In two short weeks, I will be headed out again on the #PaperTrail! We had so much fun in March up in New England, we are going back again to many of the stops we made on our first trip. But first there are two events in Pennsylvania.You are not going to believe who I have a meeting with! I am going to make you wait to hear this because it deserves a post of its own. And you will crack up when you hear how it all happened… [Read more…]
Inspiration Team Tuesday {May Flowers}
Hey Everyone! It’s Tuesday, and you know what that means? Lots of creative inspiration from my Inspiration Team! These talented gals never cease to amaze me with their creative use of my Sizzix Dies. Prepare to be amazed and most importantly, inspired to create some “Art with Heart” of your own.
First up we have the lovely Evgenia Petzer with an equally lovely project featuring my Cake Slice Sizzix Scoreboards die. Blooms and butterflies adorn this beautiful creation, perfect for a shower or thoughtful gift!
Evgenia has posted a video on how she created this gorgeous project that you can see HERE. Visit Evgenia’s blog for more beautiful paper creations and inspiration.
Donna Budzynski of Meme’s Art Place used my Canning Jar Sizzix Scoreboards die to create a rustic (and realistic) vase for real live flowers! Just wait till you see how she colored her mason jar to look just like the real thing!
Stop by Donna’s Blog to see more of this lovely canning jar flower vase.
Beatriz Jennings has put her pretty paper spin on this gorgeous chest of floral drawers using my Candy Drawer Sizzix Scoreboards die. Beatriz is the master of pretty papers, ribbons, buttons and trims! All are present here on this fabulous floral creation.
Check out Beatriz’s blog for more info on how to create this clever chest of drawers.
Finally, we have this lovely, flowery Artist Trading Block created by Rina Gonzales. Rina coupled my Heart Petal, Leaves and Artist Trading Blocks Dies with my new stamps from Craffiti Direct and Clearsnap Blends Inks! How Cool is that?
Stop by Mothership Scrapbook Gal to learn more about this lovely Artist Trading Block.
Want more Artist Trading Block Inspiration? Our “Block Hop” with Team ATB and Altered Pages is going on all month long every Tuesday and Thursday in May. You won’t believe the ATB’s being created for this hop! Stop by and see them HERE.
So how’s that for some floral Inspiration from the Inspiration Team? Now it’s your turn to share YOUR floral creations for the Art with Heart May Flowers challenge! You can link up your project HERE for a chance to win a fun prize.
Be sure to stop by each Inspiration Team Members Blog and let them know how much you LOVE their pretty projects!
Eileen
On Being a Mom
Happy Mother’s Day to all!
I wrote about my amazing mom on the Sizzix UK blog post from yesterday and shared a quick and easy Mother’s Day banner. Mom, thank you for all you taught me and continue to do… you rock!
Yesterday, we attended an event that just blew my mind. My youngest daughter, Maryanne, competed in a half triathlon. This is an event where you swim 1.2 miles in open water, come out of the water and bike 56 miles, and then run 13.1 miles. She is 25 and has been training for this for months. Her goal is to finish the Lake Placid full Iron Man (double the numbers of this one!) in July. I was surprised at the number of older people that were competing in this race. Yes, I mean people my age! We had dinner with other members of her team and it was so interesting to hear why they do this and what is involved. I really admire Maryanne’s perseverance and while I realize that is probably a quality she acquired from my husband, I hope something I taught her her along the way might have helped.
My daughter Pam, who just got married a few weeks ago
came to cheer her sister on. It makes a mama happy to see her kids get along and support each other.
When we got home, I found this on my porch
from my son Chris
He lives out in Kansas and is in the Army, but he is getting out soon and I am trying to talk him into coming on the #PaperTrail with me. Don’t you think he should? You guys would love him…
My daughter Jess, her husband Jason and sons, Daniel and Hunter,
were here for the wedding and gave me these books for Mother’s Day.
I love them and wish I had been better about putting albums together for my own, but there wasn’t all the fun stuff there is available now when they were little- including Snapfish….plus I was busy!
And then there’s my husband Hayward who has been my rock for 33 years. He’s da man!
I am truly blessed.
