Don't throw it away - can you re-purpose it?

Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying become a hoarder and never throw anything away. I am just encouraging you to look at items that normally would end up in a trash can thru a different lens. Exploring your imagination on how to use disposable items will provide you with the opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece....guaranteed!

In my upcoming workshop, we will explore using everyday items to add a special touch to all occasion type cards, like birthday and thank you cards.

The everyday items I re-purposed included a Starbucks sleeve, tissue paper, string from clothing retail tags, scraps of paper, and a coloring book page. Coloring books are all the rage now.  

From this......

To these.......

Please join me at CraftFusion on Saturday, April 2, 2016 to learn how this transformation evolved into these cute all occasion cards. Sign up soon; space is limited. Can't wait to see you!  

Until then, what everyday items have you used in your craft or artwork?

Happy Crafting!
~Lisa

A Perfect Day!

The Boutique was great! The weather was nice - a perfect fall day in Arizona. A view from the table at the ETC Scrapbooks, Fabrics & more Holiday Boutique. If you are seeking to squeeze in a last minute order for holiday cards, feel free to send an email to handemadeitis@aol.com. I still have a few packages left.

My First Holiday Boutique

Although the Boutique was a first, teaching in the craft arena is not. As mentioned in a previous post, I am teaching a Valentine's Day card class at Craft Fusion in Chandler, AZ on January 16th, 2016. I will be teaching you how to stretch your stamps and dies, along with focusing on embossing technique to help you create easy greeting cards in a snap.

There will be a total of 4 cards. The class cost is $25, which includes paper and ink supplies for the 4 cards. Each card is a little smaller 4"x 5.5" than the size of the standard A2 card size with envelopes included. 

As with any crafting class, please bring the following items:

• Paper trimmer
• Bone folder
• Versamark ink pad
• Adhesive runner
• Glue stick
• Wet Adhesive
• scissors
• Baby wipes to clean your hands, the techniques can get rather messy.

I will also have supplies for your use if there is something on the list that you do not have. 

Looking forward to seeing you on January 16, 2016!

New Adventures....

                                                                                                                                  Merrrry Christmas- oh wait not yet….. Will you please tell the retailers that it is not Christmas J 

Well, I am going to jump on the holiday bandwagon too.

I know that you are thinking that it is way too soon to be talking about the holidays, however, they will be here before you know it! It’s already happening. The store aisles are already filled with holiday decorations!

Yes, I am going to force you too into the land of holiday thinking with the announcement of a few things to keep in mind as you prepare for the holiday season.

On November 14^th, I will be participating in the holiday boutique at ETC. Scrapbooks Fabric & More in Mesa Arizona. I will be selling the following holiday cards:

   Hand stamped antique styled handwritten script in antique linen ink. (Looks similar to a light gold). Christmas bulb is gold-embossed.      

  
Simply styled cards with white embossed lettering and deer antlers in gold (shown above). You can also choose the glitzy silver, and blitz bronze. Inside greeting reads “the holidays are here”. The Happy Holidays card is blank inside

Hand stamped antique styled handwritten script in silver ink. Christmas bulb embossed in white & silver

The "Joy" cards will be offered in packages of 5 for $25. All cards are handmade and are a mix of stamped, embossed (if you’re crafty-you’ll know this term) techniques. The letters are individually hand cut. Your color choices are the Royal Purple or the Trendy Turquoise.

Inside of the Joy card includes an array of holiday greetings stamped in coordinated ink colors to match the individually hand cut J & Y letters, along with the matching embossed Christmas bulbs. The greetings are Tis the Season, Peace, Joy, Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings, Noel, and Peace on Earth- Goodwill to Men.

The Deer cards are 5 for $20. If you are interested in a custom order or specific color options, please do not hesitate to contact me. Your color choices are gold, silver, and bronze. The greetings on the front of the card are hand stamped and embossed in white.

I will also have a couple of additional surprises at the ETC Holiday Boutique. I hope to see you there!

 Here is the link:  ETC Scrapbooks, Fabric & More

So here is the BiG Kahuna….this is also the launch of my business “HandMadeItIs”….beautifully & wonderfully created. Or, you can also read the name as Hand Made….it is beautifully & wonderfully created.

I will start with offering holiday cards and paper crafts and ultimately work up to mixed media canvases, along with other hand made items. 

Finally, in January 2016, I will have the pleasure of teaching card classes at Craft Fusion, a local craft store in Chandler, AZ.

Stay tuned for the exact date, class times and card theme. Hint….there will be some hearts involved!

So tell me what you think about the news and offer any tips for a newbie in the entrepreneurial space.

