Maryanne's Creative Mix

Hi everyone, so here are the pictures I got to take while working a spot at the show. Of course there are so many more great costumes and things that happened. I was working and I didn't get to see them. At least I hope you are entertained by what I got to see. The cutest family portrait. When 2 costumes are the same well we just get together and take pictures! I really like Carol from the walking dead. I love a female hero. I tried to make it work with some of the clothes I had on hand. I don't have the cool knife she had but I have the grey hair at least. Here art the Ghostbusters You gotta love the art Steampunk guy in the making. He had a great mustache and now he has the hat to match.  This group was absolutely embracing their characters. I had to go into the booth next to us to get the picture so you can't see the fairy godmother. Check next photo. Someone tell me how anyone walks around in this? Amazing costume This is actually the very first picture I got that day a

                                                        Vacation of a lifetime; Alaska First snack time before the flight.  We're checked in and ready to go. As a treat we got 1st class tickets out. So exciting.  Anthony and Elliot were our traveling companions on the trip going and coming home. They had a snack too.  First class gave me soooo much room I couldn't even use the foot rest.  What's even more absurd was the fact that I could stand up in the inside seat.  We finally met up with our second companions for the trip in Seattle. So very happy for this trip and getting to spend time with my boys. Here is Jeff the first morning in our first stop was in Sitka. We were picked up at the airport and shown where we were to meet the group the next morning. That night the bar next door had a few very happy ladies or maybe just one. Who was laughing through the early morning. We arrived at the hotel around 11:30pm so we went right toe sleep. We heard an eagle near by and went

ATC challenge entry for GECKO GALZ Scrapbooking Blog  Gecko Gala provides great inspiration to us through posts from designers and the members of the blog. Wait there's more, they also provide free sheets of inspiration to use. You can also go to their Etsy store and find a lot of prints too.  June's ATC Challenge is Bohemian Gypsy.  I couldn't decide which I wanted as a background cause they are all beautiful. Actually wanted to layer them like they were visual representations of time. Well, it makes sense in my mind. Enjoy. Please check out  G ecko Galz And let me know in the comments below which of these you like or don't like and why.  Thoughts of yesterday Inspired legend  

The Beauty Of Handmade; A Tribute To Creatives. I find it truly astonishing how some individuals fail to appreciate the effort and creativity that goes into creating and gifting something special.  Have you ever stopped to think about the origins of the everyday items that make our lives easier? They often stem from the innovative minds of individuals tinkering away in their garages, yards, or back bedrooms. These visionaries see possibilities where others may not, crafting outcomes that enhance our daily experiences. While not everyone may share a passion for crafting handmade items like cards, jewelry, scrapbooks, or textiles, opting instead to purchase mass-produced goods at a lower cost, I can understand that perspective. However, consider this: in the past, there were artisans who crafted essential items from scratch, providing their communities with necessary goods in a time when stores were not overflowing with options.  Without these creators, our world would lack the unique

Making stamps   I think I have figured out how to make some workable stamps.   A long time ago I tried and failed at making stamps that I would use. I think the problem was I tried to create stamps that were like the manufactured kind. Once I set my sites on something I drew instead of a perfect stamp I think I was more satisfied with the results.  Here is what I did.  I first drew some things I already and comfortable with like eyes and a mouth. Then I marked my drawing to indicate what outlines I wanted to show. Once I designed something I was happy with I penciled in marks that would transfer to my carving block.  I placed the pink block and pressed on the image to transfer it to the block.  From there it took a bit of time to remove the unmarked areas. That to me is the hardest part using a knife, razor carving set, to remove the unneeded part of the block is the most difficult part of this process. If you can live with a few mistakes and make adjustments as needed I think it can w