Happy Holidays....

Hum, well...I have been one of the busy elves.
Honest...lots of creative stuff but I haven't been posting any of it as I'm using almost everything as gifts this holiday season.

First, I Machine embroidered a Happy Holiday Banner that is decorating my front porch I'm pretty proud of how it turned out.

Here are the Yummy Cupcakes that I made last Sunday for my dear son's 24th birthday party. These cupcakes are made from Elizabeth Barbone's Classic Chocolate Cake recipe that is wonderfully GLUTEN FREE! She has it in her Easy Gluten Free Baking cookbook. If you are interested she also has a web site with lots of free recipes and a paid membeship section with even more!


Knitting, drawing and playing with felt, making gifts and decorations has been filling up my evenings and weekends.

Oh yeah, baking and candy making too. I've been having fun! I just have to stop eating so much of the goodies! I really do need to get on the ball and lose about 20 lbs!!

I hope you all have a great Holiday Season and find time to do something creative for yourself or someone special!

Cheers,
SB

Boo! Happy Halloween Weekend.

I said something in my last post about fun and simple crafts with very few supplies and really no 'special equipment" Here's a couple pieces that I have decorating the front windows of my house.

Photo by Mark Bergeron

The first is the coolest Owl head.

Just made with card stock, hot glue and double stick tape.

Just like grade school--fan fold a few pieces of card stock paper double stick tape the folded papers fan it around into a circle, glue the face pieces on put on a string and hang up in the window.

Photo by Mark Bergeron

The second piece is a paper lantern.

So simple!!

Print out the design on translucent vellum and tape to the inside of the cut out card stock lantern sides. tape the lantern sides together and either put a wire hanger in the top and use little battery powered candles or put in the window sill over a real votive candle in a protective glass candle cup. (That's what I did!)

Looks cool and lots of bang for the tiny amount of time and supplies!


So do you do any decorating for Halloween? Drop me a line, share a link to your blog with what you've been doing.

cheers! Remember to get out and do something creative!

sb

Oh, Chocolate Cup Cake how I love thee...

Well, that title may sound a bit over blown but gee...


If you really like chocolate and you really like cake with twinkie cream filling, wouldn't you be just a bit effusive when savoring a cupcake that looks like this?----------------------------------------------------------->

Warm, dark, moist, homemade and get this...WHEAT FREE!

I have Elizabeth Barbone's Gluten Free Baking cookbook and it is WONDERFUL! I actually started with her Vanilla cupcake recipe and then added cocoa powder and buttermilk and a bit of extra water to make the batter. Then I used the cream filling recipe from her Whoopie Pies to finish these little pieces of heaven. My hubby--a gluten eater ate 3 of these the day they were made. Yup, they really are that good.

I'm having so much fun baking and cooking. Being creative in the kitchen, making messes and ending up with foods I thought I'd not get to eat again.

I don't have a photo yet but I seem to be in a bit of a chocolate phase right now. I'm almost done knitting and hooded sweater made with chocolate colored yarn and I already made a sweet little pair of knitted fingerless mitts in a milk chocolate wool silk blend yarn.  I'll see about the photos for those soon.

I have also been doing some crafts for Halloween! Martha Stewart's web site is a treasure trove of quick easy crafts that really can be done with out all the expensive tools and superfine glitter. (The tools and glitter do make it more fun though) :)

Any way Happy Almost Halloween and remember to get out and do something creative!
sb

I think I'm figuring this out...

I've been a bit quiet this past 6 weeks or so. I have a really good reason...Honest! I found out that I can't eat wheat. Why would that make me be a bit quiet on the blog? Well...I have been figuring out how on earth I can eat a reasonable diet with out one of the basic American staples in my diet.

I have come to the realization that I am a very flexible person, I can learn to cook and bake with new and different flours and feed my family good food that tastes and looks like 'Normal" food. My super husband has even told me to stop buying him separate loaves of bread. He likes my home made yeast bread just fine! Yeah!

