Monday, July 30, 2007

Glue Books!




Did you hear me squeal? I am so excited I'm nearly running around in circles! I heard a knock on the door, went to answer it and got the best surprise, ever. A big box of my new books! Yipppeeeee! They are just wonderful, and cram-packed full of craft projects. Okay, I have to get off my blog and go look at them.

Pattiewack-n-Crafts Hiatus



If you were watching KOTV, Six In the Morning, in Tulsa today, I'm sure you noticed that I wasn't there. Yes, I am on hiatus for a couple of months to work on my "secret" project this summer. BUT, I will be there next Monday, LIVE for Pattiewack-n-Crafts, for the 8:30 time slot and you better believe I will have some fun and crafty projects to share with you. I plan to show off my new book, and hang out with Casey Norton and LeAnne Taylor there at the CBS news station. I can't wait!

Friday, July 27, 2007

Picnics & Rubberstamps







What do rubberstamps and picnics have in common? Answer: a cute & chic fold-up carry-all for your little plate and utensils. I took a canvas square and rubberstamped green vines onto the fabric. (Don't forget to add textile medium if you're using acrylic paint.) Then I sewed ribbon around the edges and left at least 20 inches at each corner to tie it all together for our picnic. All you have to do is add the wine and cheeeeeeeese :-)

Thursday, July 26, 2007

The Crafters Guide to Glue




I forgot to say that you can order my new book! It's at BarnesandNoble.com and you'll see all the info you need to know about ordering it there. I would love and appreciate any good things you could put on the comments area for me!

Projects Everywhere!











Well, today I decided to open up the boxes of projects from my book, The Crafters Guide To Glue. I forgot how many there were! I believe there are at least 75 designs, and they all came back after being photographed for the book. I think I am going to put some of the best pieces in the art walk next month in Santa Paula, since they invited me to participate. Whew! I better get back to my boxes and get this stuff organized before Scott gets home....

Yoga for a headache...









It's been a headache-eee day, and this is the pose that helps. Ice packs, that new head-on stuff, and gatorade. errrrrr.... I guess a gal just can't be perky 24/7, right?

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Trade Show Heaven



I’m freaking out because I didn’t get to see EVERYONE and EVERYTHING at the CHA trade show in Chicago. Can you say Game Plan? I had one, but there were almost 500 booths, and there are over 5,000 buyers in the $30 Billion craft and hobby industry, so forget about it!















My class was a huge success, if you figure that every crafty store owner got to make 5 projects with their 123D Papercrafting System. We had an evil gremlin trying to keep us from using the projector, but the gallant gals from EK Success took over and soon we were all gazing upward at the power point for the happy how-tos.











I wasn’t flying a motorcycle over 15 buses, or saving the planet, but we were in a papercrafting frenzy, as the swag started to fly. There were fab new papers, stickers, brads, labels, and scrapbook bling everywhere.





















Gloria and Joy were the cutest Vannas I could ask for, and Susan kept the powerpoint humming, while Shane was spreading the love.
















I was still wiping the sleepies out of my eyes, since the class was at 8 o’clock, but these gals were ready! As store owners, they’ve got game, and when they get back home they will be stoked about crafting some serious papercraft bling.














Of course, trade shows are the perfect time to catch up with old friends, and Lauren Johnston made sure we scarfed up some yummo pizza in Chicago style. She’s an amazing designer who’s a riot to work with.















Hanging out at the Hyatt was great, since we got to run into the coolest peeps and even CEOs, like Larry Duncan.





Even Scott can relax sometimes, and sit around without a camera on his shoulder.
















Back on the floor the next day, the Wrights booth was one of the coolest there. The contrast of the architectural grunge against the feminine trims of beading, lace and ribbons was a fashionista’s dream world. Their new bobbin winder was the cutest and a must-have on my tools list.














Speaking of must-haves, you will flip when you get your hands on the Creative Options organizers and totes. Scott shot a video of their fresh new storage products. I’ll let you know when the clip is up for you to check out.







Traci and Alexis were the cutest and craftiest chickies you’ll ever see, and the Duncan booth was buzzing with activity over the new glues and paint products.

After 2 days of craft overload, Scott was delirious at the Hyatt lounge. Yeppers, those are tables, and we did an intervention before the hotel security took Scott away. Just another trade show casualty, I’m afraid. But don’t worry, we made it home just fine, and no animals were hurt or injured in the process. (giggle, giggle)


Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Bags are packed...




It's a little past midnight and my bags are packed, and I finished my pretty little project for my book. Yeah! It felt so good to put it in the FedEx box and lay it by my bags. Now I'll be able to focus on the CHA Trade Show in Chicago for the next few days. Scott and I will be busy taking craft videos to manufacturers and I'll be on the hunt for the latest greatest craft goodies. I have some outrageous things coming up, and I want just the right things to design and share with everyone. Okay, I'm heading to bed so I can get to LAX before the plane takes off. I'll be back to posting next week, and let you in on my trip to Chicago. TTFN!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Thank you Barbara!



