Anything But Dull

This little pillow shaped magnet I found on my Mom's frige says it all!

We have spent the last weeks of our lives cleaning, decluttering (not really a word) packing and giving away way too many collected things. Some of which we wondered why we had it in the first place, some of which we will never remember we had, some of which was painful to release....to say the least :-/

I'm considering my Mom and I are not dull in any way shape or form!

Published Work

These are a few of my paper crafting projects that have been published. It's so fun to create and be able to see your imaginings (what a wonderful word) come to life.

Baltimore Style & Creating Keepsakes Magazines.

I will post the Pinecone Press books soon. My layouts were choosen to grace the covers of two of the books. I was shocked and so honored.

Always more to come!

Out of the Loop

Hi Everyone,
Yes, I have been very lax in posting so bear with me. I'm currently in TN helping my Mom work on her home. Since I am laid off and able to freelance on my laptop this has been a great time to work and look for a new position. Also nice to visit with dear friends and my loving family.

Hopefully a more interesting update to come.

Thanks to everyone for your never ending support and encouragement!
Love you,
Amy

National Stationary Show

Wow! Is all I can say....this is the second time I've had the opportunity to attend this show (for free, I might add) and it gets better each time. No one really allows you to take photos of their booths so sorry I can't show you more but, take my word for it....it's overload for the creative soul.

Since I am now freelancing for CR Gibson, I had a meeting with the Creative Director and then we went out with some of the other girls for supper after the show and.... I might even have the chance to design for their baby line. :-) I'm currently working for their scrapbooking area called "Tapestry". This would be great to expand my experience and opportunity for pay.

Being at the show also gave me the chance to network and I talked with at least 4 companies who were interested in hiring for freelance. God is really showing off now and....I know there are better things coming.

I'm loving this new life the layoff at ABC2, WMAR-TV has given me. I've been trying to make this happen for how many years....say, at least 6.....? Gods timing is perfect so I would say to all of you "Never lose your hope and faith even when it seems there is no hope. God is still there with you."

Thank you to all who have given your support and continue to do so.
Love you all,
Amy

Designing Kits has become my FUN life :-)

I'm so thrilled to have the opportunity to work with CR Gibson and I'm designing kits one right after the other. It's so exciting and fun!

These are the two latest and they are box kits which come with an album - a Travel Kit and the colorful kit was really fun. It's artist Lori Seibert.

Do you see anyone you recognize in the sample layouts on any of the kits I've created?
The layouts are kept fairly simple so even a beginner can feel they could create with the kit.

The "Softly Spoken" pad kit (second project I did for them. See it in an earlier post) has sold into the Canadian market so I've gone international! WooHoo!
Can't wait to see that one printed and in my hands.

Check This Out!

My friend Lisa Bearnson has a new design for her web page. Check her out at www.lisabearnson.com

This Designer is on the Move

Things are happening fast and furiously!

CR Gibson has contracted me for two more kits. One of which will be selling to Ross. (love that store!) Of course the deadlines is tight "as usual" but I"m still having fun!

I'm so excited to have the opportunity for not only the work but the experience this freelance is giving me.

I am taking some computer classes just to brush up on my skills and even learn a few new things. All these design programs are sooooo extensive, who could know everything about them....there's just no way. My classes are all day Saturday's and just had my first one. The teacher was GREAT!!! She is also teaching the one I'm taking next Saturday and encouraged me to take another on the 15th. We will see....the cost is adding up :-)

God is good and always on time!

Another Project

CR Gibson liked what I did with the Fall Boxed Kit so much that before I could finish formatting the files, she asked if I would do another kit! This time it's all in a pad, and with a tight turn-around time. I told her "Of course!" You don't have to ask me twice.

I got the files on Friday afternoon and finished everything by 4am Monday morning. Quick, but I LOVE this kit! I want it for myself. She thinks it may sell to Sam's Club so be on the look out when you are out there shopping.

Freelance Gig!

No full time job yet but was contacted by CR Gibson out of Nashville for a freelance project. Yeah! These days I have to say it really is who you know that can make a call, send an email or just put in a good word for you. The job market is flooded with applicants even in the world of design. God has truly give me favor.

The first project was a fairly tight deadline. But, most of you who really know me know I work well under pressure of time. The project was a boxed kit for next year (they work about year out) and sell to places like Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Sam's Club, etc. and a large dept. store in Canada called Zeller's. They are like Target.

So here is a look at the first project. It was a lot of detail work but soooooo much fun!
Fall Collection Scrapbook Kit
What do you think?

Mom's 73rd Birthday

It's that time of year again which most of us dread...only because we don't want to hear the year that goes with our new age....not because we don't want any Birthday Cake, Presents or Celebration, with friends & family, of the day of our birth.

I don't know about Mom, but as for me, I'm sticking with 34 as long as I can get by with it! Ha!

I began Mom's birthday weekend with a country breakfast on Saturday morning (eeeh, maybe is was more like lunch. Gotta sleep late when you can) Then another homemade meal for supper. Country fried steak, gravy, peas and mashed potatoes. Yummm! I was hoping this would spoil her a bit.

Sunday, the actual day, we had an early supper with my friend Rachel and her sweet husband Jim at Outback. We began the meal with Mom's favorite, fries covered with cheese & bacon, and did end the meal with their wonderful Thunder from Downunder Brownie with a candle on top for the Birthday Girl to make a wish.

