Who is Donna Downey?

By now a lot of you have heard that we are having Donna Downey teach at The RC in September.  And, if you haven’t heard, well, I’m tellin’ ya now!

I think some of you are wondering who she is, or maybe even what the big deal is.  Well, I will tell you first off, Donna teaches all around the world!  She is well known all over and people from all countries are knocking down her door to get her to come and teach classes.  In fact, two weeks after she is in Charles City, she will be teaching in Belgium!  She also teaches at CHA, workshops such as Inspired, and other retreats.  Her work has been published in just about every scrapbooking and crafting magazine out there!  She has also done tv spots and videos.  She is a very accomplished instructor and best of all, easy to learn from!  She loves what she does and it shows!  Her excitement is contagious and she makes you want to create with abandon!  She is funny, silly, and quirky and she carries that through to her work.  At the same time she is a creative maven and what I would call an accomplished artist!  She really knows her stuff!  Learning from her is easy, fun, and definitely an experience you will not forget!

Donna likes to post videos on her blog and I strongly urge you to check them out!  Some are just fun and random as she shares ideas or what is going on in her world.  Others are step by step tutorials for projects and ideas.  Still others are start to finish videos of her creative process.  She does this regularly with her Inspiration Wednesday posts.  Here is a link to her blog.  Also, here is a video that I recommend-

I also want to point out that Donna designs product both for scrapbooking/crafting for Prima® and also home fashions for Demdaco®.  Her designs and ideas are innovative.  They are also something that everyone can use.  Stop by the store and I can show you some of the items we carry from her.  Canvas and flowers that are perfect for your craft project!  Her Demdaco designs can be seen here.

Lastly, but certainly not least, and probably most, she is a wife, mother, and woman!  She is a real person with a real life.  Luckily for us she shares herself and her life through her work.  She lets us in on her world through her blog posts and Facebook shares.  We see her feelings and emotions conveyed through her inspiraion journal entries.  She guides us to find our inner artists by teaching and guiding us in her classes!

So, that’s just a little bit into who and what Donna Downey is.  We are really super excited to have her coming here and teaching!  It really is an honor to have someone this accomplished share her creative goodness with us!  Take the time to look around her website and her blog and get familiar with her.  You will be amazed and inspired!  If you have any questions about Donna, her classes, or anything else having to do with crafting, you can give us a call anytime.  641-228-3030 You can also check out the classes on our website here.

My Creation

Remember last week when I posted some inspiring pieces from around the web?  Specifically do you remember this layout from the Bo Bunny ® blog?

Well, I was pretty inpsired by the simplicity of this layout and decided to create my own.  What did I like about it?  Well, I definitely liked the white (or empty) space on the left side of the page.  Having everything in one column makes for a quick way to scrap one photo that you really like.  The bubbles on this page help to tie everything together and also to carry your eye through the page.  I felt like this was the kind of design I would like to use on a page.  So, here’s my take on it!

Big Boy Toys layout

Close up of layout

Basic Grey Wander

This is our youngest nephew last year on his birthday and his awesome gift from the family!  What a quick and fun page this was to put together!  I used 2 pieces of Basic Grey Wander® collection paper and 1 piece of cardstock!  And some buttons of course!  You could easily use this design and use up some of your paper scraps.  Or, even sticker leftovers!  Quick and easy!  Isn’t that what we all want?  And, yes, I did stick with the boy theme and the blue color for my page.  But, you could easily turn this into a girl page and use pink or yellow and flowers or bling!  No rules here, just use your imagination and your creativity!

I also want to point out to you that I used the Basic Grey Wander® collection papers.  Now this line is basically a travel type of collection but I easily turned it into a boy themed page.  Even cutting out some of the “road signs” and using them as embellishments on the page took them from having a travel type meaning to being about a boy and his toy!  So what I’m saying is to use your creative mind and let your ideas flow when using product.  Don’t be limited by what you think the items are suppose to be used for.  Use them how you like and don’t be afraid to experiment and play!  Just imagine the possibilities you may have once you get started on your creative journey!

Let’s Create and Learn Together!

I want to share with you today the classes that we have coming up for July. 

Friday July 8-Open crafting 7 p.m. – Midnight.  Come on in and use our workroom and tools for $5 and get some projects done!  And, of course, have some fun while doing it! 

Tuesday July 10-Paper Beads 10 a.m. – Noon.  Learn how to use your everyday papers, junk mail, and scraps to make beautiful beads!  We will show you how to make different shapes and sizes so you can have a variety.  This is good for young and old alike!

Thursday July 14-Button Necklace and Bracelet 6 p.m.-8 p.m.  You can pick your own button colors and style to make your necklace unique!  This project would be good for the kids but is also fun for us big kids too!  Make something for yourself to wear, or make as a gift.

Wednesday July 20-Scrapbooking 101 10 a.m. – Noon.  Guest instructor Rachel is back to show you the basics of scrapbooking.  This is a great way to get a page or two done and pick up some new ideas and designs! 

Wednesday July 20 or Saturday July 23-Quarterly Card Club.  This month we are focusing on birthday cards but the designs and techniques you learn can be used on any card!  You will make 4 complete cards and have lots of fun at the same time! 

Friday July 22-Open Crafting 7 p.m. – Midnight.  Time again to come in and use our room to create and have fun!  Bring a friend or two and make a night of it!

Monday July 25-Smiling Layouts 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.  You will be making 2 double page spreads in this class.  Gorgeous papers and embellishments are all included!  Good for boy pages or girl!

Saturday July 30-Photo Finish 10 a.m. – Noon.  Rachel is at it again with a great class to spark your creativity!  This class will focus on getting the photos you want for your pages! 

As always if you have any questions about the classes you can call us at 228-3030 or stop into the store!  We try to have samples for each class displayed in the store so you can see it too.  And, our schedule is always on the website http://www.therusticcorner.com/cal.html so you can look at it there.  We hope you can join us soon to create and learn!