I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew it had to involve writing or drawing. I remember wondering if people got paid to name crayons, but that’s a different topic altogether. I’ve kept a diary since I was about 8 and I’m embarrassed when I re-read my diaries from high school. To say I’ve grown up a lot is an understatement.

So, even though I’ve had a lifetime love of art and prose, why do I still have an invisible shield keeping all the good stuff from being seen? I don’t even know that I’ve put it out there for anyone to see…it gives me joy to create certain drawings, but I don’t think anyone else will like them. I know that is sounds ridiculous to think these things now, but everyone has their insecurities…right?

Enter the image in this post. I’ve drawn the female figure hundreds of times. I know I’m not quite perfect at it, but I have always LOVED it. I love drawing the clothes, the expression, the pose, and most of all, the hair. Yes, the hair is FUN for me, I get to experiment and make it do things my fine, straight hair will not do.

Jorge and I attended a career seminar at church a few weeks ago. I mostly went for moral support, but ended up taking so much more back with me. After the eight hour day, I realized I am already doing what I love and what God sent me here to do. I am in my right career zone. I am doing what makes me happy, but to stay sane, I still need to let go, and not have so many reservations when it comes to SHARING why I love what I do. I hope that it will inspire someone else to take the leap into what they love.

Sharing this painting with all of you is a significant, although quiet step for me. I promised myself and my readers that when I launched this new blog in January, that it would be somewhat of a more free-flowing expression from me. I am ready to do that now. I hope you guys will continue to join me here where I will share more stories, more art, and more soul. Because goodness knows I need it. Enjoy your weekend! xo Angelica

If you just stopped over from

Shellye McDaniel’s blog

then you’re on the right track and hopping along just fine!

If not, head back over to The Twinery’s blog or Imaginisce’s Blog so you don’t miss a stop (or a chance to win)!

Each of the Twinery’s Designers received “Sole Sisters”, a fun, whimsical collection from Imaginisce that features colors I personally LOVE.

The embellishments, and patterns were super inspiring, and I had so much fun pairing them up with my Maraschino and Blossom twine from The Twinery.

• For the card above, I simply cut strips of some of the smaller patterns in the collection and adhered them on a diagonal across a 4″ x 5.25″ sheet of white cardstock.
• I added Maraschino twine to the edges for texture, and snipped the upper right and lower left corner so I’d still have some of the kraft base showing through.
• After a quick addition of some pearls for accents, I added my fun little die cut to create both a focal point and a sentiment.

The matching and coordinating elements and chipboard shapes made this card fun and easy to whip up! Think of how many you could create just like this in an afternoon. They’re perfect to keep in your stash for a last minute occasion.

This card was probably my favorite of the three because of the funky, earthy feel. Using one of the strips from the pattern paper, I created a border and tied in my Maraschino and Blossom twine. Love how The Twinery’s colors seem to match perfectly with any collection!

I hope you enjoyed the inspiration today, there’s still much more to see so don’t forget to visit all the blogs in the hop this week!

Check out what you could win:

“I Dream in Twine” twine sampler

OR

the “Making Waves” collection!

All you have to do for a chance to win is comment on the designer’s blogs all week long!

Your next stop on the hop is

RO PHILLIPSON

Thanks so much for stopping by!

xo Angelica

Wanna know where you can get some of the items featured in today’s tutorial? Check out my link list below:

Thanks for stopping by this morning! Just for fun, if you decide to give paper piecing a try this week, link up below! I love seeing what you create! xo Angelica

THE CHALLENGE details:
Create a card or layout of your choice following the sketch provided.
We’ll be awarding “TOP PEACH” to the player who uses their Peachy Keen Stamps this week and our two runner ups will receive a spiffy badge to display on their blog!

Guidelines:
- Design must be new
- Link up by 3/7 – 11:59 pm EST

Here’s the card I created this week. I didn’t have a chance to ink up the darling Gnome sets for the release last weekend, so I couldn’t wait to do it today! These gnomes are seriously my new favorite Peachies, and I hope you love them as much as I do! Seriously – how funny is that sentiment with this image?!

Card Recipe:

CARDSTOCK: PTI Kraft, XPress It Blender Card

PATTERN PAPER: My Mind’s Eye (On the Bright Side)

INK: Memento (Tuxedo Black)

STAMPS: Peachy Keen Stamps – Stamp of the Month Kit – March, Team Work

MISC: Copic Markers, Spica Pens

If you love these gnomes (and who wouldn’t?!), Peachy Keen Stamps is having a sale THIS WEEKEND to celebrate National Craft Month! Details below:

Automatic 25% off Friday March 2 – Sunday March 4th

A Gift Certificate will given away each day of the sale to one random order!

