CLAUDINE HELLMUTH
CLAUDINE HELLMUTH blog   

here i go!
I am out the door early in the AM on my way to NJ for Ranger U! I'll be driving this trip instead of flying (Ranger offices are only 4.5 hours drive from DC!) and I am ecstatic about not having to go to the airport. yay!! I'll see you from the road, still so much left to do and not enough time!

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getting ready
I am wrapping things up here before I leave Wed morning to head to NJ for Ranger U. Rushing around! More tomorrow!

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rainy weekend
Yuck. It's going to be a rainy weekend here in DC. This morning (very, very early) I took Paul to Dulles airport so he could fly to Orlando and spend the weekend there. The roads are amazingly dark here in the morning. The George Washington PKWY looked like something out of Blair Witch Project, all dark with lots of trees, I expected a terrified camper to jump into the road any minute. No lights! What's with the no highway lights?! I was driving like a grandma in the rain and the dark and making everyone behind me on the road insane!

I have been struggling to get work done all day, it's so rainy and gloomy, it makes me so sleepy. I managed to get just about everything on my list done, and there's always tomorrow. I am working with my coach on that. being content with what I get done each day and not obsessing. There are only so many hours in a day! I am making progress. Slowly.

All I have on the agenda for tomorrow is a trip to a new hairdresser. I am worried about that a little. Hope it's OK. And of course now I have been watching Tabitha's Salon Takeover, I'm all going to be noticing all the things she points out in her show! yikes! The place I found on yelp has tons of great reviews so keeping my fingers crossed!

Then Sunday there's the Crafty Bastards show here in Adams Morgan, I am looking forward to checking it out. My neighbor down the hall is going to come with me, and my friend Tracy too!

A linky shout out to Dyan for mentioning my Claudine Hellmuth Studio Line on her blog. She was at Ranger U in June and got a preview of all the new products! Thanks for the great review!

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i wish i were a kid
Through my friend Lorraine, I discovered Glenn Echo Park. They have all these amazingly fun sounding classes!

Problem for me is all the classes that I want to take are for kids. There's this Claymation class, where you make a stop motion claymation movie - in one day! I can hardly contain myself I want to take it so badly! There's also a puppet class too but as far as I can tell they only teach to kids. So disappointing!

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new in the studio
Got some new goodies here in my studio!

score-it

I just got this Scor-it board which Judi Kauffman showed me in her studio. It's amazing! I really think will help my messy folding syndrome. And I have all these ideas for paper shapes and pop ups that I want to make, so this couldn't have come at a better time!

twyla_tharp

I am also reading Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit. I'm really enjoying it so far and I plan on bringing it with me when I go to Ranger U next week for hotel reading!

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weekend update
This weekend was all filled up by errands and more errands.

First was the Farmer's Market and then the pet supply store on 14th street. We couldn't find any birdseed there so we had to drive out to the nearest PetCo. I am obsessed with having lots of birds at our porch feeders for Mabel and Stanley to look at - cat TV!

stan_mabel

Here they are in their favorite bird watching positions. Stan on his shelf and Mabel wedges herself on the back of the couch cushions and peeks out through the slats in the shutters.

It is oddly difficult to find birdseed here in the city, so we drove out a little bit to PetCo and stocked up with TWO 20lb bags of seed! The guy at the checkout must have thought we were nuts, but this way I don't have to go back for a really long time! Then we went to the grocery store and after that I was exhausted. I wish I could be one of those people who can run a bunch of errands and then go and do something fun. But with me it's either run errands OR do something fun. Never both. Just not gonna happen.

Today was all busy with cleaning house, laundry, bathing Toby, then packing up all my supplies for my workshop in Sedona in 2.5 weeks. Since they now the airlines charge for even the first piece of checked luggage, I am experimenting with sending EVERYTHING ahead. I usually send a little bit ahead and then bring luggage, so we'll see how this works out! I am so nervous I'll forget something so I checked my list a million times as I packed everything. I am sure it's all in there.

Speaking of workshops! Just a reminder that my last workshop of 2008 is around the corner.
It's at the Jerry's Artarama Art of the Carolina's Event in Raleigh NC November 14-16th.

I'll be teaching 3 one-day classes.

Classes are: Adventures in Color, Waxing Poetic and Collage Discovery Workshop.

Click on each of the above class titles for more information and to register for that class! Sign up soon before spaces are filled. Extra bonus! Class supplies are donated by Ranger Industries so you hardly have to bring a thing! Perfect!!

Linky shout outs to Becky Olsen for using my Claudine Hellmuth Studio products in a project on her blog and Jen Starr for using them too in a new class she is working on. Thanks ladies!

