Guest post and scrapbooking process video: Stephanie Bryan

I am taking this month off from making videos for my blog becuase I am making stuff for something else! So, I have a few guests that will be filling in for me with awesome projects and videos. First up is Stephanie Bryan. She is a fabulous scrapbooker and photographer and I am always in awe when I look at her beautiful creations. Here is her page and video:

Stephanie used these beautiful cut files by Kim Stewart.

Sometimes the most beautiful things really are the simplest.  Often, I find that I try to make myself stick to crazy creativity rules, like including patterned paper on a layout, even if I can't seem to make it work.  After I embossed Wilna's floral cut files, I loved the beauty and delicacy that they alone added to my page.  I was tempted to add in patterned paper, and as you watch my video, you will see that it took me a few different layers to create the look I was trying to achieve.  I wanted my background to be soft and muted, but not necessarily completely white.  I did a lot of pushing paper and embellishments around on my page originally, but finally settled on the perfect combo of watercolors and paint to enhance my background.  In the end, I just love how this page turned out.  I love that I threw all the "rules" out the window and just enjoyed the process of creating.  Thank you so much for joining me today as a guest here at I Heart Studio!!  I hope this page inspires you to create in whatever style YOU want to create!  Enjoy!

Video:



Related Products:









Talk soon!!
xoxo
Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

Scrapbook Process Video: Like a circus. What?

 About this page:

Dani van Steelandt took these beautiful photos of Kirstin for her 15th birthday. I wanted to do something with it that complimented the photo and decided to make a wreath that goes around the photo like a crown. :)
This page is very simple and was easy to make. I hope you enjoy the video where I show you how. Nothing dramatic happened here... except the background page was adhered already and I changed it.
You can find the cut file here.








The Video:




The related products:

Talk soon!
Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

Guest page: Jen Kinkade

Jen design some pretty cut files for my little shop and she is sharing a page with us today that used one of those beautiful cut files. Follow Jen on Instagram.

What Jen said about the page:

I was immediately inspired to do a page about my middle daughter when I made this cut file since she is my Summer baby. I try to do photo shoots with each of my girls on their birthdays and just loved this photos of her from last summer in the beautiful flower gardens. I chose 3 main colors from the photo to accent my page with a watercolor effect--pink, yellow, and purple. I used a combination of gelatos and my watercolor palette to achieve my desired effect. I wanted the main cut file to be both large and bold, so I spray painted the whole cut with metallic gold spray paint and gold glitter, while keeping the cuts layered behind my photo white. I added tulle and sequins behind my main cut file to add dreaminess. In the end, I wanted my page to be beautiful and magical all in one! 

Related products:




Remember, when you buy any product from http://iheartstudio.ca/shop then you will receive a free set of hashtag cuts. :) Offer till end of June.

Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

Guest Artist: Nina Ostermann

Today's page is by Nina Ostermann. Nina's Instagram. I "met" Nina through my art classes on 2peas. when she posted her pages in the class gallery, I immediately saw that special something. She is an amazing artist and I admire her work greatly.

Here's what she said about the page:

For todays pages I used a photo from our daughter Jonna (she´s 9 years old) and doggy Emma (2 years old). It is so great to know that they have an extraordinary friendship. They keep on each other like one one else does, it´s like a huge girl thing. 

Jonna is a typical girl and she loves to take lots and lots of pictures, what´s a great fact for a mommy who loves scrapbooking *yay* One of her favorite partner, of course, is Emma. Emma is always happy doing crazy things with her round the clock. She don´t have to do homework like her brother or doing laundry like me, so she´s the number 1. And this makes us smile every. single. day.

To focus the picture of both on this layout, I decided to center it up in the middle of the page, layered with a chipboard and wooden frame. I colored the deer cut with my loved Gelatos in pink and orange tones. It´s placed with a paper doilie directly behind the picture. I love the way it turns out in the background of this simple page...

Related products:







Remember, when you buy any product from http://iheartstudio.ca/shop then you will receive a free set of hashtag cuts. :) Offer till end of June.

Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

Art class 2 just got better!