 So the "normal" kinds of food I made this weekend? Cinnamon Rolls from Ellen at I am Gluten Free this is what mine looked like all hot and cinnamony--

Then for lunch on Sunday? Gluten Free Breadsticks!!  Oh baby! They tasted as good as they look. Crunchy, chewy, salty. Perfect for dunking in my homemade Cheddar Broccoli Cauliflower soup.

Yeah, I think this is going to work out just fine. I just have to figure out how to do Thanksgiving. Sigh...

I have already figured out the bread dressing and the pumpkin pie. Those are my two most favorite things that it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving with out.

Now, we just have to figure out with the rest of the family where that meal is going to take place and if I'll even be able to bring my new found recipes along. Who knows...may be I can talk my hubby in to running away to the coast for the holiday and make dinner in the room? Sounds good to me...

Hey remember to get out and do something creative!

sb

It's all over.....

So, here's what I have been up to for the past week and a half!

front cover of my Doodle Adventure

Pages 1-2 A Hefelump?

Pages 3-4 Mouse of Mystery

Pages 5-6  the Fluter-snoot!

Pages 7-8

Pages 9-10  Wild Wings

It's been almost 2 weeks, it is amazing how much more difficult it is to get creative stuff done with you are back to work full time! But, I have been being creative--  From Unit 7 of the Drawing lab, I chose to do the book. It took about 40 hours to do the whole thing! I can hardly believe it.

I had an amazing time working on this project. It started by making a little cover stock book with odd shaped pages.(the book when closed is about 4.5 x 5.5 or when open it is 4.5 x 11 inches) All of the pages all had a bit of the next page peeking out behind. That way when I drew on a page some of the marks were going on to the following pages. Then, I had to incorporate those marks into the other pages and make new marks on the next pages.

It was so surprising seeing the book develop before my eyes. I did this whole book an an exercise in doodling with a purpose. :)

What do you think? This was one of the most creative things I think I have ever attempted.

Now, I need to figure out a way to make a good copy of it. I'll probably take the book completely apart and scan all the fronts and backs of the pages and see what I can come up with.

If I get it to work out I may even put a few up for sale at some point. Who knows?! Would anyone buy it? hum...

so my message to you is to get out and be creative, even if it's just for a few minutes!!

Cheers!
sb

One week left...

I'm excited for the Drawing Lab Workshop to come to a close and sad too. Excited becasue it looks like I actually stuck with it and followed through on all the assignments. It has been hard some times, especially since I went back to work from Summer Break last week, and it's been HOT outside and not cooling down in the evenings. I just want to veg. I'm really quite proud that I'm down to the last week of the lab!

Here's some of the art that I have been doing--:) Yup I'm a bit more than proud of myself!  I'm not a painter but after drawing this flower in colored pencil following the lab in the Drawing Lab book I really wanted to take this another step. The black and white drawing page is from my sketchbook. One of the labs was to go on a Walkabout and draw whatever takes your fancy. Well, I really wanted to do the lab, but it was 94 degrees, so, I opted for a tour around my yard. Lots of fun stuff to draw. It was interesting to take time and really look at things that I have lived with for several years.


I'm also all signed up for Carla Sonheim's Art of Silliness 2 online workshop that will start in September. 30 days of fun, silly worksheets as assignments. 1 a day for 30 days for just $25. 

You remember worksheets--just like in 3rd grade but these will be way more fun! She will be giving prompts for creative projects, things to do in a journal or what ever, poems, riddles I am just so looking forward to this I can hardly stand it!

Hey get out and be creative! SB

Summer Bunny doodle!

Week Five of the Drawing Lab and I got to do so many fun things. Of course my most favorite was the doodling lab. What do you think?

One of the suggestions in the lab was to draw a realistic eye and incorporate it  into the doodled design. I found this to be right up my alley. :) I have been incorporating eyes of one kind or another for several years. even with out consciously doing it.

Hum...I wonder what that means? I'm sure there could be some sort of meaningful symbolism but hey! I'm not here to dissect my doodles just enjoy them. :) (click the Bunny Doodle to get a bigger view!)

