No trick...just a treat!

HAPPY FRIDAY!! Another EDIT!!

Lots of comments...LOTS of prizes. Keep them coming. 150 will be easy!!

And, for the FIRST person to comment on what link I added to my blog YESTERDAY...a special prize...A CHIPBOARD KEYCHAIN from MAYA ROAD!!!! These are to die for CUTE!!! FIRST person with the right answer WINS!!!

Start hunting!! I'll be back in a bit to check...

Wendy

Thursday 7PM edit...
WOW!!! You guys are amazing. looks like Rick will be pulling 3 lucky names for 3 MAYA ROAD prizes. Keep it up...150 is attainable. We're at 113 now!! THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wendy

Another edit...due to this question from MARIE..
Can we comment again, to get the count up to 150?

Ok...I'll do that...BUT, if you are posting for the second time...you NEED to tell us what Maya Road product is @ the top of your "wish list". What do you not currently own, but want REALLY bad!! Fair enough??
Wendy


Edited Thursday November 1st @ 8:30 am...
WOW!! I'm impressed with the wonderful turnout!! THANKS SOO VERY MUCH for the huge response!!
Looks like I better get going on the second prize package!!

I have read every comment & it makes me laugh that so many commenters couldn't choose just ONE Maya Road product. Believe me, I'm in the same boat, which explains why I'm in HEAVEN being on the design team.

Ok...here's the next goal...Get the comments up to 150 & I'll have Rick draw 3 names!!! Yes...that's 3 Maya Road goodie packages...tell all your friends!

I'm off to play with some of those goodies myself!!
Remember...DO SOMETHING CREATIVE EVERY DAY!!
Wendy







Happy Halloween & HAPPY GRAND OPENING of my blog!!

All the Maya Road goodies in the photo above will be given to one LUCKY poster. I made the art journal (or grocery list keeper) especially for this give away, using (of course) my favorite Maya Road chipboard blossoms and scroll. Look closely & you'll see the stamped flowers, which are from the journey east-primrose clear stamp set. At the top, you'll see my new addiction...Velvet Ric Rak...it's yummy!
The coffee cup stain is a stamp from Stamper's Anonymous...It's Tim's design. The herringbone stamp that I used on the scroll is also from Stampers Anonymous.

Here's the scoop...
Sign in and tell me your favorite Maya Road product. It's SIMPLE!! Rick will draw the lucky winner first thing on Monday morning. If you DON'T win...blame him!!

EDITED @ NOON...Since it's going so well...if we hit 100 comments, I'll give a second cool prize. Tell your friends!!!

Have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!
Wendy

What do you get.................

when you combine Maya Road chipboard blossoms, a Stamper's Anonymous stamp and some Distress ink from Ranger???

Follow the link below for a step by step tutorial...These are fun!!

http://mayaroad.typepad.com/dt/

Also, I'm getting a GOODIE box together for some lucky blog watcher. Details soon...tell ALL your friends!! Stay tuned...........

Wendy

I Love these birds!!

I'm off to deliver this store sample and SHOP...the GOOD 4 letter word!! The frame is a repurposed metal yardstake, which was UGLY when I brought it home. I removed the paper, painted it & this is the result. The products used are...

Chipboard bird..Maya Road...Birds of a Feather tin
paper...Autumn Leaves
Scroll stamp...Maya Road Scroll set
Happy Thanksgiving stamp...EK Success

I hope you all have a GREAT artful weekend!!
Wendy

Some Irish eye candy..........

Isn't this beautiful??? This is a journal that I received @ Ranger U. It was handpainted by my new friend Eileen Miller. This photo doesn't do justice to her work. It is absolutely perfect and the details are beyond amazing.
Eileen is from Ireland and is just the sweetest person, with the cutest accent. Remember the LUCKY CHARMS commercial??? Magically delicious??? That's what she whispered in Tim's ear, right before they both blushed. We made her say it about 10 times...just too funny! Thanks Eileen. I love it...won't use it...just display it in my studio and I'll think of you everytime I see it.
Have a wonderful ARTY weekend.
Wendy

I've been tagged...

by Ranger's art goddess...Robin Beam.

