Sundays With Lorraine

Hello, my crafty friends and thank you for stopping by. I’ve just returned home from a mini marathon of shows – Atlanta, GA, Kansas City, MO and ending in beautiful Santa Clara, CA. I am happy to report that the Creativity Center was on fire and a fun time was had by all – hugs to all those creative people that I had the privilege of meeting in person.  You are the reason that the Stamp & Scrapbook Expo has been doing shows for 20 years. It’s always a pleasure to create something beautiful with you in person. It’s like having my cake and eating it, too. Hugs to all!

Inspiration Butterfly ATC By Riikka Kovasin

You all know how I love a good inky background and these artsy ATC cards designed by the very talented Riikka Kovasin are no exception. It’s a little hard to see in the photo that the butterflies are stamped on acetate, cut out, and sewn to the card. I love the visual interest that it adds to the project without overpowering the cards.

Artist Trading Cards are pieces of art that can fit on a 2.5″ by 3.5″ piece of card stock paper. The possibilities are endless; remember that if you can imagine it you can create it. They are a great way to share your art with others. I hope you’ve been inspired to break out your favorite supplies and give these fun cards a try. I must warn you – they are a bit addictive, so once you get the fever it’s hard to stop. Remember there are no rules; just have fun with your art. 

Block Watercolor Stamping By Jennifer McGuire

I’d like to send a shout out to Jennifer McGuire for revisiting the art of water coloring with your acrylic blocks. It’s fun, easy and oh-so-showy. As you can see by these beautiful cards, the end results are stunning. Try using different size and shaped blocks to create all kinds of designs.

I highly recommend stopping by Jennifer’s blog to check out the video she prepared; you are going to love all the samples that she has to share. I hope you’ve been inspired to break out those acrylic blocks and your favorite dye based inks and or markers and create your own unique works of art.

Italiana Riviera Tile Coasters by Kathy

It makes me smile using my treasured stamps on things other than paper. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a paper crafter at heart, it’s what I do!  I live and breath scrapbooking, from layouts to cards to tags to mixed media projects; big or small I love ’em all!  But there is something to be said about walking into your craft room and coming out with a handmade gift. Wouldn’t this adorable set of coasters make a nice hostess gift at the next BBQ you’re invited to? Add a bottle of their favorite wine and you are the hero. 😉 
Add a cute tag and a simple ribbon and your handmade gift is ready to go.

Who would have guessed that these artsy coasters started out as a plain tile that was purchased at a home improvement store? I don’t want to frighten you, but the holidays are right around the corner and if we start our holiday crafting now we can enjoy the holidays instead of stressing out about not being prepared.  For further details along with a supply list, click here and I will be happy to escort you over to Kathy’s blog Joyfully Made Designs so you can see how easily this project comes together.

Glazed Pineapple and Shrimp Kabobs

These easy-to-make shrimp kabobs are sure to be a hit at your next BBQ. You’ll be happy to know that you can have them ready to serve in about half an hour, and another added bonus is that they are Weight Watcher friendly, too.

I highly recommend stopping by and spending some quality time with our friends over on the KITCHme Blog; they have the best selection of recipes – everything from desserts, drinks, complete meals, etc. If you are following the Weight Watchers program, kudos to you. Losing weight shouldn’t be a flavorless process and thanks to KITCHme, we can all enjoy our favorite foods.

Thanks for stopping by; I always enjoy our creative time together. It’s show time for me and the Stamp & Scrapbook Expo. The marathon of shows is still in full swing and with 19 shows around the nation, the question is not what show you should attend, but rather how many shows you CAN attend! I’ll meet you at the Creativity Center. Hugs to all!