Girls night out!

Here is a fun project working with different paper surfaces, textures and paints. Hand sketching had been a  passion for me in high school and seems as thought it could be again.  Creating the flow of her body and paper piecing it together, was a refreshing change from my recent projects.

Coral Powell... thank you!

In the past few days I have gotten an overwhelming amount of personal messages.  I have to say that it humbles me in knowing that SO MANY people around the globe are hearing my story.  Thank you to all that have responded and shared my story.  It is this simple blog post that I just can not hold my self back from posting.  I have such a deep love for what I have created and the relationships that I never want to loose touch with that I post to you today. 

I was contacted by Coral Powell, from Australia, after she read my story a few days ago... we have been chit chatting back and forth and this morning I received an email from her asking about Wheatfields Glimmer Mist.  I had decided to discontinued Wheatfields, a year and a half ago, due to its sales.  It truly is a hidden color.  In the bottle it is kinda bland and boring... even the color swatch is drab honestly.  When out in the field I had always shared my secret favorite colors and one being Wheatfields.  Well much to my surprise, and I think Coral's, I awoke from my slumber this morning and loved reading her email.  I found my self not caring that I was not getting paid to respond to this product question, I was elated to help.  I ask my self ... how... just how am I suppose to separate my self from a product that I have invented, have such a vast knowledge of and LOVE with everything in me?  I don't have any answers as of yet.  I do know that it will bring excitement to my life to help anyone with similar questions.  Please know that even though I gain no financial reimbursement from helping with these questions... I am always here to help.  I will never be able to fully give up my love for Tattered Angels.  Here is Corals Question and my responce:

Hi Wendy,
Coral again.    I have been searching the web looking for Wheat Fields, and one site says that Apple is the replacement for Wheat Fields.   Seeing as you are the "creator", please can you confirm that Apple is the same/replacement for Wheat Fields. 
I realize that with all you have going on at the moment, this query may seem rather trite, but if it is the same, I will not chase around trying to find the original.
I have been mulling over your problem all day and feel really cross at the way you have been treated.   How dare they treat you like that.  
Just remember, what goes around comes around.   
Fingers crossed for you,
Regards from Australia,
Coral.



Coral,

Ok here is what I suggest… first put down a misting spray of Butternut Squash, this adds not only the hint of orange that you need to create the Wheatfields but also that green opalescent look needed for the shine.  Added bonus… its an amazing color… if you love Wheatfields you will love this color also!  Then to get the brown base add about 2-3 mists of Clambake… again an amazing color.  Both of these colors can be found in the new Natural Element kits because I love them so much I wanted to make sure they would not be discontinued anytime soon.  The circles shown below are the clambake and the butternut squash the large frame is the Wheatfields color swatch from way back and the printed Pink Paislee tag is the combo of the Clambake and the Boardwalk. 


I hope this comes in handy.  Please don't ever hesitate to contact me.  I really love helping. 

Wendy
PS…. Apple is not at all the same lol

My Tattered Heart...

Last Friday I received the most shocking and heartbreaking news.  Without notice, my contract was terminated with Canvas Corp, the company I had entrusted Tattered Angels with as well as the future of my family.  Needless to say I am completely devastated.

I am so proud to say I am the inventor of Glimmer Mist™ and was the proud founder and CEO of Tattered Angels for 6 years.  I created and marketed Glimmer Mist™ and made it into the leading “mist” in industry today.   I was the driving force in creating an entirely new category in the art industry:  DECORATIVE MISTING! 

With my love for the crafting industry, my eye for color and my chemical background, I first invented the paint product in my kitchen that is now known as Glimmer Mist.  Starting from the moment I came up with the name Tattered Angles, to creating the Logo concepts and choosing the label & bottle design, I was now a part of the Crafting Market.  This is the industry that I felt the most at home and where my passion for creativity was able to shine through. 

Within just a few short months I realized I couldn’t keep up with production; I needed help.  I started hiring employees, created my very first production line and shipping department.  Tattered Angels grew from being in my home for the first 6 months to having 2 production warehouses. Office space was needed, bookkeeping, inventory control, production and product development, this was a very exciting time for me and as a visionary and owner it came to me naturally.  I never looked back and worked countless hours; I was in it for the long hall.  As I started pulling the new Tattered Angels team together we started a very successful social media launch and brought some amazing designers on board as part of our Design Team.  I designed some amazing new supporting product to use with the Glimmer Mists such as Glimmer Screens, chipboard pieces and clear stamps.  These products are still requested by the market and are missed by many.