I have created the 2 art classes on 2peas the last year. And I was so happy and a little surprised (to be completely honest) when they became so popular.  I think the love for the classes is because I use mixed media in small and minimalist ways. It's doing the art techniques without the big messes (always except sometimes in this case). Also in the format: Each class has 10 chapters and 10 (or more) videos where I show you exactly how to use all these wonderful mediums. But i think the biggest reason why you have loved the classes are becuase of the fun. What can be more fun and freeing than playing with paint, rub-ons, gelatos, gesso, watercolors, wax, acrylics, molding paste and stencils (only to name a few). 

And now Artclass 2 just got better. We added 3 chapters (6 pages and 3 videos) to the class. I want to introduce the three LOVELY contributors to the bonus chapters:

Janna Werner works as a designer, freelance writer and teacher. She lives in North Germany, together with her husband and animals. Janna´s love for papercrafts and mixed media art evolved in 2010 when a friend introduced her to scrapbooking. Since then she has been working together with well-known papercrafting companies, magazines and designers. Right now she is doing Design Team work for Sizzix, Elle´s Studio, entreArtistes and Crate Paper.

blog: www.jannawerner.de

instagram: http://instagram.com/jannawerner

facebook: facebook.com/jannawerner.de

Lilith Eeckels is a mother to 4 mischievous boys and a part time teacher in Belgium. Her days are hectic and as soon as she has some time, she'll sneak into her scraproom and play with paper. She loves white space and layering but isn't afraid to use other designs. Her mood, supplies and photos decide how she is going to scrap. Her work is showcased on her blog Lilith's scrapbooking venture : 

blog: http://lilithandscrap.blogspot.com/

instagram: http://instagram.com/lilitheeckels

Michelle De Leon is a university student from Alberta, Canada. When she is not busy with school or work, she can be found volunteering, catching up on movies, and enjoying quality time with friends and family. Having discovered the scrapbooking world last May, Michelle is happy to have found a hobby that acts as a creative outlet while documenting everyday moments. She shares her scrapbooking creations on her blog at "The Scrapbooking Chronicles of Portable Michelle"

blog: http://www.portablemichelle.blogspot.ca

instagram: http://instagram.com/portablemichelle

Also, I have another new video and page up on 2peas today! Go and check it out.  If you buy Artclass 2 by clicking any of the links on my blog, please email me your 2peas receipt and I will send you a link to a mini album tutorial with 2 videos. :) email me wilna71 at yahoo dot ca (not com).

Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

New on 2peas today... :)

I just want to share the new products that I created for 2peas that will go on sale today! I loved creating the printable files and they are my favorite. Please forgive me if I make a few pages this month using them. The printables come in 2 sizes: 3x4 cards and 3x3 squares. You can re-size the 3x3's to fit a 8.5x11 letter paper and print the squares smaller... Either way, they are sweet and fresh and hopefully you will love them just as much as I do.

You can click on the pictures here to take you to the 2peas shop. As you can see, there's a lot of cut files and then the 2 printables. All I can say is that I love creating these!

New 2peas stuff:

Also, right now I have a sale on iheartstudio.ca for my Lightroom 4 class. I had some questions about the way I edit my photos and this is honestly the program I use and one of the things I teach you in the class is how to do a simple edit. I use this exact technique to edit my photos. I love Lightroom. I cannot imagine my life without it. This class is a very good entry point into Lightroom and even though it's geared towards you making the most of displaying your scrapbook pages, You can apply the principles to photos too. I was just thinking today that I use this exact process every. single. week to make my scrapbook pages look their best. For $12 right now, this is a worthwhile investment. :) click this link to the LR4 class and go and read the extensive description about the class.

My nephew (my Brother's son) is visiting us right now and I love hanging out with him as much as I can. So today he will experience Walmart. He is in for a (cough-cough) treat. bwahahaha... so much for sight seeing! See you soon!

Love and a kiss
Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

Blog video: HART layout process!

Hello! I am so excited and happy to bring you my first independent video! I actually just woke up this morning with the incredible desire to share this process with you. So I had a wonderful creative day. I hope you like the page and the process... it's like a mini art class. I am not going to say anything further... you have to watch it!

Here is the page:

If you love the cut file, you can buy it here: Heart 12x12 cut file. On the product page, you will find a little video telling you the settings I used to cut my shape out. I did use some thick water color paper for this cut. If you use paper this thick be sure to watch my little silhouette video here.

http://www.iheartstudio.ca/shop/

Related products:

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you have any questions, be sure to leave me a comment here.