Here's the scoop...I'm supposed to list 7 weird or odd facts about me & then tag 7 blogging friends. Oh boy...took me all day to get the list down to only 7. OK...weird it is...........

#1...I HATE paper napkins for some unknown reason. We always use cloth napkins here for dinner and always have, since the day we married.
#2...I vacuum every day...but I only dust to keep the health department out. Remember...dust is a 4 letter word, very close on my list to the other 4 letter word...iron. NONE for me thanks...that's why God invented dry cleaners.
#3...I LOVE noodles & would eat them every day for all 3 meals. TRUE! Any way, shape or form. I never tire of them. YUM!
#4...The sight of mushrooms make me gag. Think about it...where do they grow?? Near the base of trees. Where do doggies pee??? Enough said. None for me thanks!
#5...When boarding an airplane, I make it a point to touch the outside of the plane. Must be like rubbing it for good luck?? Hey...it works. Haven't crashed yet!
#6...I never watch movies. They are a waste of time for me. HOWEVER...I LOVE The Wizard of Oz. When I was a child it was always on TV in December around my birthday & I believed that my parents had it shown just for me.
#7...The first thing that I do when I get a new magazine is to tear out all those little annoying card inserts. I HATE them falling out everywhere. I don't look @ them & I won't buy anything from someone who advertises in such an annoying fashion.
Weird as it is...that's me!!!

Now...my 7 friends that I'll tag...
#1...THE MASTER...Lisa Pace
#2...My friend Linda Cain
#3...A fellow Roadie Katie Watson...she needs a laugh after all this turmoil in SanDeigo.
#4...The QUEEN of Hero Arts Sheri Carroll
#5...Maya Road owner Caroline Lau
#6...(She's not really my friend yet)...but her blog is way cool and I bet she'll have some fun things to say.....Ginny Carter Smallenburg
#7...And another fellow Roadie...Fiona Carter

Have a good evening!!
Wendy

Remember the sneak peek...

from a long time ago??? Well here's the full shot. This is my "thank you gift" for Robin Beam, for all the hard work that she did to get ready for Ranger U. I love the large alphabet stamp that is made by my friend Rachel Greig in Australia. It worked that I could highlight Robin's initials & mine. FUN!! It's a shadowbox frame that is 8 x 8.

The chipboard flowers and the circles (foundations tin) are from Maya Road. The "think outside the box" stamp is from Mrs. O'Leary's. I used Ranger's Distress Inks...vintage photo & faded jeans. Bet that's not a surprise. Tim teased me about being the blue & brown queen...so I'll try my best to use some other colors...SOMEDAY soon. Moving on ....to the alcohol inks!!

Wendy

TA DA...FIRST MAYA ROAD DT project!!!

I've been dieing to share my first Maya Road DT project. This was really fun & a little different for me. I covered the wood card holder with Bohemia paper from My Mind's Eye. The chipboard bird and branch are from Maya Road, the Birds of a feather tin. "Make it" was added with Maya Road Noah rub-ons and "Merry" is the Chicago lower case chipboard, from Maya Road that was stamped and colored with Vintage Photo. I used Maya Road's Velvet Ric Rak to cover the seams and the clear stamps are from the Make a Date set and Postcard, both from Maya Road. The little bird on the bottom is microfelt, also from Maya Road. Fun...easy...& it makes a great gift!

Happy Tuesday & Happy Birthday to Caroline Lau...Maya Road owner. I hope you have a fun day!! Here's her blog, if you'd like to send her a birthday wish!

Wendy

INK-redible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grab a cup of coffee...the juicy details make for a LONGGGG story!
First of all, I want to thank Tim & Robin for an INK-redible experience. I am TOTALLY blown away by their attention to every detail, which created the journey of a lifetime weekend. I had seen Tim demo @ CHA & I thought he did an outstanding job. After this weekend, I have a whole new respect for him. This guy is very organized, on track, INK-redibly hilarious, extremely knowledgable, DID I SAY FUNNY??, kind and the best speaker I have ever encountered. To say I am impressed is an understatement. THANKS TIM!! Enjoy your time off. You certainly have earned it.

