Ronda Palazzari Designs

Siren's Call: The Journals

We are heading out to Greece today.  Of course i will be updating the blog with photos & fun times.  I will also continue with sharing some inspiration too!  In the meantime, i wanted to share some travel journals i made for my kids & my mother-in-law maggie.  I love Ali Edward's Scrapbook on the Road class.  I was so happy to take her class in Greece and i highly recommend it.  It was the inspiration for these albums. 

All three of these journals were made using Cocoa Daisy's August kit.  How could i not use some of the Mykonos line from 7 gypsies found in the kit for these mini albums.  I covered three 4 x 6 albums with various patterned papers.  I used a bit of gesso around the edges to give it some textures. 

The interior pages are both blank watercolor pages & some other patterned papers for quotes.  I also made some pocket pages to hold items as well.  I couldn't resist using the tag off the kit in the album.  I am also bringing some of the smash stickies & stamp found in the Calypso add-on to use while we are there. 

Travel Bug Love

Siren's Call: The Layouts

It seems like such an appropriate kit for me this month since i am currently packing for Mykonos!  I do hear the siren's call taking me back to Greece & to my friend Elina.  I cannot wait to be there with Andy.  i cannot wait to show the family the beautiful island of Mykonos.

Just like Mykonos, this kit is packed with beautiful colors, embellishments, & patterned papers including some of the new Mykonos line from 7 gypsies.  The layout above is from our adventures in Chicago.  Lisa captured & tweeted these photos of Christine & I trying on shows while declaring "I just don't have the shoe gene."  The Maya Road canvas pennants were dyed with Maya Mists (Lime metallic, Teal Metallic, Sunflower, Pomergante Pink, & Latte). 

Strider is a pup we dog sit from time to time.  Last time he was here i snapped a couple pictures of him.  He is so loveable.  For the background of the is page i used The Crafter's Workshop Stencil Zinnia found in an add-on for this months kit.  I used Lime Metallic & Teal Metallic mists. 

I also used that same stencil on this layout with a little bit of gesso & Maya Mists to create the background.  I was photographing things around my house one day and started to realize i own a lot of accessories.  I think it's all the bright colors and being able to change the look of an outfit with just a small piece of jewelry.  I love all those possiblities. 

Brightly colored Love

Vintage Findings

My dad lately has been scouring the antique & flea markets for me.  I love that he is willing to fill his time looking for things for me.  It fills my heart with joy.  i mentioned keys and was floored that he found these beautiful rusty skeleton keys.  Be still my heart.  i am not sure what i want to do with them yet.  i think there will be some hanging around the house & a few altered art projects.

Not only did he bring me the keys but i also got these two beautiful old singer tins filled with buttons.  The tins themselves are very cool.  I love the colors and pictures on them.  He bought be bags of buttons from estate sales and such. 

and i do mean filled. 

Lastly he was cleaning out his old watches.  Granted they aren't antiques but they were his.  Some of them are those freebees you get with purchasing other items but i still love them.  I will feel less guilty when i take a few of them apart to get those tiny parts inside.  Oh the projects i will be creating.

Antique Love (it grows strong with time)

 

Siren's Call Sneaks

Just two short days until the August kit is revealed at Cocoa Daisy.  The activities start at 4 pm Eastern with chatter, games, & prizes.  This kit is full of bright summer sunshine, tropical breezes and lazy vacation days all wrapped up in pretty paper, embellishments, and the exclusive Cocoa Daisy Stamp. 

Summery Love

United By Art: Anna Dabrowska (aka Finnabair)

One of the things i love about this industry, this hobby, this art is how it brings people across the globe together.  How we can find inspiration across the world and bridge our cultural gaps, make new friends, and learn from each other.  Even though we live in so many different places and speak so many different languages, we are united by art.

I love to blog hopping and finding this inspiration, seeing other peoples approach to scrapbooking & mixed media art.  I want to share (with their permission of course) people i find along the way.

United By Art #6: Anna Dąbrowska

Country: Poland

I have known Finn (her nickname, also Finnabair) through many different sources including the Color Room.  This girl is so very talented.  The kind of artist that you would like to just watch them work for a while to see what goes on in her incredibly talented brain.  I love how boldy she mixes in metals & other mixed media with her scrapbooking.  Her color combinations are so unique.  She mixes grungy metals with the palest of greens and makes it look breath-takingly beautiful. Plus i must admit i love any fellow tea drinker!  If you have checked out her blog yet, hurry up!  But be warned, you will be spending some time there checking every thing out!  Here are just a few of my favorites from her. 

 

United Love

CHA Day 3

I am home today.  I must admit i am tired.  I need to finish unpacking, putting things away, and take care of the emails that never seem to end.  I am missing my friends but so happy to be home with the kiddos & sleeping in my bed.  I had so much fun with everyone and left feeling like it was a really great show!.  Here are some photos from the last day.

Love

CHA Day 2

Such a great time at CHA, even though it is a busy time.  Last night Christine, Lisa, & i had dinner with Julie & her mom.  Love them both so much.  It was a fantastic dinner with so much uplifting support.  Today was more work but we manage to slip in some play in there with Emily Pitts, Paula Gilarde, & Marnie Flores at Julie's table after the Crafter's Workshop. Lisa for the first time had messy fingers, had so much fun, and declared "I kind of liked that."  Another one bites the dust.  I love creative play time!

CHA CHA CHA love

CHA Day 1

Yesterday was the first day of the show.  We had so much fun looking at products, bumping into people, and seeing all the amazing designs.  Here's a glimpse at some of the stuff we saw.

Chic-A-Go

Loved Loved Loved our first day in Chicago with Christine & Lisa.  It's been quite some time since i was in the Windy city.  The architecture is just so stunning.  i really do think i could move from the burbs and live in a city center.  The energy & pace of city life just suits me.  We walked & walked & walked today.  And while shopping, we ran into the ever so fun & lovely Margie.  So very cool to chat with her today.  Here is a photo journal of our adventure today on the magnificient mile!

Urban Love

CHA plus Maya Road

Hi there.  I feel like i can finally breathe a little bit.  i have been so super busy with everything lately i feel like i have been slipping on the self-care department.  Must remember again my little motto, self-care before self-destruct.  I am Chicago now eagerly anticipating CHA Summer and sharing the experience with Lisa Pace & Christine Drumheller.  We came a few days early to play in the city before digging into work. The laughter has already started.  It's these moments that i need these breaks.

I love so much being part of the Maya Road design team.  We all created canvas that will hang in the booth.  I couldn't resist using the latest Maya Road trims & chipboard.  You can see the full catalog here. I have such a love affair with that organza tea garden earl grey trim.  It was so hard to cut & stitch only because i love it so.  But i did & i am so pleased with the results.  The base of the canvas is Maya Mists (Sunflower, Blue Agave, Earl Grey, and Orange Sherbert) & gesso.  I have really enjoyed using mists to paint my canvases.  I painted the chipboard pieces white since there is so many beautiful colors on the background.