Sara's Blog

Happy (almost) 4th of July! Whether you’re planning fireworks or a barbecue, be sure to stop by the Webisodes page this weekend to get a first glimpse at the Card Workshop Week of Webisodes. It officially starts Monday, but VIPs and blog readers can get in a little early. Enjoy! All the scrumptious cards are created by Teresa Welch, who’s one of my favorite designers and always comes up with amazing ideas. Besides the Webisode and all-new cards, you can also take advantage of special deals and savings. It’s our summertime treat to you!

I’m still working on the Stamp Camp Week of Webisodes projects—I’ve (somewhat) gotten over my creative slump and came up with one or two surprise techniques…I can’t wait to share them with you! You’ll see this project has even taken over my kitchen, which now looks a little like a chemistry lab. But oh, it’s great fun! (My hands, by the way, are blue from ink…lovely…and difficult to explain to non-crafters.)

Anyway, it’s way too warm to use the kitchen for cooking as we’re having something tantamount to a heatwave here in Amsterdam. Okay, it’s 78 degrees but either:

a) that’s not true and it’s really 100, or
b) I’ve grown acclimated to Dutch weather, because I’m absolutely melting

Air conditioning is a rarity and our apartment is like a tiny oven. “How can you work in here all day?” Keith gasped last night when he got home from the (air conditioned) office. Slowly, is all I can say, and the benefit being that my dyed papers are drying really quickly.

Have you been over to the Message Board lately? The Fabulous Fabrizio, Heather and Melanie are organizing the monthly swaps (you guys are great!) so pop on over to find out more, or to see the slide show of projects from the June card swap. There’s some amazing talent out there!

I’ll leave you this week with one of my favorite signs of summer—this pretty flower from the public garden in Groningen, where we took a day trip last weekend.

So this week has been Stamp Camp mayhem. I’ve been working on the projects for the October Week of Webisodes for two weeks now and I have to say….

I’m having a heck of a time.

Call it creative drain, lack of inspiration, or just plain frustration. Every inch of my apartment is covered in papers, half-stamped images, inkpads, chalk, ribbons, flowers, brads, sketches, markers…well, you name it and it’s probably on my desk. Or floor. Or kitchen.

Even better? Among all the mess, there are mistakes. Not little mistakes, like an errant smudge, but big fat glaring mistakes. Inking experiments gone horribly awry, Distress inkpad disasters (I’ll spare you the gory details) and an exasperating yet ultimately educational experience with a Dove Blender pen.

Please tell me you’ve been there before too.

This morning I also had a small visitor: The neighbor’s cat, who shimmies along the gutter between our apartments and sneaks in through my window. (We are on the third floor so this is only an activity that can be done by a small cat.) This morning I found her sitting among the Stamp Camp wreckage from last night. She had a look on her face that plainly said, “Is this really the best you can do?” The cat’s name is something Dutch that I can’t pronounce and when I tried to call her (which probably offended her) she sprinted out the window and back along the gutter. Nothing like being so soundly rejected first thing in the morning.

I know I’ve mentioned Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way before…I just finished the 12-week program and felt so sad that I was done with it that I ordered the sequel. Well, it came in the mail today and I’ve never been so excited to see the postman. I’m hoping this will help me with my creative slump. Help me, Julia!

I had a super time doing the Card Swap on the Message Board—I got home from vacation on Saturday to find this gorgeous card in the mail. Pene used the sarapapers collection, Heidi Swapp Borders Bling and gave this pretty layered flower a spritz with Tattered Rose Glimmer Mist. (Pene called it a “lollipop flower”—how cute!)

The photo doesn’t really do it justice…this pretty card is sitting on my windowsill so I can admire it every day. When Pene sent it to me, she said she had to flatten the flower so it could go through the mail, and that I could fluff it up…which I did, but it also looked pretty flat, too. Thanks, Pene!

For our vacation, Keith and I took the train from Prague to Vienna to Budapest. I love the train and would happily never fly again if it weren’t for that pesky puddle between Europe and the US.

