happy holidays
                          from the downey's

me banner
december 2007
In This Issue
inside the studio
inspired by...
trash to treasure
the D.O.Corner
INSPIRED.
artist workshop
seating limited
REGISTER TODAY
and your tuition
 could be
 FREE!
art calendar
 
2008 workshops
sat. 12/1
SCRAP SHACK
11am - 12Noon - Celebrate Life
1 - 4 pm - Creative License
mooresville NC
704-663-0207

wed.12/12
SCRAP SHACK
6 - 8 pm - The Journey of Me
mooresville NC
704-663-0207

sat. 1/5
SCRAP SHACK
11 am - 3 pm - A Year In The Life
mooresville NC
704-663-0207

jan. 11-13
GOTTA SCRAP!
910 Steger Towne Drive
Rockwall, Texas 75032
972-772-5197

feb 1-3 scrapbook central
3700 Coconut Creek Pkwy Ste 200
Coconut Creek, Fl 33066
954-247-0020

feb 15-16 get croppin'
sterling, VA

feb 22-23 K.I.S.S. EVENTS
manchester, NH
fonts
font
Join Our Mailing List
Greetings!
'tis the season to be jolly, fa...la, la, la, la...la, la, la, la!

I love the holiday season with the christmas tree, the lights, decorations, and all the wonderful food.

I still cant believe we just back from fun in the sun on our first scrapbooking cruise with The Scrapbook Shoppe. Julie and Lexi did a wonderful job organizing the cruise. We had such a great time meeting and hanging out with all the students and teachers. We even got a chance to go to the beach in November, what a treat! "Hey Julie", Thanks for everything.

 
inside the studio

There has been so much going on inside my studio this month from scrapbooking, mini albums, fabric albums and painting...it simply makes me happy to have the time to be creative. 

However the best part of my studio days have been spent prepping, planning and ordering product for the INSPIRED. event. The whole idea of blending so many different kinds of craft into your scrapbooking, stretching outside of the traditional ideals and looking creatively at all the possibilities inspires me...this event is going to revolutionize and reinvent the scrapbooking industry...you mark my words!

So on that note, with this the season of giving, Bill and I wanted to give the gift of inspiration to one very lucky INSPIRED. student. EACH student registered for the event (from September 15th-December 24th) will be entered into a drawing to receive a full reimbursement of his/her paid tuition. On Christmas day, we will draw a name via live video blogcast to announce the name of the lucky student that will win free admission to the INSPIRED. event this April 2008.
donna claus2


seats are limited and filling up quickly, so if you are interested in attending put it on your Christmas lists now.

We are still offering payment plans for anyone interested in breaking up the payments into smaller more manageable chunks. For payment plan information and general questions regarding the event please contact Bill via email at [email protected] or call 704.875.0971.
inspired by... recycled bowl
  • this is really cool Get clippings - i really want to use a few of these a journaling block on my pages. even more fun is to leave them for your kids in the morning at breakfast.
  • i just love the design on these mugs from Urban Outfitters, especially the one with the blue and green houses.
  • trunkt - a site (like Etsy) where independent artist list their pieces and artwork for sale
  • i think i want to try this for Christmas - making dolls on Martha Stewart. i love the fact that she gives both the instructions and the pattern and it seems pretty doable.
on my Christmas list:
  • DYMO introduces Disc Painter - although it is pricey, this would be a great way to archive my photos to cd's and dvd's with a quick and easy visual reference.
  • this desktop organizer is already on it's way to my house!! it not only looks classy it will fit all of my workspace organizational tool needs!
  • i am also thinking i need a couple of these ribbon purses to organize my ribbon by color. i constantly struggle with making my ribbon easier to access and see. these might just solve my problem and it is portable so i can bring it anywhere i am working.
  • Bazzill also came out with pre-punched cardstock making it super easy to lace and stitch directly onto the page. i really want to try playing with some of them.
  • these are a must have...i love the look of hand stitching on a page and couple that with a flourish design, well that's a no brainer!
  • also on my list every year are some inspirational books. here are a few of the ones i am looking forward too.


trash to treasure

scraps 2 ttt Way to go Candi Ladwig from Silvis, Illinois., for sharing with us how you can celebrate the holidays by thinking creatively about your scraps!
i love the recycled ingenuity of the brown bag too.
Even better Candi made 2 mini albums from the same scraps.

1st Book-- "This book was made from lots of scraps and a paper grocery sack.  I ripped the scraps and sewed them together to make a little accordion pocket book.  I used ALL scrap ribbons and fibers and materials.  It was a lot of fun digging into my "stash".  This project was inspired by a Making Memories idea book."

THEN... "I was still left with bits of paper-- and I love this very traditional Christmas look, so I couldn't let anything go to waste-- and of course Donna Downey challenged me... so I got out a 2" board book and covered that.  After sanding and inking the edges it I was able to find a few vintage buttons out of my button jar "collection" to add to the old fashioned look.  Finally, the title... I had these rub ons and LOVE the font... but of course lots of letters were already used.  (I couldn't say Christmas and didn't have enough numbers for 2006)  So...Holiday '06 it was! "
 
"That was my 'process'.  I really don't plan anything as I scrap... I just start going and eventually I get what I love!  Thanks again for the opportunity and I can't wait to see the next challenge!"

You can see more of Candi's projects as well as other trash to treasure Scraps2 challenge submissions here.

For this month's challenge, lets not push ourselves too much, it's the holidays, there is already enough hustle and bustle going on. However, if you have made or plan to make any handcrafted gifts or cards this season i would love to see and share them here!

If you're up to the challenge, email your trash to treasure pictures to [email protected] and write "HOLIDAY" in the subject line and you just might find your work may be featured in the January Creative Playground newsletter to kick off the new year.
The D.O. (director of operations) corner cruise
 

Happy Holidays! I hope everyone has a great Holiday season and the new year brings you lots of opportunities and success.

As most know, the inspired. event is just around the corner and we are adding many exciting additions. Be sure to add the event to your christmas wish list!

Also we have started a yahoo group for the event. The group is called ddinspired and has been created for anyone who will be or planning on attending the inspired. Artist Workshop. The yahoo group offers discussions, swaps, event & area information, and etc. Its a great way to get to know everyone prior to the event. Follow the ddinspired link to join in on the fun!


As requested, we are still going to offer the payment plan for the event to anyone who is still interested. All you need to do is make a deposit to hold your spot and then make some affordable payments. Please contact me at [email protected] to make your personal payment arrangements.

Finally dont forget to invite the man in your life to the event. The event is on a golf course resort and we will be scheduling golf outings, tours of the Lowes Motor Speedway, and etc. Its a great opportunity for the guys to have some fun while your taking classes.

We hope to see you in April!


Bill

art journal 101Save $5
ART JOURNAL: 101
Unleash your inner artist by starting the new year off on a creative high note. Try something new, experiment and creatively play by starting your own personal art journal. An art journal is a unique place to practice and express yourself creatively...a visual diary of who you are as an artist and creator.

Download this step by step how to project today and receive 13 pages of full color photos and instructions to get you started.

use the coupon code to receive $5 off the class price.

 
enter coupon code: art101dd