**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!**

Can you hear that? It's horns tooting, confetti falling & much merry making! We are celebrating our 1 year birthday! Yup, one year ago today, we opened our little doors to Rhonna Designs online digital shop! And wow...what an amazing journey it has been!

But, we couldn't have done it without YOU! 

We started this store for a place to sell my designs to uplift & inspire.

And this blog is our home for ideas to uplift & inspire.

The whole idea behind Rhonna Designs is to follow your heart, enjoy your process & find that cReative SPARK inside of you...whether it's creating a flower arrangement, a digital scrapbook page, a delicious meal, blogging, Instagraming, playing with your children...whatever it is: we want to uplift & inspire you!

Hence, my signature logo: my hot air balloon...it's my symbol to always uplift & inspire! I've loved changing it up every once in a while...& it's been fun to evolve in my style! I have done this as an artist for 30+ years...one minute I'm embracing the handwritten doodle part of my art, the next, I'm going simply graphic & the next I'm creating with retro/vintage vibe. I love changing it up & revisiting these styles. I feel like that is one of the things that really revs up my cReativity!

and...My little balloon reflects that. *gotta love the artistic journey*

We've got lots in store this week! And today we kicked it off with a Newsletter to all of our valued customers...with a little prezzie tucked in there for you! Did you LOVE it as much as we do? We hope so! Enjoy celebrating today! 

Come back tomorrow to see the announcement to our NEW 2012-2013 Creative Team! You will love them just as much as we do...because they will surely uplift & inspire all of us this coming year!

aaannnddd.... be watching for NEW kits & the discount codes in the Newsletter! fun stuff!

It feels good to be one!

Join us for a week long biRthday celebRation: sales, freebies, new kits and....

August is coming to an end & that means we are coming up on our first birthday! Can you believe it? September 1, 2011 we opened up our Rhonna Designs online store- a place to purchase my designs to uplift and inspire! We have had an amazing year thanks to everyone!  

So, let's have some fun, shall we?

...starting Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012, we'll begin a week long Birthday Celebration. We'll have something fun to 'open up' everyday! From sales, to new kits, to the unveiling of our NEW 2012-2013 Creative Team! 

Are you signed up for our Rhonna Designs Newsletter? ....because, trust me...you'll want to be on the party list! *wink* 

It's sure to ...

cReative Team Tuesday eye candy: THANK YOU!

Today is bitter sweet. It's time to say goodbye to my amazing Rhonna Designs 2011-2012 Creative Team. I have loved working with them all. They've been so amazing to work with & they've been patient with me this first year of Rhonna Designs! Working through health issues & growing a new business is challenging, yet we've had an amazing first year! Thanks to everyone, but I certainly couldn't have done it without my team! LOVE YOU ALL, girls....you are the BEST!

So...without further ado...let's be uplifted and inspired by them! I love sharing their projects...they are always so amazing!

LOVE how Nancy has contributed consistently throughout the year...not only that, but every. single. thing she does is pure magic. LOVE her work! LOOK at how she's created a scrapbook layout by printing out the Rhonna Designs Insta Lovin' kits- brill! 

 GO check out her blog to be uplifted & inspired....love you, Nancy! 

Jing is so fab in both digital AND hybrid...LOOK at this fabulously delish digital scrapbook layout she created with a bunch of the Rhonna Designs kits! Spring Circus, Kiss Me, 6 Week Brushes & the Fourth of July kit...so versatile! Jing, thank YOU for being a part of our team...LOVE YOU!

Susan is another team member that I've sooo enjoyed getting to know. She's magical with her iPhone photos on Instagram...she's really embraced the creative play with the Rhonna Designs kits & fonts on her creations! See what I mean? So many fun fun photos! Susan, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for being a part of my team this year! smmooches!

Now, Melissa, NEVER ceases to amaze me. I'm in LOVE with everything she creates. When I opened up these photos, my girls gasped.. They way one of these amazing bookmarks, too! Melissa...thank you for always uplifting & inspiring! You are truly wonderful!

 and LOOK at her fab Instagram book with a free printable! LOVING how she used (with permission, of course) the InstaLOVE kit's camera...it's so cute. LOVE!

And, Jamie, Jamie, Jamie...need I say more? ALWAYS uplifting and inspiring....as an artist, person, mom & friend. She's so fab...I get GIDDY when she shows me her creations...seriously! Jamie, thank you for being such an integral part of our team this year! LOVE YOU!

