31 Jan 10

I’m one of Maggie’s Pupils!

Hey there!!!  How are you guys doing??  I’m doing good.  Just have been busy.  I’ve been enrolling myself in several classes and plus work…well its been hectic.  But good!!

So I’m on week 4 on my photography class with Maggie Holmes….and I love it.  I have learned so much and I’m not afraid to shoot in manual mode anymore.  I’ve been shooting in manual since I got my camera but had no clue what I was doing.  Now I’m slowly getting it.  She is amazing.  I highly suggest her class for beginners.  She really dumbs everything down…no technical words used.  Lots of reading though but its all worth it.

I haven’t crafted at all lately so I’m sharing some images I submitted to Maggie as part of my week 3 and 4 assignments on metering and lighting.  For the first time in my life I took a picture of Amir with sun flare (lens flare).  I’ve always loved this technique and so shocked that I was able to do it too.

I would love some comments especially form photographers out there.  How have you guys been???  talk to you soon

note: I used Photoshop a tiny bit to enhance some of the pics

Back lighting: (lensflare)

DSC_0226

Side lighting: (Catchlight)

DSC_0315

Side light:

DSC_0401
Front light:

DSC_0224

Metering Assignment: both pics are SOOC (straight out of the camera..no PS here)

DSC_0292

DSC_0261

Mwah,

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Today I’m Grateful for:  being able to submit my assignments on time.  I’m finally caught up in my photography class!

Hello!!!

Just finished doing some work.  Currently watching Teen Mom.  Have you guys seen that show?  Its a spin off of 16 and Pregnant.  I’m addicted for some reason.  Random I know.  It’s pretty late but I felt like blogging.  I still have not had the chance to make anything.  But I did make some stuff during the holidays.  I made some necklaces for my co-workers in Charleston.  Totally inspired by Miss Ruby Sue over at Etsy.  Check em out. . .

Let me know what you think….feedbacks are always welcome.  I want to make more…. I’m thinking about joining the Etsy bandwagon if I do make these cute suckers.  Will you buy them???  Price range suggestions?

The Bridget:  I love the green on this cutie!!!

Bridget Necklace

Bridget Necklace2

The Allesandra:  Plum….who doesnt love this color!!!

Allie Necklace

Allie Necklace2
Mwah,

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Today I’m Grateful for:  My new office!  I love the privacy!

Sally Lynne & Me
Sorry for the crappy pics I forgot my camera that day and only had my camera on my phone.

Woohooo!  I’m so excited about this.  Sally Lynn MacDonald taught the class.  She is amazing!!!  Former DT for Nestabilities, DT for Prima, DT and Regional Instructor for Copics!!! Ok I’m going to try to give you the short version of what happened to me this weekend.  If I dont…sorry!! :) Saturday I took a Copic class in St. Pete at a store called Whimsodoodle and it just wasn’t enough.  I wanted to learn more.  So at the end of the class I asked Sally Lynn if I could join the Certification class on Sunday and she said to call her after 8pm that night she thought that she may be able to squeeze me in.  So I did…no answer.  Called her again at 830pm…no answer.  930pm…getting ancy….no answer!!  Ahhhhh!  I called the hotel….left a message at the front desk for her.  Yikes!  Stalker!!!  I couldn’t sleep that night.  So I talked to my husband Amir (every weird decision I make goes through him….he’s the sane one in the relationship) and asked him what he thought about me showing up at the Hyatt Sarasota at 730 am? Keep in mind the class starts at 9am.  He said he thought it was a cool idea.  So I was at the hotel 730am sharp the next day.  I saw Sally Lynn..asked if I could still attend the class….she said yes and I was so excited!!!  I offered to help her set up that morning……I became her assistant and learned a lot from her!!  More than I could have ever imagined.

Sally Lynn, if you ever read this THANK YOU!  Thank you for letting me join your class, letting me become your assistant and for enlightening me in ways you don’t even know.

sally lynne

Ok so I finally understand how to use Copics!!!  I love technical things.  I’m really a geek at heart.  I’m looking forward to doing tutorials on my blog.  I have Copic’s blessing to do so since I’ve been certified.  Happy Dance Happy Dance!!!!  Be patient…. I just need to buy some markers first.  I had a bag of sample but forgot it at the hotel and accidentally mixed it up with Sally Lynn’s supplies.  Im such a mess.  So bear with me.

