Friday, May 28, 2010

iCandy - 77th Edition

Happy Friday! I just how RIANBOWS have made a comeback and we are seeing them pop up everywhere, not just during Pride week. Rainbows can't help but make you smile and if you were a 'tween in the early '80s like me, they should make you feel somewhat nostalgic.

Let's go back to 1980, when I was just 12 years old and completely obsessed with everything rainbows. I had rainbow sheets, window decals, earrings, stickers, clothing (including my Mork from Ork suspenders, now I've really dated myself) and the list goes on. My obsession carried itself over into my note writing aesthetic (remember writing notes to all your friends? the pre-cursor to Twitter and Facebook) and I would make sure to use a different colored marker for each paragraph, of course in the natural order of rainbow law red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Look, I'm doing it again!!

Someone out there, please tell me I wasn't alone? Considering all the rainbow stuff that was carried at Spencer Gifts in the mall, right next door to Chess King and Merry Go Round, I'm going to assume I wasn't? Oh how I wish I were back then..... now.

Time for my trip down memory lane to end... thank you for letting me digress and I hope you find this week's edition of iCANDY equally uplifting:) ENJOY!

1. Duct Tape Rose Bouquet - Ruby Larene, California $22.00
2. Party Poms - Pom Love, Oregon $6.00
3. Messenger Bag - Craftie Robot, Texas $20.00
4. Crochet Scarflette - Yarn Message, Italy $28.00
5. Zipper Pouch - Hand J Star Creations, New York $10.50
6. Origami Box Shade - WhimsiDoodle, Maine $20.00

Thursday, May 27, 2010

What does your favorite color say about you?

You all know how much I'm ALL about color, so imagine my excitement when I saw this COLORSCOPE on the Paper-Source blog. Click here to read full post.

We all know if we're Summer or Winter people (remember that whole makeup trick that came out 15+ years ago?) but what does your favorite Paper-Source color say about you? Right now I am still digging Chartreuse, so much my dining room is even painted the same shade. This would be a fun game to play during a girl's night in or a bridal shower. Here's what it says about me...

Grand adventures are part of who you are.
You are assertive with powerful energy.
People feel like they are your close friends moments after they have met you.
You explore the inner meaning of life


Yep, that pretty much sums me right up!

Stay tuned... they just launched 4 new colors (not listed) Persimmon, Peacock, Sunshine and Paper Bag. These will be debuting in my shop as soon as I get my hot little hands on them. Can't wait to see the Colorscope definitions behind these as well. I think Peacock and Persimmon are going to be my 2 new BFFs.

100% of ALL InkSpot Workshop envelopes (except the itty bitty ones) come from Paper-Source. Why? Not only am I in with the European flap, they have the best color selection and quality I have seen anywhere. If you have a better source, feel free to share. All of my colored card stock also comes from them, just to keep everything matching and pretty:) I can't help but get inspired from the entire color palette they offer, so I hope they keep the new colors coming!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Etsy Finds


Thank You
Etsy Finds!

Such a nice way to start off the week
click here to read full article
and get great ideas for your Summer outdoor entertaining needs

click here see InkSpot Workshop's featured
Chinese Lantern Note Cards

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Under The Big Top - Leo's Circus Party

Ladies and Gentlemen.....Introducing.......LEO...
and his friends and family....
starring in his very first Big Top Birthday Party!

Last month one of my great customers Tracee, asked me to make my Circus party invitations for her little guy's first birthday. I met Tracee last year when she was about to have Leo, and asked me to design some custom wagon thank you note cards for him (yes he was still in the womb, talk about organized mommy?) Since Tracee is a mommy who's all about fun, she wanted me to make all the matching paper goodies that go with this theme, because they planned on bringing the circus (sans messy critters) to Leo! take a look how it all turned out...
Perfect buffet to cure even the sweetest tooth!

both wall and table banners made by
Joyful Joyful

You can never have enough sprinkles
whether you're 1 or 101

The Biggest Show on Earth, deserves really BIG sweets!

and of course a really big parachute

oh and of course some ♥ from your BIG brother:)

birthday boy's tie shirt from We Choose Joy


BIG thoughts

BIG fun

I was saving the best for last!
Could there be a cuter Ring Master?
I especially love the Big Top cake

Hat + Bib from Golden Shop

OK, I lied....
this is really my FAVORITE
It's safe to say LEO thoroughly enjoyed his BIG DAY

Happy Birthday Little Sweetie!
and
Thank You Tracee for sharing this special day with us,
you did a GREAT job
looks like this truly was a party full of memories to treasure

party pictures by Justin Tsucalas, Photographer in Baltimore, MD

The invite that sparked the party theme

Available for boys and girls

Parenting With Love and Logic

One of my childhood friends (mother of 3 under 9) introduced me to the parenting principles and theories of Love and Logic. She has attended seminars, bought books and is really enjoyed the benefits of using these simple skills with her children. What caught my ear was when she explained to me...."if you think about it... as a parent what you are doing is trying your best to raise responsible adults."

