colour lovers

I think color can be overwhelming. Consequently, my wardrobe has difficulty expanding beyond black and white and my house is painted a nice shade of dark taupe - everywhere. Color becomes even more confusing when I'm staring at my computer screen wanting to design something fantastic. Luckily, I discovered COLOURlovers. It's a website full of colors, patterns and ideas. Plus you can download the color swatches directly into programs like Illustrator. It's a great creative resource!

metal monograms

I love metal monograms. For my little girl's room, I decided to create my own. It's a great project that let's you be artistic without leaving all the art up to you! It's actually more of a mindless, repititive creative project than can prove to be very theraputic.

Supplies:
metal or wood monogram
die cuts (I used my Revolution)
glue pen
metal flashing tape
stylus
black or antiquing ink

bottles and more

I go to this website all the time to look at the different glass, plastic and metal bottles, containers and tins. The creative possibilities are endless!

hip, handmade gifts

I love the Hip, Handmade Gifts idea book from Creating Keepsakes. Nicole LaRue did a fantastic job of showing how to add a personal touch to your gifts. It is chock full of great ideas you can repurpose for any event or creative need.

holga

The ethereal feel of Holga photography is amazing. I've been seeing more and more of it pop up recently and have been fighting the urge to buy one. I know they're inexpensive, but I'm worried the expense and hassle of film will result in rolls of film that don't get developed. I'm also a little intimidated about how to use it. Any advice from Holga users?

polaroid

*image from flickr.

I've been playing around with an old polaroid. I see so many people taking such cool photos. It's definitely a fun, instant gratification project. However, I know I had several packs of film. They were even sitting on my desk just the other day, but now they are missing. I'm pretty sure the fell into the blackhole of Elle. She has a knack for taking and hiding things in amazing places. Hopefully, I'll find it soon. Otherwise, I'll just have to buy more film which is expensive!

freezer paper

I love products with multiple uses. Freezer paper works great for creating fabric stencils.

Simply:
- Create a stencil with freezer paper.
- Iron stencil on to fabric.

- Iron a piece of freezer paper to the backside of the fabric as well to prevent the paint from seeping through.
- Paint with fabric paint.
- Remove freezer paper and let dry.

bend-the-rules sewing

I got this book for Christmas and have loved it! Fun, simple projects put together in a well designed book that definitely inspire the seamstress within you. You can't ask for more. Check out the author Amy Karol's blog at http://www.angrychicken.typepad.com/

color trends

I love the fashion color report from Pantone. While I don't always love the color choices, it's fun to see what the next hot colors we'll be seeing in clothing and home decor. Plus you can't beat the color names. Check it out when you're needing some creative color inspiration.

revolution

More self promotion...The Revolution is a tabletop die-cutting tool designed to primarily cut cardstock with thin steel dies. At QuicKutz, we primarily design and promote the tool to a scrapbooking consumer. However, I love the tool for all the non-scrapbooking things it can create. Check it out at QuicKutz and watch for more posts on creative projects this tool is perfect for like baby announcements.

silhouette

Yes...this post qualifies for shameless self-promotion (seeming that I'm responsible for this product and product line)...however it really is an amazing tool. There are endless applications for this tool including cards, paper crafts, posters and home decor. Check it out at QuicKutz and watch for more posts in the future showing creative projects ideas with the tool!

baby announcements

I love to make cards and invitations. It is probably one of my favorite craft projects. (My only problem is I'm not great at actually sending the cards and invitations I make!) My little girl is almost one and a half and I happened to find one of her birth announcements this week. I wanted a clean, sophisticated design with enough of a girly feel to represent that It's a Girl sentiment. This is the result - a printed postcard, black and white photo and die-cut embellishment with rhinestone. Simple, easy and fast to reproduce. It makes me want to have another baby just so I can make birth announcements!

* birth date and last name have been removed from original design.

the beginning

This blog has been in the works in my mind for a long time. I loved growing up with a creativity room and creativity has remained an important aspect of my life. I love to create, and I can't think of anything better than having a place to be creative. Whether it's a tangible room filled with supplies or virtual space filled with ideas, I hope this blog appeals to your creative side and encourages you to explore the creative projects swirling around in your mind. This... is a place to be creative. Welcome.