PaperWhimsy August Musings
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Waning Days of Summer
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August 2008
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The other day I was walking through a local craft store and, lo and behold, what do I spy? Thanksgiving decorations. But, one must pity the poor Thanksgiving, who barely gets a by your leave as we trample all over it to get to the mall for the busiest shopping day of the year (which usually starts about 7 hours after we eat the last of the turkey and dressing).
So, I guess one can't begrudge the Gobbler-lovers their day in the sun even if it is 100 days early, 90 degrees outside and we still have just shy of half the summer to enjoy. And, Thanksgiving or not, I plan to savor every drop of summer we have left. In fact, perhaps I'll go outside tomorrow.
Yes, it's so true... I have become a recluse. I am quite happy, as you well know, to sit in the house all day long in front of my computer. Though last weekend my friend, Lisa, and I got up and got dressed and were out to the local fruit market gathering together all the things we needed for our first Gourmet Saturday, and it was barely 10:30am!
Yes! I did. I got dressed.
For some unfathomable reason, I, the kitchen-phobe, got all caught up in the whole summer thing what with vegetables and fruits in season now, and suggested to Lisa that we have a monthly Gourmet Saturday.
"I know! Let's have a monthly Gourmet Saturday!" Me
"Who are you and what have you done with Gale?" Her
So, Lisa dug out all her cookbooks, came up with a menu and last Saturday we shopped and cooked.
I spent:
- 18 bucks on gourmet cheese (which was not in any of the recipes)
- 21 bucks on plants (which were not in any of the recipes)
- 4 bucks on pannini to go with the cheeses (which was not in any of the recipes)
- 6 bucks on lemonade (not in the recipes but I'd worked up a sweat at the fruit market and couldn't make up my mind which lemonade so bought both)
- 4 or 5 bucks on cute little reusable shopping bags just in case I ever save up enough money to do another Gourmet Saturday (I was very impressed by the droves of serious fruit market shoppers with their nifty little shopping satchels - mine do say TRADER JOE'S on them, but next time we go to the fruit market I'll have me own little shopping satchels)
- 6 bucks on three pounds of blueberries (though in the recipe, Lisa had already purchased the necessary blueberries)
- 3 bucks and something for two baby eggplants and some goofy looking red peppers because I wanted to photograph them
And then of course, the necessary things for the recipes which came to another 40 bucks not taking into account that Lisa had already spent about 40 of her bucks on stuff as well.
Lisa and I together are a dangerous shopping couple. She loves to shop at stores with big carts and I like to fill them.
I have to tell you, if you're not used to cooking it is exhausting. We started at 10:30am with the shopping and Lisa finally crawled to her car at 11:00pm. We cooked and cooked and baked (why two girls need 5 dozen cookies and a cake for dessert is beyond me) and mixed and broiled and sauted and boiled and when all was said and done we gave the final meal a tepid two thumbs up (maybe because we could barely lift our thumbs?). We came to the conclusion that, though we did have fun, we might have been better off enjoying our Gourmet Saturday at Bravo or Panera Bread.
Next Gourmet Saturday is the end of September. I'll keep you posted.
Anyway, today is another celebration during these waning days of summer because any day that you can think about art and do art is cause for celebration. The summer part is just the icing on the cake.
Rande has cooked up all kinds of gourmet art snacks for us (you, knew I'd use that eventually, didn't you, T?) and there are no calories involved. You can enjoy these over and over again, guilt-free. And I've been hard at work adding a few of the necessary ingredients for said snacks, to the shoppe: the PaperWhimsy Gourmet Kitchen, if you will.
So grab your joe or your Rosie Lee and let's head to the kitchen, shall we?
My little baby eggplant on a little plate. Yum?
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Dumpster Art
As you know, or hopefully will soon find out, I've added digital collage sheets to the PaperWhimsy product line. I am an avid fan of digital art and to have the opportunity to share that with everyone (and pay the bills at the same time) is such a blessing. Recently, I posted, on my blog, a kind of preview of new things on the horizon for PaperWhimsy that will piggyback on the digisheets and add yet another dimension to my offerings: overlays and textures for digital artists. These are the things that digital artists will be able to use in the art they create in Photoshop and Elements. Let's face it, digital is a blast and it's a whole lot less messy. So, if you want to see what I'm babbling about, take a wander over to my blog and look for the Dumpster Art post. And stay tuned by going back every so often and/or visiting the PaperWhimsy shoppe... this fall there will be even more to whet your creative whistle in PaperWhimsyland. |
What's new, Puddytat...
