This is what love looked like to me this Mother's Day.
A daughter. Two grandchildren. Blessed beyond measure.
This one truly had me at "hello". The sly smile and the souldful eyes. The wisdom way beyond his years. All boy, with a tender heart. Total love.
And, oh my, this one. Eerily like her mother in every possible way. Girly and funny and sweet, with a touch of diva thrown in for good measure. Be still, my heart.
I am grateful every day.
UPDATE: Our winner is Sandra Lomas! Thanks, everyone, and congratulations, Sandra! Can't wait to send you your beautiful new bracelets!! xoxo
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TIME'S UP!! ~ Winner will be announced shortly!
It's a glorious Monday, the Spring weather is fabulous, and we are in the mood for a giveaway!!
In the spirit of one of our new-found obsessions, Pinterest, let's involve them and hopefully encourage traffic to everyone's boards!!
Here's how it will work. Simply pin the image above to any of your boards on Pinterest. The description must include this link: http://spellboundevent.com. Then come back to this post and link your pin in the comments, so we can all visit your boards!
Extra entry for also posting your link on our Facebook wall.
Remember, you must include the link to your pin in the comments or on Facebook!!
We will leave this contest open until Monday, April 23 at 12 noon PST.
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A because we DO love a giveaway......
One lucky participant will win this gorgeous set of bracelets created by Shea!! So pretty, and just perfect for the Spring and Summer.
So ladies... start pinning! We cannot wait to see what everyone is up to!
xoxo Debbie & Shea
A few years ago, I was so inspired by my friend Vanessa Valencia's blog, A Fanciful Twist, and a darling glitter shamrock tutorial that she had posted. We emailed back and forth about it, but I never got the chance to actually make it that year. It was layered and sparkly, and it has been in the back of my mind ever since...
I don't see the tutorial one her blog any longer, so this is my version of what she inspired. It is not a replica, just an homage to a wonderfully creative soul. Thanks, Vanessa!! xoxo
It always surprises me what can be done with just some paper and a little bit of glitter!
Here are the materials I used. After I took this photo I realised that the tiny bottle of Tacky Glue had wandered off, so just pretend that it is there also. :)
The paper is a very lightweight chipboard. This piece was actually from a stack of scrapbook paper. It is the cardboard they use between every 20-25 pieces when they are packaged. You could also use a file folder, a cereal box... anything about that same weight.
You will also need the pieces cut from the PDF provided at the bottom of this post, small scissors or a craft knife, small paintbrush, green glitter (this is German glass glitter), a lightweight white glue for glittering, a heavyweight glue for attaching the pieces and the "bling".
You will also need a small amount of craft paint. You can either match the color of the glitter or use a metallic, as I did. This is "Glorious Gold" from Deco Art, which is definitely my go-to paint.
Finally, we will be using a small rhinestone button or jewelry piece. The one I used is an old earring.
Trace and cut out your 4-leaf clover pieces. On the smaller one, I cut off and discarded the stem. Using my craft knife very gently, I made a shallow "score" line across all petals to create dimension. Be careful not to cut all the way through!
Paint your pieces front and back and allow to dry. (I used a small desktop fan to speed up the process.)
Glitter only the front side of the larger clover. (I plan to use this as a pin, so I don't want glitter on the side that comes in contact with clothing.)
It will look like this in the back.
Glitter both sides of the smaller clover.
As you are working with the paint and glue on the carboard, there will be moments when it seems too "soft", especially when you are treating both sides at once. This is why it is important to let it dry a bit between steps. When the glitter is applied and it cures completely, it will really stiffen up nicely. So be patient! :)
When completely dry, stack the two pieces and use your heavy-duty glue to attach. You can use a glue gun for this step if you wish.
It appears at this point that there are two different colors of glitter. It is simply a shadow being cast on the bottom layer.
Finally, attach your bling!! Almost finished........ just one last touch.
I will be attaching a pin back to this and proudly wearing it tomorrow for St. Patrick's Day!
Get the PDF for this project here.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Let me know if you make this project!!
xoxo
~ REGISTRATION IS OPEN!! ~
For months now, we have been nuturing the seedlings of a creative dream.
