The Life Poetic

HANDS TO WORK HEARTS TO GOD

Today, I’m going to miss Sunday service; it usually really carries me through my week so I’m definitely going to have to catch the podcast later. (You can catch it too if you click on Sermons/ Resources!)

Today, it will have to be “hands to work and heart to God” for me, as I head to the first day of the CHA trade show in Anaheim.  It will be a busy day of “Make and Take” crafting, and if you want to join Beth and I in creating some fabulous little projects (or one of the many other fabulous creations from Creative Imaginations’ colorful and varied palette of artists and brands) here are the details of who, what, where and when:


I’m still recovering (or more specifically, my feet are still recovering) from last night’s gala, but it was a wonderful time, especially since my hubby and daughter accompanied me. Ian wanted nothing to do with anything requiring *special attire*, so he opted for a sleep-over at a friend’s house instead. Tori, on the other hand, was excited to get a peek into what it is mommy does at these tradeshows. She made fast friends with Sierra (the daughter of one of Creative Imaginations’ owners) and they had quite the party themselves, frequenting the chocolate fondue fountain, riding the Hyatt elevators, and just being girls. Victoria is actually very glum about the fact that she can’t join us today at the convention center. (It will have to keep it a secret that I’ll be getting to hear Martha Stewart speak tonight, followed by a gathering of friends and associates through my publisher at Downtown Disney later….that would just heighten her despondency! So mums the word, okay?) 

AN EXCUSE TO GET ALL DRESSED UP

After endless days of sequestering myself in the studio, it’s fun to periodically get out and rub elbows with other artists and authors and industry friends. That’s what I have in store starting tomorrow night through most of next week! And it all begins with a pre-show gala event hosted by Creative Imaginations! It’s being billed as an elegant affair, so my high heels and long dress are waiting in the wings.

If you are lucky enough to be one of the invited guests to this Saturday night soire, you can come see Beth and I between 4:30 & 6:00 and make this fun little make & take as we hobnob!  This clever little craft turns an epoxy sticker from our Anthology:Juliet Collection into a sweet little necklace or charm bracelet. But, we couldn’t stop there! We are also using a Bare Elements: Chris box to make a home for it. This necklace and jewelry box would be a great little Valentine’s trinket for a daughter, a friend, a teacher, or maybe just *you*!

So put on your finest and come see us at the Hyatt Regency tomorrow night!

(P.S.
If you aren’t on the guest list but are coming to the CHA show, you can catch this Make and Take again on Sunday morning between 9:00 and 10:30 at the Creative Imaginations booth! )

Other Make and Takes will be posted to the blog as time allows, but here is our schedule so you can pencil us in:

Saturday- Pre-show CI party: 
4:30-6:00 (Anthology & Sonnets at table 2)
Sunday -
Anthology: 9-10:30 (table 2) / Sonnets 1:30-3:00 (table 2)
Monday-
Sonnets 12:00-1:20 (table 1) / Anthology 1:30-3:00 (table 2)
Tuesday-
Sonnets 12:00-1:30 (table 1) / Anthology 12:00-1:30 (table 2)

We won’t be at CHA on Wednesday! Already too much time away from the work of the studio!

UNVEILING PRODUCT

It’s always so fun to unveil new product!
Usually it’s something we worked on nearly a year ago, and having moved on to a billion other projects since then, we’ve long since forgotten about. Getting reacquainted with this particular artwork has been especially enjoyable because Beth & I really enjoyed working with the colors and form on these new Sonnets and Anthology scrapbook collections (being release at CHA this week through Creative Imaginations)! So insert your own soft drum roll, and a mental “Ta-Dah!” as we pull back the curtain just a bit to sneak peak you our CHA releases!

First the SONNETS release: URBAN GYPSY

When I think of “gypsy”, many bohemian images come to mind: embroidered skirts and big hoop earrings…Johhny Depp’s character in one of my all time favorite flicks: Choclat…high school days (the 80s) of listening to Stevie Nick’s sing Gypsy ("lightning strikes maybe once, maybe twice!"). I think of open markets and street music and gypsy caravans.  That’s precisely the kind of imagery that inspired this release of double sided papers, epoxy, stickers, rub-ons, and alphabets. Fashion forward banded patterns and bangles play with watercolor textures, paisleys, and medallions in tones of turquoise, lime, purple, orange and pink! Break out your tamborine.

