SuzeBlogz

Resistance is NOT Futile !

So, I promised myself that today I'd just go to the office, check out all the new stuff, take pictures of new product, check orders, read the mail, sign checks, have my usual sushi lunch and go home....no distractions....no side trips....no wasting gas....I almost did it.....

...but damn...there it was in my  office email...... Nordstrom was having this majorly wonderful sale...... yikes...reduced stuff....and I thought...what the hey...its only a mere 15 miles out of the way...a simple side trip...! What's 15 miles ! I kept thinking of Captain Picard vs the Borg in Star Trek...resistance is futile......

BUT WAIT !!!.......something really weird happened......I didn't find a thing to buy... but..... I DID find some inspiration... There was this real coral bead necklace (L) that was so spectacular and on sale for "only" $300 for just one of those strands.....(I'm sure that really is a bargain!....just not MY bargain) .

I remembered that I had some lovely red beads at home and a neat Indonesian pendant that I've been wanting to do something with.... so....

I high tailed it back to the parking lot (so proud of my self control) and zipped home.

I got out the "stuff". I really know very little about beading, but I have to say I'm proud of how professionally I strung these. I even had enough left over to make a bracelet.

Then, I made time to get a new photo collage ready to put up on my website...it's this months FREE download...you might want to check it out...It's called The Flowering Mona

and The Beadles are now in stock too!

No Bull

Today I did a "mitzvah"...
In Judaism that's what we call a good deed!

I volunteered for the entire day at a spay/neuter clinic in my town.  People who are less fortunate and can't afford to have the procedure done at a regular vet, at full price, come to the clinic.

The animals had all just come out of surgery and it was the job of the volunteers to help them adjust as they came out of the anesthesia.

Now, mind you, I'm a total cat person......I know zip about dogs..zip...zip...zip...so of course you know what that means....my first "patient" was Vegas, a very BIG bulldog. I was told to get up close & personal so he could feel body warmth (they shiver a lot when they are coming out ) & to rub, soothe, talk, give water from a dropper & be there for him for as long as it took till he recovered & could walk.

Vegas wasn't too thrilled with the anesthesia (hey...would YOU be?) and threw up a few times, plus he snorted, drooled and made other unworldly sounds...but..I did luck out...at least he didn't pee on me!
I mean seriously....this is a face only a mother could love...right!??!

But, I felt so happy when he finally licked his lips, lifted his head and showed that he was coming out of it. 

I've left my name as a permanent volunteer...I never had such a rewarding day!

Paint, Stamp, Rub, Luv !

Well, the box kept calling out to me...well past midnight last night...oh, what the heck...wasn't terribly sleepy...we'd just been to see Batman, The Dark Night and that could keep anyone up ...really !    Talk about intense ! Whoa.

So, I sanded the box. Then I thought I'd go to sleep. NAH.....

grabbed the new metallic Distress Crackle paint (coming soon...coming soon !), masked out the windows and painted.

Sleep now?   Nah....got out an old favorite Stamp In The Hand rubber stamp and the new Ranger Adirondack pitch Black pigment pad (plug, plug...fabulous ink!) and began decorating it.
I lined the inside with decorative scrapbook papers.

Bed is calling....NAH...Now comes the part that involves my latest obsession....oh yes...I am obsessed...with RUB-ONS. I must be going insane because I collect them like it were my last days on earth.
retail...wholesale...who cares..just want them ALL !

I found my new favoritist ones at CHA .....mercy me....I ordered all of them...they're coming this week. Thank you God.....I cut up the one package that they gave me to play with & I squeeeeeeezed out just enough to finish the box. YEAH ! OK...now I'm allowed to go to bed.

Don't worry Lenny....I'm gonna find a nice place to put my happy new  ink pad storage box !

And you need that...why?

I have this fun little magnet clip on my fridge that my grandkids love to push because it talks in this weird voice..it says "I love shopping...CHARGE" !
They can press it over and over and over....then run around mimicking it !

It fits so appropriately into my life because I need no excuse whatsoever to go shopping...at any moment, for any thing......any where.
I could be napping on the couch, I could be on the phone, I could be on deaths door.....  if someone suggests a shopping trip I'm so there !

Why should today be any different. 90 degree heat, 100% humidity, put the top down on the convertible......head to Home Goods. Surely there is something at Home Goods I don't need....right....?? You get the picture.

