Doodle Crazy

I was lucky enough to take Alisa Burke's Doodle class at the Create Retreat last weekend.  I haven't taken a class in forever and I forgot how much inspirational it is.  My creativity was buzzing before I even stepped into the class.  A day before the class, I decided I absolutely had to come up with a cozy for my pens.  I adapted a pattern I've used to make fabric crayon caddies and created a cute, patchwork pen cozy.  It was a great way to use up scraps and I've found that, now that I have it, I'm popping it into my bag more often and take advantage of bits and pieces of time to put down some sketches.

Alisa's class was great!  I've always been a fan of her blog, and to see her beautiful "doodles" in person was a real treat.  And I took away some great tips.  Like the fact that cheap Crayola watercolors produce awesome colors on the page!

She also showed us how to lay down our doodles on fabric.  I've been wanting to play more with surface design, but have felt really daunted by the million processes out there.  Alisa gave me the push I needed and there's not stopping me now.  She also introduced me to Dy-Na-Flow and I am in LOVE!  I'm thinking some of my newly doodled fabrics just might become more pen cozies.  And they just might end up in my shop.  You'll be the first to know if they do....but first....the big news around here is that we are switching out my studio and my daughter's room.  Which meant we spent the weekend emptying my studio.  It looked like this:

Don't judge me!  I'm a neat freak in every part of my house except in my studio.  My creative muse is in charge there and she's a bit of pig!  Needless to say, my entire upstairs hallway and two of the bedrooms are now filled with about a million craft supplies.  I feel like hoarder as I gingerly step around the towers of paper, journals and fabrics.  I can't find anything and I'm going into fits, feeling lost and unable to locate anything I want to work on.  I keep telling myself it's only temporary.  Within the week the room will be painted and finished, my daughter's room can be switched over and I can begin the arduous task of filling a new room up.  I'm promising myself I'll be selective about what goes back in.  It's a great opportunity to get organized.  I'll be sure to share lots of before and after photos with you as both rooms get makeovers.

Coffee Filter Flower Headband

Today is my last post in my Dyed Coffee Filter Flower Wedding Series over at the Rit Dye blog.  A cute headband, perfect for a little flower girl or bridesmaids. The bride could even wear it at her shower or  reception.  I hope you enjoyed seeing all the ways I used Rit dye, coffee filters and a little creativity to create unique wedding decor and accessories.  To see the tutorial for the headband, click here.  So...I want to know....which project in the series was your favorite?

Paper Flower Garlands and Button Samplers

More tutorials for you today!  I told you that I have been busy creating for some of my clients and now all the projects are going live at once!

In the continuing saga of the dyed coffee filter wedding, Rit Dye has another one of my tutorials on their blog today.  This time, I show you a different technique for creating a paper flower.  This was probably my favorite project of the bunch, so check it out.

It's also time for my monthly design team post for the Buttons Galore and More blog.  This month, I show you how to keep your little ones busy for hours with buttons and then, when they are done, you have a really cute fabric piece to use for your next sewing project.  You can get the project details here. 

As always, I really appreciate it when you visit me on other websites and leave comments and spread the word on Facebook etc.  You make me look like a rock star with my clients and I can't tell you how much that means to me!

(P.S. Do you see the mermaid book in the photo? Thanks so much to everyone who left comments on this post for my daughter and helped her continue to believe in mermaids! She was amazed by everyone's mermaid stories!  I'm so happy I have so many blog readers who still believe in magical creatures!)

RIT Dye Coffee Filter Flowers

I've been busy working behind the scenes and doing a set of wedding projects for RIT Dye.  I'm pleased to announce the project tutorials will be on their website over the next couple of days.  I'll hope you will go visit the site and leave comments and "Like" the posts and what not!  I promise they are really fun projects.  And they can be adapted to any event, not just weddings!  In fact, today I'll show you how to make a stunning centerpiece by dying coffee filters and turning them into roses.  We have plans to redecorate my daughter's room and I'm planning on dying some filters to match her new room colors, so she can have an everlasting bouquet on her bedside table.  You can check-out the how-to here.  I'll be posting links for the rest of the projects as they go up this week, so load up on coffee filters and RIT dye and get ready to get crafty! 

