Liz Hicks

PAJWLH- Dear to my Heart

2012-02-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

Hello Friday! WOW how this week has flown by. We returned from California Sunday night/ Monday morning around 1am and it has felt like life just kicked back into high gear. Missing a week of school was a toughy for me. I came back to my classes in full swing and it took me this full week to catch up. I am happy to be back home and back to normalcy :)

As I mentioned this month we will be looking at relationships. For today's post I thought I would talk about some of the foundational relationships we hold dear to our heart, those of our family.

Family I can understand may not always bring up warm and cozy feelings for each of us. When I think of my nuclear family, I am constantly reminded of our goal to create a loving family environment that our children can continue to see as a safe place to be themselves and grow in their gifts. This has been very important to me and my husband. Looking at what the world has to offer right now for our children as they grow, there are no real promising areas for people to feel safe. A family is one of those things that both me and my husband strive to create as a safe environment for our children. As our children grow together, our goal is that they find peace within their relationships with each other and can count on one another to remain a safe place. This is a tough objective... Although I am proud of my kids and what they continue to strive for, we are not their only influence in this world. That is true for each of us. We are all constantly surrounded by others that may not always lay a positive impression on us. My goal with our children is to help them differentiate the difference between those who are good for them to have around, and those they should probably stay away from and not feel guilty for keeping harmful people at bay.

This is a lesson I have had to learn the hard way. I was always taught to love everyone and if you are a good person, than you are friends with everyone regardless of their adversities. This is a tough habit to break and there have been two defining lessons that I can remember that have taught me how to manage relationships. The first was when I went to Brave Girls Camp and I listened to Melody share her experiences with relationships. During this lesson, I learned different boundaries that were OK for me to have with the people in my life even if some of those are family members. (This lesson is offered online via BGC Soul Restoration, I highly recommend it!).

The second lesson I learned was choosing the quality of the people that I hold close. This lesson was a part of a church service that we attended at our church Resurrection Fellowship. Our pastor made a comment about the story of David and how he was an armor bearer for Saul. This story intrigued me as it is well known that Saul didn't care to much for David, yet through out their story, you see just how loyal David was to Saul. The main summary that I am trying to get to is that when David became an armor bearer for Saul he committed to Saul in all things in life and in death even when Saul was against him. Our pastor made mention that these relationships are few and far between and these are those relationships that we should hold dear to our hearts.Our armor bearers should be people that strive to protect us in any situation because they know our character and are willing to stand up and protect it. I am not doing an incredibly good job of reiterating the exact message of this story, but I hope you can appreciate that the moral I am trying to convey is that the quality a person we hold dear and close to our hearts should be someone who values our character, trusts us as we trust them and someone that when put in a position would defend and protect our hearts. Even if we are in the wrong, they will hold us accountable to the character that they know we bear.I in no way want this to feel like I am pressing my beliefs on to any one, I simply share this because it was a good lesson that helped me understand the relationships I hold dear. If you would like to hear the full message about this you can find it here on Itunes. It is titled David - The Armor Bearer.

These two lessons helped me to see that I didn't have to let EVERYONE into my heart in order to show that I cared for them. This is still a tough lesson to learn and I am sure that I will continue to learn through this process, but understanding that those few relationships that I choose to hold dear to me are worth some much more that hundreds of friends that would not do the same for me. I strive to hold these few relationships close to me, knowing that these people would in return protect and love me the same way that I would for them.

I am not a counselor, so please do not take this info as something that should be interpreted as advice. I am hoping that by sharing my own experiences that this will in return spark an interest in each of you to pursue in your own way.

So here is a fun techniques that I wanted to share. The idea behind this project is to protect our hearts but not to the point of building walls around them. This fun glittered embellishment is a fun way to add a little sparkle to your project.

I am still working on adding this element to my journal page, I am hoping to get it up on the blog on Monday. Thanks again for joining me on this fun little adventure. I hope that this technique inspires you and that my words encourage you to value those who are close to you.

~Liz

Winner of the Art Journal kit giveaway!

2012-02-06T20:18:00.000-08:00

Sorry that this post is a little later than I would have liked. I didn't realize just how late we were getting in last night (I should say this morning, 1am!) from California. As promised we have a very special winner that I chose at random from both the google reader list of followers as well as the feedblitz followers. And the winner of the art journal kit it....

kellyaubert@............

Kelly, I am emailing you to let you know that you are the winner!

Thanks again for those of you who have committed to participating. I am so excited about what this next month has to bring. Our guest bloggers have already shared some of what they are working on with me plus I have been working on my next few workshop prompts as well. I really hope that this months prompts encourage you to realized just what characteristics we look for in those we hold dear, and why it is that we need them so in our lives. I will begin with one of my prompts for this month on Friday. I am hoping to get a few videos from CHA loaded this week and next. I was able to visit with some of my friends and favorite craft manufacturers as well as meet up with a few new manufacturers in the craft industry (the new ones always excite me!).

Here are a few sneak peeks of some of the booths that I visited with:

Stampavie with Suzi Blu

Glitz Designs

Hemptique (Trade Marker International Inc.)

These are just a few of the booths we visited. We visited TONS of booths varying different journal surfaces, art mediums and various craft supplies. I am working on editing the videos, so as soon as I get them done, I will post them to my youtube channel and link them here.

Thanks again for joining me on this venture. We are heading into an exciting time together!

I am so happy to share this with you all!

~Liz ♥

PAJWLH- February=Relationships

2012-02-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

Hello February!

WOW how this year has started off quickly. January has breezed right by me. This month with our PAJWLH project we will be talking about relationships. We will officially start next week with our first "relationship" based prompt but I wanted to give you a heads up as to what to expect for this month.

With February being the month of LOVE, I wanted to take a look at who we hold dear, why we hold them dear and how we develop in relationships. I will start off with the first prompt and I have asked a few special friends to help out this month as well. With each of our guests I have prayed about who exactly to invite along with this journey. Our first two guests are personal friends of mine who I believe have a very compassionate heart towards others. Who better than those with loving hearts to share about love? Right?

Jennafer Martin

Ken Oliver

So that is what is up for this month. We are still in California visiting with our families. I am excited to share what we saw at CHA. I think you all will LOVE some of the new stuff I found to play with.

This weeks prompt is again a fairly simple one to get us going. We will start a little more in depth prompts as we progress this month. But for this week I thought it might be nice to start beginning with elements of design. In any project whether it be for play or for work there are certain elements that we innately start with. Here is a good list of elements of design via Wikipedia.

The basic thing to take into consideration when working on a project is the element of Hierarchy. Hierarchy is the element of having something in your work that grabs your target audience (Something we used a lot in marketing). Although this journaling class is not particularly set up for an audience... the same principle applies as with any project, you have your main message that you are trying to convey.

Prompt:

Use an advertisement as inspiration for the composition of your page.
create your page around the layout of this advertisement.

Here are a few examples that have grabbed me in the past:

This is an ad I worked on with our Marketing Coordinator when I worked at SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L. This was for a flyer for an event. The main focus of the ad is the MyStik logo, which catches your eye immediately. From here, viewers can see what the product is as well as who makes it, but the idea of this ad is that the stark MyStik logo is what catches your eye first, and hopefully from there you are intrigued enough to check out the rest of the ad :)

Now this pic, although not an ad has the same effect on me. I am not sure this would qualify as visual hierarchy, but when thinking of this prompt this image immediately came to mind. I first saw this pic in an issue of Popular Photography. This is a pretty famous image that was taken of an afghan refugee. In this image her eyes grab you. I still remember the first time I read this article and how I had to stop and read the entire article just because I needed to know more about this girl and the intensity of her eyes. But this is one of those times that I thoroughly remember an image that grabbed me. In this case of hierarchy this girls eyes were the focus of this shot. So much so that when looking for this image on Google all I had to Google was "The Girl with the Eyes". So I am pretty sure that the purpose of this image was to grab your attention through the intensity of her eyes.

So here are a few ideas of what to look for when you are setting up your page. Pretty much it is something that we all kind of start our work off with. The problem I have found is not distracting from my main focus, lol... (having a look affair with glitter doesn't help with this!).

So I hope you all enjoy this. Let me know if you have any questions. The best way would be to email me. We are heading into the next few days of family time, so it will be tough to justify checking the blog.

As mentioned before, feel free to drop a link to your page here on this thread. I really enjoyed seeing your pages here and on facebook :)

~Liz ♥

PAJWLH- Getting Started...

2012-01-27T14:25:00.000-08:00

So this is our first post for our Progressive Art Journal Workshop! WOO HOO! I am so excited to get started :)

Right now I am sitting in a hotel room prepping for CHA (Craft and Hobby Association trade show) yet all I can think about is this fun amazing adventure we are all about to start!For our first post I thought I would keep it easy and share a simple prompt and supply list.

I have had a couple of you email or message me in regards to supplies for this art journaling workshop. Well this is a bit tough to write down in a list form as this is not exactly like a regular class that you would take. The only items you will definitely need will be a surface (journal or pages) and a pen. I encourage you all to use what you have. There really is no reason for you to buy anything unless you see a pressing need for it. I will share with you products that I use and that I love and may even show you some fun techniques with these products but to purchase them is your choice, they are not mandatory for this course. Because we all have different tastes and aesthetics I would hate to see any of you spend your hard earned money on supplies that you might not even favor. So this list that I am providing is not a necessity list, mainly just some products that I really enjoy using. I will be adding supplies to this blog post as we progress through this year, especially if we find some products that are fun to share. This list should act merely as a list of suggestive items that I enjoy.

Surfaces

Depending on your work surface preference, you can work on pretty much any porous surface that you enjoy. Here are a few ideas to get started.

sketch book
drawing paper
canvas sheets
stretched canvas (If you choose to display your work)
journal
80 lb (or heavier) cardstock

Pens and Pencils

Micron Pen (20 and 05) These both are great for writing in your journals
watercolor pencils
oil pastels
chalks (I use these very rarely, but they are cheap and come in handy)
grease pen (China marker) This is something I use to outline a lot. Works great on most surfaces
carbon pencil- basically this is a charcoal pencil without the organic iniquities. this is great for creating shadows and blends nicely with collage mediums. Here is a great guide to pencils if you are wondering the difference between the many types that are out there.

Paints/mediums

acrylic paint, if you are just working in a personal journal craft paint (usually about .69-99 a bottle) should work just fine. If your art work is for display or gift try and use student or artist grade as the quality and pigment value will be higher and more durable.
gesso- this might be another thing that you might use ofter. For one of the workshops we will work on starting over or prepping a page. Gesso works great for this, or even a few coats of white paint, but we will get into that a little later.
watercolors- there are so many out there right now, especially in the scrapbook market. I use Clearsnap and Creative Imagination products and have found that they would wonderful, but again use what you have :)
dyes- stamp pad re-inkers have become my go to for dying. I use Clearsnap for this as I have them on hand and have found that their concentration is strong. This just helps with having more flexibility if you use it as an additive to anything.
modeling paste- This is just a fun product to play with and add depth to any project. This first project below I used a lot if modeling paste.
gel medium/collage paste- basically something to stick stuff down with. You can use glue or modge podge for personal journals, if you are displaying your work I recommend gel medium as it is made for being displayed for long periods of time and I believe it has a UV protector in it.

Misc.

Glitter- hardly ever do I create something without glitter. Glitter paint, glitter pens, dry glitter... the more sparkle the better in my book :) Glitter equals Happiness. Period.
Patterned Papers- I have a basket that I throw my scraps into. This makes for quick and easy access for tidbits that I can grab as needed. I like to keep a variety of colors of patterned papers around. Helps to add visual depth yet still gives a fun pattern or hue.
Handmade papers- These are sometimes pricey so I mostly use scraps from projects in my art journal. These papers are usually made of mulberry which has a beautiful organic texture to it. Now there are tons of additives that are thrown into the papers... they just keep getting better and better.
odds and ends- any sort of ephemera that catches your fancy.

Places to find tools for this class:

First check your crafting closet. This is a great time for you to get resourceful with what you have. Don't have paint... use patterned paper and create a mosaic from your scraps. Can't find your scissors... just rip it. Another great place is your kids school supplies. I constantly use my kids art supplies, water colors, pastels, markers crayons. If you need color you can easily find it in your house in some way or another :) Anything else that I use I will recommend some places to purchase the product if you choose. Feel free to comment in any thread if you see a deal or bargain on art supplies, just please do not advertise for a company or store you work for. This is a safe place to create, we are here to support and help each other, not pressure anyone or load info that is not relevant.

Prompt One:

Ok, so I am going to keep this one simple. This is a project that I created for the Charity Wings auction for this CHA. It is being auctioned off for the charities that they are promoting. With this project I started with no idea what I was doing... I simply sat down with some fun new products that I wanted to experiment with and had fun.

supplies used: 14x14 canvas, Paint (Plaid Industries) Grease Pen (Sharpie) Mask and Watercolors (Creative Imaginations), letter stickers Prima Marketing Inc. Inks, (Clearsnap, Smooch accent) Tsukineko (Staz-On Black), Vintage paper, Decoupage medium (Beacon, Fast Finish Decoupage), sequin, gems.

Side profile view showing flowers created with modeling paste and a Creative Imaginations mask. Canvas inked to show depth and add faux age/wear.

Close up of the verbaige... my son came up with this one ♥

So for this part of the workshop let's start by creating a free form (meaning no specific guidelines) page to get the creative juices flowing. The title of this piece above was told to me by my 10 year old son. I love that even though he is young, he inspires me so. For the title of your page, use words of encouragement that you might give to someone. This is going to be a page that we will use in the future and revisit but for now, this will give us a good start at getting into the swing of creativity. Make sure that the back of your page is blank we will be doing something with that later. Also, if you have a blank cover to your project, keep it blank for now. When I return from CHA I am going to film a video of a cover idea you can use if you'd like. Feel free to post links to your page here. Seeing everyone's pages will be inspiring for all of us.

I hope this helps get things rolling for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I will try and get back to you while I am at CHA... but being that it is a little crazy right now please give me grace. I will try and respond to you quickly :)

Since I will be here at the show PLEASE let me know what it is that you would like to see. I am walking the floor (the first time, I am not in a booth... woo hoo!) so I can get up close and personal with products you might want to know about. Please let me know. Just comment here what you want to see and I will take pics, ask questions and video if I can.

Thanks for taking this first step with me on our creative journey. We are going to have fun this year!!!

~Liz ♥

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FREE Progressive Art Journal Workshop- All year LONG!

2012-01-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

Almost a year ago I had an idea for an on line class. A class that would encourage my crafting friends to take the easy step towards art journaling. A class where I could share tips, techniques, videos, projects and prompts that would encourage others to try these techniques or ideas out plus take the time to create something just for themselves. After praying and meditating on this idea I came up with this year long concept that would feature one theme per month. Each week I will share some sort of inspiration to assist in the art journaling process. This will also be a FREE class. This class is as much for me as it is for my friends, so it really makes no sense to charge.

This past year, I have found such a great comfort in Art Journaling. I have been experimenting with my art mediums and scrapbook supplies all while diving into my art journal. It is my goal to share what this past year has done for me here on my blog, and along with that share some amazing techniques that I have come up with along the way.

I invite all of you to join me this year as I share from my heart my own art journaling journey and crafty adventures. I have invited a few of my industry friends to join in each month as well, and I know that they will have just the right words and inspiration to share with you.

So here are the details:

WHAT- To produce some sort of inspiration for a weekly art journal page or prompt
WHEN- ALL of 2012, STARTING FRIDAY, JANUARY 27TH, 2012
WHO- ANYONE WHO NEEDS A TIME TO RELAX AND CREATE :)
WHY- to create a fun environment of creative people who inspire each other freely
WHERE- Right here, on my blog Subscribe via Google Reader or through my newsletter.

To kick this off I will be doing a GIVEAWAY of an art journal kit to get you going. I will pick one winner here on the blog when I return from CHA. Winner will be announced MONDAY FEBRUARY 6TH 2012. To be entered for the prize package, simply commit to the year long progressive art journal workshop. You can do this by signing up for my newsletter or following me on google reader. This is the best way to find out when the new prompts are available. The titles of these posts will have the abbreviation of PAJWLH (Progressive Art Journal Workshop Liz Hicks) in their name so they will be easy for you to find.

I am so excited for what this next year has to bring. I look forward to getting to know you all better through this journey and creating beautiful art together.

~Liz ♥

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Winner of the CHA giveaway PLUS an announcment!

2012-01-20T16:21:00.000-08:00

Thank you for participating in the LIVE from CHA giveaway!

AND THE WINNER IS:

jordanbev5Jan 16, 2012 12:43 PM

Thank you, Liz, for this great giveaway!! Would love to watch and winning a ticket to do just that would be wonderful! Thanks again!

Please email me at primadonnaliz@yahoo(dot)com and I will get this set up for you :)

Looking into this next year, I have decided to do something a little different and fun... This is a concept that I first came up with in the spring of 2011 and have allowed to stew in my heart for this past year. I will be doing a launch this Monday January 23rd, so make sure to come back and check it out here on my blog. I am working on the last finishing touches this weekend. I am so excited to share this!!!! I introduced the concept at this past December's Seaside Soiree, you can see a sneak peek below of the class I taught there. This is going to be fun, I can't wait to share it with all of you!

Thanks again for checking out our giveaway, for those of you who that did not win, please check out the different packages that Charity Wings has to offer. They have a lot of fun stuff planned for this.

Enjoy your weekend!

~Liz

Running the tight rope...

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00


Image from Google

Back in November I had mentioned that I was going to be returning to school. Yesterday I had my first day back in ten years. I have to say, my was tummy was turning as I waited for this day to come. I have been so excited to start this next stage in my life. Once my day came, it all seem to click into place.

The decision to go back to school I have to admit wasn't easy. As excited as I was this first day... this wasn't always the case. With the economy being what it is right now, it really didn't make any sense for me to return to school. In all honesty in my heart I felt that I should be working. I felt that I should be contributing to my family. I am a perfectly able body...I should be doing something to benefit my family financially...Right?

That was my gut instinct. And most likely what most people in my position might think. The thought of putting work aside, just didn't make sense to me. So I prayed. I knew that if I was really to go back to school, I would need to dig deep into my heart and ask God what my next step should be.

When making a decision that shifts your life in a completely different direction, it tends to take a toll on you. It weighs on you, consumes your thoughts, it exists in everything you do. You become very heavy with this burden of decision. This is how I knew that this was something beyond me. I would love to say that in prayer immediately everything made sense, but that simply isn't true. I struggled with many things. I wrestled with the idea of financially being able to swing me not working, as well as paying for college on top of that. I struggled with the idea that perhaps this decision would distance me from the industry that I have grown to love and the friends around the world that I treasure. Would I still have time to be a mom, clean my house, even make dinner? My mind and body were weighed with insecurities, fears and doubts yet I continued in prayer and meditation. Prayer for me has been a vital part of my sanity. I can not imagine holding all of these thoughts and feelings that I just mentioned inside of me. Prayer is my way of releasing them, and although the fears and feelings may return... I continue to pray knowing that in time it will all make sense.