I'm sort of sad that the Drawing Lab will be drawing to a close in just 2 weeks. But, it looks like the next ART workshop is going to be on  Zentangles using the Totally Tangled book. Oh YEAH! I am all over that one. :)

I hope you are enjoying the last month of Summer. Remember to get out and do something creative!
SB

One Eyed, Two Horned, Underwater Algae Eater!

Yeah I'm having fun!

This week's Drawing Lab workshop had us doing One Eyed Monsters.

Tapping into our imaginations to come up with one eyed creatures. I had such a good time that I did several.The mosquitoes are out in full force so I made a lovely one eyed monster who wants to rid the area of those pesky pests!

My fourth monster has a bit of an artistic side with a pocket full of pencils and paintbrushes. I Love his space ship hat too!


Have you ever just let your imagination have it's way with you and just followed? It's a fun way to spend some time being creative.

Cheers!
SB

Newest Creative Project!

I just finished my newest creative project! It's a Fun and Funky Collage Necklace. Made with several mini collages that are mounted to Tim Holtz Fragments charms using Glossy Accents. I'm so excited!!

I took it out on a walk yesterday in the sunshine. My wonderful hubby (who is an awesome photographer) took photos of it so I could share with all of you. :)

So, I got the idea for this from Sherry Goodloe she was talking on her blog about a class she had taught making these awesome necklaces. I can't get to California to take a class from her so I asked if she sells the kits for the necklaces. Oh yes, she does! I purchased the kit and it arrived quickly, with lovely instructions and tons of cool papers, fragments charms, and the necklace chain with toggle clasp. I just added the jump rings, adhesive and some of my own images and collage bits and pieces.

I'm hooked and now I'm in the process of making a load of mini collages to go on the next necklace!

Hum...maybe a coffee or tea theme? Crafty theme? Birds? flowers? gosh I have to make up my mind some time...

It's going to be hot this week so hanging out inthe craft room and the air conditioner my well be the ticket. :)

Have a great week! Get out and do something creative today.
SB

Drawing Lab week 3! Picasso dogs and more...

Oh my goodness!


I'm in love with the Picasso Dogs exercise in the Drawing Lab book by Carla Sonheim.

So fun, full of whimsy and you can't do them wrong!! What's not to love about that??

I drew these up and then scanned in to the computer to do the coloring. I didn't want to mess up the originals yet. :)

I know that many times I'll do a pen and ink that I love and ruin it when I add color. Doing it this way I get to play with lots of different color options and the original is still waiting for the final color choice. Are you a person who can go right to the colors and get it right the first time? If so, I bow down to you and your skills!  If not, using the computer to help may give you more confidence when you are ready to commit to your final colors on the originals. :)

I hope this helps!
Cheers and remember to get out and do something creative!

SB

Four Eyes! Drawing Lab Unit 2 lab 12

I'm having such a great time with the Drawing Lab book and Workshop. Having time to do assignments and share them with others is so much fun!

I have been learning things about my self. I never really understood why I don't like charcoal as a medium. I have now figured it out.

There are 3   things about charcoal that bother me: gritty feeling on my fingers, too smudgy on the paper and the skritchy sound/feeling when actually drawing with it.

I have tried using the charcoal pencils to remove some of the gritty feelin on the fingers but alas...I still end up with charcoal on my hands.  I'm not the most tidy person while making art. :)

Have you found materials that you LOVE or Hate to do art with? What are they??

Remember to get out and do something creative today!
Cheers,
SB

Drawing Lab Week two--People...

Hi all,

This week in the Drawing Lab Workshop in the Artists of the Roundtable group in groups.Yahoo.com we are working on people.

HUm...not my strongest subject so that makes this a good, challenging week artistically. I have done 2 of the exercises, wrong handed portrait and coffee shop drawings, --mostly as blind contours (not looking at the drawing while the pen is moving). I even added water color pencil to one that I especially liked. It has problems with proportion but you can feel that there was a real person that the drawing was based on.

I included some of the stuff that was around this person to give a sense of place.

What do you think?

Did I do okay??

Have you ever done this kind of exercise?

I hope you are enjoying your Summer and spending time being creative!

