl has to have a little Glitz in her life!  Look at what Debby Lewis from Debby’s Dream Studio is giving away.......Glitz Foundations, Sassy and Vintage!

Debby’s Dream Studio is all about YOU with Foundations and Mommy and Me Crafts.

Foundations coordinate crafting products for the Sassy and the Vintage crafter in you.  BUT-ALSO-AND in cooperation with unKit and their unique philosophy of “only buy what you want kits” offer add-ons to pop your Foundation.

Mommy and Me Crafts are designed to create memories with your children while inspiring their creativity.   

Debby’s Dream Studio is more than a store it is an experience.  Debby’s Dare challenge blog, Dream Events, Dream Classes and 2010’s 52 week Dare “Homemade Families.”  

Debby’s Dream Studio invites you to bring your crafty passion to the store and take an additional 10% off your entire order using the coupon code:  SIMPLYME.

Leave your comment today to be entered to win this DREAM giveaway from Debby’s Dream Studio

1.  leave your comment today before 10 PM (EST).
2. To double your chances tweet, blog or post on your facebook about this giveaway and come back and leave another comment.
3. Winner will be announced on the blog tonight.

............................................................................................................................

look for day 15 studio redesign photos today on facebook

day 14 : studio HEAVEN!

this is what my studio looks like right now!

OMG! i love it...i have been organizing an filling the drawers all day (ok i admit even last night when i got home). i actually sat in the hallway and stared into the room for 30 minutes, i almost cried it was so fabulously perfect.

the countertop guy came this morning and measured and i am hoping by early next week the room will be complete.

the 30x30 canvas on the ledge is my favorite part. it was made for me by dee (my new souls sister, lol!) from red letter words. the quote means so much to me and my family. i guess you could say it is bill and my mantra, "you are right where you should be": the good, the bad and the ugly, there is always something to be valued and learned from each one of life's journeys.

i have a lot of organizing to d and i am still purging...i love this part!!!

once i get my counter tops and all the drawers fill i will go drawer by drawer sharing it all with you.

hopefully tonight i can persuade bill to hang up the rails i got from ikea (i love you dear!)

more pics tomorrow, but right now i am too flipping excited and have to get back to ORGANIZING!!!!

............................................................................................................................

the halloween canvas winner is...

Beth Perry said...

I am loving how it looks so far!!! that color is gorgeous!

Please put my name in the hat for the halloween canvas! I am sad it is over. :( Halloween is my FAVE TIME OF YEAR! ;D
have a great weekend creating!
B

email me at donna@donnadowney.com and we will ship out your canvas to you asap!

day 11: studio redesign - what i have learned

it is day 11 of the studio redesign and i have learned that without my "space" i am a bit lost. i think walking into my studio, surrounded by colors and potential pieces of inspiration and art give me an inner strength.
is that totally weird or what?
i have been walking around for the past 2 days in a kinda fog.
bill keeps saying, "i want my wife back."
of course, we are joking and laughing about it, but still he is not kidding.

the redesign is coming together just as i pictured it in my head and i am so anxious...maybe that is a better description than "in a fog", i am anxiously waiting to create again.
i keep having these visions of how and where i will organize my things.
i will have to literally relearn my space.
that is so frickin' exciting to me!
for the past 2 days we have been at a studio standstill waiting for the base cabinet installation.

in about 2 hours i leave for michigan, to spend the weekend with the awesome ladies at Scrappy Chic
being in the middle of creativity again is gong to feel great!
i cannot wait!
while i am away this weekend, kandi's husband john will be installing my new base cabinets, so when i come home i will have cabinets!
i have asked both bill and kandi to please make sure they take at least 6 progression photos of the room as it evolves and hopefully kandi will be texting and sending me little photo teasers along the way (hint, hint).

however, i have gotta say the new window trim, is making me extremely happy!

 

i will be letting you know as i know via facebook.
the room design is really going to take shape this weekend, it is going to be a fantastic surprise to come home to!

............................................................................................................................

watch me on wbtv - halloween clip

i would love to giveaway the 8x8 halloween canvas i created for this segment. i know it is after the holiday, but if you interested leave a comment over the weekend and sunday night when i return i will choose a winner.

also i could not find any of my halloween photos for the mini album, can you tell who's kid i used for the photos in the skull album?

day 9 : studio redesign update + inspiration wednesday

 

this weeks inspiration wednesday was a matter of convenience. with my entire studio packed up and in boxes, the closest creative tools i had at hand to work with were my new travel set of watercolors. with a blank page of my journal and my water colors i just played and this is where i ended up. i love it!

here's the simple how to in my inspiration journal this week.

• i began by painting the flower gropings first, mixing colors a bit to achieve variance.
• then added yellow color and water allowing it to pool collect and drip.
• with a sharpie, i added the quote.

i also managed to complete a few new journals...can you believe it, purples. maybe i am warming up to the idea of purple. but not too warm. i will be adding them today to the website. you can find them here.

DAY 9 : studio redesign

mike and russ, my favorite handymen, have been working for the past 2 days transforming my space from a dark borderline claustrophobic feeling to a bright, light creative studio space.

this is where they are in the studio today.

 

 

 

i will be updating my facebook all day with play-by-play progress photos and you can also check here as i add them to my "inside the studio" album on my website.

what did you create this week?
what do we need to see...leave a post and share your inspirations! 

............................................................................................................................

