Haute Artist

Artist Autobiography

2008-10-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

I had to write this little ditty for my class so I thought I'd share it with you guys.

By Definition

An artist, by definition, is “someone who creates art; someone who does something skillfully and creatively.” Then we must ask, what is art? That is a tough question with many different answers according to who you ask. In my life, throughout my thirty one years there have been many different answers.

My earliest childhood memory of all things creative goes back to kindergarten. The details that surround this memory are fuzzy, but I do remember my mom standing with my teacher, in the classroom. What were they discussing? Well my wonderful masterpiece of course. According to my teacher, little Charleen had mastered the art of copying from sight a picture. I couldn’t even tell you what the picture was. I felt so proud on hearing this conversation. My dad was the artist in the family and I guess I had inherited his abilities.

Because my dad is the artist in the family, creativity was always encouraged in the house. Now that I think of it, it was probably one of the only things that were encouraged and it’s a good thing that I happened to like exploring this world. Growing up in San Jose our old house had a considerable number of things that my dad had fashioned. The house itself was my dad’s personal, unfinished art project. It was built in the year 1900. That thing had character with its wood columns, large overhang on the roof, and nicely sized front porch. My parents bought this home when I was about two years old. Being built in the year 1900 it was done in the Craftsmen style of architecture. After living in it for some years my dad discovered the old garage on the side of the house was actually a carriage house for horses. That would explain the horse shoes we would find buried in the dirt. People in San Jose would know where I lived by my simply stating that I lived in the house with the wagon wheels hanging on the porch on 17th Street. This brings to mind the feelings of embarrassment that I had as a child over those wheels.

As a young girl I would set up coloring contests with my sister. We would each pick a page, set a time limit, and color to the best of our ability. There was nothing that I loved more, as a child, than the smell of a fresh box of Crayola crayons. What is that smell? Nothing compares to it. It’s a woody, waxy scent that is all its own. And the names they had for their colors, pure genius… carnation pink, burnt sienna. (Even as a child I knew the other crayons couldn’t compare. I always found Rose Art to be too waxy and the colors were never consistent on the page like all the other knock offs.) Experts say that the memory associated with our sense of smell is the longest and strongest. I know this to be true, because I can still smell those crayons. After finishing our vibrant, multi-colored, waxy marvels we would run enthusiastically into the room where my mom would be seated and we would try and trick her into picking the best one. What mother can say that one of her child’s work is the best? She was always disinterested in our little contests anyways. My mother suffered from depression and these games of ours were only distracting her from her escapist reality that she created for herself. She would rather be lying in bed dreaming of some other world. Well I knew that mine was the best anyhow, mostly because I was the oldest and I did have that extra year and a half of practice on my sister.

Not only did I play with crayons, homemade glues and papers, and the like I also started experimenting with the camera. It was love from the very start. My dad had been given a Canon 35mm with a set of lenses, filters, and other interesting gear by my grandfather. As his interest in photography commenced so did mine. I was given an old camera to toy with that I took and had so much fun with. I cannot remember what I took pictures of and I have no idea what ever became of those prints. Having those prints developed and getting to open the envelope to see what I had captured on film was like Christmas to me. Every roll meant something new.

In middle school the opportunity arose to take a photography class, which I quickly jumped at. That class opened my eyes to the chemical process of the medium. Trying to get the perfect shot of Andrew Baker that I (along with every other girl at Burnett Academy) had a major crush on was my only goal during this class. He was just a boy, but he was the cutest boy in school. I didn’t want it to be obvious that I wanted a picture of him. Stupid me, how easy it would have been to just say that I needed it for photography class. Needless to say, I somehow did get that shot I wanted and knowing how the other girls around me felt about him, I probably could have sold it.

Moving on to high school, I had my less than functional years. I stopped taking school and life seriously, even though I was in the advanced classes. My parents didn’t care what I did in school. I knew this to be a fact. If I did well they did not congratulate me. If I did poorly they did not scold me or encourage me to do better. So if they didn’t care, I didn’t care. Lying became a normal thing for me because I found that I could get away with so many things. A whole new world social world was open to me because of it. I could go to teen night at The Edge in Palo Alto and dance my heart out. My parent would never allow that. Digital photography was offered during my senior year there and I took it as an easy ‘A’ and something different to do. Quality was very much lacking in the digital arena back in 1995, although this class was considered very high tech. You can look at the yearbook from that year and pick out the digital images without difficulty. It was a regular sight to see a group of professionals touring the class and asking us questions. This class was also my first attempt and introduction to Adobe Photoshop.

College was a feeble attempt by me to get into the computer industry. Upon trying the programming classes I soon gave up because it was over my head. I had better things to do. I had a new boyfriend that I soon became engaged to and married and had four wonderful children with. Life was busy. My little angels inspired me to stick with my love for papercrafting and scrapbook their lives. Naturally if you are addicted to scrapbooking you find yourself taking pictures more often because you need them to play with. So I found myself back into the art of photography full force.

Twelve years later and I finally decided to do something with this love of mine and I enrolled in the photography program at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. Needless to say it made my dad happy that I am finally learning how to use a camera. Photography is the perfect release for me because it incorporates my love for color, texture, paper, and the beautiful fallen world that we inhabit. It is my goal to learn to do it skillfully and creatively.

The rest of the winners...

2008-10-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

So here are the rest of our winners...

Velma- My Favorite Things
Jessica Turner- Coronado Island
ria, craftyria, tiggeria- Verve
Tracey- Art Declassified
Windy's way- Crafter's Companion

I just need an email from you ladies with your address to send these out.

hautemama@hauteartist.com

2008-09-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

Today we are using the Rock-a-Blocks by Crafters Companion. They are FABULOUS! I loved using them.As you can see they are curved so that you can rock your image onto the paper. They also have a guide on them for alignment. They work with EZ Cling stamps very well. Crafters Companion also sells an adhesive spray that is repositionable. Check it out on their site.I started by inking the image. Tap tap tap.And them I rocked my way to a perfect impression.........
They have adorable stamp sets!! I used this Christmas one here... to make tags! This is the fab set I used...

Thank you Crafters Companion! Post in the comment section before noon on the 1st of October to win something fun from them. :) It's a secret one.

September 29... Art Declassified and crayons

2008-09-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

OK. My problem was my wireless card, now it's working!!! YAY. Today I played with crayons a bit. I LOVE Art Declassified and used the wonderful Fete Days and Fete Flourish stamps from them for today's tutorial.First off you need to raid your child's stash of crayons. :) Actually if you sit along side them they would love to do this too! They could even do this on a coloring page. Take your crayons and color them as hard as you can to get these cool bits... leave the bits they make a cool effect.Take a piece of wax paper big enough to cover the crayon surface and iron the colored design to melt the wax. This is what will happen. Cool. The bits melt randomly over the surface.
This is the one I ended up using. I took the Days stamp and some StazOn because of the wax and stamped directly on the melted crayon.
Colorful! These are the two fabulous stamp sets that somebody will win from today! Just post a comment in this comment section. You will have until noon tomorrow. :) Check out Art Declassified's website for some neat stamps! Tomorrow is the last day of National Stamping Month. Tomorrow I will feature Crafter's Companion.