In the midst of all of this one day it finally just clicked in me. My perspective changed (something that I desired and prayed for). My perspective of seeing this decision as a personal decision suddenly became a family one. I think I have always associated my schooling as such a personal journey since my first experience with school I ventured on my own. This time around I was reminded that I was not alone.

At this point I realized that this was not something I was doing for myself, yet pursuing for the betterment of myself and my family. My perspective became clearer. I suddenly understood the long term plan and all of the benefits it had to offer. I think it is human of us to slowly allow our peripheral vision to close in and tunnel. The unknown is enough to make any clear thoughts foggy. The hardest part is holding on to those truths that define us and light our path. It is a constant struggle, yet a worthy one.

I was meant to go back to school. It is what I am to do at this moment in my life. As wrong as it might seem to make such a sudden change, it is exactly what I need to be doing right now. I have described this feeling to be like running on a tight rope, It is what I am supposed to do, so I am going to do it with all my might. Although I should be scared, I am not. I may falter, I may alter the course along the way... but I know this is where my path has lead me.

It is hard sometimes to express all of the emotion that goes along with making life decisions, but I hope you find comfort in reading this, knowing that you are not alone. There might be magic stirring in your heart right now. Magic that only you can give to this world. Make sure you pay attention to it and earnestly seek the truth. You were made to do good things, it is never to late...never ever (Mel, I will always remember these words!). I guess the bottom line is to allow yourself to listen to that desire you have been tucking away in your heart. Even if you don't act on it now. Don't let it fade. Keep it present in your day, so that when the time is right... that desire will become a beautiful plan.

*Edited: If you didn't see the giveaway I announced on my last post. Make sure to check it out :)

Thanks for stopping by today :)

~Liz ♥

Live from CHA with Charity Wings! GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

The Craft and Hobby Association trade show is just around the corner. I remember the first time I heard about this crafty event I was a stay at home mom and just wanted to be a part of it. This is where all of the craft companies come to display all of their new products for the year. If you have always wanted to be a part of CHA's trade show, then NOW IS YOUR CHANCE!

Logo created by Jennifer Priest

Charity Wings (AKA Scrapbook Royalty) is now streaming LIVE from CHA and has a fun package available that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home. Depending on which package you choose, you could join industry designers and manufacturers as they lead you through a tour of new products and an awesome progressive make and take. There are also party packs available if you would like to have a CHA viewing party with some of your crafty friends!

This is one of the make and takes offered by Suzi Blu, You will receive all of the components and learn from Suzi how to make this wonderful little art piece.

Charity Wings is a non profit organization that raises money for various charities through creative events. I have had the pleasure of working with them on a few different events and just LOVE the heart of their mission. Elena, Charity Wings founder is a dear friend who has done such amazing things with this organization. She gives selflessly of herself because she believes in what Charity Wings has to offer.

If you are interested in checking out what LIVE from CHA has to offer Click here for more info.

OR.... You could WIN ONE RIGHT HERE (shipping fees provided for the US and Canada, International winners will have a 10.50 credit towards shipping)!

Just leave a comment here on this blog post for a chance to win. I will pick a winner on Friday, January 20th 2012.

Here are some links to some of the other girls who are also giving a LIVE from CHA kit away so many MORE chances for you to WIN! (designers will be added throughout this week so keep looking for more chances to win!)

Jen Cushman
Susan Weckesser
Eileen Hull
Marisa Pawelko
Michelle Cummings

Also, if you have a yearning to put your dance moves to good use, She's Crafty and Charity Wings are sponsoring a Craft Flash Mob! Anyone can participate if you are interested make sure to check it out.

~Liz ♥

New Creating Keepsakes Special Issue- Scrapbooking Ideas for every Season

2012-01-13T13:02:00.000-08:00

Creating Keepsakes has a brand new special issue out. I just got a copy of it in the mail and it is full of fun ideas, tutorials and techniques for year round scrapbooking. This is a nice copy to have on hand because it never goes out of season!

I was fortunate enough to be a part of this special issue. They even used a step out tutorial on how to make an embellishment I used on my project.

This was a pretty big deal for my daughter... it was the first time her friend was featured in the magazine along side her. It is very cute to see my daughters reaction when she was able to show her friend the issue.

There are a two giveaways for this fun issue one on the Creating Keepsakes Blog and the other on The Scrap Review Blog , make sure you enter for your chance to win!

I would love to hear what you think about this fun issue. A lot of my friends were published in this issue as well and let me tell you, they are a talented bunch of girls, you will love what they have to share!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Liz ♥

Art Journal and Tablet Keeper projects

2012-01-12T01:10:00.000-08:00

So today is my day to share my projects for the Nancy Zieman's Tablet Keeper Blog Tour! I ended up with two projects to share... not necessarily on purpose, lol.

I started out with (good) intentions to create a tablet keeper for my new E-Reader. I decided to use muslin as my base for my project as I love how easy it is to paint. What I SHOULD have done was paint first, cut second.... But I went against my better judgement and painted my cut fabric. I should know better, but was so excited to get started and paint, lol. Anyways, to make a long story short... my initial fabric that I painted had shrank about 1/4 inch So, this lead me to creating a fun art journal out of this.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I wanted to marry different crafts into my project.

I added hand drawn flowers to the cover and painted the cover with acrylic paint, water colors and a carbon pencil. The title was created with the stamp set I designed for Unity Stamp Company.

Here is a close up of the cover. In order to create a weather proof seal on my cover, I used a jewelers grade epoxy resin, Ice Resin to seal it. It gives my cover a beautiful slick effect that can easily be wiped off ( a must have with kids!).

Here are some of the fun inside pages I created out of paper, muslin and stabilizer.

This page I created by using a firm stabilizer covered in muslin. This is wonderful for mixed media art journaling as it creates a firm, mostly water resistant barrier in between your pages.

For my Tablet Keeper, I actually started a new project from scratch (measuring twice, cutting once!). I first assembled my project and then painted to prevent any shrinkage :)

Supplies used: Nancy Zieman Tablet Keeper template, Tablet Keeper stabilizer, Create a Strap. Acrylic Paint, Water Color paint and Twinkling H2O's, Unknown items- Thread and Muslin.

I am very happy with the way it came out. It is very organic looking which I love. I love that it has an irregular look to it, makes it totally hand made and ME!

Here is an up close picture of the flowers. The detail and shading was created with acrylic paint, water colors and twinkling H2O's by Creative Imaginations.

Here is the inside of the cover. I painted sporadically with cream paint and hand journaled a nice reminder for myself. From here, I covered the page with Ice Resin to create a transparent look to the page. I did all of this before I sewed the page down.

For an added little detail, I added a piece of vintage paper to the tablet insert so that the print could vaguely be seen through the resin muslin that I journaled on. I like how it adds a little depth to the project, makes you have to pay attention to the little details.

I am so happy to have been a part of this blog hop. It made me bring out some of my trusty craft supplies and explore different areas than I normally would.

Here is a picture again of the wonderful Clover prize package that Nancy has up for grabs during the blog hop. Check out the blog link here for the details.

Thanks again for sharing this project with me. I had a lot of fun creating this on behalf of Brewer Sewing. If you have any questions you can email me or find me on facebook :)

~Liz ♥

A Reminder to SHINE- Creating Keepsakes Guest Blogger

2012-01-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

I have been very fortunate to have had some fun opportunities come my way 2011. This past year I was asked to be a guest blogger for Creating Keepsakes on behalf of SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L™. This was such a fun experience, I have always had a warm place in my heart for Creating Keepsakes since it was their magazine that first introduced me to the vast world of Scrapbooking and Paper Arts. You can imagine my surprise when they announced that our post was picked as one of the top ten Guest Blogger's for the year.

My goal with working with SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L™ products has always been to show even more unique and artistic ways to use their products. Since their adhesives are extremely durable, this allows for a lot of flexibility to create fun new techniques. You can even use it for scrapbook mixed media art.

Here are the videos that we made to go with these posts:

This video shares how you can use the Crafty Power Tape with various water based mediums.

This last video shares how you can use the Adhesive Sheets to create a fun tarnished effect with Designer Foils by Clearsnap.

For more great ideas from the other guest bloggers check out the Creating Keepsakes Blog.

This was such a fun project, if you have any questions feel free to email me.

~Liz ♥

JOY Tablet Keeper sneak peek- PLUS Giveaway!

2012-01-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

I have been up late the last few nights enjoying some time in my studio. This has been such a breathe of fresh air for me. After the holidays and traveling, it has been so nice to just create for a bit. I have been working on my Tablet Keeper for Nancy Zieman's Tablet Keeper Blog Hop. I was asked by my friends over at Brewer Sewing to represent them in this fun blog hop. Being a crafter at heart I had to say that I was a little intimidated by the thought of being a part of a quilting/sewing blog hop (If you take a look at some of the other's participating, they are AMAZING!). I am not a quilter by trade, but in reality I am a sewer. I haven't posted much of my sewing projects on my blog since I have always been involved with the Scrapbook side of crafting, but I do have it in me. I first learned from my grandmother (one of those fond family memories I still remember vividly!) and then continued to take classes in high school and college.

Although I have taken sewing classes, I have so much more that I want to explore when it comes to fabric art. Quilting has been one of those things that seems so intimidating to me... This year I hope to squash that fear and explore quilting and make it my own. :)

What I have realized is that although I may not be a quilter by trade, I can still enjoy elements of quilting in other areas of crafting and I can even explore quilting on my own. Nothing is stopping me :)

There is such a freedom to crafting. I hope to explore this year into areas of crafting that I have started and stopped through out my years. I also hope to integrate these crafts together so that it can make more sense to me :) Multi-crafting I think is in all of us... I love the idea of fusing different crafts together to create something magical.

So with this idea of multi-crafting in mind I wanted to share a sneak peek of my Tablet cover for the Nancy Zieman Blog Hop.

This project is a combo of art, sewing with a tad bit of jewelry making elements in it as well. My day for the blog hop will be January the 12th. I will be sharing full details of the project them. There is an AMAZING giveaway over on Nancy's blog, Click here for the details.

Here is a picture of the giveaway. LOTS of fun stuff to explore with. Even if you are not a quilter/sewer this is a good start to discovering!

If you have a chance to check out the other girls involved in the blog hop here is there blog addy's and the schedule:

January 3            Nancy Zieman http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog
January 4            Amy Ellis http://amyscreativeside.com/
January 5            Sharon Pernes http://craizeecorner.blogspot.com/
January 6            Vicki Christensen    http://www.sewinspiredblog.com/
January 9            Joan Hawley http://www.lazygirldesigns.com/blog/
January 10            Pat Sloan   http://patsloan.typepad.com/
January 11            Eileen Roche   http://dzgns.com/blog/
January 12            Liz Hicks http://blogerisms.blogspot.com/
January 13            Fran Ortmeyer   http://cloverusa.wordpress.com/
January 16            Ilene Miller                       http://happyvalleyprimitives.blogspot.com/
January 17            Julie Herman   http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/
January 19            Natalia Bonner http://www.piecenquilt.blogspot.com/
January 20            Frieda Anderson   http://friestyle.blogspot.com/
January 23            Cindy Cloward http://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/blog/
January 24            Beckie Hansen http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog
January 25            Amy Webb   http://www.amylouwhosews.com/
January 26            Allie Robertson http://thinkcrafts.com/
January 27            Mary Mulari                       http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog
January 30            Laura Wasilowski            http://artfabrik.blogspot.com/
January 31            Carol Porter                        http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog

I have been checking these girls out. LOTS of inspiration that can easily adapt to paper crafting. You will enjoy hopping along and checking these ladies out. Their creations are amazing.

For now, I hope you enjoy this fun little sneak peek. I had so much fun drawing, painting and sewing. It truly is a reminder that at the heart of it all, we are all crafters. Multi-crafting just makes sense... bringing your favorite craft elements from various craft avenues together...that is where the fun is!

Thanks for sharing your day with me today. I would love to hear your thoughts on "Multi-Crafting" and how you use different crafts together.

~Liz ♥

Hello 2012... What a JOY it is to meet you.

2012-01-02T22:15:00.000-08:00

I don't think I have ever been so excited for a new year to start. Now don't get me wrong... 2011 was not a bad year at all... I guess I am just really excited for this next year and it's new adventures.

Each year I join the masses and choose a word for the year. As simple as it may sound, this is something that I pray about and truly seek wisdom and guidance for. At first when I started this, the word that I would choose would just be something that I felt heavy on my heart. This year, I didn't feel the heaviness... just peace.

2009- Reflect
This was such a profound word for our family. This was the year that we truly looked back on what we believed in and made a very tough decision to leave California (and our families) and begin our own adventure in Colorado (Aug. 2009). An adventure it has been. Reflecting on where we were in life and where we wanted our family to be lead us to the amazing move to Colorado. Reflect was the perfect word for us this year.

2010-Bold
This year was a tough one for us, as to be expected with making a life changing move just a few months earlier. This was the year that I learned to be Bold. I had no idea why this word would be so necessary when I picked it in January... but later in the year I realized just why God had put it in my heart. Bold is gathering all the strength necessary to make tough decisions for the betterment of yourself, well at least this is what it was for me. I had to make decisions that at the time seemed so difficult, yet now seem so vital. I am so much better for this boldness. Sometimes being bold isn't just standing up for good... sometimes it is reminding yourself truly what you are made of, and that you deserve good (even if it is hard to say to yourself!).

2011-Truth
I made a vow this year to seek truth in all I do. In work, art, relationships and family. Little did I know that I would enter this year and have to hold on to the truth with both hands clenched, especially with relationships. This was a tough lesson, but one I am better for. If you know you who you are, and what you hold true in your heart... the rest will follow... especially those who matter. I end 2011 with a few less friends, but am grateful for the strengthened relationships that I now hold. It is a tough lesson when you realize that you can't be friends with everyone... but it makes those who you hold close, oh so much more special.

2012- JOY
This year I will be going back to school. A change in my life that is very big. It has been 10 years since I last sat in a college class. After graduation with my Associates Degree, we found out that I was pregnant in which the best decision for our family would be to have my husband finish college and I would stay home and raise our children. Now that our children are in school, life has settled. It's time for me to finish, and this is exciting. I am not exactly sure why this years word is Joy, but I do now that it has prepared me to look at this new upcoming adventure with happiness. This year, joy will be a choice. It is a choice I can make and I will do everything necessary to maintain this outlook this year. I have seen what God has done the last few months preparing me for this next season. Freeing up my time, my heart and my spirit. I am happy, and am so grateful for this next season in mine and my family's life.

I can see now how each year's word has been just what we have needed. I am very grateful for the growth the past few years have brought to myself and my family. As I look back on these past few years I am reminded of the pain and trials we have had to endure. The wonderful thing is that we are a family. We endure things together. Always have, always will. Together we have grown and continue to grow. As our trials increase in difficulty, so does our strength. We are prepared or will learn along the way. I am excited to see what this year brings us, what every it is... I will work my best to see it increase our joy. There are so many things to be grateful for, maybe counting the blessings will help us remember the joy through out the year.

In crafty news...

I have been working on a fun project for Brewer Sewing and will be participating in a fun blog hop throughout January featuring the Tablet Keeper by Nancy Zieman. The blog hop starts today! Click on the link below for a list of all participants.

Nancy Zieman Tablet Keeper Blog Hop.

Thanks again for your comments, friendship and encouragement... I am reminded always that I am not in this alone. We are all in this life together... and what a beautiful thing that is!

~Liz Hicks ♥

Super cute and EASY Wrist Warmers (Re-purposed)- tutorial

2011-12-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

This season I made it a point to try and stretch myself creatively and give a handmade gift to some of my closest friends. While some of my friends are artsy... not all of them are. So in an attempt to find something I could make with my hands, yet still make my non-artsy friends (Ah-hem... PATTI) happy, I came up with this quick and easy solution.

My friend Patti asked me for wrist warmers for Christmas. Patti and I have worked together in the past, and she has seen me get crafty on more than one occasion... but in this circumstance...I think she thought I was a little more crafty than I actually am. When she was explaining to me what she wanted she kept talking about crocheting a tube...yada yada yada... The truth is I can crochet a chain, and well anything that can be made from a very simple chain. At this point she lost me.

So instead of thoroughly handmaking her wrist warmers, I decided to experiment and re-purpose.

I went to the local thrift store and bought a few old wool sweaters. From here I took them back and washed and dried them a few times to felt the wool really tight. After the sweaters were ready I proceeded to cut strategically to create her wrist warmers.

To Cut, First cut the entire sleeve off of your sweater. This will leave you with two sleeves to work with.

From here, stack your sleeves so that they are lined up perfectly.

Cut your sleeves to about 14 inches long, so that both sleeves are the exact same length.

If your sweaters have sleeves that are thin and balloon out wider, the final measurements of the cuffs are roughly 14inches long, and 3 inches wide (I measured a pair I already had for this).

To finish off, rip the seem of your sleeve to create a thumb hole. In the picture below you will see I left about two inches from the top. Depending on how long you want your overhanging cuff to lay over your fingers, you can go anywhere from 1-2.5 inches from the top of the overhanging cuff. To Finish off, I added a blanket stitch just for some added detail.

You can see here that on the opposite end of the cuff that I did a tight zig zag stitch on my sewing machine. From here I simply trimmed off any excess fabric that stuck out of the zig zag stitch.

Here is how the final product looks while in use. This pair is for our friend Lisa who likes purple.

To wrap these, I just used a small bit of tulle tied in a cute little bow.

Of course once you find something really cool to make, the rest of your friends start to drop hints that they might like a pair. So here are a few other sweaters I have picked up along the way for our other friends. The purple pair above were not actually made of wool (you'd be surprised just how hard it is to find purple wool sweaters!) so if you are not a fan of wool, a cotton, acrylic, angora or cashmere substitute should work just fine. The main thing to consider is that your zig zag finish can keep the material from shredding.

Supplies used: Old Sweater, sewing thread, sewing machine (If you don't have one you can finish the edge off by hand just use a tight stitch) and embroidery thread (I used Bazzill Basics, In Stitches thread.)

This is also great if you have sweaters that either you or your husband (not mentioning any names ☺) "accidentally" shrink your cozy wool sweaters. This is a wonderful way of giving them a new purpose and also letting your husband off the hook.

I hope this finds you all well and that it is helpful to you. It is really a simple project, but if you have any questions... feel free to email me :) I would love to help!

~Liz ♥

Quick and Easy altered Girls Shirt

2011-12-19T10:23:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already figured it out, I am a fan of semi-homemade. Altogether this option works so much better for me than either trying to hunt down that perfect present, or hassling with trying to complete my idea from scratch.

