simply me

ruffle bags for you...

 

so many ruffles to love!!!

so, i have gotten so many emails and inquiries about the 2 ruffle bags i made a couple weeks ago, i decided to list them on ebay. (and let you fight over them, LOL!)

turquoise/yellow/grey {above} - see ebay listing

black/turquoise/red {below} - see ebay listing

auction ends jan 3, 2011

but really, i love them so much i just want them to go to a happy home.

you have encouraged me, inspired me, and watched me on this creative journey that i wanted to share a little bit of the creative rewards with you as we bring in the new year together.

it is going to be a fantastic 2011...and i hope you choose to join me for another year of creative victories, mistakes (which are usually my favorites), inspiration wednesdays, ATC clubs and lots more!

here is to 2011 and cute new handbags!

inspiration wednesday (on thursday) + video

ok to be honest, i had no desire to stop and do this today...but i know i have to, not just because i havent blogged for a week, but because it is good for me. i feel better about myself. that said i love what i made today...simple, bold, fun! the way the inspiration journal should be.

someone a few weeks ago commented that she thought some of the inspiration wednesdays were becoming laborsome for me. i think she was right (and believe me i hate to admit that). so here is to simplicity, passion and inspiration!

watch the video!

inspiration wednesday (on thursday) 12.23.10 from donna downey on Vimeo.

 

supplies used:

• inspiration journal
• gesso
• foam stamp (that you never saw) donna downey for prima coming jan cha
• black acrylic paint
• watercolor crayons
  • blue azurite 170
  • metallic rose  081
  • metallic violet 120
  • metallic dark gold 899

• water brush
• whte uniball pen
• heat gun
• inspire iron-on
• stazon
• chicken wire stamp (vintage stampin up i think)
• black india ink
• pen + nib
• mini tag
• iron

a fun little christmas project...

in keeping with my bird and bird cages love here is a little fun holiday tag project i want to share!

supplies needed:

• 2 shipping tags
• bird on a wire edge punch
• tree vine double edge punch
• green cardstock
• large birdcage stamp - free to be stamp set
• bird stamp - embrace you stamp set
• black soot distress ink
• small white tag
• fired brick distress ink
• crushed olive distress ink
• black stazon
• black embossing ink
• clear UTEE
• quick dry 450
• liquid scrap dots
• create joy rubber stamp - red lead paperworks
• red seed beads
• broken china distress ink
• ink blending tool + foams
• tiny attacher
• masking tape
• quote strip "we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas"

step by step:

1. ink background tag with broken china distress ink and blending tool
2. punch tree vine from green cardstock and adhere to edge of blue tag so that it extends over the tag edge
3. punch edge of second tag using birds on the wire punch
4. use masking tape to mask off the edge of the tag so that you just ink the birds (note: if your masking tape is really tacky, press it onto your pants or clothing a couple times to lesson the grip)
5. use blending tool and ink the birds using black soot distress ink, then remove the masking tape.
6. ink the rest of the tag with crushed olive or green distress ink
7. stamp the birdcage using stazon
8. stamp the bird inside the cage using black embossing ink. pour clear UTEE over bird and heat emboss.
9. ink small white tag and text strip with fired brick distress ink
10. stamp "create joy" in stazon and attach to tag using tiny attacher
11. adhere quote strip along bird punched edge and trim to size
12. adhere small seed beads to paper vine to create the look of holly berries
13. use liquid scrap dots to create desired dimension (i like a lot of dimension), then adhere the bird tag to the background tag.
14. allow to dry and voila your done!

the tag looks really cute when hung on the tree, a tag for a special gift or glue a magnet to the back and make it a gift!

 

inspiration wednesday + video

i just wanted to see if i could make that birdcage today.

admittedly for a while there i thought i may not be headed in a birdcage looking direction but i stuck it out and i love it!

simple but lots of layers today!

see how the page and the wire birdcage was created...

inspiration wednesday 12.15.10 from donna downey on Vimeo.

 

supplies used:

• inspiration journal - NEW ONES ADDED TODAY, get yours for the new year!
• rustic wire
• tim holtz swivel clasp
• bird stamp
• tree foam stamp
• golden chromium oxide gree fluid acrylic
• golden burnt umber light fluid acrylic
• golden quinacridone violet fluid acrylic
• golden iridescent bright gold fluid acrylic
• turquiose pan pastel
• white pan pastel
• turquoise shade pan pastel
• applicator foam
• cobalt teal watercolor
• salt
• gesso
• shimmerz sea monkey spray
• shimmerz celery slice paint
• wire cutter
• pliers
• mini tag
• liquid scrap dots
• stazon
• UTEE
• embossing ink
• heat gun
• anique linen distress ink
• foam applicator tool
• needle + thread
• masking tape
• dr martins cherry red india ink
• nib + pen
• sing your song stamp (red lead paperworks)

- in case you didn't notice...

lots of paper packs on sale today 25% off, only a few left, so get them now!

atc club...

i am going to be starting a new monthly ATC (Artist Trading Card) club at the studio beginning January 11, 2011.

each month we will create 4 ATC's.

you can choose to trade them, display them (i just ordered the cutest atc mats to frame them, love!), or keep them all to yourself!

i will be adding mine to my 7Gypsies atc spinner.

i will also be making extra kits as well as instructions available online for all my not so local creative friends that want to get in on the monthly fun!

the cost of the kit will be $10 and the kits will be limited, meaning we will plan on making a certain number and when they are gone...they are gone.