Wilna Furstenberg

iheartblog

New year... already?

I am always a slow starter to the new year. And this year it's worse than usual. I am cold and lethargic and in general just pathetic. So I phoned my friend and complained at length of my unmotivated sense of being. All I want to do is... nothing. And her response was: It's January Blues. I am sure I have a healthy dose of January blues. Until this morning. I got out of bed and just decided this nonsense stops now. I did a family photo shoot for the sweetest family... and I was just reminded again how much I enjoy photographing families. The kids were adorable and busy and angelic. We did a recycling run...and now the garage is decluttered of holiday cardboard and wine bottles. :)

I have tidied my scrapbook room/ studio/ office and I want to give the dogs a bath as well. Oh and paint a painting. Right now it's snowing and only -6 outside. All the kids are with friends. The house is quiet. I am listening to Afrikaans music. I think officially that my new year just started. Happy new year to me.

My word for 2014 is HEART. I want to make art like never before. I want this creativity that's bundled up in my soul to spill out like never before. I want to paint and scrapbook and take photos and make beautiful things. I will fill my heart with good things. I will fill my soul with God's goodness and Word. I am happy that my workload for January is light and I have time to plan some important things for this year. One thing that I want to do is take more photos of my girls. They are teenagers now and it's becoming more difficult to get them in front of the camera. Becuase they are so picky about their hair and make up and general appearance, it's a pain. But i think i will just force them to take more photos and be ok with it. HA!

This picture makes my heart up fill with joy and makes my soul sing a song. 

Did you see the mini album I created for 2peas this past week? I am so happy and surprised with the amount of praise for this project. THANK YOU! It does inspire me again to take my pages and projects to the next level. And for me personally, that's all it takes... the moment I am inspired, I know the creativity will come and the result will be good. The photos I used in this mini album was taken by one of my best friends and an amazing photographer Dani van Steelandt. Love you miss Dani. 

A few thing I would love to ask... Artclass 2 is selling so well. I am getting emails and comments of how much the class is enjoyed and appreciated. If this is you, please write a review of the class on 2peas. The same goes for Art class 1. There is nothing I appreciate more as a thoughtful review on the classes. It really matters to me. Thank you for taking time to do this. 

Also, I want to keep on inspiring. I want to make things that makes you happy. I am aware enough to know that I don't know everything, but I want to ask you. What would you want to see more of? If I were to do another class, what would YOU like to see? I think the classes with the videos is a wonderful tool and the students love the videos. I want to start planning a new class but I want to know what you want... your words and thoughts on this subject is super important to me. Please let me know. I will even make up a RAK and give it away to a random commenter if you are so kind to take time and talk to me. Just leave a comment. :)

Lastly, just a reminder that if you BUY Art Class 1 or 2 through my blog, just email me the receipt to wilna71 at yahoo dot ca (not com) and I will send you a link to a mini album workshop that I taught in Europe this past October. Here are the links to use to purchase the classes:

Art class 1

Art class 2

PS... did you listen to this episode of the Paperclipping roundtable? I was on the panel gushing about the Silhouette die cut machine. It's a great episode!

I really hope to blog more this year. May this be the start of good things.

Much love
Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

A new year, A new series and a new project!

Today is such a happy day for me. I created this mini album over the weekend to celebrate the brand new series called INSPIRED on 2peas that kicked off yesterday. I am so happy and excited to share it here. The project has 2 videos: the first one to explain how to make the covers out of wood frames and how to make the spine of the book. The second video is how to make the pages and how to put the book together.

Here's a look at the mini album:

Here's the videos:

Part 1: Cover and spine:

Part 2: Pages and binding: 

Here's a few of the products that I used:

Talk soon!
Wilna Furstenberg

iheartblog

Last in the Mood to Scrap video for 2013...

