oh yeah… TGIF! i’m so sleepy this week. tired. bone tired. too much to do at the moment and not enough time. when is there ever enough time? LOL!

so where have i been and what have i been up to? well, let’s see…

• working on rebuilding/redesigning a business associates new website, online store and blog - it’s looking good! have a few coding issues to iron out, but it’s coming along now…
• have built and designed two new websites for the other parts of my creativity [outside the stamping and scrapping life i mean]. here they are: film[werx] studio and paperWERXing: Mixed Media Artwork
• designing and creating new rubber stamps for Circle Craft and our website
• designing and creating new KITS for Circle Craft including mini-books, card and paper assortments
• starting to package and sort inventory for Circle Craft
• prep for Portobello West on Sunday…

speaking of Circle Craft… the big event is coming up this november and runs from november 11-16. i’m looking for 2-3 rubber stamping demonstrators for the evenings from 6-9pm and on saturday/sunday. if you are interested in helping out [you’ll be paid in merchandise and free admission to the show] let me know. please email me before october 15 about your availabilty and experience and include at least 3 samples of your handstamped cards/artwork.

what will a demo person be doing? here is a list of general demoes that i do during the event:

• stippling ink, inking edges and blending techniques - simple ideas to get people started
• basic stamping techniques using ATC sized cards, shipping tags, gift tags
• showing how to use the tack n peel system with unmounted stamps
• highlighting new stamp sheets like seasonal christmas and new designs

that’s it for now… back to it! and i’m getting another coffee =)

i recently had the priviledge of doing a photo session with a friend’s newborn baby girl. her name is emma and she is absolutely precious. some of the photos turned out so great that i just decided that i had to do something with them… so last night, and late into the night, i created a sweet, baby pink and pastel mini-album about this wee girl. and people, when i say ‘wee’ i mean wee! she’s a teeny tiny 6.5lbs and 3.5 weeks old. precious cargo indeed…

here are a few peeks at the mini 6×6 clear album… which coincidently is based on an album/kit that will be available at circle craft 2008 this november. yes, yes… shameless self-promotion. i know, i know. but it is MY blog isn’t it?! ;^)

and yes! we will be back at circle craft this year with new rubber stamps, new kits, and hopefully some fresh paper arts inspiration for you.

this year’s event dates are longer than ever, starting november 11 and running until november 16.  6 DAYS!! we will be having all kinds of new items, some favorites and some special promotions, so watch this blog for updates and news about circle craft 2008.

and now, onto the cutey patootey emma…

i’m heading into the hospital for a minor ‘procedure’ to deal with the on-going saga of my freaking right eyelid. they are removing the cyst in the lid today and i’ll be off the computer for a few days over the long weekend to allow recovery time. too bad a few days won’t take care of the massive bruising i’ll have for the next 2-3 weeks. <sigh> it really has been a year for me…

BUT before i forget, i wanted to remind my local peeps that i will be attending portobello west this sunday, august 31 with a whole bunch of new artwork including a few new originals and BIG giclees, buttons and the most adorable button magnets.

the portobello west fashion+art show runs from 12-6pm this sunday… so if you have a little time this sunday before the reality of fall and back to school smack you in the face, please come on by and check out the amazing artists, fashion and jewelry.

admission is $2 and if you tell me that you read about portobello on my blog, i’ll refund you the price of admission. think of it like validating your parking ticket, except your parking is free and now you’ll be able to shop the coolest vancouver fashion+art scene in town.

oh! before i forget… i wanted to mention that a number of my artworks are also now available in the great little shop called ‘the velvet room boutique’. the boutique, a lovely shop full of great fashion, jewelry and art, is located on 41st ave in the kerrisdale neighbourhood of vancouver. if you are in the area, please do visit their store… they have lovely things.  here is their website

one more piece of biz before i sign off…

i will be reopening registration for a fall session of the art of transference online workshop series, so please watch the blog for notification by mid-september announcing registration. let your art friends know about the workshop series if they are interested in image transfer - it’s a really in-depth class and i’ve gotten great feedback on the course content.

