A Door Closes but a Window Opens...

It was a week of shock and sadness when me and my fellow angels across the country got word that The Angel Company was closing. Sadly, the economy has taken it's toll on another victim, actually make that about 5000 of us. So, as many angels out there are doing, I, too am contemplating how to proceed. I love what I do and love sharing it with others so it just can't end but it was nice to have the umbrella of a company over me as I did my own creative business. I have managed to keep my business floating somewhat. It pays for my hobby is about what I would call it now. I have never set out to make bookoo bucks doing what I love.  I simply want to do it and will be grateful for whatever blessings come from it whether it be monetarily, relationships or my own personal growth. I am looking into a few direct-sale businesses and will let you know what I do decide. I am seriously being called now to devote my creative energies into starting a faithbooking ministry. It has been on my mind for quite some time but I have not had the kick in the behind I needed until now. I am going to start working on my faithbooking ministry concept and maybe by the first of the year be ready to launch it. Lots of research and crafting to do. I love it! So, stay tuned for what lies ahead at Oasis Angel Studio.

New Products and Tools Give Boost to Creativity!

I am a so guilty of spending way too much on anything to do with cards and scrapbooking. I admit it! I am addicted! But the plain truth is that new products, new tools, new techniques, new craft magazines arriving in the mail all give great boosts to my creativity. I started playing around with my templates I got at the Expo this past summer and am tickled by what I came up with. My friends at Project Playground last week, were wonderful in giving me their thoughts.  I got this awesome tree template and wanted to play around with it. Mind you, this is out of my realm of expertise. I was embarking on new territory using a template. I finally got some glitter and flock at Joann's so I was ready to give it a try like I had seen at the Expo. Well, my first tree, I just did with green flock. Cool but not good enough, So, friendly advise said go with fall colors and I could because I got a whole set of glitter and flock in lot of colors. So, I decided to use several colors of glitter and some flock to and was so totally BLOWN AWAY by how it came out. I just love it. Well, I had to improve upon it so I added some distressing ink from Tim Holtz but wasn't quite satisfied so I did the distressed background first with spritz of perfect pearls and started to add the tree. The paper was a little warped from the wetting and heat setting so my template did not want to lay flat but I gave it a go and thought, "let's see what happens". OH MY GOSH! It just got SO much more beautiful. That warpness in the paper allowed more of the paste to get through the template design that it made the tree look fuller. Well, I loved the final outcome but found it only really looked awesome in full light because the red background blended with the red in the tree too much so I did it all again with tea dye color distressed ink from Tim Holtz. Yeah! I think I finally got it the way I like it most but they all look good in their own way too. It's never boring trying new things that is for sure.  What are you wanting to try out in your crafting?

Inspiration from People

It was great to spend some time with friends on Sunday afternoon making cards at my recent Project Playground event. I am always looking for inspiration and it often amazes me the places I find it. This time I got my inspiration from my friends who were here on Sunday. One wanted to see a baby boy card at the Project Playground Replays on August 19th and 21st and another wanted a baby girl card so as I designed this card last evening and when I was finish with it I remembered this boy and girl request and thought I need to make this same card in a masculine scheme. So that is my new challenge in the days ahead. I will be designing a card and whether it be masculine or feminine, I will create another of the same design in the opposite sex.  Now, I have to get to creating the baby boy and baby girl cards...