September 23... Verve and faux metal

2008-09-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

Oh wow. It took YEARS to get this page put together. My IT guy did some work on my computer, but it didn't fix it so now I need to have him put in a new card of some kind. ANYHOW. Today is Verve and tomorrow will be Verve as well. I want to give as many people a chance to comment to win. They sent these cool Thankful Blossoms flower stamps that I did a faux metal with. First off I took my embossing liquid here and applied it to a small rectangle of cardstock. (you could also use an embossing pad) The whole little piece... it's got to be big enough to fit the stamp you chose.
Cover the whole thing with a metallic embossing powder and then melt it using your heat gun. You will need to do about 3 coats, making sure that the embossing is still hot and melted when you pour on the new powder.
Quickly, while the embossing is still melted, OR you could do this step first, apply the embossing liquid to the stamp. (you could also use a clear embossing pad)
Stamp your image into the melted embossed sheet and viole! And thank you to Verve Stamps check them out. They have a cute website. So comment for your chance to win this stamp set.

sorry

2008-09-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

I see that I never filled in the names for the winners.

Cosmo Cricket- Robin
Third Coast- Heather
Stampscapes- Sparkly Turtle
Serendipity Stamps- Sandy
BoBunny- Lori
Stampington and Company- Jessica
Scenic Route- Fiorella
SEI- Sue Vass
Cornish Heritage Farms- Callista

I used the random integer website to be random and fair. :)
Just send me an email with your address...
hautemama@hauteartist.com

Coronado Island Designs... and stamping on glass

2008-09-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the idea for the day. It's brought to us by Coronado Island Designs. I used this wonderful Christmas stamp set. Check them out. So how did I do it? I used embossing ink and black embossing powder. On glass? Yes. I slowly heated the glass with my heat gun before I heated the stamped embossed images. I did this because I didn't want the glasss to crack, and it didn't.

I also stamped the star on pattern paper and glued it to the outside of the frame.

So there ya go. Stamping on glass. Thank you Coronado Island Designs. Oh yes, this is the stamp set one person will win. Again I will give until 12 noon tomorow. :)

Sept 18... My Favorite Things and ribbon

2008-09-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

OK, I was having problems this morning that seemed to have cleared up now. Computers. I have this love-hate relationship with them. I'm thinking it might be a blogger problem, because I'm having it again, right now!!!!!!!!!
Anyhow today's is one I love because I love ribbon. So I used this wonderful stamp set by My Favorite Things. Check them out they have tons of cool stuff. I simply took my dye based ink and stamped directly on the ribbon. YAY
Here is a close up.
And the finished product.
These are the wonderful stamps that I used. One lucky person could win them. Today I will give until 12 noon tomorrow for posters. Thank you My Favorite Things!!!

September 17... Cornish Heritage Farms and wood and photos

2008-09-17T00:03:00.000-07:00

OK, I had to go find the internet at my 'lil sis's house 70 miles away! :) Anyways...
I LOVE these Cornish Heritage stamps. They are HUGE. LOVE IT! Check them out. Today it's about stamping on wood. I took this Ikea frame, painted it with acrylic paint, and then just stamped on it dye based ink. I also stamped on the picture itself. I used... get this... StazOn to stamp on the pic.

So you all know the drill. Leave a comment and one person will win this awesome stamp set from Cornish Heritage. Thank you. And thank you to everybody who keeps coming back. I'm having so much fun with this. (I can't wait to share my Halloween stuff next month)

Charleen

arg

2008-09-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

I'm having internet connection problems! I hope to post by the end of the day. I didn't forget about you guys! :)

Charleen

September 15... and stamping on buttons

2008-09-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to stamp on buttons!!! I love SEI. This stamp set is wonderful and it goes along great with the paper. Check out their new stuff. (especially the Halloween stuff)
Stamping on buttons is way easy. You just need that trusty old StazOn ink. I used a glue dot here so that the button won't move while I'm stamping it. I used black so you could see the design, but you could use any color you'd like.
Ta-Da!!!
These are the fab stamps I used and the set one person will win. Just comment before midnight tonight. Thank you SEI!!!

September 14... Scenic Route and flowers

2008-09-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun this week to do "fun things to stamp on." So today I am using the Scenic Route stamp set to stamp on a flower.
You could really use any type of ink you want. You could even emboss it!!! Just ink up and stamp. (You could use the glue pad and glitter too!)
These papers are Scenic Route also! It's their new Sonoma collection.
Here's the close up. I layered 2 flowers and cut the top flower at the edges.
YAY!!! Here is the stamp set someone will win today. Just post in the comment section before midnight tonight. :) Thank you Scenic Route!

AND the winners from last week are...

September 13...Stampington and the backside

2008-09-13T00:49:00.000-07:00

(Sorry this posted late. The power at my house went out for quite some time.)
I don't think today's technique has a name. But it's fab and comes in handy. I have used Stampington & Company's clear stamps. This is from their unusual suspects line. They have so many wonderful stamps and stuff AND I LOVE all their magazines as well. Today one lucky person will have a chance to win the stamp set that contains these characters as well as a magazine. YAY Just leave a comment by midnight tonight. :) First off you start by turning your clear stamp upside down on the acrylic block so that the flat sticky part is up.
Then you stamp the image in your ink and paper of choice.
Turn the image on the block so that it is the "correct" way and stamp over the first image. And there you have it. You just doubled your stamps. This works best with mirrored images, but I wasn't going for something perfectly aligned here.
I love home decor, so I used these images and WONDERFUL art paper from Stampington & Company to turn into a fun little hanging. I went over the whole image in clear embossing ink and UTEE, adhered it to chipboard, punched holes, and tied the ribbon. I think I'll look around and embellish them some more, but you got the idea of the technique.

September 12th... Bo Bunny and the rubber brayer

2008-09-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

You may ask yourself "self what do you do with that darn thing?" And you may come up empty handed. Well today, with the help of some WONDERFUL Bo Bunny stamps, I will give you a few ideas, if you are new to this. When you are done here go and check out Bo Bunny's new blog. It's full of fun stuff!!!

First off you can start off by inking up your stamp with a clear embossing ink. Stamp your image onto your paper of choice. I chose a pattern here. Then do your embossing powder with your heat gun. Now ink up your brayer, like I did here in black, and roll it back and forth over the image you just embossed. Wipe the ink off the embossed area and there you have it.

You can also use the brayer to ink up large stamps.

Or you can stamp on the brayer itself and roll that onto the paper for a different effect... you could even stamp on it with other colors.

So this is the set that was used today as well as the one someone will win. (just leave your comment before midnight tonight)

September 11th

2008-09-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

I want to take a moment to remember all those who lost their lives or loved ones in the unspeakable acts of September 11th. I was going to post the tutorial later today, but decided to take the day to reflect on those we've lost. I also want to thank those who fight for our freedoms and those families who are affected by the absence of them.

I did pick winners for last week on Friday as promised. I'll do this week's worth Fridat as well. I used the Random Integer thingy. I posted in the comment sections for those days. Here goes...

