It's on the newsstands!!!

The latest edition of Paperworks magazine is on the newsstands - I'm featured on the inside cover - what a hoot!!!

What's up in my world?

Well, it was a week of lots of overtime, getting new products/packaging ready to be printed and shipped to your local store so you can express yourself in only the way you can!

This weekend I got to do something very fun that HOPEFULLY will make it to you very soon.
I got the opportunity to test a new product. It was fun to squirt it, play with it, experiment with it...now to write up the report to make sure we create the best product for you. I'll keep you posted when it's ready to be released! It's fun and will revolutionize fabric painting - oops...too much of a hint???

There were lots of other fun things going on, but I need to get back to some work so we can get those awesome products out for you!

Have a wonderful week!
Joan

Creativity is where you least expect it!

It was a covert operation - keep my nephews out of the way while their parents got ready for a surprise party! My 11 year old nephew knew about the party, but the 5 year old did not!

So, we had lots of time to kill - 3-1/2 hours to be exact! We did the shopping thing, eating thing and I just started driving around the countryside near where I grew up.

These fun 'people' are made from soccer balls, brooms, gourds and lots of organic material. It's on the way to a nearby town and I've zoomed past it zillions of times, but this time I stopped and we got out and really got up close and personal - the party on the back of the trailer is a hoot.

BTW, my little nephew was TOTALLY suprised!!! I got them awesome 3D kites and they ran around the farm trying to get them to fly - now we need some wind...

My first art show!!!

















My, oh, my! Today was an artist's dream (OK, I really don't consider myself an artist - I just love to take photographs of interesting things...)

I went to the Quady Winery to check out the art exhibit - it was a judged event and I was very honored to be a part. That's my barbed wire photo - submitting that photo was an afterthought - I had submitted my florals, but at the last minute I thought this is an agricultural area, why not submit the rusty barbed wire. A couple weeks back, I mentioned grabbing onto that brass ring and now I'm adding to that "hold on tight" and "let go of the outcome" because the surprises that come your way can be soooo incredible.

The artwork was absolutely outstanding! The dress is actually bronze. I bought a Raku piece that's stunning - in addition to the colors used and the beauty, it had my "symbol" on it - a butterfly. I chatted with the artist quite a while because he had used a Duncan ceramic glaze on one of the pieces. He told me about the interesting process of Raku and the amount of work involved and how you have to alter the temperatures - it's not done in a traditional kiln so the process was fascinating to me.

The Quady Winery sign is all mosaics - it's beautiful up close.

So back to the day - the wine was awesome (that's really strange for me to think about since I'm not a wine person), along with decadent chocolates and finger food. I was admiring an interesting photograph - it was of the Sierra wilderness and was 12" x probably 60". The artist started talking to me and after a few minutes of chatting about photography he invited me to be a guest artist at an upcoming Arthop - it's a monthly event where a ton of galleries are open across town to the public - the name, Arthop, means to check out the art in one gallery and hop (not literally - but that could be interesting to watch!) on to the next gallery. Where I'll be exhibiting is an old church - I can't wait! Now, to think about what photos I want to exhibit.

While I was on the wine trail (there were 9 wineries participating), I took the opportunity to get some vineyard shots, some 'paint peeling' shots on an old building and a couple shots of leaves on some moss. Opportunities are out there every minutes - not only in photography, but life in general.

Now, to get to some crafting...

Mark's Winery!!!

Wow! I really am apprehensive to say 'you never know' because I've been saying that so much lately, but what an experience today was...here are photos from the Chateau Lasgoity - I went to this particular winery because I work with Mark (yep, that's him with the wine bottles) -his wife and her brother run the winery. I walked up to the winery, got a big hug from Mark and looked over the sea of wall-to-wall people. Just as I was about to leave, a guy walked in front of me and for some reason I checked out his name tag. Oh, my gosh!!! It was my soon to be ex husband's college roommate. It was because of Jeff that Paul and I got together - my roommate was dating his roommate (convenient!)...come to find out, (and here ya go about the 'you never know') Jeff is Mark's brother-in-law. I hadn't seen Jeff for 30 years - yikes!

I couldn't resist taking a picture of the girl eating a strawberry artwork. It was incredible!

