 Well, definitely more digis, (and I promise, I have not forsaken my little whimsy kids - there are WIPs). I've added several new sheets and some old favorites have now been converted to digital. I also created another digi sampler. We all get wanderlust when the weather turns warm and vicarious journeys can be almost as fun as the real deal. Perhaps more so because the trip can be as big as your imagination and cost a whole lot less than the real deal. Hopefully, this new sampler will strike a chord with you. By the way, those "stamps" at the top of the sheet to your left, are ATC-sized. Nifty, yeah? I've cooked up a few sheets using some of the photos I snapped while on walkabout and I am tickled pink to be able to share them with you and, hopefully, see them in your art. And all the digisheets are available as a printed sheet so please do not dismay if your printer is on its last leg or you just plain don't want to be bothered printing. You can order the print version of any digi by clicking on the link below each digisheet where it says "Related Products", or by going to the Printed Digi Sheet section of the shoppe. I've always been a sucker for a coloring  book and crayons and Rande was gently nudging me for some doors that were in lighter colors so... voila! How about a color-it-yourself sheet? You can print these on watercolor paper that has been sized for inkjet printing and then paint away. Or use glitter on them or colored pencil... or crayon. There is also a color version of this sheet available here. And I've also done some lighter doors as Rande requested. You can go to the Digi Sheet section of the shoppe to find them or click on the NEW GOODIES button to see them and a whole lot more. The ideas just never cease. And yes, dear JT and Patti, I am working on those butterfly sheets. They're comin' right up. Let's see... what else...
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What else...
How about some wonderful faerie-like blooms in tiny little tins? These just flew in from overseas and I've been photographing them and putting them on the website. They are just so adorable. Handmade, with the stamens. Wonderful and in several colors. Or these pretty petal which come in a little organdy draw string pouch, just like the way faeries carry them... You can find these flowers and more in Pretty Petals.
 And this beauty is called Jade Orchid. These ribbons are just about 1/4" wide and you get three yards per cut. You'd better get several because you're going to be hard pressed to cut these. You'll find these and more in... Ribbons.  Oh, I'm not done, yet. What would go well with ribbon? Hmmm... How about beads? But not just any old bead. Perhaps these?  Or these? You'll find them both... and more... in Baubles & Beads, of course. Be sure to look for those "baubles", too. |
Inspirations 2 Art: Rande Hanson
While watching all of the Olympic activities, I feel like I have been racing to make new Paperwhimsy samples for all the great new products. So many new things to inspire, no matter what type of art you fancy. Sprinting from fabric and fibers to paperdoll painted dress collages to digisheets to jewelry to journals. Since I love it all, it was hard to just dabble in one, so I have made a few things from my favorite new items. I'm sure you will find something on the new items pages that will inspire you, and become some of your favorites. When you have finished savoring the newsletter, be sure to drop by my blog and see what's inspired me this month. www.paperwhimsy.com/rande_hanson
Warmest,
Rande
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Rande's Gourmet Treats
So, you've got the ingredients and now you need the recipe. Be prepared - you will not want to stop snacking on these! With a bit of ribbon, a few trinket pins, a memory frame, some sprockets and beads - you can create a one-of-a-kind necklace for yourself or someone special, in no time at all. Look for that little face, above, in a digisheet. Oh joy!  And if these two necklaces (and there's a third on Rande's blog), don't whet your appetite, then this gorgeous brooch will. And Rande has provided directions for you if you'd like to create one of your own.
 Need a gift for someone very dear and need it quickly? But it has to look good? Ta da! A decorated journal is the perfect gift tucked in a cute little gift bag with a handmade card. Please do keep an eye on Rande's blog as she has several more wonderful projects to be shared over the next few days and weeks. Also, Rande's special Design Team page on the PaperWhimsy website will be unveiled very soon (you can see the start of it here). This page will contain an album of all of the wonderful and timeless projects she's created for us over the last several months, and more. A terrific resource right at your fingertips any time you need it. Coming soon! |
 Special News, Part II
Joy, oh, joy! They're here! The special dresses created by JoAnnA Pierotti of Moss Hill Studio for a few of her favorite PaperWhimsy kids. I am utterly charmed by JoAnnA's artwork and to have her create outfits especially for PaperWhimsy is a very special gift, indeed. There are three outfits for the kids, Jackie Van Gogh (sheet 022), Hannah Honeypot (sheet 008) and Little Petal Whimsy (sheet 155). Adorable all three. I would love to see your art using these dresses on these little kids. I will be posting this "contest" to my art blog, as well, but you hear it here first!
Show your Whimsies in their new dresses. And you don't need to put the dresses on the particular Whimsy kid they were created for - you can use your altering skills, if you so choose, to put the dresses on any of the little kiddles. All you have to do to play along is use an original PaperWhimsy collage image, one of the special dresses created by JoAnnA for PaperWhimsy, and post your entry to my blog with a link back to yours. There will be a random drawing for a winner and the prize is a $50 gift certificate to the PaperWhimsy shoppe. The deadline is September 21, with the winner being announced and their winning entry featured in my Bits & Bobs Newsletter that goes out on September 30. So, come one, come all... and dress those Whimsies!
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