Winter Garden

Even in the central desert of Arizona gardens tend to freeze in the winter. Some plants will make it through with no problem...but if you want a winter vegetable garden...you have to protect it from the frost. This winter my DH put together a "green house".
He selected an area of the backyard that would get the most direct sun during the day. DH fashioned a frame made out of PVC pipe, taped together (not glued, this way it can be taken apart) 2 large pieces of heavy gage plastic are clamped in place.

When the sun is out, and it is nice and warm...we open the green house to let the sunshine, rain and the bees into the garden...hey bees are a good thing...how do you think all the vegetables and flowers get pollinated?!? On the nights the weather forecast is close to freezing...we pull the plastic back over the greenhouse and clamp it down.

The whole project worked out great! This was our first attempt at broccoli... it taste wonderful!

There is no comparison to the tomatoes you get at the grocery store and the ones you grown in a garden...these are full of flavor!

This little guy zipps around the back year "beeping" at us...he sat still long enough for me to get a picture.

Another Oh By the Way...

If you are looking for some excitement this Friday the 29th of January, I will be teaching my Heritage Scrapbook Workshop 4:30 to 6:30 at Mystic Paper...give them a call to sign up!

#3...Ooooo CHOCOLATE!

After covering the 8 tags of LOVE with the K&Company embossed paper...Cut and Paste Chocolate Lovers...I had the decadent chocolate desserts remaining. What was I going to do with those? Now if it had been the actual desserts there would be no question...I firmly believe life is short...eat dessert first! But when they are about one inch square, and made of paper...I had to come up with another idea...a card...how about a collage...yea, that's the ticket...a chocolate collage card! I started with the Pink Pasilee "Love Potion" tiny white hearts patterned paper...then added a layer of the reverse side, red with the lacy print. The edges were distressed with "Tattered Rose" ink. I played around with the placement of the chocolate images until I found the right "look"...the dessert dishes were embellished with the MAGIC PEN. I used one of the Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage Cut...Pink Pasilee green glitter brad...the red flower is cut from Mystic Paper lace.

That's my 3 design team projects...now for the big question...which is your favorite...dark chocolate OR milk chocolate?

The 8 tags of LOVE

Tim Holtz has his 12 Tags of Christmas...I have my 8 tags of LOVE!
For my second Mystic Paper Design Team Project I covered shipping tags with the K andCompany "Cut and Paste Chocolate Lovers" paper. The pattern on this paper has kind of a Shabby Chic vintage look to it...

all the tags were distressed with Ranger "Tattered Rose" ink and then spritz with "Vintage Pink" Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist...

each tag has a Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage Cut...embellished with a "Clear Star" Sakura Jelly Roll pen...better know as the MAGIC PEN.

wooden hearts are covered in "Fruit Punch" Stickels...the ribbons, lace and braid come from Mystic...

A 12x12 piece of mat board was covered with the Pink Pasilee "Bow and Arrow" blue with tiny white hearts patterned paper...sanded a bit around the edges...distressed with ink...springy green lace was added to the top and bottom of the paper... pink lace flowers...with Kaiser Scrapbook blue rhinestones in the center.

The 8 LOVE shipping tags were mounted to the background.

When I turned the project in, I was awarded with a "stinkin' cute" by Jennifer!

Two projects down...one more to show...

The first of three...

This time I made three projects with my Mystic Paper Design Team kit...
This card is made from the reverse side of the tiny off white hearts Pink Paislee Love Potion patterned paper. When we picked this paper out for the kit I really didn't pay much attention to the opposite side...this red with the "lacey" print screamed Valentines Day. I cut a heart shape out of the MF "Paige" patterned paper...and outlined it with Stickels...lace was gathered and adhered on back the heart. The pink flowers are made from pink lace found off the "ribbon wall" at Mystic Paper and a red glittery brads are from Pink Paislee's Bella Brads...all topped off with a Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage Cuts.
I have two other projects to share with you...
while you are waiting...click on over to Sheri, Jenna and Holly's blogs and check out the fun projects they created.

LOVE

The Mystic Paper design team had the month of December off. With the next big holiday in mind...Valentines Day...Jennifer and I put together the January design team kits with the theme of "LOVE".
I got Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage Cuts...with a Victorian look. Two sheets of Pink Paislee patterned paper ..."Bow and Arrow", blue with tiny white hearts and "Love Potion", distressed white with tiny white hearts. A sheet of Melissa Frances patterned paper..."Paige", pink on pink dots. Also in the kit is a fun sheet of K&Company embossed paper..."Cut and Paste Chocolate Lover".
A "springy green" lace and a couple of small wooden hearts.

