My Next Class at CP2: Halloween ala Tim Holtz

Hey, everyone!  Big plans for the weekend?  It's a long one for some of us.  We've got some grilling and cooking planned for Sunday (big surprise!) and maybe some light entertaining with family and friends.  Perhaps try to squeeze in a little R & R, too ;D  We'll see ;D  Whatever's on your agenda, I hope it rawks! 

Even though the details of this weekend are still up in the air, next weekend I know exactly what I'll be doing.  I'm teaching a class at China Phoenix 2.  Fresh off my Tim Holtz high, I walked away from his workshops truly inspired.  These two Halloween themed cards are out the norm for me and if you look closely, you'll see why.  Did you catch it?   That's right.  These cards are devoid of all stamping AND no Copics were harmed in their creation.  Crazy, right?

I sat down to make these samples yesterday afternoon and my head was swimming with all of the techniques I had learned just a few days before.  So much so, I was overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin.  Usually, if I'm stuck, I'll just start with a stamped or digi image, grab a few Copics and start coloring.  I know that the rest of the card will fill itself in once I get moving.  These were different, because as we've already determined, there is no stamping or Copic coloring on them...DOH!  What to do, what to do!  I literally had to go back to some things that Tim said in class...the first one was "get over yourself" and the second one was "it just doesn't matter".  In other words, don't over-think it and don't get so lost in the details that you become paralyzed.  BINGO!  After that, things clicked...I was able to let go and just let it happen.  If they turned out awful, I would just tuck them away and revisit them some rainy day for a re-do.  No big deal.

You have no idea how freeing that realization was.  No wonder this guy is a crafting god!  Anyway, once that whole epiphany occurred, I was able to move forward and bang out these two cards that I'm pretty pleased with.  I had fun putting them together and I'm hoping that the folks who take the class with me will feel the same way.  

A couple of words about the embellishments.  I literally ripped the rosettes and the red flower off of a canvas I had made earlier in the year and was not happy with.  You ever do that?  Cannibalize one project for another?  The plastic skull came from a craft show.  I bought a whole slew of these, but now I'm running a bit short.  A friend told me that one of the local craft stores is carrying them now, so I better get my tookus over there and stock up, if I'm not already too late.  Stuff like that never gathers any dust in this town.  It just flies off the shelves.  That crazy cool twill Halloween trim is courtesy of my friend Kathy who spied it on one of her shopping excursions last year.  I just love it!

Speaking of my talented crafting buddies, I've added a few blogs to my sidebar.  These are local blogs by some of the most inspiring folks I know and I would love it if you paid them a visit and took a look at their wonderful art.  It's amazing stuff and you'll want to visit them again and again, so you might as well sign up to follow them while you're there.  Just sayin' ;D 

I don't say it enough, but please know that I always appreciate everyone who pops in to visit me here.  I love you guys!  

Stay crafty and have a wonderful holiday weekend ;D