registration will be running from mid-september to september 30, with classes commencing on october 1.

have a great long weekend my friends! see you in september =)

after a 4 day migraine, things are finally getting back on track! it seems as if my lovely HOT days in vegas, in the dry, non-humid, constant climate environment left me a little ‘hung over’ and my sinuses freaked out being back in the damp and pollen-happy northwest lol… that and two lovely days of weather changes and the fact that the botox is wearing off all made for a tired, grumpy and headachy girl.

but ahhhhh… all is right again and i’m back in the groove. creating art and working on graphic design stuff for a few clients. i’m getting jiggy with it as they say and it feels good!

so… a few of you had emailed about getting a better view of a few of my new pieces [plus i have 8 more on the go for portobello west this sunday] so i thought i’d give you a better view of the lovelies that are being dropped off for stretching tomorrow…

I also have a couple of scrappy layouts/projects in my head at the moment, so that will be appearing soon too! think 6×12, panoramic landscapes with twinkly lights [hint hint!!]

hey all…

just a reminder that our warehouse and studioWERX studio sale is happening this saturday, august 9 from 12-5pm! we have lots of stuff to move, so hopefully you are all going to come and help me pare down my studio lol! here is where the list stands…

• over 150 rubberstamp grab bags, each containing 5-6 unmounted stamps from a variety of design styles and a few bags with cats life press and paper artsy stamps have been included in the count too. there will be NO PEEKING into the bags on sale day! you pick your bag, pay for your bag, then you can open it… i have a feeling our dining room and living room will become trading zones like last time lol!
• about 100 full, half and quarter sheet of rubberstamps are being discontinued or overstock and must be sold
• lots of embellishments from maya road and prima
• basic grey and my minds eye papers
• overstock paperWERX papers for $0.35/each
• so much more…

all items are listed are available at the studio/warehouse sale only, for ONE day on saturday august 9 from 12-5pm. discounts are only available to people shopping in person, no online sales.

no early birds will be allowed, sale starts at 12pm.
i have a ton of stuff to set up, and cannot be dealing with both early birds and set up that morning. sorry.

also, please try to avoid bringing dogs and small children to the sale. last time we had a sale at our home studio it was pretty chaotic, especially with a ton of people moving about in a confined area. i don’t want anyone to have an accident, trip or fall with kids and animals underfoot, your understanding is much appreciated! [yes we have cats, but they will be safely stowed in our bedroom to avoid mishap]

cash and credit cards will be accepted only and credit cards will be processed on-site. no checks.

address for the studio/warehouse sale is at my home studio:
5491 warbler avenue, richmond
2 blocks south of steveston hwy, between no. 2 road and railway avenue.

well, it’s back to pricing for me this afternoon. see you soon…

much to my customer’s benefit, my studio purge continues and i am unearthing all kinds of stuff i forgot i had. i’m taking my spring closet purge process to heart with this studio/art room reorganization and the culling of ‘crap’ [well, it’s not really crap… just stuff i’m sick of seeing LOL!] is going well.

my rule for the purge is that if i haven’t missed it, used it or looked for it in more than 1 year - it’s going either into the recycling bin, or will be sold at my studio/warehouse sale. recent finds and forgotten treasures include…

