Faux Co

I look out into the backyard as I type this from my kitchen table, the 6" of heavy wet snow that we got last Friday, is once again pretty much gone!!  The sun is shining on my tall bare trees and their shadows fall on to almost green grass.  The weather talk in the midwest - might hit a high of un-seasonably warm temperatures of 56 degrees. I've noticed on a few other blogs I follow.... the moon must be in a new alignment, the solar system out of whack, global warming is really happening or it's really really not happening, people are having difficulty making decisions, or there life is going along they barely can keep up with twist and turns of the bumpy ride that is ahead of them. 

I think all of the above is happening.... I'm going through it too.... job... no job... worth... self-lessness... what's my purpose... damn I have a lot to offer...warm... cold.... up down..... it's good to know I'm not alone!

On the creative front..... the above look like Vera Bradley purses, but they are Vera Bradley envelopes. I just had to recycle, re-use, repurpose.  This designer of fun quilted purses has the most awesome catelogs, that come to my house almost once a month.  They are gorgeous.  Some are as big as 12" x12" and the paper is not shiney like in magazines, but almost textured like a re-cycled paper...... perfect for making my own envelopes!  I just have to put a label smack dab in the middle..... but how great would this be to receive as some part of your FuN MaiL?????

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned I was re-vamping my faux* logo.... I really like this little sunSH!NE and the simplicity of it all.... so PRDesigns Creative Greetings got a facelift.  Next I'll show you the new business card.... some day all this practicing for the faux* company may come in handy when I hit it BIG!!!

Faux - French for 'false' - an attempt is often made to create products which will resemble the imitated items as close as possible.

Imagine the Art Inside

A few pictures today of my ART Journal.  This type of mixed media art is both fun and a challenge.  And boy do I need a challenge!  However, as honest as I am.... I must admit, until I get the hang of it... I still like to look at other artist's works and see the different colors and techniques they used to work their page.  Then after I have the basics down, I come in with my extra swirls or dots or outlines!

Just so you know what I'm talking about, here is my ART Journal!

On Feb 11.... I incorporated an old Zindorf  attempt.  Sometimes I don't like how my little piece of artwork turns out and I have a whole pile of  Zindorf 'mistakes'.... so I thought, how perfect to incorporate them into this art form.  Non-perfection......By sweeping white gesso and mod podge over the image, it sticks to the page and I just painted in and around it.  I like this with the purples and the oranges.  Still practicing on how to take the best photo so that you can see more details.

I'm having FUN painting, but I'm not sure if it will ever meet my SATISFACTION level that I get when I create and EXCITING hand made creative greeting... I LOVE art..... by mySELF

Know in your Heart

I love this card!  I think the grey and the pink are a winning combination!!!  It has a softness to it!  This creative greeting can be sent at any time of the year.  Oh, and of course it can be given with a beautiful gift.  And sure, it can be tucked away in some Sweeties carry on luggage when they leave for a few days.  Inside there is plenty of room to right a note or even a poem from the heart.

I actually first saw this card on Pinterest.  Yikes, I guess they are having some issues with copy right laws.  I may be totally wrong (and I am, often) but I thought one of the reasons Pinterest started because people (mostly women) wanted a place to share cool ideas.  We blog surf and then want to share with our friends what we found, a cute outfit, a fun hair style, a tasty looking new recipe, a funny quote, a happy uplifting saying.... it was for showing off and sharing... not stealing and not giving credit for things we didn't do first. It's true, inspiration can happen anywhere, but it was nice to have a little blog to have it all in one spot..... because it was successful, someone saw a loop hole in the law or someone took advantage of someone, somewhere.

Pinterest is primarily for women ...... but gets really funny when they start putting quotes on their own blog about it's for woman planning weddings they'll never have, furnishing homes they'll never own and filling closets with clothes they can't afford.  These people can hoard secretly... just by having hundreds of pictures of things the LIKE!

Snow Buddies

I made a snowman this morning before work edit: before my last day of work*, just because!!