This is a GREAT chance to stock up on your wish list! Here are just a few of my very favorite sets that I think everyone should have in their collection:

Stamp Kit of the Month Club PK-297 Kiss Me Leprechaun Happy-Go-Lucky Dog Faces Cute and Cuddly Face Assortment Wide Eyed Kids Face Assortment Critter Faces – Large PK-259 Shower Peepers PK-239 Faceless Fruit PK-222 Happy-Go-Lucky Elephant PK-266 Duck Dolls PKS Spring Bouquet PK-265 Bunny Dolls

Thanks so much for stopping by today – have a fantastic weekend!
xo Angelica

Hey guys and Happy Monday! I’m back from a weekend of celebrating my grandma’s 80th Birthday in Michigan and finally got a chance to put my post together. (Quick, while Jorge is giving the girls a bath!)

I’m going to make a long story short by telling you that I haven’t made more than two cards since coming home from CHA. My body, mind, and I think soul were completely running on empty. I thrive on deadlines, and often, that’s the only time I get things done. These past few weeks, though, I just haven’t felt that “umpf” or desire to even do a thing. So, when Market Street Stamps’ newest release hit our shelves (so to speak), it was bittersweet. These have got to be some of my favorite images by far, but I just couldn’t get myself downstairs to my craft room to do much more than color (and even THAT was tough!). Anyway, I saw Stephanie’s GORGEOUS Block Party card this weekend, and immediately CASED it (CASE = Copy & Steal Everything)! Technically, I didn’t take the entire idea for this card, but I really loved  how she paired “Here Comes the Sun” with the new “Neighborhood” stamp set! I used the “Home Sweet Home” chateau.

Instead of using pretty green satin ribbon (I didn’t have any), I used a strip of green paper to create the illusion of grass. What can I say? In addition to being an awesome DT Coordinator and a great friend, she inspires me to be creative all the time!

Card Recipe:

CARDSTOCK: PTI Spring Moss, SU! White, XPress It

PATTERN PAPER: Crate Paper (Peppermint Collection – for green grass)

INK: Memento (Tuxedo Black), Distress Ink (Scattered Straw)

STAMPS: Market Street Stamps - Here Comes the Sun, Home Sweet Home

MISC: Copic Markers

This card was so fun to make – I was really happy with the end result and the best part is – it only took a few minutes to put together after the image was all colored! I can’t wait to send this to my amiga who just recently moved. It’s on its way to her, so I don’t want to spoil the surprise!

Just in case you haven’t seen the new releases, here they are! They are ALL on sale through this Thursday only and are 15% off individually, or 25% off all of them in our February Bundle! Samantha Casey created all the gorgeous illustrations and Tifany DeGough designed that yummeh Houndstooth PERFECT for card-making and embellies!

CLICK each photo to be taken to the item in our SHOP

YAY! Now it’s finally time to give away this Market Fresh kit; they have become such a wonderful resource to have nearby in your craft room. And the best part is that you end up using all the elements. I feel like whenever I purchase any pre-designed collections from manufacturers, I’m always stuck with leftover pieces that I can’t use.

So without further ado…the winner is…karenladd!!!

Congratulations, Karen! Please email me (angsuarez at att dot net) to claim your prize! Thank you guys so much for stopping by to check out my Q&A with the Twinery and entering my giveaway! Have an awesome week! xo Angelica

Last Fall, I was approached by an editor at scrapbooks, etc. asking if a project I created for one of my Twinery posts was available for publication. I had to read it three times to make sure I wasn’t being punked! I had never submitted anything and was shocked to read that someone approached me to put my project in a magazine! I’m pleased to say that my project is now available on newsstands in the April 2012 edition!

Be sure to pop over to the Twinery’s blog where you can see a sneak peek of my album featured in the above issue of  scrapbooks etc.!

Just for fun,(and because it’s been far too long!) I’d love to give away one of our February Market Fresh Kits to one lucky reader! These kits are designed by Stephanie Washburn and are jam PACKED with goodies to create multiple layouts and cards! I absolutely love it!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

• Check out the Twinery’s blog post today!
• Click to like TYPICAL AQUARIAN on Facebook.
• Let me know your FAVORITE way to use twine in the comments section and that’s it!
• Only one entry per person, por favor.
• I’ll draw the winner on Friday, February 24th and announce here on my blog.

Thanks so much for stopping by, good luck on the giveaway!! xoxo Angelica

Good Morning Everyone! So thrilled to be back again this week with another new-to-me company – Momenta! I have not yet had the pleasure of working with their products, so I jumped at the chance to try them out! If you’ve just come from ERIN’S blog, you are hopping along just fine, but if not, please do start over at the Twinery’s Blog so you don’t miss a beat!

Designers from both the Twinery’s Design Team and Momenta’s Design Team are joining forces to showcase both the fun papers and embellishments from Momenta and the beautiful twine from the Twinery.

You could win a $25 sampler pack from The Twinery and something special from Momenta, too! Just be sure to leave comments along the way since BOTH companies will be drawing winners from across all blogs.

