Friends: new & old

Hi Everybody,

What a weekend! Friday was the premiere of "Endless Possibilities" on The Scrapbook Lounge over at TVWeekly.com (take a look if you haven't seen it yet) and Saturday I used my brand new Cloisonne Mosaic Frame stamp in a couple of workshops also called Endless Possibilities at Stamping Detail, just about the best stamp store on the planet. Not only did the owners, Michael & DiAnn Ogawa sponsor my Scrapbook Lounge episode, they threw me a premiere party at the workshops complete with red carpet,Tinseltown decor, photo-ops and the best cake I ever ate! We had so much fun. To top it all off, my friend Cherryl Green, The Executive Producer of The Scrapbook Lounge came to take the workshop. Cherryl and her unbelievably talented photographer husband Rich came back to Casa Strong for dinner and great conversation Saturday night, stayed over and left for Los Angles after breakfast on Sunday. Tonight we had a delightfully laid back barbecue with our dear friends Glenn and Carmen and most of our kids who have all grow up together. Lots of history there! An extraordinary weekend with friends new and old!

Gesso

Hi everybody,

I had a flash of nostalgia today. I received a couple of cards from my friend Hetty in The Netherlands. She used gesso on them to give them a painterly look. When I was in college, a LONG time ago, I used gallons of gesso preparing my canvases for painting assignments. I can still recall the smell of gesso without opening a jar. What a luxury it was to spend a month or more on a single canvas, although back then I didn't really appreciate time as a luxury. Now and then I wish I had time to take up painting again but I have no regrets. I'm one of the lucky ones who gets to do what he loves for a living thanks to all of you! Maybe I'll pick up a little jar of gesso and keep it on my drawing table as a reminder of how blessed I am.

Paper lace card