As time went on Tattered Angels became very popular and well known throughout the world.  In 3 short years we were shipping pallets of product to distributors all over the world.  I worked closely with them from setting up the accounts, negotiating contracts and shipping details to understating their needs for bilingual packaging.  Through working directly with the distributors and teaching classes to the sales teams and store owners, international artists allowed me the opportunity to work in the international market comfortably.  I experienced so many wonderful things while working abroad, from driving on the other side of the road in Australia, crafting on a QVC live TV spot in Germany, to having a translator recite all 3 days of my classes in Japan.  It was truly an experience I cherish. 

Working so diligently for so many years had me realizing I had become distant from living my personal life and enjoying Tattered Angels.  I spent time debating who in the industry I would want to work with by bringing more support to Tattered Angels and team up with another hard working manufacturer to take some of the burden off of me.  I wanted to regain my excitement for creating art and designing product.  During this time I began working with other manufactures in the market to promote supporting product such as papers and embellishments that would work well with the Tattered Angels paints, known as Color Connections.   It was during that time that I was introduced to the owners of Canvas Corp and realized after working with them for a while they seemed to have the same vision as I did, to work with the crafting community to broaden the market and revive the excitement for crafting.  I offered Canvas Corp an opportunity to acquire Tattered Angels and in return a three-year contract for myself.  I could see the possibilities of promoting and designing product once again without the weight of being the CEO.   I grabbed at the deal put before me with open arms and was so excited to be able to begin the next chapter of my life.  I was off to start a new path in my life that was going to be filled with all kinds of new fresh opportunities. 

After just one short year with Canvas Corp, most of which was getting Tattered Angels settled into its new home in Arkansas, trying to find my place within a new family of employees and working from an office space out of my house I was working hard at building a new future for Tattered Angels.  I was proud of the fact that I could let go of my hold on the company just so that I could see the brand continue and grow and I could once again enjoy being an artist and product designer.  I had suggested many new product lines and was, as always, analyzing the properties of the Tattered Angels paints and trying to make them into the best they could be. CHA Winter 2013 was the debut of two entirely new paint lines I formulated known as High Impact Metallic and High Impact Pigments for the Tattered Angels line of products.  I was so excited to be able to offer a new medium to the crafting industry and to all the amazing artists around the globe.

Sadly my story comes to a sudden end, with a five minute phone conversation, I was informed that my that my contract was being terminated with no notice and no compensation.  I am so sad knowing that I no longer get to feel the excitement I used to get, knowing that I am inspiring artists from all over the world, each time they pick up a bottle of paint and create a beautiful master piece.  With a sudden unknown future and fresh path, I will forge a new destiny.  Please keep me and my children in your prayers as we try to find where we fit in and what we are going to do with our lives now.

I would love for you to visit my LinkedIn page and write a recommendation if you have ever taken a class with me, worked with me.  If I have not had the joy of meeting you, and Tattered Angels has influenced your life, please feel free to tell your story on my LinkedIn page.  I can’t wait to hear from you.

I would really appreciate it if you could please share this with everyone you know.  I am actively searching for a new career path and would love to apply my talents to a company with great integrity.  Please contact me at wendy@wendysenger.com

If you want to find out what my next chapter in life if going to be, please be sure to subscribe to my blog.

Bring on the Holidays....

Signed Sealed & Delivered.....
My November 2012 trip to Arkansas.....
I always enjoy my travels to Arkansas to catch up on the latest news and enjoy the company of the Canvas Corp Family.  This trip was 7 days and every day was jam packed full of fun.  Sunday was holiday open house at the amazing store Signed Sealed & Delivered in Rogers Arkansas.  I just love it when I get to spend time in this store.  You need hours to browse and enjoy all the home decor items.  Christmas time the store is packed to the max with all the latest trendy, vintage, modern holiday decor you can imagine. 

