Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Look for new projects in these recent publications:
Paper Creations Magazine
Summer 2004
Pages 54-57
Five projects under the title Summer Clam Bake
Paper Works Magazine
June 2004
Page 33
Aspire Plaque
Woodworking for Women Magazine
May 2004
Pages 33-35
Classic Magnet Board
Pages 44-45
Playtime Chalkboard
Scrapbook Retailer Magazine
December 2003/January 2004
Page 36
Tips for Marketing cutting tools
Paper Creations Magazine
Summer 2004
Pages 54-57
Five projects under the title Summer Clam Bake
Paper Works Magazine
June 2004
Page 33
Aspire Plaque
Woodworking for Women Magazine
May 2004
Pages 33-35
Classic Magnet Board
Pages 44-45
Playtime Chalkboard
Scrapbook Retailer Magazine
December 2003/January 2004
Page 36
Tips for Marketing cutting tools
Thursday, May 20, 2004
After being gone from home for two weeks....it is really nice to be back in my studio. Today, I am cleaning. What fun!! I can never be creative without making a huge mess. How about you? Clutter everywhere....so I am purging the clutter today. It feels good to tidy up my studio. Now I am ready for my next project. I will be creating some projects for a Christmas in July. This will be for ACCI (Association of Creative and Craft Industry) show in July. It is a little hard to think about Christmas in the middle of May. Hmmmmm...think snow...think jingle bells, think winter.. I think I will go back to cleaning instead...
Backpacking trip...
The week before I went to Ohio for the book photo shoot, I went backpacking with my husband and some friends from Corvallis Oregon. This is our second annual backpacking trip. This year we flew to Las Vegas (the temperature was 107 when we arrived, last year at this same time it was snowing) and then drove through Zion National Park and east to Page AZ. Our destination was Piria Canyon. It is a 40 mile hike from White House Trailhead to Lees Ferry Trailhead. We did this in four days with everything on our backs. Can you imagine...no cell phones, no pagers, no STARBUCKS, or nail salons for four days! YIKEs!! It was truly an incredible experience. In some areas the canyon walls were 800 feet tall and only about 20 feet wide. We crossed the Piria river numerous times. The area is incredibly beautiful and you can only get to it by hiking. I was inspired by the colors of the sandstone. I think I will paint our family room this summer "Navajo Sandstone". I had to purchase new boots this year so I was worried about blisters. I spend several weeks breaking in the boots before we left for the trip. Lucky..Me..No blisters. Here is the funny thing....While I was in Ohio doing research (this is what I call shopping) I got a blister from my flip flops. I guess next time I will have to break in the flip flops before I attempt any strenuous shopping...I mean research!!
The week before I went to Ohio for the book photo shoot, I went backpacking with my husband and some friends from Corvallis Oregon. This is our second annual backpacking trip. This year we flew to Las Vegas (the temperature was 107 when we arrived, last year at this same time it was snowing) and then drove through Zion National Park and east to Page AZ. Our destination was Piria Canyon. It is a 40 mile hike from White House Trailhead to Lees Ferry Trailhead. We did this in four days with everything on our backs. Can you imagine...no cell phones, no pagers, no STARBUCKS, or nail salons for four days! YIKEs!! It was truly an incredible experience. In some areas the canyon walls were 800 feet tall and only about 20 feet wide. We crossed the Piria river numerous times. The area is incredibly beautiful and you can only get to it by hiking. I was inspired by the colors of the sandstone. I think I will paint our family room this summer "Navajo Sandstone". I had to purchase new boots this year so I was worried about blisters. I spend several weeks breaking in the boots before we left for the trip. Lucky..Me..No blisters. Here is the funny thing....While I was in Ohio doing research (this is what I call shopping) I got a blister from my flip flops. I guess next time I will have to break in the flip flops before I attempt any strenuous shopping...I mean research!!