A year in review

I know, I know, I know...it's been way too long. As you can see from my year of photos, I have been productive. It doesn't pay to make promises like I will post every (fill in the blank here)!  Maybe, if I do not indicate how often I will post, I might improve this year. One could only hope.

My direction for 2012 is to share more timely creations, similar to the 2011 year in review.  I do have a few surprises up my sleeve.  

What do you want to see (outside of more postings...)?  Please post & share your thoughts of what you would like to see on Living Art Loud in 2012.

Since we are sharing, my word for this year is CREATIVE!  I will share more about my word in my next post.  What's your word for 2012?

8 Commandments of Hat Wearing.......

Michael Cunningham: Photographer & Co-author of the book Crowns

I wanted to do something different in honor of black history month.  My church was having a hat day and I sooooooo longed to bring my camera and stand at the doorway and snap pictures as the women entered the sanctuary with their heads crowned in fabric glory.  There were all different colors, shapes and shades of fabric twisted and formed in ways that were inconceivable.

Taking photos did not sit well with me as it seemed very disrespectful to snap pictures in church. I settled for the next best thing- the internet.   
 
The heritage of black women wearing hats to church actually started during the slavery era.   It was an opportunity for women to shed the apron strings and and house dresses and don a style of sophistication.  It started with simply adding ribbon or flower as a decorative feature to a straw hat.  Wearing hats and dressing impeccably for church was a way to honor  and reverence God.  The covering of the head is even referenced in scripture.

Years later after slavery ended, hats not only became a status symbol by pairing it with matching gloves and pocketbooks (purses).  Hats are also symbolic of the length and breath that black women have come throughout history by celebrating their confidence and independence while triumphing over hardships.


Today hats are worn by older women or "women of a certain age" within the church.

Lastly, if you are brave enough to find and wear that stylish hat to church then here are some rules to follow.

9 Commandments of hat wearing

Thou shalt not wear a hat wider than the shoulders.

Thou shalt not wear a hat a shade darker than the shoes.

Thou shalt only wear hats with the colors of white, cream and pastels for Easter.Thou shalt not wear a hat with crumpled, wrinkled or droopy feathers or flowers. (That would just be plain tacky.)

Always look tasteful and tidy when wearing "the hat."

Remember your bone structure. If a hat doesn't fit the face, don't buy it.

Thou shalt not allow a hat to compete with accessories and jewelry.

Always let the hat be the focal point of the outfit. 

For additional pictures see Time Magazine photo album

A Valentine's Day Recipe for a Journal

Yes, I Love Valentine's Day but I loathe what greeting card franchises, flower shops and the retail industry as a whole has done to this day. For all the lovers in the house who do not believe in throwing dollars to the wind, I thought that I would introduce a little recipe for how to create a treat that your special one is sure to love.  Yes, guys you too can make this...it is easy! 

And....if your special loved one is on a diet- there are ZERO calories for indulging in this recipe.

Ingredients for this treat:

-1 composition note book- 

(yes the black & white kind that you used in elementary school. Can be purchased at Target)

-4 pieces of scrapbook paper (lots of designs to choose from) & 2 pieces of solid color card stock

-1 spool of decorative ribbon

-2 decorative flowers & basic rubber stamps (look in the dollar bin at Michael's)

-1 package of glue dots, 3/16 in size.

basic black ink pad

-2  buttons that you have been meaning to sew back on to one of your outfits but you know it will never get done.  If you do not have any lying around the house, Michael's also sells a bag of vintage buttons.  Although it might be easier to go to JoAnn's and get a simple packet containing 2 buttons; especially if you do not have a use for so many buttons

(All items except the note book can be purchased at Michael's)

Take the composition book and place it front side facing you. Take the scrapbook paper & place it so the paper lines up to the edge of the black tape on the left side of the composition book and front of the paper lines up with the top of the composition note book. Use a little bit of your glue stick and place a small amount on the scrapbook paper to it in place.  Then turn the book so that the scrapbook paper is on the bottom.  Trace around the cover of the book onto the back side of the scrapbook paper, cut out using your traced line as a guide. Repeat these steps again for the back of the book.


This is your creation so you can design it according to your hearts desires.  
In my design, I liked the idea of mixing it up a little, so I used the card stock on the top of the book and the scrapbook paper on the bottom. You can cut sheets in half and mix in match. 

Be careful that you pay attention to which sheets you are using for the front of the book vs the back of the book.

If you dare, you can use the extra two pieces of scrapbook paper for the inside of the covers, so that you don't have the name page & multiplication tables staring at your loved one when they open this prized position.