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how to glue with gel medium + giveaway #4!
My last giveaway of the week is going to take place over at the Scrap in Style TV blog -- where I am giving a tutorial showing how to glue using gel medium with tips and tricks to avoid those nasty little air bubbles!


Check out the tutorial and then post a comment on the SIS blog and you'll be entered to win a jar of Claudine Hellmuth Studio Multi-Medium as soon as it comes off the presses at Ranger. So don't post your comment here, go to the SIS blog and do it there! yay!

I'll draw the winner FRIDAY night around 8pm EST! Thanks for playing everyone!

EDITED FRIDAY SEPT 19th: We have a winner! We had 163 comments over on the SIS blog and the random number generator at Random.org picked #57 which is Kathy Eddy! Kathy, email me your address and as soon as the Multi Medium is ready, I'll ship it to you!


Thank you for playing everyone! that made for a fun week! Have a great weekend!

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giveaway #3
I feel like Santa this week! Here's giveaway #3! Brand new Stickles from Tim Holtz's new Distress Stickles line with Ranger. These are two of my favorite colors Spiced Marmalade and Worn Lipstick. These new Stickles just launched at the Summer CHA so they are hot off the presses!

If you like glittery goodness -- be sure to check out Suze Weinberg's line also here!


Post a comment below to be entered to win and I'll pick a winner around 9pm EST tonight! Thanks for playing!!

EDITED: The random number generator picked #93 which is Gaye! Gaye send me an email with your address and I'll send these two colors of Stickles right out to you! Thanks everyone for playing!! There's ONE MORE giveaway tomorrow!!!

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green craft magazine
A big thanks to Jenny Doh, Editor of Somerset Studio magazine, who graciously used my new paints and gesso from the Claudine Hellmuth Studio line on her blog! Somerset Studio is starting a new green crafting magazine and has a call out for submissions. Visit Jenny's Blog for more info on how to submit!


My product line is ready to ship any day now from Ranger. I will post a list of online stores where you can purchase it as soon as it officially launches. Check your local retailer too! weeee!! I am so excited. If you use my products and post an example to your blog, let me know and I'll mention it here!

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giveaway #2
Yesterday was a bummer of a news day with the stock market, so here's something to cheer you up!

Kelly Rae Roberts' first book. This is a great book loaded with techniques and inspiration. Kelly guides you along your creative path and demonstrates how she creates her signature paintings, so you can too!


She sent me this signed copy of her book just for you! Post a comment below if you'd like to be entered to win and I'll draw a winner at random at 9pm! weee!! This is fun!

EDITED: We have a winner! Ursula Shaw! You were #52 picked by the random number generator! Email me your address and I'll send it off to you next week. Thanks everyone for playing! I have at least one more giveaway this week to go!

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giveaway #1
For giveaway #1 I have two issues of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Magazine. If you don't get this magazine you should!! It is chock full of great ideas for decorating and crafting. I use it as my "some day" magazine. Some day I will have a house or an artist's studio as amazing as the ones featured in here!


Just post below if you would like to be entered to win! I'll draw a winner at random at 9pm EST tonight!

EDITED: We have a Winner! Sandi Keene!!! Please email me your address and I will send you your prize! Thanks everyone for playing. Sorry I couldn't post the winner until this morning our internet in our building was out!



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giveaway week begins!
I've decided this week will be giveaway week. Three random days this week I'll be giving away various goodies from my studio - one day will be a sample from my new product line with Ranger!

Here are the RULES for each give away.
To enter, just post a comment with the item you wish to be entered to win - don't forget to include contact information so that I can contact you if you win! I will select a winner, using the random number generator at random.org.

I will post the winner's comment and user name with the item that they won, so you can email me your address and I can ship your prize. Please note! I will ship your prize to you when I am able. It might not be right away. But it will be within a week of letting you know that you won.

Get ready! The first one starts tomorrow morning!

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next week is.... giveaway week!
A quick note to let you know, next week starting on Monday I have a few giveaways planned! Just for fun!! Don't forget to check back :)

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apartment tour!
I took some quick pics of our apartment here in DC today and thought I'd share them with you!

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View of the entryway!Artwork by Lynn Whipple above entryway table.

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Our living room. I made a shelf for Stan to sit on top of the shutters using plexi. It took me two weeks to figure out how I would make the shelves so they 1) wouldn't hurt the shutters and 2) you couldn't see them. I used plexi and those removable 3M sticky strips. They worked out and he loves it! He sits up there almost all day.

Dress artwork on the right by Martha Lent. We arranged the whole living room around this artwork which is one of my prized possessions. This was the only wall there would be enough space for it. I love this piece!

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View of the living room with the fireplace. Artwork on mantle is by Linda Norton. She sells on ebay +etsy and I love her work! Our very small TV. We gave our big TV to my parents when we left Orlando. Getting used to this one, but it is hard to watch subtitled movies on it.