• these 1950s vintage bingo cards. i kept 12 for myself and will be selling off the remaining 100+ red, blue, green and orange cards for $1 each! ephemera and vintage hounds be warned… i suspect these will move fast on august 9th.
• also found was a gross of pale pink and white silk flowers. each bag in the gross holds 200 flowers which means i have 1000 flowers sitting around, being unused and unloved. these too will be going for a song at $2/bag. a steal of a deal if i ever heard! you can’t even buy one silk flower at the dreaded ‘big M’ for under $2 much less 200 flower heads alone!
• and then there are the 200 vials of 6 different coloured seed beads. yep… all these lovely beads will be sold for $1 each too… it’s madness!!
• and another unearthed treasure box showed up tonight… a whole whack of stampers anonymous, hero arts and other older personal stamps from my older collection was found tucked in a corner, under some other crap. there are about 50 of them. these are all going to be sold for $1 each. they are lightly used and many of the designs are no longer available and have been retired. they have been well cared from and living in a sealed box, so the rubber just need a god wipe with a baby towelette and it’s ready for stamping. get them while you can at the sale…

so now i’m up to 12 FACs boxes, stuffed to their capacity and i’m sure there are a few more to come. and i bet you’re all chomping at the bit for august 9th to roll around now aren’t you?

i’m definitely going to need help setting up in the morning and evening of the sale… anyone interested in helping out before the sale starts can email me or post a comment below… you’ll be paid in rubber and other supplies, BUT you must commit to helping set-up first, BEFORE you start shopping =)

oh… and here is some of the progress i’ve made in my ‘big dig’. its looking mucho better and i’m starting to feel really good about it.

wow. that’s all i have to say about having any kind of surgery. man does it take the wind outta your sails. something i, workaholic and general ‘busy person’, am just not used to! anyways… things are starting to settle into a more normal mode for me.

first thing i’m doing is overhauling my studio/workspace. since our store on main street closed last week, i now have the contents of 250 square feet of inventory and fixtures sitting in my already full studio! needless to say there is a LOT of stuff that will not be sticking around in there for long. I just can’t work in that chaotic an environment and i can’t get to half the stuff i need to reach in order to fill my online store orders, so a reorganization is mandatory before i can really get back to work in there.

so… today i am beginning a purge and collection of stuff that will be going into my studio/warehouse sale in august. here is a teaser list of the type of goodies that will be making it into my ’studio/warehouse sale’ pile for august…

• old somerset, cloth paper scissors and scrapbooking magazines for $1 each or buy 5 for $3.25
• art books starting at $1 or your best offer
• beautiful handpainted wool yarn [my hands can’t take wool very well - makes me sad, but you’ll be happy. it’s gorgeous stuff!]
• fabric scraps and yardage of grey fleece - cheap!
• overstock/discontinued lazar studiowerx rubberstamps
• lazar studioWERX rubberstamp grab bags…
  yep, the famous grab bags are back! you will get 4-6 medium/large stamps per brown grab bag for between $10 to $15 - now that is a killer deal. limited number of grab bags will be available.
• overstock acrylic blocks, embossing powder and ink pads
• overstock/discontinued paperWERX 12×12 paper
• starting at $1 - small embellishments like vials of seed beads, paper flowers, rub-ons chipboard wings and alphabets and whatever else i’m moving out
• remaining studioWERX on Main inventory that will no longer be carried in our online store

i have also decided to sell my personal mixed media original collages, limited edition giclees and abstract acrylic paintings as the ’studio’ part of the sale.

all artworks will be displayed/hung in my living room, upper hall and outdoors on easels [weather permitting] so even if you’re not super jazzed about the ‘warehouse sale’, this will be the first time i’m opening my studio for an artwork sale and you won’t want to miss that!

as with our last warehouse sale in 2006, there will be refreshments. my hubby t will no doubt bake up something yummy, chocolately and non-diety and we will put out his ‘manly baking’ sign again lol! there will be ice teas, lemonade, coffee and tea…

your next opportunity to purchase art products directly from us, in person and not online, will be at circle craft in november - 3 months from the date of this studio/warehouse sale. also… the product selection at circle craft will be more limited to rubberstamps, inks and rubberstamping supplies. there will be no artwork, extra embellishments, or large quantities of paper…

so with that in mind, i hope you will ’save the date’ for this once a year, summer event.
we look forward to seeing you soon!