During the Holiday Open House, in the scrapbook part of the store I demoed how to use the new Tattered Angels Natural Elements kits, chatted with the local artist and enjoyed seeing all the Canvas Corp team show up to check out the beautifully decorated Store.  I think this would be a good time to mention that I was an hour and a half late for the opening. I left my house in Ft. Collins at 4am to hit a 7am flight.... I was delayed getting into Arkansas due to flight issues, drove straight to a class that I was 3 hours late for that Saturday evening for a Scrapbooking Retreat, Croppin Tran.  Thank you to Dora and Pat for the invite to spread the love of Tattered Angels.  Then of course had plans to get into some trouble with my gal pal in the office Dee that night.  Well we ended up at a Casino in OK listing to music not my taste but enjoyed every minute of it.  If you enjoy people watching this is the place to go.  I have never been so entertained in my entire life. After the band wound down Dee and I traveled to a country bar to finish off the night.  I did not hit the bed until 2 am.  That made for a 22 hour day.  No problem I had till 11 am to sleep... well who sets an alarm for 11am.. I am normally out of bed by 7am every day.  Well much to my shock I was woken up by the store calling me at 12:30.  I have never been so embarrassed in my life, late for work!  Well that will never happen again... Sigh... ;-) Dee and I did have a great time.  Here are a few shots from this trip.

My super awesome gal pal... Dee!

The new Naturally Aged Paint Systems are hitting the market now.  They are super hot and flying out the doors.

Some of the amazing women that pack the Glimmery Goodness!

New individual hang tab Glimmer Mist.  So fab!

 I felt very lucky that I was able to attend a wonderful surprise party for the newly weds Michelle and Jeff.  Two of the most wonderful people I know.

I wish them all the happiness in the world.

Congratulations Michelle Jeff is a wonderful man.

Creating the "Misting Market"

Time passes so fast.... it does not seem all that long ago that I was in my kitchen mixing up batches of Glimmer Mist.   Trying to contain my excitement for creating more and more colors to choose from, still a problem I have today.  

Today I have been jumping from Facebook to Pinterest and on to blogs checking out what is going on in the market known as the Glimmer Misting market.  Weather its Glimmer Mist or one of the copies of my paints out on the market today....  people refer to it as "Glimmer Mist"!  It amazes me, to this day, just how far the market has come, embracing the misting.  I remember as if it was yesterday having people walk by my Scrapbook Expo booth, where I had been demoing for hours and hours. No time for bathroom breaks or food, the excitement was to high and I think I was running on pure adrenalin each day.   I would get all kinds of responses Ooo's and Awwww... and some even stopping to just watch for a few moments to see what all the hubbub was about.  Lines were long and people were backed up into the isles.  Some would take a look at my hands and say "no way am I making that kind of mess".  Crafting has come a long way since then and most have embraced some sort of paint into there projects.

While "surfing" I ran across a few stories of how the Glimmer Mist has touched them and their crafting styles.   I would like to share my appreciation and excitement with all of you on just how blessed and honored I feel for everything that has happened to me in the past 7 years.  I worked so incredibly hard to create Tattered Angels and gave up a lot and in return the Crafting world has given me sooooo, soooo, much more,  most importantly, knowing some of the worlds most talented amazing women in the industry that I call my friends.

If you have a story please share it with all the misters of the world.  Place a comment on my blog and share your story.  It truly is a misting phenomenon and is continually growing and forging a new market in the crafting industry, that I am proud to say I have been a part of it from the beginning. 

Time for cooking??

TIME?  who would have ever known how wonderful it could be to have time.  I am experiencing things that I had no idea I have been missing out on.  Now employed by Canvas Corp I am enjoying life like I have never before.  That little statement is so simple but so HUGE for me personally.   I now have no stress,  enough time in the day to breathe, task lists that are manageable and no employee needs...  I had no idea that having TIME I would actually enjoy cooking with my kids.  I have always thought that cooking was a waste of time, it stressed me out and annoyed me that we were making such a huge mess.  It takes TIME to cook!  I should be answering and responding to emails not cooking and making dirty dishes. Change is awesome! 

Slowing down has me coming up with some great ways to enjoy time with my kids.  Here is my latest idea to get my kids to eat better, learn how to cook and spend quality time with them individually.   All three of my kids are horrible eaters.  Dillon (age 15 and 6'1" LOL) eats just to survive protein only.    Kaitlyn (age 11) is the best of the bunch and at least tries new things eats fruit and a couple of veggies, still not the best eater.  I am constantly amazed how may strawberries the girl can put down in a day. NOW lets talk about ALLY.... WOW I'm not even sure what to say.  She is the worst eater... ever!!! I dare any one out there to top this one.  In fact some one that beats this I will personally send you a bottle of new Plane Jane Stained Glass!  She survives on Milk, Sour Cream and Onion chips, Velveeta Shells and Cheese,  lunch for school is a ham and cheese Lunchable.  Ohhhh and how can we forget CANDY the girl loves Chocolate!