Anywhoo check out my pictures below.  BTW I met some awesome people there.  Guess who else was there?  Kelly Landers DT of Ippity by Unity and Splitcoast Dirty Dozen!!!  I was talking to her after the class and didn’t even realize it was her.  What a small world!!!  I love meeting blog friends!!

kelly & me

Here’s a pic of my frog….. I think I did pretty good.  Just need to practice some more!!

frog

There’s 334 Copic Sketch markers.  I want them all.  I’ll have them all one day…. or at least most of them.  I’m kinda sick like that.

copics

By the way its been freezing in Florida the past 2 weeks.  Every night its been in the 20’s.  Very very cold for Florida.  Check out my pics….  i had to do an Ace Ventura last week.  I got in my car…didnt think…drove off and then realized that i had frost/ice on my windshield.  Had to roll the window down with my head out while I could find a neighbors driveway and stayed there till I could defrost the ice.  Hahahaha!!  We don’t own Ice scrapers here.  Though a co-worker suggest that our badge worked great!!!

36 deg

frost

Talk to you all soon!

Mwah,
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Today I’m Grateful for:  Complete strangers that end up having a huge impact in our lives.  Thankful for Sally Lynne!!!

08 Jan 10

Winter 2010 CHA Sneak Peeks!!!

Hey there!!!  My Favorite Tie of the year!!!!  I’ve been collecting these posts from the blogs I subscribe and have been itching to get these on here.  Enjoy the sneak peeks from the Winter 2010 CHA!!!!

GCD
New tool, chipboard & Stamps
Embellishments
8x8 Paper
Homespun Chic
Independence Collection
Forever Friends & English Garden Collection
Lydia Collection
Ella Blue Collection
Smooth Shop Collection
Zippity Collection
Ava Collection

My Little Shoebox
Winter Release

Nikki Silvis
New Line

Prima
1st Peek
2nd Peek
3rd Peek
4th Peek
5th Peek

SEI
Claire
Happy Day
Jocelyn

Shabby Green Door
Wings of Dream

Studio Calico
Anthology

Tattered Angels
Glimmer Glaze

Tim Holtz
Distress Inks
Sizzix-Alterations

Check out the Scrapbook Update blog too.  Nancy Nally does a good job keeping up with the CHA Sneaks!

Mwah,
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Today I’m Grateful for:  finally we figured out where to eat dinner!!! Why is it always so difficult?

Hello!  Glad to be back!  Thank you so much for the comments.  I’m so glad that you guys are still there and I’m popping on your reader too.  Whew!  Please keep sticking around.  I’m so excited about this year!  I think we all are destined for something great!  I also believe whole heartedly that we are in “full control” of our destiny.  We go as far as we try!!!  So join me this year as I learn new things and see where it takes me.  So about learning new things… to start the year I signed up for 2 classes.  Maggie Holmes Basic Photography Class and an Carina Gardners Illustrator 101.  Both started this week.  Yikes!  Luckily I took today off and was able to take both classes on my day off.   My verdict so far???  Worth what I paid for!!!  They are both amazing teachers!   I have some Illustrator samples to show you….see below.  Keep in mind i have never used Adobe Illustrator before.  So far I’m loving it!  But first I wanted to share some cards I made while I was MIA.

Talk to you guys again tomorrow!

Sweet Wishes:  I made this card for a co-workers birthday!

Sweet Wishes Cupcake 1
Sweet Wishes Cupcake 2

With Sympathy: I made this card for a friends loss

With Sympathy 1
With Sympathy 2

Assignment 1: Design a card via Illustrator

Lesson 1 Assignment
Assignment 2: Design Layout Templates (masks) via Illustrator

Lesson 2 Assignment Template

Lesson 2 Assignment Template b

Lesson 2 Assignment Template c


sweet wishes

cardstock: su kraft
stamp: pti retro bacground, my cute stamps sweet chocolate
ink: pti vintage cream
embellishment: felt from joann fabrics, cupcake copied from sassafras lass
misc: uniball white gel pen

with sympathy
cardstock: su kraft & razzle berry
stamp: pti turning a new leaf, mega mixed messages
ink: pti vintage cream
misc: su ribbon polka dot razzle berry, button by pti

Mwah,
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Today I’m Grateful for:  the past 5 days….it’s been great, relaxing and quiet!!!

02 Jan 10

Hello! Yes I’m Alive!!!

Hello All!!!

I don’t know where to begin.  First of all Hello! Happy New Year!!!!  I’m so looking forward to 2010.  Are you?

Today was my first time to login to my wordpress blog and actually clicked on my blog.  I can’t believe that the last time I wrote a post was waaaaay back in November 19th.  Yikes!