Thinking, planning, searching, collecting, curating, building.....
Those things have brought us to this day. The day we launch registration for...
You are cordially invited to join us as we usher in the 2012 Holiday Season with an extraordinary creative retreat in the beautiful city of Pasadena, California.
The gorgeous and historic Langham Huntington Hotel.
Exquisite venue. Exceptional instructors. Enchanting memories.
The classes are simply divine. Each instructor has truly outdone herself!
We feel so blessed to be working with this "Dream Team". Each one a master of her medium!
For more information on "Spellbound...create your dreams", go here.
To create your schedule and register, go here!
We sincerely hope to see you there!!
xoxo Debbie & Shea
When we came to understand the inevitability of hosting the art retreat "Spellbound", and how much we needed it to be fulfilling and inspiring and wondrous and lovely for all who attended, the earth began to spin ever so slightly in a new direction.
There was so much to do. So many things to decide. But at the very top of the "must do" list, and believe me when I tell you it is long, it became our absolute mission to assemble a group of amazing, generous, innovative, and truly gifted instructors. Instructors with a passion for their art and a love of their medium. A "Dream Team".
And wow. May I just say that they have each delivered projects so beautiful, so compelling and wondrous, that I cannot imagine how anyone will ever choose?
Debrina Pratt • Denise Sharp • JoAnnA Pierotti • Kaari Meng • Kelli Murray-Larson • Kristen Robinson • Margie Romney-Aslett • Michele Muska • Pam Garrison
Did you gasp? Because I still do, no matter how many times I look at these photos. And this is just a sample!! There are eighteen classes total, and each is truly a work of art.
Please save the dates to your calendar. Visit our website at SpellboundEvent.com for all of the details and pertinent information. Peruse the offerings and assemble your very own "Dream Weekend".
We sincerely hope to see you there!
Another true artist that I need to mention here is the genius behind the camera... Martha Schuster is a rare talent, and her photography skills continue to amaze and inspire us. We love you, Martha!
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Registration will be opening very soon. Please contact us here if you would like to be notified by email when it is ready to go! (Please put "Spellbound" in the subject line.) And be sure to check back here often for news and updates!
xoxo Debbie & Shea
It was a lovely Valentine's Day yesterday. Spending the evening with the grandbabies, making their favorite dinner of corn chowder and raspberry sorbet. Playing, reading, snuggling.
Just perfect.
The wonderful surprise of these gorgeous roses found earlier in the day at... Target!!
Some pre-Valentine inspiration found on Pinterest led to these...
Shea and I put together lots of handmade valentines for the little ones to take to school and exchange. I had to keep this one for myself, tucked into a favorite frame.
My sweet girl.
And this one for the boy. Rough and tumble, sweet, and filled with a fragile bravado. It seemed fitting to perch one on the deck of his beloved Lego pirate ship.
Link to original here.
These are truly the tender years. Pure energy and unabashed joy. And noise. Lots of noise. But oh, those sweet baby kisses.
It's good to be in love. xoxo
It is with great pleasure that we are ready to announce the amazingly talented line-up of teachers for:
"Spellbound... create your dreams"
I cannot tell you how truly blessed we feel, assembling what we consider to be a "Dream Team" of master craftswomen, ready to both teach and inspire us at this groundbreaking event!
We think you will agree that is just does not get better than:
And may we just say... the class projects are beginning to arrive at our studio for photography... and they are spectacular! You will be amazed, and we promise it will be very hard to choose your favorites!!
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Vendors: We are finalizing details for the Friday evening Mercantile, and we will have applications ready very, very soon!! Email us at info@agildedlife.com to be put on a mailing list for info.
xoxo Debbie & Shea
There are friendships, and then there are soul-sisters. We all know the difference, and we recognize it almost immediately, don't we?
Christy Tomlinson is a soul-sister. A forever. A true.
We love being involved with her creatively. Her style is so different from ours, and yet it resonates with us somewhere deep in the place where happiness and joy flutter and take hold. She is a pioneer and a visionary, and we love her dearly.
We are so happy to have teamed up with Christy again this month for a "mini-workshop" with a romantic, Valentine-y twist. Things to give yourself, or one of your "trues".
