Did You See Who I Get To Work With?

First of all: a special THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who applied! We were humbled beyond words to see so many talented people apply for our design team. Your creativity, beautiful projects, and sweet words about our company are all appreciated so much.

We know that along with the excitement for the new team there will be some disappointment too...and we hurt right along with you. If there was ANY way we could add everyone who applied to the team we would do it in a heartbeat! So please know we appreciate YOU. We love seeing your work, we know you put yourself out there, and we THANK for it.  We will always consider ALL of you as part of our Prima family!

So, after spending hundreds of hours going through gorgeous design team applications, poring over blogs filled with beautiful projects, and repeating this process multiple times, we FINALLY have our new team narrowed down! Please help us give these designers the warmest welcome ever. (Click on their blog links for a wonderful creative journey around the world.)

Love DIY Projects!

My family is crazy big...which means we always have a lot going on! This year is no exception. My oldest son, Billy, is getting married in June to his sweetheart, Bethany! Our whole family has been busy crafting away for it. (Imagine that!)

So, today I have a super fast and easy DIY wedding project up on the Simon Says Stamp blog! Come on over and check it out! It is easy to customize to fit your colors, and your style! Seriously...it would take less than an hour for all three pieces! (Even if you do not have a wedding in your future this would make a gorgeous table-scape, or mini wall gallery! I now need to make one for myself...I'm thinking blush pink, sparkling gold, and a touch of mint!

Celebrating STAMPtember!

Guess who was asked to be a guest for Simon Says Stamp's amazing STAMPtember® month-long party!?! I was so honored...and humbled...again! I knew I wanted to work with a VERY special stamp by my sweet and mega-talented friend, Jamie Dougherty, created just for Prima!

This Bloom Girl is named "Sharon" and I think she is just LOVELY with curly hair and butterflies all over! The stamp is a bit larger than you think, so it is PERFECT for home decor and other FUN pieces. Here's a little peek at what I created. You can catch the whole project, step-by-steps, and full product list all over at the SSS blog...so go check it out!!!!!

Simon Says Stamp  was founded in 2002 with an interest in exclusively selling rubber stamps. It didn’t take long until we realized we couldn’t stop there. For more than 10 years we have celebrated rubber stamping and its glory. We work to bring companies from around the world together in a one stop shopping environment. Rubber stamps still remain the heart of our business and we are celebrating by hosting a “STAMPtember®" event intended to inspire, educate, and celebrate the delight of rubber stamping. Part of the enticement of rubber stamping is that stamps can be used in creating or complementing ANYTHING! From stamping dates on bank documents and postage parcels in the early 18th century, rubber stamping has dramatically expanded to include card making, scrapbooking, mixed media and many forms of altering and expressing art.

Come Have Some Kitschy-Cute Fun With Me!

Today I am on Live With Prima teaching a few sweet tags, mixed-media style! The new Coffee Break collection is simply gorgeous with all of it's retro touches! Watch as I mix the line with our new Art Basics and Art Ingredients  to create colorful texture on each tag. (I also created an "Art Recipe" for each tag so you can see which products were "mixed" together!)

Art Tag Recipes with Sharon Laakkonen (that's ME! ;))

Tuesday, September 2nd at 11:00am PT/ 2:00pm ET/ 7:00pm UK

Whimsical and fun, these Coffee Break tags are simply perfect for sending to a friend, or attaching to a coffee or tea gift set! Join me as I share how to create each delightful tag from start to finish using Prima's new "Art Recipe" theme! You'll be "bubbling over" with inspiration with two custom "art recipes" created with brand-new, summer releases, while quickly mixing everything together for gorgeous results! Glass Beads, Art Sugar, Glitter, Pastes, and Gels...they are all included in this delicious class! 