Here are the catalogue pages and some great layouts from Jamie Harper and Suzy Plantaura showcasing this line!

You also just must check out this lovely purse creation that Jamie posted on Two Peas using the Urban Gypsy product!

Next the ANTHOLOGY release: ROXANNE

Another one of Anthology’s new “personaties” emerges with her mix of bold, tropical color and feminine curvaceous-ness.  Living in a surf-town, and with Beth being a little surfer-gal herself, this was a marriage of all the things we love: waves of sea,  florals and fauna, elegant typography, and fashion color!

Here are the catalogue pages and more layouts from Jamie and Suzy!

and check out Jamie's mini album also posted on Two Peas!

I hope these make you feel enlivened and inspired....and happy!

The CHA Sneak Peeks Continue...

If you don't mind the "spoiler" aspect (these don't come out on the shelf until September, mind you---so this is a real test of patience!)  here are our some albums with our CHA summer releases (with more images to be added in the coming days!).

I hope they not only give you a look at what's to come, but inspires you with some great scrapbook and papercrafting ideas as well...

SONNETS ALBUM- The newest baby girl and baby boy themed collections from our beloved, soft, watercolor-based, flagship brand.

ANTHOLOGY ALBUM- The debuting collections for our new "little sister" brand to Sonnets: fresh, youthful, vibrant... characterized by fashion illustrations that are driven by feminine themes and classical shapes that are indicative to Sonnets Studios.

And yes- that's another paper purse (remember these from my old post?)! This one, seen here at right, is Jamie Harper's creation, but it fits right in with my love of the bag!

Pondering Paper Purses

National Scrapbooking Day was such a great day of interacting with people who share a love for patterned papers, memory keeping, photos, and above all: friends and family. Thanks to all of you came out to meet me. Sharing my personal stories about scrapbooking, and them hearing all of yours, served to remind me of all the reasons I started Sonnets Studios.

A real special thanks to Nichol at I Love Scrappin’ in Whittier and Teresa at ‘Member Me Scrapbooking in San Clemente for hosting me.  (Just a brief word about these two ladies: Nichol does such an awesome job merchandising and putting up great themed, page samples and ideas. I just wanted to soak up the store and be inspired by it all. And Teresa has just recently moved into the location in San Clemente--her previous store being in nearby Dana Point-- and already the store is spectacular, with an impressive crop area and cozy little bay windows just beckoning you to sit and stay awhile. Both stores carry a great array of not only Sonnets products but lots of other fabulous lines of paper, embellishments, albums and more!) While some of us like to shop online in our jammies late at night, and it’s great to be able to pick up a few supplies at a convenient chain store,  we must not forget our sweet local boutique stores where the personal service, the knowledge of the craft, and a business that really caters to the community is at the heart of it all. I think that is what really struck me about these two stores: they have a group of loyal customers and croppers that are like family. Stopping by those stores is like stopping at a friend’s home for a little gabbing…with a little shopping thrown in! What a great combo.

One of the attendees at ‘Member Me Scrapbooking sent me the photo on the left. (Thanks, Carey!) She snapped me with one of my little purse creations that I’m sort of known for toting around.  (Often at a trade show I will create a purse covered in a paper that is being launched at that show….it’s a fun way to show off the paper even when you leave the confines of the booth!) This little hat box shaped purse was so quick and easy to slap together and yet everyone loves it. Truly, a little acrylic paint (just the good old Delta variety), with the pretty Sonnets damask paper applied to the front and back, finished with an upholstery cord handle on the top, are the entire directions from start to finish. Pretty simple, huh?!

Some of you may recall this little purse that I was featured in PaperCrafts magazine with one of my earliest Sonnets papers. That little number got Sonnets and I lots of attention at our very first trade show ever, and it is still loitering around my studio. Five years later,  it’s pretty tired and looking rather shabby (and not in a Rachel Ashwell sort of way), but I can’t seem to part with it. I think that silly little Historical Moss purse signifies so much emotion and energy that revolved around the birth of my business, I have to hang on to it.

