Art From The Heart

For The Record . . .

2012-02-23T10:52:04-06:00

Each month I try to do a class that features Graphic 45. This Saturday, we will be creating a mini-book using Graphic 45's black policy envelopes and combining it with Curtain Call and a Bruno Mars song.

Class will begin at 10:30 am and last until 4:30 pm.

This class is sold out (thank you!).

Please bring the following supplies to this workshop:

Basics to include cutter, scissors, both wet & dry adhesives
Sponge brush
Inks and ink applicators (I used brown tones)
Craft mat
Corner rounder
Clear packing tape
Gold ink for edging papers
Mini stapler
Crop-a-dile
Paper piercer

BYO lunch. You are welcome to use our refrigerator and microwave.

See you Saturday @ For Keeps Sake!

March 13 and CYI meet-up . . .

2012-02-23T02:45:40-06:00

For important information about CYI, please see THIS POST.

March 13 - CYI update . . .

2012-02-22T08:04:40-06:00

CYI = Create Your Imagination

This is a free meet-up on the 2nd Tuesday of each month @ For Keeps Sake Scrapbook. We start at 6 pm and share ideas and such. It's a great group of gals and you can jump in anytime and join our little soiree.

Our next meet-up is March 13 and do we have a surprise for you! Bonnie H has agreed to teach us how to make a beautiful bookplate necklace. It's delicate yet packs a wallop of technique including etching.

Bonnie will be bringing the metal and other supplies needed to create this etched necklace.

If you want to join us here's the deal:

sign up right here on my blog by leaving a comment on this post no later than March 6.
cost is $15 per person payable in cash direct to Bonnie H night of class. This will cover the cost of the metal, etching solution, etc.

Hope to see you at our next CYI. It's going to be an exciting night!

Wednesday, Feb 22 - Savvy Stamping

2012-02-21T19:35:23-06:00

Thank you to all who signed up for Wednesday's Savvy Stamping class. It is sold out.

Here is a supply list for the class. Please BYO basic supplies to include:

wet & dry adhesives. If you have a glue pen, this will be helpful for the tiny pieces.
craft mat
Distress Inks (I used Vintage Photo, Worn Lipstick, a dark brown such as Corduroy & Antique Linen)
Distress Ink applicator
Cutter & scissors (We will be doing some fussy cutting.)
Embossing/heat gun
We will also be using gold and clear embossing powder if you want to BYO. I will have mine here but just in case you're not good at sharing ; )
Stickles (I used platinum but gold or silver will work as well.)
Tim Holtz ruler and a paper piercer (yes, Tim Holtz ruler will work the best for one application)
a gel pen (I used a light blue color)
Edge punch (your favorite!)

Remember, this is the class where you keep the stamp set!

See you Wednesday!

Happy President's Day . . .

2012-02-20T05:30:20-06:00

as I sit at the computer, with coffee in hand, watching a documentary about my fave pres,

Thomas Jefferson.

And to celebrate President's Day

you may want to stop by

For Keeps Sake Scrapbook

4530 Lemay Ferry Road - St. Louis MO

We made tons of changes in the store yesterday

as well as set up a HUGE sale in the classroom.

Two Tag Tuesday Feb 21 . . .

2012-02-20T05:16:38-06:00

Hope you can join me tomorrow, Feb 21, for Two Tag Tuesday. It's a quick workshop I started last month. We create two tags using techniques for just $10. This month's technique focuses on image transfers. We're doing some very simple transfers so please BYO basics + clear packing tape (it must be perfectly clear) + a small tupperware for water + a bone folder.

We will complete basic image transfers in class and I will demo a 2nd image transfer using Claudine Hellmuth Matte Medium.

Tuesday, February 21

2 pm - 4 pm or 5 pm - 7 pm

For Keeps Sake Scrapbook - St. Louis MO

Reservations Required: 314-630-5057

Hope to see you there!

London, Paris, New York . . .

2012-02-20T04:04:52-06:00

You can take your pick of your favorite city (whether you've been there or not) and create something wonderful using one of these places as your muse.

