Greetings from...

In a matter of hours I'll be grumbling because it's too early and will be on my way to AZ. I promise to take lots of pictures and to have fun, not be as good as I have been regarding my food and drink diet and have fun seeing a bunch of my friends that I've not seen in a while, and spending more time with those that I do see, but on "vacation time!"

I probably won't be posting during that time, but I'll be reporting as soon as I get back! Enjoy the weekend...I know I will!
Inky Hugs, Robin

Just a "Quickie"-bit of Info!

Okay, everyone...get your minds out of the gutter. I'm running in all directions trying to finish things up, get ready for the second half of the soldering class from last week (soldering tonight!) and then tomorrow I'm home to pack and bright and early Thursday, on my way to AZ!

I wanted to give anyone that reads this that are store owners, teachers, designers, etc. the heads up-the new Ranger U 2008 schedule is out! I've been running Ranger U for going on 6 years...I can't believe it! This will be a new format, with 3 FULL days of education covering ALL of the lines: Perfect Pearls(tm), Melt Art(R) and everything Ink/Embossing/Paint, taught by myself, Suze Weinberg and Tim Holtz. Everything you need to know is in the information provided on the web with the cut off dates for receipt of applications, etc.

I'm really proud of this program and if you have any questions, just reach out to all of the Ranger U graduates and they'll tell you what they think! Or email me, of course.

Don't be shy about giving it a try. I'm looking for those that teach and want to teach more or have a store and want to educate themselves and their employees on what the product lines have to offer!

Okay, enough of the Ranger commercial. This is my blog, but this is also my program which I feel is important, so that's why I'm talking about it!

Inky Hugs to all!

Robin

Warm n' Toasty Beady Links!

Well, the weather people were actually on target today. As much as I'm not a fan of snow, how coolio was it that when I woke up, there was a little bit of snow on the ground. It made me even more in the spirit ! Here's another one of my favor "Classic" Tigger ornaments-holding onto an icicle for dear life!

If you also have a chance, check out Tim's blog. He's holding a "12 Days of Christmas" tag tutorial. If you post, you have a chance to win the supplies he used for that day's project. He did a great job with the step outs and get some good info on the latest Ranger and Tim "stuff"!

On the right are some of my most favorite Hallmark Pooh Ornaments. I actually was lucky enough to get them when they first came out...in 1998! When I put all of them together before putting on the tree, I noticed I didn't have 2002! Darn! Thank goodness for the internet-I found it, MIB and not for a zillion dollars.

Well, it's going to be a busy couple of days, then off to AZ. I'm looking forward to it-I need it! I'll probably be more tired coming back with who knows what Tim's got in store for us.

Here's the weekly Beady Blogger links. Check 'em out...there's some fun ornament ideas!

• About.com Jewelry Making Looking for a jewelry class or two to take in 2008? Tammy has some ideas for you, including classes in metalwork, wire, metal clay, and beads.
• Art Bead Scene Check out our links to two free projects currently up on Beading Daily that feature Art Bead Scene editors' beads! Melanie's Pixie Parchment project and an interview with Cindy paired with a project featuring her spiral beads are currently available for free download. Bead Arts Cyndi's bead embroidered page for November of the Bead Journal Project is finished, and as usual, it's for the prior month!
• Jewelry & Beading Inspired by the completion of another bead-embroidered necklace, Cyndi decided to update her advice on bead embroidery techniques.
• Katie's Beading Blog Learn how to make your own sparkly LOVE ornament, plus, links to other cool ornament ideas!
• Naughty Secretary Club Notice the picture of Jen in the latest issues of Altered Couture and Adorn Magazines? This week on her blog you can win all the jewelry in the Duncan ad and also get the instructions to make everything yourself using Fabric and Liquid Fusion glue.
• PearlEsq. Robin shares a "crafty" Christmas idea-why shop when you can teach and share as a gift-it keeps on giving!
• Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean makes some angel earrings with a definite Chanel style to their wings. Also, a call for a PMC book to be authored by our own Tammy Powley!
• The Impatient Blogger Katie Hacker and Candie Cooper have declared every Thursday until Christmas 'Ornament Thursday! ' Margot whips up a sentimental tribute to her grandparents in this weeks offering. Join in the fun!

Pooh to You, and Tigger, too!!!

For those that know me, it's no secret that I have accumulated quite a collection of Winnie the Pooh, specifically Tigger. I guess I just have always seen a bit of Tigger in me...lots of spring and craziness! I'm especially fond of the original Winnie the Pooh drawings by E. H. Shepard. I adore the whimsy of them! Years ago, when I moved back to Neptune, I lived with my grandfather and wanted to be sure to have a tree up each Christmas for him. He loved sitting by the tree and watching TV and the tree. Luckily, neither Pearl or Minnie, and subsequently, Oliver, didn't feel the need to tear the tree apart (phew!). Just a lot of staring at everything...which did sometimes make me nervous.

