Feeling Lucky...and Playing...

Today is my once-a-month stamping 101 class I teach at my local SB store. Stamping is an addiction to me, though I am quite haphazard about it. I have a couple loyal students who show up regardless of what we are making - all in an effort, to PLAY, experiment, and learn a few techniques. This is one of the cards we are making today. This clover stamp is so beautiful, I couldn't resist using it. I am LUCKY, creatively and in love, and in return I am happy to pass on my knowledge to others...Sb

Happy First Day - Mr. President!!!

Today is a NEW day and we are getting a fresh start with a NEW President! We have CNN on at work and I have been catching bits and pieces of the festivities around my work. The highlight of the afternoon was about 1/3 of the way through the parade route, when President Obama stopped the limo and got out and walked with his FIRST Lady down the parade route... what a refreshing change of pace - showing his gratitude to all who elected him. He is our President - with a capital "P". Of the people and for the people - and the PEOPLE CHEERED for miles around. I can't wait to get home and watch the whole day uninterrupted on my DVR.

I am so lucky to be alive at such a turning point in history. I'm feeling a little guilty now for taking my government and American History classes in summer school to clear my senior year schedule for more Art classes...Sb

PLAYing with my chalk inks...

Part of my daily PLAY activities is to spend a few minutes doing things that I need to do but never get around to - in order to be able to PLAY longer and more efficiently. I have all of these chalk-lets [chalk inks] that I have abused to the point of the ink pad falling off the container. So today, in my frantic search for class materials I came across a glue gun - FINALLY - I have two, both lost in my artistic mess, so I will take 10 minutes and glue these babies back on so I can stop wasting the ink on my fingers...

Sometimes the simplest of tasks are the hardest to accomplish. Why? Because when I play I don't put everything away...Sb

Teaching & Creative Play

For those who don't know, I work/PLAY on the weekends at my local Scrapbook Store. What a bad habit, but a great perk is that it's nice to have everything at one's disposal 24/7 and I just have to work/PLAY to pay for it. Anyway, I love to teach others and share my craftiness. And my students are always amazing me. They leave so excited and rush right home to put photos or add more things to the projects we've made. And today I've come to realize that in my efforts to teach others, I find that I am learning things from my students. AND today, with my student happily playing and making this little mini book, this certainly was the case.

I guess the best compliment I can receive as a teacher is a student that takes off running, brimming with inspiration and they improve upon the projects. In return, I gain inspiration from their discoveries on their newfound creative Journey...Sb

New PLAYtoy I found in the street

I am always looking towards the ground, mainly because I'm quite clumsy. And today I found this little gem in the street. It's part of a game or some toy [depicting a brain in a jar] and will soon become part of some altered art...YAY!

It's a small world that I find a goodie of such subject matter. I am a veteran from the advertising agency days [when I was in my twenty somethings & times and $$$$ were good - pre BUSH] and the name of my creative PLAYground was BRAINSTORMS advertising. Oh the sweet memories this has brought back. I long for the good-old-days and still hold out hope that my old friends will call me back one day when this economy starts its way back up : ) Sb

Creative entry for today...

I was "PLAYING" around with some art in photoshop yesterday to make a header for my blog [one of those things I've been meaning to get to]. Then when I went to save it, the program shut down and I lost half of it. Oh well, I was playing...

Anyway, today's PLAY at work was filling out my entry and selecting my reproduction for the annual Street Painting Festival in Lake Worth, FL next month [Feb 21-22]. It was a tough decision and I had 5 paintings in the running: four by Monet - "Nympheas" of the Water Lilly series, "Field of Tulips, Holland", "Madame Monet & Her Son", & "The Boat at Giverny" and "The Card Players" by Cezanne.

This is the one I chose, "Madame Monet & Her Son". I will save the others for selection next year " ) Sb

I took the Challenge...

I am wide awake and online and watching "Days..." on tivo. Checking in on my group digests for any responses to a few posts and I went on to one of my new favorite blogs to read by Elizabeth Golden - The Last Door...Down the Hall. What a creative piece of inspiration with photos, artwork, recipies and more...I have been there reading for over 2 hours. I have screen captured so many recipes - and I can't wait to try. Anyway...on her blog she has a link to this Creative Every Day blog.

CED is having a challenge for 2009 & I just signed up [I'm #109 on the list]. I'm only 8 days behind...but committed just the same. I'm looking forward to where i end up on this new adventure! Wish me luck ; ) Sb

Board books for swap - ABB/RR