It's all happening on the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge blog where you can post your creation and win a fabulous prize.

Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world so this tag is an homage to the city of lights. After cutting the cardstock into a large postcard size tag, I first stamped a background using VersaMark ink and the diamond pattern from French Market. VersaMark left a watermark without using color.

With Memento's Black Tuxedo ink, I stamped Post Card across the top of the tag and heat set with a heat gun. Heat setting allowed me to dry any ink before embossing so that the powder will stick only where I want it to.

Using the Post Mark image from French Market, I stamped with VersaMark and embossed with Ranger's Stream embossing powder. It was then put between sheets of newspaper and ironed. The ironing process lets the color stay on the image but releases the shiny embossing into the newspaper. The result is amazing! You can find this blended batik technique on page 36 in The Compendium of Curiosities book 1.

Graphic 45's Curtain Call (the lady, the Eiffel Tower and the Paris stamp) and Crafty Secrets (the banner with the fleur de lis) were used to decorate the tag. The celebratory lady was colored with Copic Markers and popped up on the tag. The Crafty Secrets banner has several icons you can insert in the banner. Of course, fleur de lis was the obvious choice.

Stop by the Simon Says Stamp and Show challenge blog and take a look at the wonderful projects my fellow team members have come up with this week as well as the entries. So much inspiration in one place! Enter your own creation and you will have a chance to win a $50 prize from Simon Says Stamp or possibly be one of the artists chosen as The Top Three.

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you over at

Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge Blog.

Graphic 45's Kraft Reflections . . .

2012-02-17T07:37:19-06:00

This collection is amazingly beautiful and versatile. You can use as is or color with Copics, colored pencils and so much more to alter it to suit your project.

I used Copics with mine and came up with this color scheme:

Copics worked beautifully on this paper without bleeding through the image outlines. Adding a white gel pen popped the color.

The clock is from Imaginarium Designs.

I usually alter the accordion minis that are included in the Graphic 45 boxes

but this time I just let it be

and decided to use all the fabulous quotes that are featured on

Kraft Reflections Quote . . . Unquote.

A bit of a cut-and-fold for a pop-out on the back of the booklet.

Visit Graphic 45's blog for beautiful inspiration

from my Team Mate Gloria

and guest designer Colette

Luke is on the Graphic 45 blog today . . .

2012-02-16T07:39:15-06:00

My grand-nephew Luke is so adorable. I had to capture those baby blues of his.

What better paper to use than Graphic 45's Little Darlings.

Thankfully, Missy's husband helped me change this photo from a full color version

originally taken by Heather Roth

to a black and white that would feature his beautiful eyes.

Lots of layering and cutting with the use of a

Graphic 45 Staples Kraft envelope to tuck in some handwritten journaling.

That gorgeous ribbon is from May Arts.

For a full list of supplies used on this layout please visit

Graphic 45's blog today

and see what my Team Mates Melanie and Tara have designed.

Thanks for stopping by.

Graphic 45 + Spellbinders + Imaginarium Designs . . .

2012-02-15T04:43:05-06:00

Hope everyone had a perfect Valentine's Day. We started our day at St. Louis Bread Co (aka Panera's) then moved to lunch with Beau at O'Connell's. Sitting at the bar, we were able to catch up with Mike who has been our friend for over 40 years. Even though Bill is a bit under the weather, we had a great day.

Dinnertime came around and Bill asked what we were going to do for dinner. Honestly, two big meals a day and I'm done. So nothing for dinner and I was kind of happy as I'm sure restaurants were packed.

Graphic 45 did feature one of my greeting cards on their blog yesterday:

One of the most amazing things about using Graphic 45 papers is the ability to mix and match so many of their collections. To take advantage of some of the patterns and images, I made this one a 5.5" x 5.5" square.

Starting with Le Romantique Celebration paper for the background, I used both sides to layer between bits of red cardstock. Using a Spellbinders die, Enamored Embrace was die cut along with Spellbinders Classic Ovals. Images from Sweetheart of Mine and Sticker Staples were layered on top. Imaginarium Designs chipboard was added to both the front of the card and the inside.

Happy day after every one!