Look at my handsome boy who posed so well. I ♥ Cooper

* found out after my shift at 4:30, @ 4:50 the temp agency called me to say they got a fax that the company was re-organizing the position...I no longer had the job.

February Frolics

Fuzzy playing in the new falling snow as it began yesterday afternoon.

This morning we had about 6" of heavy wet stuff on the ground.  This kind of snow looks pretty at first.  However, because we've been so mild as winters can get.....I think it's shocking the trees and the bushes from the water weight and they are droopy.  Here you go all the people who wanted SNOW!!!  The garage will be sloppy, and wet boots and paws leaving prints in the house.  Slip sliddin..... yes, I know it's still winter.... but I kind of liked it with no snow!

Simple and quick Get well card with left over paper scraps.  Now that I see it in the photo, the circle looks like a globe of the world!!!

 A snow view from the front porch.  Picture Postcard. Like I said, it looks real pretty!!!!

Good Luck

You might know that I was fortunate enough to have two very special friends who purchased gifts of Card of the Month from me.  I send out 5 specialty creative greeting cards every month.  You've heard of fruit of the month club, or wine of the month.... this is card of the month or COTM.  I take some special time to create cards that reflect the season, or holiday for the next month.  This week I mailed out the cards for March and they have a St. Patricks' Day theme.

People often say, I don't send out cards for St. Paddy's day, or Halloween or even Valentine's day.... and to that I say phooey!!!!!!  If you have special people in your life, there is never a bad time or a Hallmark holiday that doesn't give you a chance to connect or re-connect and let someone know you are thinking of them, they are special, you hope they are having a good day, or a good week.  We all know that we'd rather get FuN MaiL.....  than another bill or junk mail!!!

The card really doesn't say anything about St. Patrick's Day.... it's green, it has a few 4 leaf clovers and it says Good Luck on the inside..... but you really could send it for any reason.  All cards were doodled and then colored in with water color pencils.  Computer generated sentiment.

And as part of the unique COTM, each 'member' gets a special something else.  I've been having a blast making tags and they get two each.  Tags like this are almost a card themself.... or the would look great on a gift box, tied to the neck of a bottle of wine, or even tied around a candy bar with curly ribbon!! Good Luck can be wished upon, anytime of the year!

The day you decide to do it is your lucky day - Japanese Proverb

What are you Chicken or something?

Fred was our pet chicken's name. My dad didn't let us have a dog, yet we had a pet chicken! It was 1972 and my brother was in 6th grade.


As part of his science class they were learning about chickens and actually had fertilized eggs and an incubator in the classroom to observe the entire process of hatching eggs.

One of the many odd things about this whole pet chicken thing was being kids in the 70s in Wisconsin, living in our industrial town in the middle of our block, on just a plain ole paved neighborhood street with sidewalks. We had a chicken for a few months.

Another odd thing was, that my brother's teacher happened to also be a farmer, the eggs/ chickens were from him. And, this teacher/farmer used to date my mother about 15 years earlier. Our town isn't that small, but how weird is that?

My kids too had the live chicken hatching experience, once in second grade (as room mom I helped with that) and the other in 7th grade science (being an aide at the school for 7th grade, I got to help with that) . So, I have a feeling that 40 years ago, you had to get permission to get a chicken to raise at home once they were hatched and a few weeks old.

I mainly remember Fred from the pictures. I loved animals and so badly wanted a pet. My dad always said that once you get attached to an animal it dies, and then you have to grieve the loss. My mom grew up on a farm with cows, chickens, horses and dogs. They seemed to eat their pets.... not the dog mind you, he was a farm hand. She was done raising animals. Pets weren't a part of my childhood, except for Fred!

I remember chasing that chicken around our postage size yard, the clucking and the wings and feather flying. We'd try to contain him in a tent we pitched in the back. He was fun to pet. But alas, he got too big to house in just a box in the basement, so we took him to the farm. The farm of the teacher/previous boyfriend of my moms.

