Here’s a quick sample I did using the Sketchy Evidence digiWERX Brushes…
Let me know what you think =)

Yep… just finished my first official set of digiWERX Brushes!

The style of this PS brush collection is perfect for today’s hot trend in sketched/doodled design elements and was illustrated by me for scrapbook and card designers. 

The first set called Sketchy Evidence is a series of 53 - YES! 53 - brushes featuring illustrative evidence boxes and file cards, dozens of handwritten words such as "proof, evidence, date" etc and handwritten numbers. You can purchase this cool new brush set through our website by clicking here.

I hope you have fun with these sketchy brushes, I certainly have!

Hey everyone…
Just a quick update to let you know that although we will not be attending CHA Summer, we do have some cool new products to add to our product lines.

We will be updating our website this weekend to include 4 NEW Claudine Hellmuth Poppet® Clear Stamp sets featuring Claudine’s signature whimsical illustrative style. The new products are so fun and really really adorable!

The new stamps will be available for pre-order from our retail website on July 15th with shipping scheduled for August 15th.

Also coming soon is our new, unprinted chipboard die-cut tag sheet - Au Naturel Chipboard Tags. We are making our diecut tags available in their raw, unprinted state, using 0.032" chipboard, to provide our customers with greater customizing options for their artwork. The chipboard weight we have chosen for this new product is perfect for layering without adding a lot of
extra bulk; it’s more substantial than our standard cardstock tags, minus the added lumpiness of superthick chipboard. Now you can customize and layer your tags from the ground up with even more options than before!

To use, simply gather your patterned paper scraps, adhere them to your Au Naturel Chipboard Tags  and create unique, one-of-a-kind tag embellishments to coordinate with any project. Paper them, paint them, chalk them, stamp on them - it’s up to you… its ultimate customizeable tag, in a thinner, less-bulky style!

Au Naturel Chipboard Tags will be available for pre-order on July 20th, with shipping beginning in mid-August.

Also… Be sure to check out our new DigiWERX section in the online retail store. We are beginning to offer digital products to enhance your paper arts projects. Products available through DigiWERX will include custom digital brushes, hi-resolution collage sheets [created from my large collection of vintage ephemera], digital scrapbooking elements and papers. Watch for new products to be added by July 20th!

How cool is it to have custom stuff made for your exclusive use? I love it!

I’m having a couple of custom dies made up for my trusty Sizzix machine. I like the tool, but find I’m not using the dies I do have [they don’t ’send’ me right now…] and I’m constantly cutting custom punctuation shapes from chipboard to satisfy my needs. So… I contacted a friend, who knows a guy doing custom dies and I’m just waiting to hear what the damage is going to be.

Here is what I’m going to have made up just for little old me!

The punctuation shapes are 3 1/2" tall and are made from the Avenir font style [my favorite san-serif]. They are fun to use on cards, scraplayouts and altered art projects.

Yeah, I could hand cut them out of chipboard… but why? when I can get a handy dandy custom die made just for me! Cool huh?

Hate to say it, but I told you so… and Chris is GONE.

It’s too bad because he seemed really eager to learn, BUT on this show, you’ve got to already be prepared and you have got to BRING IT. Unfortunately, his vocal abilities are too limited and it showed, glaringly so. Oh well… good luck Chris, hope you can grow from this experience.

That’s it for today. Migraine city for me… I’m going back to bed. Peace Out!

From last week’s Rockstar: SuperNova, some of the good stuff =)

Lukas Rossi: Rebel Yell
Dilana: Lithium
Patrice Pike: Somebody to Love

Great show tonight! Some of the performances were really amazing and very unique.

Dilana killed it tonight with an amazing switch up of the Johnny Cash song ‘Ring of Fire‘. It had a really cool almost Indian vibe to it, sultry and quite a different take on the Cash classic. You could tell she was nervous about how it would be received by the ‘boyz’ [she was messin’ with a classic afterall!], but no worries - they loved it and her!

Lukas Rossi, my personal favorite [and not just ’cause he’s Canadian LOL!] was amazing too. He took a quiet, ballad by Coldplay called ‘Don’t Panic‘ and roughed it up for a heavy, almost grunge-like sound. Think what Coldplay and Nirvana would sound like if they had children. Cool and again the guys, particularly Tommy Lee and Navarro, loved it. I really liked Dave’s critique: ‘It’s like you have one foot in the present and one in the future. That was DOPE dude!’

I was surprised by Magni [bald, Iceland dude] he was pretty good; as were Toby [hot Aussie dude], Patrice and Jenny Galt [hometown girl from Vancouver]. The rest were just ‘ok’, with most of the guys except Lukas, Magni and Toby sounding pretty mediocre.

In the bottom 3 for tomorrow’s results show, I predict 4 possible victims:

• Chris [zero authenticity… doesn’t seem to know what, or who he is - buh bye!]
• Zayra [trash talked the boys and told them they were OLD… and didn’t listen to their music. What!?! and you want to be in their band? Step aside biatch and give someone else a shot!]
• Jill [blatant Courtney Love imitation, she flat out denies… come on, did you not see the video or CD cover? Ever?]
• Dana [vanilla, sweet and NOT ready for partying with the boys much less touring… the leopard print bustier didn’t toughen you up, much…]

Week 2 of Rockstar:SuperNova is scheduled to start in about 30 minutes…

That’s just enough time for me to pop some popcorn, make some iced tea, have a potty break an crank up the surround sound speakers [big mothers too I must add!!!].

I’ll be back with my thoughts on tonights episode later this evening. In the meantime…

Later tonight I’ll be working on various projects and will start watching the 2nd Season of DEADWOOD. I’m sooooo excited I got my hands on it, I’ve been itching to read all the second season synopsises on the Deadwood website, but [surprise!] I have restrained myself and haven’t peeked. I did however see a commercial on cable about Season 3 that has peeked my interest [let’s be honest, my addiction!] even more about Season 2. Apparently Alma got married to someone NOT Bullock!!! Ack! What happened there… Inquiring, Deadwood addicted minds WANT TO KNOW!

Rock ON!

After yesterday’s marathon shooting day for the local newspaper, I decided today to do some more tinkering and proofing of my photos.

Inspired by Tara Whitney’s incredible portrait photography, I went through a few of my favroite shots from yesterday and made some image adjustments in photoshop. My goal was to punch up the color in the photos and play up the detail. I like the results. Comments on these images are most welcome =)

{Proofed…}

Had a great day today… I was asked by the local news paper to participate in a supplement the Richmond Review is putting together called: A Day in the Life of Richmond.

My contribution was to be 1 of 6 ‘photographers on assignment’ and to take photographs in specific local areas of Richmond. I had a blast doing it! The weather was very nice, sunny and warm… and people [particularily kids] were in the mood to be photographed, making my job that much easier and fun.

I’ve created a new photo album called a Day in the Life. Check it out for a glimpse at what my city [and more specifically, my neighbourhood and the people in it] looks like. Enjoy =)