People were waiting to get in to the winery. There were tons of cars and limos lining the roads to the wineries.

I'm finally ready!!!

My photo is framed just in time for the dinner, wine and chocolate tasting for the artists tomorrow night. It was a bit nerve racking since I've never exhibited anything at a fine art show and didn't know if what I was doing was "right".

So, I had taken the photo to a frame shop and was quoted $500 to have it matted and framed. I knew there had to be a better way - so I came up with the idea to get an antique frame since the barbed wire was old and rusty. The first antique shop I looked at - there it was! My boss suggested taking it to a shop her husband uses for his framing. It turned out to be a VERY expensive venture, but it wasn't the framing.

I had a very knowledgeable gentleman help me in the selection of the mat and glass and was happy to hear they could have them cut for me in an hour. Well, the shop is in a busy shopping area that I don't get to very often. My one hour turned into 3 hours of shopping and purchasing! Yikes! I had been looking into getting a down comforter since I feel in love with the one on my bed on my last vacation. My parents had given me money to buy it for Christmas and the more I thought about it, the more I kept thinking that Winter is almost over and after that it's definitely not a down comforter place where I live.

I stopped at a bedding shop and fell in love with a comforter set - to my amazement I got a comforter, bed skirt, two pillow shams, sheets and pillowcases for $99. I also got a down pillow. When I got up to the register the pillow rang up at the wrong price and I asked the cashier about it. She had a coupon and she took the 25% off of the comforter set - so now it was only $75!!! What a bargain...

I'm really not fond of bed skirts, so I am working on transforming it into a canopy. It's a plain gold color, so I got some Tulip fabric paints this afternoon and I'm going to trace the swirly pattern on the comforter onto the bed skirt and suspend it from the ceiling. I hope to do that this weekend and post pictures.

My evening is drawing to a close, but I am relieved that my photo is ready to be hung and am looking forward to tomorrow night!

Joan

OK, so there are more pictures...















Lauren sent these pictures from CHA. The old Aleene's Gang together once again! AND, finally a picture of Pattie's fiance, Scott. He's usually behind the camera so we don't get many photos of him. BTW, Scott is part of the old Aleene's Gang - he was a camera person. We had a wonderfully relaxing evening talking about the future, the past and all kinds of girls things!!! Don't you wish you were a fly on that wall????

The pictures keep coming in...

Lauren's my olive buddy - seems like EVERYWHERE we go, olives are involved - So it was no surprise to see an olive assortment on the restaurant menu - of course we had to order it!!!






Here's Pattie's new box making tool - it is so awesome and so easy to use.

















I think that's all the photos...

CHA Booth!!!

Here's Duncan's fantastic booth - it was all new for this show.

Thanks Alexis for letting me share your photos! (Alexis was another Celebrity Designer at the show - she's the one on the right in these photos.

Did you see it?????

Aleene's Original Tacky Glue was featured last night on the TV show Beauty and the Geek!!!

The "beauties" were challenged to assemble a dog house using hammers and nails and then decorate them with carpet, trim, boas, etc. A shot of the tell-tale gold bottles, with the "5oz bonus size" was visible.

Gotta love Aleene's Original Tacky Glue!!!

Bras, bras, everywhere there were BRAS!!!

CHA...
It's all about old friends, new products and havin' fun!

Taaaadaaaaa!

Here they are - the bra purses! They are so much fun to make!!!

• Ooh la la…Bra Purses
  Design and Instructions by Joan Fee
  
  Materials needed
  ~ Tulip® Cool Color Spray™
  ~ Aleene’s® Fabric Fusion™ Permanent Dry Cleanable Fabric Adhesive™
  ~ Bra, underwire
  ~ Embellishments: trims, tassels, pom poms, yarns, ribbons, etc.
  ~ Clothespins

Directions
1. Cut bra apart at center. Cut strap on back sections. Cut sides around cups.

2. Cover work surface with plastic. Spray both sides of cups with Cool Color Spray. Let dry.

3. Apply glue to both wire sections of bra. Press trim into glue on one side. Press wire sections together. Hold with clothespins until dry.

4. Glue desired embellishments in place on bra.

5. Overlap straps and glue. Hold in place until dry with clothespins. Glue trim to strap.

CHA is coming fast...