Anything from cooking, sewing, jewelry making... well anything crafty, has some sort of semi-homemade alternative. Although I still love to learn new crafts and adapt to my needs, around the holidays... Semi- Homemade is about all you can get out of me when time is so sacred.

I found this T-Shirt for our daughter on the clearance rack of Marshall's for about $4. It is a nice dark fushia (the coloring of the pics are a little off) With silver thread finishes.

Since this shirt was already kind of sparkly, it made a really nice base to alter to my liking.

Here is the neckline which I hand stitched different elements to.

Here is a close up of the detail of the hand beading I did along the original stitched neckline. For this use a thin beading needle and some bugle beads and simply follow the outline of the original stitching to create this nice sparkly detail.If you are making this for a young child, you may want to double stitch or knot in between stitches just to make sure that the beading remains durable. If you knot in between, this will also insure that if a bead does come off, it will not effect the remaining beads, and you will only have to replace one.

Here is the floral cascade that I created with some Prima Marketing Inc. trim. This trim is pretty popular. If you don't find this trim at your local scrapbook store, you could possibly find it at your local fabric/trim/craft store sold by the yard. I hand stitched each rosette starting from the middle and worked by way to the outer edge by spiraling my stitch out towards the edge. This is a basic stitch, nothing fancy. The one recommendation I do have is that you use a like colored thread and also hide your stitches by stitching the netting backing rather than the rosette itself. This will allow the rosette to remain full as intended.

Here is the full shirt, again... not sure why the coloring is off, but since I wrapped the present already, I can't take new pics... (Note to self, check pics BEFORE wrapping next time!) But being that these pics were taken with my I Phone... I really can't complain :)

So if you are in need for a last minute gift idea, but don't want to break the budget (time and money!) this is a simple and easy solution. And it would be made by you which makes it extra special :)

So check your local clearance rack, pull out some thread and maybe pick up some beads and trim (5 rosettes) and create something beautiful! I think the retail value of this project is around or under $10 so it is handmade affordable, which is always a plus in my book :)

Enjoy!

~Liz ♥

Dupioni Silk Necklace- tutorial

2011-12-16T08:13:00.000-08:00

This year I have been enjoying making some handmade gifts for my friends and family. Something about working with your hands to create something for someone you love makes you feel good inside :)

This necklace is based off of a version I saw on-line. The original was a coral color and used large rondelles as the spacers. For this necklace I used black Dupioni Silk and wire wrapped it with hematite seed beads and wire. I didn't have a whole lot of progressive pictures of this project, but I tried to explain it the best I could. If you have any questions... just contact me. I'd be happy to help you out.

A little unknown fact about me is that I dabbled in jewelry way before I ever scrapbooked. I use to love jewelry making... the only problem was that I never could do it just perfect as in magazines and such. Earlier this month I took a class with Jen Cushman and her attitude towards jewelry making is to create "organic" pieces. Since I am "organic" in my art... this just made sense for me. It truly felt like I could liberate myself from the perfectness of what I used to do in jewelry making and now attempt it in my own fashion. If you ever have a chance to take one of Jen's classes. Do it. She is phenomenal in the way she teaches as well as very well educated in jewelry and mixed media.

This was just one long piece of black Dupioni Silk that I used to wrap wooden beads. Before finishing off each wooden bead with silk, I used wire to stabilize the middle of the wooden bead and used the excess of the wire to wrap around the base of the bead to enclose it in the silk. This is actually quite simple, once you get the hang of it. The wire I used was what I had on hand which was 24 gauge (that is what the packaging said... but it felt more like 20 gauge) in a silver finish. For the beading I took a long piece of thin wire and strung beads through it. From here I simple haphazardly wrapped it around the beads and the wire wrappings in between each beads.

To finish off each end I wire wrapped each end and trimmed the silk to fit in a silver cone bead. I made sure to loop some wire through and formed each loop and hammered it. For the closure, I tied some silk to the loop and sewed it close with a zig zag stitch.

It truly is a simple project if you just let your self play, make mistakes and find out what works for you. The only way you can learn is to make mistakes and learn from there what you like and don't like. Sometimes you may just fall in love with the unexpected and make that your new style :)

Products used: Black Dupioni Silk, Black Thread (From Joann's Fabric), Wire (From Hobby Lobby) Beads-Unknown.

Thanks for visiting today... I hope this helps you with your holiday gift giving :) If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via email or facebook :)

~Liz ♥

Crafting with a little Sunshine- giveaway!

2011-12-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

As a reporter for The Scrap Review, I have been able to review some pretty awesome products. I was extremely excited when I received an assignment to review My Minds Eye- Lost and Found Two, Sunshine collection. This collection caught my eye at CHA, there was something about the bright yellow glittered accents that I fell in love with. If you would like to see the complete review, check it out on the The Scrap Review Blog.

Forever and a day Card- For this card I took the ready made embellishments and layered them with the patterned paper. The negative dots that came from the scalloped chipboard accent, I used inside if the potted pattern to create more texture.

Dream Big Note card- For this card I layered various patterned papers and tied them up with a bow of twine. I love the idea of making little cards I can quickly use for any occasion. The title DREAM BIG caught my eye and it makes this card for sure


So in LOVE card- This card was made mostly of ready made embellishments for the collection. This makes for a very easy yet still stylish card. The depth and texture is nice too!

Happy Note card- This little note card again is using ready made embellishments this is a super easy card, but the ready made embellies make it look nice.


You are my Sunshine Card- This card just makes me happy :). I love the paper accent that says, "You are my Sunshine" so adding a sun accent around it just made sense.

Supplies used- My Minds Eye Lost and Found Two (Sunshine) Collection, Adhesive- SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L ™, twine- Unknown.

Even though the holidays are in full swing, These note cards were a nice little escape to create. I loved being able to just play for the fun of it. I think I will use this card set as a gift for a friend for the holidays.

Make sure to check out The Scrap Review Giveway of some wonderful My Minds Eye product. the giveaway ends Friday, December 16th at Midnight. You can find the details here.

Thanks for taking a look :)

~Liz ♥

Peppermint Cookie Crunch Bark (AGAIN)

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Every year right around Thanksgiving I notice that my stats on my blog go up and that the common search is for my Peppermint Cookie Crunch Bark recipe.

This year I was fortunate enough to have been asked to share some of my "awesome things" on the Brave Girls Club Blog. Of course... the cookie bark came to mind :)

So here is the link to last years post... Let me know if this is your first...third or fifth year making it... I love hearing the stories behind the giving of bark.

Make sure to check out the Brave Girls Club Blog and see all of the amazing AWESOME things they are sharing. It is one of my favorite things that they do, because no matter what... it just makes you smile.

~Liz ♥

Oreo Mint Truffle Cake Pops

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

If we are friends on facebook than you saw that yesterday I attempted to make cake pops. I had never tried cake pops before, mostly because I am a cupcake snob and well... the thought of simple cake on a stick just didn't cut it for me. This past Sunday at church cake pops were served at a reception our family and friends attended, and well... who am I to pass up cake?

I had NO IDEA that cake pops were more than just cake. That they were actually moist tidbits of heaven covered in chocolate. At this point I was hooked... if you are anything like me than you can understand how this simple encounter now became an obsession. If there is ever a time that I find something that interests me... I have to figure out not only how it works, how it is made, what are my options and just how much I can customize it to my liking. So with this in mind, we stopped by the store on the way home from church picked up some simple ingredients and I challenged myself to come up with a recipe I liked in time for a neighborhood cookie exchange I was attending Monday night.

So between this all, I posted on facebook for any pointers on making cake pops. Here is the recipe I came up with along with some pointers that really helped me with my prepping. I adapted this from a truffle recipe I have used for some years now.

Oreo Mint Truffle Cake Pops

ingredients:
1 package of oreos (I used mint oreos, you could use whatever you like) crushed and separated (for fill and topping)
2 blocks of Cream Cheese
1 13x9 fresh baked devils food cake
2 bags of nestle dark chocolate mint chocolate chips
Andes mint (garnish if desired)

supplies:
wax paper for drying
candy/lollipop sticks

Bake cake according to directions. When done, take cake while warm and place in large mixing bowl. Add in two blocks of cream cheese as well as Oreo cookie crumbles (all but 10 cookies, leave 10 cookies crushed for topping if desired). Once fully mixed, take mixture and create bite-sized balls and lay on baking sheet covered with wax paper. Recipe should yield about 50 bite sized pops. Let chill in refrigerator for an hour. One suggestion that was given to me by my facebook friend Marjorie was that if my hands started to melt my mixture, I could use ice cubes in paper towels to cool my hands down. I didn't have this problem like I thought I would, but if you do... this is great advice.

Coating:
For outer coating shell. Take your chocolate chips and melt starting with first bag (leave second for when needed). Start by placing entire contents of first bag in a pyrex measuring cup and melt for 1 minute. Chips will still be a little lumpy when done, mix with a sturdy plastic spoon and microwave in 10 second increments, mixing well in between. You should only have to microwave for 10 seconds beyond the minute, but if you do microwave more... just make sure your chocolate consistency is that of pancake batter, not to thick nor thin.

Once you have your chocolate ready take your cake balls out five at a time and begin topping them with chocolate. To top the with chocolate, I used a great recommendation from my friend Michelle on facebook and dipped my lollipop stick into the chocolate before plunging it into my cake ball.

Once your lollipop stick is in your cake ball you can begin to cover your cake pop with chocolate. For this I found it easiest to use a plastic spoon to cover my cake pop with chocolate. I also started from the base of my pop, making sure that my stick was covered and worked my way to the top. The nice thing about making these Cake Pops is that your chocolate doesn't have to be perfect, nor does your cake Pop have to be perfectly round. When you garnish it... it all just kind of comes together :)

Once you have your chocolate as you desire, quickly garnish with remaining Oreo crumbles and chopped Andes Chocolate Mints. Place finished pop on a Styrofoam base to dry. When you have all of your pops done, place Cake Pops in refrigerator until you are ready to serve. You can keep your pops on the Styrofoam to server or take them off and platter them.

So this is it!

A really fun and easy recipe, perfect for making with the kids or for a fun dish to share at parties. As I said before, I made these for our neighborhood cookie exchange and I have to say... they turned out very nice.

Here is my take from the Cookie Exchange... This is one of my favorite things about the holidays, and I am so grateful that we moved onto a street that shares this same sentiment. I love our neighborhood. I am always excited when we get together, so spending the time to experiment and make these fun Cake Pops is truly worth it for these special friends.

I hope this inspires you to experiment and take a chance on learning something new. I for one am really happy I took this chance to experiment... I look forward to coming up with some other fun recipes on a stick :)

Enjoy!

~Liz ♥

So very Thankful..

2011-11-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have gone by so fast. I have been meaning to continue through with my list of thankful things but life of course had other ideas for me. Here is the remaining items that I have been meaning to post... excuse the long list, I tried to keep each one short and sweet.

12 Time- the thing that I am always the most grateful for these days is time. With the decision to go back to school I have had to shift my focus from working and being on the GO to now having time. Time is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. When I look back to these past few years (even within 10 years of marriage) I can not exactly pin point much time that I have had to just be me. I am grateful that I have had the experiences in the last years to help mold me to who I am... but the time to digest it all and process it into who I am to become is just so precious. I pray that those of you who read this allow yourself some TIME to absorb and remind yourself of what your purpose is. You might be surprised how you see yourself now and what promises that are stirring in your heart... might just pop up to the surface. Take the time, you are worth it, and your future is much to bright to ignore what it's full purpose was designed to be.

13 My brother- Today is my Brother John's Birthday. We are exactly two years and one week apart. I am thankful that I have had him all of my life (for as long as I can remember) and that through it all... we still love each other... even though I was his older sister... and well... I may have played that card one too many times. Very grateful for who his is and what he is in my life.

14 Single Parents: This past few days my husband was out of town. Although we all miss him very much, I am easily reminded when he leaves that so many parent on their own. Being the single parent for these short few days touches my heart for those who do it daily. It is not easy... this I know. I am grateful for those women and men who parent on their own, whom have chosen to put the importance of their children's lives before their own. That is love unconditional.

15 Girlfriends: After my post about going back to college a few of my friends contacted me to let me know that they were on the same track or that my decision had encouraged them. Going back to school is a little scary yet totally exhilarating for me. Having these girls on this path along side me could not have been anything but a God sent. I am so grateful to have these girls going down this path along side me. I am not at this alone... I have been given the blessing of these friends to experience this with me.

16 Our Sweet little boy: Today was our son's IEP. Our son was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum at age 2 and has been in some sort of therapy since then. After the last month of speaking with his developmental team at his school... I felt the motherly weight being lifted off of me as they explained to me how much he has developed this last year. He is still autistic and has his quirks, but I know that he will live an extraordinary life filled with purpose and joy because of the efforts we have made through the years. I love that little boy and am so grateful that his is who he is. He is a comic, a cuddler, an artist/cartoonist, a singer and beyond belief smart. I love my little man and will continue to stretch him to his full potential.

17 Fort Collins: This little (well, maybe not so little) town has taken us in as it's own and we are so grateful or that. For the beautiful rocky mountains, to our amazing neighbor hood and friends... we are at home here nestled up against the mountains.

18 Skype: today I had a date with my friend Lorraine to Skype and create art. Although we both ended up sick... it is still nice to have Skype to connect me with those I hold dearly.

19 Girl time: Today I went with my girlfriends to see Breaking Dawn. I love having some time with the girls, just being girls and enjoying a fun movie.

20 Volunteering: Now that our kids are a little older it is exciting to have the opportunity to develop their hearts in service. Our church announced today their Christmas Basket program. Before we could sign up to help give out baskets, the volunteer sheet was FULL! Thank God for such giving hearts... now to find another place for our family to serve :)

21 Blackberries (on sale!): I bought some blackberries on sale at Sprouts for 88 cents a package. Two of these bad boys make one pie. This makes me soooo happy. Fresh pie on the cheap... perfect for the holidays.

22 Autumn Break: the kids last day of school for the holiday was today. I have 6 days with my kids... just enough time to enjoy some needed family time.

23 In Laws: My in laws flew in today for a quick trip for Thanksgiving. They were only here for two days, but those two days meant so much. Our holiday was complete with our family in our home.

24 Good Food: This was my first Thanksgiving that we hosted in our home. I am grateful that planning and preparation made for a wonderful meal... with lots of left overs :)

25 Thrift Stores: Today I got to spend some girl time with my mother & sister in law. I bought some wonderful wool sweaters for felting and a sweet vintage coat that my stylist sister in law picked out for me.

26 Sleep: after a long week of fun and excitement, this girl has never been so happy to have some extra ZZZ's.

27 Our Church: I am so very grateful to have a home church that we love. We are HOME at Resurrection Fellowship and love the amazing people that we have met there.

28 The tooth fairy: Our daughter lost her first tooth on the 28th. She is an old soul in a little girls body and has been longing to join the toothless club like her brothers. Being with her during this moment reminded me that I had the joy of being with all three of my children on the day they lost their first tooth. With life being crazy the last few years... I was so grateful to have this victory.

29 Hair dye: Such a silly thing but, honestly... I am so grateful for hair dye and for my super awesome stylist Patti who makes house calls. Today my hair (and self) was blessed by Patti... and hair dye.

30 California: today I leave for California for a fun event through Charity Wings Called Seaside Soire. I was fortunate enough to be one of the teach of their first soire last year and so grateful to have the opportunity to come back this year. I will be in good teaching company with Cheryl Waters and Jen Cushman. I have known both of these girls for some time and and super excited to finally have a chance to teach along side them.

It is a long list... but none the less, things that I am so grateful for.

Thanks for checking in today with me :)

~Liz ♥

Day 10 and 11- Possibilities and Purpose

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Day 10- Possibilities

Today I received this in my email box:

It has long been a dream of mine to finish the last two years of my degree. So last week as we passed the college on our way to old town it hit me. I could do this NOW.

For the last ten years I have enjoyed being married and raising my family. The last two of these years I re-joined to work force to help our family in our transition to Colorado. It would make sense for me to find another job, matter of fact I had a head hunter call me last week with seriously a DREAM job but it would require relocating. That is not really in our family plan right now, plus I really feel the need to not work. It is kind of hard to describe but I really feel that God's plan for me is to be available for our kids which has been difficult these last two years. With the pull on my heart to stay home, not work well... this puts us in a bit of a bind financially but thanks to my wonderful husband, we have tweeked our budget and in faith are going to take that step to have me not work and be available for our family.

Day 11- Purpose

This decision has opened up my days to explore who I am and what I want to put into this world. I know this may sounds silly because seriously... we do things everyday, why would today be any different??? Well this is how.

This last month of not working for an employer has allowed me to think, truly think for myself about my future. I have been able to clearly look at the future of my family and let my heart wander on the hopes and dreams that I have ignored day after day because I was always to busy. This past month has offered me silence, clarity and an invigorating boldness that I have a purpose that I need to pursue. So with that being said, I am going back to school. I am applying to Colorado State University for the Fall 2012 semester.

In the mean time to show proof of interest as well finish up my graphic design education I will be attending Front Range Community College. This will help me with any licensing work I do in the future as well prepare me for CSU. I am waiting for my transcripts to transfer from Long Beach City College so that I can meet with a CSU transfer counselor as to what the next steps will be towards finishing up my BA.

This is a big step for our family. It is going to require a LOT of preparation but I know that together we can make it happen. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we take this next step in our families future. I will still work freelance in the Art and Craft industry as I love this industry and truly believe in it. This step will only help me solidify what it is that I enjoy doing now and prepare me with the knowledge to proceed forward with my dreams and purpose. ♥

Is there something that has been on your heart to do that you have been waiting for the right time? When do you feel the right time will be?

~Liz ♥

Day7,8 and 9- Heart, Art and Healing...

2011-11-10T10:10:00.001-08:00

Day 7- Heart

The last few months I have been able to explore experiences in my life that I think I had inadvertently escaped from for so long. When you live your life day to day you tend to continue on as you have always known. I guess what I am trying to say is that what seems normal to you...is normal. If you were born with black hair, that's normal to you. If you speak a certain language that is normal to you. If you like your sandwiches with the crust cut off... that is normal to you (apparently this is my kids normal too).

My normal was that I was raised by a single mom to the age of 7. Even though this is only a little over a quarter of my life, the reality of it is that these seven years have played a huge part of who I am now and what I value. Both me and my brother John were raised in my grandparents home and shared a room with my mother. My mother being the oldest of the 9 children in her family was the first of her siblings to have children. So this meant that my grandparents household was well... bursting at the seems with kids. Funny thing is that I only remember being surrounded by my family which was such a comfort. I grew up influenced by my 8 aunts and uncles in anything from music, fashion, beliefs and language/slang (☺). This has really helped me through the years to remain open minded with my experiences.

