I don’t know much about Texas but I sure hope they will be ready for the burst of creativity that is headed their way. My friend Trish and family have relocated to Texas.  Just arriving there a few days ago.  Over the years Trish has wowed me with many creative and imaginative techniques.   Always willing to experiment with something and venture off the beaten path.   Ink on your hands is always a good thing and there was always a project in the midst whenever I visited. 

I met Trish at  Stampin’ Up! workshop.  Then I had my own workshop. Then I was hooked.  I called her shortly after that and asked her to tell me all about how to become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator myself.  This year I celebrated my 8th year with Stampin’ Up!  Quite an achievement for me.   I have a Stampin’ Up website, host a scrapbooking club and a card crazy club.  Plus I have acquired my own private stash of some awesome stamp sets, papers and gadgets.  

Trish ventured on to become part of an important design team and is still wowing me with the awesome cards and scrapbook pages that she creates.  We keep in touch online and she is often sending me links to new sites that showcase things I would like. 

The inspiration for this blog came while I was sorting some papers over the weekend. I found my scratch paper that I had used while creating with her. I had saved this scribbled, well inked and messy piece of paper for a long time.  Inside were scraps of the techniques we had used that day. It was fun to find it again and reminded me of how amusing and entertaining it was to create at Trish’s home.

So in honor of my friend I would like to post the list of “TRISH-ISM’s”
-embellishment opportunities (Trish would explain that no, these were not mistakes or errors but a possibility for something else even more creative to happen. I have been dazzling my stamping friends with this great quotes for years. Today they will find out that I stole it from Trish- LOL)

-There’s so few things in life that sugar can’t cure (ahhh – so true – Trish makes awesome desserts so really practices this philosophy)

-I have an artistic license and the picture looks nothing like me. (this was from a bumper sticker but since she shared it with me I included it in my list of Trish-isms)

-Be 1 with the paper. (Probably my favorite Trish-ism. Often I would stray from what the paper was inspiring me to do. Now I just try it. The rules I used to have didn’t seem so ‘in-stone’ after awhile.)

-Last but not least is my own Trish-ism.  I cannot tell you how many times Trish encouraged me to blog.  I laughed at her, quickly glanced at the links she sent me to her blog and other people’s that would be of interest to me.  For years, I cast aside this idea.  My scrapbooks were on paper and stories should be in books.  People wouldn’t really want to see the things I create on the internet.  Trish listened but smiled.  She knew that I would love it.  When I saw her early this spring and announced that I had a website and I loved to blog and post pictures of things I make she laughed heartily.   I assured her she was right all along and I should have listened sooner.

So this star of stamping, inspiration of ink, and all around great person will be another star in Texas!   Although the east coast will miss her bunches, I am sure she will quickly find people to inspire in her new home.   Trish brings out creativity in people and that is an awesome thing!

This is Angelina.  Trish’s young daughter was fascinated by my rings and she is not at all camera-shy.  Here she is wearing all my rings on one hand.  I was glad she gave them back!  Hehehe…  

Hugs to Texas!  You are all leaves on God’s path!

I have a friend who brings over all kinds of interesting things to my house.  An assortment arrives with each visit.  Sometimes it is scarves or buttons or costume jewelry.  This last time it was 2 small plastic octagonal boxes.  There are no markings on the bottom so they probably aren’t antiques.   

They were nice – but boring!!!

I was already busy painting with the alcohol inks but using a cotton ball to decorate metal tins (another blog another day).  An old CD was used for my palette.  These types of inks dry very quickly so the non-porous surface of the CD works great.  I reached for a paintbrush to use some of the ink still on my recycled pallette to test a small area on a box.  I liked the results so I started painting the butterflies and flowers and leaves.   Slowly the boring blue box with the off-white decorations came to life….

It really is quite beautiful now.  What might have ended up in a yard sale pile for a quarter each has now become a work of art.  Re-created is the word I often use to describe the transformation that takes place.  I am off to paint the other one now!!! 

P.S.  Alcohol ink stays on your hands for a long time afterwards…  My boss is gonna wonder if my fingers are permanently raisan and silver colors LOL!