***EDITED*** i will also be making just the instructions available for download without the kits. these will be $1.99. so if you've got tons of product and just need the instructions to join in. you can! note in the comments if this is something you would prefer as well.

post a comment today if you think this is something you may be interested in, giving me a rough estimate if i should plan on making 10 kits the first month or 110. also right now i only have one spinner in stock, but if you know you are going to want a spinner also put something like that in the comments too.

my goal, by years end 2011, will be to have a beautiful spinner full of tiny art!

 

jingle jog 5k...family style

today bill, the girls and i ran in our first family 5k!

mckenna and payton are in girls on the run at school and they finish the season with a 5k.

cole was our cheerleader (and quite publicly relieved he did not have to run).

they did awesome, ran the whole time, and finished under 45 min.

so proud!!

we carpooled and met uptown charlotte at 7:30am...by NC standards, IT WAS COLD!!

a balmy 30 degrees.

daddy was proud too!

who could have imagined that this running journey could have taken us here...true bliss!

have a great weekend!

teresa collins 25 days of giving winner!

email me (donna@donnadowney.com) with your addy and we will get your prize out to you!!

Teresa Collins 25 Days of Christmas Giving

whoohoo! i love a giveaway day! this one is super special...I'm 'participating in Teresa Collins' 25 Days of Christmas Giving. Teresa is hosting a giveaway for each of the 25 days of Christmas on her blog featuring different craft companies and today i am one of them.

What a great way to spread some joy for the holiday season!

So today is Day 10 of her Christmas giveaway and this is what you can win!

  The giveaway includes the following items.....

• $25 gift certificate to my online shop
• My "Little Whispers" stamp set made by Unity
• One of my 12" sq Wall Art pieces from my Demdaco Collection
• A collection of my iron-ons made by Prima Marketing
• My Autographed Photo Decor Book
• My 6x6 Blue Album with canvas inserts made by Prima Marketing

to make it fun (well for me, hee hee!), leave your comment here on my blog today and say which donna downey product (out of all or any not just the ones in the giveaway) is your favorite and you will be entered to win this fabulous giveaway!

ode to ruffles...

i love ruffles...full, layered, cinched bunches of fabric LOVE.

2 days ago i woke up with this idea of ruffle-ing my canvas messenger bag. the most exciting part about the whole process is going through my fabric stash and coordinating fabrics...it is a total high for me. all the patterns and colors...oh my!

i love fat quarters, they are usually the perfect size for most all my crafting needs and i can buy several coordinating fabrics for the price of 1 yard of fabric. i chose some new and some of my favorite hoarded fabrics and layered them out mix and matching color and pattern.

ruffled layer by beautiful ruffled layer i began sewing them to the messenger bag flap.

until finally i covered the entire flap.

i wrapped the top ruffle around the top of the flap so that there is a small ruffle on the back side. this covers the flap in its entirety

HAPPY PLACE!!!!

but then i still wanted to play. what if i made the bag in a completely opposite palette? hmmm?

say something darker, like this?

are ya feeling it...giddy!!!

perhaps my most favorite fabric EVER is this big red poppy fabric by laura gunn...it's magnificent!

so i began layering ruffles on a new bag.

i LOVE all the raw edges...so girlie, so punk!

the big poppy on top makes this bag so awesome!

i think i will need to make more...oh Prima, more canvas messenger bags , please...and bring on the fat quarters, mamma's making ruffle bags! lol!

inspiration wednesday + video

this inspiration wednesday i just wanted to play with stuff...and play i did. i love the way the little birdies add a pop of color!

watch how this weeks page takes shape!

inspiration wednesday - 12.08.10 from donna downey on Vimeo.

supplies used:

• inspiration journal
• gesso
• magazine image
• masking tape
• book text
• gel medium
• filmstrip ribbon
• metal numbers
• white utee
• heat gun
• vine trim punch
• bird punch
• "art" stamp
• "make art" stamp
• "my life is art" stamp
• black stazon
• liquid scrap dots
• golden cobalt turquoise fluid acrylic paint
• cosmo cricket "delovely" papers
• antique linen distress ink
• foam applicator tool
• matte accents
• mini tag

inspiration wednesday giveaway!

leave your comment here today and

be entered to win these 3 fabulous cat's life press rubber stamps!

***EDITED***