Hearts, lace, chocolate and vintage looking Victorian images...looks like Valentines to me! Now what to do with all these fun treasures?

Oh By The Way...

Jennifer has had some requests for me to teach my

Heritage Scrapbook class again. This is the beginning class to get you organized, how to copying old photos, what to do with ephemera and the answers to many more questions you may have. You will receive a note book full of information to get you started on your family history.

This class is the 15th of January 4:30 to 6:30. You can call

Mystic Paper to sign up.

Paris, Ostriches and Clark Gable

New York has the life size fiberglass Cows...San Francisco has the over size fiberglass Hearts and Chandler Arizona has 6 1/2 foot Ostriches. Why Ostriches...because back in the early 1900s women wore big fashionable hats loaded with Ostrich feathers. The founder of Chandler...Dr. A.J. Chandler raised Ostriches...so we have decorated 6 1/2 foot Ostriches placed here and there in Historic downtown Chandler.
When mom was here last weekend to took a field trip downtown to see the decorated Ostrich in the lobby of the famous San Marcos Resort. This Ostrich was decorated by Ann, one of the very creative students in the Heritage Scrapbook class I teach at Mystic Paper, and Diane, an artist friend of hers.
The Ostrich was title "Clark Gable on the Golf Course". All dressed up in golf shoes, plus fours (old style golf pants), golf club and a bow tie. And as a matter of fact Clark Gable did visit the San Marcos Resort and no doubt played a round or two of golf there.

From there mom and I took a short walk down the block from the resort to "The Art on Boston" an art gallery...on Boston Street.
Lisa, another very creative student in my class, had made decorations for a "Paris" Christmas Tree displayed at the gallery. The tree is part of the local merchants "World of Trees" contest. Lisa had some glittery frames she embellished with red Dresden trim, and inserted a image of Marie Antoinette to hang on the tree. She also made red, white and blue die cut Eiffel Tower ornaments decorated with Sticklers.

Mom and I each took a ballot and voted for the "Paris Tree".

Cards, Banners and Magic Pens

Have you ever heard of a "magic pen". It has probably been out for ever, and I have just discovered it. Jennifer added a "magic pen" to each of the Mystic Paper Design Team kits...it is wonderful! It's a Sakura brand Gelly Roll pen...Clear Star...it's just like a magic wand full of fairy dust.
I used it to out line every image on the vintage post cards for my Design Team project. The easy choice was to make Christmas card. Along with the "magic pen" I embellished the cards with red, green and crystal Stickels.

The cards were fun to make...but I needed more of a challenge. What to do with all the postcards. I thought about my designer friend Melissa... she creates these amazing banners. Maybe I could make a Christmas Banner...I have never made a banner before...how do I even start a banner? Having no clue as to what I was doing...I made a banner.

Once again ever image was embellished with the "magic pen" and Stickels...

Remember the bag of berries from the shopping spree at Savers?

Those got used too...

When I turned the Christmas Banner into Jennifer, I got a "that's stinkin' cute"...

which everyone that plays at Mystic knows that's high praise indeed.

And talk about "great minds running in the same gutter"...Sheri's design team project was a banner too...it's wonderful! Jenna's design team was a unique twist for Christmas...very impressive. I haven't seen Holly's or Surina's projects yet, but I'm sure they are great.

With the design team project turned in, I can now get started designing this years Christmas cards...

I still have a few weeks don't I?

Savers Shopping Spree

I went in to Savers the other day. I only went in for one item...a blue table cloth. I wasn't going to wander up and down the aisles checking out all the treasures...I was only going in for a blue table cloth...Okay a blue table cloth and a pillow...
That happened to be the day they had tons of "cool junk"...and a 20% discount. Every where I looked were wonderful items, with all kinds of design possibilities!

Before I even got up to the check out counter I had come up with a half dozen ways to alter this Styrofoam head. Just looking at it you are coming up with some ideas too...I'm right aren't I?

I have no idea what this was meant to be...but for 69 cents, minus the 20%...

once I snipped the lace off the pillow thingy...I have all this great lace and a couple of ribbon flowers.

I must have pick up and put back the plastic bag of Christmas berries 3 or 4 times. I was sure I had some at home. Besides what was I going to do with a

Bag 'O Christmas Berries?

AH HA! I have a Mystic Paper Design Team project due the end of the week...

a CHRISTMAS PROJECT!

