A Sneak Peek into the 12 Days of Christmas from Graphic 45

The other day I told you that both Dianne and Alissa had started blogs of their own. Here's the info on Alissa's blog, "Lifelines Art." Her address is:  lifelinesart.blogspot.com. Here's a sample card from Alissa's blog showcasing a favorite fruit right now . . . strawberries!

by Alissa Peppley"random strawberry stamp, Lifestyle Crafts "Lace" embossing folder, Memory Box "Penne Frame" die, 
Memory Box "Lorelai Leaf Outline" die, Prismacolor pencils"

Here is the first sneak peek of Graphic 45's Twelve Days of Christmas collection. I'm really liking what I see so far . . . !

I'm sure that tomorrow will bring another set of sneak peeks, so please check back.

From the Memory Box blog, another beautiful holiday card from some of their newly released dies! Please remember that Memory Box is now on open catalog status at Art 'n Soul!

A Christmas card with candles

"Hello everyone!

Here is my card for the blitz at last! The blog blitz is great fun for everyone, isn't it? New amazing products, wonderful projects form DT and a winner in each post! WoW!

So this is the card I made. To tell the truth I never did Christmas card so early before but I liked it - a great opportunity to be ready for the holidays beforehand!))

by Olga Vasilieva for Memory Box

by Olga Vasilieva for Memory Box

by Olga Vasilieva for Memory Box

by Olga Vasilieva for Memory Box

And here are the wonderful products I used for the card:

And don't forget to leave comments in each post - the more comments you leave the more chances you have to win a prize (a die or a stamp) in EACH post! (go to this link at Memory Box:  http://davebrethauer.typepad.com/outsidethebox/2013/07/a-christmas-card-with-candles/comments/page/1/#comments)

Have a nice day!"

Regards,

Lisa Yang, creator of Local King Rubber Stamps, is coming to Art 'n Soul to teach 2 fabulous classes in August using her new stamps and dies. Take a look . . . and please sign up as soon as possible because her classes are going to fill up!

Please call Art 'n Soul for more information and to sign up at 360.357.6820. The actual samples are at the store now.

To see this special project from AIR Eric Erickson for IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko®, please go to this link . . . http://ericsloadofscrap.blogspot.it/2013/07/imagine-crafts-16-fantastique-with.html

by Eric Erickson for IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko®

I really liked how Eric used the new IMAGINE Crafts®/Tsukineko® Memento Luxe™ Mixed Media Pigment Ink to make the paper the color(s) he wanted.

Tonight I had the pleasure of watching a Musical Theatre workshop musical production for students of all ages here in Ravenna, Italy. I don't know what the name of the show is, but they focused on the lives of 4 famous people . . . Mother Teresa, Steve Jobs, Rosa Parks and Martha Graham. The Riva's niece went to the local theatre school that puts this annual workshop on and they always ask her to help out with this event. Giorgia loves to assist with the production and brings her theatre dance group from Rome with her. Even though I don't understand Italian, I fully understood the gest of the scenes. Giorgia's dance group sang "Don't Stop Believing" and performed a modern dance to it that I loved.

Another day has come to an end. We have been eating so healthy that sweets are not a welcome part of my diet . . . can you believe it? The brother-in-law is a commercial baker in a small town about an hour from Ravenna. Yesterday, he brought boxes and boxes and boxes of beautiful pastries to the lake house . . . Napoleans, individual fruit tarts, eclairs, and other delicacies I cannot even begin to know the names of. We dived in last night and I didn't sleep well at all. More were brought out tonight and I, instead, enjoyed the special cheese, squacquerone, that is made only in Ravenna and available only in Ravenna because it does not preserve well. If I could bring some home, I would leave all of my belongings here and just fill my suitcase with squacquerone.

We eat from the land here at the lake house . . . trees with ripened apricots, peaches, nectarines and plums; tomatoes, green leaf lettuce, and basil from the vegetable garden. Unfortunately, the figs won't be ripe for some time; they are just budding the fruit now.

If I remember, I'll take a photo of these beautiful cheeses and fruits . . . and that's a big 'if' because I'm usually busy eating them!

Ciao! ciao!