Creative Chaos

Still at it.......

 
This is what I was doing last night while watching Lost.  I can't get enough of this ribbon......

In other non-crafting news, look what arrived on my doorstep........

Last week, my friend Jeff who, as you may or may not remember, works for Judge Judy, called me to see if I would be interested in working part time as a researcher in San Diego for the shows, including the new Nancy Grace one they're producing.    Huh!  Wha!  Are you kidding me?!?  Of course I would.  

 
Seriously, I was born to do this.   I immediately saw myself walking up the courthouse steps wearing a Sherlock Holmes hat and sunglasses ferreting out the perfect, most obnoxious cases.   Broken leases involving unwed parents who can't afford rent yet have the time to argue over 60 inch flat screen tv.....Check! Friends suing former friends for unpaid cell phone bill, slander, lost wages and an xbox ...Double Check!   Former friends counter suing friends for false restraining order and emotional distress..... Double Double check!!  Girlfriend suing boyfriend of two months for countless loans to pay past due child support, bail, court fees and reinstatement of licence due to 3rd DUI...Triple check!  Boyfriend counter sues saying it was all one big gift!!  Quadruple Check!

Me:  So when do I need to meet with Judge Judy to work out all the details?

Jeff:  Never.  Tina will call you and give you all the information.

Me:  Ok.....then when do I need to report to Judy and Byrd on set?

Jeff: (clearly losing patience with me and wishing he spent his lunch hour playing solitaire instead of calling) You don't.  You stay in San Diego.

Me:  So....what you're saying is..... Judy doesn't need me for anything?  Like input on rulings or cases?  Pick up her dry cleaning....

Jeff:  I'm going to hang up on you......

Me: Ok, ok!  I'm in!   See you next week! 

I'm excited because the boys and I are spending next week up at Jeff and Gail's.  I'm going to tag along with him to work (even though Judy isn't filming that week.....arg)  I can go see Judge Joe...we'll see. 

In the meantime I have a Sherlock Holmes hat to find.......

The Tale of Two Chipboard Scrapbooks......

Yes. I know.  That picture has nothing to do with chipboard; but I had to show you what I had with/for dinner Sunday night.  Gotta love Corvette Diner! 

Alright....Here is one of the chipboard albums I was talking about. 

Waaaayyyy back in February, I spied this lonely forgotten canvas at Paper Tales and vowed to make it come alive.   After making some vague promises about doing a tutorial on my blog, it sat around half finished throughout the latter part of February and well into March. I finally decided last week that I was going to do a class at Paper Tales. Yay! 

Well, you know how the early bird catches the worm?  In my case, the late bird finds out that half the paper she used to feather her chipboard book is now out of stock.  Uggg.

Not willing to be pulled down by the big, mean, ever-changing scrapbook industry, I decided to start a new one with all new papers........

Yay!

Whatever I decided to do designwise had to coordinate with the new Webster's Pages floral ribbon. 

 

This stuff is gorgeous.  Everyone was going nuts over it at Paper Tales. 

I'm thinking about making it into a Mother's Day scrapbook of some sort.  I need to get moving on it so I can have it done for this Mother's Day!  

"Finish It Friday...."

That's the theme I'm declaring for today.  Although it's eerily similar to the official "Finish What You Start" day, it is completely different in so many ways.

For one, I'm going to actually finish what I started.   See....I already got one thing done.....

 
 

And for two.....well I guess it's really no different than the other time except it's a different day......

Talk to you soon!  Karin

Well, it's official.......

My two best friends and I are going to do the 3-day Komen Race for the Cure walk on November 7th.   A friend of mine had mentioned it to me and I was all for it, albeit a little intimidated by the fundraising aspect. However, after talking about it with Annette (known her for 40 years) and Gail (known her for 30 years) we are good to go.  

 
I can honestly say that breast cancer has met it match with the three of us. I'm serious....it will see us coming, talking nonstop for 60 miles, and then it will run for the hills never to be seen again.   That's the plan anyway. 

To say I'm excited is an understatement.  It's all I could talk about all day Tuesday.  I woke up exhausted on Wednesday and was somewhat concerned over the fact that my "talking" about a 60 mile trek caused so much fatigue.   I better get training! 

We still need to come up with a name that describes us.  My friend Joy suggested "The 3 Boobs!"   If anyone has an idea let me know.  I am up for anything. 

Ok....off to do all the things I didn't do yesterday.  I'm mailing out a bunch of little prizes and surprises.   And, I'm also working on a blog post featuring two of my favorite art/scrap/journal artists.....

Corey Moortgat......

and, Linda Harre.......

 

It was the way that they created a combination scrapbook/art journal that really helped me to find my style and love of journaling with personal photos.  I felt like I couldn't talk about my scrap/journals without showing who really inspired me in the first place.  

Talk to you soon!  Karin

For the Love of Art Journals.....