September 1st was leateach

September 2nd was Stepanie D

September 3rd was Jo

September 4th was Gina

September 5th was Cassi

So if you haven't already, send me an email with your address. :) hautemama@hauteartist.com

September 10... Serendipity Stamps and tiles

2008-09-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

I think that Staz-On and the Adirondack alcohol inks are wonderful! I love that I can stamp on any surface I want to. Today I chose the above stamps by Serendipity Stamps to stamp on tumbled marble tiles that I just picked up at Home Depot. This is a project that was done by Mary Dew Lee at Serendipity Stamps.

First off you will want to rinse off the dust from the tiles and make sure they are completely dry.

Then using a Staz-On ink pad color of choice stamp your images.

I used the Adirondack Alcohol ink and a Q-tip to color in the images.

And there you have it... another great gift idea... perfect with Christmas coming up. I know I'd love to receive these. Maybe I'll use some Christmas images and put them out for the holidays... apples for fall.

Oh yes, and lastly you will want to glue a square of felt onto the bottom so they could actually be used without scratching up your wood furniture.

Thank you to Serendipity Stamps for donating these. (check them out ) One lucky person will win them. Just post a comment for your chance. (before midnight tonight)

September 9th... Stampscapes and ...

2008-09-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

For today's technique we are using the beautiful stamps from Stampscapes, these stamps are full of detail and are wonderful for any papercraft project. This tutorial and project is brought to you by Angelica Turner. YAY Angelica!!! I LOVE it.

First step is to apply embossing ink to your stamp. Make sure it's very well covered.

Stamp your image on patterned paper. For this project I choose stripes in bright colors.

Cover your stamped image with clear embossing powder.

Heat emboss your image until the powder is completely melted and shiny.

Using a foam brush, cover your heat embossed image with acrylic paint, in this case I chose white, you can use any color depending on your image and patterned paper.

Once the paint is completely dry, take a paper towel and spray some water on it, make sure not to put to much water on it, you just want it a bit damp.

Take the wet paper towel and start wiping the paint of the embossed image.

This is what your image will look like once you cleaned off all the paint. The colors of the background paper show thru the clear embossing powder. I love this technique because you can use pretty much any image, patterned paper, and acrylic paint you wish to use.

And tada!!! Here is the finished project.

Make sure to leave a comment before midnight tonight, you might be the lucky person to win this beautiful set of stamps. Thank you Stampscapes... check them out. They have fabulous detail on their stamps... wonderful quality.

September 8th... Third Coast and candles

2008-09-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE candles. So today is one of my faves... stamping with candles, not to be confused with stamping on candles. AND we also have these cute stamps from Third Coast Art Rubber Stamps to give away as well. Here we have one of the stamps that comes in the set. I couldn't find my big block so I improvised... I used my Cuttlebug platform... it worked!You simply start by stamping the image onto the same colored tissue paper as your candle, a dyed based ink is fine... white paper and candle are easy. Here I've also colored the image .Next you'll need to trim closer to the image. I think because of the feathered look of tearing, it's best to tear instead of cut.

Then you'll want to wrap the outside of the candle with the images and place a cut piece of wax paper on the outside (which will come off) Yay... the stamped image!!!

Because this is done on tissue paper you can also print out your photo on tissue paper and add that to your candle. To do that you need to lightly adhere the tissue papeer to a lightweight cardstock before running it throught to print. Take the cardstock off after printing and follow the same steps here with the heat gun.

Comment for yor chance to win and go check out Third Coast Art Rubber Stamps and let me know what I can order for you.

Cosmo Cricket and inchies

2008-09-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

Great things come in small packages, right? Well then we have INCHIES. Cute name for a cute little phenom. They are 1 inch squares that stampers are all over. At first it may seem a bit of a challenge. It's so tiny.

Today I have worked with Cosmo Cricket's Fleuriste paper and Haunted Collection stamps. You will have a chance to win a 6x6 pad of papers as well as a clear stamp set from them (other than these). Same old, same old... post a comment to enter to win, before midnight tonight.

There are a few ways you could do this. You could... stamp your image and then cut your inchie out with either a trimmer or a 1 inch square punch. OR you could punch or cut your inchie out first and then stamp it. It's an inch square either way.

I think the challenge in this is that it's so small. So think tiny embellishments.

What do you do with them once you have them made?

You could treat them like a little embellishment.

You could put one in the center of a flower on a layout or card.

You could line a few up...

or use one at a time...

You could just make and collect them. :) like stamps!

Auntie Amy and Glitter

2008-09-06T01:21:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't want a little bling with their stamps. (or a lot) Today I have used stamps from Auntie Amy's to show you how to do the bling thing. The stamps I chose to do this with are not traditional glittery stamp types. They do have a TON of wonderful stamps to choose from.
First off I used the Martha Stewart Glue Pad and then stamped it on carstock.
Sprinkle on the bling and then tap off the extra.

I'd have to sat that the Zebra with glitter is my fave.

A few tips on working with glitter...

use a toothbrush to clean glitter and glue from stamp afterwards

use tape to pick up stubborn glitter from work surface

And there you have it. It's simple, but we do have beginners out there.

So the winner from today will receive these three stamps. YAY All you have to do is leave a post in today's comment section before midnight tonight. CA time. Don't worry, because everyone will receive a 15% discount on purchases made at Auntie Amy's! The coupon code is Haute Artist

Peanutbutter Moon and Crayon Resist

2008-09-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

Peanutbutter Moon is the name for the day. YAY Their designs are definitely whimsical!!! Today I have used their stamps for the crayon resist technique. These are the stamps one lucky person will win. You know the drill... just leave a comment in this section before midnight CA time for your chance to win.

There are many different resist techniques. This is one you may remember from elementary school or Easter eggs with the kids. It's simple and will work with any color crayon. I have used a white crayon on white cardstock.
Simply stamp your image using your ink of choice.
Taking your white crayon color in the parts of the image that you want to resist the ink when you sponge over it.

Next take your sponge dauber, ink it up, and bounce, bounce, bounce. :)Lastly take a paper towel and wipe across chalked parts to rub off the ink.

Ta-Da!

Thank you Peanutbutter Moon. Check their stuff out! They are offering us a 25% dicount on all online purchases!!! Simply enter the coupon code... HAUTE It is good through September 30th.

Aumtie Amy's and Glitter

2008-09-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

Let's get Inked with Impress Rubber Stamps

2008-09-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, because the prize for the day includes 3 FRESH ink pads (and their new Honeycomb stamp) from Impress we are talking ink today. What makes them different? What do I use them for?

This was made (not by me) using the FRESH Inks in Fig, Island, and Ginger. (which are the prize colors) Just leave a comment in the comment section before midnight on this 4th day of September. One person will winner. Each day's winners will be announced on Friday.

There are so many different ink choices including dye inks, pigment inks, specialty inks (which there are a lot of, and the hybrids pads. So let's get started...