Through out the month of April and May I worked on projects for my new book. Last week I went to Ohio for the photo shoot. I shipped all of the finished projects and supplies to recreate each project to Ohio. During the week I was there, I made each of the projects again as Christine photographed the steps. I learned a lot about the publishing process and the photography for the book. Christine did a fabulous job with the photos and just before I left, she showed me some of the slides. Wow...Was that ever exciting. I will spend the next month writing instructions and "filler" for the book. My Editor, Tonia, is such a great help with this. She wrote an outline of instructions for each project while I was making them in their studio. Thanks Tonia and Christine!!
I attended another Memories Expo show the first weekend of April. It was held in Chicago and I worked in the Michaels booth for Fiskars. We did "make and takes" each day. The first day we made a scrapbook page that was black,white, and gray. The second day we made a scrapbook page using Anna Griffin papers in muted greens and creams. Both projects used the ShapeCutter (one of my favorite tools!) and an embossing system. If you have never had an opportunity to experiment with embossing, I would highly recommend it. There are lots of different ways of embossing, some require a light box, and others do not. Embossing is an impressive way to embellish cards and other paper crafts.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Here is a quick summary of the past few weeks….
I went to the Beach a few weeks ago for our annual “Girls at the Beach” weekend. We had so much fun!! I had just gotten a new “toy”. It is called Quickutz and it makes small die cuts for cards and scrapbooking. I picked up some blank cards on the way out of town and we stayed up until 2:00am two nights in a row to make cards. We also painted a bench for our friend (owner of the beach house) and we each added our own signature design to the bench. It was great fun!!!
We had lots of company last week and hosted a reception for our Aunt. She was honored by the YWCA and Clark College as being a Women of Achievement for 2004. It was very exciting and we enjoyed visiting with all of her friends and our family.
Last Wednesday evening some of my friends come out to my studio and we had a wonderful time making cigar box purses. This is a great “girlfriends’ party” if you like to get together and create!!
When I was at HIA I taped a segment for the Carol Duval show. What a thrill!! The show aired last Saturday on HGTV. It will run again on March 26 at 9:00ET/PT.
I went into Portland this morning to the KATU studio. The craft segment today was fabric handbags. You can find the instructions to this craft in the project section on my web page.
Tomorrow I am speaking to a group of women at a Presbyterian church. They are having an Irish Coffee and I am going to give a little presentation about the creative process. I am also going to talk a little bit about Spiritual gifts. I found a great Bible verse that recognizes the gift of creativity. If you would like to read it go to Exodus 31:4-5 and 35:34-35.
I went to the Beach a few weeks ago for our annual “Girls at the Beach” weekend. We had so much fun!! I had just gotten a new “toy”. It is called Quickutz and it makes small die cuts for cards and scrapbooking. I picked up some blank cards on the way out of town and we stayed up until 2:00am two nights in a row to make cards. We also painted a bench for our friend (owner of the beach house) and we each added our own signature design to the bench. It was great fun!!!
We had lots of company last week and hosted a reception for our Aunt. She was honored by the YWCA and Clark College as being a Women of Achievement for 2004. It was very exciting and we enjoyed visiting with all of her friends and our family.
Last Wednesday evening some of my friends come out to my studio and we had a wonderful time making cigar box purses. This is a great “girlfriends’ party” if you like to get together and create!!
When I was at HIA I taped a segment for the Carol Duval show. What a thrill!! The show aired last Saturday on HGTV. It will run again on March 26 at 9:00ET/PT.
I went into Portland this morning to the KATU studio. The craft segment today was fabric handbags. You can find the instructions to this craft in the project section on my web page.
Tomorrow I am speaking to a group of women at a Presbyterian church. They are having an Irish Coffee and I am going to give a little presentation about the creative process. I am also going to talk a little bit about Spiritual gifts. I found a great Bible verse that recognizes the gift of creativity. If you would like to read it go to Exodus 31:4-5 and 35:34-35.
Friday, February 27, 2004
This has been a crazy couple of weeks. Of course when are they not crazy? I think that comes with being an artist. My kids refer to me as their crazy artist mom. Hmmmm…I wonder if that is a compliment? I think the craziness comes from working, having kids, being a single parent when my husband travels, and all the other “life” stuff.