It's What You Want...It's What You Love...that's the theme in our trade show booth. We're loading up new product, signs and all kinds of stuff to show off.

CHA is the Craft & Hobby Associations convention and trade show. It's the craft and hobby world's fair! This is where thousands of craft and hobby industry professionals come together under one roof in a massive burst of creativity, education, inspiration and commerce. Attendees from over 40 countries will soak it all in: the latest techniques, the newest products, the biggest names, and the best sellers.

I'm busy doing last minute things - spraying Tulip Cool Color Spray on a shirt I bought yesterday and still working on bra purses!

I'll have awesome details late next week, until then, happy crafting!
Joan

Golden Celebrations

What a lovely way to spend an afternoon...Frances' parents celebrated their 50th anniversary last weekend and it was fun to hear the mariachi band and to watch a photo presentation and see what Frances and her family looked like over the years.

After the party, Gloria (my co-worker/cubemate) and I went out on the town and then wound up at my place until 12:30 a.m. Long day, but ohhhhh, so fun!

We're getting ready for the huge Craft and Hobby Association trade show!!!



Things are hopping at work - we're developing new products (you won't see them in your stores for probably a year!), we're making signs, we're getting the booth stocked...it's a whole lotta work and the adrenalin is in high gear. We are pushing to get everything done to do what we call a booth "walk-thru" in the morning - it's where everything possible is in place and the Duncan employees get to "walk-thru" and see what's new and how great the booth looks!



This trade show is especially fun since Pattie Donham and I, along with 4 other celebrity designers, will be featured in the booth - this morning, I walked into work and saw two of ME more than life size - quite a shock at 7 a.m.! They are going in the booth with thought bubbles talking about our favorite products. Our mugs are on make-it and take-it signs, in company literature - seems like we're EVERYWHERE! Pattie and I have already planned our Hugfest and Chatfest at the show - whenever we get together there's sure to be lots of laughs and silliness!!!

I'm very excited to be such an integral part of the booth and am anxiously waiting for my bras to arrive so I can make my samples for the make-it and take-it bra purses.

The show is only a week away, so I'm charging my camera batteries, getting my notepad ready to take notes so that I can get back to you with all the latest trends and products...it's going to be something else!

Other fun things are happening...I received a phone call from the guy who's organizing the fine art exhibit I'm in next month - things are shaping up...he was calling to ask me the price of my art work...I just have to laugh...again, life is going in directions I never knew possible. Now, to have a mat made - that's my goal for tomorrow after work...

This weekend is holding some very interesting things - yes, another party (I don't think I've been to this many parties in my entire life!). My friend Gloria and I are going to our friend Frances' parents 50th wedding anniversary - I hear a mariachi band is planned and the same lady who made Frances and Rudy's wonky wedding cakes are making the cake for the party.

I hope to have a quiet Sunday to catch up and get things together for the trade show. I may even be able to sneak a night in a Disneyland while I'm there...

Take care my friends,
Joan

My dad's 80th birthday party

What does a man want for his 80th birthday? Well, I would never have guessed that my 'reserved' father would want a Marilyn impersonator to come sing to him. Several months ago he saw her featured in a newspaper article and told my mom that's what he wanted for his 80th birthday party.

It was an absolute hoot for everyone there! We had little tykes (my youngest nephew is going to be 5 next month) and we had friend's of my dad's. There were lots of smiles and laughs during Marilyn's half hour performance.

I got to see cousins and aunts I hadn't seen in a while and friends of my parents I hadn't seen in more than 25 years. I ate more than my share of cake, so it's back to carrots for me this week.

We are buzzing around work getting ready for the big trade show at the end of the month. The bras for my bra purse make it and take it should be in tomorrow, so I'll be crafting away on those these week.

I chatted over the weekend with my old cubicle mate a couple of times. It's so fun to catch up, to have someone listen to the details of your life and just to kick back. She's been a very influential person in my life - I'm just very sad that she lives so far away.

I can't wait to find some time to craft really soon!

Joan

A week filled with huge waves of emotion...

Hello, my friends,

This has been one of those weeks with extreme highs and extreme lows.