Now Robin...This art goddess had our classroom set up & organized, had our handouts and schedule done, filled our goodie boxes, had labels ready for every technique that Tim demoed, brought breakfast, got lunch, got us MORE goodies from the warehouse, showed & contributed to the techniques, offered suggestions, busted her butt to get us anything we needed and made us all laugh about 100 times. She is like a computer brain & rattles off techniques with ease. THANKS ROBIN!! These 2 spent 8 hours with us on Friday, 13...yes 13 hours on Saturday & another 4 hours on Sunday, which explains why I look like shit in the photo above. Ranger is lucky to have such a talented team.

DRUMROLL...............................here's what you're probably wanting to hear......

Ranger was INK-credibly generous with the products we received ...we all felt like it was Christmas morning when we opened the goodie box!

We learned TONS and got to played with all these cool products.........
Distress Crackle paint
Alcohol Inks, which are now my new addiction. TONS of cool techniques.
Distress inks
Adirondack Color Washes
Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers
Stickles
Adirondack Dimensional Pearls
Glossy, Matte, Sepia & Crackle Accents
Archival Ink Pad
Adirondack Pigment pens
Cut & Dry nibs & Cut & Dry foam pads
Brayering
Embossing powders..I LOVED the Distress Embossing powder the best! No shine...WAYYY COOL for vintage looking art.

Maya Road gave us a tin of chipboard, rub-ons and 3 chipboard keychains.

Heidi Swapp gave us masks.

Luxe gave us tranparencies.

Prima gave us 3 sheets of their new Paintables, a really fun new product.

And last but not least... we also got Grungeboard from Advantus. A TOTALLY amazing product that has TONS of potential for some really fun play. Use it with the Distress Crackle Paint or the Distress Embossing powders for some fun effects.

A short summary of events...we toured the factory (there is only ONE STICKLES machine that supplies the entire WORLD!!), watched demos, learned TONS, laughed TONS, ate way too much, shopped just a little, had show & tell and had a few cocktails for medicinal purposes only!

So...the summary............
Ranger U tuition...$175.00
Hotel...$250
Airfare...$280
OVERWEIGHT luggage...$50 ha!!! Imagine that!!
The experience...INK-redibly PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The end................... for today.
Wendy
ps...the picture in the post below shows the gift I brought for Tim. I'll put Robin's up later.

Ranger U or BUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok...here's the full shot. Who's it for??? Hmmm...can't say just yet. The phrenology stamp is from Stampers Anonymous & it is one of my most cherished stamps. The background is Ranger Distress inks...The overall size is about 8 x 13. Sure hope the recipient is pleased. I'll let you know how it goes...

I talked to my Ranger U roomie a little earlier this evening. She made it from the UK & will meet me tomorrow @ the airport & we'll share a limo to our hotel. I can hardly wait! She sounds like lots of fun.

So...finally........ the last sleep is here. We're off early in the morning. Back Monday with a full report of all the juicy details.

Like the stamp says...DO SOMETHING CREATIVE EVERY DAY!!

Wendy

ps...Ranger U or bust!! YIPPEE!!

Start with a paper mache box...

add some Distress inks (vintage photo & faded jeans..my new addiction), some cool Maya Road chipboard flowers, a Maya Road corner scroll, some Maya Road Rub-ons...and this is the result.
The second photo is the bottom of the box. Same inks...Maya Road acrylic stamps( from the Signed sealed & delivered set, scrolls set, and the postcard) and Maya Road rub-ons. The line stamp is from Mrs. O'Leary's.
The box is filled with little treasures & will be my gift to my Ranger U roomie...Sure hope she likes it. She's from the UK & I think she's on her way, so it's safe to post this.
Stay tuned...remember that sneak peek from a few days ago???...I'll show you the full photo later.
One sleep @ home...YIPPEE!!
Wendy

Trick or treat!!!