Then design & create!  Use your imagination....you can use your stamps on the card stock- like I did. I just did a random design, nothing formal. Have fun with it.

I cut 2 pieces of ribbon about 6inches.  I cut the ribbon bottoms at a 45 degree angle to get the pointed tips.  I used glue dots to hold the ribbon in place as well as glue dots to hold the flower in place over the ribbon.  The center of the flower is the button, also adhered with glue dots.  

Although, this Journal was created for a friend who was delivering her baby girl on Valentine's Day.  You can create this journal as a simple, unique & quick gift for anytime of the year.


 Stay tuned.......as other recipes will be popping up throughout the year.

Dare to dream

pic taken by me many years ago

Life is a funny thing.  Remember when you were young and you couldn't wait to grow up, be an adult, and get out from your parents home and live life? You even dared to dream and on a regular basis. My dreams....... I  was going to be a movie star, an artist, a track star and a dancer. Yes, I was going to be all those things.

Do you remember your dreams, what you were going to be, what you dreamed to be?


Recently during one of my blog stampedes I ran across a very interesting question- you know the type of question that makes you say hmmm. I can't say that I have the exact answer yet, but I am working on it.  So let me throw it out to you.  In 50 years, what do you want your life to look like? Even more simply put, where do you want to be in 50 years?


Yes, it is easy to say I want to be in a nice place or I want to be at a certain level financially but I am referring to something a little deeper than that...lately I have been reopening the door to those dreams that I dared to dream way back when; those same dreams that somehow have gotten buried under the sands of time. No, I do not want to be a movie star, a track star or a dancer.


As I matured, so did my dreams. I dreamed of owning my own gallery, of owning a home,  and traveling around the world; just to name a few. As time has changed, so have my dreams and my ability to dream BIG got lost in the real world.  I have decided to bring some of my dreams into the future and make them a reality....hoping that where ever I am in 50 years, I will not have any regrets on not fully living my life....living out my dreams.

What are your dreams? 
Where do you want to be in 50 years?

One little word...

We are hurdling quickly towards the end of the first month of 2011.  It has been a GREAT month.


I ended 2010 feeling motionless in my personal life.    After reading this post. It just emphasized my original thoughts of what I want for 2011.

I want 2011 to be full of MOTION. I want to GROW......
                   
I want to pursue my DREAMS &  my GIFT, the drive to CREATE.

Most of all, I want to be.......HAPPY......so I did some praying, reading, and soul searching and I am developing my out look for 2011.  Then I read this and afterward, I realized that I needed my special word for 2011. One word, something that I can say that would quickly remind me and bring me full circle while keeping me in constant pursuit of what I want for 2011.

My word is: 

  
What is your word for 2011?  Don't be shy, tell me!

To sushi or not to sushi

Sushi platter: tuna, salmon & salmon eggs, shrimp, & mackerel:  pic taken by my Mom

When I was young, I was a hamburger girl.  Every restaurant my parents took us (me & my sister) to, we ordered hamburgers.  We did this all the time at every single restaurant. It got to the point where my parents started taking us to restaurants that did not have hamburgers on the menu....or at least that's what I thought.

So fast forward, many years ahead. I no longer eat beef and I request to go to a Sushi restaurant with my parents.  My Dad is a Sushi Veteran and I wanted the true experience of having Sushi in a state that is located near a real body of water and not a man made lake.  I also knew that my Dad was going to request that I try something a little different. 

We ate salmon, tuna, california rolls, spicy tuna rolls, salmon eggs, shrimp tempura and......cooked eel. Yes, I said cooked eel.  I actually loved it.  It was my favorite part of the entire meal.  We ended the meal with fried tempura ice cream and green tea ice cream.  I do not recommend the green tea ice cream.


So this story serves as a reminder to me that sometimes you just need to try something different other than hamburgers......

A new year with a clean slate

Happy New Year!

I must admit that I could not wait for 2010 to end and 2011 to begin.  2011 has started with a bang...but you can not move forward with out reflecting on the past. 


Creatively 2010 was a good year but there is always room for improvement. My blog being on the list of improvements.    My initial goal is to have as many followers as FB friends. Sooooo..... if you are reading this, my goal is to lure YOU in by committing to posting more consistently.

As you can see, I have done some updates to the site with more to come.  I ask for your feedback. Let me know what you think of the updates (new header with my photo), posts, & content.  What do you like? What type of content would you like to see more of.  

While I continue this journey, introducing additional tidbits, I look forward to receiving your feedback.  Even if I maintain my one dedicated follower, at least I know that I am still evolving artistically.  Join me.

Looking forward to having you join me in 2011 on my continued journey.

A little turkey and a lots of thanks.....