Pigment Inks- These ink are thicker, fade resistant, and will emboss on any type of paper. If the paper is pretty non-absorbent or coated it will take FOREVER to dry and should be embossed to avoid smudges (unless you want to heat set it) Examples of pigment inks... Of course there is the Impressive Fresh Ink (very sophisticated color palette), ColorBox, Brilliance Pigment Inks, Craft Stampin' Pad, and many more.

Dye Based Ink- These are water based and washable. Sometimes the ink pad will only say "water based" or "washable". It's all the same. Because they are water based they dry fast. And because they dry fast they DO NOT emboss well. (I do have a tutorial planned to emboss with dye based ink... it's fabulous!) They will tend to fade over time and will bleed on absorbent papers. Examples of dye based ink... Close To My Heart Exclusive Inks™, Memories Acid Free Dye Ink Pads, Tim Holtz Distress Ink™ Pads, Kaleidacolor Stamp Pads by Tsukineko, RANGER ARCHIVAL INK PADS, and Stampin' Up's Classic Stampin' Pad... AND many more!!!

Permanent Ink Pads- These are solvent based ink pads. They are fade resistant as well. If you want to watercolor your stamped image these are perfect because the image won't bleed... perfect for the water brush tutorial. These are the COOL ones that will stamp on any type of surface... transparencies, glass, metal, ect... Examples of permanent ink pads... Stazon Ink Pads, VersaFine Ink Pads, and VersaCraft.

Specialty Ink Pads-

The VersaMark ink pad... this one is STICKY and clear. It's perfect for that tone on tone image... watermarking. Because it's so sticky it's great to stamp and rub chalk or pigment powders over (no fixative needed).

Glue Pads... these are what they say they are. GREAT for glitter and flock. Glue pads include... Martha Stewart's, Palette's Stamp & Stick GluePad, and the The Essential Glue Pad by Tsukineko.

Chalk Inks...these are lighter and having a chalk like look to them.

Alcohol Inks... these are permanent and very fast drying. Perfect for smooth surfaces like transparencies, glossy paper, glass, ect.
Fabric Ink Pads... these are for... ta-da... fabric. VersaCraft (Fabrico) ink pads are the ones.

OH my... I know I'm forgetting some. :)

BTW... check out Angelica's blog with the stuff she did with the kit of the month... "Wild About..." Very cool. AND I love the quote of the day on her blog today... "When a flirt fishes for a man, she fishes merely for the sport." Unknown

September 3rd... Luxe Designs and flocking

2008-09-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

Luxe Designs has some Luxe-urious stamps! So today we are going to add some luxury to our paper. We are going to flock it. That bottle of fuzzy stuff may be intimidating, but it really is easy to use.
These are the stamps we are using today (Luxe Designs Corners)... these are also the stamps that someone is winning today. I have also used their wonderful papers, cardstock stickers, and transparent ribbon. YAY Thank you Luxe Designs (just leave a comment in the comment section and 1 lucky person will win)

Start off by stamping your image on your paper of choice with your ink of choice. Water based is fine here.
Next you will take your adhesive, I'm using Tombow here because it's nice and sticky, and trace the parts of the stamped design you want flocked. (you can skip this step by using a Glue Pad, but it won't be as puffy)
Then you can dump your flock on. Get your flock on, get your flock on. The whole process is really like using... glitter.
Gently press the flock down.
Tap the paper off.

And there you have it a flocked image. Fuzzy wuzzy.

A note here... I took the wonderful Luxe paper, punched the edge and took sand paper to it to bring out the embossing. (see the white raised parts?)

And there you go. I flocked all the pink parts you see. Try flock you'll like it. Try it with these Luxe Designs stamps and papers.

September 2nd...Tinkering Ink and Pleather

2008-09-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

What is pleather? It's an inexpensive substitute for leather. So what are we using? Fun foam! What are we doing with it? Well it's National Stamping Month so we are going to stamp on it. I love to play with foam so I thought this technique was particularly fun and it's brought to us by... Tinkering Ink. The papers and the stamps are from them. YAY. I used the Noir Blanc line of papers and the clear stamps are the Clematis stamps... which are the freebies for today. All you have to do is post in the comment section before midnight California time each day. (remember we will be doing this EVERYDAY this month...YAY... so come back) Check out their site and let me know what you'd like and I'll order it for you. email me at hautemama@hauteartist.com

We are going to start off by using our heat gun to heat up the fun foam. The edges will start to curl and you will notice it soften.

Pretty quickly you will take your stamp and press it into the the heated fun foam. Press it firmly to get a good impression.

Ta-da! I cut this one out. Love the texture.

You can also take your StazOn Ink and press it onto the heated foam like I did here on the pink foam.

Another fun technique... take acrylic paint, paint it onto the foam, and wipe it off, leaving it in the crevices.

This is what the lucky winner will receive from today. Thank you Tinkering Ink!!!

September kit..."Wild About..."

2008-09-01T08:48:00.001-07:00

In this month's kit you will get...

Scenic Route Sonoma Double Sided Cardstock in Kraft Ornamental
Scenic Route Sonoma Double Sided Cardstock in Napa Street
Glitz Rhapsody Double Sided Paper in Floral
Autumn Leaves Die-Cut Shaped Paper in French Twist Orange
BoBunny Santorini Double Sided Cardstock in Stripe
BoBunny Beau Jardin Double Sided Cardstock in Wine
BoBunny Beau Jardin Double Sided Cardstock in Poppy
BoBunny Splendor Light-Weight Designer Paper in Paisley
Bo Bunny Designer Paper in Gone Wild/Zebra
Tinkering Ink Haberdasher Double Sided Cardstock in Hawkes/Mansard Stone
Basic Grey Archaic paper in Bygone Plaid
Coredinations Cardstock in Bluebelle, Stormy Gray, Aquamarine, Gibraltar, and Orange
Embroidery Floss in Light Steel Gray
2 yards of Bo Bunny Ribbon
Fancy Pants Happy Glitter Die Cut
beads and brads
Making Memories blue felt alpha stickers
Glitz Roller Doodle in Damask
BoBunny Santorini Die Cuts
Calendar Die Cuts
and who can forget the FABRIC

Can you tell we are wild about PAPER this month? :)

The add-ons are wonderful...

Ranger's Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder in Berry Twist
a Mini Mister
Stickles Glitter Glue in Gunmetal
SASSAFRAS LASS Flip-A-Roo Clear Stamp Set 7/Set in Fancy Shmancy Tags
Cosmo Cricket Fleuriste Blackboard Shapes
Cosmo Cricket Blackboard Album 6x6 Ruby's 6 Pages W/1 Ring
Staz-On Ink Pad in Stone Gray
Autumn Leaves Floral Borders Clear Stamps Half Sheet.
Heidi Swapp Carefree Foamboard Alphabet

I love everything about this kit! YAY
The board book that comes in the add-ons kit was used here.

AND if you want just a pack of the paper added to your kit...

September 1st... Dandelion Designs and water brushes

2008-08-31T17:16:00.000-07:00

What is a water brush? Well it is a cool little tool that takes your inks, chalks, and watercolors to a new level. They are brushes that contain a barrel that holds water and the water is dispensed by squeezing the pen barrel (gently). The pens come in different size tips.

