Craft Day on QVC

One of my many favorite die cutting machines, the Slice,  is today's TSV, which I used to create the aperture in the bellow card as well as the inside nesting shape.

There are endless hours of crafting, including Marion Emberson's at 4pm. And she has a couple of my stamps sets one with the Filled with Flowers and Simple flowers and another one with Circle Tags, All Year Round and Mix and Match that has already been on air once or twice before. 

More distress cards

This one card I made last year for an article on Cardmaking and Papercraft. I love the look of this clean distress strongly influenced by Jennifer McGuire.  Love her!


Anyway, there is a good reason why I haven't posted often and it is not so simple. I have decided not to be so involved in the craft the industry meaning that I wont be anymore a full time freelance crafter. For those who like my stamps, do not worry. I will keep those coming. For those who enjoy my articles, do not worry either, I will still do them.


However, I am going to reduce drastically the demos that I will do this year. I will only do couple that were booked last year and I plan to do those. But I wont do any workshops for the foreseeable future. Both this decisions were not that easy to make but I feel I have the need to explore other professional possibilities outside the craft industry and workshops specially require too much of my energy and creativity.


I honestly don't know how often I am going to post cards in this blog as I have no fix plans about it. I may post cards daily for a week and then nothing for the following, something that suits me at the moment. I do plan, however, to keep the Crafty Storage posting regular.


My professional future? Well, I just have an enormous desire to have a go at portrait photography, even though I have strong suspicions on how hard and overcrowded the market is, I just have the need to give it a go. I may fail, but I wont know if I don't try, and right know, I don't feel like I have another option but to try it.

Favorite Portraits of 2010

Well, actually, some of my favorites, not all of them as there are too many.

Christmas

I know most of you will be tired of the word by now. Me too. The holidays are a time of joyful stress and semi fulfilled expectations. For me personally it's even more bittersweet as my birthday is on Christmas day. Being born on that day is rather special, there is something rather magical about it, but it has it's down sides. The obvious that most people think of first is the presents. Growing up the birthday presents are a highlight of any child's year, and so are Christmas gifts. If you have them both on the same day, well, let's just say it is a long year without presents! My parents were pretty good at making sure that I had two separate presents and most of my family did (and do still) too, so I can't really complain about that. Since I have been married, some years have been great, others rather disappointing, due completely to my extreme like/dislike feature.
No, the birthday presents was not that big of an issue. The big one was not to be free to do what I want(ed). Christmas is a family time. Everyone has plans with their families so even if I was free to do whatever I pleased, growing up I would very rarely have anyone to share it with.
This year we were home for Christmas in the uk. We had plans to go to Canada but we didn't at the end because of the flight prices. Maybe next year!
Yes, Christmas is bittersweet for me. I love what it is and sometimes I find myself happier at the prospect that during the actual holidays. But the food, specially when we are at my mums house, never disappoints me.


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Happy Christmas

Receiving Christmas Cards

I love receiving Christmas. Yesterday I got one from one of my favourite people, Lindsay Mason, that just left me in awe of her talent. Such a beautiful artwork. Of course, another of my favorite, Julie Hickey, was the first card that I got, as Julie is probably the most organized person I know. She may disagree with me, but in truth she is!


This little lot of Christmas cards can be done fairly fast and without too much expense, a perfect combination for me when it comes to Christmas cards. The beauty of the embossing folders captivates me. A simple card just looks so much better with some embossed plain card.

More variations on a theme

This time the main card is formed of two pieces of card, a green and a red one.
I used a Ek Success edge punch for the green piece.
The message, once again, is Large Christmas and Filled With Flowers.

Simplicity. Enjoying the snow, indoors as much as outdoors. It is cozy in our living room, Omar has the main couch, Wasabi is lounging on the armchair and I am seating on the floor ( on top of a thin futon though!). Good times.

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Someone enjoys the fire

With the snow outside, it is a perfect day to have some fire and enjoy each others company.

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Pantone Colour of the Year

This is Pantone's Colour of the Year 2011. I rather like it. As soon as i saw it -Fabrizio told me that it was out- it looked familiar. Oh, yes, my website colours are a subdued version of the colour on the picture above.
I rather like that.