How to get a new kitchen in six weeks
If you have been following me on Facebook, you might have noticed that we upgraded our kitchen, as in, totally gutted and replaced everything. Why would someone decide to do that 6 weeks before their daughter’s wedding?
a. they are insane
b. they are sick of the hideous peel and stick tiles that are impossible to clean
c. deadline!
d. all of the above
If you guessed d. you are correct. I mentioned to my husband a few months ago that if there was one thing I would like to do before the wedding it would be to cover the kitchen floor with linoleum so it would freshen up the kitchen. And another nice thing would be to take out the peninsula that really closed the kitchen in. The next week I was on my way down to Florida to help out my daughter with the birth of her second baby and received this text from my husband:
WHAT!!! Who knew he would really do it? So while in FL, 18 month old in tow, I researched cabinets, appliances, etc. at Lowe’s, Home Depot and Ikea and talked with their staff about how long it would take if we were to go that route. Unfortunately, the earliest estimates were 2-3 months and we did not have that kind of time.
When I got back to town, I called Abbey Design Center, who had installed the wood flooring in two other rooms for us and did a great job. We decided to match the floor in the kitchen and needed to know if they still carried that batch.We also had them in them when our 92 year old stepdad, Ray, moved out after living here for a year and a half and we needed new carpet in the room where he stayed. They came out and did an estimate on the kitchen, powder room and hallway and mentioned that their company also designed kitchens!
I made an appointment for them to come out and take a look at the space, measure it and give an estimate. We then went in and met with Jimmy who walked us through the process. He said it would be tight but they were up for the task of getting it all done before the wedding. We said Let’s do it!
In one afternoon I picked cabinets, flooring, hardware, tile for backsplash, sink, faucets, window, and countertops. We were shown several options for a layout and tweaked that a little. It was pretty overwhelming but the good thing was I had been working in this kitchen for years and knew what worked and what didn’t. I also knew what I wanted lots more light. The overhead light fixture had been there for thirteen years and we had NEVER changed the bulb! Now it was ugly, but that was some bulb!
Our original plan was to bump out the whole kitchen wall and build a sunroom but it would have been a lot more expensive. We are lucky to have a pretty back yard and wanted to be able to see more of the birds, deer and fox that visit but had a tiny window with grids that really blocked the view. I had an idea in my head of a farmhouse kitchen which morphed somewhere along the way. I am not even sure what style I would use to describe the final result. But I love it!
We did give up the table that seated six (eight in a pinch). Many good times were had when the four kids were home every night for dinner… but life changes and now it is just my husband Hayward and I. So we opted to take the table space and create a desk area
where we can recharge our devices, plug in the old laptop and organize files, store crayons, puzzles and craft supplies for the grandkids’ visits along with other miscellaneous papers. In the old kitchen, we had crates stacked up with cubbies but it was always a mess and everything was out for all to see.
For the first time, we have a hidden garbage can! Before, it was was basically the first thing you saw when you walked in the front door! Yuck, but it was the most convenient place to have it. Not only is the garbage hidden but there is also a bin for recycling! In the past, we had a big Ikea bag collecting the cans, newspapers, etc hung in the back porch, but you had to go all the way back to throw it in. Not very efficient.
For some reason, my husband has a thing about keeping our vacuum in the hall closet so a broom closet was added for him- that was his only request so the rest was all up to me 🙂
We are so happy with how it turned out. Thanks so much for your encouragement and walking alongside the remodel with us. It was so great to hear your comments and suggestions along the way.
Many thanks to Abbey Design Center for doing such a great job and getting it all done before the wedding. Jacqueline Binkley Photography did such a nice job on the photos- I asked her to take one of me which I now am using for my Facebook cover photo (minus the beautiful orthopedic boot that was cropped out). I broke my ankle the day before the wedding!
There’s lots more I learned along the way and will share in a later post plus more pics! Thanks for stopping by…
Inspiration Team Tuesday : Sweet Shower Gifts
Hi there! We are coming down the home stretch of the Art with Heart April Showers Challenge. This will be our last Inspiration Team Tuesday before we pick this month’s winner and Top 3 to be announced this Friday April 25th.
Today we have some Sweet Shower Gifts and projects created by Inspiration Team Members and some very special guest designers. Let’s have a look at the inspiring projects being created using my Sizzix dies…
Inspiration Team Member Amy of Plucking Daisies has used my Sizzix Flower dies and embossing folders to create these too cute Mother’s day Photo Flowers! Talk about “showering” Mom with love.
Stop by Plucking Daisies for a full tutorial and a free printable!