Today, we will have a light supper at a small pizza joint near my house that has ballroom dancing for Seniors on Monday nights. Last time we went Mom and I actually danced the "Jitterbug"and we got lots of applause. Tonight, we are just going to enjoy watching.

Happy Birthday to a Mom I would hope everyone would have as their own!!!

Job Update!

I received word that Anna Griffin, Inc. is not interested in hiring me for the current position that is open. It is sad news since working in the gift/scrapbooking industry has been something I've been dreaming of for several years.

It was wonderful to finally meet Anna (I enjoyed talking with her very much) and her Art Director Holley. They were both very nice and had wonderful things to say about my work. The information below is from the final email from the Art Director.

"We have decided that you are not the best candidate for the design position. We simply loved having you here and meeting with you and seeing all your wonderful craft projects! You are super talented and we really admire all your work. I think that we just really need someone with a lot more experience in the type of product design that we do. Thank you so much for coming down and bringing all that great stuff.
I don’t think you should change a thing, you are very professional and extremely well-put together. If we had several openings, you would definitely be in unfortunately, we only have one opening and I just need someone with more specifically targeted experience to what we do."

It's a hard transition when you to have work experience in the industry but you can't get a job to give you that experience. Just like a hamster on it's wheel. I know the job market is flooded with designers looking for work. And I know having my friend Lisa Bearnson talk to Anna got me in the door. Thanks Lisa for your support over the years. :-)

So....onward and upward!

Who will the lucky company be?

Stay tuned ;-)

The World of Blogging

My big sister Sandy has finally pushed me...kicking and screaming....into the world of blogging. It's a scary thing to think all your stuff is out there for everyone and anyone to take hold of. Yes, I ended that sentence with a preposition....one of my own pet peeves. You'll see more of those in later posts, I'm sure of it!

See, there I go again.

So here I am world!

Take me or leave me!

I am who I am but God's not done working on me yet. Just wait and see what He can do.... it will amaze us all. I just know it!

My Ideas... They belong to me!

(Disclaimer - Post written by Sister Sandy from her point of view)

...as most of you know, my sister Amy went to interview with Anna Griffin about 10 days ago. It was scheduled for 1:30 and we expected to be waiting for Amy until 4:30ish...

However ~

We wanted to make sure we could find the location and thus arrived early at the offices - 12:20 - we had just parked and settle in when we watched Anna walk out of the building and get into her car.

Not 15 minutes later, Amy got a cell call from the art director asking if we were there, Anna had called her and said that she recognized Amy from her photo, so 'please come on in'.

If you're tracking time along with me, this happened at 12:38.

First, Dad and I drove west, out toward the water treatment plant (which he pronounced was not a good area to live in), through some type of railroad landscapes and something like quarry/stone processing... not too much retail therapy here! But we detoured into some assorted condo and apartment complexes, thinking that we could scout out the neighborhood. It so happened that all of the places we went to were gated and locked, so we were only able to do minimal drive-bys.

We spent 45 minutes doing this before we drove east toward the city.

Again, not too many commercial businesses, but we found some more apartments, which Dad did not like - I thought they were cool, a lot of aluminum and color, modern and different (artsy! ya know?).

Then we saw what we thought were promising properties on the left - a few small houses, a for sale sign, and we travelled to where we could turn in... at the county jail entrance sign! As we drove into the neighborhood, the houses were looking a bit rough. We did not stay too long in this area, we probably looked like out-of-towners, gawking out the windows, etc!

SO ~ it was back to the Anna Griffin place.
Okay... so now what? It is just 2:15... what to do?

I asked Dad if he would drive me back to the only shopping area - I saw a Goodwill sign and Kroger and I thought I might kill some time walking around there. The Goodwill was a donation site only - no window shopping at all. The Kroger was a little more interesting. I bought some cards that I needed and also some candy. Plus they had a cool candy bouquet in their floral department that I thought was perfect for my sister to create sometime in the future... mmmm, can she use that as a springboard for an idea and it's "legal"? I took a photo on my cell phone.

And then, we went back to AG's because Dad did not want to spend much time driving all afternoon and then have to drive back home that night... so no, Jane, I did not get to go to the Atlanta IKEA. :(

Back to the parking lot to sit, wait, read, eat my box of junior mints, read, wait, walk around, wait, stretch, wonder, think that it is taking way too long, wait, read, read more, walk up to the front door and peer inside, watch people start to go home from work, read (listen to Dad tell me that if I finish my book, Ames owes me a new one!), wait, wait, wait, wait...

F I N A L L Y !!! 5:13pm... Can you believe??
(Quick mathematicians, how much time was that?)

She calls and wants to know if we can come inside - so Dad and I go in to meet Anna Griffin and the art director. We quickly looked around and then Dad quickly wanted to get on the road. Yes, it was a long, long day. Just another adventure in the life of my sister, the aspiring scrapbooking creating art-loving musical-singing shopping-extraordinaire socializing-friend-loving sister.

I just want to go on record now - if Anna Griffin chooses NOT to hire my fabulously talented and creative sister - and they come out with a couple of specific products in the next two years (and if you want to know what they are, Amy can give you the details)... well, I would insist that they OWE Ames some money for the ideas that she shared with them! I mean, really - if you pick someone's brain, that would be only fair, right?