Short, sweet & right to the point today. Got LOTS to do!!!
1. LOVE the Ranger Distress Crackle Paint!!
2. It's perfect with Maya Road chipboard.
3. 3 sleeps @ home. One in the hotel...then the inky fun begins!!!
4. Photo above...a little kitchen art.

Happy Monday!! Enjoy it!
Wendy

Finally...I scored THE Crackle Paint!!

We had a very fun bunch of gals yesterday for the canvas class. There were some new faces in the group and some friends from past classes. Thanks to everyone for coming!! I hope you all had fun. And, as requested...I will be back after Ranger U to share all the juicy details and to show some fun new techniques too.

We did a mini demo of the Distress pads, made the canvas project, shared some laughs, shared some great food and then we SHOPPED!! Imagine that!! Lots of us got this to die for Distress Crackle Paint. The shipment arrived Thursday & we sure made a big dent in the inventory. I was up @ 4:30 AM...visions of sugar plums in my head...no!!! Crackle Paint! GEEZ!!

Let the playing begin!!

Wendy

ps...Go BEARS!!

EDITED: HA! Look @ the top 2 jars. DUH...2 tea dyes. I told you I was excited!!

So...what's inside all those drawers??

That seems to be a common question...so here's one little lookie! This is a watchmakers cabinet we found. Very tiny compartments...but PERFECT for all those must have embellishments. Can you say SHOPPING??? I LOVE IT!!!

And...for those who asked, YES...the little birdie in the post below is from Maya Road. He's a microfelt guy that I stamped. He's sooo tiny & sooo cute.

Ok..... I'm off to teach the canvas class!

Stay tuned...there will be a give away & grand opening of the blog when I return from Ranger U.

Make ART!!
Wendy
ps...this made me laugh. Just got an email REMINDER that I have a hotel reservation in NJ. Like I'd FORGET??? NEVER!! HA! Ranger U or bust!!

How cute is this little guy??

So...I hear you don't like sneak peeks...Hey...it's better than a post with NO photo!! How boring would that be??

This little microfelt guy makes me smile. Add him to some Maya Road chipboard, stamp some tiny flowers, add a little Ranger Distress ink and this is the result. FUN!! I'll show the whole photo just as soon as I can! It's a promise!!

Have a great weekend!! Make ART!!

Wendy

ps...Just one week from today...RANGER U!!!!!!!!!! Think I'm excited??? Just a little!

Ready to roll...

Good morning!!!...You saw the door prize for Saturdays class a few days ago. Here's the actual class I'm teaching for the holiday event. The LSS owner asked for a simple holiday project, on a canvas, that would take 2 hours or less. Sign-ups are great, so I think they liked it!!

I spent yesterday getting the kits all cut & assembled. Todays ingredients are...
Paper from Bo Bunny
Heart punch from Fiskars...sure saves the hands when you're cutting a bunch!
Chipboard heart from Hero Arts
I cut the letters with the Cricut
The tree punch is from Carl...sorry can't find the link. I must need more coffee!

So...when Saturday gets here...I'm READY TO ROLL!!

Have a good one!!
Wendy

Mission accomplished!!!

So...I got a call from my brother's girlfriend on Monday evening. She needed a custom wedding card. Here's the mission, if you choose to accept it...yeah...right...family!! NO CHOICE!! These were her requests...

1. Not the ordinary shaped card.

2. Green & brown...they are outdoorsy people. YIKES...a green & brown WEDDING card???

3. Keep it simple. The bride doesn't like a lot of fluff.

4. Oh...I NEED it before Friday. GEEZ...No pressure at all!!



So...I started with the Maya Road heart shaped chipboard book, took out all the inner pages & used just the front & back cover. The other ingredients are...

Papers by Bo Bunny & Melissa Frances

Chipboard scroll corners by Maya Road

Micro heart by Maya Road

Chipboard foundation by Maya Road

Paint by Ranger. LOVE the dabbers! I NEED them ALL!