The one thing that I didn't have during these years was a prevalent male figure. As a girl, you wouldn't think this to be such a major factor but as I look back at my life and journey I have realized the tremendous benefit of security, confidence and guidance that a male figure provides. But my life has been in Gods hands since day one and even though my paternal father has never been a part of my life... I have been gifted with a loving supportive and protective father figure unit of men that through out various points in my life have served this role. The main men that I can thank for this are my Grandfather, my uncles (Tony and Eddie), my mothers boss Kevin and my stepfather Cecil.

I can look back and see now how these men have stepped in as my protectors, providers, my truth tellers, my comfort. My Grandfather was my first father figure. I am precious to him and he has continued even to this day to remain a comfort to me. It seems odd to think that he still provides me comfort, as he passed away in February of 2005 but those first 7 years of my life, living in his home I still remember the warmth of his embrace. The tenderness of his comforting words. They are words that still ring true to me now. Having these experiences to hold on to have built me up to who I am now. They have helped to give me the strength that I need in my hardest battles. I am so very grateful to have this knowledge to hold on to and think if I didn't have these experiences to hold true to, what kind of women would I have become. Could I still have the same boldness that I sometimes have to dig deep into. I don't know if I could. Now this is just me, this is not the norm, this just happens to be my norm. Like I said before the norm is only what we know to be true. Could I have still been the same person I am today even with out these experiences... possibly, but I am truly glad that I don't have to know.

This last week the memory of my grandfather has been stirring in my heart. I loved him so. I still remember the strong quiet man that he was, hoisting me over his shoulders and walking me down to the corner store to buy 25 cents worth of candy. I am sad that my children do not have vivid memories of him, our daughter never even had a chance to meet him. But I know that a part of me is a part of him, and that is where the legacy can continue, and even thrive.

Day 8- Art

This is a little tough for me, especially after first part of this post but it ties in together. Sunday I found out that a dear friend of mine back in California lost her father. We have similar upbringings and both had step fathers that we considered our fathers so I knew the amount of love she had for her father. Even now I can't help but cry, not only because we are 1500 miles apart and the only comfort I can give her is over the phone, but also just because of the pain I know that she is dealing with while trying to make sense of what is left. It is sometimes hard for me to express what is in my heart... so I do it with art. After I got off the phone with her yesterday... I felt the urge to create something for her. This is also the way I can re-group and gather myself. Art is a HUGE healing tool. Even just to sit and write in a book with nothing more than a pen... IT IS HUGE. Your mind knows that you need to process and sometimes just trying to sort through your thoughts is much to large of a task for your body to handle. Allowing your thoughts to manifest through your hands helps to join those two parts of who you are (mind and body) into making sense of all that is around you.

SHE KNEW HER HEART WAS IN HIS HANDS

products used: Paper- Prima Marketing Inc, Adhesive-Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, oil pastels, mod podge, gems, tulle and crayons.

Day 9- Healing

So yesterday I created... in an effort to heal not only my pain for my friend but in hopes to find the right words to share with my friend and assist her in her healing. Like I said before, it is hard sometimes for me to find the right words to express what my heart is feeling. I find comfort in scripture, quotes and especially music. Not always do the words of comfort have to come from my mouth, but perhaps I just need to be the one to pass them on. So with this being, I want to share my inspiration for this art piece.

"Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

I am a firm believer of affirmation of words for healing. With this in mind I prayed for what the right words would be for healing (Now, not only for my friend but for me as the loss of my friends father erupted my own emotions of losing my grandfather). And through this I kept imagining a heart, protected, secure and held. So the scripture became my starting point for what I painted.

Along with this a song came to my thoughts. This is a song from Natalie Grant. I was fortunate enough to see Natalie in concert a few times at our old church Cottonwood Christian Center in Ca. One of her concerts, she explained the background of this song and how the women who wrote it, wrote it for her friend after her friend had lost their young child to SIDS.

(To view video, make sure to pause my music player below before you start)

You can see that in this tragedy the women felt the need to create. Create something that could most likely assist her with the emotions of it all, but more than anything assist her friend with her loss. Through her faithfulness to herself, in allowing herself to take this moment to create this song this women has brought peace and understanding to so many.

You never know, what you create may be the only thing that someone out there needs to make it through. So get it out there, when you need it. Share it, don't be selfish with the gift you have to give. Give it to those who may need exactly what you have to share.

Healing is a part of life. It is a process that we will always have to deal with. How we deal with it is unique and individual and only we know how to find the peace in chaos. My hope is that this little insight into my creative reasoning/healing will encourage you to find some sort of healing tool (Creative or not) that can help you make sense of the things that your body and mind go through during these times of need. ♥

Day 4,5 and 6- Culture, Traditions and Faith

2011-11-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

Day 4- Culture

This weekend was such a fun time for our family. Since the kids are a little older, we have been starting to give them some experiences into different cultures. This weekend we ventured into my side of the family and exploring traditions from my Hispanic heritage.

I am 100% Hispanic, third generation, far removed from the roots of our heritage. I grew up in a home where my mother was so adamant that I spoke English and integrated into an American/English school. It wasn't until later in life that I found out that she based her importance of such things on her own experiences of being you in the 1960's and not speaking English. I am grateful for my upbringing and as much as I remember our Catholic/Hispanic traditions and folklore (Posadas, La Llorona, Pinatas...tamales☺) there are still celebrations of our culture that seem so foreign and removed from me yet they fascinate me.

One of these fascinations has been "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead)

Julie and Sedona... two artists :)

To learn more about Dia de los Muertos click here.

We are blessed to have a beautiful Hispanic community in Ft. Collins. In attending this festival we became familiar with a small part of who I am. I have been fortunate enough to make friends in my life and work that share their love for our culture and have encouraged me to dig deep into our heritage and culture and begin to make some family traditions of our own.

Day 5- Traditions

After attending our first Dia de los Muertos festival, it had me thinking of how we could integrate the traditions of both of our families together and also begin to start our own as the James Hicks family. We have through the years enjoyed special moments that we have began to celebrate every year. This is exactly what I feel is the heart of our families traditions. Finding something that we hold so dear that the desire to experience that moment again and again ... together never ceases. I had to really hold tight to the idea of our family as we experienced this weekends festivities. Not everything of the folklore is easy to explain to young children, nor with a christian background but the festival made it a point to make the celebration of life. Life lived and Life promised. I was truly grateful for that. I am grateful to have a supportive community and family that continues to encourage us to celebrate who we are and where we came from.

Day 6- Faith

Day 6 just happens to be my birthday. It was a very simple day, which if you ask any mom they will agree that is the best way to spend your birthday. We started to day grabbing some cinnamon rolls from Vern's and heading to church. Our church service was amazing. We had a guest pastor, Clay Peck from Grace Place in Berthoud, CO. He shared his story of adoption of his 16 year old daughter from the Ukraine. The struggle his family has overcome is just amazing. I encourage you to read his story, it is a true love story.

Altogether this post is an accumulation of my heart this weekend. I know it may seem like just little things, but these little things are building... building into bigger things each day. I embrace these little things, memories, moments, traditions and look forward to the legacy that even little things like these will leave for my children and so forth. I know that even these little things are BIG things to my children... things that they will remember and use to create their memories, moments and traditions with their family. I am just a small part of the bigger plan...and there is no greater joy than to be that small part. It's all about the legacy ♥

Day 2 and 3- Snow and Thank Thursday

2011-11-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

Day 2- Snow

I think most of my friends would think I am crazy for being so fond of the snow, but the truth is that after living 30 years in perpetual summer (AKA California) a little seasonal change is much appreciated. Now I don't think that I could handle snow all the time, I am a winter wimp... and really can't handle to cold all that long. Thank God I live in Colorado where the snow falls often, yet melts quickly.

Yesterday, we had a fun in the snow. It's these fun moments that I am grateful for. It is also these impromptu fun moments that spark the best creativity in my family. After a suggestion from my friend Trish, we decided to build a fort for our kids and graffiti it with colored water (food coloring, mixed with water).

This of course made our kids super happy and also pumped them up to imitate our building. I love that my kids find inspiration in the things we do for them. I am also grateful that my kids love experimenting and being creative.

With this in mind, our kids decided to mimic our ice fort by trying to create a "Spongebob Snowpants".

They figured out what the design was going to be, and also what supplies they would need. by recruiting the assistance of both James and I... together we created our chilled underwater friend.

I am so proud of their creativity and to be able to help them with their project. Together my husband and the boys built the base while our daughter, eldest son and myself painted our new snow buddy with food coloring, water and a small amount of watered down craft paint (the black). We wanted to make sure that the dyes were safe to be melted.

It's little things like this that make me love the snow.

DAY 3: Thank Thursday (WE&Co), #WE&CO, #Thankthursday

A while back I found a fun little app for my Iphone called We&Co. This App is specifically set up for patrons to be able to give a THANK YOU shout out to their favorite places to visit in their town. You can also say THANK YOU to a specific worker at your favorite places as well.

I love the idea of being able to thank someone, especially someone that normally may not get the recognition that they deserve. This app is the perfect solution for that.

Along with this App, the We&Co. company has launched a #thankthursday campaign to remind ourselves to thank someone each Thursday. Although thanking someone may be second nature to us in any given conversation... It might be hard to pin point when we last sincerely looked at some in the eyes and gave them a heartfelt thank you. That is where Thank Thursday comes in :) This also is a nice way for us to take our month long gratitude... and stretch it to last all year long :)

You can find We&Co. on Facebook and Twitter :)

With this being said... today I thank my friend, Kerri... I could make a very long list of many different things that I am thankful to her for, but today I am thankful just for her. I am grateful to know her, have her as a true friend and am especially grateful for the person that she is and how she has encouraged and impacted me. Everybody needs a Kerri in their life.

So I hope today that you begin to take advantage of Thank Thursday, and thank that person in your life that most deserves it right now.

~Liz♥

The day after Halloween...Day 1 of Gratitude

2011-11-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

It never fails that as hard as I try to resist... the day after Halloween seems to bring on the "Holiday Season". Both my husband and I have resisted plenty of times in reverence of Thanksgiving... hoping that this unsung holiday will receive it's proper devotion (rather than just being the day we eat tons of turkey and watch football, lol).

This year for some reason I thought rather than to resist... I would embrace what Target and Walmart advertise and enjoy the Christmas season a little earlier... after all it would make decorating a whole heck of a lot easier :)

I still want to give Thanksgiving it's thorough accolades, so this month I will follow the tradition of many and celebrate a daily devotion to gratitude.

Today... November 1st... I am thankful for my God given blessing of my family.

This picture above was taken at our friends Jannie and Andy's house this past Sunday. My original Halloween costume was a long beaded gown and well... after wearing it once.. I realized that it was not exactly -trick or treat friendly. With this, I decided to bust out my old college cheer uniform and to my surprise it still fit. As I walked down stairs to see my kids in their costumes it struck me that I haven't worn my cheer uniform in 12 years and this was the first time that my kids ever knew about me being a cheerleader. At this point it felt like two parts of my life suddenly collided. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the last time that I wore this uniform 12 years ago, that the next time I would wear it... would be in front of my children.

I suddenly was overwhelmed with the feeling of happiness and pure joy. My husband and my children are my world. And to think that 12 years ago I was a single working college student... just blows me away. It is amazing how quickly time flies. Looking back the past 12 years, it has dawned on me that although these past 12 years have been tough... the outcome is what matters most. Looking at my beautiful family makes it all worth it.

I hope that you will join me this month in celebrating the unsung holiday of Thanksgiving and take a moment each day to celebrate the things in your life that make it ALL worth it. Taking a minute to look back and reflect might be tough, but even with each trial... the beauty and blessing of the gift of perseverance should be celebrated.

Here are a few pics of our last week of October as me and my family celebrated with friends here in Colorado.

Our little hot dog... a comical little boy. I am so proud that he is comfortable in his own skin and loves to make people laugh.

Our own little super hero... Our middle child who was diagnosed with PDD-NOS at age 2. He never ceases to amaze me with his determination. This year he and his "BFF" (those being HIS words) planned to be Mario and Luigi. This alone warms my heart. Children on the Autism spectrum have a hard time making friends. So to hear him not only have this amazing plan, but to also have a "BFF"... makes me so proud of him.

This is a picture of one of the juice boxes that one of the parents from our daughters class donated for their fall feast. This picture reminds me of just how blessed I am to be a stay at home mom again and have the opportunity to share these special moments with my children and their classes. This is the first year that I can actually be a room mom for one of the kids classes. It is these little things that make me so very happy.

I hope that you enjoy this next month as I share just a few things I am grateful for and I hope that it encourages you to make a similar list that you can cherish.

And if you are "getting into the holiday spirit" early... check out this post I just did on the Crafty Power Blog.

Thanks for checking out my blog today :)

~Liz ♥

Adhesive Fun!

2011-10-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

So it has been a while since I last posted... even though it has only been a few months, it seems like it has been years since my last post. A lot has been happening here on our home front within these last few months and we are now settling into things.

The biggest changes have been that my husband is now working from home which has been a wonderful change. It is nice to be able to have lunch every with him, although I do have to say that the kids had to learn very quickly just how quiet they have to be with now having a home office. Good thing for them that they had some practice with me working from home this last year.

With this change, it brought on some other changes that we had been thinking about. The biggest being that I will no longer be working for Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L™ on a part time bases. I will continue to stay with them on a free lance bases, but will start to explore some other opportunities that both me and my husband have been waiting for the right time to pursue. I love 3L and am grateful for the chance to continue to work with them.

To start off the fun, I am sharing a fun technique with Crafty Power Tape on the blog today. Using it with some vintage paper for a Shabby Chic effect. For the full details on this, hop on over to their blog to see the full story.

We are excited for this next chapter in our lives. I am especially excited, as I can be home for my kiddos when they need me... (which this month alone I have already had two phone calls from the school nurse!).

Thanks for your thoughts and well wishes, I look forward to sharing more here on my blog and working towards getting back to my roots of teaching and sharing what ever my brain comes up with!

~Liz ♥

A winner and a little... OOPS...

2011-07-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

So I wondered why I had not recieved an email from the winner of my last giveaway... It is probably because of the fact that my announcement post was saved as DRAFT and never posted!

My Bad...

I guess this is where the real me shines :) And that is OK.

You see... this is me, right now. Right now things have been a little crazy around here. And by crazy I mean in a good way. This summer I have had some time to truly stop. It feels like I have been living on some alternate planet earth that is running in fast forward. A few months ago I made a decision to just stop. Stop for a while, take some time to myself (something that I rarely do), time for my husband and time for our family. This time has been so good for me, truly helping me to realize where I am right now and what is important to me.

With this I guess some of the little things (like blog posting) have taken a hit. Well, I am sorry for this... please excuse my posting oversight :)

So with out further hesitation the winner of the giveaway is...

Kylie B!

Please email me your address (primadonnaliz@yahoo(dot)com) and I will get this out to you!

Thanks again for those of you who played along with the giveaway and on the CK sight, it was so fun to see some t-shirt embellishements and all of the creative ideas you came up with!

~Liz

T-Shirt embellisments and a giveaway!

2011-06-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was asked to create a 1 hour challenge over on the Club CK blog. Now being that I know the viewers over on the Creating Keepsakes site are extra crafty, I decided to challenge them with using some old t-shirts in a new way.

Be sure to check it out, in the comment section you will see so many fun uses for old t-shirts. I will be sharing some more this week. As an added bonus we are doing giveaways too! I have three giveaways that are identical. One has already been given away, but the other two are still up for grabs!

Giveaway #1- Over on the Creating Keepsakes "Club CK blog" they have a challenge to use the t-shirt challenge and post it by June 20th.

Giveaway #2- Just post a comment on my blog anytime between now (June 15th) and June 21st 2011 and I will pick a random winner and post it on June 22nd.

I will be working on some videos this weekend and hopefully getting these up for you this week.

I hope you join in the CK Challenge fun, the girls over there are already rocking this... check out their great ideas :)

~Liz

Winner of the Creative Spaces giveaway!!!

2011-05-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well it looks like Blogger was kind and gave me back some of the comments that were posted on the original contest post. So I went ahead and compiled both posts comments for the giveaway.

And here is the random.org winner!

True Random Number Generator

Result: 30

TraciA said...

Congrats to you Liz!! I CAN'T wait to see your creative space!! And to hear you did it under $500? That in itself is inspiring!

May 15, 2011 2:38 PM

TraciA, please email me [primadonnaliz@yahoo(dot)com] or Facebook message me and I will have this out to you!

Thanks again all for the sweet comments, I would love to hear your thoughts on the rooms if you happen to see the issue, just leave a comment on the blog and let me know how you like them :)

I am sure you will find something in this issue that sparks your creativity!

~Liz

Some More fun with CK...GIVEAWAY!

2011-05-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

So here is one of the unpublished views of my craft room. This actually one of my favorite spots of my craft room, I add sewing to just about every project, so this area is often my go to place during my project.

The thing that I love the MOST about my craft room is that all of the materials were reclaimed or used. Together with my friends and family, we went to thrift stores, flea markets, antique stores and our local reclaimed building material store Resource. These places are a haven for creativity. This also makes for a very inexpensive yet eco-friendly approach to organizing. The shelves here are old cabinet doors with old brackets and old beams.

You may have also seen on Facebook that Megan Hoeppner was on Studio 5 KSL in Utah debuting the issue. Megan showcased a few ideas and rooms from the book, mine being one of them. So if you would like a sneak peek into where I create... here it is!

STUDIO 5 KSL CREATIVE SPACES FEATURE

Take a minute to read the article and watch the video, it is a fun sneak into the issue as well as some creative ideas for storage.

Well since Blogger was down last week, and wiped out ALL of the existing comments that I was going to pick a winner from, I have extended the contest to win a free issue of the Creative Spaces special issue till Friday, May 20th 2011. For the original link and info, click here.

To win, leave a comment on the original post or this post for a chance to win a free copy of this fun issue!

It is full of tons of fun crafters....

Allison Kreft (Hambly Screen Prints), Aly Dosdall, Amanda Probst, Amber Packer (My Mind’s Eye), Amy Coon (The Paper Life), Angela Magnuson (Unity Stamps), April Foster (Studio Calico), Becky Higgins, Brooke Walker (Studio 5), Candy Rosenberg, Celeste Rockwood-Jones, Cindy Tobey, Deena Wuest, Elizabeth Kartchner, Ginger John (Glitz Design), Holly Jones (My Cute Stamps), Jana Eubank, Jennifer McGuire, Jodi Sanford (Fancy Pants Designs), Julia Nomichith, Kelly Marie Alvarez (Lawn Fawn), Kelly Purkey, Kim Watson, Laura Vegas, Linda Barber, Liz Hicks, Maggie Holmes, Mandy Douglass, Margie Romney-Aslett, Megan Hoeppner, Mou Saha, Nikki Sivils (Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker), Piradee Talvanna, Renae Curtz (Paper Crafts magazine), Reyanna Klein, Sara Douglass (Stampin’ Up!), Sharon Kropp (Little Yellow Bicycle) , Sharon Laakkonen (Prima), Shelli Gardner (Stampin’ Up!), Stacy Cohen, Stephanie Hunt (Bella Blvd.) , Suzy Plantamura, Teresa Collins (Teresa Collins Designs), Trisha Ladouceur, Wendy Sue Anderson

If you are looking for a copy of this issue, it should be available at Barnes and Noble, Joann's, Michaels and other various craft stores. It is also available on the Creating Keepsakes site, use code SPACESBB It’s good for free shipping in the US, (expires 5/27/11).

