I am back!

Ok I know it has been a very long time since my last post. I have been going through a lot of stuff - work, school, health, etc...

I have been struggling with the juggling!!  But I think things may start to get under control. I did find my mojo and have even made some new cards!  However, they are still stuck in the camera trying to escape. I hope to get at least one posted a day for the next however long. One caveat, vacation is coming. In 2 weeks I will be relaxing on a beach chair loving life. Heaven on Earth is where I will be. And the island does not appreciate any wireless technology so I will be disconnected the whole time. WooHoo!!!!

Couple other things, next Saturday at Stampers Alley, I will be teaching a masculine card class. 8/17 at 1pm. I will post those cards hopefully tonight. 

And last, AND least, I am having another surgery on 8/26.  It should be fine and I plan to be home later that day, so send prayers my way if you can spare some!

Chat soon and Happy Crafting!

Dani

Fun day ahead

So today I get to visit with a friend I haven't seen in ages.... we are going to put our creative minds together and get crafty!  Then maybe some shopping and nail polish action.... will take pictures to show where we end up.....

Also working on another canvas - this time much, much larger, and a little scary, but I can do it....

Then my brain will need to switch gears and get some homework out of the way - Yikes!  Lots to do........

Hope you get some craftyness in or at least get a little inky.....
D

way too much to do and not enough hours in the day

Here is a pic of my new piece... I was lucky enough to be able to take another class with Donna and just loved it so very much.... looking forward to the next - not sure when, but dang, I hope it is soon!

It is a larger canvas than before and the lotus flowers are stencils - what am I saying, most things on here (the background images) are from stencils.... the lotus flowers however were painted within the stencil image and made bolder with additional paint.... then the finger painting began - first the blue, then purple and alas... the green - just LOVE it and my fingers were uber messy.... had to take off my nail polish that night... who would have thought!  ha ha ha

Well, in that class I did get to meet a lovely group of ladies from Canada - my favorite country and people really.  Every trip there has made me feel so welcome so I am glad they were here and felt just as welcome.  They did stay for a 4-day class in a different medium that I am super jealous over, but I WILL be taking it later in the year... if only I had been introduced to Donna sooner.... I could have swung it!  I will upload some of their photos later in the week - this has been a crazy couple of weeks for sure!

Missing some down time, but since it is a long weekend, maybe I can catch up on some fun things and not work things.... which I did just finish some work homework, not school homework - that is later, and I need a break..... so President's day could not come at a better time!  Now, I hope to get these raggedy nails painted.. wish me luck!

D

PanPastel Canvas - Sept Canvas Create in steps....

So you saw the beginning of the canvas in the last post, but today I got to play with the coloring.... OMG, I cannot say this enough, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this medium.... and the layers of color are so flipping fun to play with.... I cannot wait to panpastel the whole house at this point....

So here are my steps.... the lightest color first.....

Then, more of the shade color, and darker shade.... oh the layers are awesome!!!!  And the stems come into play.... those were a little hard for me, but with the help of my handy eraser, I was able to make them exactly how I like them..... oh the shading... love this so much..... can you tell?????

Ok, and now the big reveal!!!!!!  All the shading is done and the corners were made darker and frame the canvas.... I love the way this came out, a little distressed at the edges, incorporates my love for distress on all my stuff.... and wow, what to do with this and all the others I must make!!!!

Well, I hope this has a little influence on your to try a new technique or take a new class to open that creativity that can get a little stiffled.... I know mine had been recently and now, I am ready to go!!!!!

Till next time, happy crafting!
D

Pictures!

Ok, so as promised, I have pictures of my fun-ness from yesterday - which I must add a note here:  I was up till 3am still so excited.....

So first up, the PanPastel board.... I absolutely love this....

 

 

 



And now, class #2 Mixed Media Canvas

 

 

 

 

And one last creation - this is a work in progress..... Donna has online classes and this is my attempt at the September Canvas Create... this is phase one - tomorrow is phase two - COLOR!!!!!

 

 

 

Well, hope you like and take a look into taking something from Donna - way, way too much fun!!!!

Happy Crafting...
D

PanPastel Board

card on my wall 004, a photo by dani.beckman on Flickr.

This is the board I made in Donna Downey's PanPastel class this weekend.... I absolutely love the way it turned out!

Ok, need to be updating with all my new funness!

So, I am always in search of new and exciting techniques and people really.... WELL, have I got some new fun-ness for sharing.... I hope to get some pics taken tomorrow of the crafty goodness I have been working on and learning - never can learn everything, but I am definitely trying.....  MIXED MEDIA - need I say more, well, yes, I must!

Just when I thought I had seen it all..... I come across the fabulous Donna Downey studio - and where is it you might ask..... 5 min from my home - right!!!!!!  Whoda thunk it..... and did I fall in love - YOU BETCHA.... and yes, they are all caps because I am so excited......  In 2 days, I think I purchased one of everything in that store.... no, okay, not everything - which is good because I want to go back tomorrow - sadly they are closed on Sundays, BUT I do work at a place that gives us Monday off on holiday, and the store is open..... for those of you who are local, head to Huntersville and partake in the creative amazement that is Donna Downey Studios.... http://www.donnadowney.com/  - there are so many things and the people there are like instant family - love them all...

So, what has me so excited you might ask???????  PanPastels - that is what!  I took the class this morning and was so in love with Donna's work and teaching method that I asked to stay for the afternoon class.... ok, that is not entirely true - they held me hostage.... LOL... and boy, was it worth it!  Well, what did I make you also might ask??????  Two awesome canvases (is that the multiple for canvas or does it have some odd terminology like geese instead of gooses??? - and back to the point) that are sitting in my craft room on display - again, pictures tomorrow as this is 10pm and no light to do them justice.  I also followed a handy video that Donna has in her store for a September Canvas Create Class.... AND I am almost done with that one - so in one weekend, I was able to start and finish (nearly, tomorrow will be the decider) THREE awesome pieces that I am super proud of.... and I am in love with a whole new media - and mixed media.....

Ok, must also admit that the painting and dripping and text paper and stamping and gesso and image transfers has my head spinning in so many directions and I feel like putting modeling paste on EVERYTHING just to see what would happen and what I can make.... I finally feel like I have some fresh ideas and they are all centered in the combination of card making and the mixed media pieces... stay tuned - what if I used the sticky backed canvas used on cards to make smaller pieces and put them on my cards...... hmmmmm..............  the mind is racing and it is the most excited I have been in a long time....

So after all that long winded-ness.... I really want to say THANKS to everyone who mentioned Donna Downey and to my dear hubby who was the one who offered to turn around once we passed the studio because it is only Huntersville, we CAN turn around... and Melissa for still being open to letting us in with 10 min before closing and then catching me hook line and sinker.... I am a goner!  I love it all and can't wait to take more and more and more classes....  I have to say that I feel Melissa is for sure my long lost twin and connected soul sister with our Libra selves and Donna who didn't kick me out and will allow me to be a fun stalker - definitely not the scary kind ;o)

So, everyone, get out there and ENJOY creating again!  Start with some piece of inspiration and let it take over... go with it.....

Happy Crafting,
D