Here is where I came up with my idea.  I am so bad at buying the magazines at the grocery store checkout line.  I refuse to even put my hands on the gossip magazines but no matter how hard I try I love to look at the food.  I have no idea why, knowing I have not liked to cook for so long.  Lets not even start talking about the pounds I have put on.   Eating fast food and dining out over the years of owning a business only because it was quicker and kept the dirty dishes to a minimum, both of which took time.   I have built up an amazing amount of cookbooks and magazines, every holiday and party you could imagine is covered.  Storage is an issue... LOL

 Ok so here is what I have come up with. Once a week one of the kids picks out a dinner menu and desert.  They then make the grocery list, shop for the groceries, cook and finishes up by doing the dishes.  The biggest challenge I have is getting the other 2 to try the dinner.  Of course if they don't eat they miss out on desert.  Having desert in our family is a HUGE perk.  While the kids were growing we never made desert so this is the present at the end of the meal.

So lets talk about tonight's dinner.... LOL!  I.... think it was a huge success.  Take a look at these blackened burgers....

OK so the blackened was not seasoning but a grill that was set to high.  The pasta and potato dish was awesome.  Of course I am such a pushover i put the onions and red papers on the side so that I could at least get them to try the dish.  Sigh...  Dillon of course laughed at me and Ally ate 3 noodles until she realized that "Ranch" was on the noodles.

So I guess I have some work to do to get them to broaden their  branch out on their food choices.  Here's to the next meal. 

Sweet 16.....

Dillon had the most wonderful complexion and Love to pose for the camera.

Yes this is a REAL lamb.  Take at Easter in my Portrait Studio.

Do you remember your Sweet 16 Birthday?  My son Dillon is 16 today!  How lucky is he that his Golden Birthday is the 21st.  He will turn 21 on the 21st of September 2017.  I say thank you to the higher powers every day for this child.  He, and my girls, are the center of my universe.  Up until this year I had no idea how much they meant to me, having so many demands and deadlines blinded me.  Being home when they arrive from school, helping with homework, and pestering them to help with the house chores is now what I hold close to my heart.  I have the wonderful gift of having my kids full time and they are rarely from my side.

Birthdays always seem to bring back delivery memories.  Dillon is my first child and his delivery morning was one that I will never forget.  My water broke at 5am, we called the office and they said it was time... everything was normal.  I took a shower and made it to the hospital in an hour or so.  No one was overly stressed.  LOL that did not last long.  I was in full labor by the time they did there routing.  I requested an epidural straight away, so I remember, however I over hear my husband Kyle say polity and in a low tone to the nurse via the intercom, WE would like to DISCUSS medication.  WHAT??? I said and have been saying for months now... hook me up with an EPIDURAL.  NO Discussions needed.   Well by the time the nurse made it to my room and checked me she says... sorry its to late to talk about medication and you will need to start pushing in a few minutes when your midwife arrives.  Well that was just peachy.  LOL Back labor has a whole new meaning when you live through it. 
Well with in 4 hours I am pushing like crazy and he keeps sliding back in.  Suddenly his heart rate goes down and they realize they need to get him out right away.  This of course involved the largest needle I have ever seen!  Serious one from the movies... They proceed with a suction cup and pull his head out and cut a 3 cord wrap off and resuscitate him so they can proceed with the delivery seconds later.  Mean while I am totally clueless and more interested in the fact that I'm open to the world, and I mean the 12 people, in my room at this point.  His Apgar scores were 1 & 2, he was blue.  That is about all i can remember due to the room was filling with more bodies and I was out of it.  I was loosing a lot of blood and doctors were giving me instructions.  My mom showed up and was snapping pictures like crazy.  By the time I was fixed up Dillon was handed to me.  He was pink and coherent.  Tiny, 3 weeks early, LONG 21"... but healthy.   The nurse then told me how freaked out she and the other nurses were as they had never seen a 3 cord rap and have a baby come back so quickly from such a bad delivery experience.  At that moment is when it dawned on me how special he was.
Each month we had him checked by the hospital to be sure he was developing normally.  Each time I said a prayer.

 My baby boy is 16 today and 6'1" tall!  I am constantly asking for help due to my short stature.  He makes me laugh and still likes to hug and snuggle with his mom.  Dillon has no interest in getting a drivers license.  He has not even shown interest in getting a permit.  I am counting my self lucky... shocked how times have changed.  I love my son with every fiber of my being every day.  I love you Dillon.. MY son!

Dillons Best Friends.  2 live across the street and one just to our Right.  We could never move away as these boys are very tight.