Thanks for sharing in the fun... I wish I could share more of my room with you, but I hope you enjoy seeing it in this fun issue, it truly is amazing just how FUN it is to take a peek into where others create :)

thanks!

XOXO- Liz ♥

Creative Spaces with Creating Keepsakes Magazine!

2011-05-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

About 6 months ago, I received an email from the very sweet Megan Hoeppner that pretty much rocked my world :)

It kinda read a little like this...

"Hey Liz, It's Megan...... special issue........craft rooms...... and we would like to see pics of your room.........can you do this by next Thursday?"

Now the email was a little more than that... but I honestly can not remember much of it because all I could think was "OH MY GOODNESS, SHE WANTS TO USE MY CRAFT ROOM NOT IN AN ARTICLE, BUT IN A SPECIAL ISSUE!!!"

This is totally ironic as I had just told James the week before as I perused my most recent issue of Creating Keepsakes "Wouldn't it be cool if one day my room was in one of these magazines?"

His response was " That would be totally cool, why don't we start working on your room in a month or two"

Little did we know that this little thought was percolating in Megan's head and that seriously a week later we would be fully indulged in OPERATION CRAFT ROOM.

So when I initially received the email from Megan, we had just moved into our new home a few months before. With my crazy travel schedule at the time we had unpacked the bare minimums of our home and the craft room was just drywall and concrete. We had $500, one week and the help of our amazing friends to get pictures to Megan.

I am happy with the way that it all came together, but more than anything, it was so wonderful to have the support of my family and friends through this week of getting my room together. A BIG thank you to my sweet friends Tricia Gabriel and Kaydi Homme... without their help and the support of my husband and children, none of this would have been possible.

Open publication - Free publishing - More craftroom

Here is a sneak peek of the special issue sharing some beautiful images of the sweet Amber Packer's room as well as some of the other fun content that is in the magazine. The magazine has a whopping 45 (I think that is the right amount) rooms, plus bonus articles in the back that give amazing ideas for decor and storage. This is truly an issue that you will want to have on hand. I have read it over and over and still find little things here and there that I love and am inspired by.

I have a few before and during pics I want to try and find to share on the blog this next week... I hope you will come back and enjoy them with me. I will try and do a few posts with some fun little facts about my storage solutions as well as some other fun info about the room. But for now... how about we GIVE AWAY A FREE COPY OF THIS AMAZING ISSUE?????

Simply leave a comment here and I will pick a random winner next week (Wednesday May 18th, 2011). EXTENDED TILL FRIDAY MAY 20th Due to Blogger being down and erasing previous comments.

If you can't wait and NEED your copy NOW... simply click here to buy this fun issue. Use coupon code SPACESBB for FREE SHIPPING!

Thanks for celebrating in my fun little surprise! I am SUPER excited about this, but also that so many of my friends are also a part of this fun project. It is so fun to see how people you know and love craft :)

Have a great day, and remember.. LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN!!!!

XOXO-

Liz Hicks ♥

Why Mixed Media... right now?

2011-03-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

A while back I was contact to come to an event and teach, during the conversation with the coordinator, she mentioned that they needed a mixed media artist and well, they thought of me.

RIGHT THERE I WAS TAKEN A BACK.

In my head I was thinking..."Wait a minute...I am not a Mixed Media Artist.. I teach Scrapbooking classes??"

I mean... I teach classes... painty, sparkly... techniquey classes... but all of them have been for scrapbook stores or events, so I guess I never thought of it in the sense of being an artist... or better yet (GASP) a Mixed Media ARTIST...

But then it dawned on me... paint...paper...techniques.. adding anything else I could get to stick down to my projects... maybe this person wasn't to far off... maybe I WAS a mixed media artist.

At that moment I decided to take a look at my projects from the last few years... and well they were right. Everything that I had created the past few years had slowly evolved into something beyond Scrapbooking.

The last couple of years have been a bit of a whirl wind for our family. We have had ups and downs together and have seemed to be on this perpetual ride on a loopy roller coaster. Now don't get my wrong, we have had so many more ups than we have had downs... yet when we are faced with adversity... it has been the type that smacks you upside the head rather than creeps up slowly. So with this in mind, it made sense to me how my projects began to be my release and slowly evolved off the 12X12 grid and onto canvas. I think inadvertently my mind would ask me for a break... and I would allow it to do so with paint and canvas (and of course.. glitter too!).

Now although I still consider myself a Scrapbooker... It was obvious to be that the approach that I was now taking was different than the average Scrapbooker. BUT I was not exactly sure that I WAS a mixed media artist... So it got me to think... where did I fall in this spectrum of art?

Now I may be off base here but this is where I think I am at, and in all honesty.. I see the scrapbook industry leaning this way as well. It has been for a while now and here is what I think the reasoning for that is (in my humble opinion)....

The economy has kind of had everyone cut back on the "Extras" in life. With this in mind, I think Scrapbookers/Crafters are not ready to cut back on what they enjoy so inadvertently we all still want to enjoy our craft... we just have to be creative with our money and make our $$$'s stretch and last.
having less $$$ to spend on crafting supplies has us looking for products that has multiple uses, can alter other items or that acts more like a tool with multiple functions.
Add 1 and 2 together... and well that has crafters thinking of ways to use their favorite products to their fullest potential... creating new techniques and also finding new uses for some of their older products.
And of course.. with the recession hitting the states here... this can effect each of us in different ways. Whether it is personal or having to see a friend go through tough times... this kind of stuff sticks with us. Especially us women, after all it kind of comes natural to mother and care for those we hold close and love (I often find, that I want to try and make things right... even for my friends). With all of these emotions... plus wars, natural disasters (that seem to be hitting this planet hard right now), and all the other stuff that happens locally... it is no wonder that at the end of the day... we find ourselves drained and looking for a way to express ourselves or even escape for just a few moments.
Art is a great way to take your mind off of things... and just take some time and create something wonderful. It is a wonderful stress relief and a beautiful way to express what is in your heart or on your mind. There is nothing more freeing than seeing the start of something and knowing that YOU have the ability to make it something new, fresh that it wasn't before... it is so very gratifying.

This "scrapbook mixed media" type of art just seemed to creep out of me when I have found myself having a tough time. Through these last few years of growth I have been able to sit down with my pile of stuff that I have collected through out my years of crafting and just CREATE. It is like a breathe of fresh air... a light in the darkness... LIFE. Being able to take some time and create something beautiful is essential... especially when everything around you seems to be getting uglier, harder and sometimes just unbearable why not take what is in your control and create something you can call you own and be proud of? Sounds good to me.

So that is where I am at... I have a closet full of scrapbook supplies... I have a heart for my family and friends that breaks when they are hurting... I guess it just makes sense to pull myself into this fun little industry that is developing in the scrapbook industry... So although I may not fully be a mixed media artist... I am definitely still a Scrapbooker (even though my albums are WAY behind) I like to think of myself as a Scrapbook Mixed Media Artist (YES... I just called myself an artist and I LOVE it!). I am not sure where this will take me.. I have big Ol' plans in my heart and a loving family pushing me forward, friends cheering me on... who knows... all I know is that I am excited, and I hope that this excites that artist in you, knowing that it is OK to throw stuff together and call it art, it is OK to pull your feelings on to a canvas or album and not have any rhyme or reason to it besides just getting the emotions out. Nobody even needs to see what is created... what matters is that the proper attention is given to those tender emotions... and art might just be the best way to express them.

Thanks for reading the worlds longest blog post, lol... I really need to blog more so that it doesn't build up like this :)

♥ ~Liz

SHINE ON!!!

2011-03-25T00:11:00.000-07:00

So today I was asked on Behalf of SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L to create a Mixed Media project and blog post for Creating Keepsakes blog.

Now you may wonder... SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L and MIXED MEDIA????

Yah... I thought that at first... but in all honesty... it works!

So a few techniques that I shared on both the SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L blog as well as on the Creating Keepsakes blog share not only the integrity of the Crafty Power Tape, but also shares some artistic features of the Adhesives Sheets.

Here is the project:

SHINE
(I tend to use this word alot, lol)

I love this art piece... it just makes me so very happy. It has loads of texture... fabric.. glittery painty fun... yeah, it's my kind of piece :) I also love the message on it... I think we all need a little reminder that it is OK to SHINE... It is OK to SOAR... It is what we are meant to do, and although we may not always sparkle bright, it doesn't take away from the fact that we are in fact... intended to SHINE.

A few of my favorite things to do with SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L™ products is to use them with paints and with craft foil.

because of the amazing GRIP the Crafty Power Tape has... it will hold very nice even if you paint, varnish, glitter or do whatever on it. You can see here how I adhered down all of my gems and then painted...glittered and rubbed off the paint on the gems. The adhesive held the gems nice and snug even though I used a liquid on top as well as rubbed them too. Yup, Crafty Power Tape pretty much makes me happy! I don't have to worry about my wet adhesive to dry with my gems now.. I just use the Crafty Power Tape :)

Here I used some fun Designer Foil (Clearsnap) with SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L Adhesive Sheets. An Adhesive sheet is basically a thin film of adhesive that is great for die cut machines, acrylic, vellum or anything else that you need an intricate or invisible adhesive application on. for this I used the adhesive sheet in a broken application (not thoroughly applying it, just applying it here or there) and paired it with the Designer Foil. After the foil transferred nicely, I sprayed over the top of it with Sun Kissed Smooch Spritz by Clearsnap. The adhesive can withstand the moisture of the spritz and acts as a resist... it is really cool!

These are the two techniques I shared on the Creating Keepsakes blog. I love these two techniques... but what I love most about this project is the title... Now the title is something that I am super excited about... I just love it!

Now I have a video planned for this. I am working on showing you what this fun title is made out of. It looks just like vintage printer press letters... maybe they are???

I am hoping to get this video up next week... stay tuned... I am sure that you will LOVE it!

SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L is doing some giveaways too... check them out here.

Thanks for joining the fun today... join me next week, I have some posts I have been working on...

Thanks!

Truth...

2011-02-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's a new year... and well a fresh start. I have been thinking long and hard on a specific word for the year, honestly in past years they have just kind of snuck up on me. One year it was change, another year it was reflect... last year it was BOLD.

I never knew how much this last year I would have to be bold. Have strength where I never thought I had, be courageous or even believe in myself when I didn't know how to be. Some may see this as vulnerable, weak... well that is good. I don't mind being vulnerable or even exhibiting vulnerability. I think so many times on the blogs that we visit we see such a beautiful picture of how somebodies life is... how well put together they are, how it seems that they have it all planned out.

Well that is not me. I have things planned out just the way I need them to be, and well that is good with me. We all have the same days to live, most of the same responsibilities and demands. And well... this is what had me thinking long and hard about what my word for this year would be.

Truth: This year I want to be true to myself, true to my family and friends. I want to be able to show what is inside of me and not feel the need to hold back. I am looking forward to learning about myself... stretching my limits and not apologizing. I find myself apologizing for things sometimes that are not even in my control. My goal this year is to build relationships in which are based on this truth. Build my friendships with friends that I can encourage and that encourage me as well. Surround myself with those who can see in me the me I hide... and love her anyways.

It seems so simple, yet so hard at the same time. I know that I still may let the wrong people in, that I will still make a ton of mistakes, and that well I may not always have the right answers or even understand what direction I am headed. But I promise to take each step forward in truth. Evaluate each option and take the time to make the right decision. I WON'T be pressured by TIME. It is never to late and I am going to always remember that. The right time will always be there, and I can grab it when I am good and ready.

So this is my pledge to myself. With this, I hope to be a better wife, mother and child. I hope to do my work to the best of my ability and create art and handmade goods to my liking. I like this simple approach, and I think it will be very good for me this year.

Earlier this month I was blessed to help out with Brave Girl Camp. I think back to what brought me to camp last year... and what I was able to bring of myself to camp this year... it was so different. I know that last time I went to camp, I had a hard time expressing myself in words that were appropriately describe the feelings and events that I experienced there... this time, I truly hope to be able to give you all the opportunity to see camp through my eyes.. let's hope I can find the right words :)

Thanks for everything ♥

~Liz

Prima Class at CHA, MY ROMANCE

2011-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

I was asked a short while back by Prima Marketing Inc to teach one of their CHA classes. They have this great program available at CHA where they open up their booth to attendees to take some fun classes offered by some of their teachers. I was kind of in a scramble to get things together for this, but I think it is a pretty little album, full of romantic goodies. I used their Botanical collection for this sweet album. Can you imagine the sweet memories you could fill in this album! It seriously could be used for any occasion. I will also be using some fun Ranger Ink products in this class too!

If you are attending CHA, I will be teaching this class on Saturday January 29th, 3:30 pm - 5 pm. To sign up either email Rebecca Gawryl at Rebecca@primamarketinginc.com or call her at (909) 627-5532 extension 206.

Hope to see you there!

~Liz

She had a song in her heart...

2011-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

So with CHA in full swing this week.. I have another sample of work to share. This is a sweet little girl canvas that will be in the Art-C booth this upcoming CHA. This mixed media canvas board was used creating some of their stuff from their Summer 2010 CHA release... I am in love with it all. I am so happy that someone has created a specific Mixed Media brand... love it!

So here she is...

"She had a song in her heart for the world to hear"

I started the project out by sketching what scene I wanted with a pencil (note to self, make sure next time it is not a water color pencil) I had my sweet friend Courtney Walsh painting with me... that is always a plus. After I sketched out my simple scene, I started to add the background textures (you can see them here, stars and watercolor paper by Art-C). Using the ripped up pieces of water color paper with some mod modge... I created a fun textured background that I was able to paint on.

This sun was created with Art-C's air drying modeling clay. It was fun and easy to paint from there.

Her little crown was some left over clay that I had stamped into.

Her glorious locks are a combo of glitter, paint, pastel, Sakura pens... repeat.repeat.repeat... till I found the right combo.

Her sweet little heart was created with parts from one of the Art-C ATC kits.

And this fun rolling hills of grass, made with wire, beads and one of the ephemera kits. (PS she also likes to paint the roses red!)

Her dress is layers of Art-C products blended together with fabrics from my stash. The flowers and embellishments are from one of the ATC and Ephemera packs.

So here she is in all her glory... I am so happy with the way she came out.. she looks so happy... matter of fact, I know she is happy :)

So she is off to CHA... if you are attending... make sure to stop by their booth (#2338) and say hello! My sweet friend Sally Lynn MacDonald will be teaching some classes as well as demonstration and doing make and takes in their booth.

Thanks for peeking!

~Liz

Live from CHA- Charity Wings and CHA events

2011-01-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

Live at CHA! This year... I have the opportunity to work with Charity Wings and their Live at CHA event. SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L, Clearsnap, Bazzill and Unity Stamp Co. Have generously donated product for this sweet little make and take that we will be demonstrating. We will be LIVE at 11am THIS Saturday, If you are interested... contact Elena at (charitywings@yahoo(dot).com).

We will also be live with CHA sharing the newest in SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L products.

Here is what CHA is advertising...

"CHA will be webcasting the hottest products live from the Show floor for 2 hours a day. That’s right EVERY NEW PRODUCT that is entered into the Innovations Product Showcase will receive a 3-minute interview on CHA-TV. CHA-TV is a free webcast portal for the craft & hobby industry. CHA will use this new resource to webcast the hottest new product launches live from the upcoming 2011 Winter Show. Two-time Emmy Award winner and CHA’s National Spokesperson Terri O will be conducting the daily interviews from 11 am – 12 pm and 1 pm – 2 pm PT live from the CHA-TV Broadcast booth on the Show floor. You'll need to download the free CHA-TV Facebook app at http://apps.facebook.com/craftandhobby or view it live on the web at http://www.linqto.com/rooms/craftandhobby/. at http://www.linqto.com/rooms/craftandhobby in order to view the webcast. "

SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L will be LIVE this Saturday at 1:30pm.

What a great way to be a part of the event... right from your own HOME!

Hope to see you there!

~Liz

Some fun stuff headed for CHA...

2011-01-24T12:27:00.001-08:00

This week has been super crazy, seems like as much as I think I have done before CHA... it really isn't! CHA, tends to sneak up so many un-expected last minute details... and in all honest, I really do love it... not necessarily the last minute stuff... but CHA. This year I will be working in the SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L booth (3203) If you are headed there, make sure to stop by and say hello!

This year since I now work for an adhesive company... I have been able to open up other opportunities with various companies... and being that I love paint... I have been having some fun with some Clearsnap products... Here are some projects that will be in their booth this CHA.
Here are some projects featuring their new Jumbo Spritz colors.

Love You 6x6 Card

I took some Bazzill glazed cardstock and saturated it in Black Velvet Spritz, it created this beautiful two toned look, the spritz actually stuck nicely to the glaze on the paper.

And here are some pictures of the depth of texture that I created for the background. I love adding so much texture to pages, even simple cards can have a fun background.

And this one is possibly my favorite... I have to say, I haven't been asked to create a tag before, so I figured if I am going to do a tag... might as well have some fun with it!

This tag is used to blend colors together. I also added some vintage ephemera and some of the Clearsnap foils for something shiny!

this is a 6x6 layout using their Log Cabin, Gold Glow and Vanilla Shimmer Jumbo Spritz. I used some punchinella as a mask and then blended the colors together with water.

So this is the start of what is to come... I have some fun ART-C, and Prima stuff to share too... and of course some SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L samples too.

thanks for looking~

♥Liz

Winner of Soul Restoratation class!

2011-01-12T19:20:00.001-08:00

Thank you ladies (and gentlemen) for all of your heart felt comments. It is so wonderful to hear you talk so highly of someone so dear to you. Here is our random winner!

True Random Number Generator : Result: 15

Saskatchewan Scraps said...

HI Liz, I am EXCITED to begin this journey!!!!!! It's about time I sat and re-evaluated my life and discover how i can improve to my maximum potential.

I would LOVE to nominate my best girlfriend i've known since birth (34 yrs!!) for this prize. This last year she has had a world of problems, house flooding and them spending the last 7 months living among boxes and all their stuff in one area without a living room table to eat at. As well, God graciously has blessed her with a fantastic husband this second time around, but I think this course could really benefit her because of all the negative treatment she was subjected to with the first one that tore her down emotionally. I would love to see her rise, discover herself and be able to have some awesome stuff happen to her this year.
Thanks Liz!
Leica

January 11, 2011 8:42 AM

It was so wonderful to see all of your hearts pour out into these posts. It makes me smile to know that most of you (those whom I have grown to know through this industry or on my blog) have such a giving heart... it is a beautiful thing!