Some of my other paper purses from the past include these creations:

Here’s a much more recent creation: a fancy little clutch I just put together with the latest Sonnets Have and Hold Collection. This one has a great modern, fashion-forward shape, and studded with crystals and framed in upholstery trim it is ready for a date out.  I love using Perfect Paper Adhesive from ArtQuest when I’m making these little numbers. Sometimes, even if I use my Xyron for the applying adhesive (I *heart* Xyron!), I still might pull out the Perfect Paper Adhesive to create a top coat. Especially with a paper purse, where the item is truly going to get handled a lot, that top coat is an important step.

I guess my love of a fancy bag does not stop at the paper ones. Here’s a little collection from my closet (photo lower right). The green Maruca bag (in the foreground on the right) is favorite fashion companion. I believe it was my dear friend Erikia Ghumm (one of our original Sonnets Design Team Members) who first introduced me to the charms of the Maruca. Now, all my dearest friends seem to have their own unique Maruca piece, and each one is fabulous in its own right. The middle bag by Pat Vini came from the same boutique where I purchased the Maruca: a little downtown San Clemente haunt, Variant. The silk peony bag was an online find that I believe was a Marshall Field's clearance item.  I love how the handle is a leafy stem!

Whether it’s papercrafting or interiors or fashion, it’s all an opportunity to be expressive. Find your creative personality and apply it to a purse….they are so easy you could seriously whip one up in time for Mother’s Day tomorrow.

Whether you make a handbag, receive a handbag, or just as good: a bunch of hugs, may your Mother's Day be a lovely one!

Good Mail Day

Today is what I define as a good mail day: one where the opening of the curbside metal box reveals a colorful surprise (and hopefully not too many bills).

This is what arrived today:
The salmon pink and orange colors in bold illustrations on the Paper Source cover gave me a jolt of happiness! And I love the Paper Source mantra. Their commission to us really:
DO SOMETHING CREATIVE EVERYDAY.
I love how when you order something from this fabulous company that their boxes are fastidiously wrapped up in papers bearing the same command:
DO SOMETHING CREATIVE EVERYDAY.
I think that heeding those words is wonderful advice. Might I add an edict of my own?
DO SOMETHING KIND EVERYDAY. 
Between these two self-imposed mandates each day is certain to be full and satisfying and artful and poetic. That is what I guess I mean by “The Life Poetic” after all: make your life one that is so loving and expressive that creativity will naturally pour out of it.

I have yet to visit a Paper Source brick and mortar store, while I have ordered online numerous times. My fingers are itching for the credit card as I feel another order coming on! With these fabulous bloom kits, how can you resist? I want these and these and these and.....(sigh). Let's face it, I'd like about one of everything they carry!

People who know me well, know that I’m a catalogue junkie, and a mall is just not something I frequent that often. I think part of that comes from being the mother of someone with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. While my son seems to handle the mall environment really well now as a near-teen, as a young little kidlet he really could not process all the input offered by a mall environment. Going to the mall was really just inviting a meltdown. And when I started to break down the sensory input like he might, I think I even began to get a little overwhelmed by it. The noise level, the light levels, the unpredictability, the large population of strangers, all added up to a volatile situation. So the girly-girl shopper in me learned to compensate by becoming catalogue and online store dependent.

Just in case you are interested, here are some favorite cyber stores and catalogues:
Papier Valise
Manto Fev
Wisteria
Sugar Paper
Inspire Company
The Beautiful Life
Russell and Hazel
Room Service Home
Impress Rubber Stamps
Kate’s Paperie

Something else I’m loving right now is this:
LILY- Beautiful Living through Faith Magazine.
With the quality and beauty we expect from Meredith Corp., this magazine has gorgeous photography and inspiring editorials ranging the gamut from paper-crafting, book binding,  and cooking to deeper spiritual issues. This is the premiere issue and I think I’m going to pick up several to share with friends and encourage the success of this magazine launch. If you aspire to live beautifully through faith, then I highly encourage you to pick this one up from your local newsstand. 

Inside Lily were some great ideas….

this lovely paper cone (click photos to enlarge)…

and these Brussels sprout topiaries-- gorgeous!! and about the only way I could put this veggie to use in household where pretty much everyone refuses to eat it.

…and a wonderful scrapbook feature about a woman in Iowa, Amy Edeker, who hand binds her on heritage albums. With my parents being from Iowa as well, I was drawn to both the project and this woman’s story.