Cheers,
SB

Drawing Lab- Artists of the Round Table

This is the first week in the Drawing Lab workshop that I'm participating in. I'm enjoying it! The first lab was Draw 30 Cats in Bed. :) Here's my page of cats. I am trying to go away from the realistic looking cats and more toward a naive look-- Of course it took me the whole page to figure out that I really wanted to go toward a less realistic design style. Sigh..

I'll be doing this lesson again! I know that I need to work on loosening up.

Then I took one of the little cats and drew it again, and played with it in Photoshop as part of the "Taking it Further". I haven't done much in the way of drawing/illustrating in Photoshop. It's fun! It's creative and I need to do it MORE!

I hope you are staying cool and enjoying the Summer. Remember to do something creative!
SB

Fishy Doodle

Happy Summer Break!

I'm in a doodle mood so here's my latest. This started out to be a ZenTangle on an 8in x8in piece of bright white Bristol board. I made my string and started doodling and here's the result.

What do you think?? Did I over work it?? I have been trying to get myself to the point that I stop before it is over done.

Kinda like baking brownies--take them out of the oven a minute or two before they are done and as they cool they are perfect! I am trying to figure out that point with my art work, when is it is almost done and need to sit for a while? Have you figured out that for yourself? How do you know??

Enjoy the Summer and get out and do something creative!
sb

My Girl Embroidery

Yeah! I DID IT!!

I took the last piece of art that I shared in my blog and used that as the pattern for this embroidered little girl.

I'm especially happy with the hair and the pattern on her top. I have a long way to go on my embroidery but I know the only way to get better is to keep working on it. It's so fun to find old skills and brush them up and being them into the 21st century!

I love the summer break time from work. It gives me such a creative boost to be able to get up when I want (just a tiny bit later than my regular work day) I get a chance to look at others' blogs and make comments and to share what I have been doing. I love the feedback I get from all of you too!

Thanks for looking. :.) Remember to get out and do something creative today.
sb

My Girl

I'm thinking about doing this little girl up as an embroidery design. I haven't decided yet on that.

I actually did the original as a Going Away (Miss You) card for a coworker who is leaving to go help her mom in Texas..

I had fun stepping out of my box and trying a different style. Pen and ink and colored with watercolor pencils.

This is the first of a few I plan on trying out. :) Or maybe I should crawl back in to my box?

Remember to get out and do something creative!
sb

Create Art--Embroidery

I (heart) Embroidery. I have been working on developing my own patterns for embroidery--This is a new outlet for my creative juices who knows where it will go?...

I think everyone has the ability to create art. For me making time, enjoying the process and doing something original is one of the most enjoyable things that I can do with my time.

Here's my newest tea towel. I drew up the Zen Tangle Heart and then transferred it to the tea towel and stitched it up.

I really enjoyed this project. I usually don't do multiple colors in my Tangles so this was an interesting exercise.

What do you think??

remember to do something creative!
sb

Travel through the tunnel of Chocolate

It's the last full week of school and we are needing all the fun and silliness we can get. So, what is better than a chocolate sugar high to get your through from lunch to going home?

My hubby is doing a 365 project taking photos and so he first took the photo of the Chocolate Buttermilk cake with Chocolate Ganache that I made and then he tested the recipe by eating the cupcake. :)

He told me that I couldn't take the cake to school...he would just have to east the whole thing himself to save the others from my baking. I told him that he could have another cupcake and I would take the big cake to work. He could have left overs if there were any. :) He had another cupcake and smiled at me through the chocolate crumbs.

Creativity can take on many different guises. Baking was it last night.

so remember to get out and do something creative today!
sb

Creative week!

Oh Boy! I completed 5 more tea towels, found several new places to get embroidery designs, planted tomatoes and had Tea with sandwiches and fresh scones with my hubby this week.

I'm so excited to find Andrea Zuill of Badbird--She's super creative and she shares a new embroidery design each month for free.Here's one of my tea towels done with one of her free designs!

I did another tea towel with one of BadBird's little girl images. It's actually a print that she sells and I adapted it to an embroidery. Here it is:

She's got a bit of the grumps about her but I just loved doing all that great hair!