We're celebrating my dad's 80th birthday tomorrow and here he was at Christmas riding my nephew's new quad. My dad has always been the adventurous person - as kids we watched him waterski, hang glide (the hang glider is still in the building out back of their house), race across the dunes at Pismo Beach with our dune buggy, pilot his own plane - I'm sure there's lots more, but my brain is a bit foggy from this week's events. We are having a few close friends and family for a little party tomorrow. The shocker for me (and a lot of my other family members) is that my dad requested a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. My dad is a very reserved person and this is just so out of character for him. I'm charging my camera batteries right now to get some good photos.

The high point of my week was having Cheryl Ball bring me her copy of Craft and Needlework Age (a craft trade magazine) and show me the ad where I'm featured as one of the six Celebrity Designers! Our big trade show is coming up January 28-31 and I can't wait! I'm finishing up plans to get together with my old Aleene's friends Lauren Johnston and Pattie Donham. I saw Lauren just last month, but I haven't seen Pattie since our trip to Hawaii in October of 2005. I can't wait for the huge hugs and all the laughs we'll have!!!!

Another fun part of my week was making final plans for my make-it and take-it at the show - the attendees will get to make Bra Purses! I'm so excited!!! The bras will be in next week, so I'll be busy making the purses and will share them with you.

I had a challenge this week with my photo for the winery gallery exhibit next month. I paid $15 for the enlargement and then went to a local store for a quote for matting and framing. To my shock the estimate was $423!!! Having never had "artwork" in a show before I don't know what is expected. Once the shock wore off, I starting looking at options and got quite freaked out that I didn't know what to do. The thought occurred to me that since my photo was of some old rusty barbed wire, that perhaps I should consider an antique frame. The first antique store I went into had the perfect frame - it was actually a framed mirror. I'll remove the mirror and have a mat made to fit and I'm done.

I talked with a new friend about crafting and being creative. We talked about painting and how he wanted to try, but was fearful. After spending my last vacation painting without rules, I suggested he try getting some paint, paper and brushes and just start by picking a brush and then picking a color that called to him. I think I'll buy him some supplies and surprise him. I have a big bisque ceramic teacup that my friend Frances gave me - I have been contemplating painting it in this style with bright colors and outlining it in black.

It was a very sad day at work today. My co-worker and friend found out that she has a brain tumor. She's the mother of 3 wonderful children all under the age of 5 with the youngest under 4 months old. I have never been so close to someone who has had something like this. I was so impressed with everyone in our building - their comfort, their concern - the tears did not stop all day and now they are flowing just as hard as they did this morning when she told us. I have always admired my friend because of her awesome work and now I respect her even more as she faces the uncertainty.

I have to admit that I had a melt down yesterday that made me question a lot of things. I offered my boss a patio heater I had at my storage unit. When I got to the unit, I looked around at the 10 x 20 foot space - it made me sit down, right there amongst my life's possessions and question what I was doing with my life. This is something that won't be solved today, but gives me reason to pause and really search deep inside. Once again, I am amazed at the people who are in my life and how giving and caring they are. Frances and I had a very long talk today - she gives me great advice and comfort, but always throws the saying back at me that I said to her about a year and a half ago - If not now, when? It was a changing point in her life and this saying had a lot to do with it - As a wedding present, I gave Frances and Rudy an engraved rock that said those words. Frances told me today that she looks at the rock every day as she leaves for work. I am so fortune to have such good friends.

So, I have once again learned many life lessons this week - it has been hard, but I know deep down in my heart that I am becoming the person I am supposed to be because of these events. It will make me stronger...

Pictures of Marilyn up soon!!!

Joan

FINALLY, it's done!

We all have them - projects that just don't seem to get done - that's the case of this garden sphere I worked on for over a year for my mom. I do believe I started it before last Christmas, but now I'm DONE!

What makes this unique is that everyone in my family decorated a piece of ceramic. From my then 3 year old nephew to the dog and cat. I even sent pieces to South Carolina for my nephew and wife to personalize. I got back fun pieces including one with lips (guess who did that one?), a heart made from Steven and Jenny's thumbs, a tree - it's a cool gift from us all - and I'M DONE!!!

Now to figure out what my next project is...