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Our living room other side. This is the side that you are supposed to put a tiny dining table but we decided since the space was so small to just make it all living room and not have a table at all. We never eat at the dining table anyway!

This yellow chair is Mabel's favorite!As you can see she is already on it and spends most of her day there.

DC_apartment_kitchen

The galley style kitchen. Artwork of Mable by Karen Derrico. I love how the EAT sign is positioned over the Mabel painting and Mabel's food bowls. Note they are empty because she eats everything up right away!

The last room is the Studio/Office which I already posted here. So that's our 700 sq feet of home here in DC. It's starting to feel nice and cozy and today was the first day that sparrows came to the feeders I put on the porch. yay!

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turning the corner
I think it happened last week. Suddenly, I felt more in tune with living here in DC. Instead of feeling like I was trying to like living here. I was liking it! yay!

I have made some small changes to my schedule that has helped me settle in. Now in the morning instead of sleeping in, I get up and get ready so I can walk with Paul a little bit to work. Getting out and about has really helped to make me feel more at home here. I love looking in all the shops and picking up milk on the way back etc.

w_street

This is a row house that is around the corner from our building. This one is on W street and I love the way it looks with the painting on the side. I lust after these rowhouses. Every day when I walk Toby by them, I think I want one, I want one! I can imagine living there and tending to the little garden in front. I even decorate the inside in my head. I just need a lot (a lot!!!) of money to have one! Still, it's fun to dream!

Tonight we are going to have dinner at our neighbors apartment down the hall. They moved in just two weeks after we did and we kept running into them and chatting up a storm so now we are meeting up. Paul picked up a 1/2 dozen cupcakes from Hello Cupcake and we are bringing them over.

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7 years ago today
Seven years ago today Paul and I got married! At our wedding we had those typical kodak cameras that you put on the table. We never did get around to getting them developed. After the wedding there were so many pictures we got sick of looking at wedding photos so we put the cameras away in a drawer.


wedding_cameraLR

Two years went by and then I found the cameras. But it was 2003 and Paul's Mom had just passed away and it seemed too emotional to develop them. So we closed the drawer and forgot about them. A couple more years went by and I thought, let's get them developed for our 5th wedding anniversary. But then I forgot until later in the year by which time it seemed like a better idea to wait. And so it goes. Now we are at 7 years and I finally dropped them off to be developed!

We'll see what is on them. probably nothing, I think the nephews had these cameras most of the time so there are probably a lot of photos of floors and chair legs. I am secretly hoping there will be special photo of Paul's Mom, one that we can share today and remember her.

I'll get them later today and I'll let you know how or if they even turn out!

EDITED 9:00PM:
Got the photos back! All of them came out and it was so much fun going down memory lane looking at the wedding pix. We didn't get that special photo we were hoping for, but it was fascinating to see how everyone has changed over the years. Who had babies, had gotten married. etc etc. I think everyone should save a disposable camera to develop 7 years later! A new wedding tradition!

bye bye PC
This week my Dell laptop died. It can no longer boot XP at all -- I get is a black screen with a blinking cursor. Sheesh. Now my Dell desktop is limping along. This has been going on for a few weeks and it's getting very annoying. If you look at it wrong it freezes up, I have spent the last two hours just trying to get it to print DHL labels so I can ship some packages!

Our only working computer is Paul's MacBook. So that's it! We're making the switch! We ordered an iMac and it can not get here soon enough!! Yay!

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crafty girls in Marshalls Stores!
A blog reader let me know that she saw my Crafty Girls boxed notecards at Marshall's stores! YAY!

I always love hearing where my stuff ends up. Most times I don't find out until I find it when I'm out shopping!

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tuesday
Today was flitted away tending to emails, phone calls and business stuff. I got some artwork done, but not as much as I would have liked. I hate that when that happens.

It was a nice reminder that all that business stuff is important when I noticed that Steve at Small Business Labs did a blog post about me today! During the phone interview last week we talked at length about how much time is spent actually doing artwork and how much MORE time is spent doing everything else! Click here to read the article.

Tomorrow they are testing the fire alarms all day in our building so I can't imagine I'll be getting much work done with that going on!. I am going to try to get up a little early to get something done before they start. I am worried about how Toby, Mable and Stan will react to the fire alarms going off all day. I need to give them little ear muffs!

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i'm on fiskars TV!
When I was at CHA in July we taped an episode for Fiskars TV and now it's online! Here I am demonstrating how to make a re-vamped dollar store headband using my Sticky Back Canvas, Multi-Medium and paints!

Watch the episode and find out how to win a FREE pack of Claudine Hellmuth Studio Sticky-Back Canvas!!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

Products used in the episode:
As soon as I have a list of the venues that will carry my line, I'll post here with an update!

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