Wow! That makes complete sense. There are classes for us to take to learn how to paint, to take pictures, to cook, why not just one really good class to teach us how to be the best parents we can be? Parenting with Love and Logic IS the class.The best part of this program is that it has been around since 1977 and it's pretty easy to find facilitators in your area who are putting on seminars for parents and teachers. Check with your child's school to see if they hold seminars. You can also check out the website to see if Jim Fay (founder) and his son Dr. Charles Fay are coming to a city near you. I was lucky enough to attend a 1/2 day course, hosted by a local church this past February. Easily I can say that was the most well spent 6 hours I have ever spent learning something!

The most important takeaway for me was to stop telling my son what to do. It's a rut we fall into because it's the way were were parented. When you constantly tell your children what to do, they tune you out and never learn to think for themselves. This was another light bulb moment for me. What's the answer? in short, to offer them choices. This is better explained by reading the following "Insider's Club" email I received in my in-box yesterday. This basic principle and tactic is the one I use mainly and have seen tremendous results with my 4 year old son.

The Power of the Enforceable Statement

Dear Insider Club Member,

There are a number of people, probably not very many, who enjoy being ordered to do things. Somehow it just seems to rankle quite a few of us to be told what to do. So, when we are told to shut up, we tend to talk more. Telling kids to hurry up is usually followed by our having to compare them to stationary objects to see if they are actually moving.

This quirk of human nature was researched by Dr. Raymond Wlodkowski. He found that when we are ordered to do something, we subconsciously sense a loss of personal control. This is increased if a threat is stated with the order such as, "If you don't eat your peas, you are not going to get dessert." We've all seen the results of this kind of threat. The situation usually goes down hill rapidly. What was once a happy mealtime becomes the scene of a power struggle as both the adult and child try to regain control.

Dr. Wlodkowski's Threat Cycle research led us to develop the technique called Enforceable Statements. We found that when kids tell themselves the possible threat there is far less resistance. When a child hears the parent say, "I'll be serving dessert to everyone who eats peas." The youngster can say to himself, "Uh oh, I might not get dessert," but doesn't readily identify the threat as coming from the adult. The result? Odds for cooperation increase. Odds for arguing go down.

Learn more about Enforceable Statements in our audio CD, Love Me Enough to Set Some Limits.

Thanks for reading,
Jim Fay
_____________________________


If you want to subscribe to the FREE Insider's Club, click here. You will get weekly insights such as this. So helpful! Also become a fan on Facebook here. Request a catalog of books


Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Madison - Personalized Girl's Note Cards

I recently made this sweet little set of note cards for an equally sweet little girl in my son's Pre-School class, named Madison (of course). She was having a purple and green, Princess and the Frog birthday party, so I thought these would be perfect for any little girl. I plan on offering these in several different color options in my shop, any suggestions?

Each time my son gets invited to a birthday party, I make the kiddo a set of personalized note cards and gift stickers to match the theme of their party. In fact I'm finding this is a great source of inspiration for new designs!

Click here for your very own set!

Friday, May 14, 2010

iCANDY - 76th edition

Happy Friday! I'm really loving my pics for this week and you want to know how I found them? For you fellow Etsy lovers, there's a new feature that I simply ♥. When you are logged into your Etsy account, click on "your Etsy" then "Favorites" and lastly the tab that says "Suggested Shops". Based upon all the goodies you have chosen as your favorites, Etsy will select other shops that you might like. Fun! Enjoy the lineup and perhaps a few new favorites of your own.

1. Post Earrings - Smashing, Cleveland, Ohio (My hometown!) $29.00
2. Rose Necklace - Crafts 2 Cherish, Ireland $150.00
3. Pinwheel Round Table Runner - Karen Thurman Design, Oregon $50.00
4. Pressed Flowers Pillow Cover - Ruby + Stella Home, Oregon $18.00
5. Party Pom Garland - Party Poms, Texas $40.00
6. Butterfly Ring - Minggus and Moob, California $5.85

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Easy Money

I have a proposition for 10 lucky readers today
Each will receive a $30.00 gift certificate to use at
InkSpot Workshop

You must meet 2 pieces of criteria in order to participate...
1.) Shop online regularly
2.) Never have shopped at www.inkspotworkshop.com

If you meet this, hurry and send me an email to tell me YOU'RE IN!
info@inkspotworkhshop.com

I will then give you a shopping scenario at which time you will simply go to www.inkspotworkshop.com and purchase items for your particular scenario. Don't worry, these are not real orders and you will not be charged

What's In It For YOU?
$30 for doing what you do best, shopping online
and it didn't even cost you a penny!