So Leica, if you could email me Primadonnaliz(at)yahoo(dot)com I will go ahead and let the girls over there at Brave Girls get your friend all ready and set!

Thank you all again, and I am sure that your friends will be thanking you too...for all of the wonderful things that you had said about them!

~Liz ♥

Soul Restoration- GIVEAWAY!

2011-01-10T12:56:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about 2010 was being able to attend Brave Girl Camp in May. I won't say that it was life changing because well, I think that puts to much pressure on the program... but what I will say is that it was life affirming. The main thing that received from attending camp was remembering what it is that I want out of this life. This is SO IMPORTANT. Through out life we are constantly going, going, going trying to keep up with our own lives and sometimes others too. Somewhere in between all of this we soon forget what we are deep down in our core. We take on so many responsibilities, so many of other peoples deadlines and expectations... we have to keep going and going and going. Climbing and reaching for the top, and sometimes the top isn't even an option but we continue to reach and stretch till we are all stretched out, vacant and have nothing left to give. It is so hard to take a moment, stop ourselves and remind ourselves just what it is that we are reaching for striving for in the first place. So often our directions shift when we don't even know it.

Stopping and evaluating your direction is almost never an option even though it is a life necessity. This makes me wonder how ofter our own priorities are mixed up when we don't even have the time to remember what is important anymore.

So from camp, this is what I learned. It wasn't a specific lesson that was taught, words that were said or even advice that Melody or any of the other girls gave. It just simply was something that rested on my heart that while I was there, in one of the most secure environments I had ever been in that I was able to allow myself the time to remember what it is that I want for myself and for my family. Even my husband could see this in me after I returned.

This important lesson has stuck with me since May, and I have to say it has re-affirmed me day after day that the life that both my husband and I first decided that we wanted back in 2001 when we first were married... it is still a pretty good life, and well... we need to get back to that simple, love and family filled life.

That was my lesson, it may not be the same for everyone... but I hope that it is just as important for those who attend than it was for myself.

As a thank you to Brave Girls and to you all for following not only my journey but also that of my families... We (My husband and I) would love to giveaway one tuition to Soul Restoration which is a very similar curriculum than that from Brave Girl Camp. This is such an amazing experience so much that even my husband would agree!

Here is what you have to do. We want you to nominate someone that you think would benefit from this online art class. Just leave a comment here of someone that YOU think could really benefit from this. If you really want to attend this online course than have someone nominate YOU. The only entries will be those names of people that are written in a comment on this thread of the blog. When you are considering someone to nominate, remember that they don't have to be artsy, but you do want to make sure that it is something that they would enjoy and that they could benefit from. So that is it... simple. Just write someones name in a comment, or have someone nominate you in a comment for a chance to win!

I will pick a random winner on Wednesday so that you have some time to think about who to nominate, as well as have some people help nominate you too. The class starts tomorrow, but you will be able to pick up starting Wednesday.

So get out there, call a few friends have them nominate you or you can nominate them! The more times your name is nominated the better! I will post both the winning nominator and the nominee here on Wednesday so that you know who to thank for nominating you. please make sure also that they post where you are from ( example, I would like to nominate Liz Hicks from Ft. Collins, Co.) that way we can have an easier way of figuring out who the winner is.

The Brave Girls online community is up too, so if you would like to check out what is starting to happen over there, check it out here! This is a great place to meet other crafters that are preparing for soul restoration too.

If you have any questions feel free to email me at primadonnaliz(at)yahoo(dot)com

Thank you and good luck!

~Liz (and James too!)

Day 6 and 7- two easy gifts and a WINNER

2010-12-21T13:59:00.000-08:00

Day 6.... Inexpensive gift for a girl friend ♥

I found this great recipe for a facial scrub while surfing youtube.

video is from Kandee Johnson... If you love make up I highly recommend you follow her on you tube, she is so fun to watch and knows her stuff!

This is a great gift you can make ahead. Simply take some organic sugar, I LOVE LOVE LOVE using a course Turbinado brown sugar (You can find this in the bulk section of Whole Foods or any health food store) and mix it with ornanic lemon juice. I actually like to find a small mason jar, fill it with sugar and lemon juice to create a simple paste similar to other sugar scrubs you would find in bath or body stores. Since lemon is a natural preservative... this should last a while. You can even decorate your package for your friend, making it a little more custom.

Day 7- Yummy breakfast treats...

So this recipe came out of sheer desperation after I came home from Brave Girl Camp. While there at camp, each day the girls would prepare some amazing snacks for us. Once of these being an Apricot Brie Tart. Well these little guys stuck with me (literally, I think I gained 7 pounds on these alone!) after I came home. Now just the thought of trying to create a tart sends me into a state of panic, I love cooking and love recipes... but I need it to be simple, easy and well inexpensive.

So this is my easy-peasy knock of version of the Brave Girl Apricot Brie Tart recipe... perfect for the morning especially for those special guests who can appreciate carbs stuffed with fruit and brie (that was just for you Holli!)

Pretty self explanitory- take cresent rolls (highly recommend reduced fat, as this combo is NOT exactly low fat) , brie and apricot preserves (I have also used Marion Blackberry from Target that was AWESOME!)

Lay out your crescent roll as usual, but before you roll it from the bottom to the tip, add a chunk of Brie and a small amount of jam.

Next, start from the wide side of your crescent and roll towards the point, folding the point over your roll and making sure to pinch and secure all of the goodies that are inside of your crescent.

Next lay your yummies out on a cookie sheet and bake according to your crescent wrapper suggestions.

After they are done cooking, take them immediately off of your cookie sheet and lay them to cool on a plate.

These are just to yummy for words, and you will enjoy pairing these with a tall glass of milk or even bacon (If you just decide to throw all caution to the wind,lol)

I hope you have been enjoying the little bits of treasures that I have been sharing here... and now for our winner.. thanks to ALL of you for heading over to Vintage Street Market. I received an email for one of the owners, and she said that she was so grateful for all of the new followers. If you noticed, they are doing a Christmas countdown.. lots of cute ideas, you will love and be able to share for years to come!

So as promised, here is our winner!

I LOVE that vintage store - thanks for sharing and I 'liked' it on F/B also. Your kitty is SO beautiful (as is your gorgeous little girl) - I'm going to miss you at the Expo in Feb....Merry Christmas to you and your family!

December 19, 2010 12:49 AM

Shercara said...

What a beautiful story - and wonderful reminder of a great lesson. It does feel good to help others reach their dreams and goals and to be a part of that journey too. Love Elmyra Duff by the way -Thanks for the memory! Oh - thanks for the tips on Vintage goodies too! I "liked" them on fb too!

December 19, 2010 7:30 PM

Sherry, email or facebook me your address and I will get these fun goodies out to you!!! Also, Crystal... I will be getting your prize out at the same time.

Thanks for participating! I hope you all are enjoying your holiday season and finding peace and happiness ♥

~Liz ♥

5th day- mutual loyalty

2010-12-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up to this.

A little back story on these two.

This is Chloe the cat. Chloe is what can be described as a typical cat. Next to her is our daughter... and our daughter is what I would best describe as one of these:

Yup... an Elmyra Duff. If you are not familiar with this Tiny Toons Character from the late 80's early 90's here is the Wikipedia explanation:
"Elmyra is quite young and obsessed with animals and cute things (which is probably why she works as a nurse at Acme Looniversity), even chasing after animals whom she knows are her classmates at Acme Looniversity, obliviously causing great discomfort or serious injury to potential pets from her overenthusiastic affection and complete lack of even the most rudimentary knowledge of pet care."

I mean this association thoroughly affectionately, and trust that NO ANIMALS ARE HURT during my daughters love fest with the kitties. I make sure to stay with in earshot of her. And equally, Chloe has been know to give a scratch or two. So together, during the day they tend to not get along very well. We call it a love/hate relationship.

So you can understand my curiosity when I see this in the mornings. I mean they sleep like this every night yet during the day they have a tough time seeing eye to eye.

Seeing this made me think of their (what I like to call) Mutual Loyalty towards each other. Although they may not get along during the day... most days. At night, they come together for each others needs. Honestly the only reason that Chloe sleeps with our daughter is out of pure necessity for warmth, but in return she is so gentle with our daughter, even though our little girl may be the reincarnation of Elmyra Duff. But this really made me think.

We all need each other. We can not do everything all on our own. And although there may be times that we do not see eye to eye, or that the giving and needs may be lopsided... never the less, we all need each other. We strive to find people that are like minded, share our same goals, thoughts and dreams. If we are lucky... we find people that want to help us reach our dreams. If we are not so lucky... we find people that want to take our dreams. Either way, we have control over who we let in and who we take out. NEVER FORGET THIS. It is a tough lesson sometimes... I know this all to well. I have learned to put up my boundaries and protect myself through the years. But even when I am sad or hurt by someone who has wronged me... I never give up hope that out there in this world, maybe 5 minutes from my house or maybe in a totally different state or country... there are like minded people. People that want the best for you and will stop at nothing to see you through your dreams. And if your lucky... you can help them capture their dreams too. I think that excites me most... knowing that I can be a part of someones dreams... help them succeed. There is no greater joy than being a part of someones success, especially knowing that there are so many out there counting on their failure.

We do. We need each other. We need to be cheerleaders for each other, push each other forth into their promised futures. Scream at the mountain tops how AWESOME THE PERSON NEXT YOU IS!!!!

LOVE ONE ANOTHER... isn't that what life is all about?

Funny that this sweet little picture would trigger these thoughts in my head. Now I am sure these thoughts were ready to come out, ripe for the picking... but I still can't help but look at this picture of these two and know there is hope for their future. And although they may not always be the friendliest, they have each other when it matters most. They put their differences aside for when they need each other most.

PS... speaking of friends seeing friends live their dreams... I can not be more proud of some of my dear friends who are taking a big step towards their dreams. They are the owners and creators of Vintage Street Market. Just after I had written this post my friend stopped by to share with me some of their new product line that will be release in the gift and paper crafting industries this next Winter CHA 2011. If you haven't seen them yet on Facebook... check them out. Just two moms (and their dedicated husbands!) making their dreams come true. Their products are spectacular and different than anything I have seen in the Scrapbooking industry so far (the textures alone are amazing, let alone the vintage designs!)

So please join me in WELCOMING this new company to the Scrapbook Industry! To help get the started, I would love to do a giveaway here on my blog. Simply check out their site and follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

As a giveaway, I will gather some of my own vintagy goodies that I have in stock, as well as some of my Scrapbooking stash. retail value of at least $50.00. After you have checked out their site and followed them on twitter or Facebook, come back here and leave a comment. I will pick a random winner from the comments here on Monday and post the winner Tuesday December 21st, 2010. As long as you get you comment in before I pick a winner... you are entered!

Thank you for taking the time to check this out... I hope that this stirs your heart this season and that you come to love Vintage Street Market as much as I do.

~Liz ♥

On the 3rd and 4th day-

2010-12-16T05:28:00.000-08:00

So yesterday didn't exactly go as planned... I have been under the weather, and it finally caught up with my little guy. Luckily he was just starting with a head cold, so we kept all the kids home from school just to make sure they don't over do themselves and get a full blown cold.

So my day was filled with naps... tissues... and movies....

And as much as I wanted to be able to pop on here and share another inexpensive gift idea or family tradition... I realized that the place I needed to be was cuddled up in mommy and daddy's bed watching movies. So that is what I did.

But it made me think of a few things. I had a few other blog posts planned for yesterday and today, and well... being with my kids helped me to see a few things differently.

3rd Day- Change of Atmosphere.

One thing that I have adopted this season is burning a LOT of candles around my house. Now hear me out before you say, "Well this is nice and all Liz, but how is this "blessing" someone? Well... it blesses me. and Inadvertently it blesses my family. Quick little secret about me... I use to sell Party lite Candles. So although I have sold off a lot of my inventory, I still kind of have a bit of a candle collection (although I cheated on Party lite the other day and bought some Chesapeake Bay Candles, I mean they had a fragrance called "Sparkling" How could I resist?)

With this in mind, and well with all of us not feeling so hot, I have started to make it a point to light candles in the evening to change our atmosphere. And I have to say, it truly helps. If James or I have been having a tough day, it is very relaxing to come home to the sweet scent and flicker of candles.

picture courtesy of Google

So similar clusters to these can be found twinkling around my house. And what I have found is that by having not only the scent of candles burning, but also the beautiful lights that they give off this offers an inexpensive change of atmosphere that naturally soothes and relaxes. After a long day, for our family this does the trick. Also I think of the memories that our children will have when they grow into their own families, and I hope that they will remember the warm candle lit nights that we would cuddle up on the couch together watching our favorite movies.

And picture courtesy of Google

And you can't have a picture of candles with out this moment.... seriously WHERE WOULD THE ENDING OF SIXTEEN CANDLES BE WITHOUT CANDLES? (Sorry... just had to add this ☺)

Day 4- Little things

Last Sunday we went to Old Town here in our little city and took our family Ice Skating. Simple.
This is something that we have been wanting to do for a while and well with the hustle and bustle of life, have put off year after year. Well this year, we just got up one morning and went. We had a blast, and I still look at the videos of the kids and smile.

caught this shot quickly while skating

Now I could easily recommend taking your family out and going Ice Skating. I was talking with a friend just yesterday that lived in Arizona and she said that her daughter enjoyed going to the local rink that was only a mile and a half away. Skating rinks are usually still pretty accessible for everyone, but what I really want to share with this portion of the post, is TO GET UP AND DO IT. Maybe it isn't ice skating, maybe it is something else. But whatever it is that you have been thinking about doing, attempting or enjoying. DO IT. Why Not? I have found that my main reason for not experiencing some of the things that I would like to in this world have been either because I never had the time, or because someone told me it could never happen. Either way I have listened. I shouldn't have... I know that. But I just never took the time to tell myself otherwise.

So consider this your turn. Your turn to take a moment, stop what you are doing. Look at what it is that you WANT TO DO, and take a moment to decide if THIS is the time you actually do it.

So much of our decision making in life is not having enough time to make the right ones. And it is so tough on not only us, but those who depend on us that if we don't take the time to make an informed decision... we may spend more time trying to make things right after making the wrong decision.

So I hope for this last day that you will consider to take a few moments to yourself. Collect your thoughts, gather your mind and take a moment JUST.FOR.YOU.

You deserve it... always.always.always.

~Liz ♥

day two- Love your neighbor ♥

2010-12-14T07:05:00.000-08:00

So for today... I thought it would be fun to share another fun recipe. What you may have already figured out is that well... I like to cook, but I also like things to be easy. At this point in my life (and probably most of Americans too) it always seems like I just don't have enough time. Time is such a valuable commodity and I have had to learn the hard way that time is the one thing I can always use more of.

Well with this in mind, I combined two of my favorite recipes to create a quick, easy and yummy recipe for Apple Crumble. This takes no time at all (most of the time goes to peeling apples!) and bakes in no time. This is the perfect gift if you are heading to a friends house or need something a little more personal. I use to make this for our neighbors when we lived in California and it was always a hit.

Apple Crisp

Filling (my sister in-laws recipe):
5-7 apples cored, thin sliced and peeled

1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients evenly and place inside of a pie dish, this should be heaping over.

Crumble topping(My friend Maryha's recipe):
In medium bowl cut in 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup butter softened (should look very piecey)

Next: Add 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 2Tbl. granulated sugar, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Mix everything together so that the crumble is even and still piecey.

Next lay over the top of the apples and bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Nothing beats a good easy recipe. Especially with pictures!

I hope that this gives you an inexpensive and easy outlet for holiday gift giving. Homemade is so nice, and I am sure that your neighbor, teacher, friend, family member will appreciate anything handmade that you come up with because it is from you!

♥~Liz

1st day of Blessings- Love one another

2010-12-13T15:56:00.001-08:00

So some of you may have read this post on the brave girls blog about Random Words of Kindness. If you did, than you saw that Christy and Melody were inviting people to come together on black friday to share Randow Words of Kindness to strangers on the street along side with a cup of cocoa. So the girls on that cold day after thanksgiving grabbed some cocoa and shared these kind words for the good people of Boise, Idaho. Well I have to admit... the idea of giving random people words of kindness (and cocoa) kind of made me a bit nervous. Not very often do you have people doing things like this, and especially not with cocoa!

So with this in mind... my family decided to adapt the original plan of sharing words of kindness to the world, and stuck them to our christmas countdown chain. Since everyday the kids would take one chain off, why not stick a beautiful word of truth to it and share it with each other?

Here is our countdown chain

So each day we take off a link from our chain. And each day we talk about it as a family (usually me and the kids during the week since James leaves early for work) and after we have read it to each other, talked about what it means to each of us then we decide who we would like to share it with, and we give it to them. I love that I can share with my kids. That they can see each of us sharing some kind words into this world. I have been taking some pictures of some of the responses we have gotten. I will probably will share them sometime this week, so stay tuned... the people we have shared them with have been so grateful.

I hope this gives you a great idea of how easy it is to give a little sunshine to someones day. As crazy at it may seem to walk up to someone and hand them these few words... you would be surprised how much of a difference it makes in their day.

Ok so now for our WINNER of our blog hop giveaway.....

Crystal Cantu said...

I will definately be trying this recipe this year. I admire the strength and courage you have shown. So glad to know you!

December 10, 2010 10:24 AM

Crystal email me of message me of facebook your address and I will send you a few of my new favorite things to create with!

Thanks for playing along on our fun little blog hop... I hope that you enjoyed it and continue to join me for the next 11 days as we count down some special blessings.

~Liz ♥

12 days of Blessings...

2010-12-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

When I was younger... my family had a tradition of celebrating the 12 days of Christmas. As I grow older, the things that I took for granted the effort and thoughtfulness that went into all of this. I know now that I was wrapped up in my own teenage world, and I understand the need of this for growth, but I still try my hardest to prepare my children so that when they get to this point of their life, they will be aware of the the growing needs around them and the value of those who love them.

With this in mind... I want to take the official 12 days of Christmas (December 13th-25th) and share with you all some fun family traditions... values and some homemade ideas for the holidays. I realize that most of you have small children and I hope that all of you can appreciate the dedication of these next few days to promote love, kindness, thoughtfulness and gratefulness not only my children but hopefully in yours too.

I often find myself thinking of what Christmas is all about for our family. If you celebrate any other holiday season during this time, I hope you can still find some joy in this effort that can be tailored to your beliefs. Christmas for our home is the beauty of selfless gifts and unconditional love. Now this is wrapped up in the story of the first Noel, but the feelings that the first Christmas gift are timeless... the thoughts of meager beginnings, humility and unconditional love and kindness. This is a treasure that we can continue to gift during this holiday season.

