simply me

Can you say "Another Giveaway"? Thats right!.....today I'm are featuring my new friends, Randy & Deena, from Creative Cards Homeschool who are giving away 2 of their December Card Kits. What a perfect giveaway for the holiday!

Creative Cards Homeschool is a monthly card kit club. What sets their kits apart from the rest is that all the hard work is done for you. How long do you spend looking at a stack of supplies wondering what to do with them, where to put this or how to use that? Creative Cards solves that! The ideas are already thought out for you (not that you can’t make it your own) and everything comes cut to size, glittered, punched, stamped, inked, etc. All you have to do is look at the picture and glue it together. Oh and then of course ENJOY! But don’t think for a moment that these kits aren’t packed full of interesting new products, the latest papers and plenty of ideas to keep the experienced crafter interested.

The Goal for Creative Cards is to inspire creativity by making it easy for you, thats why they do all the hard stuff. They do hope that you’ll join and give their kits a try.

Also be sure to visit Deena's blog for some great inspiring holiday ideas!

Just leave your comment today to be entered to win one of these December Card Kits!

1. Leave your comment tonight 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. Winners will be announced on the blog tonight.

 

 

as many of you know from my recent post on facebook i did something big...although it is a lottery to get in, i registered for the NYC Marathon in 2010.

i figure i will let fate decide if i will be attempting to run a marathon next fall.

this weeks inspiration wednesday was a response to taking the plunge and registering for the 26.2 mile race. in some ways, whether i get in or not, just registering makes it a reality...doable. if those people on the biggest loser can do it, i can too!

so here's the how to on this weeks journal entry...

• photocopied, shrunk and adhered some of my race numbers to the right side of the page
• used photoshop to add text to the runner drawing (the runner is one of my hand drawn designs)
• printed the design and adhere to the page using gel medium.
• added a layer of whitewash using acrylic paint and water
• added the turquoise watercolor down the side
• used the cricut to cut the word imagine
• used vintage photo distress ink
• added letter stickers
• hambly rub on over "imagine"
• stamped shipping tag (stamp is from stampers anonymous)
• dripped watercolor and distress ink on tag, then added tape to edge.
• distressed a second tag and tore. adhered tags to page using pop dots
• added spiral notebook edge to top right and inked

what did you create this week?
share what you made with us too!

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And the winners for the pleated poppy's gift certificates are......

Post #48 Cathy Wegner 

Post #72 Michelle Gala

congratulations ladies! email me at donna@donnadowney.com to receive your gift certificates!!

Now here is one of my new sponsors that is right up my alley and loves fabric as much as I do. Today we are featuring Lindsey Cheney from The Pleated Poppy!

Lindsey is a stay-at-home mom of 3 young kiddos with a constant itch to craft. Her business grew out of her love for making handmade gifts a couple years ago.  Every item is handmade and perfectly imperfect!  Her primary medium is fabric and her line of products include items for all ages, from itty bitty babes, to those of us who like to treat ourselves.  Her hot items right now are the petal pushers and the always popular posy pins.  The posy headbands are a great gift for girls, with a price point sure to please all! 

Please enjoy her shop, take your time looking around - there's a lot!  When you're done, be sure to check out Lindsey's blog to keep up on her new products and sales!

Now for the fun part, The Pleated Poppy will giving away not one but two $25 gift certificates to two of my lucky blog readers! And because Lindsey would like for everyone to be a winner, she if offering everyone 15% off their first order by using the discount code "SIMPLYME"

Just leave your comment today to be entered to win one of these gift certificates!

1. Leave your comment tonight 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. Winners will be announced on the blog tonight.

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advent ornaments day 9

and the winners of the Cut Card Stock gift certificates are...

1st prize $50 gift certificate

2nd prize $25 gift certificate

3rd prize $20 gift certificate

congratulations ladies! email me to receive your gift certificates!!