We eventually found out that Fred, was really Fredricka! And then one day we heard that Fred was chased by one of the farm dogs, and s/he lost the race.

A few years later I was able to convince my parents that I was responsible enough to take care of a pet, they let me get gerbils, Bert & Ernie. When I look through old picture albums any time we went on vacation there are pictures of me riding horses, or at a petting zoo. They let me get all that animal 'stuff' in, away from the house. Because I felt deprived as a child, the first thing I did in my very first apartment was adopt a cat, Addison. Then I tried to adopt a dog.... that was a crazy idea, we'll leave that maybe for another story. And then, ever since in my married life... we have always had a dog, or two!

Owning a pet is not for everyone. But I still think it makes for great stories! How many people do you know owned a pet chicken?

Sweet Birdie

Have any ideas what kind of sentiment I should put on this card?  Hello there sweetie! What's new with you? Tweet friend!  Sometimes I like to make cards without the sentiment, and then when an occasion comes up, I can just match the card to the event.  Although we are past Valentine's Day I still like sending FuN MaiL.... you can send sweet luv cards, anytime!

Working full time today.  I'm starting to get the job now.  I am so happy that I didn't get frustrated in the first few days.  I finally got it through my brain that it would take days... up to a few weeks to understand the job, the new terms and the flow system of processing orders. By no means am I 'ready' to work full time, and I am very blessed and grateful for the choices we made for our family.  Right now, I still have the choice!  :0) Is Spring here?  Should  we just be waiting for the blizzard to come?

Flower Box

Isn't this little package of flowers in a box, be-YOU-tiful?  In a round-about way they ended at my front door on Friday night, a regifting of sorts.  That's okay.... at least I was thought of..... they are so cute all packed in that square cardboard box and they smell wonderful!  I love the Gerbera daisy, it's huge!

The floral shop that made this is a few blocks away from our house.  In my mind I've wanted to stop in and ask if they need help with big orders.  I do have a certificate in Floral Design (from some 20 years ago, and I can't prove it).  Maybe some day.

When the flowers are done, I can't wait to take them apart and see how they put it together.  Now isn't that a weird sentence?

Nothing of me is original

I am the combined effort of everybody

I've ever known.

~pinterest

SMART Self

 Wow, this week just zipped by.  Hard to believe on Monday we were having issues with the #3 car and stuck in traffic.  I've worked my second week on the new job and there is no snow on the ground in the middle of February in the mid-west!

Above is a page from my SMASH book, a simple notebook full of ideas.  One day, back in early January I was doing a little blurfing and was trying to figure out what kind of New Year I could have.  Everybody says they want to loose weight... see any of those commercials on tv now??    There are all kinds of goals.  On one blog I saw that to start the new year off right, you need to be SMART in your goal setting.  So, I decided that I could put a spin* on things and all new experiences (and old ones as well), if I worked my goal on mySELF.... being a little SELFish.... Seeking, Exploring, Learning, Finding ~ is the acronym.

I can put a lot of different words to fit the acronym and fit the occasion.... but ultimately what I'm trying to do is a better version of me!  You can follow my year here on my blog, in the label section after I've posted in goes in the SELF 2012 spot.
*spin - a particular viewpoint

I could make a ton of these thank you cards, love the clean lines, the punch and the simplicity of the statement.  This type of card you could match any occasion with the special patterned paper that goes behind the circle punch.  Little present paper, thanking for birthday gifts, heart paper.... I'm going to have to keep this pattern in mind!

You don't have to be crazy to work here... we'll train you! ~ pinterest

Have you sent out any FuN MaiL this week?

Brighten someone's day!

Perfect Pear

Ah, such a simple card, nice clean lines and a few colors (inside the lines), great for someone having an anniversary, or for one sweetie ♥ to the other!