On this project I used stamps from Dandelion Designs to make a wrapper for some Roca. They have a wonderful selection of stamps check them out and let me know which stamps you'd like and I'll order them up for you! :)

Start off by inking up your stamp of choice in your ink of choice. The stamp I have here is the Maddy & Pip stamp.

Stamp your image on your paper of choice. I'm using a smooth white cardstock.

SMOOSH... it's a technical term...the case of ink so that you get ink onto the inside cover.

Then you can use your water pen (make sure you unscrewed it to put water into) to swipe across the ink.

Then you simply paint in your stamped image. This technique enables you to expand your inks and turn them into watercolors. We love perfectly matched colors! :)
You can use the water brushes on chalks and watercolors as well.

To clean off the brush make sure you give the brush a squeeze and wipe it onto scratch paper.

I used glittery chalks on Maddy's dress (notice the shimmer). I also used the glimmery chalks on the leaves. The "ladybug" stamp was used and the flower from it cut out for her hair.

The sentiment stamp "a little something just for you!!!" was also used.

These 4 wood mounted stamps are the giveaway for this first day of National Stamping Month. YAY Thank you to Dandelion Designs! All you need to to is check in under the comments section and 1 lucky person will win this.

AND because it's September 1st we are also shipping the FABULOUS September kit "Wild About..." (pics will be up in the morning)

Wild About...

2008-08-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Check out Angelica's blog to see the first peek at the September kit..."Wild About..." :) She did a fab job!

Scrap Pink Class

2008-08-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

This is the awesome Scrap Pink Class Kit from Basic Grey. The weekend of September 26th is Scrap Pink. With this online class you will make this fabulous mini album that celebrates the top ten things you love about someone or something. $10 of this class fee is a non-profit donation that goes to find a cure for breast cancer. In this class you will receive...
6x6 scalloped mini album
1 Perhaps 6x6 paper pad
1 package of Infuse ribbons
1 package of Infuse buttons
1 sheet Flourish rub-ons (black)
1 package of Middleset chipboard alphas

cute cute cute and you are helping to make a difference

fall patterns

2008-08-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

I'm not afraid of patterns and texture in my wardrobe and it tranfers to the scrapbook page. I've seen a ton of pattern and texture for the fall in the form of tweeds and plaids. These dresses are a few examples to get you going on those fashion inspired pages! :) Houndstooth is another one that I love! The dress is Metrostyle and the jacket is Rebecca Taylor. (notice the flower on the jacket that can also be perfectly transplanted to the scrap project)

2008-08-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

My Mind's Eye has acrylic stamps with their new line! YAY Keep your eye out. :) (NSM)

2008-08-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about National Stamping Month. SOOOO many companies have donated SOOOO many goodies! We will be giving a TON of stuff away! Not only that, but the tutorials we have planned are going to be so much fun also. So September 1st is the day. YAY and it doesn't end 'til the 30th. YAY

She's here!

2008-08-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

Yes. My little princess is here. It's a girl and she was born on the 19th. So because nobody picked that combination the person who came the closest was...... Lily. So I will be sending her the August kit "Butterfly Kisses." (which still has some kits available)

In this pic I look like a mess, but she doesn't. :) What should I expect.

Basic Grey Card Class

2008-08-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

October 4th is National Card Making Day. All these national day of somethings are so FUN. :) For this day we are doing a Basic Grey Card class. YAY our fave, right? These are awesome. And because I want everyone who wants to be included, included I will be taking sign-ups for this now so that you all can have your fun stuff for the online class on the 4th.

Each class kit includes...

1 6x6 Mellow Paper Pad
1 sheet of Mellow Flavorful
1 package of Mellow ribbon
1 sheet of Mellow alpha stickers
1 package of Boxer buttons
1 package of round white Bookplates

In this class you will make the wonderful card holder that ties with ribbon and 6 so cute cards. It's perfect to give as a gift for a friend (or yourself).

The class fee is $30, which is the retail value of the kit! YAY

Thinkin' ahead...

2008-08-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

something to get excited about...September is National Stamping Month! This year National Stamping Day falls on September 13th. So we here at Haute Artist are planning on going STAMP CRAZY all month long!!! Be on the look out for the schedule of events. YAY. I LOVE stamps, so I cannot wait. If there are any questions you have about techniques or certain stamp sets you would LOVE to see used just leave a comment.

Trend Report

2008-08-14T11:40:00.001-07:00

I am seeing animal prints everywhere in the fashion world, not just any animal print, but zebra and giraffe. So cool. Pair these prints with the color orange...fabulous. :) I will be on the look out for those scrap pages using these two elements. I'm lovin' the inspirational shoes...Kate Spade (left) and Michael Kors (right).

Also check out our Haute Babe, Carolyn's blog to see what darn cute thing she made with the Gel-a-tins stamp set that comes in the August kit. (still available on the website) Very cute. :)

And I can't forget one of our other Babes, Angelica...she's doing her sketch of the month with her first one debuting tomorrow! YAY Check out her blog for details.

color forecast

2008-08-12T23:19:00.000-07:00

What are they saying about fall colors? (They being fashion forecasters.) Well Pumpkin Orange seems to be HOT. It's also a fabulous transitional color because you can pair it up with white wonderfully! Well what about your pages? It looks great with pink, as we have already seen, as well as aqua. I'm lovin' aqua right now. I love this Fendi bag! The orange with the black...hot!

Announcing

2008-08-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

our Haute Instructor... Melina. She will be the face and sound of our online classes. YAY. Thank you Melina!

Silly baby

2008-08-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, I had an ultrasound today and the baby's butt is parked on my pelvis. Which means, yes I will be having a C-Section. :(

2008-08-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

It's the August sketch from Basic Grey by Becky Fleck. YAY

let's have some fun...

2008-08-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

In honour of my little blessing on the way I want to do a giveaway. I'm due the 29th of this month and I don't know if it's a boy or girl. I will give away an August kit to the first person who guesses the correct birthdate and sex of the baby. :) Sound like fun? Free kit. Just post your guess in the comments section.

2008-08-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

I just LOVE what Velma did with the glittery butterfly fabric that comes in this month's kit! I just had to post some pics to share. :)
1. First take the fabric and cut it out.
2. Press the fabric butterfly into Clear Versa Mark ink.
3. Pour on the UTEE. (Ultra THick Embossing Enamel or another clear embossing powder)
4. Melt the UTEE with a heat gun.
5. Pour on another layer of UTEE quickly while it's still melted...if it doesn't stick just heat the butterfly up again to re-melt the powder.
6. Melt again using the heat gun.
7. While it's drying you can bend the butterfly to give it some dimension.

The butterfly fabric comes in this month's kit. (limited supply)
Also check this out to see what Velma did with the butterflies.
HAVE FUN!!!!

It's the first!

2008-08-01T00:21:00.000-07:00

Kits are ready to go! They are limited. So get 'em while they're HAUTE. :)

I got an invitation to go to a friend's house and crop tonight. Those are my croppy plans for the weekend. That and take more pics to crop (as always).

