davebrethauer

Puppy Patrol

 

After a super fun weekend in Sunnyvale and Berkeley, full of workshops with wonderful students and amazing staff at Stamp on Over and Scrapbook Territory, we returned Sunday night and then picked up my son Cooper's new puppy, Kip, on Monday. I will share more about the stores, including some fun store video tours, on Monday - but until then our life is revolving around this 11 week old bundle of energy. Our other dog Biscuit, also a Cairn Terrier, is adjusting well after a few tense moments the first day. I think they are going to be great companions.

Stay tuned Monday for news about the stores, San Francisco and my new favorite treat - grapefruit macarons!

Something Fresh and New

After a really productive week we have officially launched our new 2009 Products! You will see them on the website Tuesday - 40 new wood mounted stamps, 7 new 6x6 Paper Collections, 21 new 12x12 papers, 8 shades of pearl stickers, 7 new shades of jewel stickers and a lively patterned paper called "Biscotti" to match our notecards and envelopes.

We really feel new and fresh around here at our offices, as we've been shipping out all of the What's in the Box programs to stores who signed up for the brand new products. We've also replaced all of the 2008 products in our packing areas with cases of new 2009 papers - this always seems to re-invent the fun at Memory Box. We've added a lot of new inventory this year, as we try some new products out that will make using our stamps and papers more fun.

In addition to all of the fun new "stuff", we are adding new voices to the Memory Box family. A lot of you have been enjoying the new InKollage blog by the talented Jean Okimoto - please check out her blog if you haven't already. We also would like to introduce you to Laura Fulcher and her brand new Memory Box blog Color Whimsy. I met Laura in Virginia at Angela's Happy Stamper and was so impressed at her work, that I knew someday I must ask her to do some work for Memory Box. Lucky us, she said yes! Please check out her blog too!

I will be preparing this week for a quick trip to San Francisco to teach Colored Pencil and Watercolor Workshops at 2 wonderful stores. On Saturday I will be at Stamp on Over in Sunnyvale, CA (all 56 spaces are sold out) and on Sunday I will be at Scrapbook Territory (there are still some spaces left here if you couldn't make it on Saturday). Please stop by to say hi, even if you aren't in the classes, I would love to meet you! The stores will have on hand all of the newly released Memory Box items, lots of samples and of course warm, friendly customer service at these 2 wonderful stores!

I will make a video tour of the stores for those of you who can't make it to California - so stay tuned in the coming weeks for some new store videos!

Penguin Fun

Well lookie here!

I met a wonderfully talented woman named Missy when I was in Sacramento at the Paper Garden this year (actually I met her for the first time last year, but got to know her a little better during workshops this year). Missy has her own site where she creates awesome handsewn animals and other too cool creations - check out her site Crafty Carnival to see all of the fun things she can do.

I asked if I could possibly commission her to make some penguins for me, with her own whimsical style, and she obliged me with 30 beautiful little penguins. We received the box and it was like Christmas seeing all of the penguins inside - each one a little different, with unexpected, hip fabric for bodies and a plush scarf around each ones neck. I couldn't have been more pleased with the results!

Can't you imagine one of these little guys on your art table or given as a gift to a friend?

Layering with Watercolor

I get a lot of questions about how to blend watercolor and so I thought I would share a simple layering technique with you. You can do this with watercolor paints (Cotman, Twinkling H2O's, or whatever) or watercolor pencils (I like Faber Castel, but any watercolor pencil will work). In the video, I use both paints and pencils.

The idea is to create an underlayer of color, then cover part of it with a top color. For this example, we leave part of that first color showing, untouched, so that it produces a glow on the side of an object - in this case, a bird. After the top color is applied to the left side of the bird, the brush is cleaned, dried and then used to soften the dark color into the light color. Don't pull that dark color all of the way over - you'll lose that bottom color.

In the video I show how to add one color on top of a base color - and then I show how to add 2 colors on top of a base color. Practice this technique - and have FUN!