Who could resist Czech glass beads from Prague…ropes and ropes of them!

I am not a proponent of graffiti (although I do like Banksy) but this random scribbling on a wall in Prague just seemed too weird not to photograph…I can’t tell if it really says “Keith!” or if it’s something else in Czech?

I’m in love with Vienna—I was blown away by the grand architecture, museums and overall style. (I should have packed my elastic pants in preparation for the tortes and kuchen, though…) I could spend an entire week in the Museum Quarter!

This supercool lamp was in our hotel room in Vienna…it’s got all kinds of metal spokes coming out from the center area, and each spoke has a note or memo clipped to it. The notes are in different languages…reminders, love notes, receipts. Hmmm, how can I replicate this in my own home?

This market in Budapest has a dizzying array of lace and embroidery, plus fruit, vegetables, bread, etc. Another place one could easily get lost poking around!

The view of the Parliament building in Budapest, with the Danube. Gorgeous!

I am on vacation this week and will post again next week.
But, here is a little inspiration for your Friday!

Rest, Relax, Escape
Designer: Laura Nicholas

Supplies:

• Flip Flops Brads
  
• Citrus Use 'Em for Anything papers
  
• Citrus Flowers
  
• Citrus Brad Pack
  
• Cardmaker's Citrus Ribbons
  
• 5"x6 1/2" blank white card
  
• Small Zots™
  
• White cardstock
  
• Yellow ink pad
  

Instructions:

1. Cut a 2"-wide strip of yellow dotted paper, including the block border along the left edge. Ink the edges of the strip. Attach eight flowers down the strip using brads and mini brads. Place the blank card with the fold on the left and glue the strip to the right side of the card front.
   
2. Cover the left side of the card front with orange texture paper. Glue gingham ribbon covering the seam between the two papers. Zot™ a bow of gingham ribbon to the top of the length.
   
3. Computer journal “rest”, “relax” and “escape” on white cardstock and crop to three strips. Ink the edges of each strip and mat on aqua texture paper. Attach flip flop brads to the “rest” and “escape” strips. Add a mini brad to each end of the “relax” strip. Glue the strips down the bottom left side of the card front.
   
4. Inside: Ink the edges of a 1 1/2"x2" piece of yellow dotted paper, including the block border. Glue the piece to the right end of a 6 1/2"x2" strip of orange texture paper. Wrap gingham ribbon around the strip to cover the seam between the two papers.
   
5. Computer journal “enjoy your trip!” on white cardstock and ink the edges. Mat on aqua texture paper and glue across the orange strip. Add two flip flop brads, then glue the strip across the center of the card inside.
   

Thanks everyone for sending in your tips—I can’t believe how many great ones I got…so many, in fact, that I have enough for the next couple of Week of Webisodes, plus another little project you’ll hear about later.

You’ll be able to see the tips on the Week of Webisodes Countdown Clock that goes up on the Paper Wishes home page on Saturday, June 27th. Every day we’ll showcase a brilliant new tip from you guys!

And the winners are…

To receive a set of papers, brads and Dazzles:
- Kathleen M.
- Judy A.
- Sherri B.
- Fabrizio M.
- Angela D.

To receive a $100 prize pack of Paper Wishes goodies:
- Etta D.

Congratulations!!

(A special thanks to my able assistant—okay, my husband—who pulled the winning names at random, while simultaneously watching the game on TV and loading his iPod. Check out the “in action” photo…one hand on the computer!)

Since I still have a TON of tips, I'll be pulling more winners from my stash for the next Week of Webisodes--so everyone still has a chance to win. I also have a little idea up my sleeve for another cool way to share everyone's great ideas with Webisode viewers. I'll keep you posted!

Thanks everyone for participating! I knew you'd be absolutely brilliant!

And just in case the Countdown Clock isn’t enough to remind you, mark your calendars for the Card Making Workshop Week of Webisodes from July 6-11. The projects are all totally new and the techniques are fabulous. Even if you’re not a card maker, you’ll still get great ideas for techniques that apply to scrapbooking too. (And it might just make you a card maker!)