Candice Windham Design Studio

I can't believe I haven't posted anything on this blog for more than a month. Of course, that's better than when I began blogging and updated once a year, whether I needed to or not! My friend Karen Gaulke and her hubby recently had a precious baby girl, Katherine Marie Gaulke. There are several designers who contribute to the Memory Makers blog and we all wanted to send Karen gifts, but since we are scattered all over the country, getting together all at once was a little bit of a problem. Our solution was to have a surprise online shower for Karen. Today at 11 a.m. EST, Karen, who is on maternity leave, will be notified that there is a problem with the website and asked to log on to see if she can solve it. That's when she will see a post from the participating designers with the handmade gifts that will be coming her way. My gift is a decorated one gallon paint can, designed to hold memories from Baby Katherine's first year which will not fit in a scrapbook, such...

I returned from the Craft and Hobby Convention and Tradeshow Sunday after a week of getting my art fix with people who understand my way of thinking. You know the one: when you see a box or bottle or some unusual packing materials in the trash, you immediately see all the possibilities of an artistic creation, and the desire to take it home overcomes the embarrassment of diving head-first into a trash can that you would never touch when in your right mind. My friends Laurie and Barbara went with me, and we had a blast checking out new products, taking classes and eating yummy Chicago food. This time, I saw a lot of new products. Maybe they aren't new, but are at least new to me. Check out my CHA report at www.memorykeepingcollection.com/blog_candicewindham No, go hug someone you love, but not too long because it's hot. The heat index in Memphis was 121° yesterday with more expected today. I think I'll make sweet tea and chill.

I have been posting on a new blog site for a month or so, and just realized that I should have let everyone know. There are several designers posting projects, tips and general info on the site, so even if you don't like my tutorials, you might be interested in those of someone else. This doesn't mean that I won't be posting on this site, so don't forget about me here. Check it out the new blog at www.memorykeepingcollection.com/blog_candicewindham I will be posting several times a week, so come back often. Today's post (see photo) is about using up your old blurry or unwanted photos rather than chunking them in the landfill, which reminds me of a saying I heard this week: Crafters were the original recyclers." And that reminds me of another: "Adam was the original rough draft." This thought train is going nowhere. Guess I'd better get out of here before I say something really stupid. Go hug someone you love!

Today is the last round of the Sizzix ScoreBoards Blog Hop. I must say I'm sorry to see it come to a close, because these dies definitely challenge me to think outside the box. To learn more about the Sizzix ScoreBoards, visit Eileen Hull , designer. Today's die is a bow, consisting of several sizes of strips and buttons. I cut six of each size and probably could have added at least three more of each. Supplies Green Cardstock (Stampin'Up@!) Versamark Ink Platinum Embossing Powder Swirl stamp (Inkadinkado) Wooden Skewer Sharpie (green) Makin's Air-Dry Clay Rhinestone Bling Angel Pin Cropadile Directions 1. Stamp and emboss a full sheet of cardstock (8 1/2" X 11"). Cut six of each size strip. 2. Punch hole on each end with largest hole on the Cropadile if needed. You can also use a regular hole punch, but test it first to make sure the hole isn't too big to fit snugly on your skewer. Loop the cardstock strips and add a touch of glue to hold the ends togethe...

Another round of the Sizzix ScoreBoard blog hop is upon us. This time, we're using the cake die. This die is great alone, but I added part of the ScoreBoard Cupcake (hence the title, Cake X 2) die as well. Check out all the other ideas from designers listed below. Eileen Hull is the designer of these great dies. The theme this time was to use our favorite....color, technique, etc. I love the chocolate and peach combo as well as Cuttlebug textures, so that's what I used. I also used up supplies from my embellishment collection, so don't know all of the manufacturers. The pearls were from my stash, given to me by a dear friend whose mother owned a bead store in the '70s. I wrapped the beads around the cake base, adhering with Be Creative® double stick tape. I draped white pearls around the edge to simulate icing trim. The inside was lined with Bohemia paper which had been spritzed with Tattered Angels Golden Autumn to get the proper color. All edges were inked with Chest...

Here is the latest in the Sizzix ScoreBoard Blog Hop. This cute little rectangular box is perfect for those great things that come in small packages. Fill it with kisses, small embellishments or anything tiny you want to put in it. Be sure to check out what other designers have done and vote for your favorite on ScoreBoard Designer Eileen Hull's blog. I don't know about you, but I always have trouble keeping up with small pieces and I hate clutter. I turned my box into a clip joint to hold my paper clips. It adds a cheery note to my desktop too! Supplies: Big Shot Rectangular box die Matboard Graphic 45 paper Brads Gingham ribbon 3M Super 77 Spray Adhesive Krylon Totally Tangerine Spray Paint Be Creative® Adhesive Velcro Dots Directions: 1. Cut and assemble box bottom with double-stick tape. Spray both pieces with Krylon paint. Allow to dry. 2. Cover box bottom with paper using Super 77. 3. Cover box top with reverse side of paper using Super 77. Attach top to bottom with brad...

It's time for another Blog Hop featuring Eileen Hull's fabulous ScoreBoards from Sizzix. Our die for this round is the gorgeous Teacup die. The blog hop will begin April 14th at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, so if you want to see all the projects, you might want to wait until then to view it. Being the think-outside-the-box-even-if-it's-goofy artist that I am, I turned it upside down and made a party hat place card and tea bag-holding party favor for a tea party. We have a Ladies' Tea at Trinity Baptist every couple of months, and I'm thinking these would be a hit! Once again, the designer of the project receiving the most votes will be given the Teacup die as a prize and one person leaving a comment on one of the blogs will receive a die from the first ScoreBoard collection, a $40 value! Leave your comment here and go to Eileen's blog to vote! Supplies: Prima paper, Indeed Collection, Enchanted Colorbox Chestnut Roan and Peacock Inks Prima Flowers Pale Pink Feather R...