Vintage Post Cards

This season's Mystic Paper Design Team all got together for a meet and greet in the downstairs class room at Mystic. It was fun to meet all the designers. Design Team kits were passed out...always a good thing! The day before the meeting, Jennifer and I went through the shop and picked out paper, ribbon and embellishments for each designer. We all will be creating a project of our choice with Christmas paper. My kit had flower ribbon, Crystal Stickels (one of my favorites!), a gorgeous shade of red card stock and... a huge sheet of Cavallini "Holiday Postcard" paper. I love vintage post cards...but what am I going to do with a whole sheet if them?

There are all kinds of different Santa post cards...

With Santa Claus dressed in his famous red suit with fur trim...

This Santa must not have got the memo about NO SMOKING...

Some of the post cards on the sheet are of snowmen...

Snowmen are fun... except this one...I don't know, he looks like he should be part of a Christmas project of Mike's at Jack and Cat Curio..spooky!

There are 25 vintage post cards on a sheet...does this mean I have to design 25 projects? You know how fast Sheri is. She probably has her project finished and turned in already...of course it will be very cute!

This will be the first project for the new design team members, Holly, Jenna and Surina. It will be fun to see what wonderful designs they create.

Sometimes you just need to play!

Last night at the Heritage Scrapbooking Workshop, Mary asked if I would like her to take pictures of the class...That would have been nice, but I forgot my camera! The nights I do remember the camera...I forget to take pictures. I really must get my act together. All the ladies are working on different types of Heritage projects and are encouraging each other along the way. Ann has amazing family stories, ephemera and photos which she is using to design some impressive layouts. Mary is working on a book honoring her mother-in-law, who was a poet. It is fun to see the wonderful pages they have created. We were joined by Cynthia, whose mother made a marvelous scrapbook back in the 1950s. It has been well loved and the cover is coming apart, so Cynthia is "remaking" the book.
During the class I taught different ways on how to use "Transparencies". I had a photo left over from the demo I designed for the class. With the extra photo I decided to play!
I printed a photo of Grandma Mabel at age 3 on clear adhesive film (transparency with an adhesive back), I love this stuff! You don't have to worry about how you are going to adhere the image to your project. Where do I get it you ask...Mystic Paper of course! I placed the transparency on a patterned paper that looked like an old letter. At that point I pulled out all my boxes of lace and fabric. Most of them got a "bath" in tea to give them an aged look. When they dried, I started layering.

From there I dumped out the jar of old jewelery and I found some pieces that if you squint...might look vintage. For a pop of color I added a few posies.

It turned out kind of cool...I will have to play more often!

OBTW:

If you feel like you missed out on all the fun last night...I have another Heritage Workshop this Friday the 25 of September- 4:30 to 6:30. You can sign up for the class by calling Mystic Paper.

Another OBTW:
Congratulations to the Mystic Paper new Design Team. Holly, Jenna and Surina. All very talented ladies. You can see their 12x12 entries on the Mystic blog site. Every team needs a captain...and Mystic Paper has asked me to be the Design Team captain. I'm looking forward to working with the new team. I have some very big shoes to fill...Sheri was an awesome DTC.

A Taste Asia

I must have been in the mood for Lo Mein and Spring Rolls. This is another birthday card with a bit of an Asian look. The background is a dark chocolate brown cardstock with a wide red ribbon running along the left side. I used a credit card (the kind that comes in junk mail) and covered it with this gorgeous red Asian print. I have had this paper forever...it came from Memory Lane, which hasn't existed for a while. The ladies have moved on to other creative endeavors. The "Happy Birthday" is a strip of vellum run through a label maker, then matted with gold tissue paper.
I still have a few more birthday cards to create, I'll keep you posted.

Another OBLW:
I will be teaching a Heritage Scrapbook Workshop this Saturday the 19th of September - 3:30 to 5:30. Bring a project to work on and join us downstairs at Mystic Paper. You say you can't make it that day, but you really want to join in the fun...no problem...There will be another Workshop Friday the 25th of September -
4:30 to 6:30. Give Mystic Paper a call and sign up.

The Cat's Meow

This Birthday Card is for a friend that loves cats and has spent time in Asia. The card is mostly layers of texture with the background of the card done in gold tissue paper that has been crumpled up, then smooth and rubbed with distress ink to bring out the wrinkles.

The Asian patterned paper was torn, stamped and distressed. I found this wonderful laser cut frame MANY years ago at my very first Scrapbook Convention.
A cat postage stamp finishes off the card. Purr-fect for a Birthday.