 

1. Merry Sunshine., 2. journal pages wip, 3. scan0014, 4. Fly to me collage, 5. Art Journal Page, 6. inside back cover of "specimen" -altered book- hopefully, Sara (she's collaborating with me on this book)will add her charm here as well as the back cover!, 7. Dance While I Create, 8. front cover of altered book for Library project...going to Sonja..maybe??, 9. 02 Play Page, 10. 1st art journal page, 11. journal cover, 12. Roses and Bluebirds Collaged Journal, 13. A page in my HOME Art journal, 14. altered book/art journal, 15. A Gift for Me-detail, 16. partial journal page, 17. journal-july-4a, 18. more pages from my journal, 19. Altered Childhood Book Page, 20. January Art Journal Entry, 21. handmade journal, 22. I have learned to play nicely and why (or so it says), 23. Miss Planny Plannerson Holiday Journal Page, 24. Journal Pages {Beauty Within}, 25. Avery's Journal-Bibs

More canvas pages........

Spent some time working on a couple more pages of the canvas journal. So far I have 5 sides and 3 pages done.  I still have two more pages to do......well possibly two.  I seemed to have misplaced the 5th page somewhere.  I'm sure it's under a pile of scraps somewhere.  I just need to look a little bit harder.

The weekend started off with a bang and a movie and ended with an ear infection.  We went to see the Wimpy Kid Saturday. Carlos had read all the books and really wanted to see it.   Going to the movies is a rare event in the chaos household.  Mostly because I don't want to pay $30 to have to sit through 2 hours of a kid movie.  I know...I'm a selfish mom.   But when Wimpy Kid got a good review, I knew we were going to the movies to see it.  I just made it seem like it was their idea thereby earning me a couple points in the awesome mom category. 

Sunday morning found us with a crying 5 year old and a hurting ear.   A call to urgent care and a prescription later we were all set.   That is until I had to actually make him take the medicine.   If only picking up the prescription were the cure.  No.  You have to make the child swallow the medicine...in his mouth....down his throat...into to his stomach.  Not around his mouth....down his chin and shirt.....and onto the kitchen floor like we experienced.    Finally after a bribe of chocolate milk with the antibiotic it seems that we were onto a medical miracle.  Hopefully, it will last for another 10 days.

Talk to you soon!  Karin

Fun with canvas......

A couple days ago I was talking about how excited I am over these canvas books.   They are actually the refill pages for the binder.  But I think they are perfect just by itself.   Last night I decided to do another couple of pages after the boys went to sleep.   I probably would have gotten more done if I didn't spend so much time downloading songs from itunes.  I still can't figure out how finding one song turns into an hour and twenty dollars later.   Anyhow here are the ones I finished........

 

I still need to finish this one........

If I'm not busy getting all sentimental over the best of 80's Heavy Metal Love Ballads on itunes, I'll finish the rest of the pages tonight.   
 
 Talk to you soon!  Karin 
   

A big twist on a little collage.....

 
I heard a bunch of chunky 5x5 canvases calling out my name the other day.  I just love the over sized look to them.  Whenever they are on sale I pick up a few....because you never know when you might need a big chunky canvas.  So the other day, I decided to do a bigger version of the little 4x4 design that I did awhile back.  I still need to glitter the edges, but I'm happy with the way it turned out.

I don't know what it is about turning the clocks back that brings out extra creativity and energy.  The warm weather helps also.  Since it's been a balmy 75-80 degrees here, we've been heading to the beach,  pulling weeds and getting new homes ready for the bird visitors.......

Just look at the precision while wielding a paintbrush.  It amazes me how a person can paint while his chin and head are fully resting on the table.........

 

Somehow he manages.....

While I was out in the front working in the yard, installers were in the back setting up the bird house for occupancy.....

According to the contractors, the foam "porch" was installed for extra standing room.  Apparently a large crowd was expected and they wanted to make sure there was ample space to accommodate all feathered friends. 

Ok....gotta run and pick up one of the construction workers from preschool. Talk to you later!  Karin

Tutorial Tuesday.........on Wednesday!

I was at Michael's the other day (I know, I know....we have such a dysfunctional relationship) perusing the $1 bins that had been marked down to 50 cents and saw these little magnets.   I like them because they are big (3x3) and sturdy.   So lets take some plain jane magnets like these..........  

And turn them into these............Super simple and easy. 

 

Glue some of your favorite paper down on the magnets.  I used my new favorite from the Girl's Paperie that looks like my vintage wallpaper........

For the little frames I grabbed these cute little Maya Road chipboard ones that I got at Paper Tales awhile back.......

I put glitter on both frames and attached a picture on the back........

I decided to do a little piece of crepe paper on the top of one of the frames......

 

To do this I ruffled some crepe paper by sewing it up the middle and ruffling it. 

I cut off a little piece and glued the ends together.....

I then shaped it into a half circle and glued into place......

 I added some trim to the bottom.......
 

Glued the frames into place and sent it off to the refrigerator to get to work holding spelling tests and pictures of Cranky the Crane.  

 

Talk to you later!  Karin

Some Easter Fun.....

 

1. Easter Egg Chocolate Box, 2. Happy Easter from the bunny girls, 3. Vintage Easter card basket & foil covered eggs, 4. Happy Pink Saturday!, 5. BIRDS OF A FEATHER - SWEET VINTAGE CANDY CUP SWAP, 6. the most incredible Easter creation from my talented and lovely friend Cari Kraft!!, 7. Sugar Bunny in Pink, 8. Sweet Spring Altered Nest, 9. Sweetest Bunny Boxes