What's In It For ME?
A new set of eyes
to tell me about your shopping experience on my website.
I'm always striving to make sure your shopping experience
is as wonderful as the goodies you get in the mail from me:)

Hurry, space is limited!!!
Thanks in advance for your help

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Divine Inspiration

I'm always quite flattered when customers send me emails and pictures letting me know how an InkSpot Workshop design inspired them to be creative. One of my sweet and crafty customers Rebekah, of A Blissful Nest, just sent me these pictures from her own recent blog post. Click here to read full story. Looks like her good friend (also pretty crafty) based an entire party around my Baby Boy Baptism design. Who can resist that sweet little birdie?

Could there be a cuter cake?

I think I'll refer all my customers needing a banner to Rebekah

To sweet to eat!

My Baptism collection is available for girls, boys and even twins.

Add custom, matching paper goodies to any InkSpot Workshop design and
MAKE IT A PARTY!

Blog Makeover

What would you like to see more of?

In my never ending quest to bring you my loyal followers
GREAT (not good) blog content
I'm posing this question to you.
Please feel free to post away your answers here
or on my Facebook Fanpage Wall.
Let me know the types of "stuff" you'd ♥ for me to cover
(don't be shy)

In the very near future you will see some major changes taking place
on
InkSpot Workshop's Blog
The changes come from taking Decor 8's Blogging Your Way e-course
and
my current working relationship with Tara of ScoutieGirl

Thank you everyone in advance for your input!!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Pinwheel Ice Cream Cone Birthday

After 2 years and dozens of requests to make my
Pinwheel Ice Cream Cone note card set into party invitations,
I'm tickled to announce...
they are finally available for EVERYONE!

We've got scoops of pink, green and brown for the girlie girl
click HERE

and scoops of orange, green and brown for ice cream lovin' little guys
click HERE

We've also got you covered with a complete line of matching paper goodies!
What's a party without matching favor bag stickers/tags, right?
or cupcake toppers?

Friday, May 7, 2010

iCandy - 75th Edition

Happy Friday! and happy I am today, for no apparent reason other than I {might} get to sleep in tomorrow? It's hard to believe this is my 75th iCANDY post and no surprise here, it's all about flowers. If you've been following iCANDY over the past couple years, this certainly isn't my first installment of petal mania and won't be my last {Scout's honor}. Who can resist all of this colorful talent found on Etsy? Enjoy.

1. Indian Summer hair Pins - Mia Beads, NY $21.50
2. Estelle Fascinator Hair clip - Ink and Button, IL $18.00
3. Hydrangea Bloom Pillow - DeDe Etsy Shop, MI $34.00
4. Curry Aqua Mum Cup - Yoga Goat, OR $28.00
5. Paper Flowers - Paper Platypus, FL $4.00
6. Floral Lampwork Ring - Brilynn, Lake Oswego $28.99

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Cranium Party

Super excited for our Girls vs Boys Cranium Challenge II, taking place at my house tomorrow night. OK, I hate to admit, but the boys beat us fair and square during Cranium Challenge I, last month. Let's just say.. it isn't sitting well with us girls, especially the way they GLOAT over the whole incident! Modesty is dead.

My evil plan is to get the boys filled up on high carb potato salad, beer, gigantic kaiser buns and more beer in order to deplete their brainpower. Stay tuned for the final score.

It's also our first Spring, outdoor entertaining opportunity before the official start of mosquito season here in the South. There's nothing I love more than hanging out on my back deck at night with good friends, good food and tiki torches ablaze in all their glory. It doesn't take much to make me happy (OK, so glad my husband does not read my blog).

I'm really in the mood for a good, old fashioned backyard, burger cookout, so here are the little details...

The GAME

Wish us girls LUCK!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The Semikolon Affair Continues...

My love affair with SEMIKOLON continues... Remember when I first wrote about this colorful company here and here? Well I just saw these work spaces posted on The Container Store's website and I'm just giddy. Makes me want to completely redo my office, again. Everyone who knows InkSpot Workshop and me personally, knows how much I {heart} lots and lots of color! It's no wonder I gravitate to this European line like an addict.

Semikolon products from See Jane Work
InkSpot Workshop products found here and here

My collection of Semikolon accessories is more like a fine silver flat ware collection, where I add pieces that I covet, but don't use for every day living. How crazy is that? I bring out these little beauties for photo shots and that's it! But don't they just compliment my designs perfectly? Funny thing is they would look great in my office, but I can't bear the thought of them getting used or worn {ok, it's confirmed I do have issues}.


A few more pieces from their collection to twirl over

This store really has it going on too. Check out Kitka's Design blog
where she showcases NEAT, in Toronto

If you also have a love affair with SEMIKOLON, I would love to see your collection. Please send me your SEMIKOLON pictures from your very own work space and I will do a future post of {love}.
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