You have heard about the big 5th Anniversary celebration at Mystic Paper this Saturday the 12th haven't you? The awesome ladies of Mystic will be having a party with among other things, a Vendors Faire and several great classes being taught by in-house and a few guest teachers. I have been in love with Mystic since they had a corner in an antique store across the street from their present location. Mystic Paper has never been a "cutesy" store. It has always been a unique shop with treasures to inspire any mixed media or paper artist. Congratulations to Kim, Jennifer and Ellen!

We Salute You!

This is the second of the set of three "man" cards I made. It was mailed off last week to my nephew graduating from college. On the inside was the message...
"We Salute You"...to congratulate him on his big day. I wanted something bright and festive for this card. The stripe patterned paper had great colors, teal blue, a fun "not quite" red and a deep maroon. I pulled more of the teal and maroon out with the harlequin paper. A gray blue ribbon tied in a knot...and grandfather in his WWI uniform, giving a big SALUTE! Nothing is more manly than a man in uniform.

OBTW...
This Wednesday the 19th of August is my Heritage Scrapbook Workshop
runs 3:30 to 5:30, you can come and play with us by giving Mystic Paper a call and signing up.

Hot Hot Hot Garden

Not everything in the garden is brown this time of year. With temperatures over 100 (last week over 110!) your would expect every flower in the backyard to be a burnt to a crispy brown. These beautiful Rain Lilies have been blooming despite the heat.
On the other side of the yard we have hot pink Lantana. Now this is a flower that does well in the Arizona heat...as long as it gets watered!

When it gets this hot in the Valley of the Sun we stay inside during the day with the Air Conditioning and admire the flowers in the early morning.

OBTW-

I'm gathering all my "toys" together for my Heritage Scrapbook Class this Saturday August the 15th at Mystic Paper. If you have been waiting for "someday" to get all those old family photos in a scrapbook, but aren't quite sure where to start, this is the class for you. We will talk about how get organized, copy photos, what kind of patterned paper to choose... all this and much more. You will leave with a note book full of information to get you started.

It's not too late to call Mystic Paper and sign up.

Friday Night Post

Looking at this picture you would think the ladies at the Wednesday night Heritage Scrapbook Workshop didn't get much accomplished...actually I forgot to take photos until they were all cleaning up. They have all accomplished a lot with their projects. Lisa has posted some of the pages from the recipe book she designed on her blog...House of Hullabaloo. Ann has great old photos and family stories and her layouts are wonderful. Mary is working on a book with a few photos and a lot of poems written by her mother-in-law. I'm impressed with each book these ladies are designing.

If you are ready to get all your old family photos out of a box and into a scrapbook and aren't quite sure were to begin, call Mystic Paper and sign up for the Heritage Scrapbook class on Saturday the 15th of August. This class will break it all down for you and help you get started.

Did you notice something was missing from my blog? There is no Design Team project for this month. It has been a year since I joined Mystic Paper Design Team and our term is now up. Mystic has a call out for a new design team.
I have had so much fun with each and every project that Fearless Leader...Design Team Captain Sheri pick out. I got a chance to play with all the fun toys at Mystic and the opportunity to met some very talented designers while hanging out there.
Earlier this year Kim and Jennifer asked if I would be interested in teaching classes at Mystic. I have appreciated the offer and it has a great experience to be able to share thoughts and ideas with so many people.

Playing with Butterfly Wings

I've been playing...
It started with the flowers, outlined with a black pen. I had cut the flowers out for a long ago project...that I ended up going a whole other way and didn't use them. I remembered a wonderful background that Debrina Pratt had shared on her Flickr...Spark*your*imagination. I needed an image so I sorted through my collection of vintage photos and came up with this lady in an Asian costume...check out the high heals.

She needed some butterfly wings, but it had to be the right color, a bit of red and some orange...I couldn't resist the blue in these wings. Digging through my treasures, I ran across some VERY old gold sealing wax and a "sun" seal...the goal was to not burn the house down. The edges of the card were stamped with flourishes and rubbed in gold ink. At this point the lady had to have a crown...gold Dresden Borders to top her head and a bit more for a border on the bottom of the card. I'll add a message inside and send her off to a friend for a birthday card.


An "OH BY THE WAY" class schedule...

This Wednesday August 5th at Mystic Paper I will be teaching the Heritage Scrapbooking workshop 3:30 to 5:30. Come join us and bring a project to work on.

On Saturday the 15th of August from 10:30 to 1:30 I will be teaching Heritage Scrapbooking class at Mystic. You will leave with a notebook full of information to get you started creating your own family album.

Wednesday the 19th of August 3:30 to 5:30 will be another Heritage Scrapbooking Workshop. With ideas to move your project along. Call Mystic Paper to sign up.