Recipe 1: Love Your Life Tag

Recipe 2: Read, Drink, and Be Merry

Prima Products:

• 961800 Art Sugar-White
• 961671 Glass Beads-Crystal
• 961572 Glitter Set-Mardi Gras
• 961411 Modeling Paste
• 961435 Soft Gloss Gel
• 961299 Finnabair Stencil-Bubbles
• 910853 Julie Nutting- Watercolor Tag Pad
• 980269 Bloom Collection- A4 Watercolor Paper Pad
• 572815 Doily Die
• Color Bloom Sprays: 573942 Glistening Waves, 573867 Summer Sky, 573775 Sunshine
• 577032 Frosted Lace
• 576264 Coffee Break-3D Stickers
• 846749, 846718, 846701 Coffee Break Papers
• 575663 Coffee Break 3x4 Pad
• 578794 Epiphany Flowers
• 578633 Volado Roses
• 577490 Melbourne Roses-Kangaroo
• Metallic Chalk Edger-Carbon
• 576790 Sunshine Wax Cord
• 576868 Watermelon Jute Thread 

Extra Materials:

• Sizzix Floral Grande Butterfly Die
• Black Seam Binding
• Turquoise Tulle
• Circle Punches (Marvy Green Scallop, Marvy Pink Circle)
• Fiskars Border Punch
• Corner Rounder

Happy Birthday, POM!

Today is Prima's fearless leader's birthday!  She is the beautiful founder and visionary force behind the whole company. Her positive "let's try it" attitude keeps Prima on the cutting edge with new products, programs, ideas, and energy! Please join in and help us wish Pom the very HAPPIEST of BIRTHDAYS ever on the Prima blog!!!

Today is YOUR special day, Pom! Enjoy it to the limit! I made a little tag for you from our NEW Special Delivery kit! (Thought you'd like that extra promotion, hehe!)

So Pom and I go a ways back. I have known her for about nine years now. We have some CRAZY memories together...from working trade shows all over the states (and she will help from start to finish!), laughing uncontrollably at everything when out with Josie, Sally, Tami, Cari, and the girls (remember that ONE time talking about noodles???), to hitchhiking in Moscow late at night (yeah...who would ever think we would do that?)

I do treasure each memory though. So today, Pom, I hope you have the most blessed birthday ever!

What's Keeping Me Busy!

Life is crazy with seven kids, but then they grow up and it gets even BUSIER! So here is what has been keeping me a BIT busy the last few months.

First

Bethany and Jon had another baby girl! 

It was one of the most beautiful things to experience. (I know I have been on the OTHER side a few times, but really seeing the miracle of birth opened my eyes to how absolutely precious and miraculous it really is. I still get teary-eyed thinking about it. Sniff.)

Isn't she SWEET? Beth and Jon named her Madelyn Elise. She has big blue eyes and is so squeezably adorable!

Amariah was a bit apprehensive to meet her little sister at first.

But she warmed up to her in no time at all!

(Okay-it really took till the next day until she would hold her, but Amariah is 3. She just needed to sleep on it a bit.)

Then she thought the new baby was really something FUN!

The sisters a week later!

This is Madelyn and her mommy at 1 month! I think Bethany looks fabulous! And Madelyn's eyes are stunning.

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Second:

My daughter, Brittany, got married! Yeah-we love to pack a whole lot of activity in as a family!

I couldn't have picked a better guy for her. Josiah (we call him Jobes so we don't confuse him with our 9 year old-hehe) is perfect for Britt. They've gone out for over 3 years now. I love how patient and mature they have been through it all!

 Britt and Jobes planned so many details themselves. (Britt just HAD to be super-crafty-bride, huh?) The weeks before the wedding I had STUFF all over my house...paint and flowers and tablecloths, vases and dried flowers and a cotton candy stand (for real), cake plates and Jones soda bottles and cornhole games...literally anything & everything you could think of! They seriously customized this wedding like none I have ever seen.

From the flowers girls' ensembles....

to her bridal gown...Britt and her sweetie (& family and friends) literally poured hundreds of hours into their special day! (We are hoping to do a little DIY feature about the wedding on the Prima blog so keep an eye out for it!)

Jobes swept her off her feet and we were all there to watch the fairytale romance and wedding!

Presenting Mr & Mrs Josiah Durham!

Their playful grand entrance at the reception!

Here's Bill & I, our seven children, their significant others, and our two grandbabies! WHEW! We keep GROWING and we LOVE it!

PS: Next event? Another wedding...coming up in December. Stay tuned!