Look at what our new friends, Darrell and Cindy, from Cut Card Stock are giving away to not just one but three luck blog readers today!!! 

They are giving away three gift certificate towards ANY purchase on their online store. WOW! Now thats an awesome giveaway.

These gift certificates will expire May 19, 2010

1st prize $50 gift certificate

2nd prize $25 gift certificate

3rd prize $20 gift certificate

 

Cutcardstock.com began in 2006 as a dream while sitting at their dining room table.  At this time Cindy began working  with a paper supplier, but the paper supplier didn’t offer cardstock in sizes other than 8.5x11.   Cindy began offering other small sizes of cards cutting them on a rotary cutter by hand.  As more 5x7 and other cards began to sell, they saw a need for a larger cutter.  They decided to purchase a table top power cutter.  She continued to make special cuts for people and then deliver them each day to a paper company that would in turn ship them to their customers.

A few months went by and Cindy began to use her creative mind once again.  She thought, what if they could also offer a service to score the cardstock for the customers.  They decided that they needed to have their own website so she began to develop one so that they could better help their customers.  Cindy looked at possible names for their company and as you can tell by their name www.cutcardstock.com, their focus is on cutting and selling cardstock! For these last three years they have been selling cardstock, envelopes, blank invitations at their website “Where creativity and affordability merge.” 

Be sure to go and visit Darrell and Cindy's website to see the amazing products they have available. They also make great Christmas presents!

We will pick a winner for each of the gift certificates tonight, which will give you three chances to win!

Just leave your comment today to be entered to win one of these gift certificates!

1. Leave your comment tonight 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. Winners will be announced on the blog tonight.

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advent ornaments day 8

 

also for those that are counting 4-7

Another awesome weekend at Grove's

Bill and I had another amazing trip to Huntingdon, PA to see our friends at Grove's. We even brought paisley to her first workshop! She loved it.

This past weekend was the debut of the new Apronology Workshop. Check out Sue sewing away, this was her first time working with a sewing machine. You go Sue!

Look at the Apron that Jess created!

I had such a great time this weekend with all the ladies in Huntingdon, PA and cant wait till my next visit. The store owners, Staci and Jeff, are absolutely wonderful and we had a great time with them. We look forward to seeing them again soon.

 

Please join me this weekend as I head to Chicago with my favorite workshops as well as some brand new ones. I will be visiting the lovely ladies at Windy City Scrapbooking for a weekend of creating. 

Registration for my workshops is open now. Please give the store a call at 773-935-0585 to reserve your class space! You can view the full weekend schedule here!

Here is a sneak peak of some of the workshops that I will be teaching!

 

 
 

 

    

the winners are...

of the stand out print

 

of the framed print

of the gallery wrapped canvas

email me and we will get you set up for your prize with color inc!

Now take a look at these amazing prints that our friends at color incorporated created! These are just absolutely gorgeous and they did a fabulous job.

Make sure you check out the amazing Products they offer. Here are three different ways they can help you showcase your favorite 12x12 prints!

1. Stand Out - which is very light and easy to hang.
2. Framed Prints - they have lots of options and a closed back.
3. Gallery Wrap Canvas - which is one of favorites!

Here is a sample of their Stand Out prints. Look what they did with one my of favorite photos from our 10 year wedding anniversary when Bill and I renewed our vows.

Here is sample of one of the many ways they can display your favorite photo in a Framed Print. Another favorite of mine with our whole family celebrating our anniversary. This makes a wonderful Christmas present!

Gallery Wrap Canvas

this photo is my most favorite ever taken of my family. we were in the netherlands and Corinne Delis, a good friend and amazing photographer took this of us on the bluffs. you should check out her website just for the eye candy. the photo looks incredible on the gallery wrapped canvas!

Now for the exciting news! Color Incorporated is going to giveaway each of their 3 products to our lucky blog readers. Thats right, one of these prints can have your photo in it! We will pick a winner for each of the prints, which will give you three chances to win!

leave your comment today to be entered to win one of these prints!