Today is the last in the Mood to Scrap video for the year... and as you will see in the week to come, the last one period. There's some new things happening on 2peas and it's going to be new and awesome! :)

This page is all about my word for 2014: HEART. It's been my word for the longest time but I decided to make it a prominent one again... to remind myself what I am all about: my Spiritual heart and my art. I long to be just making lots and lots of painting this year. I want to make my scrapbook commitments less (yes, I am staying on at 2Peas) - and focus more on other art forms and creativity. This coming year I want to read more and connect more and be a bit less busy.
Here's the page that I made about my word:

You can see the video here:

And I want to remind you about the very first video I made for 2peas (Jan 1st 2013) that was also the word for 2013: STRONG. See the video and page here.

Here the list of some of the products I used on this page: (There's a great sale going on right now!)

WINNER!
Carla from Utah won the give away from the last post. Please email me!

Happy New Year!

Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

Last Garden Digest for 2013.

Can you believe a whole year is almost done in 8 days? I am surprised that time past so quickly! Welcome to another edition of the Gardeners Digest. Every month the designers from 2peasinabucket.com create this wonderful and creative blog hop where we share our favorite products and inspiration and other lovely things. The list for this month's hop is as follows:

2Peas 
Paige Jill 
Celine 
Lisa D. 
Jen G. 
Shimelle 
Wilna (me!)
Lilith 

This month I will be looking back at what stood out for me this year personally!

The first thing is the "In the Mood to Scrap" series I was part of.  I will upload my last video end of the month which brings the total of videos I created for in the Mood to 15. I am so in love with these pages and I can honestly say that the idea of a mood board changed my approach to scrapbooking a whole bunch. I am so thankful to 2peas for making me a part of this.

Here is a playlist of of all those videos that I complied:



Secondly, my first artclass. This class has sold well over a 1000 spots and it's still selling good. I cannot be more happy and proud of this mammoth project that I tackled last December and January. The class went on sale in February and as the reviews came in, it started to sell more and more. What surprised me was how many spots sold with the second class last month. I am thankful beyond words for the gift of art that God gave me.



And last but not least, Artclass 2. This class was a bit harder for me to create mostly becuase I knew the amount of work required. But in the end, what makes it worthwhile is the gratitude of the students and the incredible love and appreciation shown for the content of the class. It really was a labour of love and believe it or not, but I am actually thinking of a third class. It really all depends if the second one does as well as the first one. :)

I am giving away a $20 gift voucher for 2peas. The shop is really awesome!! I am sure there will be something there that makes your heart beat a little faster!!

ETA: Carla from Utah won the give away!

Merry Christmas!

Love
Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

Lots of things happening!

Today is a particular chilly day In Saskatchewan Canada AND my dad's birthday... so forgive me if I am a little homesick right now. I also had a very tough workout and my fingers are trembling a little. I love to hate Kelleen... our trainer. HA! But i mostly love her. :) This past week I painted a bunch of canvases and I primed some more yesterday (around 9 of them!) and I am icing to paint. I decided this year to channel my creative energy into painting vs a december daily album. I am saving my foundation pages for next year. I struggled with it for a while and the moment I made the decision, I felt a little better. I think the other reason is that I had a lot of design work due the first week of December and felt exhausted after I completed it all... and now I just want to play with paint. Here's 2 pages I did for 2peas this last week AND the videos that goes with them. If you love these pages, you will LOVE my art classes on 2peas. The review are starting come in for the second one and I am thankful that you think it's as good as the first one! THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to write a review. In the end people believe your words more than mine! I truly appreciate it. *heart*

Here's my last in the mood to scrap video:

I saw this mood board and really wanted to make a page with a deer head and this mood board really leaned itself towards it. I loved working on this page and I must admit it's my favorite page of the year. For sure.

On this page I was a guest designer for the 213 in 2013 series. I loved the grid layout!

If you want to see what my artclass is all about, watch this video!

Off to paint!!
Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

My scrapbook room: a tour.

see more pictures of my scrapbook room here.

I just finished working on a big project (Artclass 2 available on 2peas in a bucket) and I cleaned my scrapbook room form top to bottom. It was the purging of the decade for me and for the first time in 3 years, I can say that my scrapbook room is just perfect. I love an uncluttered space and I am always busy decluttering. To the point where my family calls me Mrs Declutter. I love it when everything has a place and a spot - it saves me time looking for things which I love becuase I am inherently lazy and HATE looking for things. This room also hosts my home office and I have a 30 second office - meaning I must be able to find anything I need in 30 seconds. Being organized comes not from being OCD (because I really am not) but from my minimalistic outlook and the lightness that's a part of not living in clutter. These are the same reasons why I seldom procrastinate.  Please note the seldom in this last sentence. (seldom except sometimes).

