Hi everyone! I am back again to show you some more of this little guy “Roger” from “Wishes and Kind Thoughts” . I had no idea he had a name until yesterday when Lisa told me! I thought I would bring in a more masculine feel this time using Roger just so you can see the versatility of the image. I love making masculine cards. They don’t scare me one bit.  If you wanted to make this even more masculine, just ditch the scalloped border and use a thin piece of kraft cardstock to break up the black and patterned paper.

I also took it easy on the coloring of him as well. Just one copic color to keep it monochromatic and not too busy. An easy and fast way to color when you are in a pinch. Going to keep it kind of short tonight, girls. I am wiped out from a really long day of teaching! I have seen what some of the other girls have done and they are going to blow you away with their projects. Holy cow! Take a look, and don’t forget to stop by the Avocado Arts Blog!!

Kimberly Crawford, Julia Stainton, Latisha Yoast and AJ Otto

Hey guys! This month’s sneak peek is so cool, because we have all of the new DT members showing there AMAZING projects with us now! These girls SERIOUSLY ROCK! I am not even kidding when I say that this is the nicest group of girls in the industry. I am really fortunate to be here working for a really, really nice company. Go, Avocado Arts! Oh, and PLEASE visit the website. There are streaming pictures of the projects now under each stamp set. How brilliant is that?

My project today shows a little bit from last month’s set “Sweet Treat Sweetie” (the sentiment) and THIS coming month’s set, “Wishes and Kind Thoughts”…

Oh…and this little umbrella? This isn’t what you think it is. I mean, it is an umbrella here on this card, but it really isn’t in real life on the stamp. Hmmm…maybe if you poke around the other girl’s blogs you can catch a glimpse of what I did here…

So…I encourage you girls out there who are in the mood for some eye candy to visit the other DT’s blogs today. Yup. I know you all need to be visually stimulated! lol!

• Avocado Arts Blog
  AJ Otto
  Latisha Yoast
  Julia Stainton
  Becky Oehlers
• Emily Branch
• Kelley Eubanks
• Emily Leiphart
• Savannah O’Gwynn

So this has been a fun ride with Avocado Arts in 2011. Our growing place in the stamping community has been really fun and nice to be a part of. I am bringing you a fun and easy way of coloring up your black cardstock today. My daughter loves all things 80′s and she will be turning 14 on the 6th, so she inspired this project.

Just start out with black cardstock and stamp and emboss your images with white embossing powder. It has to be WHITE not CLEAR!

Heat set and emboss your white, and wait a couple of seconds to let it dry completely. Then color the bits you want colorful with Copic markers. Easy enough, and you can have a great time. Especially with the sentiments!

This last card is the one Emma claimed for her own card this year. I knew she would go for the bold pink one! Thanks for looking at my last share with the “Sweet Treat Sweetie” stamp set! This has been a fun one! Go check out what the other girls have in store for you today, and hop on over to the Avocado Arts Blog as well- There is a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS!

Avocado Arts, Kimberly Crawford, Julia Stainton, Latisha Yoast and AJ Otto

Howdy everyone! Here is my new little share for this month’s Avocado Arts Kit “Sweet Treat Sweetie” I am not too happy with how these pictures came out, because in real life this card isn’t all washed out looking. I did use some fun techniques on this card, so if you can see through hte fact that these aren’t my normal picture taking quality, we will do well today.

First I stamped the x and o background stamp onto some fun LilyBee patterned paper. I just love that company. Maybe I should try and work for them. lol. I then stamped the jar image onto my rustic cardstock and cut out the patterned paper and adhered it. I then stamp the jar image again onto another piece of rustic card stock and cut a little banner from the middle of it adding little cut out tags on the end. I stamped the sentiment (you can do this before you cut it 0ut) and adhered the whole thing over top of the jar, making sure the edges lines up properly. Makes it look like a fun banner across it.

I have the plague. The sickness that won’t die, so that is why my pics aren’t the best today. I just had a rough day of not feeling too well boo hiss. But I DO have to tell you that there has been some CRAZY beautiful projects going on this time around, so go check ‘em out!

Avocado Arts, Kimberly Crawford, Julia Stainton, Latisha Yoast and AJ Otto

Here is another project using “Brrr…and the Nerdy Snow Peeps!”. This time I wanted to show you something you could mass produce quickly for gifts. Just a simple cocoa and marshmallow combo, but this is so easy to do en masse when needed for Sunday School gifts or teacher gifts.

The snowman easily props up with  a folded piece of paper behind him.  No problem there. Easy to mass produce the bows and then adhere with a glue dot. The part that takes the longest is paper piecing the snowman, but if you have kids big enough, that could just be a small assembly line of helpers. Easy peasy!

Just some simple Nestability dies for the front and voila! You are done!