I’m definitely going to be mulling over this lovely little magazine for a while. Getting some sustenance for my spirit.

On another note, it's high time we had another giveaway
....so stay tuned for that!

Hope you have a good mail day!

Things Twice Loved

I’m starting a new blog category today to address a topic I’d like to revisit often:
things twice loved.
Today’s thing that has been loved, not once but twice, is The Republic of Tea “Travelers Tea” and Loose Tea. So here it goes:

Loved the 1st time: as tea!
With beautiful and visually complex packaging that conjures up all manner of fantasy (envisioning where the tea leaves were grown and harvested, and perhaps where the inspiration was drawn for the combining of other flavors and essences) it is a treat to behold, and the tea within does not fall short of the expectation set by the exterior . These are fabulous both iced and hot, relative to the season. I think I was first introduced to their tea in the form of the Blackberry Sage variety served iced at one of my very favorite little eateries, The Ramos House Café. (In a little historic section of nearby San Juan Capistrano, home to the mission and the swallows, it’s a place we love to go to celebrate something special or to take an out of town guest.) Favorite flavors of mine are the aforementioned Blackberry Sage, Ginger Peach, and Vanilla Almond. But I have barely made a dent in taste testing their broad array of flavors! Their tea is intense and complicated, and a thoroughly delightful surprise to the taste buds.

Loved the 2nd time: as a studio container!
Now, granted, these teas carry a higher price tag than most. But when appreciated for its recylcing value, I consider them a steal. Covered in patterned paper, and given the appointment of lush trim, the vessel for tea bags is transformed! (Show in the left photo, the tin is covered in a paper from our Sonnets Enchanted Evening Collection.) If you prefer a sleek modern appeal, the raw tin of the container is actually quite modern alone when stripped of its paper label (see right photo)....or it could easily be spray painted a matte black.

Regardless of treatment, the tall narrow shape is just perfect for housing pencils, paintbrushes, awls, and various studio tools. I even like keeping the existing black lid in tact for another kind of container: one that holds things like elastics, buttons, acrylics, etc. Try drilling a hole in the lid to allow twine to be stowed inside and fed through the top. What is a wonderful added bonus is that the container continues to hold the fragrant memory of what it once held. So every time you open the lid, the bursting aroma of herbs, flowers, fruit, and tea is still present.

Don’t you just love something that goes above and beyond the call of duty? Kudos to Republic of Tea for doing just that!

I must go now....it's time for afternoon tea!

Whirligig of Time

It’s so odd….strangely anachronistic, working on artwork and product a year or more out from when it actually hits the marketplace (and then the income from it often comes several months after that!). It’s a way of working that often leaves me scratching my head as to what day or even month it is in real time. My husband and kids are so wonderfully tolerant of me losing complete track of the calendar: definitely one of the hazzards of this trade. (It's so hard sometimes to be "in the moment" when you are trying to put yourself in a mindset of what will be in marketable in 2007/2008!) Projecting colors and trends is all part of that curious and wonderful task of working out of season.

Lately the Bible verse II Timothy 4:2 has been frequently coming to my mind. The part specifically where it says, “Be ready in season and out of season” (NKJV) has visited and revisited my mind often of late. I think it is God’s way of instructing and encouraging me when I feel overwhelmed about the timing of art releases and trend projections. (I suppose I’m taking this verse a bit out of context and am stretching the limits of its meaning; but it has been an encouragement to me, none the less.) It puts me at rest knowing that the God who cares for me has the future already accounted for. All those nuances that steer color trends (cutural influences, political environments, the economy) are all in His command. The very spark that put the realm of color into existence is the spark within me too. (And you know what: it's in you too!) Wow!  It gives me such a wonderful feeling having a touchstone to eternity. I love that.

I hope that whether you are enjoying the entrance of spring and readying yourself for the Easter holiday, or if on the contrary your profession has you working on a publishing project that has you scrapbooking Christmas photos or crafting Halloween decorations, or if you are designing holiday ornaments and wrap for Holiday 2008, that regardless, you will find yourself inspired by the seasons, by time and by the Eternal.

