National Scrapbooking Day Crop at Michaels

The monthly 'Scrap-In' at Michaels was held on National Scrapbooking Day; the beginning of a month-long celebration of demos and new classes commemorating National Scrapbooking Month. 

The Crop was at capacity and it is already SOLD OUT for June! I had a wonderful day and I'm looking forward to my demo today as I 'Show In Tell' a wonderful new Spellbinders die. Yesterday's demo was for the new Fiskars interchangeable punch system and it garnered quite a lot of interest.

Much gratitude to the wonderful sponsors of the crop; Paper-Ed, Sizzix, Ranger, Spellbinders, Mi-Design, Scotch Brand, Tombow, and EK Success. BIG thanks also to my personal sponsors: Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine, Christina Byrnes, and Liquitex.

~Roberta

Maya Road flip book for someone special

Do you have children away at school or who will be going to camp? My daughter loves 'care packages' during the year; 

one of the ones I sent weighed 10 pounds and most of them were chocolate-dipped fruit baskets. But once in a while a little something, and non-food related, can be just as special and appreciated.

I was able to pull this together pretty quickly and had so much fun making it.

Maya Road has the most adorable embellishments and I love their blank books.  This flip book's lucite base holds 6 sturdy pieces of chipboard. I painted each board white (front and back) and then decorated with adhesive chipboard pieces and Ranger Liquid Pearls. Easy!

~Roberta

What's on my desk today

It was a very long day travelling to London, then downtown Toronto, and then back up north to Richmond Hill. I still wanted to quill!

This is what is on my desk today:

~Roberta

What's on my counter ?

Can anyone guess what the clear tear drop shape item is?

And those are the items I am currently working on at my metals & jewellery counter. How many items/ techniques do you recognize?

~Roberta

What's on my desk?

Inspired by the Creativ Festival, I started making some jewellery pieces. Here is what I am working on!

~Roberta

Creativ Festival Spring 2013

I went to the CreativFestival this year for one reason; to be at the Scrapbook & Cards Today booth taking two wonderful classes with Vicki Boutin. 

It was a very long day and I had to be at the International Centre for 10 A.M.! If you know me, you are aware that I am normally not awake before 2 P.M.! I don't drag my tush out of bed at that ungodly hour for just anyone.Spending the entire day with Catherine and Vicki really flew by (for me at least).I always learn something new with Vicki and yesterday was no exception.I believe there were more scrapbooking booths than last year, but of course the vast majority of the show is geared to sewers and quilters; and I am neither! I did enjoy visiting several bead companies and bought some pretty spectacular beads.  I am also going to try my hand at a couple of chain maille kits.

Catherine and Vicki - end of Day 1

Wonderful layout workshop with LOTS of dimension

Tag Workshop - from ruching to inking - we did it all

Thinking about My Mother: 13 years later

My mother died 13 years ago, tomorrow.
Today I am writing about my mother. This is an homage to the greatest woman I know.

Sept 9, 1923 – April 5 2000

I did not want to say “thinking about my mother” because I do that every single day. I think about her, feel her, hear her voice; she is so ingrained in who I am. I am convinced that she always had a plan for me, both spoken and unspoken, and it’s her essence and light that has given me the tools to move forward each and every day since the event of my greatest heartbreak over 17 years ago. She was my anchor.

And I built upon the heartbreak and learned, and with the guidance she nurtured me with, I believe she tried to prepare me for the day she would no longer be alive.
We went through a lot; some very dark and bad days together, but the vast majority were bright and loving and inspiring. I remember a happy, loving childhood in a home full of love and support. My mother started teaching me bookkeeping when I was 10 so I would understand business and ‘always have an employable skill’!  -- I am so grateful that I had my mother. She taught me so many important things, like;

• You can do anything!

• Treat people the way you want to be treated

• The truth is much easier to remember than a lie

• If you make a mistake, own up to it, with no excuses.

• Always be self-sufficient. Know how to cook, clean, sew, research, and NEVER depend on someone else to provide these basic life skills for you. It is ok to share with others and rely on them for various things, but NEVER let someone ELSE tell YOU what you need, want, should buy, must have….  You have a brain; use it!

• Believe in justice and equality. Fight for what you believe in. Do not stand idly by if someone needs help and you are able to help them. Trust your gut and don’t’ wait for ‘someone else’ to make the first move.

• Be a leader, not a follower

• Appreciate life. Appreciate beauty. Appreciate all that is good in your life.

• Don’t hold grudges.  If you can’t let go, then back away and don’t look back. You are only hurting yourself if you hold onto this negative energy.

• Hug! A lot

• There is no such thing as saying ‘I love you’ too much. (As long as you mean it).

• Pick your battles; ask yourself, “Self, is this REALLY important?” or “Self, if this was your last day on earth, is THIS how you want to be spending/wasting it?”

• Help those who are less fortunate than you.  Even if you only have 10 in your wallet, someone else has less.

I miss how much she loved her grandchildren. How she would ‘sneak’ Aero bars into the house and share them with kids. She forgot to check for little bits of melted chocolate stuck to the leather sofa where she would sit in the front room of our house. I miss the warmth of her hug and the way I would feel when I was sad or hurt and she would be there on the sofa waiting for me to nuzzle in. There was no safer or loving place in the world. I can feel my head pressing against her flesh and I could sense the love shooting out from her finger tips as she wrapped them around my head and body
Shhhh……Shhh…….  Everything will be better………Shhh………Shhhh……..
Loving and missing my mother  today and every day.

My first INCHIES!

Inspired by Doc Angi's show on Sunday, I decided to make some 'inchies'. To the uninitiated, these are little pieces of art made on a 1" square.  They are fun and easy.

The first fun part is decorating your background paper. Paint, draw, spray, decoupage your heart out. 

I have many pieces of watercolour art and decided to use a piece from my (in)famous watercolour graveyard. 

As you will see, I sectioned the paper into 1" strips. I used a pencil to draw moderate weight lines and then went over the lines with a Conte a Paris white pastel pencil. Smudged it a little. I love the way it defines the borders of the squares. 

Roberta Recommends - Craft Tools

I hope everyone had a great week! I have been really busy (with good things) and I am happy to bring you this week's instalment of my 'Roberta Recommends' series.

Roberta Recommends - COLOUR!

The series continues!
This week I am bringing you my favourite inks.

I did not publish last week.  My daughter had been in a car accident and I was pre-occupied.  All is fine now. :)