Finally, we got a weekend with out rain! This is such a big deal here in the Pacific Northwest this year. We have been so soggy that every everyone was getting a bit grumpy. People's plants have either been drowned or eaten by giant ninja slugs.

We planted our tomato plants in pots this weekend and a couple peppers and some spaghetti squash. Not a lot of stuff but hopefully we will have some yummy veggies and not feed the sneaky slugs.

And in celebration of the great weather this weekend my hubby and I had Tea on the front porch. We finished the meal with these homemade scones!

Take care, be well and remember to do something creative!
sb

New old craft!

Whimsical Tea Towels

I have been having so much fun!

Embroidery is a skill that I learned as a child but I haven't done much over the past few years. I have done some small pincushions and such but nothing like these.

These designs were drawn freehand in pencil on the tea towels and then stitched in mostly back stitch, chain stitch and stem stitch. They were done just like I doodle. Starting at one point and then choosing colors as I go along. I love watching the evolution of the design as I work toward the completion.

I have been doing all kinds of creative stuff, I just haven't been posting. I guess it is one of those things. I work all day with computers and so when I come home I enjoy doing my creative stuff and I'm not as much about the blogging. Weird I know but what can I say?

remember to get out and do something creative!
sb

A Bunny to Light the Way...

Here's a fun and creative bunny lantern that I saw at a garden and home interiors shop in La Center Washington. It's amazing how creative artists can be. Someone had to actually think of this idea and then bring it into life as a real object. I am always amazed by the creativity of the human race to come up with beautiful, fun, funky, strange useful objects.

Now, I have been busy too but most of my creativity has been in the area of space planning and restructuring of the computer lab in the library at the middle school I work at. I have been working on a space plan that will allow the teachers to monitor the computers more easily, teach the students more efficiently and for the students to stay on task!

We went from L shaped tables that only had a couple ways of being set up in the space available to rectangular tables that are more logical in the way they are laid out. It is amazing! after only a week and the lab area being used almost every period of the day the library feels quieter and more like a real teaching and learning environment! People have been commenting on how much more focused the students are...

We'll see how long this lasts!

More creative stuff--I've been doodling little cards and sewing up cute little felt critters and such in to pins. I may just have to get an online sales account someplace so I don't drown in felty cuteness! I have sold 3 of the original 4 Recycled coffee bean bag totes and have been asked to do some more to replenish the stock at the Nor'West Coffee shop. Yeah! very exciting if I do say so my self. :)

I'll get more photos uploaded in a few days! As soon as I take some of the cute felt stuff. :)
cheers!

Creativity comes in many guises...

I have been doing all kinds of creative stuff these past several days but I haven't had a chance to get photos of them. So, here's a pic from our trip to the local wildlife refuge taken on Saturday, January 23, 2010.

I love the stark wintry look. It was actually a great day with soft winter sunlight, blue skies, and almost 50 degrees. Between us we took almost 400 photos. (I maybe took 20 of the photos but I like the ones I took)

My main creative outlet this past week has been teaching myself how to do drop down menus with cascading style sheets (css). I have the menus figured out. (YIPPEE!) Now, I just have to finalize the design template, then the school web site will get all updated and re-vamped! I'm so excited to get this completed.

We had a great community Lit Night at the school I work at, with about 300 people attending. Stories, poetry, theatre games, food, free books and loads of fun. I was there doing my best to document it all on the 'good' camera and helping to take care of a few computer issues too. :)

Oh and most exciting news... Nor'West Coffee Roasters Roastery Coffeehouse 8013 St Johns Rd Suite P Vancouver, Washington USA is selling my Recycled Coffee Bean Bag Totes!! $22.50 and that even includes tax. I can hardly believe it.

Finished a fun little knitted shrug and getting ready to start a new drawing...

When the creating bug strikes it just keeps on biting!

remember to do something creative today!
Stephanie

#2 of my Doodle Cups

Yup, another doodle drawing. :) This time my husband took the photo. You get to see the scale of the drawing here since my hand is in there actually drawing!

