CORRECTING A BOO BOO

Okay... having internet to work with after almost 7 weeks has made my life interesting. Then I go and complicate things by posting my WOYWW on my country music blog rather than here.

So if you want to know what I'm up to this week, you can check out the CREATIVE post HERE

Not holding my breath but next week life should return to normal. Maybe.
Creative Blessings!
Kelly

WOYWW 213 - Stop! Drop! Play with the Grandbabies!

It's WEDNESDAY... you know what that means!  

I really love What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. Hostess, Julia Dunnit atStampin' Ground has created this awesome web of participants that allows us to peek inside each other's studios every week. Just click -> WOYWW to see what it's all about.

Okay, so it isn't pretty and there doesn't look as if there has been much creating. My studio is downstairs and I spent 5 weeks upstairs with my granddaughters - Adrian 5.5 yrs and Abigail 19 months. Not a lot of crafting either. Either Adrian and I couldn't do much because her little sister wanted to be into everything she shouldn't or Adrian herself just could not focus. This child has never NOT been able to focus when it comes to making things. I do say she is much better in the kitchen though and quite proud of herself for learning to crack an egg. After that she wanted eggs in everything so she could crack them. LOL

I will have a couple of items to show you in the coming weeks we were able to do. She copied a SpongeBob card from Pinterest for a Father's Day card. She got to use the Sizzix and chalks so she thought those were cool.  Hopefully by next Wed, my desk will have some of MY creative stuff going on. I've spent lots of grabbed minutes here and there on Pinterest and have some lovely ideas for art journal techniques.

The other thing that has been derailing my focus from crafting is my novella, Somewhere Down the Line. Thanks to all of my friends and family who voted, my novella has made it to Stage 2 of the competition. Now the voting begins again. This time you get to read the first page of the story. Help me make it to Stage 3 and you'll get the first 1,000 words of this Contemporary Romance based on the lyrics of a song. If you missed my original post about the competition, you can read it HERE. And if you'd like to see me make it one step closer to a digital publishing contract, then please go VOTE. You can vote Once Per Day - EVERY DAY between now and July 7th. I also ask that you share this paragraph with all your friends and family. I feel like an American Idol contestant. I need votes to move forward in the competition. :-)

Bob is on his way home from Chicago so I'm off to make the house presentable. Presently the rooms have the after-affects of 2 Tornadic little girls. LOL

Creative Blessings!
Kelly

THE VOTING BEGINS!

A big part of my creative endeavors is my writing. Every November I take part in a writing challenge called NanoWrimo -aka National Novel Writing Month. The challenge: to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days! Trust me, it can be done. The challenge is not about perfection but to just get the story on paper. In the immortal words of Nora Roberts - 'You can't fix what isn't written.'  I wrote the rough draft of Somewhere Down the Line in 18 days... 55,000 words. The novel was based on a song title originally done by T.G. Shepherd in the early 80's but my inspiration came from a version done by another 80's country group, James & Michael Younger. I covered many of their shows back in the day and last year reconnected with James. As I sat in my truck in his driveway, the 'what if' questions that plaque every writer began to swirl in my head. By the time I'd made the six hour drive home from his home in Hendersonville, TN I had the beginnings of a novel.

Last month I found out that an editor I've always admired and hoped to work with someday is part of a new digital publishing company called Boroughs Publishing Group. They had a competition open for a novella based on a song title. Whoo Hooo! Mine fits perfectly. I spent six grueling weeks tightening the prose, defining my characters and cutting 15,000 words to fit the guidelines. Whew! I'm glad I did. The story is so much better than anything I could have hoped.

And now... SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE is one of only 14 entries vying for a publishing contract. That's where you come in!

I feel like a contestant on TheVoice of American Idol.

SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE is now in the hands of you - the voters. Without your love and support, my novella will not land in the top 25% and move on to the next round.

There are only fourteen entries and I have to say, I am up against some very good competition. Round Two (which begins on June 24th) will tighten the race when the first 300 words of each manuscript is revealed.

For now, you get what is essentially the blurb found on the back cover. For you to read the first page of SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE, I need your help. Please go to:
http://boroughspublishinggroup.com/content/whats-name-voting and vote for my novella. You can vote 1 time per day - every day through June 23rd!

Don't let the name T.G. Shepherd throw you. Remember, these entries had to share the name of a song title. Authors names are kept confidential in the early stages so they have listed the recording artist with the book title.

Next, please share the link with all your friends. Tweet it! Share it on FB and even on Pinterest and anything else you can think of. I PROMISE... when you need me to reciprocate in some form, I'll be there for you. Supporting each other is what we do!

And in the words of Bartles and James....

Thank you for your support!

MIXED MEDIA MONDAY - Creating Space!

We all have these... close to every stamping/ scrapbooking/ paper art magazine we've ever purchased. Something in the publication caught our eye and we just had to buy it. MAYBE we'll make the project we liked... maybe not. But one thing that does happen... they ACCUMULATE.

Monday posts last year were called - Magazine Monday - where I showcased my version of a card or project culled from the various magazines taking up space on my shelf. There were still some projects I wanted to keep for reference, but I need the shelf space. I plan to get the back copies of the Stampin UP catalogs out of the file drawer (they're curling & the drawer is full) and put them on the shelf where I can access them for inspiration or look up stamps someone might have for sale.

I spent two evenings with the TV marking my 'keeper' projects with post it strips. Then I spent the next afternoon copying them. Unless I felt the detail really would stand out better in color, I copied everything in B/W. I sorted them into 5 Categories: Cards, Tags & Calendars, Projects, Tutorials, Quotes & Patterns.