Over the years I picked up quite a number of "Disney" and classic Pooh ornaments. I finally decided to go all Pooh. I wasn't in a Christmas mood last year, but still bought the yearly Hallmark ornaments (I miss the Michel & Company licenses for classic Pooh!).
So, this year, after getting my 2007 ornaments, I decided I missed my tree! It may be in anticipation of getting ready for Tim's Retreat next week, and maybe hearing Christmas music in the background for the past month when I talked to Tim on the phone! So, I got a new tree, complete with the lights on it, and away I went. Talk about a lot of Pooh...yes, I know you can think of millions of "Pooh-ey" puns (I know I can) but I wanted to share some of my favorite ornaments and my tree. Nothing makes me happier than pulling into the driveway and seeing the tree in the window. Now it's feeling like Christmas! Enjoy! Robin

I'm Dreaming of a Bandanna Christmas, Part One

Bandanna Greetings...you sick of this yet? I'm not...hehehe! Part one of the Christmas Class was last night. Considering everyone left with a basic "kung fu" grip of the white pen in their hand, wanting to doodle and "bandanna" anything not nailed down, I think it was a success. Every one's got their homework (finish embellishing, then "glass and tape"), soldering will be going strong next Tuesday before I leave for vacation-Tim's Holiday Hideaway! The victims, er...students were, from left, Teresa, Michelle, Bonnie, Pattie and Debbie. See? They're still smiling, and that's before I got the pizza!

Everyone decided on the Wrinkle Free Distress Technique as their background, followed by a flurry of stamping and doodling. Debbie did an awesome job of creating monochromatic, primary sets of papers...I just loved them...hence the photo.

While some decided to make gifts for others, I'm so glad that some, such as Patti, decided to do her name for a change. I'm my own worse enemy on things like that (except when it comes to my jewelry!)-god forbid we make something for ourselves, right? So, yay to those that did, but yay for those that are getting some presents under their belts.

Here's a nice before and after of "pre- and post-" doodling as completed by Michelle. She, as do I, loves hearts...most if not all of these are from Hero Arts and are perfect for these types of backgrounds.

Some of my other all-time favorite images are the flourished created by artist Leigh Hannan and some of her designs licensed into stamps by the wonderful Mitra Friant of Impression Obsession. Teresa made some great color combinations. One of the reasons I love to teach these techniques is I learn, too! One combination that Teresa made, I'm dying to do: Broken China and Vintage Photo; it looked like a swirl of water and sand...the best!

For those that have never taken a class with me, my exuberance will show when I see something I like and I think it should be shared. I don't get excited just because I'm teaching...if I love something, I say it. If I don't like something, I won't come out and say it, but I may gently recommend some ideas...in the end, if you understand the technique and like what YOU'VE made, that's all that counts, right?

Well, back to work. I'm home today getting some things done. I had to take the Oliver monster to the vet because of some itchy skin thing...fun, fun, fun. He was giving a shot of cortisone and he should be fine. I was just glad it wasn't mites or other legged things....ick! He tolerated it, as usual! Their office just loves him. He's quite the celebrity because of his famous disappearing needle trick, but, that's for another day.

Also, big furry hugs to one of my best buds, Tammy, who lost her beloved Shar-pei, Bufford suddenly yesterday. I wish I could have just blinked myself (ala Jeannie or Samantha) to Ohio to be there (I'm thinking of you, Tammy!) to give real, rather than internet and phone hugs! As she said, be sure to give hugs to your furry friends today!

Enjoy the day,

Robin

Christmas in November?

Hello and Happy Tuesday! Where did Monday go? I'm zipping along, working on ideas for the 2008 CHA show as well as wrapping my head around other ideas...it never ends, does it? That's the fun of it.

As the years have gone by, I've become less of a crazy shopper for getting presents for everyone. It's an evolving thing, that's for sure. One of my better ideas is taking place tomorrow. Last year, instead of buying gifts for the women in my office I taught them a class and provided all the materials for them to make a Knotted Macrame Necklace. They eventually all finished theirs and I'm always happy to see when they wear it or make another one. This is quite the crafty bunch to begin with, so why not teach them something they did not know before rather than try to find some Tchotchke that they may or may not like?

For 2007 I've opened it up to the others in the office, so tomorrow night, after work, I'm teaching 7 or 8 of the ladies here how to make a Bandanna Plaque. That's what I've finally decided to call these things! Many have said they'd love to learn to solder and it will give them a chance to possibly get a gift made to give or create something for themselves. It may take 1-2 nights, depending on how much we get done tomorrow night, but I'm excited about it. I actually got it all prepped last night and brought everything in today...what a concept!