I find that drawing the doodles is easier and harder in the big size--easier in that I can get more variety in the sizes of the elements in the drawing, and harder because I can fit so much more in a drawing that I have to work at NOT over filling the design and making it so busy. I am prone to over doing and so I have have to work at not over working my images.

The finished drawing is just the way I wanted it to turn out. I'm so excited! I have a coffee shop that is going to possibly hang some of my work. I need to get them all mounted and ready to be hung.

I'll get the finished drawing posted tomorrow after I get the photo taken. :)

Thanks for looking! Remember to do something creative!
SB

creating but nothing finished

This has been a week of creating... but not having anything tangible to show for it YET.

So, first I'm teaching myself how to make drop down menus in Microsoft Expression Web using CSS. HUm...I gotta keep working on this as my boss at school wants the school web page updated and to use the drop down menus. It's hard for me to admit that it is taking me a couple days to get my brain to wrap around it. I'm so used to just looking at something and having the understanding of what to do. This is knocking my socks right now. I'm not sure if it's really me having a problem or the computer that I'm doing it on. sigh... It will get done, I know that!  I gotta stay positive.

Back at home I have 4 of my coffee bags in process of being made, but none of them are finished YET. I should have them done this weekend. They are going to be really neat when done.

Creating memories is also on the plan for this weekend, we have a family get together for my Father's birthday, Photo ops! I know if the weather decides to cooperate a day trip to the coast is on the list to do too. We shall see...

keep the creativity flowing!
stephanie

a creative couple of days

Creativity...making something...doing

I like how interactive you have to be in the process of creating.  I can't just sit and think about making something forever. I have to pull out the supplies, what ever they may be and just start doing.

I try to not have more than a couple projects in process at any time because I know that something won't get done. I know me and that is the way it goes.

I made a yummy Butter Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Apricots and Cashews last night. Oh My Goodness! Yum! Here's a photo of it.

My dear Hubby and I have eaten almost half of it all by ourselves in less than 24 hours. We had to sample it last night, then this morning it was lovely as part of our brunchy breakfast, then as dessert this evening. I think I'm going to whack a chunk off and wrap it really good and freeze it so we will have some another time.

I also finished my latest pair of socks. :) Knit on size 2 needles using Supersock 100 yarn that is cotton, wool, nylon and elastic.

I was able to knit it no problem. I have been sensitive to wool all my life so, this was a miracle. Now, I have to see if the socks will work on my feet with out causing irritation. I am hoping that I'll be able to wear this wool blend. I want to knit more socks and also be able to wear them.

The pattern is Sunrise Socks by Wendy Johnson and is available on her website for free! They were such a pleasure to knit up. I love that they are set up so you can easily do them on a single circular needle using the Magic Loop technique. I can't get my hands to control multiple double pointed needles so using the magic loop is a g*d send.

My hubby and I went out to our local wildlife refuge and spent a great 2 hours driving the 4 mile loop. We love photographing all the critters we come across. I got a couple really good photos of a young Great Blue Heron that I'll post as soon as I can get them off the other computer. :) We also got to witness a Red Tailed Hawk swoop in and catch is supper (a small gray mouse), we also saw tons of water fowl and a few other raptors. We purchased a 1 year annual pass to the refuge and we are certainly getting our money's worth out of it!

remember to get up and do something creative!
Stephanie

It's been a creative week

Wow!

I can't believe how much a person can get things done when they just want to. I haven't been in such a creative mood since last Summer.  

Usually working 40 hours a week just doesn't leave much  energy to create. I guess the  stars have aligned and it just time to get creative while the bug is still biting.

Since signing up for the Creative Everyday Challenge I have completed 2 large Zen-Doodle Drawings (12x18) and a recycled coffee bean burlap bag into a small shopping tote, then I photographed them all to get put on this post.

I have also noticed that when I'm feeling creative it's harder for me to stop and blog about what I'm doing. Weird,  since I love words and communicating others.

Have you found that happening to you too? HOw do you work around it?

Remember to do something creative today!
Stephanie