Homegrown Hospitality

Random Creative

is about being creative with random things, like red spray paint....

 and pink flowers from Prima because you only like Pink, the singer...

 
of course you can!

 

Random Creative:Mini Books

I have rekindled the fire of my love for creating mini books...thing is, I have NO place to stash one more of them so I am pretty sure I will be passing this off to one of you...

 
I think that one of my best "creative skills" is mixing and matching this and that, you know, like Garanimals.  My thought is that as long as everything coordinates, then there will never be a problem with creating something, either planned or on a whim (which sometimes gets me in trouble with staying focused)

anyways...I knew that as soon I got my hands on the brand spankin' new "Blissful" line by Authentique and mixed it with my ever growing stash of Prima...it would be a perfect match!

  
So, do you want this canvas heart mini book???  Here is what you need to do to get your name into the drawing...

Go here and "like" them....

then go here and check out all of the amazing new lines that will be debuting this week at CHA in Chicago (nope, not going)

and leave me a comment on what makes your life blissful....

 

Random Creative

in between chopping Cilantro for salsa, making cake pops, folding laundry and getting ready for our annual 4th of July Block party that STARTS today...I have been randomly creating with Prima...Purple Onion and Paint....

 
 
 
 and loving the outcome...stay tuned!

Super Random Creative Countdown

One hundred and eighty seven days till Christmas(and I am thinking these RED flowers have to be somewhere in the tree...)

 
Fifty Eight days till Pennsylvania and my TWO DAY "Kick-Off" CLASS of Random Creative based on CHRISTMAS!!!

 
 
Two days till school is out for the summer...(insert Hallelujah chorus) and then long creative filled days ahead....non-stop!

 
Thirty more days until Ben gets cast #2 off... and then we can hit the beach...with a bag of felt and a umbrella, of course!   
Fourteen days till 4th of July...(new fabric to make something!) 
Looking forward to the long creative days of summer.....

Something Old..

something new..something borrowed...something PRIMA!

I was going through files on the ol' computer and came across this cute card I did a few years ago & although I am unsure if I ever shared it.. I am going to now because it is cute, for one..and because this is a PERFECT example of how it does not really matter how old a product is... if it is good..it is good...and can be adapted...

Yippee!!

I started with a plain "Kraft" card and I wrapped cream ribbon around it and tied a bow.  Then I measured, trimmed and inked a piece of pattern card stock slightly smaller than the card and adhered it on top of the ribbon. 

 
Next, I tore a piece of denim into a square, added double sided tape adhesive to the back and placed it on top of the patterned paper.

 
Then I grabbed one of my old fav's from Prima.  I am thinking that there are many many many options that Prima offers to substitute for this red heart..but if I were Prima, I would make them again..just sayin...

 
I wanted to add a little "somethin-somethin" to the heart, soooo I created a "pretend" ruffle by running a stitch along one side of the ribbon (look closely at the photo, see the yellow stitch??) and gathered it up...I added more double sided adhesive to the back of the heart and created a nice ribbon ruffle...

 
Then I flipped it over, pressed it onto the denim patch that is layered on the pattern paper that is on top of the ribbon that is tied around the kraft card...

 
Added a little glitter and trim..and called it done.

Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE to make things??

I do.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

 
Felt+burlap+Prima+canvas+fabric+paint+ink+Helmar+stitches+Christmas

=Happiness!!!

I am 99.9% done with the TWO projects for my return visit to Groves in July...and there are so many things we are going to be doing..it is going to take TWO sessions to get 'er done...

that was my impression of a redneck!

Oh..Speaking of Rednecks...did you see the HILLARIOUS video on Liz's blog...HOLY COW..life with that Collin, I mean Cletus, has got to be a hoot! I might have to go watch the video again...okay, just watched it...too much...

okay, so anyway...I believe Grove's is going to list the class in the next day or two but you can call the store anyways and let them know you are coming....

have I mentioned that I LOVE Pennsylvania.....dreaming of the possibility of having a farm there, where we farm..create...stitch..farm..garden/crop......hey..a girl can dream...and you never know...dreams do come true, duh!