The video quality is not great. I used a handy cam to record it and it worked fine, but I am not a professional video person... still learning stuff like that. But the reason why I posted it anyway is becuase I love watching scrapbook room tours on youtube. I am fascinated by it. And I hope you are not disappointed by the lack of scrapbooking stash in my scrapbook room... I really don't have that much stuff. I think you will be shocked by my pile of scrapbook paper. Let me know what you think- hehe. The photos in the gallery is way better... thanks to my wonderful Nikon camera (I have a Nikon D7000 that I use for filming projects and a D800 that I use for my photography).  <3 I have an Apple iMac 27" (2009) and a second screen (acer) that I use for iTunes and watching videos/movies while I work. Having a second screen is awesome when you work in Photoshop or do a tutorial where you can watch the video on one screen and work on the other one. Just a note here... You just plug the second screen into the Mac and then you can drag windows across the screens almost like you had one BIG screen. So, I only use one mouse and one key board for both screens. I love technology more then jewelry. Seriously. I am the techie person in the house and I fix the network problems and the wireless devices. I also keep all my technology updated and current. 

My wide format printer is an Epson R1900 Stylus Photo printer.
My wireless home printer is a Brother MFC-J615w. It's a scanner, printer fax. Love it. 

I don't have a lot of tools that I use. I think the tool I use the most is my Silhouette Cameo. It has a special place in my room and I really use it a lot. Most of the furniture is from Ikea and it's a pity they don't make the desk I have any more. The grey and white stripe rug is from a local store (JYSK) and I love finding bargains to make my room pretty.

Here's the video: 




And you can see all the photos of my 2013 scrapbook room  in my twopeasinabucket gallery by clicking this link.


Here's a flash back for you!
My scrapbook room as I photographed it in 2011.
My scrapbook room as it was in 2009.

So, if you have any other questions about anything, leave me a comment  and I will answer you there as well.

click here and hop over to this post where I am giving away one spot to my new class (give away ends this Thursday!) So make sure you leave a comment (You can also win your spot back!)

Smiles...

Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

Scavenger HUNT!

The winner from the previous Art class 2 give away is... Beatriz betilee@gmail.com! I will email you right away!

I think what made me the happiest was that so many new people bought the first art class (currently 25% off)! This really renewed my commitment and love for this wonderful hobby and I am making plans to expand into the new year with more awesome tutorials and tips regarding all things scrapbooking. Today I am doing another give away for ARTCLASS 2 and it's a bit different, BUT it has total reference to my new idea for 2014... so this is how this new give away will work...

each thing you do will enter you into the draw:

1. Like my Wilna Furstenberg | iheartstudio.ca page on Facebook.
2. Subscribe to my YouTube channel
3. Follow me on Instagram: wilnafurstenberg

Come back here and post a comment that say done. When I draw the name, i will check those places to see if i find you! ;)

And still going is this:

Mini Album for affiliate bonus.

AFFILIATE BONUS:

<-------
If you purchase Artclass2 through clicking the link below , then  I will email you a link to a special bonus class! It's a mini album class that I taught in Europe this past October. There are two videos (50 minutes in total) that will show you step by step how to make an adorable little mini album. Here's what you need to do:

1. Click THIS LINK and it will take you to 2peas. Once you bought the class, email your receipt to: wilna71(at)yahoo(dot)ca
2. I will reply with the link to the bonus video and the password. (I will do it ASAP)
3. This will only work if you follow step 1 & 2. :)







ETA: ps... the winner of the artclass 2 give away is...Ruth Tacoma! Please email me your two peas name and I will give your name to the powers on there!


Talk soon!
Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

Artclass 2 is Here!!!

Class2 AD from Wilna Furstenberg on Vimeo.

