CardMaker Magazine and the Notebook Queen

 

     Check out my storage-tips on the CardMaker Blog today! Find out why I'm the Notebook Queen. And, what's up with that cute raindrop holding court on my bookshelves?

     I'm emailing a copy of a card-log to keep track of your cards to everyone who asks for it. Make sure you leave an email address in your comments so I can get a copy to you.

Gingerbread Tea & Review

     Looking for a special Christmas gift for a child in your life?

     The Franklin County Arts Council in Mt. Vernon, TX has invited local children's book authors to speak and autograph books this Saturday, Dec 20th. I'll be there with "Max, the Boy Raindrop". And, if you have not gotten a copy of my Alaska book, "A Deliberate Life: A Journey into the Alaskan Wilderness", I'll be autographing those books as well.
Hope you make it out.

~~~The Gingerbread Tea & Review~~~
1:00 - 4:00, December 20th
100 Rusk
Mt. Vernon, TX

Sharing Max with the Head Start Kids

     What a fun day Max and I had with the 55 Head Start kids at the Cooper Library! The kids were great! They listened so politely and got the point of Max's story without any prodding. Max, on the other hand, was quite rude. He kept interrupting me. He is really shy and will talk only to me and only in my ear.

     Max really liked the kids and wanted them to know how scared he was, and how much braver he is now. Maybe he will become brave enough one day to speak to others.

"Max, the Boy Raindrop" Reading

     Max, the boy raindrop, and I have our first public reading next week at the public library here in Cooper, Texas. Some of the kids from school are taking a field trip to the library, and I get to read my new book to them. It will be lots of fun for us all!

     I must say that I have learned a lot in making the real Max pictured here. I've sewn since I was nine-years old. I've made a wedding dress, and jackets, and all kinds of other challenging projects. Max just about got the best of me. But, he is finished at last.

     I did find this great fabric called glitter-knit. I had not seen it before. It looks wet, no? It worked out perfectly for what I had in mind. I did make Max so that he could sit on the edge of a table, desk, podium, etc., and have his feet dangle. I put beans in the bottom of his body and his feet so he can sit nicely. He also has an extra layer of fabric on his back so I can hold him like a puppet when the occasion calls for it.

     Thanks so much for stopping by today. I appreciate the time you spend here.

Introducing "Max, the Boy Raindrop"

    Max is ready to meet the world! I'm so excited to let you know that my new book is available for purchase. Max lives in e-book and softcover printed-book formats so you may have whichever is your preference.
     Max, the Boy Raindrop is an adventurous, fast-paced story about a scared raindrop who must overcome his fear of raining. He learns that oftentimes just grabbing hold of a friend's hand can be the beginning of courage.
      For those friends of mine in the card-making and scrapbooking world, you will be pleased to know that I created all the illustrations myself using only cardstock and paper-crafting tools. A big thanks goes to Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock, Darice, and Fiskars who so generously supplied cardstock and paper-crafting tools to help me tell Max's story. They will all have copies to give away on their blogs.
     As time goes by, I will be sharing some specific techniques I used for Max's story like punching, dry-embossing, tearing, design, color choice and cutting the tiniest pieces of paper. Every eyebrow, every eyelash even, I created from cardstock.
     Thanks so much for sharing in my excitement today! I will be looking forward to Max living in your home. Here is the info to order if you are interested. You may order an autographed copy directly from me. Email me at phaskin@hotmail.com for info.
     You may also order it through your local bookseller or preferred online retailer like www.amazon.com or www.bn.com. You may also order directly from my publisher (A division of Thomas Nelson) at:
softcover - http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-000700312/Max-the-Boy-Raindrop.aspx 
e-book http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-000700313/Max-the-Boy-Raindrop.aspx .
          softcover ISBN:  978-1-4908-2866-4
          e-book ISBN:  978-1-4908-2867-1          
A really big thanks goes to the bravest man I know, my husband Jeff. And, a big thanks to Belan, Jan, Sherri, and Glenda, my writer's group who believed in my talent and prodded me along all the way.