EBAY AUCTIONS : LIVE UNTIL NOV 6th (ONLY 1 day LEFT ON SOME!) - studio + inspiration pieces need new creative home!

congratulations bethany, you win the paper flea market gift certificate worth $25! email me with your email info to receive your prize. (donna@donnadowney.com)

Bethany said...

posted about your giveaway on my blog,here
http://jamesandlogansmom.blogspot.com/2009/11/another-giveaway.html
thanks again for the chance to win :)
have a great afternoon!!

Check out what Trina (aka trixie, hee hee!) from The Paper Flea Market is giving away. She is giving away a $25 gift certificate to today's lucky post winner. You can use the gift certificate to purchase any of her awesome vintage goodies!

The Paper Flea Market has a fabulous collection of vintage goodies including ephemera, optometrist, cabinet cards and photos, paper packs, trims and lots of other fun old stuff!! Owner Trina Lucido has been a collector and user of lovely old treasures for many years. She believes she was influenced by her maternal grandmother who saved *everything*. Trina loves hunting for unusual and overlooked items that are perfect for use in journals, cards and mixed-media projects. Visit the store at www.thepaperfleamarket.com. Use coupon code "DD" and get 10% off your order.

Leave your comment today to be entered to win this amazing giveaway from The Paper Flea Market!

1. leave your comment today before 10 PM (EST).
2. To double your chances just tweet, blog or post on your facebook about this giveaway and come back and leave another comment.
3. Winner will be announced on the blog tonight.

............................................................................................................................

To all my friends in the Great Lakes State, please be sure to join me this weekend at Scrappy Chic for a fun filled weekend of my workshops! Just give them a call to register. I hope to see you there!

Scrappy Chic

33509 W. Eight Mile Rd

Livonia, MI 48152

248-426-9020

............................................................................................................................

EBAY AUCTIONS : LIVE UNTIL NOV 6th (ONLY HOURS LEFT ON SOME!) - studio + inspiration pieces need new creative home!

day 6 + 7 : the studio is empty

 

well other than the 2 guys working on my electrical outlets.

 

i will be getting counter tops and base cabinets installed so o needed to have accessibility to my electrical outlets and i figured while they were in there they might as well add a couple more. i had them turn them sideways, why do we have them stacked vertically in our walls anyway? 

off to lowes to get the paint and blinds. the painters will be here tomorrow and wednesday to paint, as well as add photo ledge trim and moldings around the room and frame out my window.

 

to me, the window as it is just looks blah! trim is one of those details that really makes a big difference. we did this to our bedroom windows and it just makes the windows look finished. i will not be putting curtains in here so i am looking forward to the change.

stay tuned for more studio changes tomorrow.

also tomorrow i will introduce you to one of our new sponsors Paper Flea Market and her great giveaway, have a great monday!

............................................................................................................................

EBAY AUCTIONS : LIVE UNTIL NOV 6th - studio + inspiration pieces need new creative home!

should have posted this last night, but i fell asleep at 8PM (i feel old!, lol) cole is home sick today and chose lucky comment winner 201 -

Amber C said...

What a delicious kit! Those colors are simply fabulous!

Ps. Totally LOVE the costumes!

congratulations amber! email me donna@donnadowney.com with your address and we will get your new scarlet lime kit out to you asap!

Look what Christy Tomlinson from Scarlet Lime is giving away! 

such an awesome monthly kit of products - see the layouts i created with them last week

leave your comment today to be entered to win this amazing giveaway from scarlet lime!

1. leave your comment today before 10 PM (EST).
2. To double your chances tweet, blog or post on your facebook about this giveaway and come back and leave another comment.
3. Winner will be announced on the blog tonight.

also wanted to post a little downey family halloween love...it was such a great day!

 

make sure and check back all week long as the studio redesign really starts to take place...total transformation! i cannot wait. i mean really, it is all i can think about! giddy i tell you, giddy!

............................................................................................................................

EBAY AUCTIONS : LIVE UNTIL NOV 6th - studio + inspiration pieces need new creative home!

day 5: studio breakdown

happy halloween! this is no trick, really my studio is empty.
well kinda, we will move the big stuff out tomorrow and i will set up my computer in bill & kandi's office while the transformation of the studio is going on.  

however, this is what paytons room looks like... and this was after i cleared out half of my stash and "stuff", my god i love stuff!

almost everything i listed on ebay will find a new loving home, i am excited about that. i hope the handpicked items from my studio will inspire your creative spaces as they did mine.

i did my segment on wbtv this morning at 7:20 am (i am so not a morning person) and it went great. my whole family came with me and the kids were wowed by all the TV's and behind the scenes chaos. they said they will email me the segment, when they do i will share it with you.

finally, i had to leave you with this... this pint-sized pooch is so frickin' adorable!

see you tomorrow for the Scarlet Lime november kit giveaway!

day 4 studio break down + 68 EBAY AUCTIONS!

ok now we are getting somewhere!

• the electrician will be here monday
• painter will be here tuesday
• my cabinets from IKEA arrived this morning
• 68 beloved items from inside my studio have been put up for AUCTION (help find them a new creative home!)
  
• still need to complete 2 more fabric page layouts in this mess
• still need to complete my project for tv tomorrow! (wbtv 7am)
• also need to go buy my paint color...

have an awesome halloween and check back here all weekend for the studio progress and on sunday for the new Scarlet Lime november kit giveaway!