Go check out the other girls and the Avocado Arts Blog for more Brrr…and the Nerdy Snow Peeps inspiration!

Kimberly Crawford, Julia Stainton, Latisha Yoast and AJ Otto

How did it start? Well, I have always liked taking pictures, especially of people. My kids, my friends, my colleagues. I guess it started like most things start with me. You see, every year, instead of making a New Year’s resolution that I may never keep (yeah…you know…like THAT one), I promise myself that I will learn one thing new.  Not just learn one thing new like a fact, or trivia, but really take the time to MASTER one thing new.  It is a process that usually takes a year, and then longer.  I give myself the whole year to do it. It is cathartic. It is a resolution I keep, because I wouldn’t want to learn something new if I didn’t sort of like it to begin with. It is not easy.  It takes an endless amount of discipline, hours, humbleness, determination and excitement. All of which can be absolutely draining and soul-filling all at the same time.  So what started it? Well, usually, like anything else that triggers something in me, I was inspired. This time, I was inspired by a childhood friend. A friend I grew up with since Kindergarten. I friend with whom I wasn’t so close to, but we weren’t so distant either. I remembered really great times with his Dad, Mom and sisters in their backyard pool when I was around seven or eight. I remember his Dad passing away, and the sadness and loss his family felt. I remember my Dad stepping in and mentoring my friend through music and friendship. My Dad was our school’s music teacher.  He learned guitar from my Dad. I do remember that pretty vividly, because on most weeks my lesson on french horn was right after his during lunch.  These memories turned into just that. Memories. We got older and had different friend sets. I did my music thing, and he was named one of the top entrepreneurs of Philadelphia not long ago. Successful and creative in every sense of the word.  To be that successful, I thought, means that my friend was probably really creative as well.  I didn’t see too much of that while we were growing up, but I saw it one day after friending him on Facebook.

I noticed he started posting pictures from Flickr. He was doing a 365. Sure, I was familiar with the concept. Not clueless, I clicked through to his Flickr site and my jaw dropped. I was surprised. Surprised, a little in awe and now completely taken with his work. I quickly got into his space, but it felt a bit invasive. Photos do that, you know. They are very personal, and when taken well like these were, they feel alive. A steady pulse of quiet family moments. His pictures are mostly quiet. Quiet and lyrical.  Then, a really loud picture will appear. You can’t ignore it. I think that is probably what he is really like inside.  There is a humbleness yet complete refinement in his work. I was hooked.

I wanted that. Selfish? Maybe.  But I wanted to be that good.  It takes a lot of time, for sure. My photos will never look like his, because I am not him. That is the beauty of it. There is a safety in just having to be you, and now that I am older and wiser, I like that. A lot. So off I went. To learn, to play, to navigate this whole new world I knew nothing about. So after I got a little more familiar with my camera and really researched things,  I started my own 365. I then opened up a private group on Facebook for other friends who wanted to take this journey with me.  We have learned so much. My photos are now so much better than they used to be, but still have so far to go. I love my subjects. They are usually family, friends and colleagues, just like before when I just clicked some pictures, but now they are taking on a new life as I get better and better. Learning is everything. If you are not making a concerted effort to learn every day of your life, you are missing out.  I am not taking any day for granted. I think Katie has taught us all a lot about that.

So I wanted to share a couple of photos with you. Maybe you would be interested in seeing more, in learning more with me, but I know this is not a photography blog, so I am not sure how much interest you would have in taking this journey with me. Comments would be appreciated. So I work with both a Canon 7D and a Canon 50D. Here is some of my journey:

Emma:

Sophie:

On The Set of Carmen:

Our Maestro

Kids:

Some more adult clients:

So there you have it. A sample of some of my work. Hope you enjoyed this, because it is a really wonderful process to be in, and I would love to share more with you if you are enjoying it too!

I love this post today!  I have been waiting to rip into this kit for a while now!!  I am so excited to give you a sneak peek at next month’s Avocado Arts set, “Brrr…and the Nerdy Snow Peeps” (best stamp set name EVER).  So like the 15th of every month, we sneak in some images from the new set, and the set from last month.  I sneaked in a LOT of images for you in this card.  I couldn’t help it!  I also am showing you a technique I created two years ago.

I have the full tutorial on how to make this felted snow drift HERE.  It is simple, but you need to use a separate piece of cardstock for your backing and then glue the entire piece onto the card.

The only thing on here from last month’s set, Bring on the Holiday Cheer,  is the sentiment and the circle which goes around the sentiment. I love how the circle worked!  That is the circle meant for the peppermint in that set, and it perfectly fit around the “Joy” sentiment.  Then I used a 3/4 punch to punch it out. Perfect all around!