Stamps ( scroll with bird & the tiny LOVE) by Maya Road. LOVE the acrylic stamps because placement is sooo easy.

Ribbon & lace from my stash.

And, as evidenced by the above photos...

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!
Wendy
ps...sure hope they all like it!

WOW!!! 2 posts in one day!!!

And the reason for this post is the photo above. The official countdown begins today. Only 10 more sleeps before it begins. From what I hear, it's quite an international cast of characters. There are a few of us from the US and the others in the group are from the UK, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Sweden. We even have a celebrity in the group! GREAT products, a factory tour and 3 days of classes with Tim Holtz and Art Goddess Robin Beam. Can you imagine??????????????
I'm excited!! Got lots to get done before then..........
Wendy
ps...when you visit Robin's blog, make sure you check out the adorable pumpkin made by Caroline Lau. She used Maya Road's chipboard and Ranger's new Distress Crackle Paint. You'll love it!

Here's the door prize for Saturdays class...

I'm teaching another class this Saturday @ Scrapbook Friend'z in Bloomington Illinois. I try to give cool door prizes and here's what I made for this class. These candles make great simple gifts for any occassion & can easily be customized to co-ordinate with any decor.
The paper is from Piggy Tales...it was in my Maya Road welcome box. Both velvet blossoms are from Maya Road and the stamps are also Maya Road.... from the SCROLL set! I'm loving the acrylic stamps because it makes the placement so easy.
Have a good Tuesday!
Wendy

I can't spill the beans just yet...

Normally I make art and immediately share it with friends. But, since this blog thing is still new and I'm not sure who visits, I'll give this little peek of things to come. A girl has to have some secrets..........it keeps things interesting!
Happy Monday!!
Wendy
ps... and the BEARS win!!! It's a miracle!!

Just me...trying to add my photo...grrrr...

Well...I'm not smart enough to figure out how to put me over on the right, where I belong. Think I'll call my techno geek friend Linda later.
But I did figure out how to be notified when comments are posted, thanks to my friend...ART GODDESS...ROBIN BEAM!! THANKS!!! Check out her blog...She has TONS of great arting tips...I get to meet her soon @ RANGER U!!! Believe me...I'm counting the days!!

And it is Sunday, so you know what that means...GO BEARS... (I should be embarrassed to admit that I'm a fan...)... but there's always hope...maybe they'll go and actually PLAY this week. Maybe is the key word...
Back to making art...
Have a GREAT Sunday!
Wendy

It's GREAT being a Maya Roadie!!!

Well...I was thrilled when I was invited to join the Maya Road design team. Today was another thrill...Shelley said she got her welcome box (and she lives in Iowa) so.............I hoped mine would arrive today. I parked myself out in the drive to await the Fed-Ex guy. He pulled in..I GRABBED the box...scared him half to death...but he'll recover in a month or 2...HA!
Anyway, the above photos show some of the contents of the box. OMG...this has to be what heaven looks like! TONS of chipboard, sheers, ribbon, ribbon slides, STAMPS!!, more chipboard, rub-ons and about 100 sheets of PAPER!!! There are ink pads from Ranger, papers from Luxe, Sweetwater, Piggytales, Laserwerx, Daisy D and Urban Lily! UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Thank you Caroline & Deb...I LOVE this & you'll have to get youself a lawyer to throw me off this team. Life is good...especially if you are a ROADIE!!!
Wendy

A little thank you gift..........

This face makes me smile............... This is a little thank you gift that I sent to Ted & Michelle Cutts, the owners of Stampers Anonymous/Art Gone Wild. It's done on an antique chalkboard that Linda found for me @ a resale shop. I was saving it for something special & this was a perfect fit. The back side of the chalkboard was an instant background because of the cool texture. I just added some vintage photo & a few stamps...done!!
All stamps are by Stamper's Anonymous, of course! All inks by Ranger...LOVE the distress inks! Totally addicting.
So...thank you Ted & Michelle. I will NEVER forget your kindness! You are 2 very special people!!
Wendy