Next we have the lovely Oxana of Scrappylicious sharing this drop-dead gorgeous favor box using my Cake Slice Die! This beautiful Shower favor creation would work for a baby or bridal shower. It would also make a “pretty” fabulous gift box if I do say so myself.
Stop by Scrappylicious for more photos and info on this lovely Favor Box project. Make sure you stop by The Artists on the Block this Thursday to see Oxana’s inaugural Artist Trading Block project for Team ATB!
Finally, we have Guest Designer Anne Temple of Anne-Made sharing this super cute creation using my Candy Jar die!
Who wouldn’t want this little cutie Candy Jar as a shower favor? Stop by Anne-Made for more photos and steps.
Eileen Hull Sizzix Dies Used:
Eileen Hull Flower Layers w/ Heart Petals
Eileen Hull Borders and Hydrangeas
Eileen Hull Cake Slice Sizzix Scoreboards XL
Eileen Hull Candy Jars Sizzix Scoreboards XL
Hope you are inspired to share your Art with Heart with us! {Link up your creations HERE} There’s a great prize up for grabs.
Eileen
Scotty Studio Tour
I was so happy when Angie invited me to join her Studio Tour Blog Hop this week! You can see the whole list of over 30 bloggers on Angie’s blog who are taking part. There are some really cool spaces- I have enjoyed seeing where everyone works and plays!
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/angie_tn_us/craftroomtourbutton_zps942885f3.jpg
OK, I know I am cheating, but have a kitchen remodel in the works and my daughter’s wedding in 2 weeks- guess where all of the junk got moved to? The basement- where my studio is. So I asked Angie if she minded if I post about my mobile studio instead.
This photo was taken when I got the camper last fall. I painted it recently in preparation for a trip I took last week to teach in Massachusetts and the outside of it looks much better now! Here is a video of what it looked like inside.
The camper is only about 12 feet long but it can sleep 7- there are bunks above and the table folds down for a bed. And I can tell you it holds a LOT of stuff- there are cupboards everywhere and nooks and crannies to tuck things!
The #PaperTrail Teaching Tour to New England was a great success and lots of fun for several reasons. The first reason was that I was traveling with some awesome company- Amy Bowerman of Plucking Daisies and Anita Houston the Artful Maven. Oh and Norman the Gnome, our #PaperTrail mascot (sitting on the Got Ink? box). Read about the trip here and here.
So what does one need in a mobile craft studio? Business cards of course…
Crafters… Anita and Amy are knocking out some Sizzix Artist Trading Blocks.
Supplies…. perfect place to store my new Clearsnap ColorBox Blends inks, CraffitiDirect stamps, and Sizzix dies!
Storage… I used vintage wooden soda crates to set out the supplies for class- here are some of my friend Joanne Fink‘s beautiful new stamps.
Decor… The overhead bins were covered with pages from a vintage atlas hidden in a box lot at an auction for $2!
Die cutting equipment! The Big Shot, dies and cutting pads fit great in a cabinet over the refrigerator…
More storage… I found the best place for storing 12″ x 12″ paper I bought along the way! Kept it flat and dry!
I used vintage suitcases to store my samples. Amy was the master at getting them set up and on display in minutes…
Crafty friends… This past weekend we had Dina Wakley and Dyan Reavely out in the camper. Read Dyan’s account of the trip and see more pics here 🙂
Things got a little crazy and let’s just say there was some overspray… so today (in your honor) I decided to cover this table with oilcloth given to me by my friend quilter Pat Sloan.
Gather your materials: oilcloth, spray adhesive and a craft knife…
Spray the table top with adhesive, making sure to cover the edges really well.
Place the oilcloth over the table and carefully cut in the ditch of the table edge. Don’t look too closely at this pic- I messed up in a few spots. But it’s way better than what was there and if I want, I can change it. And I love that it will wipe clean.
There is so much more I want to do in here- and I still need to make curtains. Now I am slightly obsessed with the idea of making paper curtains because it is the PaperTrail…
What would you do if you had this little house on wheels? Isn’t it fun to think about?
I am off on another trip in June and would love for you to follow along as I make my way around the country. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates and you can always check back here on the blog to see what’s up.
Thanks for coming by- hope you enjoyed this quick tour of my mobile studio! Make sure to check out all of the studios on the Angie’s Studio Tour here…
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