I believe in mermaids

Last night I had one of those bitter moments that comes with mothering.  My little girl, only in Kindergarten, told me she had a bad day.  When I asked why, she burst into tears and told me that all the kids at her table at school said there was no such things as mermaids.  One minute, she was happily spending her free time drawing an ocean full of mermaids, the next minute her bubble is burst.  Even worse, they said mermaids were "lame" because they wore bras. (I'm going to argue that those same little boys who think scantily clad, bra wearing, women are "lame" are going to be changing their tune when they are fifteen and come across their first issue of Victoria's Secret's catalog, but that's a discussion for another day.)  It saddens me to see my daughter's loss of innocence at such a young age.  No such thing as magical creatures.  Bras.  It's all coming to fast.  Maybe it's because we are all starting to realize that first grade is just around the corner and the kids are going to keep getting more cynical with every year that goes by.  I love that my daughter believes in everything magic and wonderful.  I want her to hold onto that as long as possible.  Until she's 50 or 60 at least! 

Besides the pain of seeing my daughter hurt, I also had one of those moments of, "Oh no!  What do I say now?"  Do I tell her there aren't mermaids?  Do I tell her there are and then possibly deal with more teasing?  Do I strangle those little children who are stealing my daughter's childhood from her?  (Don't worry, I decided against that one immediately.)  I'm hoping I did the right thing when I told her that she could believe in any kind of magic she wanted.  If others don't it's not her problem.  What's important is to listen to her heart and believe whatever she wants.  A sniffle and nod and I think we're both okay now, but I won't know for sure until I see another mermaid drawing.

If you believe in mermaids, please leave a comment for my daughter about it here.  I'll be sure to read them to her.  Let's fight the good fight and keep as much magic & make believe as we can in the world.  And, just in case you are a mom and you face a similiar situation, I will leave you with a quote from Francis P. Church's famous editorial to Virginia, in answer to her question about Santa Claus, in The New York Sun in 1897:

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

(The photos in this post were taken at Disneyland in 2007, back when there was no doubt that mermaids were real.)

Priorities

I've been struggling the past few days.  Feeling lost.  AGAIN.  So I went back to what I know. 

I spent yesterday afternoon baking thyme & olive foccacia (from The Weekend Baker: Irresistible Recipes, Simple Techniques, and Stress-Free Strategies for Busy People) and homemade tomato soup.  I always seem to forget how relaxing it is to make a slow meal for my family.  And I'm not the only one who feels the effects.  My daughter is more relaxed and happy on these afternoons.  I think she is comforted by the smells and gentle clanging sounds that come from the kitchen.  They are proof that Mama is near and, on a primitive level, I think she knows it means her very basic needs are being met.

I don't feel as drained after an afternoon of cooking as I do after spending a few hours in front of the TV watching mindless reality shows.  One would think all that stirring and kneading would be taxing, but for me, it's energizing.  I relax and read in my "nesting chair" as bread rises and soup simmers.  I know at the end of it all, my family is going to have full and happy bellies. Everything slows down during these afternoons.  I don't wonder where the time went.  I find the space to appreciate the little things that matter in my life. 

I watch my daughter at her desk in the kitchen as she draws her "best picture ever" (there's a new "best" everyday).  Then we put on our aprons and punch little dimples into the thyme-scented bread dough and fill them with olives, and slide the bread into the oven.  I watch as my daughter dances around the kitchen chatting about her day as she sets the table.  The front door opens and my husband, in his deep, calm voice announces his arrival home by exclaiming, "something smells good". 

It's all good.

Winner of Artchix Studio Drawing!

Nancy Lefko won the Awesome Art Ring Kit from Artchix Studio!  Here's what she said:

"I love the chunky skeleton keys, windows and royal blue birds collage sheet to name just a few! And I'd wear that awesome ring to my art workshops!!"

I used a random number generator to pick a winner.  I wanted to let you all know-Blogger had some problems last week and some of your comments weren't restored.  The good news is...I had all the comments you left in my email inbox and so you were still entered in the contest!  I wanted to make sure you know that I always strive to keep things honest and give everyone an equal chance to win.

Nancy, email your contact information to me so we can get your prize to you!

Don't forget to sign-up to win!

A quick reminder that today is the last day to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win Artchix Studio's Awesome Art Ring Kit!

Like the photo on today's post?  My little girl LOVES to sew.  I'll show you what she made later this week.  Stay tuned!

