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Greetings!
Almost here! I cant believe April is around the corner and so is the event. Things are finally coming together and the time if flying by. We have been making so many exciting additions to the market fair, mini workshops, sponsors, special guests, and of course....giveaways! Its going to be a great time and I hope you can be there.
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inside the studio
 It seems like every week I clean up and work my way back to a new mess, clean up and start all over again. To be honest, I think I work best when I am buried in my own creative abyss.
This week I just finished up a fun hybrid (paper and fabric) mini-album for my next Beyond the Page column for Simple. You can kinda see it as I work on it in the top left corner of the photo. It never fails I always end up working in a tiny semi-cleared area of my work table.
I have been enjoying the photo a day challenge for my 365+1 project. I underestimated the obligation of remembering to take out my camera and snap a few pictures everyday. However, this has really gotten my family involved and they are on top of me making sure I take at least one everyday. Even with only one month complete, they already enjoy the photos I have taken so far. This concept might just be the best and most realistic album concept I have ever tried...no frills and simple!
Perhaps the biggest news is that we have been working on a complete website redesign! It's only in the beginning stages, however, I am really excited moving forward. The site will function much more efficiently and be so much more user friendly. It should take about 6 weeks (fingers crossed) and we pretty much have the look of the new site designed, so all we need to do now is to fill it with all the fun stuff.
I have also updated the current site with more event mini-workshops and will continue to do so as the event draws closer ( only less than 10 weeks away now can you believe it!!!!).  On Monday (feb. 4), the new Spring line of aprons will be released! I love aprons, I wear one everyday as i work in my studio and it is important to me to wear something inspiring and pretty as i work. They are each individually handmade and can be monogrammed however you wish. This release elegantly features one of my favorite fabric designers, Amy Butler. The apron is a classic mix of her bold patterns and simple prints. We will only have 70 aprons available, so don't wait! When they are gone, they are gone! |
inspired by...
- An absolute must have book is Art from the Heart: Mixed-Media Collage
 by Catherin Matthews-Scanlon. I just got this book last week and it is already dog-eared and loved. It has some of the most classy and creative examples of mixed media collage...a total inspiration!
- I recently also picked up embellished mini quilts
recently and am so enamored by the decorative possibilities with art quilts...the book has great up close shots of the intricate designs and includes a supplies list and how to's. Beading and embellishing fabric pieces is definitely something I'd like to creatively play with next.
- Following on the heals of reading the secret and on Michelle Caudill's excellent recommendation, i picked up a copy of law of attraction. I love the ideas presented in this book...makes me feel good to believe in the positive recourse of positive thought. I am really trying to practice this in my life.
- I absolutely love, and finally bought my first piece of Tracy Antonik's jewelry off of her etsy store - photo glassworks. everything about her work inspires me; the design the images, the style, it took me so long to decide which of her pieces I wanted, but Ii finally decided on this one. You cannot imagine how many comments I have gotten on it!
 - I love the look and feel of mounted stamps and found a really reasonable source for wood blocks. I just mounted some new dressform rubber that I bought in Texas! - wood mounts ink
- I have been loving Tim's new grungeboard and he even provides a demo! gotta love that!
- I have been using my Bind-It-All like crazy, I love this tool. It just makes perfect sense for me. I love binding things that wouldn't normally appear in a traditional book; paint swatches, tags, tickets, maps, pieces of STUFF! Totally makes me happy!
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trash to treasure... 
Meet Maria Rodrigues Pereira from Rio de Janeiro, BrazilI currently living in Brandenburg, KY. I loved how she took to this month's chalenge. Here's what she had to say, " Even though I am one of those people that
always always always saves cards (and I put them in pockets in my
scrapbook pages) I had never had the courage to pull them apart as
embellishemnts on my page. Well due to your challenge I found that
courage and I loved the result. The Santa, arrow (on his tummy) and the
word santa are all from a Christmas card. And even the title was
inspired by the card... The card had the caption "too many pies" but
since my kids don't put out a pie for Santa I changed it to "too many
cookies". Since it is February, lets recycle and reuse to make hearts for this month's Trash to Treasure challenge! The more hearts the better, the more projects the better! Use your scraps, tin cans, cardboard, old clothing, product packaging, whatever you can get your hands on, cut into a heart shape and use it to embellish and create personal art and projects with LOVE! If you're up to the challenge, email your trash to treasure pictures to donna@donnadowney.com and write "HEARTS" in the subject line and you just might find your work may be featured in the March Creative Playground newsletter. |
the D.O. corner
Busy! Busy! The event is only a couple months away and we have been working hard on getting everything together.
Also we are still going to offer a final payment plan for the remaining seats for anyway who is still interested. If you are interested, just email me at bill@donnadowney.com and we can get you all set up.
Also please free to contact me if you have any questions about the resort, travel, classes, mini workshops, or anything else.
I hope to you see in April!
Bill
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REGISTER TODAY!
$515
$265 now
additional $250 payment by march 30th
bill@donnadowney.com
all deposits are non-refundable |
where in the world is donna?
sat FEB 9 - IT'S ABOUT TIME SCRAPBOOKS (1 class only!)
12-3pm blue/black hybrid album
only 20 students!
9400 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd. Suite 114A
Murrieta, CA 92563
Phone: 951-304-3422
feb 15-16 get croppin'
sterling, VA
feb 22-23 K.I.S.S. EVENTS
manchester, NHfeb. 29-march 2 CKU-JAPAN
march 7-8 Apropos Paper Arts
3030 S. Grand Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99203
April 10-12 INSPIRED. artist workshop
concord, nc
704.875.0971
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fabric album kits
while supplies last...
pink and brown damask
no sewing machine required!
3 panel photo standing display
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AMERICAN students
in TUSCANY
Scrapbooking, Sightseeing, Cooking & ShoppingMay 24 - June 2, 2008
seating is limited so first come first serve!
ITALIAN students
The
classes will be held in English but with the aid of an Italian
translator.
Be
sure to make your reservation through info@scrap4all.it today.
The
space is limited and on a first-come first-served
basis. The ENTIRE cost of this 3-day scrapbooking weekend is only €250 (package which includes
workshops and nightly crops) or € 350 (package with hotel , meals, workshops and nightly crops). ScrapMap will donate $25 (for every person who signs up) for research on breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer. dont wait a minute longer! |
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