CHECK OUT the Gallery or Angelica's blog to see what cool stuff she's donw with this month's kit. It's 12:25...so goodnight. :)

2peas blog question

2008-07-30T23:21:00.000-07:00

10 unfinished projects... (just 10?)

Paint bathrooms (3)
laundry (always unfinished)
cross stitch of our wedding date (10yrs old)
quilt from when oldest was a baby
son's crocheted blanket
son's Christmas stocking
sewing son's pirate shirt
cleaning scrap space!
son's baby album
Once Upon a Time album

Oh my!

Ta-Da

2008-07-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

Go to the website under "Kits" for more info.
Also don't forget to check the Gallery to see what the Haute Babe Angelica has done with it already.

2008-07-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.
~Rabindranath Tagore

I am posting the pic for the kit, Butterfly kisses this morning! YAY. (I'm on the east coast.)

This is a Becky Fleck sketch that I really like for an 8 1/2 x 11 page. It's from Page Maps.

August 1st!

2008-07-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

...is this Friday! YAY. :) I'm seeing butterflies everywhere! Today's inspiration comes in the form of a quote...

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. ~Author Unknown

:) Happy Scrappin'
I do have a few layouts that I owe you. I haven't forgotten. :)

rewards :)

2008-07-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

Because I am just starting out. I would like to offer a free kit to anyone who helps spread the love. :) I will send out a free kit to anyone who refers 5 people to buy kits. When they buy a kit, they give me your name and email address and you get the credit. :) Free kit for you!

color of the day...

2008-07-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, I haven't posted a color of the day in a while. I love pink and orange together. This dress is the perfect combo. (love the dress) So here's the layout with those colors with an experiment in modeling paste. I took the transluscent modeling paste and mixed it with an orange acrylic paint and some glitter and blobbed it on the edges. (adding the pic of the LO)

2008-07-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

If you go on over to pencillines.com she has some cool sketches. This is the most recent one. I plan on using it today. ~My scrappin' plans for the weekend? hmmm, I'm not sure. I'm not sure if anyone is comin' over to crop tonight or not. Actually I told my DD that I'd print some pic for her to scrap today. So that's what we'll do. :)

tags tags tags tags

2008-07-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

I find that I have a ton of Basic Grey tag sheets and I don't use all the tags. So this is what I finished up today. I used ALL the tags from a BG tag sheet. :) If you click on the image you can get a better view.

Online Instructor

2008-07-23T13:05:00.001-07:00

For those of you who are interested in being a Haute Instructor please go to the message board and register. There will be some questions to answer there and some more details.

2peas blog question

2008-07-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

TWO PEAS BLOGGY ?
I did go on one retreat. It was camp crop and it was a lot of fun! It was actually last October in Sonora CA. I won't be going this year because I will have a newborn. :) These are pic from that retreat.

2008-07-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!

2008-07-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

SALE.... at Calumet

I Believe

2008-07-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Online Class... coming soon.

Holiday Agenda

2008-07-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Online Class... coming soon.

Spooktastik Layout

2008-07-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

Online Class... coming soon.

Family Life

2008-07-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

Online Class...coming soon.

All Roads Lead to Home

2008-07-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Online Class...coming soon.

Sugar and Spice

2008-07-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

Online Class...coming soon.

My Grandparents Rock

2008-07-21T09:39:00.001-07:00

Grandparents Day this year falls on September 7th.

Online Class...coming soon.

Moments Like This Class

2008-07-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Online Class...coming soon

Silly Question

2008-07-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Where would I go in a time machine?

ANSWER HERE

:)

~Charleen

Basic Grey Online Class..

2008-07-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

Friday August 8th. This is a WONDERFUL class! What are you doing with those vacation photos? This mini album is perfect. You will be getting a whole Recess Collection Pack (that includes letter stickers and shapes), Recess Buttons, Recess Ribbons, Recess Die Cut Monogram Letters, Thickset Monogram Chipboard, and a Half Pint Mini Album. Comment here to show your interest. Limited number of class kits available.

Fiskars Punch Love

2008-07-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

OK...who wants Fiskars punches? 30% off? :) I'm feelin' punchy. (in a good way) I'm posting the images as we speak...

THURSDAY BLOGGER FROM 2peas...
What irritates me most about people in general?... When people don't return phone calls, like ever. I also don't like laziness. :)

2008-07-16T23:57:00.000-07:00

Basic Grey's- Euphoria 1 sheet each of Delirum, Arcadia, Helio, Elysian, and Bless will all be in the Debut Kit, Butterfly Kisses. Gotta LOVE it!
Fancy Pants- Daydreams Cardstock Die-Cuts 12"X12" Sheet, 1 sheet of 12x12 Double sided paper of Imagine, Believe, Dream, and Gaze...
Coredinations Cardstock in Amaryllis, Snowflake, Leapfrog, Purple Moon, and Bluebelle. (one each)
Die Cuts with a View- Glitter Wild Butterflies and Blossoms Paper 12x12 (it's glittery)
Fancy Pants- Fashion Sense Print/Solid Buttons in Sweet & Pretty
Fancy Pants- Glitter Cuts Die Cut- Full Color Transparency -Green Frame
Vintage Butterfly Shaped Brads
3 yards of ribbon
pearl cotton floss
Gel-a-tins- Little Critter Stamp (butterflies)
Glitz Designs- Frosting Round Strip in Aqua
Glitz Designs- Journal 2 Rub-Ons 6x12!
Fabric- with glittery butterflies. :)
and butterfly die cuts in Glitter paper

ALL this for $40 (plus tax + S&H)

WANT more?
you can also order an extra paper pack for $4.80 (plus tax + S&H) which would land you an extra sheet in each of the ones listed above

WANT TO HAVE EXTRAS??
-the Debut Kit... Butterfly Kisses
-the Paper Pack add-on
-the Bonus Add-ons...
Glimmer Mist 2oz bottle in Seafoam
Heidi Swapp Mini Theme Masks- Butterflies
Butterfly Wing Charms
Scenic Route Plain Butterfly Chipboard Shapes
Heidi Swapp Ghost Shapes- Butterflies
Gel-a-tins- Gelly Powder Scented Embossing Powder in Do You Lilac It? (sets
purple)
All this for $67

looking...

2008-07-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

for someone who wants to do video for online kit classes. :) If this sounds fun to you post a reply. All it involves is for you to put together the video instructions for a kit that you will be given. You get the kit for free. Most of us have digital cameras that have a video option on it so all you have to do is record yourself giving the instruction. (further instructions will follow) Chat about it HERE.