Handpainted Floral Buttons

I made fabric bookmarks for everyone in my family for Mother's Day.  As I was packaging them up, I knew I wanted to add some buttons to the packaging.  I had it in my head that I wanted buttons with a floral motif on them.  Of course, I didn't have anything like that in the house and (of course) I was doing the project at the last minute.  I decided to make my own floral buttons.  I used some pastel colored buttons from Buttons Galore & More and then painted on some tiny flowers using some Tulip Dimensional Fabric Paint.  I was so happy with how the project turned out.  I kept going into my studio to look at the buttons.  Do you do that when you really like something you made?  Go look at it over and over again?

I'm not sure these would make it through the wash, but for decorative or paper projects I'm thinking they would be great.  I'll have to experiment and see how washable they are.  Tulip paints work on fabric, I'm just not sure if they were meant to stay on hard surfaces like buttons.  Maybe if I take a little sandpaper to the button first?

May Business Tip: Getting Paid for Publications

In last month's newsletter, I shared some of my top tips for getting your work published and I promised to discuss the sticky subject of getting paid for your publications.  As magazines shut the doors everyday and blogs (filled with free content) gain popularity, many publishers aren't offering very much in the way of payment when they feature your artwork in their magazines.  But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be compensated for your work. 

Most magazines won't pay if they only feature a photo your piece in their magazines, but many will pay you if they want you to write an article and/or tutorial to go with your piece.  It's very important to ask about a publication's policies on paying their contributors, before anything goes to press.  Frankly, I'd actually ask before I even submit.  You deserve to be paid for your work and the content you are giving a magazine.  Don't be shy about asking.  Any professional publisher/editor should expect this conversation.  Just be professional.  Once you get an answer decide if you would like to submit to the publication.  Here are a few things to consider:

• If they don't pay, or the pay isn't enough (in your opinion) think about the opportunity.  Will it give you a huge amount of exposure to your Target Market?  It may be worth the time investment if you think it's a good marketing strategy.  But don't let yourself fall into the trap of always working for free in the name of "marketing".  It's a slippery slope.
• Can you leverage what they will/will not pay you with some other streams of income?  For a recent article that I got published, I was paid by the publisher but also sold some items in my Etsy shop and received an endorsement payment from a manufacturer for mentioning their product by name.  When I added all these income streams up, the article was worth my time.

As times change, the professional community of artists and crafters are slowly trying to find a way adapt to the changes.  Keep in mind that people in other industries don't work for free!  Value your work and others will too.

If you have any questions about this article, please leave them in the comments. I'll do my best to answer your question.

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Introducing a New Sponsor: Artchix Studio

About five years ago, I started my creative journey by doing collage.  I was crazy for collage and I still do it quite a bit when I work in my visual journals.  It was scary to start doing art again.  Allowing myself to be creative after allowing my creativity to sit dormant for so long. After awhile, I started to get more comfortable and wanted to share my art with others.  So I took a deep breath and I joined an Artist Trading Card (ATC) swap.  It was hosted by Artchix Studio.  The group was incredibly supportive and the best part of the whole experience was using supplies from Artchix Studio.

Now, I'm proud to announce that Artchix Studio is an official sponsor of the katydiddys blog and my monthly newsletter.  But it wasn't good enough for them to just buy advertising.  Oh no!  They are offering all my readers a chance to win one of their Awesome Art Ring kits.

To win, just visit their shop at http://www.artchixstudio.com/ and then come back here and leave comment telling me what your favorite Artchix Product is.  I'd also love to know where you would wear your new ring creations.  Just for fun and because I'm nosy.

I'm going to draw a winner on May 18. 

When Creativity Knocks: Mother Daughter Embroidery Project

Remember my post about the cast and crew of When Creativity Knocks coming over to my house to film?  Well, the episode is online now!  You can watch my daughter and I show you how to create a super cute embroidery project using your child's artwork.  Check-out the video here. 

Altoid Tin Dollhouses

I'm taking part in Homespun Thread's Summer Soiree today.  It's a month-long blog event featuring tons of tutorials to keep your child busy (and you sane) this summer.  For the event, I created travel-sized dollhouse rooms from mint tins.  You can see what I created here.