Television and advertisers have told us that the holiday season is about getting or giving the perfect gift, getting the best price, or for this one time contributing to your favorite charity or the person waving a bell outside of your favorite store. I do not blame advertisers for doing their job, my hope is that people and children alike will see through these advertisements as simple suggestions rather than the norm to live by...

So this year, I want to take some time to reflect and appreciate the growing sense of gratitude that this past year has given our family. I am not going to lie... this year has brought a roller coaster of emotions, days that have started with no way of success that have miraculously ended with victory, or even days (definitely plural) that have just ended with no excuse for the pain they have brought... but alongside with my family, friends and my faith... this whole year, even the tough days... I can add to the victory category of life. It really took me taking a back to my childhood, considering all of the sacrifices that my parents have made through the years and realistically looking at the past years offering and mirroring them with the struggles I have sen my own parents go through. And yes they did go through them, never stopping just going through them, coming out on the other end victorious. It is a beautiful gift to be able to look back now and see the beauty of this last year. Although there were times where I wanted to scream truth out on the highest mountain, I remained quiet. And there were times when I wanted to rectify all the wrong that I have seen our family and our friends go through, but I allowed my heart to process, rather than to act rash... I was able to compose myself and act rational. Time is a beautiful thing to have, it is free and we have an infinite supply of it... so why not take the time to think things through? Forge a plan of healing rather than to contribute to the destruction of the situation. It is not easy... and I am not perfect, but I do have good friends... that have gone through hardships, we have helped each other out tremendously this year and for this I am grateful. I have never had to open myself up as much as I have had to this year... and I am truly grateful to have good friends along side myself and my family as we go through the "yuckies" together....

So to contribute to this beautiful holiday season and the things I am grateful for I want to share the "12 days of Blessings" and take the traditional 12 days of Christmas and re-program our brains to remember the good things of this year... even for these 12 days. I will continue to take this throughout 2011, as I can see myself wanting to share so much more than what 12 days can offer... so I will probably repeat around valentines day, as well as a few other choice times in the year.

So to start this off, I want to re-introduce one of my easiest recipes. This recipe is not only super easy, it is quick and it also is a high impact gift. The taste alone will make your friends happy, yet when they find out that you made it... that will be so much more special...

So here is the link for the original post form 2007 I STILL have people Googling this through out the year, lol... so I hope that gives you the satisfaction that it is a yummy and easy recipe :)

Peppermint Cookie Crunch Bark

1 lb. white chocolate melts
1/2 cup of peppermint crunch
1/2 cup of crushed Oreos

Directions:

put white chocolate melts in a Pyrex dish and melt for 30 seconds and then mix. Continue to melt in 15 seconds increments until chocolate is smooth (like cake batter, but with no lumps ☺)

add crushed Oreos and peppermint crunch and mix thoroughly.

lay out on waxed paper and spread out evenly to a 1/4 inch thick layer.

let dry and harden for 45 minutes. (you can also place it in the refrigerator if it helps to chill it faster, just make sure it is supported on the bottom)

break up into pieces and eat till you get sick!

It also tastes really yummy melted in some hot chocolate! (seriously, this is awesome!)

Enjoy!

I hope this blesses you, your family and friends this season... and I do hope you will join me December 13th-25th for the "12 days of Blessings"

If you would like to join in on this... there are some other girls that are giving their kindness on their blogs.... Check out my sweet friend Candra George.... she has organized this weekends blog hop and giveaways... she is giving away a free photo session (she is the talented photographer that took our families pictures)

Candra has invited us to do a giveaway and spread some kindness!

1.Lauren Norkum www.lnicolewrites.blogspot.com
2.Ashley Meek www.hazelolivedesign.blogspot.com
3.Tayla Thomford www.taylasjourneyhome.wordpress.com
4.Liz Hicks www.blogerisms.blogspot.com
5. Candra George www.mycreativereality.com

So just leave a comment here and on the other blogs for a chance to win. Each blog has their own giveaway so there are many chances to win!

For my giveaway I will be giving away some of my favorite craft supplies right, now... vintage stuff, paints, trims and glitter of course! Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win!!! I will pick a winner on Monday, December 13th... this will start our 12 days of blessings.

thanks for participating!

~Liz ♥

Blessed and truly grateful

2010-11-25T09:03:00.000-08:00

It is so easy to rush right past today. And with all of the Christmas music, decor and sales already starting, I find that it gets harder and harder to truly appreciate Thanksgiving. Truth is that Thanksgiving is probably one of my most favorite holidays of the year. It is easy to love Halloween with all of the imagination and pretend that it offers, and Christmas with the giving of presents, snow and happy little faces on Christmas morning peeking out from behind wrapping paper as they see their special gifts.

Thanksgiving is so special to me, and I am thankful for my family for gifting me the opportunity to pass these values on to my children.

I have been very blessed to have some wonderful women in my life. My mother first off, who has taught me love and compassion. For my aunts who have helped be a part of molding me into the woman I am today. Most of all on this day, I am reminded of my grandmother and her compassion for those in need, and every Thanksgiving I am reminded of her beautiful heart and love for others.

When I was younger, my mother, brother and I lived for the first few years of my life with my grandparents. Each year my grandmother would say a special blessing at Thanksgiving, thanking God for the food that we had before us and she would then pray for those in need and tearfully pray for them to have food this year and not go hungry. Being little, it may not have always made sense to me what she was talking about, but those words always stayed with me.

Now this could have been merely words that were said, thoughts being felt and emotions attributed to the season of family speaking through my grandmother, but it didn't stop there. I noticed year after year that my grandmother would always cook extra food and during our family dinners, she would pack it and send it off with my grandfather. Year after year I would see this and not think anything of it. One year my grandfather allowed me to go with him, and I will never forget this. As we drove to the other side of the city, my grandfather told me of this family who had nothing to eat not only for this holiday but for most of the time. As we approached the house of this family, I really had nothing to compare what I was about to witness. We came into a modest living room that had piles of clothing laying around, no furniture, just clothes. In their kitchen was a table with no chairs. As we laid the food on the table, the mother and the father both cried. I remembered looking at the children still in their pajamas, to young to know what the holiday was about, but still grateful for the food.

I think of this day every Thanksgiving. Although I only went with my grandfather this one year, I do know that my grandparents continued this year after year for many families. I never understood why my grandmother would cry as she said a prayer over Thanksgiving dinner and why it was that she always (still to this day) in her beautiful broken English prayed for those who had no food and that didn't have family to share the holiday with. I am grateful for their beautiful heart and can only hope to be able to give my children what they have given me.

pictures courtesy of Candra George http://www.mycreativereality.com/

I have so much to be grateful for, my beautiful family both here and in California. Our amazing friends Patti, Eric, Kaydi, Ken and their family who have opened up their family and home to us this Thanksgiving. My amazing grandmother and her giving heart, and my loving grandfather who is in heaven. I never want to forget what God has given me, and although I try as I might to remind myself and our family of this each and everyday, I am grateful for Thanksgiving to be a yearly reminder to take a moment and remember all that we are blessed with.

pictures courtesy of Candra George http://www.mycreativereality.com/

I hope and pray that all of you have a safe and amazing Thanksgiving and that you are reminded of what you are truly grateful for today!

Taking on Etsy...

2010-11-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

I have thought for so very long that I would love to be able to share and sell some of my handmade goods to those who could enjoy them. I often find myself setting stuff into piles and never having a proper place to display items. With this in mind, I have acquired the help of my dear friend Kaydi Homme to help me manage this and other creative avenues that I am considering. Kaydi use to sit right next to me at Tattered Angels and always made my day a little brighter :) When she left Tattered Angels the week after I did, we both kind of looked at each other and said "Now what?"

Well Kaydi being the good friend that she is, offered to help me manage my personal commitments so that I can better commit myself to my new position with SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3l and any other opportunities that may come to be. Kaydi is amazing at logistically analyzing situations and coming up with strategic ideas to best complete tasks. Sometimes when I am in my crafty zone... I need someone like Kaydi to pull me out, and help me organize my thoughts and direction.

With this in mind, Kaydi will be tackling the management of my Etsy store. She will be taking pictures and posting my handmade goods for sale. As hard as it is to see some of my art pieces go.. It is even harder to see them just sit in a pile after I create them, so I am grateful to have someone who can help me send these pieces off to good homes.

Here is the link if you would like to take a peek at some of the items that we are selling:

http://www.etsy.com/people/LizMHicks

With starting working this past year... I have found that I have let go of some of the simple pleasures that I use to call my own. It is very hard to stop and make sure that I still am able to blog, do videos, tutorials, and create for myself... when I am trying to do so for other manufacturers. I am so grateful that Kaydi has offered to come and help me manage things to make sure that I don't lose myself and still make time to create.

Thank You Kaydi :)

~Liz Hicks ♥

It's time for some Holiday Hoppin'

2010-11-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first day of the Spellbinders™ Paper Arts Holiday Hoppin’ Blog Hop! Spellbinders, along with SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L are showcasing their newest products just in time for your Holiday crafting and gift giving. Lots of creative ideas are in store, as well as prizes galore! Each participating company has generously donated towards the prize package listed on the Spellbinders Blog. A total of two identical prize packages, one for each day, November 18 and 19 will be given away! To enter, just leave a comment on a participating blog! Comments in the first 48 hours of the post are eligible. One commenter each day will be randomly selected as the winner. Winners will be announced on November 22, on the Spellbinders Blog!

Be sure to see all of tomorrow’s Holiday Hoppin’ blogs for inspiring projects and another chance to win!

Here is my project to share, Today I am using Spellbinders S4-296 Nested Hearts die template and SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L Crafty Power Tape. I used these beautiful nested heart dies (3 total in the package, I used the medium sized for this project) to create this beautiful ornament.

To create this ornament, simply use the nested hearts die and cut out 10-12 of your desired sized heart (use only one size). From here paint them as you'd like (or leave them the patterned paper that you use, for this I use ClearSnap Smooch Spritz in Sea breeze to colorize my white (smooth) Bazzill cardstock. After they have dried, use the Crafty Power tape to adhere each side together to another folded heart (you will line them up gluing the wrong sides, left to right of the next heart.) When you have your desired fulness, simply close the two sides of the ornament, making sure you insert your twine to hang.

To accent I used some printed sheet music craft sheets by Donna Salazar and punched out stars using a star punch.

Here is a close up of the folds and attachments, now if when you fold the hearts and attach them together doesn't quite match up, no worries... you can accent the edges with a little paint (I used Folk Art by Plaid) to hide the mis patched seams.

Thanks for taking a peak today, make sure to leave a comment to be entered into the Spellbinders giveaway. Also I will continue to share some homemade gift ideas through out December, so I hope you will come back and join me!

Visit all of today’s Holiday Hoppin’ blogs:

remember... simply leave a comment on my blog or any of todays blog hop participants to be eligible to win the Spellbinders Holiday Hoppin’ Prize Package ! One winner will be chosen from all the comments on all the blogs participating today. Comments made in the first 48 hours of this post will be eligible to win. Winner’s names will be published on the Spellbinders Blog on November 22, and they will have 48 hours to reply to Spellbinders to claim the prizes.

Thanks again!!!

~Liz Hicks ♥

A break for blog hoppin' fun

2010-11-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to update you on my next journal page for the art journaling that Rebecca and I have been sharing.

I have to go to Chicago this week, (kind of quickly planned) to help SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L get their booth ready for this Winters CHA. because of this, my journal pages are a bit behind and I am sorry! Last week I had posted my Fly canvas and forgot to schedule it, so it was a little late... again truly sorry!

Well this week, I am going to try my hardest to take some time out to create based off of Rebecca's prompt from last week :

Words: How would you describe courage?
Medium: Ribbons, lace, or any kind of trim

I am going to try and create something Sunday night... if not Monday or Tuesday.

Until then, I hope you will join me with Spellbinders as they share their Holiday Hoppin' Blog Hop tomorrow and Friday. Tomorrow, I will be sharing a fun ornament that I created using their Nested hearts Die. Make sure to read the post to see how YOU could be one of the winners in their two giveaways.

Also to continue the fun, I will be sharing some fun and easy homemade gifts the first few weeks of December. I will be bringing back my Peppermint Cookie Crunch Bark, and perhaps do a video or two to help share some stories... and recipes and gift ideas. I do hope you will join me!

Thanks again for your patience... and friendship. I am off to Chicago... wish me luck!

xoxo,

~Liz Hicks ♥

Fly...

2010-11-03T15:01:00.001-07:00

It's funny how it is so easy to give someone advice yet so hard to take the same advice that you give.

I guess it all depends on where you are in life... and where you are headed. I created this for our fun little blog hop between myself and Rebecca Gawryl. This prompt was "What encourages you" and the product prompt was paint.

I guess what encourages me is possibilities. Knowing that even if things go completely wrong... they seem to work themselves out. I had a friend once tell me:

"Things always work out in the end... and if they haven't worked out then it isn't the end"

another friend told me:

"It is never to late... never ever...

This spoke volumes to me, and in all reality it really helps to take the pressure off of things always working out perfect. Or having to hurry things along because fear is pushing you to do it before time runs out. And the truth is that... things tend to work out, maybe not exactly how you had envisioned them... but they work out. Taking that first step forward towards your goal is the toughest... but if along the way there are loved ones to support you, goals to reach and possibilities.... that seems to be a pretty good start.

So here is my page... it is actually a canvas (I got a little adventurous!) It is called FLY

FLY... It's OK Really

products used : Plaid Paints (Folkart Pigments) and Mod Podge, Sakura Glaze Pen (black), Font-bohemian typewriter

I think sometimes we need a friend to remind us that we can do it. That we can achieve our goals... that we can strive for good things and not feel guilty or vain. I believe that in each and everyone of us is a God given ability, it is not the same in all of us, it is unique...but never the less it is important for this world to see it. So if all you need is permission to let this ability out and share it with the world, then this is it. DO IT.

Remember this... you are one of a kind... created perfect in who YOU are... it may not be what the world exhibits as perfect, but none the less you are just as important. And that goes for your goals, your strengths (and weakness's) and everything else that this world may be telling is not enough, futile or worthless. If you believe in it, then let it develop who you are to be in this world.

So from my heart to yours... it's OK to Fly... really it is... even if you have to take a break here or there. It is OK to soar... truly it is what you are meant to do. There is nothing wrong with having goals and trying to achieve them. As long as you are able to balance your everyday life... why not? There are possibilities out there waiting to be experienced... and although things may not always work in the way you thought they would, at the end of the day... there are still opportunities for blessings to shine through what you are doing... whether it is you receiving the blessing or sharing your story unto someone else to bless... you were made for this... and anything else that may come your way...

~Liz ♥

Another fun adventure ♥

2010-11-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I received a message from my sweet friend Ashley Harris over at The Scrap Review and I have to say... it was pretty cool. I love Ashley and the girls over at The Scrap Review and when she asked me to join their team... I just had to say YES!

If you are not familiar with what the girls do over there, they take some pretty cool products from all of your favorite manufacturers and give you an honest opinion on how the product works. They also give a ton of inspiration on how to use the product (which is what I LOVE about the site).

If you get a chance, hop on over there and check out the site... this week they are reviewing some beautiful Crate Paper Products, you won't want to miss it :)

I am so looking forward to working with the team and having fun with some great product ♥

~Liz

Seaside Soire...

2010-10-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was asked to teach at the first Seaside Soire in California to benefit Scrapbook Royalty. I will be representing my friend (and soul sista!) Lorraine Bell and her new venture Serendipity Studios Mixed Media Art Kits.

Here is a sneak peek of what we will be creating:

We will be making an altered canvas board using a ton of fun textures and mediums... I have been working with Lorraine and customizing an over the top... AMAZING kit that will be full of fun and product. We will be using some great products from a few companies that I love... Kaiser Craft, Clear Snap, Unity Stamp Company, Bazzill, Graphic 45 and of course SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L. We will be having fun, getting messy (a good kind of messy of course!) and creating unique art... needless to say it will be a weekend of FUN!

Check out the details here. They have extended an AMAZING payment plan that extends through February 2011... YES YOU CAN EVEN PAY AFTER THE EVENT HAS PASSED!!!... that makes attending so easy.

This event will benefit an amazing organization.. if you check out their website you can see just how awesome Scrapbook Royalty works through the scrapbook industry to provide charities the opportunity to spread awareness and raise funds. There truly is nothing like this and I am so grateful to be a part of it!

Thanks for peeking today and I hope to see you by the sea!

~Liz

New Adventures...

2010-10-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

I know that it is tough to see the light when you have someone tell you "When one door closes... another one opens" especially when you know that the door is closing for good. I have heard this time and time again... and I have to tell you that this past month it has never rang so true.

When I gave my notice at Tattered Angels I had no idea what I would do professionally beyond that. I just knew that I needed a change. I knew that at some point I would have to find something else to generate an income and with all three of my kids attending school, it left some time available for me to explore options. I truly had no idea where to start looking and truly felt I would just take some time to discover what it was that I wanted to put into this industry and go from there. I treasure the opportunity to gather myself, bring it all back to the basics and slowly find that new path. I think we all owe it to ourselves to take an opportunity to evaluate where you are in life... and adjust accordingly. It was time for an adjustment... and I can not express just how grateful I am for the support of friends and family through this transition. Words can not describe the outpouring of calls, emails and Facebook messages that have comforted me... protected me and lifted me through this transition. I am so grateful for good friends and the amazing relationships that I have made through our move to Colorado and through working in the scrapbook and craft industry.

Through some amazing friends have come some amazing opportunities. I am taking my time... working through some details, but am so grateful for the wonderful things to come and the beautiful people that I get to work with.

First off... most have wondered just what I will be doing now that I am not an employee of Tattered Angels. Well... I am going to do some independent contract work with various craft manufacturers. I want to help companies develop their education, social media and product development/performance. To start, I have been offered a wonderful opportunity to work part time from home for SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L and have gladly accepted.

I officially started October 1st, but will hit the ground running November 1st with the aid of our new Global Marketing Coordinator. I will be their Creative Director and handle media and manufacturer relations, social media, design team maintenance and coordinating the creative aspects of CHA. I am so grateful to work for such a wonderful company. I was able to tour the facility while I was in Europe earlier this month and I am so impressed with the precision of their operations. I want to take my time, do things right and go from there... I love what I am able to do and give into this industry. I am grateful for wonderful friends that I have made that continue to bless and protect me and for the opportunities that I have been blessed with. It reminds and confirms to me that the scrapbook and craft industry is a wonderful thing to be a part of, and I am so grateful to be a part of it.

So this is the beginning... of new adventures... I am so grateful for this opportunity and look forward to what the future brings.

♥ ~Liz

Love is the whole point.

2010-10-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in my art journal blog post. It has been one of those weeks, nothing exactly traumatic has happened... just preparing for our trip next week and adjusting to working at home.