Watch the sneak peek video. :)

Artclass 2 was a labour of love.  Endless amount of hours. And really, the wonderful response and comments from the first class kept me going. In the new class, I made an introduction video that's 18 minutes long taking you on a tour through the class and showing you some of the products I used over and over. I also show you 3 quick tips. The rest of the class consists of 10 chapters and 10 videos and over 5 hours of me explaining stuff to you. The product we will use almost in every chapter is gelatos. Sometimes they are just a sidekick, but in 5 pages they are the super heroes. Really fun stuff. I tried to keep it as simple as possible! My goal is to show you some new things and hopefully it will inspire more creativity and fun things for you!

Art class 2's chapters are numbered 11-20. It's becuase  I see it as a continuation of artclass 1. BUT the first class is NOT a requirement for the second one. If you loved the first class, then you will love the second class too! (and visa versa)

Mini Album for affiliate bonus.

AFFILIATE BONUS:

<-------
If you purchase Artclass2 through clicking the link below , then  I will email you a link to a special bonus class! It's a mini album class that I taught in Europe this past October. There are two videos (50 minutes in total) that will show you step by step how to make an adorable little mini album. Here's what you need to do:

1. Click THIS LINK and it will take you to 2peas. Once you bought the class, email your receipt to: wilna71(at)yahoo(dot)ca
2. I will reply with the link to the bonus video and the password. (I will do it ASAP)
3. This will only work if you follow step 1 & 2. :)











GIVE AWAY:
Also, I will giving away a spot in my new class today!  Just leave me a comment! what I would love to know is the following: Did you take artclass 1? Or will you start with artclass 2? *call me nosey*
You can purchase the class and win your spot back. Or gift it to a friend!

What people said of the first Art Class:

I recently purchased and went through Wilna Furstenberg's Art Class. I have taken many scrapbook classes over the last 2 years, and this is by far one of my absolute favorites. The techniques she presents here are so clearly laid out and consice. She shows exactly how she did it complete with LO's. I have done several of these techniques on my own pages with wonderful results, but a different look in my own style, and I LOVE that! This class definitely gets 5 peas in my book =) and I am looking SO forward to Art Class 2! Blessings ~~ dawn

Wilna's class was amazing. I learned so many new techniques. I can't wait until Art Class 2!

This class was so awesome. I was sad when I got through all the videos. I learned so many new techniques, a few that I have already tried. Wilna's pages are beautiful and the class was super inspiring! I can't wait until her next class! :) 

I absolutely loved this class. Not only did Wilna teach us new techniques, she gave variations on those techniques to expand on the fun. I really feel like I'm playing when I make these 'artsy' layouts. Wilna has a pleasing voice, and it's just plain fun to watch her work. SO glad I decided to take this. 

Talk soon! eeeekkkkkk!! I am so excited!!
Smiles

Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog


Comments now closed. Winner has been notified.
:)
wilna

Creative movie maker BLOG HOP!

Today i am participating in a fun event: a creative movie maker blog hop. It's so cool: Today a few of the Garden Girls are joining in on a fun video blog hop showcasing how they use a collection kit to create a project. Be sure to follow the blog hop list below as you hop from one blog to the next. Here's the order of the blog hop. The awesome thing about this is that you will get 8 free process videos to watch today!

Jen 
Celine 
Lilith 
Janna 
Marcy 
Wilna (me!)
Laura 
Shimelle



here's a look at my page! I used the Carta Bella "hello Again" collection pack. I love this collection because the paper are heavy weight and look like real watercolored paper.

Now hop to Laura's blog where you will see another wonderful project video!

Here's some of the products that I used in my video:


Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

A BIG thank you.

Today I am so thankful and a bit jet-lagged. My friend Annelie and I came back from a 12 day trip to and though Europe and we did have one of the best times of our lives. As i am sitting here a bit heavy eyed and slow minded... I reflect back on the trip and I can honestly say the best parts were the ones that included the people: Annelie with her dry sense of humour that made me burt out laughing on the strangest of times. We shared so many hysterical laughs that I simply cannot name all of them. Annelie, you were the very best part of this trip for me and i love and appreciate you even more that before. Aurea, Gemma, Jes, Ana, Ana, Maria, Idea.cat... thank you for showing us your hospitality and introducing us to Tapas. WOW. Annelie and I decided that deep down we are Catalan too.
And to Tina,  Mireia, Jens and Peter and your families... thank you for your incredible hospitality and kindness. Your homes are warm and filled with love and laughter (and GOOD vegan food) and we will never forget how good you were to us!!