 Go over to her blog HERE to check out more of this amazing album...it's sooo gorgeous how she used the Spring Circus kits...LOVE it all! 

Again...a HUGE heart felt THANK YOU to each of you! 

And...as we near Sept. 1st, our FIRST Birthday...I'll be announcing the NEW Creative Team & we'll have a week long Celebration! *hint- sales, NEW designs, & MORE to uplift & inspire!

Now...if you missed this: my friend, Becki- of Whippycake, is offering a coupon code for my Insta Lovin' kit bundles...expires on Aug. 31...so, if you still need to grab some of the kits...RUN! She's got some FAB things to uplift & inspire as well!

Happy Tuesday! go...cReate!

vintage tRailer Refurb: Inside>>During

Between surprise road trips, Disneyland & first week of school, poor Daisy has been slow going. But, never fear! Her Maiden Voyage will be this weekend! So...this week is crazy busy...with Rhonna Designs turning ONE year, saying goodbye to my amazing 2011-2012 Creative Team AND saying HELLO to my new 2012-2013 Creative Team...whew....I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

The inside was a big thing this weekend...we re-built & re-installed the top bunk! oy vey! But, she's coming along nicely...I think Daisy loves her makeover so far...don't you?

She's matching her exterior a little more with the aqua walls & cabinets. LOVE! And...we put the aluminum strip on the edges of the cracked, old green countertop edges. looks lovely!

Ok...off to paint the bunk now! whew...no rest for the weary! Tomorrow is our last Creative Team Tuesday w/ this fantastic team...so, don't miss it! 

Happy Monday! 

Create something today!

cReative Team Tuesday> Eye Candy from Jing

I'm always amazed at what our gem Jing shares on cReative Team Tuesdays...she takes such care with her amazing creations with Rhonna Designs. I'm just in LOVE with her hybrid crafting! Here Invitation Album & Favor Boxes make any party just amazing! Check it out!

Here closure itself is just amazing! And LOOK at those cute favor boxes/bags with the cute flags! LOVE!

 The Spring Circus Printable Card Set is perfect for this! She painted gold onto the edge of the silhouette & frame...um...can you say: GORGEOUS? 

And I'm LOVING how she used the Insta Love kit, Insta Pattern kit, Insta Numbers kit all with the Simple Photo Edges2 Kit! Brill!

 So cute to add the Spring Circus brushes & Borders on here with the Jaya Bean font! So darling! 

 And I am LOVING how she cut out the Insta Lovin' Frames coupled with the Spring Circus borders...That 'Love Yourself' Mini Seals brush is the cherry on top! Simply gorgeous! 

 And...these Favor Boxes with the darling flags? Oh my! Jing...once again...you've knocked my sox off!

 seriously.

I.

Need.

to.

Go.

cReate.

now.

happy creative tuesday!

cReative Team Tuesday: InstaQuotes & ONE YEAR!

Today's inspiRation is  all about the Insta Lovin' kits & how my amazing cReative Team is using them!  **Remember: If you need to know HOW TO use these kits go HERE!

Jamie...LOVE how she used the Insta Quotes with her Silhouette Cameo to cut out this amazing framed piece! I'm in LOVE with this!

With the InsaQuotes, you've got pre-designed quotes to uplift & inspire.  

Go on over to Jamie's blog to SEE what she's got going on...she's truly amazing! Thanks, J!

We'll be offline-family vacationing-no service until Aug. 20th.  So, when we get back... Emily's got something up her sleeve that we'll feature that along with some fun new things from Nancy! 

Aaaaannddd....be watching for some FUN NEW THINGS HAPPENING on Rhonna Designs...

Sept. 1st is our ONE YEAR Birthday & we will be celebrating!

Vintage Trailer Refurb: Outside BEFORE & AFTER

A Glamping we will go.

Taking the plunge & buying a vintage trailer to refurbish so we can go Glamping is a big thing. huge. I didn't realize how big!

But, we are in the process *enjoying it* & I wanted to share the Before & After pictures of our lil vintage beaut!

**all images: brushes & frames>>> Insta Lovin' Kits by Rhonna Designs**

Before.

I have learned a lot about this whole process & am still learning. And have had SO many questions about things...I thought I'd blog the detes here.  

No. 1: Know what you want.  