You have until February 17th 11:59 pm EST to leave your comments and be entered to win! Winners will be announced on each company’s blog on Monday, February 20th. Please be sure to check both The Twinery’s and Momenta’s blogs to read all the details on entering!

I received a selection of products from the Family Outings collection and wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with it, since I don’t have any camping pictures. Sad, huh? But I did really love the stickers and how each sheet of pattern paper had a nice, neutral pattern on the other side like this yellow and white polka dot pattern.

To make my card, I simply folded a sheet of white cardstock in half and used my circle Nestabilities to create the shape. I used the pattern paper and cut another circle for my base and then just layered a foam sticker along with the adorable picnic basket dimensional sticker, too! I used Caribbean twine around the edges to complete the card.

My second card is from the same collection, but from the “Amusement Park” side of the collection. You can see I used the same yellow and white polka paper, but I also used a very strong, bold blue pattern that was just screaming to be layered up with that yellow! I cut a small strip of white to layer my transparent sentiment sticker onto (so you could see it) and also added a fun star button sticker to the side. The Lemondrop color from The Twinery worked perfectly with the tones of the card so I used that as well.

Hope you’re enjoying the hop, just in case you lost your way or are just finding out about the hop from this post, please do check out the rest of the amazing projects for inspiration and a chance to win! Thanks SO much for spending a few minutes here on my blog today. I appreciate your comments SO much!

And, on a totally unrelated note from the hop, today is my oldest’s 4th Birthday! AH! The time flies! I love you so much Lucia, you truly live up to your name and shine light wherever you go!! xoxoxo

Your next stop is CHRISTINE!

Hi Hi Everyone! Are you here for the Market Street Stamps/Ribbon Carousel Hop? Well then! You’ve come to the right place! We have lined up both incredible design teams to showcase the gorgeous ribbons Ribbon Carousel carries and the fun stamps (if I may say so m’self) that Market Street Stamps produces.

I’ll explain the giveaway in just a second, but chances are you’ve already read all the info, and just want to head straight to the project, right?

I was literally FREAKING OUT when I saw this V-Striped Twill in ALL kinds of colors over at Ribbon Carousel. I had to have it! I had lots of fun mixing colors to create a bright, fun Valentine’s Day card that you could give to just about anyone. Who says you have to use red & pink? I also snagged some of that fun Apple Green Pom Pom trim to tape along the bottom.

To create my middle panel, I used my favorite background and cut it waaaay down, Loopy Loo Polkas! This stamp might look simple, but it’s an awesome size (a full 4.25″ x 5.5″) and I have seen it used in so many ways! Use it on a card with a champagne glass, use it as “snowflakes”, or use it just to create fun texture in a coordinating color for your project. I inked it up with Bahama Blue ink and layered my ribbons on top.

Coloring this birdie from Birds of a Feather (illustrated by the super creative Tifany!) was a blast! I used Copics that matched my ribbons.

I finished off the card with a sentiment also stamped from “Birds of a Feather”. I just love all the little extras in this set – the hearts, sentiments and flourish all work so nicely together with the birds or any other images you already have in your stash!

Alright, you’ve got more beautiful creations to see, so I’ll let you hop on over there – but make sure when you’re all done you head back to either the Market Street Stamps blog or the Ribbon Carousel Blog to check out ALL the other inspiration and link up your name so you’re entered to win one of the THREE amazing prizes we’re giving away:

A BRAND NEW hybrid Ribbon Carousel

VALUED AT $90.00!!!

OR one of 

Thank you SO much for checking out our hop! I appreciate you taking the time to stop by today! Have a very happy Wednesday! xo Angelica

Marlee is my youngest and she’s just over 2-1/2. We had a scary episode right before Christmas where she was admitted to the PICU for low blood sugar, severe dehydration (which set in overnight), low body temp, and anything else you can think of . LOW. LOW. LOW. Little did I know I’d still be feeling LOW 5 weeks later.

In between Marlee coming home right before Christmas, Lucy (almost 4) caught the flu, Marlee was brought back to the ER , and now, just this past Monday, developed a serious case of hives from an antibiotic she was on. And, oh – Jorge was in a car accident that will cost $10,000 to fix and 24 days to fix it. Thank goodness he was uninjured and also, thank goodness for insurance. OH…and during all of this intense sickness plague that has taken over our house, we had to prepare for the biggest trade show in our industry – CHA Winter 2012.

I am human. I have been feeling pretty sorry for myself the past couple of days. Why now? Why all at once? How much MORE is God going to throw at me? What are the reasons this is all going down RIGHT NOW? Am I on a wrong path? Show me the right way! What am I supposed to be doing? I thought to myself, “I am beaten. I feel like I’ve lost”.

Then, I am reminded that I am not in charge. I am at a point, emotionally, where I have nothing left. I am drained. I have no other option, no other choice, but to leave it in God’s hands. There is a reason for all of this to happen right now. All at once. I just need to remember to always have faith in His timing.