A Painterlady's View

Catching up

The last of my paper lines is complete, I've just got a few more things to do and then I can focus on other things, like sending out Christmas cards, shopping, wrapping presents, getting out Christmas decorations. Every year the month of December just FLIES by and I want to make sure I enjoy it this year!!! I will have a lot of creating to do to get ready for CHA but I am bound and determined to enjoy this holiday season. It is really my most favorite time of year.

My son spent Thanksgiving with my family in Arizona so I had to wrap the few presents that I did have and send them with him. I am going to try to be very green in my wrapping this year by using brown paper grocery bags and real ribbon with scrapbook embellishments for decoration so people can re-use them. I will be showing some fun wrapping tips on one of our Candy Cane Friday videos on the Girlfriend's Blog. The first one is about Christmas Cards and it has already been posted: HERE

To get everyone into the holiday mood, I will be giving away prize packs from my Winter Wishes line throughout the entire month of December! If you would like to win... just leave a comment! I'll pick a winner on Friday.

Speaking of Friday... The girls and I will be doing a live "chat" on Facebook this Friday at 6:00 pm Pacific time. I will be linking the Candy Cane Friday video from my profile page and the chat will begin in the comments section below it. Hope you can join us!

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs ~D~

 

I just finished the last of the papers for my 2nd line... Now I have to work on the 3rd line and finish up some of the small details. Everything should be going to print in the next week or two. I'll start showing sneak peeks as soon as I can! Until then... please be praying for my (and my family's) sanity. LOL

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs ~D~

Journals on my site

I've added some handmade journals to my website. I'll be adding some hair flowers in the next few days...

  There is only one of each of these journals. 

You can find more info about each one HERE

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs ~D~
 
 
 
 

New $2.00 Project Sheets available

Hey everyone. I've added a couple $2.00 project sheets to the Girlfriends site. You can find them on the Girlfriends University page. These are two classes that I have been teaching recently but I have taught the last of my live classes and these are now available for YOU!

6 Christmas Cards and Box set

3 Ring Binder Calendar with 12 decorated monthly pages

I'll be adding some handmade items to my website, in case you are in the mood for some online Christmas Shopping. I'll keep adding new stuff as I make it.

Thanks for stopping by! hugs  ~D~

My new toy!

I just got a new die cut machine from Spellbinders. I've been die-cutting my flowers with the big industrial machine from Accu-Cut but when people ask me how they can die cut flowers at home, I don't have information on what works or doesn't. That is why I started looking at the different machines so that Icould give a first hand account using something that other crafters can buy for themselves.

The Spellbinder's machine RAWKS!!! it cuts, embosses and you can also use it as a stencil while the die is still on the piece you've die cut. I've been die cutting and embossing everything in site. My daughter even got all caught up in the frenzy and she has been playing with it too!

The machine comes with an instructional CD with basic to more creative techniques. There were some really cool examples made with a blue foam mat. They were able to get  AMAZING embossed texture from LACE and embellishments! That is gonna be my next purchase for SURE!

Oh yeah... another great thing... you can use their dies in other die cutting machines. They have info on their site: HERE and they have video tutorials on how to do it HERE:

I have more projects that I'm working on but here are my very first flowers...

The pictures above are my single layer flowers. The one on the left was made with their doily die and the one on the right with their nesting flower die.

The pictures above are my layered flowers (free video tutorial on how to make them HERE) The flower on the left is made with the doily die and the one on the right is made with the nesting scallop AND the most adorable leaf die (that will be used on ALL my flowers from now on).

I also used my new FAVE product  SMOOCH SPRITZ:

I've been using them in all my demos lately and everyone LOVES them!!! There is a TON of pigment in these cute little bottles so don't let their size fool you. A little goes a long way and the color is so RICH. Another really great thing about these is that your hands and work surface clean up easily!

I've used almost all the different misting products out there and have made my own for quite a while but, hands down, these are my favorite. And again... this is another product that I can refer people to when they ask and I dont' have to send them to the art supply store for gum arabic... lol. I'm so happy that I can stop making my own mists now!!! It was a really messy job.

I've added tissue scallops and more embellies to my website: HERE 

I'll be adding handmade items this weekend that will make great Christmas presents (examples below):

   
 
I'll post here when they've been added to the site.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hugs ~D~

Got the holiday spirit?

