Time is not on my side!

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Michelle

Time is slipping away so fast these days. I went to a Trade show in Phoenix in January and I seem to have just woken up today. Truthfully I got sick at the Trade show. I lost my voice the first day which of course makes it a little challenging to place orders and ask questions about new products. I am still not 100% recovered but, at least I have my voice and energy back.

I am excited to receive some of the new items that were ordered so that I can experiment with them.

Some of the items that has come in is the new line from Seth Apter with Aladine. ICE is a new dimensional glaze that has the look of ICE – Shiny and Transparent. The colors can be layered over each other. The only thing I have managed to do so far is play a tiny bit in my art journal. I can’t wait to have some time to really discover what this can do and you know I want to try it with the Gel Plate

It is so hard to see from the photo but, look how black the stamped images still are with the ICE on top. Stamps are from a Tracy Scott PaperArtsy set. Click the link to see the whole set.

I will be back soon with the results of my Gel Plate experimentation

Traveler’s Notebook Stamp Caravan

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Michelle

Ok I will admit I am a bit of a geek when it comes to the original Traveler’s Notebooks. I use three of them and am trying to find justification why I need another one (I neeeed the Camel color, lol) So anyway, I was super excited that Everything Scrapbook & Stamps is a stop on the Stamp Caravan.

{For those of you that do not know: You can go to their store in Japan and use their custom stamps to stamp in your notebooks. They decided to make duplicate sets of stamps and loan them to special stores for customers to use.}

Everything Scrapbook & Stamps hosted the stamps for the month of November with a special day on November 10th where we had goodie bags and a meetup to show each other our TN’s

here is the Traveler’s Notebook area in the store

and a photo of everyone’s TN’s stacked up

Geek Out!!

The last Day

Posted on October 30, 2019 by Michelle

Day four and five was more education with Golden interspersed with amazing food. I was sorry to leave. I forged friendships with my fellow artists, ate some incredible food, learned about mediums, acrylics, oils and watercolors and was spoiled beyond imagination by the folks from Golden Paints. I could easily have stayed another week. It was fun to get away from the hustle and bustle and stress of my everyday life.

Day 3

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Michelle

The morning was spent with Golden and then we had a free afternoon. I took a tour of Graveyard #1. This is the second oldest cemetery in New Orleans built in 1789

In New Orleans they can’t bury their deceased people as they are too close to the water table. They have above ground tombs. Once a person dies, they place them in a pine box inside and seal it up for a year and a day. The temperature reaches 300 degrees and it cooks the body. Once they open up the crypt they take the bones and the ash that is left and pulverise it before putting it back in a shaft in the back of the tomb.

Voodoo queen Marie Laveau is buried here and Actor Nicolas Cage also has a tomb here.

Tried another Beinyet and then back to the hotel for a show before dinner.

Golden Paints took us down the river on the Steamboat Natchez for dinner.

After dinner we listened to a Jazz band as we went down the Mississippi river.

This has been a really amazing experience.

Day 2

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Michelle

We spent the morning playing with paints and then Lunch in the courtyard

Banana on top of the fish and it was delicious. Actually everything I ate in New Orleans except the oysters were delicious. I did not know that New Orleans was known for it’s food. but, I know it now.

Back to paint in the afternoon and then

Dinner was at Antoines – open since 1840 fine French-Creole dining & birthplace of Oysters Rockefeller. We also were in a private dining room. We got to sample all the appetizers on the menu.

desert was Baked Alaska which was flambéed at the table. Coffee was then added to the flaming alcohol and served in the cups below. P.S. I could not taste any coffee!!

Then a few of us went to the Hotel bar to listen to Jazz Music.

It’s was my Birthday

Posted on October 19, 2019 by Michelle

It was my birthday on the 14th which was the first day of the event. What a way to spend it. . . . . . playing with paint and mediums!!!

All the supplies we used were stretched along both walls of the room!

This was the box full of panels we needed to complete. There was also some canvas in the box.

A paint pouring that I did. Different than the way I had done it before (so much easier)We had a fabulous lunch in the courtyard of the hotel and then wine and cheese at 3 pm in the afternoon.

Dinner was in a private dining room at Cafe Gallery at Loew’s Hotel

The food was delicious!!!

A great end to a fabulous birthday

The Hotel

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Michelle

The Hotel Mazarin is beautiful. An old building right in the French Quarter with lovely architecture.

I came in early so I checked my luggage and went for a walk. I stopped by Cafe Du Monde for a Beignet. Everyone said to come here. Stood in line for about ten minutes so not too bad. I also decided to try the Chicory Coffee which is also a New Orleans staple. Have to say I was not impressed, sorry everyone!!

Stopped into this lovely stationary store and bought a new wax seal and some metallic sealing wax

New Orleans has such beautiful buildings and the history/stories behind them are very interesting..

In the evening we had our first meal with my fellow artists and the folks from Golden. They gave us a goodie bag filled with fun New Orleans souvenirs as we shared cocktails and got to meet each other. I had my first oyster (tasted like dirt) but, the rest of the food was lovely.

On my way to NOLA.

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Michelle

I am headed to New Orleans, Louisiana with Golden Paints. I am attending a training event called GAEP. I am one of twenty people selected from around the world to be immersed in everything Golden for an entire week. They are putting us up in the Hotel Mazarin which is in the French Quarter. I have never been to New Orleans so it should be interesting.

Rae Missigman

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Michelle

I have admired Rae Missgman’s art for years. I met her for the first time a couple of years ago at the Faber Castell booth at the trade show. I was so delighted when she finally agreed to come teach at Everything Scrapbook & Stamps.

Rae taught two fun mixed media classes and I know everyone enjoyed them

Rae is so sweet and gifted me a handmade book and a lovely crocheted piece that can be work as a necklace, book wrap or bracelet. I wear it as a bracelet and adore it.

Hoping to meet up with Rae again soon. If you want to see more of her work click here!

So excited to be visiting New Orleans in a few days. I have never been and I will be there with other artists at a GOLDEN paint training session!!! Lucky me

September

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Michelle

Where has the month gone? I got back to Florida on the 1st of September in time to board up the store for an impending hurricane. Then we had a huge estate sale at the store for one of our customers who passed away at the age of 89. Myrna had been crafting for many years and had an overwhelming amount of stuff. And of course I was behind on designing all of the classes for this month.

Now onto the crafty/art stuff