Cinco de Mayo Recipe: Easy, Cheesy Enchiladas

I thought I would share my favorite recipe for a quick supper.  We love Mexican food here-especially enchiladas, but they can be messy and difficult to make.  I've discovered a few shortcuts and now my enchiladas are one of those recipes that I make when I'm super short on time.  It only takes minutes to put the ingredients together and 20 minutes to bake.  I keep most of the ingredients on-hand and we have this almost once a week.

Ingredients:
Serves 4 (generously!)

• 8 corn tortillas
• 10 ounce can of Enchilada Sauce  (If you buy the kind of can that has the label printed directly on the metal, you can save it and make a cute centepiece too.  Just stick some flowers in it.) Check the heat level of your sauce.  They usually come in mild, medium, or hot.  Tailor your choice to your family's palette.
• 1.5 cups of shredded cheese (I get the Mexican Four Cheese blend.  A blend of Cheddar and Jack is good.)
• 2 tbsp. green chilis (Just get the ones in the can!)
• 1/4 of a large, yellow, onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. sliced, black olives
• 1-2 tbsp.  heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with non-stick spray.
3. Pour half the can of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the dish
4. Lay four tortillas in the bottom of the dish.  It's okay if they overlap.  This is one of my short-cuts.  We're making more of an enchilada casserole-it's a lot faster than rolling individual enchiladas and it all tastes the same, no matter what shape it comes in!
5. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over the tortillas. 
6. Sprinkle green chilis over the cheese.
7. Lay another four tortillas over the fillings and pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas.
8. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over tortillas
9. Sprinkle sliced onions over the top of the enchiladas.

10. Drizzle cream over the enchiladas. I know this sounds decadent, but it really gives your enchiladas a "restaurant-quality" taste.
11. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and everything is bubbly.

I serve this with a big, simple green salad on the side or on top of a bed of fresh, baby spinach (the heat from the cooked enchilada makes the spinach all wilty and good!).  We always have sour cream too.  (Which, as far as I'm concerned is why a person eats spicey food-as a vehicle for sour cream.)

Optional Add-Ins:  I also make shrimp or chicken enchiladas by simply adding a little cooked shrimp or cooked, shredded chicken into the filling.  Or try a green enchilada sauce!

 I promise you'll be surprised about how fast and delicious this is.  If you are really stuck for time, you can assemble it in the morning, refridgerate it and then pop it in the oven when it's dinner time.

Now, go pour yourself a margarita, eat something spicy & relax!

Unique Birthday Cards and Envelopes

Today is my dad's birthday.  I won't tell you how old he is except that he's a mere a 23 years older than me-so he's still practically a baby.  Okay, now that we've all stopped laughing...

We had a nice lunch for him this weekend and I made him a card.  Vintage Street Market was nice enough to send me some samples of their super cool paper sheets and tapes and, when I wandered into my studio to make a card for Dad, I knew now was the time to get it out and get crafty.

Besides loving nostalgic goodies, you probably know by now that I don't do a lot of fussy stuff.  I love clean lines...well...it's more about waiting until the last minute to make cards, but saying it's "my style" sounds better.  And this card is perfect for people like me.  It takes mere minutes, but is sure to impress and delight the lucky recipient.  Here's what you do:

Supplies

• Vintage Street Market Party Games Paper Sheet & Tags
• Card stock (8.5" x 11")
• Scissors
• Self-adhesive, foam, dimensional dots
• One A6 size envelope
• Vintage Street Tinted Tape in Linen

Instructions

1. Cut card stock in half.  Use one half to create card by folding it.
2. Punch-out the dancing frog image from the tag sheet in the Party Games kit and attach it to the front of your card, using dimensional dots.  Be sure to write your birthday message on the tag before you attach it.  Trust me, it's hard to write nicely once the image is attached to the card stock!
3. Your card it finished!
4. To make the envelope, carefully pull apart your plain A6 envelope and lay it flat onto one of the decorative paper sheets in your Party Games kit.  Trace around it. 
5. Cut out the envelope shape from the paper.  Assemble the envelope using the plain envelope as guide.  Use the Linen tape to hold it all together.  Attach another tag from the Party Games kit to the front of the envelope and write the name of your recipient on it.

The envelope is really what makes this card stand out.  And, in a world where we all give out a lot of gift cards, and there aren't always packages to wrap, this makes your gift giving still feel special.

Today is Designer Connection day.  Go see what my fellow designers are up to on their blogs.

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