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

my first ART SKIRT...

art skirt?
i am not sure what else to call it other than pure happiness.
i really wanted to translate the work i have been doing with the aprons into a skirt...wearable art.
however i do not know how to sew really, lol!
i know it sounds funny, but i cannot make an article of clothing that actually fits me kinda thing.  i can only decorate and create ON it. i might need to find that seamstress quick though cause i think i am in love with this concept.
the base is made of canvas, yes i know it is stiff, but i can paint on it and i like that...i am okay with a stiffy stiff fabric, hee hee!
on saturday i went to hancock fabrics in search of the easiest skirt pattern i could find - butterick B4461 i had no intention on putting in a zipper so i knew i would have to modify it.
basically i just cut a front and back panel and sewed them up the side leaving about about a 6" allowance at the top left for another closure idea i had to replace the zipper.
with the base of the skirt sewn i chose the color palette. now i will be the first person to say i hate purple, but it was purple and TURQUOISE, lol! the print and solid are amy butler, the script is unknown and has no info on it. i am thinking i might have picked it up from hancock fabrics a while back.
i knew i wanted to stamp one of my favorite designs onto the canvas (more about the stamp soon i promise!) and then apply several coats of an acrylic wash of cream color over the top so that the flourishes would be weather/muted.
here is the before...
and the after...
then i added the ruffles, lace and a ribbon (to cover up my stitching).
i will be honest, not being a trained seamstress, the 3 layers of ruffles took me a good bit of time to get right, but i did it!
now to embellish the base of the skirt...
i knew it had to be these birds (been working on another project with this bird pattern so i was consumed, lol). choosing the fabric for them dang birds took me like 2 hours - silly!
anyway, i sewed the wings and eyes to the bird body, then, stitched them to the skirt base. once i was 3/4 around the bird i stopped sewing, stuffed and sewed again to close completely
next, added the waistband and pom pom trim and used a fun decorative stitch for the top of the waistband - just because i could.
my last step was the closure - NO ZIPPERS, they frighten me!
pretty ribbon was the solution!
well that and the 6 strategically placed grommets (god i love grommets)
my perfectly-imperfect-not-so-form-fitting-around-the-waist-beautiful art skirt!
i am hoping to wear it at CHA in january. that, or create another one or maybe wear it and create another one.
i am thinking i am going to need a real dressform soon. the adjustable kind so i can make a skirt that actually "fits" me.

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dont forget your 20% off site wide at RED LETTER WORDS today only!

(Friday dec 4). Use coupon code: dd2009 to get your discount!

"you are right where you should be"

and the lucky winner of today's amazing art inspiration giveaway from Red Letter Words is...

 

congratulations chriandstacy22! email me with your address and print size preference and we will get your gallery wrapped print out to you ASAP.
HOWEVER, do not worry if you didn't win this one today because Deanna is offering 20% off everything on her site for my blog readers tomorrow (Friday dec 4). Use coupon code: dd2009 to get your discount!

this mantra has become truth in my house.
it has been quite powerful.
whether life is all sunshine and roses or well, not so sunshine and roses,
"you are right where you should be".
the journey is how we grow, learn, change, and experience our way through life.
when i began redesigning my studio space i knew i wanted to walk into my space and be greeted by the things that inspire me. this quote welcomes me every day and reminds me, humbles me and inspires me.

Deanna Kasberger, artist and owner of Red Letter Words, the company that custom created this beautiful art piece for me, is generously giving away the same inspirational piece to one of you.

 

one lucky blog reader will win their choice of a 12 x 12" or 20 x 20" gallery wrapped canvas, just like mine.

in addition she will have these prints available in 30x30, 20x20 and 12x12 gallery wrap canvas AND the best news is they are ON SALE 20% off from now until December 31.

holiday order deadline:
Order by December 15 for domestic Christmas delivery
by December 9 for international

also stop by Red Letter Words and check out the great deals as well as stop by Deanna's blog where she tells the story of our field trip between workshops to get her nose pierced.

leave your comment today to be entered to win the inspiration!