First up will be this stunning three-strand charm bracelet. Darling charms, pearls and blown-glass flower beads. Use your own materials or purchase a complete kit.
*Due to the vintage nature of some of these components, slight variations in charms may occur.
SOLD OUT!!
Next we will make a gorgeous soft wool felt "sachet", strung with pink rosary chain. This can be fashioned completely from the scraps in your sewing basket. Sew it or glue it... your choice. Make it any size your "heart" desires!
**If you are in need of the best set of basic jewelry tools available, look no further! This is the set that we use in our studio and classes, and they are truly life-changing!
$32.00 per set.
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Sign up for class here! (This is a different Paypal gateway, and therefore will not go into a shopping cart with our items. It will be a separate transaction.)
But right this minute, we have to film the bracelet tutorial!! Hope to see you in the classroom!!
Annnd.... thanks, Christy! You are loved!
xoxo Debbie & Shea
UPDATE: Time's Up!!
Winner will be announced tomorrow. Thanks for all of your comments!! xoxo
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When a company like Provo Craft asks you to do a product review, anyone working in the art/craft/mixed-media worlds would just jump at the chance. And of course we are no exception!
Having a shiny new Cricut Expression2 in the studio is a very, very good thing. We love the new design, and the user-friendly interface. Cricut has been a staple in any craft workroom for a long time now, and they just keep getting better!
We had this in mind for a Pirate and Princess party we were planning last month...
And this amazing machine came to the rescue and helped us create our dream!
We began with a cartridge from the Teresa Collins collection. How did she know just what we were looking for? See those crowns? Perfect!
Extremely user friendly.
Cutting out about 60 crowns took no time at all. We were planning to make three separate banners, and each crown needed two pieces.
Two per 12 x 12 sheet for the larger size.
Crisp, clean cuts.
Easy to remove the images from the cut paper.
We used up leftover paper from the studio. We intended to paint the crowns, so the print could be anything.
Two crowns glued back to back. We needed a "heavier" weight to the crowns to support the glass glitter and so that they would not buckle when painted.
Painted front and back with Deco Art acrylic paint in "Glorious Gold". Always our go-to brand and color!
German Glass Glitter front and back. And don't forget the "edges"!
We attached eyelets to each crown and strung them with ribbon in alternating sizes arcoss a length of trim.
Until we got these perfectly princessy, sparkly, wondrous garlands!! We used one on the cake table, one on the gazebo, and one at the entrance to the party.
And this was made possible by a wonderful cutting machine and a brilliantly designed cartridge! Read more about the "Cricut Expression2" here.
Thank you Provo Craft for always providing the most amazing tools for artists, crafters and designers, and for letting us be a part of your giveaway!
Giveaway?!?
Yes, Provo Craft has also given us a Cuttlebug machine to give away to one of you!!
Read about Cuttlebug here! Love, love, love this machine as well!
Here's how to enter:
Leave a comment here telling us what your favorite studio tool is! Let's all share what inspires us and what we cannot live without creatively!
Like us on Facebook, tweet this giveaway, and blog about it for additional entries! Just be sure to leave an extra comment for each of these, telling us how you participated.
This giveaway is in celebration of the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) trade show going on at the moment, so we will leave it open all week, until Saturday, February 4th at 9pm PST!!
Sooooo, what is your favorite studio tool, machine or "assistant"? Do tell!
xoxo Debbie & Shea
Oh, Happy Day!! We are absolutely "giddy" with the excitement of announcing:
"Spellbound... create your dreams".
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A fantastical weekend of paper-crafting, jewelry-making, fiber arts, stitching, painting, swapping... and dreaming!
Hosted at the gorgeous and historic Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California.
Thursday evening Welcome Dinner.
Classes Friday & Saturday, with a fabulous "Mercantile" Friday evening.
Saturday afternoon Luncheon (between classes).
Culminating on Sunday with a short trip on a luxury bus to the world famous
Rose Bowl Flea Market!
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More details and specifics to follow. Classes are shaping up to be absolutely amazing, and you will not want to miss this kick-off to a wonderful, "Spellbound" 2012 Holiday Season!! Mark your calendars and stay tuned! :)
xoxo Debbie & Shea