 After all the cooking, cooking, cooking, spending time with friends, and shopping; things have quieted down enough to have time to reflect.  With Christmas around the corner and the year hurrying to an end, I am happy to say that I made it through a challenging year and have a lot to be thankful for. 

A loving family, friends, and a job.  It's easy to take employment for granted, when you have a job to go to every day.  Sometimes it's even easier to not like your job or to not always enjoy the tasks that must be done,  but all of that aside.....I am still thankful.  I recently read this and realized just how thankful.  So I hope & pray that all who read this are blessed to be around loved ones, have had your share of turkey; but most importantly- you have had time to reflect and give thanks.

Requiem for fall

The last few weekends I have been volunteering with Free Arts of Arizona . I have been partnered with a Professional Artist, who has been teaching different styles of poetry to a group of girls .  A couple of weeks ago, we did Requiem poems.  Here is mine-

Requiem for fall

Every year I long for you

Cool breezes, rustling of the leaves

Rainbow of colors, painting the gray cement

As I walk, I remember kicking the light paper, hearing them crackle & crunch underneath my feet

I remember wearing coats & sweaters, that were packed in boxes that carry the perfume scent of moth balls

Smell of hot cocoa, waffling through the air surrounds me, while the heat of my cup warms my hands like gloves

The taste of melted chocolate soothes the bak of my throat with sweet bitterness

I long for your return to a part of the state that you have never visited,in a way that I remember.... I long for you, I long for fall

My Fall.......

Every year during this time, I long for Fall.  The leaves cascading down to the cement and the crunch you hear when you walk over them.  I miss the cooler temperatures that make you want to buy a steaming hot chocolate to warm your hands; along with the outer wardrobe of hats and gloves!  Instead, my Fall is different. Last year, I went searching for the Fall that I long for and this is what I found.....

A Promise.......

I was on my way to a volunteer event and not overly excited because it was raining, actually down pouring. Right before I was turning into the location, I saw this.......

Please do not judge this picture on the technical or creative aspects but for the pure simplicity of being at the right place at the right time....and having my camera with me.  

Enjoy!

Pinwheels for Peace

Tomorrow, September 21st is Pinwheels for Peace.  This pinwheel's original purpose was not for peace. 

It started as a volunteer activity for Free Arts of Arizona.  Free Arts of Arizona is nonprofit organization whose mission is to spark the creative spirit in abused, homeless and at-risk youth and their families to inspire and transform their lives through the power of artistic expression.

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to volunteer at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Dance Theater West performed a dance production of Don Quixote.  A group of children from some of the partnering Free Arts facilities participated in a portion of the dance performance. Just think, many of these children have never been to a theater or have had the opportunity to dance on a stage with a professional dance ensemble.

After the performance, there was a Free Arts Day Reception, allowing children to create pieces of art based upon the Don Quixote story.  There were tables where children could create art projects. The project consisted of shields, fans, and pinwheels- just to name a few.

Here is my pinwheel........

 .......& here were my supplies!!!

Visit the Pinwheels for Peace if you would like to create a pinwheel for peace or to see other pinwheels from around the world.

Remembering......

This weekend was the 9th anniversary of 9/11.



If you talk to anyone, New Yorker or not; they can tell you exactly what they were doing when they heard the news of planes hitting the Twin Towers. I remember as if it happened yesterday. I was getting ready for work, listening to TBN as I was rushing about to gather some last minute things before I was to head out the door.  I was working for an airline during that time and I was supposed to be on a plane headed to Texas but at the last minute my trip was canceled. I forgot to update my family and my Dad called me wondering where I was. Unaware of what was going on - my Dad says turn on the TV....... the rest we know.

It was important to me to take time to remember.  I visited a memorial this weekend. Although it was not Ground Zero in New York, it still had quite an impact of how many lives where lost as a result of that tragic event. Each flag representing a life lost.  

Here is me remembering......

The Spread

What more could 2 girls ask for on a Saturday night... a newly decorated scrapbook room, lots of scrapbooking activities and a fantastic spread for the late night munchies!

Oh San Diego.......

I know, I know, I know
It's been a loooooooong time since I have posted anything. I went to CA recently and visited the beach and I thought it would be a nice post to re-enter the blogging world. I wish I had some awesomely wonderful excuse as to why I have been missing in action for long time but honestly- life happened.....changes in the workplace, a broken heart, and me trying to get back to my old routine in a new way. Hopefully that makes some sense. As a result, I am struggling with how I want my blog to progress.

So please bear with me as I creatively work through.....in the meantime. Enjoy my most recent visit to the BEACH!

My favorite photo from the Farmer's Market