Passion For Paper-Tricia Raleigh (martin)

Just wanted to wish everyone Happy Easter. Here is a picture a did a few years back, before Alice's come back.

Finally, after many months working on this piece it is finished! This is just a snap shot still have to get a better photo then I can send it on to my art rep.

Ok so I thought Umbrella Day was this Wednesday and turns out it was last. Feb. 10th... I love drawing and designing umbrellas with paper. I was commissioned to do some illustrations for a 5th grade science book a few months back. Not only was I excited to be doing the illustrations but one of the illustrations was for some simple umbrellas. Since it is still February, I figured it is still ok to share my enthusiasm for Umbrella Day.

Hope everyone has a great Valentines Day Sunday! I finally had a chance to post a few project I have been working on. All the paper is Basic Grey. To make this bird I just looked at one of Basic Grey illustration and turned into a larger paper image. The tag I used for this was pulled out of some of my old stash. It is a Little Black Dress Design Unbutton. I inked it, sanded and then stamped my image. I sure miss LBDD products. They have so many possibilities.

Here are some more gifts I made for my grandma and sister in laws. The house is a journal. The paper I used is from Cosmo Cricket. The house is from a chipboard Maya Road book. The Maya Road book had about 6 chipboard house pages to the book. I took it apart and used just 2 of the chipboard pages. One for front and one for back. Then I custom cut the blank pages inside book. These books are blank cookbooks. The papers are from Cosmo Cricket and Basic Grey. The chef is from Stampin' Up. Dies are from QuicKutz. I just used extra chipboard I had for these books. I bound it with the Bind it All coils from Zutter. Tricia

I have been so busy I haven't taken to time to update my blog. Here is a few projects I have been working on. I have been digging out older photos to scrapbook. These are from 2007. Someday I might get to my current photos. I used mainly QuicKutz dies. I love this little soldier but piecing him together was so time consuming. These are some Christmas ornaments for my brother in-laws. I am finally using my silhouette. machine. Making the OU ornament was really hard for me to make. Since I am such a BIG OSU fan. (the things we do for family.) I realized I didn't post any of my Halloween project that I did this year. This is not the best picture, it is one of the Target Mailboxes. I filled it with Halloween candy which got ate before I got the picture taken. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas (or Holiday) and New year. I am working on some more Christmas present that I hope to post after Christmas. I don't want to ruin any surprises. Tricia

I have finally got back into the creative mode. For awhile I lost all my creative juice and had nothing to post. Here are a few thing I have been working on in the last week.

Finally back to posting. I have had a long journey since my last post. On our way back home from Memphis my hubby decided we needed to explore new places in the US. His persuasive argument was we may never be this far north again and it is only 5 or so hours out of the way. Being that our journey already was going to have us on the road for about 20 hours what was another 5. So we decided to veer west. From Tennessee into Nebraska was pretty familiar territory. But as we entered into northern Nebraska and Southern South Dakota I was pretty sure the trees had been taken over by the corn. I have never in my life seen so much corn. Well, I guess I should have never complained about all that corn. Because once the corn was gone there was nothing to look at for hours and hours. Those 5 hours seemed like 10. Oh, I almost forgot that we were able to view the 500 or so signs that suggested had to visit Walls Drug store in SD. I must admit the trip was worth the long boring drive. Mount Rushm...

I finally had a chance to play with some of my QuicKutz last week. Here is a page I did of Morgan when he was 3. I know I am a little behind on my scrapbooking. Humpty was created using many different dies. (egg, pirate legs, the body feet and hands, balloon for hat, space shuttle for bow and a few other small pieces)   I am in the Memphis area this week. I have been having to much fun. I have been hitting all my favorite scrapbook places. It has been hard not buying all the new goodies out. Maybe I will be rich someday. 

