Hat's from Photos

It's done!  What a fun journey!!!  When I took photos of flowers the last couple of years I NEVER thought of using them on a hat, but here ya go!  The contest is Wednesday so I'll take my camera to capture all of the entries and maybe have someone take a better one of me!

Photo Hat

Is that kind of like Photo Hut?  Remember those? 

I'm going to a meeting on Wednesday where we're having a hat contest.  I started a photography group a little other a year ago and thought I'd decorate my hat with flowers of photos I've taken on our field trips.  I wanted to make them dimensional, so I printed them on both sides (you have to reverse one of the images), cut them out, formed the petals around a pen (it gave them a more life-like look) and in some I added dimension in the centers with glitter, Tulip 3D Paint or Tulip Crystals.  Can't wait to put them on my hat!

 I used Tulip 3D Paint in the center of this Zinnia.

 Tulip Crystals on this one.

My hat before...the transformation to follow.

Avila Valley Barn & See Canyon

I love Avila Valley Barn and See Canyon near San Luis Obispo, CA.  These two amazing places are right off of Highway 101 and worth the stop.

The zinnias at Avila Valley Barn were absolutely incredible!!!  You just might see some of the photos in an upcoming project I'm working on.

The displays are amazing!  I've done some of my holiday shopping here in recent years!  The jars are back lit with Christmas tree lights.

 Squash...

 APPLES!!!  Gopher Glen, a local apply farm, grows 62 different varieties and has the BEST apple cider!!!  Some in my frig chillin' as I type this!

 Such beauties!

 The fragrance was yummy!

 Grapes at Kelsey Winery at See Canyon.

Tons of peacocks roam the grounds at Kelsey Winery.

Apples, apples, EVERYWHERE there were apples!!!

Casting Photos in Resin

I remember as a kid going to the Standard Brands store in Fresno with my family.  Seems like we were always there buying paint for a rental or needing something to repair things around the farm.  Anyone else remember those stores?  They had paint and lumber but what I remember most about the store was the resin casting supplies.  Every time we'd go, I'd spend my time in that aisle looking at what they'd cast in the resin.  I never did purchase any of the supplies as a kid but fast forward to 2011 and I've been researching ways to embed my photos in resin.  Today's the day to experiment.  I'm trying with printouts from my printer and photos I had printed at Costco.  I coated them with Aleene's Instant Decoupage and let them dry.  I have to work this morning but will be a mad resin scientist this afternoon (we're chilly here today so it'll be better this afternoon when the resin is 'warmer').

Back at ya with photos tonight!  Can't wait.  But, darn, I have to work this morning...

The Mad Resin Scientist,
Joan

Costco International Photo Contest 2011

I just entered, have you? 

Credit Cards

Am I being anal or just prepared?  

I copied the fronts and backs of my credit cards and insurance cards...I'll go with being prepared!

How often do you copy your credit cards?

Quaking

Yesterday, we had a little local earthquake - a 3.7.  I mainly 'hear' the earthquakes when they happen (I've experienced three in three years).  I have a lovely terrarium with glass sides and it shakes against the metal 'housing' when we have a shaker.  So, today is the day I decided to finally use the Quake Hold! that I'd had for ages and secure my treasures on top of my kitchen cabinets (I have cathedral ceilings so I have lots of breakable items up there).  OK, so earthquakes, I am now prepared, so you can stop now!!!!

I think I'm on a 'be prepared' quest...

Make it a great day!

Joan

Ready for an Emergency

It'll NEVER Happen to ME...
Life is going along just fine and then one day IT happens.  THE UNEXPECTED!!!

It wasn't a normal Saturday - I had been invited to attend a Canon camera seminar in a nearby town by a friend who had recently bought a new camera and invited me along.  I was excited - I was finally going to take a formal class on photography and learn a little something about cameras.  My friend got lost and was 1/2 hour late, so I couldn't go into the seminar (I later suggested she get a GPS for her car!).  The seminar was informative, our lunch wonderful and I left early to buy a hostess gift for the dinner I was attending that night.  I was getting dressed and started to not feel 'right'.  I called a friend whose son happens to be a doctor and her daughter has a master's in nursing (it is soooo nice to have a friend like that!).  She told me to unlock the door and go lay on the bed.  I don't remember the next seven hours.  I hear there were ten fire and policemen in my home, I had a $2,400 ambulance ride (I would have liked to have remembered that!) and don't remember spending several hours in the ER.  I do remember being placed in a hospital bed and appearing at three of my very concerned friends at the end of my bed.  After many days in the hospital and tons of tests they think I had a seizure.  
 

Thinking about my future health and my poor friends and emergency personal who didn't have a clue about the meds I took, I decided to 'post' all the medical info in a conspicuous place in my house but didn't want it to 'stand out like a sore thumb'!  I typed up my emergency contact info and all my meds, put them in a clear pouch, cut a piece of scrapbook paper to make it fit my decor and printed Medical Info on some plain paper. I put it near where I keep my purse and keys. Don't forget to put the info in your car (I put mine in a zip-top plastic bag) and I also did one to carry in my purse and I take it when I walk.