So this week, it was my turn to choose a prompt...

prompt: "What excites you?"
product: thread

I guess bottom line is that I just wanted to know what excites people right now. What gets your blood pumping, makes you happy... makes you smile?

For me... It is simple.. LOVE

I love these videos from Liberty Mutual showing how everyday people and the little things we do each day pay forward respect, responsibility and love. Love is not just something you keep for your family and friends, it is an outward expression that you are allowed to share openly in everything you do. It is sharing a mutual respect and compassion for this world onto mankind.

Imagine just little things that we do each day that impact the world in a positive way. Things you may not even know that you do, give into this world in a positive way... and that is a beautiful thing :)

Now I know this risks sounding mushy and sappy and well it is not intended that way... my only intention is to remind each of us (myself included) that although the day may be rough.. the road bumpy and the destination far... each day whether we like it or not... we chose to get up, go about our day and at some point in that day we impact the world in a good way. If it is a small service like opening a door for someone, smiling, or even just hitting a deadline... we all have small opportunities to be blessings on to someone.

So here is my page for today... I used some great products from some pretty amazing companies. The paint are from Plaid (Folkart) and Clearnap (Smooch and Spritz and Glitter) . The stamps are by Suzi Blu for Unity Stamp Co. And of course my favorite sparkly thread by Gutermann.

This little mermaid is juggling her heart, fish and stars... and making magic of it all :)

Here is a close up of the fish stars and hearts. with the threaded background.

And here is the beautiful glittery goodness I created by mixing Smooch Spritz, Smooch Paint and Glitter (a pretty awesome combo if I do say so myself!)

Here is a close up of the mermaid... this is a hand drawing by Suzi that was made into a stamp By Unity Stamp Co. and this is one of my favorites!!!!!

And of course, here is my separate journal page... I added glitter and paint over writing. and created some journal lines to write on.

And the bottom line is that Love is the whole point.

One thing that I have held close to my heart through thick and thin (and I am constantly reminded of) is one of my favorite bible passages. It is a response that Jesus gave when asked what is the greatest commandment.

²⁹Jesus answered, "The most important one says: `People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. ³⁰You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.' ³¹The second most important commandment says: `Love others as much as you love yourself.' No other commandment is more important than these."

Some translations even state that the second and just as important is to love others.

So between the liberty mutual commercials... this beautiful stamp... and well just some deep down feelings of what it truly is all about... I came up with this. It is simple and I hope to look back at this in years to come and remind myself that at the end of the day... it is about being a blessing into this world... not a burden.

I hope that this makes you smile... I think even the glitter alone is enough to make any crafter smile :)

Next weeks prompt will be:

Prompt: "What Encourages You"
Product: Paint

I do hope you will join us... and have some fun getting your hands full of paint... Just let us know you are playing along, we will be posting our pages next week.

Again and big THANKS to Rebecca Gawryl for joining me on this artisticallly Journaling adventure... Check out what she post this week... last weeks can be found here... and I have to say I just love her birdies and beautiful approach to journaling.

Thanks!

~Liz

Villa Villekulla forever :)

2010-10-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

(Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

I will never forget being a little girl and just loving Pippi Longstocking...

While I was in Denmark earlier this month, I was informed that the airport I was at was only about an hour and a half away from Villa Villekula, Pippi Longstocking's house...It may be the fact that my kids now have been watching Pippi... but I couldn't help but feel the need to visit this colorful house. Unfortunately I wasn't able to... but what an experience that would have been, a true childhood dream come true :)

I like to think that her independent nature, has stuck with me through the years... I mean who didn't want to be Pippi Longstocking? Owner of not only a horse, but ALSO a monkey... no parents to tell her what to do, and unlimited gold coins to buy all the candy and toys you ever wanted???

Yup... you can see I had big dreams when I was little :)

I still like to think that the independent little girl that admired Pippi so many years ago still resides inside of me :)

I am sure she is still there, perhaps I think she could do with out the monkey though :)

For what ever reason, this caught my eye today... and I am so grateful that it did. I can still remember getting lost in these movies when I was 4 or 5 years old on my grandmothers couch. I know get to watch them with my children, see their independent nature grow through the same movies I watched.

I love it !

~Liz

Authentic and Pure

2010-10-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

So this weeks prompt for our Art Journals is from Rebecca. As I told you last week, we are taking one page a week and creating in our art journals. We would love for you to follow along, but if it helps you more just to read along.. that is fine too!

Rebecca's prompt for this week was:

What bugs you?

The item to use was Stamped image or words

Now I looked at this prompt and thought what at this moment just doesn't sit well with me. And well the answer was easy... Lack of authenticity.

I look at this world and see so many beautiful opportunities for friendships to grow, people to thrive relationships to flourish and what truly keeps them from advancing is the lack of vulnerability and security to be truthful and authentic in front of others. There is nothing wrong with the way you were meant to be... We all grow, we ALL make mistakes... the beauty of it is just how you react to the mistakes you make. Do you embrace them or hide them? How can anyone else learn from your mistakes unless you share them with others who just might be going through the same exact things that you have gone through. Imperfections are meant to be shared... if even for the single reason that they show people you are human... and that is OK...

Each of us was created uniquely and perfectly in the way that only we could impact this world... and it is such a shame when we take the burden of someone else's judgment and allow it to position the direction of our passions and paths.

So here is my page... I like to create one artsy page and one journal page on the back so I can just have fun on the artsy page... Although if I can think of a creative way of adding my journal... I will add it to my artsy page, but for this... I thought it would be discreet to just show the bones of my project.

Here is my artsy page...

Close up of the flower... I used vintage dictionary pages and sparkly glitter tulle. To color the leaves I used Clear Snap Smooch, Spritz and of course around the edges I used sparkly thread.

The background.... The background was created with Turquoise craft paint and white Chalkboard Paint by Folkart (Plaid). The edge was colored with Smooch Spritz. And of course... sparkly thread (Sulky or Gutermann). I painted the lace on with the chalkboard paint.

This was some left over fabric from a Little Mermaid costume I made my daughter a few years back... just it into a stem and leaves with of course... sparkly thread. ♥
The title is a classic set of Prima Times new Roman letters... I love these letters :) i stamped the word TRUTH on the letter... the stamp I used is one of Melody's that she created for Unity Stamp Co. And of course... sewed down with silver sparkly thread :)

And here is the journal page...

The album was created by sticking pages of an old magazine circulation together to create thicker pages (something I learned at Brave Girls Camp)

I just took some Crafty Power Tape by SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L and tapes two pages together so that I had a thick page to work on.

I plan on using the journal page to write down what I am feeling at this moment about this topic. I truly believe that being purely who you are and who you were meant to be is a good thing... and we all are guilty of adapting to situations... the goal is to not lose yourself in transition and always remember who you are deep down inside and what it is you want to shine into this world!

Pure.... simple... authentic....

♥ Liz ♥

A little art therapy...

2010-10-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

There are so many things to be grateful for. I am forever reminded of this and how easy it is to take for granted. Not every day do we get an opportunity to see clearly our blessings, and not always are our blessings delivered with a big red bow on top. Regardless they are there...

This weekend one of these blessing popped right up and hit me on the head, and I am so grateful for it. I am hoping that it will bless you too!

Here it is:

So this past Saturday I just happened to be on facebook and saw that Rebecca Gawryl had a new sketch book :)

This quickly prompted a discussion on art journaling and we decided within minutes that we would get together each week and work on some art journaling together. There is something about creating art that just heals the soul. What ever the day may bring, I know that I can find a little peace with a little paint and canvas. It is a beautiful thing to put into art, the desires of your heart and find a safe place to express your true inner feelings. Now THAT is a true blessing.

Here is a little sneak as to what I have been up to... If you would like to join us, we are starting this Sunday.

So if you want to be a part of our therapeutic creating here is what we are doing this week.

Words: “What bugs you?”
Medium: Use at least one stamped image or word on your page

We are taking these simple prompts and working them into our pages. I am curious to see what we all come up with and the very different perspectives we all have.

Let us know if you want to participate... no pressure, just friends supporting friends to heal through creativity... and that is a beautiful thing!

♥ Liz

Today...

2010-10-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

It has been almost 2 months since I last blogged... believe me, I would much rather have been here typing... but life had other ideas for me.

This past two months has been a whirlwind... although I would not give them up, I would not want to re-live some moments.

So where do I start?

I guess I start exactly where most of have asked me to start.

My last post was one of my favorites.. I was asked how it was to work with my husband. This was a tough post because the next day I had planned to turn in my notice at Tattered Angels which meant that we would no longer be working together. I loved working with my husband, he was the highlight of my day, and although I hope to work with him again someday, I knew deep in my heart that what I was doing was the right move for me and for my role in our family. James still works at Tattered Angels and I support all of his efforts. I just knew that as much as I loved what I did for Tattered Angels, that the direction that the company was going was different than that I was originally hired for. That is not a bad thing, I wish them success... I just felt in my heart of hearts that the best thing for me was to part and explore other opportunities.

My last day in the office was Tuesday September 14th, although my official last day with Tattered Angels was September 19th, which I helped assist them with Scrapfest for Archiver's.

On my last day a majority of the staff came to say their farewells with cupcakes... wouldn't be a party without cupcakes (courtesy of Butter Cream Cup Cakery) ♥

The staff on my last day

Some of my favorite peeps

Laycie

Andy

I have made some great friends working in the Tattered Angels office. With our move from California only one short year ago... we are so blessed to call so many of these people friends.

I have to admit that it was a bit scary leaving a full time job not knowing exactly what I was going to do. With the economy still being a little shaky... Some would call it crazy... but as scary as it was... deep down inside I had peace and that is a beautiful thing.

So where does this leave know you ask?

Well as for work... I am excited to explore some other opportunities... work with new companies and some that I have worked with in the past. I hope to do some more marketing, product development and of course... education ♥

As for creativity... NOTHING can stop me :)
I still get my hands full of paint... they still sparkle... I just use ALL art mediums now... This has brought a whole new artistic freedom to my life ♥ and I love it. I don't know where I will go from here, I do know that I will have beautifully painted hands though... and that makes me happy. I had anticipated still being a part of the Tattered Angels education team after my departure, but unfortunately... that isn't the case. And that is OK... I enjoy the opportunity to explore art mediums freely :)

So... this brings me to a new stage in my life and career. I am grateful for some amazing things that have happened this last month regardless of the trials and bumpy road to get there. I am excited to see where my new road takes me... I hope and pray that the bumps are behind me and that the future hold the freedom that I long for.

Thank you all for being a part of this journey with me... I do have so much to catch up on and to share... I still want to chat about our move, new home, BRAVE GIRLS, Scrapfest and my recent trip to Norway....

Eventually I will get through it all... I am going to take my time... heal... restore my soul...create art... and share my heart... I couldn't ask for anything more :)

♥ Liz

The His/Her perspective of working with your husband

2010-08-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

Me and James

James' first CHA with Tattered Angels

Hi everyone.....this is James, Liz' husband. I was intrigued by the question of "what is it like to work with your spouse?"
I couldn't be more excited to work with Liz on a daily basis! The biggest reason is because she is my best friend and work is always so much better when you have someone there that truly cares about you. She is also so knowledgeable within the industry and I have learned so much from her!
It is a bit difficult sometimes having to put on the "office politics" hat but we do well and Liz is an amazing woman and she is capable of so much!
So I am proud to call Liz my wife, my best friend and my co-worker.

From Liz---- I also really liked this question. James is a character to be around. He has a personality that is infectious and appreciated by all in the office. He is also a VERY GOOD practical joker, our friends STILL talk about all of his April 1st antics (although, they got him in the end... hence his sparkly keys). We always have to keep our "corporate caps" on and sometimes, our ideas are not so "eye to eye" but our vision and our heart for the company are one in the same so rarely do we differ from each other.

At the end of the day... what matters the most is our family... We work for the betterment of our children and that not only they are provided for, but that they have an idea of what a responsible adult is. It is so difficult to leave these kids in the morning, and it is only this season that we both have to... but in the future, I know our kids will look back and know that both James and I are doing what is necessary at this moment for our family's success and future...

I LOVE working with James... I agree with him in that working together is great. I wouldn't want anyone else side by side with me :)

Thanks so much for the GREAT questions... I am looking forward to having something to blog about now!

~Liz ♥

Winner... and some fun answers ♥

2010-08-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

I have had the best time reading some of your blogging suggestions. There were a few that made me laugh seriously out loud! As promised (a few days late, thanks to our internet service, sorry!) here are our two winners:

James' pic for most creative:

bluucaca said...

Okay i will play along also Liz.
1st i would love to hear about how you and your DH started working for the same company how does it feel to work togather. I could not work along side my hubby for 1 day how do you do it and not go insane.
2nd i would love to hear what new items are out there and what are your favorite items that you saw at CHS.

August 13, 2010 1:48 PM

and our random winner:

Result: 8

Cupcake Scrapper said...

I would LOVE to hear more about your move and all of your wonderful creations you've made for your new nest.
~ Cathi

August 12, 2010 10:21 PM

Tomorrow... I will have James on here to answer with me your question about working together. As well I will continue to go ahead and answer the remaining questions too! It is so nice to have you guys to inspire me to blog. I have to say it has been so tough this year to blog, but I love it. Yesterday we finally had our internet installed in our new home... it has been quite interesting not having internet... I don't recommend it :)

Thanks for playing along, ladies... please email me your addy @ primadonnaliz@yahoo(dot)com.

See you tomorrow!

~Liz ♥

Friday.... The 13th...

2010-08-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

scary kids courtesy of James and I....
Photo courtesy of Candra George of My Creative Reality

Ok... so things have been a little upside down these days... It seems that whenever our family goes through life changes... it is always a TON of change as opposed to something small and simple... Well we are working towards simplifying that. Part of that is spending a little more time here blogging and recording our events :)

So since today is Friday the 13th... I want to hear from YOU! We have been on vacation, I have come back from brave girls camp, we both (me and James) have recently returned from CHA and on top of all of this we are moving... so being that it is Friday the 13th... I want to hear from YOU what you want me to blog about next. whether it be Brave Girls Camp, CHA, new product, our family, home... YOU let me know... and we will try and get something fun up...

Leave a comment here with your blogging recommendations and I will have James pick the most creative (we will also do a random draw to keep it fair) that will win a fun Glimmery surprise from us. That is TWO chances to win. Leave your comment here before Sunday, August 15th, 2010 and we will announce a winner on Monday August 16th, 2010 (hopefully we will have internet, lol!).

Looking forward to hearing all of your creative blogging ideas!

~Liz

Home is where MY heart is...

2010-07-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again.... CHA... the hustle and bustle of all things new in the scrapbook industry laced with the scurry and organization of manufacturers preparing for yet another big trade show :)

This year is a little different for me... although the stress still lingers, our family is now a part of this great event. Having my husband work side by side with me it is inevitable for the kids to hear a thing or two...and well give their opinions :) I used to be the one telling them about the industry... now it is a family affair :)

We are also in the process of buying a new home here in Colorado. It has been almost a year since we have been here... and we have loved every minute of it. We have sold our house in California, and found a beautiful home here in Colorado that we are now the proud owners.

So as you can see... it has been busy in the Hicks household...lots going on for all five of us but the investment is worth it, whether it be time, money or energy, working towards this goal together is a beautiful thing and worth the investment into our children :)

Since we are speaking of homes... here is a piece I created for a special friend... Moving into a new home... I am always in need of a reminder that HOME is where MY heart is... no matter how big or small your home, belongings or family is... your home is ALWAYS where you heart is... my heart is in my family, so where ever they are that is where my HOME is.... so grateful for this.

HOME IS WHERE YOUR HEART IS

I posted this on the SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L blog today if you want to see a little more about it.

ALSO SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L has a very new and innovative product that I want all of you to know about! Sign up for the VIP newsblast @ The Shape to Come Site to be the very FIRST to hear about this new and innovative product... it is like nothing you have ever seen before, I am so excited for this! YOU could win $50 worth of product... they are picking random winner :)

I know it has been a while since I blogged...and again, guess it is just that time of year :) Thank you for your emails and comments checking up on me and my family...we are doing well and hoping that life will slow down again real soon :)

♥♥♥,

~Liz

Brave New Girl...part 1

2010-06-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

I really don't understand just why it has been so hard for me to share my heart about my Brave Girls experience... It is like the words are there... but there are so many that I want to share that I just can't seem to get it all out in one post. I have tried (three times) to do so and well all I have ended up with is three very long disjointed posts... so I have decided to take this week (or so) and share different parts of my experience and just why I think it was valuable for me.

First I need to say that although it seemed as if everything in my life was telling me NOT to go...

I DID IT ANYWAYS...

And this was the first time in a very long time.... that I did something for me... altogether... just for me (or so I thought).

My husband being the sweet heart that he is... worked his magic and sent me packing out the door and on my way to Idaho.

When I arrived to Brave Girls... I was immediately relaxed. If you know Melody Ross... than you know that from her blog to her facebook... she is honest, pure and easy to relate to. Well her sister is exactly the same way... with just the bare necessities... they have created this amazingly wonderful retreat that you are allowed to come as you are... and be loved ♥

Now this may not sound like something unheard of... or even original ... but THIS is. The GENUINE love and openness that is greeting you by all of the staff and other campers is astounding and I believe that it is a firm result of the family and heart that is behind it.

With this wonderful feeling of love and unconditional acceptance that was shared by everyone in the house... I was relaxed... unguarded and felt protected by the atmosphere of women whom had no expectation of me and just wanted an opportunity to get to know me and love me for who I am.

Now this is the first this that I want to share with you or rather ask you is...

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW THAT REGARDLESS IF YOU HAD SUCCESS OR FAILURE... PEOPLE WOULD STILL LOVE AND ACCEPT YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE?

My answer... I would SING...
All day and all night...

This is something that I realized at brave girls that I didn't even realize that I held back. I love singing always have and always will...I have sang for one... I have sang for hundreds.... doesn't matter the audience, I would sing, although a little nervous... I would still sing.

But something about the way that I felt at brave girls, that sense of security in knowing that everyone there, didn't care if I sang well or didn't they loved me anyways... made me sing like I had never sang before... I sang open and loud (I know as if I could get any louder) and completely unguarded. I never even knew that I held back when I would sing before, but here in the safety of our cabin, I sang with all my heart and loved it.

group time singing

beautiful Kathy playing the guitar

And so today I ask you... what would YOU do if you new that whether you would succeed or fail... EVERYONE watching you would STILL love, admire and protect you for who you are? It is not everyday that we get this opportunity... it is rarely to feel so completely open and free... and I am so grateful that this is just one of the many things I took home from Brave Girls Camp.

Thanks for starting this journey with me, sorry it has been WAY to long coming... but I am here... now ready to share bit by bit... the pieces of my heart that belong to this wonderful effort.

~Liz