2008-07-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

Check back tomorrow for a list of goodies that is included in the kit. :) YAY

2008-07-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

The Work Box is every crafter's dream. It's a workspace and a storage solution that looks like a beautiful, high-end piece of furniture. There are drawers, nooks and spaces for all of your stuff! On wheels, it is easily moved to just the right location. This system comes with a collapsible work table and adjustable shelves. There are 83 removable canvas totes with label inserts and 20 removable, clear zippered pouches in three sizes. Closed, each unit measures 3'Wx32"Dx6'H and when fully opened measures 9'W (unit can be opened into a "U" shape that measures 7'W if space is an issue).
This comes in Vanilla and Knotty Alder. You can also choose the raised panel or beadboard. (As with the smaller one also) $1295.00 for the Vanilla and Black and $1495.00 for the Knotty Alder. (plus shipping)

2008-07-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

The Mini Workbox is every crafters' dream! This 32"Dx36"Wx36"H (closed) workspace/storage solution looks like a beautiful high end piece of furniture. It is a worktable with adjustable shelves on wheels that folds into a handsome box, keeping supplies out of sight & protected. Includes a 50-piece storage drawer set to stuff your stuff in style! I LOVE this! This is $795.00 plus shipping. It also comes in black. This can be ordered also. If you order several pieces a discount can be given. email me at cboguhn@comcast.net

ok

2008-07-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not yet posting my pics, but I do have this wonderful image of Kate Moss in this fabulous sheer star blouse. Inspiration! I love the little stars everywhere. How can I use that. (I already LOVE stars)

I'm back

2008-07-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

from Beautiful Lake Tahoe! I love it there. It's our dream to someday own a second home there. I'll post a pic later today. The only issue was that there was a ton of smoke in the air so it was brown instead of that gorgeous blue! (that's CA these days. I should say thank you to all the firefighters out there fighting those nasty things...thank you!) On Saturday we could actually see across the lake to the other side. Anyways... I'm just sharing some Christmas in July. (Daisy D's) I'll post later.

2008-07-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

My friend's baby!
If you LOVE happy things you've got to check out that link and see and picture of this sweet baby girl my friend is adopting from China!

Cool Ribbon Spool Storage!

2008-07-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this ribbon box. It's ONLY $14.95 and it holds 27 spools of ribbon! I think that's a deal. If anyone wants to pre-order send me an email... cboguhn@comcast.net Look how it's in neat little compartments so there is no mess! I need some. :) If you scroll through my old posts somewhere you will see the other way I store my ribbon. I like it, but there is ribbon that is WAY to long that I will be leaving on the spools so this is perfect.

because I heart Basic Grey

2008-07-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Here's the sketch this month.

2008-07-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!
Because I'm proud to be an American! :)

CHA peekies still...

2008-07-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

I'm still huntin' :) I've got to say I am MOST excited about Pink Paislee. :) This is from them. Check the message board.

Check back for peeks of the August kit because it's coming! Shipping August first! :)

I'm still working on exclusives. YAY I'm thinkin' clear stamps, paper...?????

texture

2008-07-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a combo of the texture and ruffle thing I've been feelin' lately and the 8 1/2 X 11 sketch.

Oh Ruffle Fluff!

2008-07-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

:) Here's the skirt I made. The second one I'm working on is lavender. LOTS of material!

BOGO!

2008-07-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

2FER! $29.99 That is a GREAT price! Sandisk sell them from their website for $34.99. I think I need to get some. I used to shoot in JPEG now I shoot in RAW whenever I can and it takes up soooo much more space. I should tell you where to get 'em, huh? Calumet Photo

PEEKS!

2008-06-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

Who can't wait to see what's new at CHA? Well check out the message board for links and pics of some peeks! :) This one here is from Collage Press. YAY So much fun!

Crazy weekend

2008-06-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

We had a crazy weekend full of dance. Now back to norm. What am I inspired by today? Hmmm. It's still this ruffle thing! I PROMISE I'll post a pic of the pettiskirt I made my daughter. 8 YARDS of chiffon! She loves it. I plan on doing a photo shoot at Lake Tahoe with the girls in them. On Regis and Kelly this morning she had a wonderful top on with, guess what?, RUFFLES

2008-06-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

5 years! Hybrids are green, maybe Toyota should lower the price and ALL cars should be made hybrid.

Green that's the color of the day! Green green green.

Chipboard

2008-06-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

What have you done recently with chipboard? I am working on a mini album w/pics of my son. I have come to realize that I don't buy "boy" scrappy stuff! AHHGG. That is something I need to fix. I'll will of course post pics of it when it's done. :) I need to borrow SOMEONE's bind it all first. :)

Oh oh oh...and I'm so excited to announce that there will be a Haute Artist exclusive thingy available only in the kits. :) I can't wait to post.

2008-06-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

Today's inspiration is a cool one! I got it, once again from my Photojojo newsletter. Take pics of your feet while out and about this summer. It's true that you can tell a lot from what a person ha on their feet. And of course what girl doesn't want to show off her fab shoes?! :)

Today's Friday!

2008-06-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

YAY. Today I am sharing a Scrapbook's Etc sketch that I got from their website. I usually scrap 12x12 and lately I've wanted to try 8 1/2 x 11 for a bit so that's what this sketch is. Have fun with it. Change it up to fit your stuff. Maybe if it doesn't work like this rotate the page.

Who is...

2008-06-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

going to CHA Summer? Just curious. :) I CANNOT. I have a bit of a baby bump. :)

Today's inspiration comes from this designer toddler dress. It's Flowers by Zoe. I LOVE it! I can't wait to use the idea on paper.

helpful info...

2008-06-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

from Yahoo food. (especially for us carb lovers...the crouton part)

Best Picks and Skips at the Salad Bar

Salad bars can be diet salvation or junk-food minefields. Here's how to get from one end to the other without detonating an explosion of bad fats, sodium, sugar, and refined carbs.

1. Go dark on greens: Build a vitamin -- and fiber-packed --foundation by starting with roughly 1 cup of spinach and romaine leaves (for more than half of your daily vitamin A and all of your K, plus some C, folate, two potent vision protectors, and more). Skip'em: Lighter greens tend to offer less nutritionally. Iceberg lettuce, for instance, delivers only about 7% of the A you need, some K and not much else.

2. Go bright on veggies: Next, add about 1 cup of the most colorful crudités - broccoli, carrots, cherry tomatoes, green and red peppers, beets, like that. Ounce for ounce, vibrant veggies give you more fiber, minerals, vitamins, and disease-fighting antioxidants than their paler companions, like celery and cucumbers. Skip'em: Anything coated in mayo or an indefinable dressing, including carrot and raisin mixes, cole slaw, and potato salad.

3. Choose lean proteins: Aim for about ½ cup of these. Chickpeas and kidney beans are nifty sources of fat-free protein (6 grams each). Sliced hard-boiled eggs (8 grams) are another smart choice; just limit the yolk to limit the fat. Skip'em: Chicken, tuna, or crab salads - they're usually made with high-fat mayo; three-bean salad, which typically is afloat in a sea of oil; and cottage cheese, which is high in aging (read artery-clogging) saturated fat.

4. Sprinkle on extra flavor and crunch: Like cheese? Add 1 tablespoon of Parmesan (22 calories) to punch up the flavor, or 1 tablespoon of walnuts or sunflower seeds for some healthy crunch. Both have good-for-your-heart fats, which help your body absorb the nutrients in all those veggies. Skip'em: Cheddar cubes - you'll quickly eat more than you need; croutons - they may look harmless but at 100 calories per ¼ cup, they're usually high-cal booby traps of refined carbs, sodium, and trans fats. Ditto for crunchy Asian noodles.