Why do I center my "holiday spirit" around food? I really LOVE food, not just the taste, preparation and the eating of it, but the sitting down to a meal with the family, talking about the day, laughing and joking. When the meal is warm home cooked stuffage... the conversation around the table seems different. I made this deep dish chicken pie the other night. I got the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens cook book (the recipe is doubled to make a dish this size... it is in a lasagne pan)

 This morning I had this:

 There is something about holiday inspired coffee creamer that helps usher in the holiday spirit. Right now that holiday spirit is telling me "OMG next week is Thanksgiving and Christmas is next month!!!" I'm so not ready!!!

Part of my "not readiness" is because I'm teaching and doing demos all over the place lately. I will be visiting my friend Elena at a Scrapbook Royalty charity event in the French Valley (near Temecula) on Saturday. I'll be doing a mini flower workshop for everyone. If you can get a one day croping pass it would be great fun to see you there! Then on Sunday I will be teaching the gated album that is shown at the end of the most recent girlfriend's video at The Pink Pineapple in Vista.

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs ~D~

New Girlfriends V-blog

We posted a new Girlfriend's V-blog today HERE. We give 6 random tips and announce our NEWEST venture... VIDEO CLASSES. My first video class will be for the Gated Album project below:

I am also teaching the Gated Album at The Pink Pineapple next Sunday(the 22nd). You can sign up and/or get more info by calling them: 760-598-2222.

I have a crazy busy schedule this weekend. I'll be teaching the Binder Calendar project below at The Scrapbook Garden on Saturday. You can sign up and/or get more info by calling them: 714-841-1801 

I'm teaching the ATC holder and cards project below at Pages From the Heart in Monrovia on Sunday. You can sign up and/or get more info by calling the store: 626-358-5334.

Monday I am teaching the Recipe Spinner project below at A-Z Scrapbooks in Torrance. You can sign up and/or get more info by calling the store: 310-792-5320.

I wanted to remind everyone that I have my signature vintage book scallops for sale on my website : www.donnasalazar.com. I'm also adding new product to the website before the end of this weekend. I'll be putting up hair flowers, tissue paper scallops, lace goodies, and more! I'll post to the blog when the new products are available.

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs ~D~

Girlfriends Gazette

Hi everyone,

For those of you who haven't heard, I author a FREE quarterly newsletter with my girlfriends, Leah Fung and Johanna Peterson. The first newsletter went out on October 1st. We are still taking new subscriptions daily. All you have to do is send an e-mail to donna@thegirlfriendsclub.net with the subject line "Newsletter" and your name in the body of the e-mail.

**IMPORTANT** Please add my e-mail address to your approved senders list so the e-mail won't be sent to your junk e-mail.

We are also hosting challenges every quarter and the theme this quarter is "Comfort". We would love to see projects, layouts, home decor, etc... with this theme. Each of the three of us will be picking our favorite submissions and if your project is chosen, you will be highlighted in our next newsletter! Just send a pic of your project (250kb-500kb) to donna@thegirlfriendsclub.net with the subject title "Comfort" to enter.

Tell your friends!

We have a prize to give away!

To enter into the contest for the prize shown above, have your friends send us an e-mail that says "your e-mail sent me" in the subject field (example: donna@thegirlfriendsclub sent me) The person who refers the most new subscriptions WINS! 

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs ~D~

Great article from Scrapbook Update

I 100% support the philosophy mentioned in this article. When I was coordinating the endorsed teacher program at my last company I set up partnerships with companies that manufacture liquid glue, dry adhesives, ink/paint, tools, etc... Though some companies are short sighted and don't realize the value in promotional partnering, especially with companies that manufacture complimentary products, I feel survival in these uncertain economic times requires it. I'm glad to now be working with companies that feel the same as I do!

 

Great article Lain!

 

Please follow the link below to read article.

 

 

Social Media and its Impact on the Scrapbooking Industry

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs ~D~

New Video

We've posted a new video on the Girlfriend's blog. I show the newly updated version of my signature paper flowers. We make them in layers!

I've also added the vintage scallops & flowers for purchase on my website: HERE

15 Large Scallops for $5 (plus shipping) 

20 flowers (10 Medium & 10 Small) for $5 (plus shipping)

I will be adding more unique embellies to my site in the very near future so keep checking back!

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs ~D~