* I had a blast making these pinwheels in the photo to really get in the mood of the current season: SPRING!  While you can use any of your favorite papers, the papers I’ve used here are from the Passports brand Sonnets Studios worked on that will be hitting various Wal-Mart stores before month's end! (This is really exciting for our studio as we’ve branched out in the last year or so into new brand development beyond our primary boutique brands, Sonnets and Anthology!)

Love with a Paper Doily

With Valentine’s Day nearing, it’s a perfect time to bless another with an expression of your friendship or love. The loving influence on one soul to another shouldn’t need an occasion, but for those that need a little encouragement in that department, the upcoming holiday provides just that!

I adore the iconography of Valentine’s Day (Victoriana cupids, hearts and flowers) and delight in all the paper crafting that takes place leading up to February 14th.  Fond recollections surface of elementary school days when the holiday meant paste, pink & red construction paper, and lacey white paper doilies; when you were so careful to pick just the right conversation heart bearing just the right message you wanted to convey to that special someone. Rickrack and velvet ribbons all still make my heart skip a beat.

In the spirit of those nostalgic memories, we have added two new projects at The Design Room. Be sure to download the pdf instructions (which includes a template that can be printed right on to the rear of your paper) making the project entirely simple! I’ve already made a centerpiece of the heart flowers in a white porcelain urn, and made thirty plus pillow boxes for my daughter, Victoria, to take to school.

Also, for no other reason but to share the love, we are going to randomly give away all the elements from our Love in Bloom collection. (Your winning loot shown here on the right).

To enter:
1. Click on Email Me at the sidebar on the right.
2. Put “Love in Bloom Give Away” in the subject line of the e-mail and send it off to me.
3. On Friday morning, the 10th, I will pick the winner at random. (I will reply back to the winner for their snail mail address in addition to posting the winner’s name on the blog as well).

Keeping Up Traditions

Sometimes it really can be a tedious thing keeping up traditions (especially if you are referring to that of the Christmas card variety). For some years on end, I hand crafted Christmas cards in great quantity, often with a really elaborate design encompassing photos, paper, type, stamping and ribbonerie. Last year, I gave myself a large dose of grace in so many arenas following my father’s death. I simply needed time to grieve and regroup. This dose of grace included the Christmas card category and I just gave myself respite from this holiday task altogether.

Following my Christmas card sabbatical of ’04, I had a hard time getting in gear for this year’s. However, after looking at the sorely outdated holiday photo that my recipients had last seen, that was motivation enough to get my act together! My children had grown and matured enormously since that last card and I couldn’t possibly let my friends and relatives falsely continue to hold that mental picture of our family. It just wasn’t a current reflection of us. Still, realizing how late in the holiday game this epiphany came to me, I gave myself grace again, but this time in the form of allowing this year’s card to be a New Years one in lieu of a Christmas one. This allowed me an extra week plus and even better it granted me permission to really savor and enjoy the holidays as they occurred without fretting about my uncompleted cards. Well, I’m happy to report my batches of cards are done and I’m so glad I both prodded myself to keep up traditions but also extended myself a grace period.

So, here’s a peek at the Soneff family New Years card of ’06:
(the finished card shown above right & the interior shown at left)

*I used my Sonnets Festive Transparency as the base for the cards. The 12 x 12 transparency piece was cut into quarters yielding four transparency cards per piece. (I alternated between the designs so in the end, I had several unique backgrounds)
*Atop each resulting 6 x 6 square I adhered a 3 x 6 piece folded in half to create a 3 x 3 square in the center. This piece was designed in Photoshop and printed out on my Epson ink jet printer on Epson photo quality ink jet paper. (The outside of the 3 x 6 piece had a block of color, a greeting and a design taken from my transparency. The inside of the 3 x 6 piece revealed our photo (taken by Beth one morning at the studio) and a decorative inscription.
*For added dimension, I added a knotted piece of gold wired cording atop the bottom of the folded greeting. Not only did it lend the dimensional element otherwise lacking, but it also prompted the recipient to open it up.

It ended up being a really simple but elegant design that was not too taxing to assemble.

Thank you to all the friends, family, and associates who sent your kind greetings our way. I always feast over the cards. For all too many, it might be the one time a year we exchange well wishes. For others, it might be the one time a year that I get a photo of you to put in my scrapbook. Then there are those of you who I see and talk to all the time, and yet this formal little greeting is so cherished. This is a definitely a tradition well worth keeping up on.