Don’t forget to check out the Avocado Arts Blog (did you see the big announcement that our team is growing?), and all of the other Pit Crew Girls and their projects today!  They are so very cool

Kimberly Crawford, Julia Stainton, Latisha Yoast and AJ Otto

It is the 15th again, and time to share with you a little sneak peek into this month’s new Avocado Arts stamp set!  Our posts on the 15th of each month highlight something from the last stamp set along with something from the new stamp set. So the little snowflake I use to make my pattern if from last month’s Ho Ho’s and Holiday Blessing set, and the beautiful tree stamp is from the new November kit, Bring on the Holiday Cheer!

I hope you like it!

Makes sure you visit the Avocado Arts Blog for more inspiration

And of course, the fabulous Pit Crew! Kimberly, AJ, Julia, and Latisha

Thanks for visiting today!  I have SO much to share with you and seriously, recently NEVER the time.  Just a couple of things to list, before I get into details a little later.  I was just in Carmen with The Opera Company of Philadelphia.  We finished our run this evening, actually.  I am also about to start into three days of recording with The Crossing.  Also, I have embarked on a 365 photo journey starting last month, so there is SO much I need to update you on, and now that Carmen is over, I will have a little more time.  Hope you enjoyed the card today! Love you guys!

I am honored to be writing this post right now (along with close to 125 other fellow stampers)  for our dear friend, Katie Renz.   If you don’t know Katie, here is a bit about her and her story.

Katie’s cancer story started just before Christmas last year.  This young, beautiful, healthy, vibrant mother of 3 with her infectious smile was suddenly diagnosed with an inoperable cancer, virtually overnight.  A few tummy aches and then stage 4 gastric cancer.  Her first post about it is here: http://katiespaperhaven.blogspot.com/2010/12/sad-story-with-unkown-ending-that.html

She’s kept such a positive attitude and has been fighting and taking chemo but it’s really taking its toll on her.  The idea of “Swimming for Katie” came from her recent post:  http://katiespaperhaven.blogspot.com/2011/09/ive-been-swimming-but-it-hasnt-been.html

After reading this post, Kate Baldwin from iheartpapers and I felt like we had to do something.  Even if it was small, to encourage Katie to KEEP SWIMMING!  So we set to work.  Kate arranged EVERYTHING (she is seriously so amazing), and I designed this octopus image for the fundraiser.  Once word got out, we had other offers for images, and now we have a nice batch of things for you to choose from if you would like to.  100%, yes 100% of ALL PROCEEDS go directly to Katie and her family.

HERE ARE ALL OF THE ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO BENEFIT KATIE

Three exclusive stamp sets have been designed to benefit Katie.  My Octopus, Marianne Walker’s Mermaid image, and True =D Doodle Designs (the bird ribbon and digi-papers).The octopus stamp is available as a clear stamp, as well as a digis or a dig and SVG cut file.  100% of the profits go to Katie’s fund to help her and her young family. Her husband Kevin and her three young children need our help and support. In addition to the Keep Swimming Octopus, Marianne Walker and True =D Doodle Designs have both donated digis that are for sale.  Direct donations are also being accepted.  Information central is HERE.  This is a permanent page that will stay active at i {heart} papers with current information and the full three-day blog hop listing, as well as the donation button.

Here is today’s list of Blog Hop Participants!

Ashley Harris

Clare Buswell

Jessica Diedrich

Lisa Somerville

Charlene Merrick

Eva Dobilas

Judy Rozema

Sharon Doolittle

Tifany DeGough

Windy Robinson

Ashley Cannon Newell

Connie McCotter

Heidi Van Laar

Karen Maldonado

Lori Craig

Melissa Phillips

Tosha Leyendekker

Amy Kolling

Angela Thomas

Angelica Suarez

Angie Blom

Becky Oehlers YOU ARE HERE

Betty Wright

Bev Gerard

To click through and purchase an item today will probably be the most important thing you can do today.  Please help Katie and her family keep swimming through one of the hardest things they will ever have to overcome. LOVE YOU, KATIE!!!

Having a simple card design that is a one layer option is essential in mass producing Christmas cards, so I thought I would make one today.

taking the sweet clothesline from the Ho Ho’s and Holiday Blessings set, I was drawn to the cute Santa boxers and hat for this card.  I simply stamped the images in black added little ties with my black pen, colored them with copics and made sure to leave a little space for some green glitter on the shorts and some clear glitter on the hat.  It is that little extra something on a one layer card that just adds a special touch.

I wanted to bring the design element of the fun wire clothesline into the card again, so I added a bit of it under the sentiment.  It really helps to tie the card together design wise, and it just takes a second to re-stamp that image.

go and be inspired by the other girls today, too!

Julia Stainton, AJ Otto, Kimberly Crawford,Latisha Yoast, Avocado Arts Blog