We are home safe and sound, we have slept and feel loved by our families! I am taking today off to relax, cook food and do laundry... and tomorrow I am back to work. :)

I just wanted to link the projects that I did for the workshops for the students here. They know the passwords. (some of these projects will be available later through my blog for the students who signs up for Artclass 2 - but only in November)

Workshop Mini Album
Workshop Layout 1
Workshop Layout 2.

Talk soon!
ps... you can see more pictures of my trip on Instagram! My username is wilnafurstenberg

Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

About homeschooling and in the mood to scrap.

School started last week and for the first time in (almost) ever, all three my girls are in school. When Tia started school in 2003, we decided to put her in the ACE program. ACE is basically a Christian based curriculum and works with paces. So typically, a child will finish 12 paces in each subject in the course of a year. The basics of ACE (what I love about it and what made me continue on with it) is Wordbuilding. Every single week they learn spelling and write spell tests. When we came to Canada, we found a ACE school in our town and all 3 girls attended school there. Jana and Kirstin learned to read and write and about 5 years ago, we decided to take them out of school and homeschool. One of the incentives was that they can dance more. Another reason was that the Christian school was private and it cost an arm and a leg to have 3 kids attend. But I knew that time was running out on their childhood and homeschooling was an awesome decision for us as a family.  Then a few years back, I realized that I want the girls to graduate with a provincial Grade 12 certificate just because I was not up (or equipped) to fight the battle of a homeschool certificate (and admission to universities etc). We also felt that at some stage they must wade into the social structure called life (and yes, boys too). We felt that Tia was as grounded as she could be and with confidence on her part (and serious angst on mine) we send her to St Mary's High School last year for Grade 10. It would be her first year in the traditional school system as all she knew was ACE from grade 1-9. She passed with flying colors and glowing recommendations from her teachers. We could not be more proud of how she integrated into the school while still being her grounded self. She worked hard. She did awesome. So awesome indeed, that we decided to take the plunge and send the other two to school as well. And after a week in school, even they will not even consider coming back to homeschooling again. Lucky for me, I have been so busy that I have not noticed the quiet house. I only noticed it stays clean longer. :)

I told them that I expect them to do good. They are clever enough (i know this first hand) and I want this learning experience to be as positive as possible. I am happy to see them making new friends. By sending them to school, I am not turning my back on homeschooling at all. I am so FOR it. We worked very hard in our homeschool. I just found that right now, they were ready for this change and so was I. I have new things I want to do... and one thing that I have always know about me is that I love uninterrupted work. Right now it's win-win for us. Tia is in grade 11, Kirstin grade 9 and Jana grade 7.

Coming up for me is two workshops I am teaching in Barcelona and Frankfurt this October. I am so excited and are wrapping up the projects I will be teaching.

ALSO...

there's a new In the mood to scrap video up on Two Peas!

Well, how's that for a little update? :) Have a great week and I will chat to you soon!

Love and kisses...

Wilna Furstenberg
iheartblog

Garden Digest: August edition.

 

Welcome to the August edition of the Gardeners Digest. Every month the designers from 2peasinabucket.com create this wonderful and creative blog hop where we share our favorite products and inspiration and other lovely things. Blog hop order: It starts with the 2peas blog, you came here from Janna's blog and after me will hop to the 2peas blog again.

I added some bonus chapters to my Artclass that's currently on 2peas.

 

Now is a good time to sign up if you have not done so yet! And if you wonder... click the link and read some of the reviews. So thankful for everyone's generous words. :)

The HELLO DECEMBER collection by Glitz will be the basic product i will use for my December Journal this year. I ordered mine yesterday. I love the fresh design and the lovely colors. Here's some other product that also (accidentally) jumped into my basket yesterday.

These are a few pages that was inspired by my artclass. I love looking through the artclass gallery.

Just a small give away today: if you want a private tour (in video form) of my scrapbook room, leave me a comment. I will choose one commenter and i will send you the link to the private video.
(the video is actually a freebie to those who bought the artclass through my blog)














ETA:  Cathy Ledbetter won give away.  Comments now closed.

Much love and a kiss..

Wilna Furstenberg

iheartblog