Winter is such a weird time, and this winter here in the mid-west is one of the hotest & weirdest topics around.  Nothing seems 'normal' anymore for me.  Last night it rained, so most of the trace of snow is gone, back to bare grass, the birds are chirping! Is this winter?   Believe me, I love the milder temperatures, but it just seems so strange.  A few years ago at this time we were at the ice rink watching hockey twice a week, and on Saturdays we were traveling hours away to watch volleyball tournaments all day long. It is a much quieter house. At times I wish I had embraced that stress and enjoyed it more!  Strange, huh?

Don't think too much, you'll create a problem that wasn't even there in the first place.

A CASe Study

Oh, this is such a fun spirited card.  So many things to look at.  I did a CASe study from Lunar Lana at Splitcoast Stampers. You know how guilty I feel when I  CASE (copy and share everything) a card and don't always give proper acknowledgement.... really, I feel guilty for how easy it is for me to see this lovely vision and just turn from the computer image and start doodling and paper piecing together with my simple supplies at hand.

I was playing a bit with my digital camera and did a close up.  That is about a 1" x 2" view of the card, it seems huge!!!

I am still in love with the satisfaction and gratification I get with my card making.  I do feel however, it would be such a greater challenge if I didn't have my computer and access to so many blogs, and websites and pictures.... it would just take me a lot longer to envision my 'boring' card and get to the end result. I'm glad it's easy!!

The sun is trying to peek out behind the clouds as I type this.  I want to be optimistic about this winter.... very mild, and although we've had snow, nothing like last year.  What is going on???

My new job as a receptionist is going well.  I'm trying to bring a new attitude into the job.  I don't think I want to do this 'forever' whatever that might be... but I'm enjoying the learning process and finally feel comfortable in my own skin knowing I can't possibly learn it in a day, or a week, or even week 2.... comparing myself to 2 that I know of who have been there for 20 & 25 years!!!  I'm thinking 'variety' might be over rated! hmmmm.... nah, I like different things!

Stay tuned!

Be My Valentine

Here is a beary cute card I left for my DH with a bottle of Red Velvet Wine from the vineyards of Cupcake.  I know I've said it before, lack of creativity a bit I guess, but I am so happy with the way I can display my cards with my bristle frog flower.  Doodled a cute little bear with Prismacolor pencils and water color pencils and put together like colored patterned paper for the background to keep in the theme of Red and Pinks and hearts and Valentines' Day♥ Be MINE

Going back to Cupcake, I think it's a great name for a wine.  Unexpected.  Since the Italians (and I say that loosely, because we have learned a lot of things from these people and about these people, the investors and CEO who have taken over DH's company) have come into our lives we have a new appreciation for wine.  DH was introduced to wine with the dinner meetings.  Oh, we drank wine before, communion wine, cheap boxed wine, reds, whites, pinks...clueless????  We have some foodie friends who would talk to us about wine in the summer time, when you seem to have more time.  So now, we are trying different wine flavors and drinking more wine with our meals.  (Isn't red wine good for your heart?) We stop and taste wines in the grocery store, weird, I know! We eat nuts with wine and different cheeses with different wines.  We have 'special' wine glasses and a special aerator to poor the wine ~ better. 

We are hoping to go to a wine tasting class and maybe visit a local winery this summer.  What kind of hobby lets you get sloshed while trying it?  JK... but we are finding this wine stuff very interesting!

Inside the Dotted Lines

 The front cover to my ART Journal.  I love the water color 'splotch' next to the J..... un-intentional, I couldn't make that happen if I wanted to!  I plan on adding doodles and zentangled lines to the cover as I go along week to week.

Here is my red & pink page, with a swirly heart tree with a red punched bird.  Dots and dashes & hearts....Patterned paper is Mod Podged down to the page and then I built up acrylic paint color on and around the patterned paper, then I came in with a black marker.  Mixed media is something new for me, I like perfect lines and coloring on the inside, although this is a free-ing art form, it takes me a lot of work to be somewhat messy!