Long story short….. I’m ok.  I just had to decide what had to come first.  I had to put work first…since that pays the bills.  My day job got a tad bit demanding (tad bit is an understatement).  I’m an amazing multi-tasker at work.  However  in my personal life I can’t seem to do it.  Once I get home from work I just have to crash..on the couch in front of the tv…get my mind off of things and eventually fall asleep.  So my creative alter ego had to stay on the DL (down lo) for a bit.  I even became a hermit for awhile…. it was really uncharacteristic of me to do that too.  I felt the need  to hide in a shell for a couple of months to decompress and find the balance in my life.  All these became a distraction to me.  I felt the need to focus my attention on work so I disconnected from Twitter, FB and my email accounts via my phone.   It just became too much at one point. I think I was being more social online too than in person.  Haha!  Anywhoo. . . .

work1
My craft room temporarily transformed into an office

work pics 2
If only data sheets and numbers were as colorful and cute as stamps and paper :)

amircecepuzzle
I bought Amir an early Christmas present…. a 2000 piece puzzle of Las Vegas.  Good Luck!  I was luring him to spend time with me while I worked.  This was our way of spending time together.  Poor Cece passed out due to boring parents.

I have a few days off for the holiday and I intend to do some crafting and catching up.  I’m so sorry if any of you felt like I left you hanging.  Trust me it was not my intention at all.  It was a decision I just had to make.  If anyone sent me messages via Twitter, FB or email I will respond this weekend.  I have to sift through my 1000+++ of emails (im sure mostly junkmail) during my time off and finally read some blogs in my reader.  I think it has stopped working now.  I’m going reconnect to all social media sites once again via my Blackberry and communicate with you all.  Im looking forward to it.  I sure have missed it and I have missed you all.

I haven’t done much crafting but I did make several handmade presents this year.  I’ll share those pics this week.  I still took my camera with me wherever I went so I’ll post pics and share what I did while I took a break from here.  Oh and I’ve been reading.  HOLY CRAP that’s huge for me!!!

Last…. I’m doing the Ali Edwards my little word.  I did it last year and it has helped me tremendously.  I really did live my 2009 based on the word “Positive!”  Boy has it changed my life.  I eliminated everything negative in my life and made it a point to be positive and to find the good in everything.  It changed my life.

So to welcome 2010 my word for this year is “PURPOSE!”
purpose
We are all looking for our purpose in life and we may never know. But for the coming year my goal is to try to seek it. To try everything thats comes my way, to continue to learn as much as I can, to contribute to society and to be a good influence to people.  Life is so short, I’d like to make the most out of it and possibly leave a mark in this world. I’d like to find my purpose in life… whatever it maybe.

Do you have a word for 2010?  If so what is it?

Mwah,

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Today I’m Grateful for:  The New Year!  I look forward to the amazing things 2010 will bring.

17 Nov 09

Hi There!

Hi there plane 11.9.09

Hello!  Hows everybody doing???  I’m home for my lunch break and I wanted to just post this and share my newest creation with you.  Isn’t this airplaine just freakin’ cute????

That airplaine stamp is from the Sept KOTM from Unity.  I used some yellow zing on the Hero Arts Background image.  The Navy blue cardstock is from SU and that matching ribbon is from Offray.  I’m so loving that Navy Blue color.  I have got to buy more!!!

BTW eeek I got picked as one of the top 6 for Embellish Magazines What’s hot Challenge I sent in this Owl Card.   Check out the others that got picked…they are so awesome too.

Ok gotta go now peace out!!!

Hi there plane2 11.9.09

cardstock: su navy, crushed curry, riding hood red
stamp: hero arts background stamp, unity sept kotm, pti mega mixed messages
ink: versa mark
embossing: zing
punch: fiskars upper crest
misc: offray ribbon, uniball white gel pen

Mwah,
Signature
Today I’m Grateful for:  Vegetarian Lasagna for lunch….I made it last night and it only has 300 calories!!!

Hello!  This post will have more pics than words.  Here’s a recap of my weekend.  A co-worker Hao and his wife Li who are based out of Jacksonville spent the weekend with Amir and I.  We went to Big Cat Habitat located here in Sarasota, FL, ate some Vietnamese food at Pho Cali and had Li’s favorite dessert…. frozen yoghurt at Whiteberry (yup just like Pinkberry).

Enjoy the photo’s.  At the end don’t forget to check out a video that I created on Zingfu the White Tiger and another video I found from youtube that brings awareness to White Tiger breeders.

Note: All exotic animals in the sanctuary have been rescued from abusive owners and owners who can no longer take care of them.  They were all purchased as pets.