Next week I am starting my new book projects. This is very exciting to me. I have been planning, and designing, and plotting for several months now and I feel like I am ready to burst. It is finally time to get all that stuff out of my head and transform it into something real and tangible. I kidnapped my mom yesterday and we went shopping for “book stuff”. It was so much fun. I just love being able to shop and call it work!
I am off to Las Vegas at the end of the week for the first Memory Expo of the year. I will be teaching for Fiskars and leading some very fun make and takes in the Michaels booth.
Next week I am starting my new book projects. This is very exciting to me. I have been planning, and designing, and plotting for several months now and I feel like I am ready to burst. It is finally time to get all that stuff out of my head and transform it into something real and tangible. I kidnapped my mom yesterday and we went shopping for “book stuff”. It was so much fun. I just love being able to shop and call it work!
I am off to Las Vegas at the end of the week for the first Memory Expo of the year. I will be teaching for Fiskars and leading some very fun make and takes in the Michaels booth.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Post HIA (Hobby Industry Association)
HIA was held in Dallas this year. I must say that I got my exercise walking from one end of the show room to the other. Wow!
There was an enormous amount of "vintage" papers and embellishments at this show. I remember only one company at ACCI last year that had this look. Now....it seems to me that everyone grabbed that look and tried to make it their own. Come on people...have an original idea!!! Sorry, I will get off my soap box now.
The "buzz" of the show was a new "hot" (literally) tool that is used to make very unique textures with embossing powder. It looks like a wood burning tool but has three different tips. One of the tips looks like a little rake. It was exciting to see something new and innovative. Bravo!!
Retro paper designs are continuing to emerge. I suspect that we will soon see some really fun embellishments to go with the papers.
Here are some highlights from my trip to HIA.
•Lisened to Barbara Bush speak. I was very impressed with her. I really did not know what to expect. She was very funny and shared stories about her family, faith, and love for needlepoint.
•Watched Thomas Kincaid presented Barbara Bush with an original painting that he had created specifically for her.
* Worked in the Fiskars booth during the show. What a nice group of people!!
• Spent time with my designer friends Sandy and Patt. We missed you Jayne
•Taped a short craft segment for the Carol Duvall show. Way exciting!!!!!
•Found some wonderful papers that I want to use in my new book
•Saw enough scrapbook stuff to last a lifetime HA!!
HIA was held in Dallas this year. I must say that I got my exercise walking from one end of the show room to the other. Wow!
There was an enormous amount of "vintage" papers and embellishments at this show. I remember only one company at ACCI last year that had this look. Now....it seems to me that everyone grabbed that look and tried to make it their own. Come on people...have an original idea!!! Sorry, I will get off my soap box now.
The "buzz" of the show was a new "hot" (literally) tool that is used to make very unique textures with embossing powder. It looks like a wood burning tool but has three different tips. One of the tips looks like a little rake. It was exciting to see something new and innovative. Bravo!!
Retro paper designs are continuing to emerge. I suspect that we will soon see some really fun embellishments to go with the papers.
Here are some highlights from my trip to HIA.
•Lisened to Barbara Bush speak. I was very impressed with her. I really did not know what to expect. She was very funny and shared stories about her family, faith, and love for needlepoint.
•Watched Thomas Kincaid presented Barbara Bush with an original painting that he had created specifically for her.
* Worked in the Fiskars booth during the show. What a nice group of people!!
• Spent time with my designer friends Sandy and Patt. We missed you Jayne
•Taped a short craft segment for the Carol Duvall show. Way exciting!!!!!
•Found some wonderful papers that I want to use in my new book
•Saw enough scrapbook stuff to last a lifetime HA!!
We have two teenagers at our house as of February 1st. We celebrated Abbey’s thirteenth birthday last weekend and the weekend before that we celebrated Tucker’s seventeenth birthday. How did we get here so fast?