When I was done copying, this is what my desk looked like:

I copied the Title of each category on the front of the blue paper and put them in a 1.5" Durable Binder by Avery. And I added something I very seldom use... Pretty, plastic dividers. I always buy the inexpensive paper ones but I decided after all this work, I deserved a little treat ;-)

I'll continue to add the print-outs from Pinterest. With each print-out, I'll make note of the blog or designer so when I do create my version I can link back to them. 

And because none of the magazines were damaged, I can pass them on to another paper artist.

Creative Blessings!

Kel

WOYWW #207 - Artistic Focus

Happy WOYWW Everyone!

I really love Whats On Your Workdesk Wednesday. Hostess, Julida Dunnit at Stampin Ground has created this awesome web of participants that allows us to peek inside each other's studios every week. Just click -> WOYWW to see what it's all about. Come join the FUN!


Today is going to be really crazy here. We are going to pick up the granddaughters tomorrow. We'll have both girls, 5-1/2 years and the other 19 months, for 3 weeks. Then we'll take the baby home and just have the older one for another 3 weeks. So don't be surprised if you don't see me popping about for the next 6 weeks. Not because I don't want to. LOL

As you ca see, my desk has nothing to do with crafting this week. I am on a crucial deadline to get my novella manuscript to the editor. Deadline technically is May 31st but I've been pushing to get the manuscript off before we go after the girls. I don't think that's going to happen. Thankfully I have DH to help with the girls for the two more weeks so I can still make deadline.

I'm off to get the sleeping arrangements set up. Have a Super Creative Week!
Kelly

MIXED MEDIA MONDAY - Dauber Storage

I don't know why I had set this to run last Thursday. I wanted it to run today, so I've bumped it up.

Okay... I know the Mixed Media thing is a bit off course. I've just been so intent on getting things organized to use them that I've not done the mixed media art like I want to. I guess it's an OCD thing for me that I never realized I had until a couple of years ago. Things have to be 'just right' for me to work.

So for awhile my Mixed Media Monday posts will showcase some of the organization techniques I've been creating.

This week, it's all about Dauber Storage

I knew I wanted to use a dauber for each of my Stampin Up Ink Spots (which they've seen fit to retire - GRRRR!)

The challenge was how to bring the two together. How to store a dauber with its matching color? I didn't want them tossed into a dish to be dug through (that OCD thing kicking in again).  So after a bit of thought, I headed to my local hardware store and came up with these:

These are 9/16" diameter cork disks. They fit perfectly inside the finger hole of the dauber and they have adhesive on the back.  One cork is not thick enough to support the dauber. So I stacked them 2-high:

Then stuck one 'stack' on top of each spot lid:

I store my SPOTS, REFILLS and WaterColor Crayons by color family in their own Sterilite tub - minus the lid:

Next to each of the refill bottles, I have a piece of rubber mat like you put under exercise equipment that has a texture. The box of watercolor crayons store underneath the spot box.

With the retiring of the spots, I'll continue to use the available colors and my favorite colors. I don't think I'm going to purchase the full-size pads. I just don't have the room to store them... not even if I were to use one of those vertical storage units. I'd have to have a place to put that. LOL I'll purchase the refills and create a stamping pad with a dense sponge square whenever I need a color.

All the retired spots (I have all of those from when SU did a complete color family overhaul a couple years ago) are going to get their own daubers. Then I'm going to make a tray out of foam core to store them (along with their refill) with my Mixed Media supplies.

I'd love to hear how you store yours! What works for you?
Creative Blessings! - Kel

WOYWW #206 - What Do I Keep In Those Little Drawers?

I really love What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. Hostess, Julia Dunnit at Stampin' Ground has created this awesome web of participants that allows us to peek inside each other's studios every week. Just click -> WOYWW to see what it's all about.

In the mean time... some of you have asked about my little drawer units at the back of my desk. These are 2 separate units of 6 drawers each... 3 over 3. I found them at a Goodwill store for $5 each. Not sure what I would do with them at the time, but I knew I couldn't leave them there. When I brought them home and sat them on the table, I knew they'd be perfect for items I use a lot but didn't want just sitting about. I later found these same drawer units in Oriental Trading for $30 each! Now I really wish I'd bought them all! So here we go...

Top Drawer - Glue Dots & Red Tape

Bottom Drawer - Pop Dots

Top Drawer - Acrylic Blocks

Bottom Drawer - Piercing Tools & Replacement Cutting Blades

Top Drawer - Hammer, Eyelet Tools, TH Sanding Block & refills

 Top Drawer - Shape Punches (May donate)

Bottom Drawer - Charms & other Metal Hardware

If I donate those hand punches, I'm going to use this drawer for the little ID Stamps I use on every card... you know the ones that say 'Stamped With Love', 'This Wish Stamped For You', etc. as well as my 2 most used large ink pads - VersaMark and Memento Black

And just in case you guys think my desk is never messy, I shot this pic after my crafting session on Saturday. I finally got the cards done up I was behind on... every one inspired by a card on Pinterest. I'll show them another time.. but here's my desk before clean-up:

I left just enough space in front of me to bring in the paper trimmer when needed. You can just see the stack of images to the left that I'd printed off my Pinterest board - Paper Playhouse. I've since done something else with them I'll be showing one day next week. Today, my desk is back to normal. 

And here's a puzzle for you... look to the upper right side of the picture.. just in front of the green corner punch. Can you tell what that might be? I will tell you it's one of my new organization tips I'll be showing soon. In the mean time, I'd love to hear what you think it is.

With hubby home a day early and two deadlines looming, I'll get around to as many of you as I can. Happy WOYWW!

Creative Blessings!

Kelly