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A Liger in the sanctuary:

liger1

Bear kissing his caretaker:

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bambi2

Florida Panther….look at those eyes.  What a beautiful creature:

cougar 11.15.09

Amazing pics of the goats playing…or fighting.  I’ve never seen this in person before only on Planet Earth

goat

Eli the baby chimp…. he’s so cute:

chimp 11.15.09

Dinner at Pho Cali:

shi6

Hahahah….these two love spicy food.  I think they made their soup too spicy:

spicy 11.15.09

Desert at Whiteberry….I love their Green Tea Frozen Yogurt:

whiteberry 11.15.09

If you have time please watch the video’s below.  I created the first video, “Meet Zingfu”…. he was rescued from an abusive owner.  He’s such a beautiful creature.  I learned so much about Big Cat abuse, cruelty and breeding from this non-profit organization.  It’s so wonderful to see that these animals are now being loved and taken care of.

I’m not an activist.  Just an ordinary person that was exposed to this yesterday.  If you are interested to learn more I encourage you to visit Big Cat Rescue’s website and read this article HERE

About Ligers:

Mwah,

Signature

Today I’m Grateful for:  people who care…..big cat habitat and all animal rescue organizations!!!

congratulations tricia 11.9.09

Hello!!!  Happy Friday the 13th!!  Anybody out there dislike this day?  I guess i just treat this like any other day..maybe i like it more because its a Friday I dont know.  So I’m still here in Jacksonville.  But this is my last day here and we are heading out this afternoon to go back home to hot and humid Sarasota.  I’m crossing my fingers its cold there right now like it is up here.  I’m loving it so much.

Last night was fun…. got to hang out with everyone and we ate at a seafood place.  I forgot the name… but it was awesome.  I always like the last night out of town because its when everyone lets their hair down and just enjoy each others company.  Like I told my GM (who was wearing jeans…rather than his usually dress pants)…. he looked human.  Hahahahah!!  He got a good laugh out of that.  It’s also pretty cool how we all just talk normal….different from the usual corporate demeanor.  Anybody else out there work for Corporate America like I do?  Do you feel the same way??   I also love the bonding time I get to have with my team…face to face rather than over the phone.  We’re pretty lucky that our department gets to see each other at least twice a year.

Anywhoo…. ok about my card.  Tricia if you are reading this…. this is what you are going to get in the mail as soon as I get back.  Sorry it’s not a surprise anymore.  But I just had to share it.  Trust me it will be better in person.  On this card I used a hero arts background stamp and PTI’s new giga basics.  Finally i got to use a Christmas gift from Julie last year.  My Martha Stewart glitter.  I have the 30 pack.  i think it came out great and the image wasn’t compromised at all.  The glue pad is awesome!!!

A little background about Tricia.  She is a newly wed, a fellow blogger friend and a friend.  Love her to death.  We have so much in common.  Check out her blog HERE.  On my sidebar you can find her under Tricia Blanco.  She is an awesome cardmaker and scrapbooker too!!!

Talk to you all soon!!!  Have an awesome day!!

congratulations tricia2 11.9.09

cardstock: su kraft, pti dark brown & rustic cream
stamp: pti scattered showers & giga basics, hero arts background stamp
ink: versa mark, marth stewart glue pad, pti dark brown
punch: fiskars lace
misc: kaiser craft pearls. martha stewart glitter, twine from walmart

Mwah,
Signature
Today I’m Grateful for:  the last night out of town with my team and the rest of my coworkers across our region.  good times…good memories  I’m thankful I got to know you all better!!!

11 Nov 09

Hi! . . . thats its :)

Hi 11.9.09

Hi!  Greetings from Jacksonville, FL.  Great day today…. I’m with all of the Managers in my region and with the Geek Squad …my fellow research team.  Fun fun fun!!!  just got back from dinner.  We ate at a place called Wasabi… hibachi style food.  The chef squirted a bottle of ketchup on me… but it was fake.  Just weird brown cloth like stuff came out.  He got me good because I shrieked.  Haha!!

I’m a tad bit tired here.. it’s been a long but fun day.  So I’ll  get right to the point.  I used Nutmeg from Cosmo Cricket once again These are actually the same strips from my card yesterday.  I wanted to reuse the leftovers.  The “hi” was from one of the sheets with several journal cards on them.  I saw the hi and loved it so I cut it out and designed the card around it.

Ok that’s it from me today.  Hope everyone is doing good!!!

Hi2 11.9.09

cardstock: su soft suade, pti rustic cream

paper: cosmo cricket nutmeg

punch: fiskars lace, we r memory makers corner chomper

pti: button

misc: twine from walmart

Mwah,

Signature

Today I’m Grateful for:  my job and the people I work with.  They are all so wonderful.  I’m pretty lucky!!!

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