So instead of doing the schlep to the store, why not share your talents with a group of friends and give the gift that keeps on giving? And there's the fun of socializing before the craziness of the season truly gets in high gear. I'll be sure to report and share the finished creations.

Holiday Hugs to all!
Robin

Thanksgiving Leftovers...better than ever!

Happy Sunday! I'm sure most of the leftovers are gone and it's slim pickin's in the fridge and the reality of the impending Monday is a bummer, so enjoy these fun bits of info and eye candy!The four soldered pieces above have been my latest bit of fun. I've been so wanting to play with these Red Lead Paperworks stamps and I finally had some time to do so. Love the vintage looks and adore the little sayings. I'm word crazy as it is, and to have little words stamps to add to the backgrounds (words are already on them!) and these cute kids...can't go wrong! For the kids I made Tim's Distress Ink(tm) Wrinkle Free Technique, but with a Mini Mister spray of water and Perfect Pearls(tm) to create the pearly sheen. I then cut them out and did a mix n' match of their outfits; since it's on watercolor paper, they seem to have even more dimension. I added the little bit of white opaque pen to "bandanna" them a little bit. I created Distress Crackle Paint(tm) Bandanna Backgrounds. The crackly background makes a wonderful contrast to the pearly color of the Distress inks. All I need to do is add some charms to the bottom (maybe some Swarovski crystals!) and chain on the top, and they're ready to go. These are likely headed to the Red Lead sisters, but I know I'll be making more. If anyone's interested in them, let me know.

Yesterday I spent a day with my buddy Jen Starr and took her Ranger Layout Extravaganza Class. It's quite the class. We made some suggestions and a few tweaks. It was fun to take a class for a change! Now it's my job to pick the pictures to go with the pages and put 'em together.

This picture just makes me smile from ear to ear. Thanksgiving was so wonderful because we were all together-my parents, both my sisters...so all of the kids were together. So they suffer through my begging them for me to take a picture. This was on the first go-even the dog looked forward. How's that for luck!?!?

I also wanted to tell you about my friend Aleida Taddei-Thomas. She's a graduate of Ranger University, both Perfect Pearls and Ink/Embossing. She's extremely talented. She became as obsessed with my Bandanna Technique...she even created Bandanna Stamps from real Bandanna designs! Check out Aleida's Blog to see what wonderful things she creates-she also travels to teach. Here's the Bandanna Plaque I created...she's seen it and it's on its way to Aleida in Texas. Here's some closeups of the letters:

Before I get to the Beady Links, if you've not seen the Bandanna Plaque I made as a surprise for Wendy Vecchi, here it is:

It's not a surprise that it's been done in the only colors that Wendy uses: Vintage Photo and Faded Jeans (only teasing, Wendy!). I also picked up the key from somewhere...I liked its swirly looks and thought it would be neat to allude to it being the "key" to creativity...which Miss Wendy, as well as Jen, Aleida and the Red Lead Sisters Chris and Sharon have-all locked up! Check 'em out! And speaking of checking things out, enjoy the following Bead links from these talented artists. Enjoy the day!

• About.com Jewelry Making Give a double whammy of beads this holiday. Tammy has discovered a group that has great beaded jewelry to give and get that also gives to needy young women.
  Art Bead Scene Only a few days left to enter the Art Bead Scene challenge with the Coffee Haus theme! Get your caffeine on and get moving on a coffee related design using art beads!
• Bead Arts Cyndi is ga-ga over the pictures and information she found recently on Kanzashi, Japanese hair ornaments.
• Jewelry & Beading Two of Cyndi's pieces are in the latest issue of Jewelry Crafts.
• Naughty Secretary Club Grab a left over turkey sandwich and tune into the DIY Network Holiday Special this weekend with oodles of different craft projects. One with Jennifer Perkins making a chunky charm bracelet and necklace using decoupage.
• Pearlesq. Check out Robin's closeup photos of Distress Crackle Paint along with tips and techniques to get the best "crackin'" results!
• Savvy Crafter Last week Candie found herself in a maze of seed beads in Kathmandu. See pictures of her visit to the Indra Chowk bead market…
• Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! It's not too early to start stashing away those hand-made teachers' gifts for the Holidays! You will be glad you did later when the rush is on! Jean shows what she decided to make the teachers (shhh! It's a secret!) this year!
• The Impatient Blogger If you're feeling the holiday stress, take a moment to enjoy a delicious little gem of a movie that'll spark your creativity and make you smile. A kinda movie review from your pal Margot!