Abbey and I celebrated her milestone birthday with a Mother/Daughter trip to the Bonneville Hot Springs Resort and Spa. After the Hot Springs we went into Portland for a hair cut and make-up lessons. YIKES!!! I have been telling her…”no make-up until you are thirteen”… Now I wish I had said sixteen…What was I thinking?
Abbey and I celebrated her milestone birthday with a Mother/Daughter trip to the Bonneville Hot Springs Resort and Spa. After the Hot Springs we went into Portland for a hair cut and make-up lessons. YIKES!!! I have been telling her…”no make-up until you are thirteen”… Now I wish I had said sixteen…What was I thinking?
Watch for projects in a new magazine titled “Paper Creations”. It will be published each quarter and I will be designing projects for each issue. Each set of projects will have a party theme for the season. It is really fun to be working with Jane Guthrie again. She is back at All American Crafts and is the editor of two new paper magazines.
A tribute to my Grandmother
My grandmother was well known for her cherry pies. There was something special about her pie crusts. I tried to learn her technique one time but struggled with her measurement methods. She just knew that it was a handful of this and “about” this much of that.
She was also known for her beautiful crochet and needle work. She made very beautiful lace for pillow cases and table skirts.
I spent a week at my grandparent’s home every summer when I was is grade school. During those visits she would teach me embroidery stitches. She untangled many knots from my thread during that time. I will always cherish those memories.
My grandmother was well known for her cherry pies. There was something special about her pie crusts. I tried to learn her technique one time but struggled with her measurement methods. She just knew that it was a handful of this and “about” this much of that.
She was also known for her beautiful crochet and needle work. She made very beautiful lace for pillow cases and table skirts.
I spent a week at my grandparent’s home every summer when I was is grade school. During those visits she would teach me embroidery stitches. She untangled many knots from my thread during that time. I will always cherish those memories.
Summary of December
We had wonderful holiday celebrations early in the month which included a family gathering at my parents home, a friendship dinner, and a Christmas celebration for Tim’s work group.
We were saddened by the passing of my Grandmother. We went to Idaho for her funeral and returned to Washington on Christmas Eve.
We had wonderful holiday celebrations early in the month which included a family gathering at my parents home, a friendship dinner, and a Christmas celebration for Tim’s work group.
We were saddened by the passing of my Grandmother. We went to Idaho for her funeral and returned to Washington on Christmas Eve.
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Exciting times at Deborah Spofford Designs this week.
The “Creative Home” segment was shot live from my studio yesterday. Helen, Mike, and Gary came from the KATU television station around 8:30 to set up all the equipment. Mike pulled his van up in front of the studio and then raised a very tall boom. This somehow allowed him to send and receive signals for the live feed. (I am so technically challenged!!) I have satellite television in my studio so there was a slight delay (about 10 seconds…who knew?) on my television from the actual broadcast. It was really funny to see this. We made tile message boards. You can find the instuctions for the boards on the projects page of my web site.
The “Creative Home” segment was shot live from my studio yesterday. Helen, Mike, and Gary came from the KATU television station around 8:30 to set up all the equipment. Mike pulled his van up in front of the studio and then raised a very tall boom. This somehow allowed him to send and receive signals for the live feed. (I am so technically challenged!!) I have satellite television in my studio so there was a slight delay (about 10 seconds…who knew?) on my television from the actual broadcast. It was really funny to see this. We made tile message boards. You can find the instuctions for the boards on the projects page of my web site.
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
I just returned from a women's retreat at my church. Wow!! What an incredible experience. It stared on Thursday evening and went through Sunday evening. We were asked to remove our watches, leave our cell phones at home, and we had no access to email while we were there. Can you image? HA!! How often do we get to let go of everything...like time....and just enjoy the moment? (Oh My Gosh! I just looked out side and it is snowing!!!) Talk about enjoying the moment. It hardly ever snows here. Anyway...getting back to the weekend.....It was a wonderful spiritually renewing time for me. If you have an opportunity to attend a retreat I would highly recommend it! Leave those watches at home!! It is good for the soul! As they ....Let go and let God work in you life.
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