 
Hope to see you in PA!

 

Random Creative

 
1. It is beginning to look alot like "12 Days of Christmas" in JULY..in Pennsylvania!!!!...I am awaiting two shipments, one from Ranger, one from Prima so that I can wrap up the class samples and get you all of the information! eek...I LOVE PA!

2. I made my own fabric from Muslin, water colors and stitching...love!

3. I had a little paint on my brush and on my way to rinse the brush off, I decided to paint a little heart on a little rock from in the front of the shead-teau.

4. More watercolor on Muslin...

5. More doodlin on canvas...

6. Soul Restoration 2 started on Tuesday...just in time!

7. Oh look, more free motion stitching!

8. Christmas stash...

9. Felt+buttons+free motion+hand stitching+Christmas Tree = happiness!

Fell off the Wagon

I have been crazily kitting away for this weekend and have had to hold myself back from pulling the sewing machine out, about 100 times, or so.  I have to say, THAT is an achievement for me, you know..staying on task.

I "pre-ordered" Alisa Burkes new book coming out this summer and it seemed to calm my need to stitch, kinda...

 
okay, so I must confess, even though I stayed on tasked with the urge to sew, I completely fell off the wagon with something else...

As I was helping Ben build the Great Wall of China out of styrofoam, I remembered Alisa talking about making stamps with a wood burning tool.. so I thought I would try it, you know..because we were already messing around with styrofoam....I did not want to waste it (thanks to Tracie).

so... I tried it...and..

I made stamps and stamps and more stamps. (these are COMPLELTY different from rubber stamps...so don't be confused or worried) These are for paint..and ink...and fabric...and felt...oh gosh (insert squeel)

 
 
 
If you follow me on Facebook, then you saw that I wrote..."Houston, I think I have a problem...."

 
Yikes...and yippee....I am excited to let you know that I will be back at Grove's in Pennsylvania JULY 29-30 for a  "12 Days of Christmas"in July class (details to follow soon) and I will be incorporating some of these techniques, as well as a sprinkling of Prima..some felt...buttons...stitch..Helmar...who knows!!!!

Okay, I need to pull myself back onto the wagon and get on the road to Art-Full Horizons...

Have a GREAT weekend...see you when I get back!

p.s. If you click the link about and decide to buy Alisa's book, please let me know so that we can create together!!!

A Work in Progress...

Thank you all so so much for your great enthusiasm and wonderful FB messages, comments and emails in regards to my announcement about being added the the Prima Education Team!!!...and speaking of Prima...I doodled (I am calling these designs "Scrapple"..my PA friends know what that is..) on an entire Donna Downey Canvas book by Prima two days after returning from Inspired  
as I was still experiencing Post Event Ick (it made me feel a TON better, sorta)

The front cover, back cover, spine and every page....and yes, it might take me a long time to color, but that is okay. 

It is a work in progress...just like me (and you!)

 try it...

grab a sharpie, some canvas..maybe denim..or heck..paper, duh!

Start in one place and work outwards. Just doodle and doodle and doodle...and keep going.......go on....doodle a whole bunch of things...

Just do it...it is very relaxing, well, if you ask me!

Breaking News....

A new home for me....eeek!

Yipppeee.....yikes....I just love how things happen when you least expect them. I am a very blessed girl.  Some would say lucky, I say Blessed....take a look at this team....

 
and what does this mean?? ohhhhh LOTS of creative things!!! I keep saying Yikes..and Yippeee.....alot...my mind is twirling and I need to re-focus.  I will keep you up to date as news breaks....make sure that you subscribe to my newsletter!

I feel like this crazy bird that I caught a photo of on Saturday at the camp ground...flying like a cuckcoo from tree to tree with such vigor.  You would think by the photo that I have some serious photo skills....

I don't..

It was just luck.

I like "just luck"..although, I know, I know...""blessed is a better word than luck..."

I have now named this bird "just luck"