Today We Welcome Victoria Shea Marchetti

Our family has grown today with the addtion of Victoria Shea Marchetti. She is an angel among us and we are blessed to have her. She weighed in at 9 lbs 2 oz. and is very cute!

This is me holding Victoria. I am known as Gam.

These are the proud parents, Jeremy (my son) and Casey.

Big sister, Isabella and big brother Elek.

My husband Joe, known as "P" to our grandchildren.

Welocme to the world, Victoria Shea Marchetti!

Tip Of The Day 1-14-2009

My tip of the day is this........don't promise a tip of the day unless you can deliver!! I'm changing it to "Tip Of The Week" and if I post more than one tip a week, I'm golden!!

I did make a little video showing my tip for today but I could not get it to upload and it's not something I wanted to put on YouTube as it was filmed really quick. So, I will make the video tomorrow (although we have our 10th little grandchild being born tomorrow so it could be late when I post)I will post the video on YouTube and embed in the Blog. I've been wanting to make some videos, so now I will. Wish me luck:-)

Namaste', Monkey Hugs & Blessings,

Doreen

What do you do with an empty Animal Cracker Jar?

You make it into the "Tip of the Day"!! I'm sure lots of people do this in some form or another and if you don't, maybe it will be just the thing you've been looking for when your feeling creatively blocked, or stuck, or like your brain is in fog. Make an inspiration jar (mine is a plastic container but I like the word jar better than container). So, here is how I made mine. First, I ate all the animal crackers. LOL Then, I cut up some white multi-purpose paper into 1/4" x ? strips. How? With my shredder!! First cut the paper into three or four strips horizontally (across the 8.5" width), then feed those into the shredder (8.5" side going into shredder). Makes lots of little strips really fast.

Next, on a piece of scrap paper write the letter A, then write one word that starts with A on a strip, fold in half and put in your jar, repeat. When words stop popping in your head, write the letter B and continue with the entire alphabet. As you go through the alphabet some words will bring to mind other words for letters you already did, just write them down when you think of them. Keep this up until you feel satisfied that you have a great, eclectic, sampling of single words.

Some days you may only need to pick one strip to jump start your creativity, some days you may feel the need to choose 5, up to you!! Here is an example of 5 words I chose today and what they meant to me, each of you may come up with an entirely different meaning or interpretation.

1-wire…2-mute…3-refined…4-bed…5-jump….

Neat huh? To me that means monkeys, or children, or well dressed refined adults, or cats, whatever, mutely(silently), jumping on a very fancy bed that has a wire canopy. So, that would be my painting or an aspect of it. Or it would just get the old creative juices flowing. Neat huh?

Of course this method can work for cards, scrapbooking etc. You can limit the words you write on your strips to certain categories or even separate categories in pretty little jars. Or just write down the products, techniques etc you use while crafting and choose from them and don't write words like pursue, love, genuine, spirit, crackle. Know what I mean??

That was a little glimpse into the workings of my brain. Scary? LOL

And, I have pictures...................

animal cracker jar. Will I decorate it?? Not sure.

picking my words in my monkey jammies.

I would love to hear some comments on this!! Come on, tell me what you think! Are you going to do it? Share, I wanna know someone out there is reading this:-)

Namaste' Monkey Hugs and Blessings,

Doreen aka: Creative Monkey

Hello Stampers!!

This post is going to cover lots. It's going to be my....."getting caught up" post. I really want to figure out this blogspot site so I can make my blog THE place to be and share. I plan on having a tip of the day!! So at least I can post that if life gets really crazy and I can't manage more than that, at least I'll be posting. That's the plan!
I am a Stampin Up rep and of course hope I gain customers though my blogging and videos (when I start making them:-) But most of all I want to share my love of art, all kinds of art! Life gets busy because my husband, Joe and I also have other businesses. I am a Reiki Master/teacher, do Angel card readings, and teach decorative painting, Joe does Hypnotherapy and is level 1 Reiki. We both facilitate Heal Your LIfe workshops, offer EFT and other healing methods. I mention it only because all of that, family which includes 10 grandchildren (#10 is arriving this Thursday) a parrot, cat and of course, Emily........I'm busy. LOL I love every single thing that I do so will continue to do them all. I just need to make quality time for each "thing".


Ok, these pictures didn't post in the order I thought they would.

Tip of the day 1-12-09
When you are teaching a class or just crafting on your own, and you have some small items like brads or a piece of ribbon etc. that you are using on your card or layout. You know how they alwas get lost under stuff or end up on the floor cause the monkey or cat came by? Well put down a line of adhesive, snail, ATG gun, whatever and stick those little buggers down on your work surface and there they will be when you are ready for them. And that is the "tip of the day".


Inside of Birthday card. (another tip) when you smudge your card, stamp another image or add an embellishment. In this case, I stamped a single cupcake. So, it fell? So?? It's better than throwing the whole card away or looking at a smudge:-)


No time to crop photos, I must post today. I told my upline, Donna Centemore I was posting today if it was the last thing I did. LOL

Inside of next card.

I love this shadow technique and wiping ink on the photo paper with baby wipes, so did my students. I also really enjoy the set Lovely As A Tree.

Psssst...........If your still reading............I got my box of new catalogs today!!!! I LOVE all the new things. I REALLY love the see thru dies!!! Especially the see thru die that will cut a full sized card shaped just like a Rolodex card!!! Oh, the possiblities. I now know why I bought two Rolodexs a while back. I will be turning them into tabletop scrapbooks of my family as soon as that die is in my little hands!!!

If you don't have a Stampin Up rep and want to order online, just click here and go to my website. The new catalog goes into effect on January 19th. You will be pleased!!


Until tomorrow....................Namaste', Monkey Hugs, and Blessings to you.