You just never know...and it's always better to be prepared - I don't know about you, but I have TONS more things I want to do with my life and hopefully I will never need emergency services again but at least I have gathered all the info needed if the need arises.

Take few moments right now to protect yourselves and your loved one... it could be a matter of life or death!!!

Take care,
Joan

Lovely Gardens

 

Garden Tour of Cayucos

Such a pleasure seeing these wonderful gardens, many with succulents which thrive on the Central Coast of California

 Makes we want to sit for a spell....

 My parents were both rural mail carriers so I happen to have an affection for different mailboxes.  

 Check out this clear mailbox - love it!

Another example of living in a beach town...a surf mural on your garage door!

Prince William & Kate

Wow!  Was I honored when my friend, Kathy, brought me this tin full of yummy cookies all the way from England by way of Virginia.  It commemorates the marriage of Prince William of Wales & Miss Catherine Middleton on April 29th, 2011.  Love it!  Thanks, friend!

Make Healthy Fun! Workshop

 

What an awesome workshop at the Morro Bay Library!  I was under-the-weather so I recruited some helpers I knew would do a great job and I hear they did!!!  Thanks to my sister-in-law, Nicki, my bro, David and 9-year-old nephew, Brandon who made a fun morning for kids and adult alike making marbles (all you need is some cornstarch or white bread, glue and paint) and creating a container garden complete with beans seeds to get the kids going on growing their very own garden.  Check out workshops and other ideas to get the entire family to unplug, exercise and eat healthy at www.MakeHealthyFun.blogspot.com and www.MakeHealthyFun.com

Transfer Your Child's Drawings on to T-shirts

 















Don't file away those great drawings your child creates, scan them into your computer, print them on Wilton T-shirt Transfers, iron them on and in a few short seconds you have a unique way to 'display' and preserve a masterpiece. 

My nephew, Brandon, was here this summer and created some great drawings.  School starts for him this week so I created one-of-a-kind t-shirts for his first week of school.  Remember those days?  New clothes, new shoes, even new underwear...

Stores are having amazing sales on t-shirts right now, grab a few, stop at your local fabric or craft store for some t-shirt transfers and be ready for school!

BTW - if you've used iron-on transfers years ago, try them again - they've improved DRASTICALLY!!!

Happy Crafting!
Joan

Make Healthy Fun! FREE Workshop

Come join the fun!

Describe Yourself

I recently took a PR class and part of an assignment was to come up with three words / things / people, etc. to describe yourself - it's harder than you think...  When you're a person who's been involved in the creative industry for years (and years) and have worn many hats it's kind of hard to come up with just three.  I came up with

Martha Stewart (I love to plan parties and make daily life special - but I'm cheap...) meets Honey I Shrunk the Kids (I love shrink plastic!) meets Marlo Thomas (I currently have a little flip in my hair that I've never tried before!).

How about you?  What three words / things describe you?

Check back every Thursday to see what crazy thing I'm sharing - it might be a new craft, a new trend, a new shrink plastic project (I have zillions of ideas!!!) or inexpensive ways to throw a party...

Until next Thursday, the Martha in me is planning a dinner party, the 'Shrunk' part of me is working on an amazing shrink plastic garden idea and Marlo needs to go make sure that flip is just right...

Enjoy your week!
Joan

Visions of Home

The last couple of weeks have been very emotional.  My sister-in-law's dad passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 61. A friend of the family created some amazing floral arrangements made with dried roses for the memorial service.  George was an avid guitar player and taught my fifteen-year-old nephew how to play and he bravely accompanied a photo montage at the service.  My hat is off to you, Justin, for an amazing tribute to your grandfather.  He would be very proud.








 George was a corrections officers and the friend did an amazing job replicating the symbol.  I was so very touched by the number of people who came to pay their respects - they stopped counting attendees at 650.  George was a wonderful man who will be missed by all who knew him.

While I was 'home' for the memorial service I took a little trip around the family farm.  My family's barn is really cool - we've had fun Thanksgiving dinners in there, we used to park our tractor in there and zillions of years ago, cows were fed inside.  Love the country living...(or at least visiting)











 Sunflowers near the barn.

 My 9-year-old nephew came over for a few days and we 'played' all kinds of things.  He LOVES the military and EVERY time he comes for a visit I get to go to the army surplus store!  He was so excited to try out his $8 tent.  He slept in it and I didn't sleep that night because every time he rolled over the plastic rustled.
 

 Brandon did lots of painting and sometimes it wasn't on paper or canvas...

I had some old canvases in my garage and now Brandon LOVES using them.  He created eight different paintings.  He's taking a Picasso style painting class in a couple of weeks and tried his hand at it at my house.

I made sure Brandon signed and dated each painting - a reminder to all of us that when we finish our masterpiece we must sign and date it!