So...look what I found for a mere.....oh, what difference does it make....price, shmice, it called out to me! It said "Crackle Paint me....Fill me with ink pads".

I shall get to that part later this week after I hide the box, the bag and the receipt so poor Lenny doesn't come home and ask..."Where were we putting that...."???!

What a Hoot !

My friend of many years, Robyn Jacques, comes from Brisbane, Australia and is one of the owners of  Printblocks, a very large Australian distributor of craft product.

We spent time together when I was just over there teaching, then we hooked up again last week in Chicago at CHA (left) and today she came to my house in New Jersey.
She's been visiting in the states for 3 weeks now.

Now, isn't it the true test of friendship when you can both wear the same purse and be seen in the same place at the same time...
you'd never catch Paris Hilton doing that....right??!!
We're secure fashionistas !

With Ranger just a hop, skip & a jump from where I live (I know...lucky me !) I took Robin and her partner Paul for a visit and, with the usual Ranger hospitality, they got a tour of the entire facility. They loved it.  Who wouldn't !

I was sad after they left for the airport so I turned on my melting pot and got inspired to play with some PEARL UTEE...an often over-looked color that is so gorgeous. If you melt, then use, Pearl UTEE as soon as it melts you get a soft, beautiful, dreamy pearl color.......

BUT........if you're brave and let it stay melted - even moderately  overcooked - you get a burnt color that looks like tortoise shell .

As you pour the UTEE into your finding (Amate pendants or Ranger Memory Frames) move your hands in a swirling motion so you create a unique pattern.

also...if you use the Amate findings let the UTEE harden, then cool, (it contracts)  then pop it out and glue it in permanently.

Okay...blogging 3 days in a row tells me its now time to hit the sack !

A Tip about The Tip

Last week I did a Beeswax class at More Than Memories in Schaumburg, IL...boy do I ever love that store..it's jam packed with stuff, stuff and more stuff. I LOVE stuff. Stuff is where it's at...right!!??
I have a stuff collection to top all stuff collections....Lenny says...No More Stuff. Silly Lenny !

so...while we're on the subject of stuff.....People got to play with my Hot Wax Stylus tool in class and I showed them what to do with a chunk of pure pigment beeswax & the pointed Calligraphy tip....(that's just what it's called but you don't need to know calligraphy).

Just touch the hot tip to the beeswax cube and it sucks up the color...just like that! One of those crafting miracles!
Then you can outline your collage with beeswax....like so simple...like so artsy! Like you so need to try it.
The tool comes with 3 tips and a brush to clean them. We have the tool...we have the cubes...we have the power!

I've done a little video on beeswax techniques that show ideas with The Melting Pot too...would love it if you tune in.
Thanks to GoingGreenJewel for the pix of my lovely manicure !

Damn...this blogging thing is addictive..it's only my second day and I'm at it again.

Oh the pressure.....

Well...there I was....minding my business at CHA when the pressure mounted....a few of us got on the "Do you have a Blog" discussion and thats when I had to own up....Nope...didn't have one...."What!"...You don't have a blog"  they all said ??!!

Yeah...guess I held off for as long as I could...but, Claudine, Tim, Carmi and other friends insisted that people would enjoy reading what I had to say and would visit often so.... I gave in. I can't believe it...I gave in....I folded!
I figured hey, I do a newsletter, I have a website, I do the You Tube thing, I've got a Yahoo group....lions & tigers & bears, oh my...I hope I'm not in over my little 5 foot head...LOL!

So now you guys out there have to promise to keep coming back. I'll do my most-est best-est to inspire and share new ideas, photos, videos, techniques and let you know about new products....(and still keep up all the other outlets).
That's why I'm super excited to tell you MY new favorite CHA thing... Paper Beads coated with UTEE, called Beadles from Tinkering Ink.

In just a few days you'll be able to get these fabulous die cut papers so you can make these easy as pie beads using your melting pot. We just ordered them and they've already shipped to us....aren't those Tinkering people the best! Thats Kezia (below) ...the owner of TI & designer of the Beadles... and man....what a character she is ! She's fun, fun, fun...and beadles are the coolest. Stay tuned...as soon as we get the papers I'll do a little How To video. Promise!