Here are a few card I did for the LLSS. Getting  ready for a long road trip back to Oklahoma and Tennessee. I post more later.....T 

A lot of my Memphis friend have seen my poster at my favorite scrapbook store, Eclectica Scrapbook and Stamp Store. But not all of us are lucky enough to visit frequently, so I thought I would share the poster I created when I went back to Memphis to visit. Most of the pieces are created using quickutz dies. I couldn't get a good picture from the window so I've included a close up view. 

Just thought I would share a swap I did a while back made out of match boxes. Stamps are Stampin' Up and paper is Cosmo Cricket. Oh good news the temperature finally hit the mid to high 60's today. Spring might be here after all. Last week I wasn't to sure about spring coming when I saw snow falling from the sky. ugh!  

Hi yal, I have been a busy girl. I was able to go back to Tennessee last week to see my mom and few friends. My trip was not long enough. I didn’t get a chance to see all the people I wanted and my shopping had to be scaled back. I enjoyed every bit of my time in the wonderful spring weather. Hopeful I can come back this summer and stay a little longer. I found the cord to down load some pictures from my camera. Here are some cards I have worked on lately. Hope you enjoy.

Welp, you are right. Sorry, I haven’t posted lately. I haven’t done much art and have been in one of those funks. I hope to get out it soon. I think I just need to get a coloring book and start to color maybe it will inspire me. We have had so much snow and cold weather I had to finally break down and get some winter gear.   I feel like a big marshmallow man dressed like a penguin. But by golly I am warmer now.   Here are some pictures of our winter. Some ice fishermen drilling a whole to get to the water. There are ice houses all over the river. This is in front of our apartment. a lot of the snow is from snow drifts. Mercedes alway beats us back to the house when we take her out for potty breaks. She sits patiently with tail tucked until we get the door opened. She loves running in the snow for a few minutes but cold weather drives her back to the house quickly.  Trey and Morgan on snowmobile. Me on snowmobile. I never knew how cold it could get outside until we moved here...

Just wanted to let everyone know I have not dropped of the earth. The house we were renting was sold this month. So I have been busy packing and moving again. Life should be back to normal soon. Or as normal as it can be, living in a little apartment.  Since most of our stuff is going to storage I shouldn't have to unpack a lot.  tricia

I was looking at some of my photos and found this summer time suit case I finished a while back. Since it is below 32 degrees around here. I felt like I needed to post a warm summer time photo. tricia 

Here is a thank you gift I made using Graphic 45 paper. I added the zipper for a little added bling. I think this paper is one of my favorite paper lines.

Totally off the subject of any art talk. I was driving home the other day and saw something orange in the sky. So I had to go around the block to get a second look. I found this deer hunter so funny I had to share. I am not a hunter, but everyone here thinks hunting season is a holiday. They all think work should be canceled on opening day. To me it is to cold around here to sit in a tree and wait to see a deer. Or in this deer's case a man. We got our first flurry of snow this weekend. It didn’t stick or stay long so I couldn’t get a good picture to show yal. I am sure I will have more chances.  tricia

Morgan got his helmet to ride ATV’s now he just need the ATV too.   Slowly but surely he is getting hooked up. He gets a few perks with daddy working at Arctic Cat.   Arctic lets some employees ride the ATV’s and Snowmobiles. We just have to take some classes. I had never seen a snowmobile until we moved here. So I can’t wait to check out how different they are from riding ATV’s. The only problem I foresee is that the snowmobile requires snow and that means cold weather. I am already cold all the time and the cold weather hasn’t even got here yet. The high this week is around 47 to 50 degrees. I am going to have to get me some thermal underwear soon or start packing my pants with all my scrapbook papers. ttfn, tricia

I am about to get everything unpacked here in northeast Minnesota.   I just unpacked my last craft room box. Now I have to figure out where to put it.   I need to get rid of some of my craft supplies but I just love them all. Someday I might need them. I guess it’s a compulsion just like women who have all those shoes and never will wear all of them before they die. I have been playing around a bit with some new supplies. Here is a Halloween project I have been working on. Hope you enjoy. Hi to all my TN friend I miss being inspired by all your talent. Miss you too Cindy. :) Tricia