5. Dress for success: Now swirl on about 1 tablespoon of heart-healthy olive oil, a splash of vinegar, a grating of pepper, and toss, toss, toss. Ask any chef. It's the secret to a perfect salad - thorough tossing ensures that all the flavors and textures are evenly distributed and lets you use minimal dressing to maximum effect. Skip'em: Walk right past those vats of ready-made salad dressings. Even the low-fat or fat-free versions are usually loaded with salt, sugar, and additives. And just 2 tablespoons of regular blue cheese or ranch have about 160 fat-packed calories
Ready? Dig in. Yum. Mission accomplished!
PS: Prefer a fruit salad? Easy. Go for whatever's fresh - melons, berries, pineapple, kiwi - and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds for a dollop of good fats and crunchy flavor. Then buy a small container of low- or no-fat yogurt/cottage cheese for creamy protein minus the sat fat in dairy foods. Skip'em: Syrupy canned peaches, apricots, pears, etc. They have far more calories and fewer nutrients than fresh fruit.

What did I learn? Stay away from the DRESSINGS!! :) And use olive oil and vinegar instead, oh so haute.

2008-06-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA for a few days (busy and tired). Between being 31 weeks pregnant and the heat the energy is being SUCKED out of me! SOOO much stuff to do! Today I will dare you to scrap lift from your favorite designer. I will do the same and post. (I still have to post my frilly dilly LO...it's coming)

2008-06-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

I promised these last Friday so here they are. :) The top one I altered this UGLY wall art I probably got at the $1 Tree. The other two are on chipboard so they can sit on the plate holder.

join me...

2008-06-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

in living a healthy lifestyle...now that's haute! :) Did you know?....

about 41,000 new cases of cancer in the United States were estimated to be due to obesity.

recent report estimated that, in the United States, 14 percent of deaths from cancer in men and 20 percent of deaths in women were due to overweight and obesity

Obese women are also at increased risk of dying from breast cancer after menopause compared with lean women

Obesity has been consistently associated with uterine (endometrial) cancer. Obese women have two to four times greater risk of developing the disease than do women of a healthy weight

Colon cancer occurs more frequently in people who are obese than in those of a healthy weight

Studies have consistently found a link between a type of kidney cancer

Overweight and obese individuals are two times more likely than healthy weight people to develop a type of esophageal cancer

An increased risk of gallbladder cancer has been found to be associated with obesity,An increased risk of gallbladder cancer has been found to be associated with obesity,

I got all this info from the National Cancer Institute website check it out yourself if you don't believe me.

What is "obese"? 30 pounds or more overweight. 1/3 of Americans fit into that category. We can change that. :)

Here's something interesting I found...because muscle weighs more than fat...

Using your thumb and forefinger, grasp the skin 3" to the right or left of your navel. Pinch firmly but not so hard that it hurts. Then slide your hand away without changing the distance between your thumb and forefinger, and see how far apart they are. Ideally you will have pinched about 1/2" inch of flesh. An inch or more in your "pinch" means that your excess body weight is more fat than muscle

2008-06-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is a cool site because it has the big story. Well it has the big pictures. More later...

2008-06-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

Elsie Flanigan has some of her faves posted on her blog from her new recipe book... It's worth checking out. This one is my favorite. I think it's because I like the circles. :)

I did

2008-06-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

get some stuff done yesterday I just didn't get around to taking a pic of it. I was sooooo busy most of the day that I didn't do it today. I'll wait until the natural light tomorrow. :) I'm really liking what I did. I incorporated 4th of July home decor with my song thingy.

So textured clothing is in for summer. Christian Siriano says to "Think fun, flirty frocks with tons of crafty embellishments." That sounds like a scrapbook page or mini album to me!!! :) Guess you know what my next piece will involve. (pic from ivillage)

Maybe Monday...

2008-06-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

I'll do some 4th of July home decor and post it. :) Maybe you will too! :) Get the kiddos involved. Have fun...more later!

Because

2008-06-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

we have lost a legend. Yesterday was the funeral of Bo Diddley. He influenced so many in the music industry, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones and many others. Some say he was the pioneer of rap. So today's challenge is to scrap using a song.

My scrappy plans today...

2008-06-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

involve putting some stuff away. YAY. Actually I need to put more ribbon away. AND I'll be taking more pictures today at a birthday party. That is scrap related. Maybe I'll get a LO done too! Last night I posted a few LOs in the gallery also. I uploaded the white space dare from the message board. (Couldn't get it into the right gallery, got to fix that today) I also need to scan the layouts because I can't get the color quality I want in camera. Oh well.

fave thing to scrap...

2008-06-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

MYSELF...it's all about me, right?! I'm kidding!!! I actually love scrapping our trips to the lake. :) I love the pictures that I get at the altitude, next to the water. (the quality of light is actually different at a higher altitude due to the bending of light :))

2008-06-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Because Travelocity has voted Vegas as the #1 destination. (probably because that is where everybody is booking) Today's inspiration is Viva Las Vegas inspired! :) I love Vegas, the food, the show, and the SHOPPING! (the heat of July is something to be desired) We saw O last summer and absolutely loved it. SOOO I chose some wild colors for today. I have lots to post later! :) Have fun.

Haute Artist

Artist Autobiography

The rest of the winners...

September 29... Art Declassified and crayons

September 23... Verve and faux metal

sorry

Coronado Island Designs... and stamping on glass

Sept 18... My Favorite Things and ribbon

September 17... Cornish Heritage Farms and wood and photos

arg

September 15... and stamping on buttons

September 14... Scenic Route and flowers

September 13...Stampington and the backside

September 12th... Bo Bunny and the rubber brayer

September 11th

September 10... Serendipity Stamps and tiles

September 9th... Stampscapes and ...

September 8th... Third Coast and candles

Cosmo Cricket and inchies

Auntie Amy and Glitter

Peanutbutter Moon and Crayon Resist

Aumtie Amy's and Glitter

Let's get Inked with Impress Rubber Stamps

September 3rd... Luxe Designs and flocking

September 2nd...Tinkering Ink and Pleather

September kit..."Wild About..."

September 1st... Dandelion Designs and water brushes

Wild About...

Scrap Pink Class

fall patterns

She's here!

Basic Grey Card Class

Thinkin' ahead...

Trend Report

color forecast

Announcing

Silly baby

let's have some fun...

It's the first!

2peas blog question

Ta-Da

August 1st!

rewards :)

color of the day...

tags tags tags tags

Online Instructor

2peas blog question

I Believe

Holiday Agenda

Spooktastik Layout

Family Life

All Roads Lead to Home

Sugar and Spice

My Grandparents Rock

Moments Like This Class

Silly Question

Basic Grey Online Class..

Fiskars Punch Love

looking...

ok

I'm back

Cool Ribbon Spool Storage!

because I *heart* Basic Grey

CHA peekies still...

texture

Oh Ruffle Fluff!

BOGO!

PEEKS!

Crazy weekend

Chipboard

Today's Friday!

Who is...

helpful info...

join me...

I did

Maybe Monday...

Because

My scrappy plans today...

fave thing to scrap...

because I heart Basic Grey