Flower Wow! Barbara Winkler sent me the most amazingly gorgeous box of fresh gerbera daisies! Awww, they are on fire with color, and look spectacular on my little kitchen table next to a rose from my front yard. She is an angel, and they make me smile every time I walk by. It is so fascinating to me that she is in New York City, and I'm in Southern California, and the flowers came from MarthaStewart.com!

Barbara and I are working on a book together for Soho Publishing (shhhhhh...I can't tell you about it, yet) and we are on our very last project. This has been fun, and I am so excited about the fabulous designs I created, and can't wait for you to see them. I'll keep you posted about the publishing date.

Thank you Barbara....

Monday, July 16, 2007

What Not To Wear?



Ok, here's my wardrobe for the trade show in Chicago. I had to lay it all out on my bed to get an idea whether it works, or not. Gone are the days when Darsee and I used to walk the floor in high heels. But, boy did we have GREAT calves! (giggle) Now I have to decide what not to wear, since I've got tooooo much laying there, as you can see. I love wearing skirts, so I think the painted skirt on the left has to go with me, and the plaid shorts on the right are just way cute. Hmmmmm..... I leave Wednesday morning, so I have to get with it and decide!

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Big Secrets!




I am so excited, I can't stand it! I have a HUGE SECRET to tell you, and it has to do with videos, webisodes, crafts, and a fabulous cable network. After a major conference call this week, I have barely been touching the ground. All I can say is you better buckle your seat belts or grab some duct tape, because I have some fantastic things to reveal, that will rock your plaid socks off!



I don't think I've ever been so busy in my entire life. And, I don't think I've ever gotten SO much crafting done in my entire life, either! These are the sample projects I just finished for the class at the CHA trade show next week, demonstrating the 123D Papercrafting System with EK Success. Susan Levin was kind enough to provide the beautiful wedding pics, which simply MAKE the projects, don't you think? The papers and stickers are from the Inspirables collection, and I love them. We are only going to have 2 hours to make 5 projects, and I'm hoping that we can get them all done in that length of time. I think the class is already booked up, and I think it will be a ton of fun.



We did a photo shoot yesterday for a super fantastic project for a magazine ad that is due this week. Ah....deadlines. Scott made it fun, as usual, and I went through 3 wardrobe changes. It's for the holidays, and I wanted to wear this crazy cute halter dress, and he humored me by shooting that, plus a sweater outfit, and then a brilliant blue silky cropped jacket. After I saw the test shots, I had to let go of the halter dress idea, of course. (sigh) But the brilliant blue jacket was spectacular. Thanks, Scott! It's TOP SECRET right now, or I would show you everything. Don't worry, it will be out soon!




I've also been working on some new products ideas, and spent 4 or 5 days with hardly any sleep, getting the prototypes ready, and then making storyboards. What fun, but how exhausting! I feel like I did the blood, sweat and tears thing over them, because they were really what I love, and would love to see come to market for all of you to craft and play with. I mean, if you could get your hands on these cool crafty tools, you'd sprain your brain thinking of all the things you could make!





As if that's not enough, I have to say that I am on my LAST project for the latest book designs with Barbara Winkler for Soho Publishing. She has been phenomenal to work with, and the 2 of us have had to make up for some of the work that was supposed to be done by another designer, but I am loving this last project, and think it will be the best, ever. Alas, it is ANOTHER top secret, that I am dying to reveal. This book is going to be amazing, because it will make you look at your recipes in a brand new way, baybee!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

On Location


















We're busy as bees with our production company right now. Scott and I just finished shooting a ceramics instructional video for CCSA in Fresno. The talented artists in the ceramics community are so extreme in their techniques. It just blows me away! I saw everything from how to draw designs onto unfired bisque, to blowing bubbles of paint onto a plate. David and Kelly were the stars, and Angie Verburg, Executive Director for Contemporary Ceramic Studios Association put the whole thing together.




I love this piece I found Yessy.com of a male torso by Gino Dominic Nardo. If only I had time to learn EVERY kind of craft in the world. I think I'm well on my way, but ceramics sound so overwhelming. I wish I had a personal sized kiln. Then I could try my hand at glass fusion and ceramic jewelry.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The Pattie Wack Formula For Creativity



Gooooood Morning Santa Paula! All I could say was" WOW" when Scott and I got to the GMSP Breakfast this morning at 6:30 and saw my huge stand-up in the window of the Glen Tavern Inn. The attendance was also huge, compared to the usual group, and I was shocked to find out that gals had come all the way from Santa Barbara, Oxnard and Ventura to see me. Thank goodness I wrote notes on cheater cards and had practiced my "Pattiewack Formula for Creativity" on Scott the night before. I was a little nervous, but excited to find out that so many people were eager to learn how to become more creative.




To rev up their creative juices, I threw some crafty things in a decoupaged suitcase to sit in the foyer as the 80-something guests filled the room. They cracked up when they saw the bra purses, and loved the huge tassel and adored the high-heeled shoe, cowboy boot and purse, and the clapping hands, all made with the ProvoCraft PattieWack Coluzzle Templates. I threw in some placemat purses, and photo boxes that I made with the 123D Papercrafting System. Of course, I had some decoupage pieces, like the bust and luggage, too. Crafty ideas started flowing fast!




