Little bit of a panic this morning.  Sissy's car stopped in the middle of traffic in the long line of cars on her way to school today.  It was the first time in a verrrrry long time we had some sort of crisis.  Luckily our house is about 1-1/2 away from the spot.... but she didn't know how to turn on her hazard lights and couldn't pull the car off to the shoulder of the road and everybody was honking and staring at her. I helped her get her car off the main road and took her to school, but triple AAA had to tow the car to 'our car man' and I think it might be the transmission!  Gulp!!!!  Thank goodness she wasn't in an accident, it wasn't snowing and I wasn't on my way to work..... but I'm sure the car issues will continue... stay tuned!

Piggie Pops

Ending out the week with another cute pork roll. I really like how the scalloped black background frame really 'pops' on this card... it really draws you into the cute pudgi-ness of this cute little piggie bringing poseys! For you?  Remember, there is never a wrong time to send FuN MaiL!!!!

Seven (?) layers, pinks and reds, swirls, flowers, hearts and ribbon, a doodled dude is super perfect for a su-weet valentine friend!

Almost done with my first week at the new job.  I take a lot of deep breaths...just breathe!!   I have finally learned that I'm not going to get stressed over things I'm just learning... new terms, new people, new habits....I used to be so worried about that kind of 'stuff'... but I know I'm really doing the best job I can!

Looking out my beautiful window to the world (typing this at my kitchen table looking into the back yard).... I keep reminding myself that it is winter... the grass is completely bare from any traces of snow. Winter in the mid-west and no snow?? It's a gloomy day today too, so that makes it perfect for the winter blues.... but just gotta turn that frown upside down.  No football this weekend...that is strange too!

When Pigs Fly

Learned a new word to today..... the phrase, "when pigs fly" is an adynaton, which is a figure of speech.  Who would think that cu-pig could go from a cherubic little Roman figure to an adorable portly pink pig.... but he has! That, is no hyperbole... describing an impossibility. I just love the layout and the colors of this card and of course the su-weet Cu-PIG! Love is in the air ♥

I'm on day 4 of the new part time job.  I am job sharing a receptionist position and a small manufacturing plant in the city I live it.  So far, so good!  I think I have answering the phones down pat! I must truly admit, I thought I needed a change in my life, and I certainly have got one. It's been a year of changes with our son off to college, our daughter driving and getting more independent, my dh going through a stressful job situation..... according to Pinterest.... the funny thing about life can be put into 3 simple words.... it goes on!

Sweet Hogs

In simple drawing terms, all animals and people and landscapes can be drawn with shapes - circles - squares- triangles etc... that are just built up upon themselves to create the shape and then color and shading come into the picture.  Pigs are cute roundness.... a lot of pigs aren't really fat.... that's the image to create a good pig story.  Wee wee, fat piggy toes..... weeeeeeeeeeeee goes the pig Max in the car with his pinwheel!

Sometimes the most simple things mean the most.

Ribbon Wraps

This is about half my ribbon stash.  I finally figured out that I could actually use a lot of my straight pins to hold the ribbon to it's cardboard holder.  Before, long and short strands were flailing everywhere, and it wasn't quite as neat... or in other words, it was a mess  Also too, a few years ago, why they did this ... I haven't a clue.... but someone wrapped ribbon around clothespins.... man, it looks way cute in jars or baskets on display in an open shelf... but not as practical when you unwind it.... unless you were intending to have 'curly' ribbon on that flat card.  You can see a few of those cloth pin mummy wraps, mostly with rick rack on the left side of the photo. It is amazing when you purge and clean, you find things you

a. either never knew you had or

b. things you were looking for and could never remember where you put them 

Why is it that you buy three of one really off (ugly, wont match with anything ) color ribbon, but the one's you use most you never have a back up in the big stash?

Well, I think the best way to get back on track and be creative is to clean your studio, clean your mind, find some new ways to Jump Start your Art, or your heart, or your daily life.... and get back in there.  Let's see what I can make today!!!  Thanks for stopping by!