THIS lil questionaire helped me a lot. So, we prepared & knew just what we wanted.  

We looked on our local classifieds: KSL & we were wowed at how many trailers are put on classifieds. by the hour. seriously. We REALLY wanted a vintage Shasta, (we LOVED Enjoy Cupcakes' cute lil dream boats) but...figured since this is our first lil venture...we should start out small. We knew we didn't want to have to drive very far to pick up our new baby...so, we looked, were patient & then found HER!

Only about 15 minutes away from us. She was everything we wanted.

Size: under 14' so we could keep her in our driveway. She's 13'! Perf!

Age: She was vintage enough for us to start with. 1974 

Brand: As noted above, a Shasta would have been fab...but, we got an El Rae. Adorable. Fell in love with the lines, angles...she's got charactah.

Refurbish: We knew we didn't want to restore the whole thing, but wanted to put our own personality into her..so, Refurb was what we picked.  And, boy, are we having FUN! *wink* (we've had to tear out the ceiling & put it back up which has been very interesting! ha!)

Original or not: that wasn't that important to us since we didn't go for the Shasta...but she does have 'good bones' & I love her lil oven, fridge & table.

Layout: 

Main thing: Sleeps 5. We wanted our whole fam to be able to be comfy & cozy. So, again. perfect.

No Bathroom: We didn't want to deal with the plumbing/leaking issues many of them seemed to have. yea!

Cost: We knew we wanted it cheap since we would be glamming her up the way we wanted it. Ok. Ok...the way I wanted it! Jeff is such a sport about this whole thing! LOL...he figures it's both of our worlds coming together. If he can get me out camping more...he's happy! 

Title or Bill of Sale:  Made sure we knew what we were doing. check.

Storage:   

We wanted to make sure that we could fit all of our gear in there, plus sleep & camp comfortably. Yes...she's got plenty for us. Love her!

Specific Requirements:   This lil beaut will also be doubling as a cReative Playhouse for me & my family, friends, & *ahem* even Rhonna Designs. *wink wink* So, I had to make sure it had a sink, table, & room for cReating! can I get a HOLLA!!!????

During.

No. 2: Prepare for glamming.

Ok. Ok...I will admit. This is my fave part...to get the whole vibe together of what I want this lil Playhouse to 'feel' like...a place to glamp. make memories with my family. travel. cReate. 

yup...a mood board was in order. 

So...I gathered lots of inspiration...those of you that follow my Pinterest board knew right when I was doing this. LOL...I'm sorry...I was filling up my board fast. LOVED this part!

Colors:  My whole color vibe is: aqua, yellow, red, black.  With splashes of grey & green on the inside decor. *mood board for that later*

The outside was prepped & ready to go by following THIS Roller painting method!

PAINT: I chose my colors & got Rustoleum Bright White & Safety Yellow at Home Depot. But, my aqua dream was dashed to pieces when the paint dept. told me, 'No...can't tint any oil based paints.'...boohoo.

So, off to Sherwin Williams to make new BFFS with the paint guys! They helped me find a great color that I could tint & be happy with! So...I chose Tantilizing Teal. Yup...it IS tantalizing! 

TOOLS: The Roller Method worked great for most of it, (foam rollers) but I found that good ol' 2-4" paint brushes were great for getting into the lil spots I needed. I did NOT like the foam brushes that I'd read about...they frustrated me. Good, stiff paint brushes were my best friends in this project...especially around the edges & getting in the lips on the roof.

Look at this! I'm LOVING the bright, sunshiny yellow, glossy crisp clean white and the soft, gorgeous teal! A. Dore. with a capital DORE!

The whole family got into the prep & painting! Love my kiddos...they are good sports!

Then, the last bit to 'make it my own'...was freehanding scallops along the Tantalizing Teal.  This just completed it...I was giddy.  I just took a 1" paint brush (now THIS paint brush was a good quality oil brush I had from my old oil painting days) so I could get a good angle, smooth & lovely lil scallops.

Behold...the Happily Ever 

After!  

She's a lil dream boat! I'm loving her! 

Jeff sealed the roof up on top & we needed to replace a couple of the windows...but, other than that...we are good to go on the outside.  She's done! (minus the cute hub cap we still have to get for this side of her.) 

Now.....for the inside!

Oh boy! We spent ALL DAY Saturday ripping her ceiling out....It wasn't pretty.

Let's just say...sparks were flying.....

to be continued....