there’s just no other way to put it…i’ve been busy. busy on the road, busy on qvc, busy teaching, busy with new product designs, busy with new product development, busy with ranger u, busy getting ready for my next trip, and basically just too busy to blog. i always have the best intentions though when i head out on the road to click a few photos maybe shoot a few flip videos, and be a good blogger posting everyday…then reality hits and there are just not enough hours in the day. what an adventure these past 2 weeks on the road have been along with mario (my assistant) thanks to him for his tireless work, and endless efforts to make everything i do possible. so much has gone on from one place to the next so i figured my post today would be a recap of what i’ve been up to – so here we go…
QVC – we headed out 2 week ago to new jersey to make a 1 day stop at ranger for the final preparations for my QVC debut. tuesday morning we hit the road for a 2 hour drive to QVC headquarters. we arrived on the set 3 hours before we were set to go on air as required to get unpacked, everything set up, go over the time slots, find our set, a quick stop to hair and make-up, and then wait it out. then it was time – i have 6 minutes for each of my 3 on-air kits and let me tell you, the 18 minutes flew by! it was such a rush trying to fit everything i had to say into just a few minutes along with all the host had to say, the caller, the robotic cameras everywhere (yes, the cameras were automated!) and do it all with an electronic clock within view clicking away the countdown of seconds! i have to say i was pretty impressed that i actually remembered to video our 1 day journey to share with all of you. after all, you made this one incredible experience – my sincere thank you. then it was back on the road to head back to ranger.
RANGER – the next 2 days were spent at ranger working on finalizing all of the new CHA-summer releases of Distress Metallic Crackle Paint and Distress Stickles. everything turned out great and the products should be shipping in the next couple of weeks – i can’t wait!!!
WATCH CRAFT – on thursday i took a break and headed into New York City for a day of fun. my good friend nadine made plans for us to visit the studio of watch craft – this is the company that creates the hand-made watches i love to wear. this was definitely a day i will never forget! we made the 2 hour drive into the heart of Manhattan and then over to queens to visit the studio. you see, the artist of watch craft eduardo milieris, does not open his studio to the public, but that didn’t stop nadine into charming her way into getting us in (we actually joked that it was like getting in to see "the wizard" of oz – and nobody gets in to see the wizard)… the studio was housed in this very old, very eclectic, very grungy warehouse complete with found objects and elements from the city that i could only dream of owning. eduardo and his staff were simply amazing and kind. we got to tour the studio and get a glimpse into the process they go through to create each watch by hand – yes, by hand one at a time. i was just in awe, like a kid in a candy store, asking him question after question about inspiration, design, and his creative muse. he was so genuine. i showed him the 2 watches i own of his and he asked me what my "ultimate" watch design would be…and to my surprise, by the end of our day there i was handed the exact watch i described. you guessed it, he had the watch i wanted created for me right there, on the spot, that very day! nothing short of amazing. of course i also bought another one of his creations i had my eye on so now my watch stash is up to 4. my friend nadine was able to buy a treasure of her own from him. unbelievable! so thank you again nadine, for doing something for me, something i will never forget…
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING – we left the city and headed for the airport to fly to boston for a weekend of teaching at one of my favorite stores "absolutely everything" for the tim holtz holiday festival! friday morning we headed straight to the store to unpack and get ready for our friday night Christmas party at the store. kate, the owner and her amazing staff had the store decorated in holiday hoopla and were busy the entire day unpacking product and setting up for the weekend. that night we kicked off the festival with an exclusive party complete with food, holiday punch, Christmas music, and 3 make & takes i designed for the attendees to create throughout the night. we even had a "Christmas sweater contest" where the attendees were awarded prizes for the ugliest holiday sweater (and we mean that in the kindest way…) lot’s of laughs! saturday and sunday were full days of 6 holiday classes total with about 55 students in each. space was tight, but everyone had a great time creating some amazing and inspiring projects. the store was filled with products, including all of my new releases of grungeboard, masks, and idea-ology trinkets. the students were so talented and creative – there was just a festive spirit in the air for sure! the weekend finished off with a surprise gift for me of a HUGE bag filled will "all things vintage" that several of the students brought in for this collaborative gesture of goodness…once again i was speechless. so thank you to all of my students for such a great holiday festival!!!
RANGER U – monday morning we were back on a plane from boston to newark for a week at ranger and then ranger u. the week was spent finishing up kits for ranger u, meetings, new product development, and final preparation for the ranger u weekend. friday morning the 24 selected attendees started to arrive from all over the world. we had students from the east cost to west coast, spain, uk, belguim, norway, and canada – it was a great mix. designers suze weinberg and claudine hellmuth were also there to teach on friday as their part of the curriculum we had in store for the students. ranger u is a 3-day educational program for store owners, teachers, designers, manufacturers, and distributors to learn everything there is to know about all things ranger. from development to technique, this session is what i refer to as "ranger boot camp" filled with over 75 techniques in 3 days. saturday and sunday were my days teach where students learned 51 techniques hands-on to create a tag swatch book. everyone worked so hard, shared their creative experiences, and learned a great deal over the weekend. thanks to everyone at ranger for their tireless efforts to make this event a success each and every time – as well as a sincere thank you to the wonderful students of Ranger U 2008 – congrats!
whew! so there you have it, the last 2 weeks were very busy, but filled with creative fun. i’m home for the next 2 days, unpacking, repacking and heading out again on thursday for my visit to the Michael’s store in Hurst, TX. for a day of free demos and a grungeboard make & take. if you’re in the area, stop by to celebrate the grand opening of their new store design. working on the technique challenge to post tomorrow….until then -t!m