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.

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advent ornaments day 3

this weeks inspiration wednesday was last minute! however, it was a great reason to stop everything and give myself an hour of play. i had a bunch of things i have had in my stash that i wanted to play with so it was a great excuse.

here's what i did...

• the canvas for the background i got in san francisco. i bought like 7 colors of canvas...why? not sure. but i had to have them. 
• painted layers of patina blue and white acrylic over it to look distressed.
• used my pink word trees iron-on and scratched away some of the image to look even more distressed (you have to do this when it is hot or it will not scratch away).
• used my new butterfly punch (martha/eksuccess) i think this is the best punch ever!
• added some pearl bling
• quote text cut out from a book
• some of that japanese masking tape - however i did have to put some gel medium on top of it because it did not want to stick to the canvas.
  
• small little melissa francis frame - seriously had this frame for 2 years in my stash!
• sprayed some distress ink on the side - couple drops of the reinker into a water filled mini mister works great for adding distress color.
  

so that's it!

what did you create this week?
share what you made with us too!

check back tomorrow for an awesome art giveaway from Red Letter Words!

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advent ornaments day 2

edited: christine asked if i would share my daily advent ornaments as we hang them on the tree. i think that is a great idea. if i do not share them daily, i will certainly make sure that i eventually post all of them leading up to christmas.

(side note: we also have the door kind of advent calendar too. we draw straws on nov 30 to see in what order the kids will take turns opening the 25 doors. we are using that as well for hanging the daily advent sentiments on the tree)

also on our tree today is zippy (elf on a shelf). this is a huge part of our christmas traditions. he comes on dec 1st and every night he magically returns to the north pole to report to santa if the downey's have been "naughty or nice". he returns in the morning in a new spot. today he was in the tree. sneaky little fella!

working on inspiration wednesday as we speak...falling a little behind...

will be up soon, i promise

fabric advent ornaments

and the winner is...

rhonda nickol!

congratulations rhonda! email me with your address and i will get your new ornaments out to you tomorrow.

i am really excited to share this idea today.

and courtesy of my new sewing machine the stitching around the outside edge of the ornaments came out better than i imagined!

the idea started here in my idea journal: but before i went straight to it, i wanted to test it out in a trial run.

i cut 3" white muslin fabric circles, corresponding circles of batting and my favorite new christmas fabric (if you are interested in precut circles of the christmas fabric, email me i have extra of the fabric and can cut it for you - 25 fabric circles for $5.50 + free shipping)

i created this template and used it to adhere the white muslin circles of fabric to so that they could easily roll through my typewriter.

{click here for a full sized download}

the typewriter text worked beautifully when attached to the paper with a few hermafix tabs.

then pulled the fabric from the paper and stamped with a few christmas themed images. the bold red "believe" was stamped in stazon, i much preferred the softer look of the distress inks on the other 5 though. (inks used : broken china, shabby shutters and worn lipstick)

ok so the idea worked and they are too flippin cute!

for the true test, could i translate the idea into a daily advent ornament with special messages and inspirations to share as a family?

yes!
for these however, i put 2 layers of batting. i thought the first ones were a bit thinner than i had envisioned.
the large number stamps i bought at michaels, are martha stewart brand, but i cannot find a link for them.
i stitched them up, and set a 3/16" red eyelet in the top to hang them and voila!

so with the advent ornaments complete, i am now left with the first 6 ornaments i originally made.
whats a girl to do?
hmmmm?
lets hang them on your tree!
leave your comments today and i will get them ready for your christmas tree!

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.

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REMINDER: today is the last day for the INSPIRED. Artist Workshop payment plan

make sure you book your spot today.