That's me and Frank waiting for the breakfast to begin, and as you can see, I brought my mannequin with decoupage and chalkboard paint. Scott helped me lug everything in, and I think the mannequin was the star of the show!

I want to thank the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce for inviting me to share my creative formula with this fun group. Here are some of the highlights of my 10-minute speech.

My personal FORMULA for CREATIVITY is simple:
1. Take something from your surroundings.
2. Draw from your past experiences.
3. Ponder your need or desire for something new.

In other words, what we have to work with are:
What our resources are right now,
what we perceive out of the past,
and what we hope for in the future.

Being creative is like using a muscle;
Like the runner, the more he runs,
the more he builds up those muscles,
the more he can run....
And the more creative you are,
the more you develop your creative muscle.

It is important to draw upon your surroundings. I personally think that this is the strongest part of the formula for me. It can be other people, things you see, smell, hear and touch…

Even Albert Einstein said,
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”

Here’s a good example:
When Michelle Neuhauser from Krylon Product’s craft division called me for creative direction on new ways to use their spray paint….

I used my formula of:
taking something from my surroundings,
past experiences,
and a desire for something new.
So, I put on my lab coat (literally) with the desire to make something new, grabbed some old spray paint, and started adding things from my surroundings, such as spraying water on an item to resist the spray paint to create a mottled effect.

I dropped mineral spirits onto wet spray paint to create a tortoise shell effect. And so on….until I had created
13 faux painting techniques!

Everyone is creative! But we are not creative in the same way. How many of you remember Kindergarten? Remember when you got your first big box of crayons?

Well, what each of us did with the crayons was different… some of us drew clouds and butterflies, some of wrote notes to our friends, some of us wrote on the desk,or gave ourselves a temporary tattoo, and I’ll bet SOME of you ATE the crayons!

At that point, I asked everyone to take a crayon from the pile in the middle of the table. Then I asked everyone to create something, using their crayon (the present), their kindergarten experience (the past), and their desire to make something new (the future). It was amazing!

We came up with some fun ideas:
1. Melt the crayons and pour them into butterfly molds to create butterfly shaped crayons.
2. Cover the sides of a box to look like a fence.
3. Turn the crayons into rocket-shapes to toss like toys.
4. Draw on fabric with the crayons and drop dye onto the fabric, then iron to create a batik.

What a fun group!

We started a list of peeps who want to start a PattieWack craft group for the Ventura County, as I shook hands and signed autographs at the end of the meeting.

Thanks, Santa Paula Chamer of Commerce and City Manager, Wally Bobkiewicz for this amazing opportunity!
I promise to organize another crafty meet-up very soon.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Ventura County Star



I am picking myself off the floor this morning! The Ventura County Star newspaper did a feature article on me entitled, "Creating Your Creativity." Woweeeeee! Sam Richards, reporter for the Star, interviewed me last week, and their photographer James Glover, shot some pics here at my studio, and now, WOW! My phone is ringing off the hook, and everyone is buzzing about the "Good Morning Santa Paula" breakfast that I will be speaking for on Tuesday.

My goooooodness, I didn't know that one little gal like me could cause such a stir. And I'm in such good company, too. Michael Gelb, a speaker on creativity and author of "How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day" was quoted in the article, saying..... "The single most important obstacle is thinking that you're not creative."

Okay, I have to get off my blog, and get busy. You won't believe what I'm working on today. It's top secret, and I'll have to get back to you when I'm done. Have a great weekend!

BTW, click above on the title "Ventura County Star" if you want to view the online article.

oh, Baby!


Good grief! Don't throw away broken glass, just glue a photo on one side so that it's peaking through, like I did. Then run a line of 3-D glue around the edge, let it dry overnight, then stick crafting foil to it to create a fab necklace.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Picnic Quillows



Is there anything better than a picnic? Well, maybe a picnic with wine! When Scott and I go on hikes or to outdoor concerts, we love to take our fave wine and a way to spread everything out for a lazy lunch. My Mom and Daddy make these fab quilts that are the size of an afghan, which fold into themselves to form a pouch with a shoulder strap. They're called QUILLOWS! There are pockets on the sides, so that we can tuck our wine or other beverages into the pouch, and off we go! Mom and Daddy have a quilting shop in Oklahoma, where they machine quilt these quillows and all sorts and sizes of quilts. People drive from all over the Grand Lake area to drop off their quilt tops and then when they pick them up, they have magically turned into beautiful quilts! Of course, they have a website at PearlsQuilts.com where their other clients place orders and ship their quilt tops to my Mom and Dad. I can't wait for tomorrw, since we are going to head to the beach in Santa Barbara to watch fireworks and lie on the beach. You'll see me there, with Scott and my quillow!

Monday, July 2, 2007

Rick Rack Pattie Wack








I love this outfit! I glued rickrack and daisy appliques onto my jeans and top, and woohoo..... I'm ready to watch fireworks, barbeque, or just take a little nap on a quilt under a tree. The rick rack is a fuzzy chenille, which makes it so much fun to touch. And the best part is, I didn't have to sew. Easy, cute and quick!