Inspired Me 411

While the pandemic was devastating there were some good moments that happened in 2020. For years, I had dreamed of creating YouTube crafting tutorials and last year in the mist of the stressful times, I got started. My channel is called K. Simone Designs and I would love for you to visit and subscribe if you haven't. Join the inspiration party!  June of 2020, I posted my first tutorial called, "Mini Album Card." Did you see it? I was so excited to share my favorite mini album card with the world. I had been making them for years and this video got a great reception. Video Link HERE Since then, I have continued to learn and grow in my videos. I am so proud of my progress and determination to stick with it in spite of the highs and lows. I hope you all have enjoyed the variety of content I have produced. My goal was to inspire you and based on the comments, I think I met that objective. Yay! :) Let's look at some of my YouTube stats as of today. Subscribers: 217 Paper...

Happy July! Do you know what art journaling is? Well, it is a colorful way to express your thoughts and feelings with art mediums and other supplies. It is easy, fun and great for your mental health. I learned about it over 10 years ago and I was surprised by the comfort and joy it gave me.  You don't have to know anything about art or drawing to do it. When I started, I had no art background. But something about it seemed intriguing when I watched artists like  Julie FeiFan Balzer  and  Donna Downey . They were having lots of fun and expressing their feelings with words, colors and shapes. Their joy pulled me in and I have loved it over the years.  Art journaling is so freeing! You can do whatever you want. There is no pressure,  just play . Just like regular journaling, it is your private expressions.  Today, I was watching an art journaling video with Dyan Reaveley on Scrapbook.com . I was so moved by her personal story of how this simple art form h...

Recently, rapper and businessman Jay-Z signed with American Greeting Cards to launch a new line of custom cards. You can read about this deal in Ebony Magazine. Link HERE As a greeting card lover and maker, I love the idea of an international superstar seeing the value and importance of greeting cards. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Jay-Z's brand will introduce this craft to a younger generation. Kudos Jay-Z and American Greeting Cards!

Today, I was on TV!!! I was apart of The Kelly Clarkson Show's virtual audience that aired on NBC at 2:00 PM PST! I have been checking every week since April to see when my episode would air and it finally came on. The guests included Sherri Shepard, Rob Riggle and Charles Melton.  I wore my hot pink dress and was excited that I was on the second row instead of the back. Here is a video clip of the show. Look for me on the left side of the screen. VIDEO LINK HERE How did this all come about? In April, I signed up to be apart of the show's audience. I had never done this before and thought it would be a fun activity while we were still house bound. 1iota.com  is where I summitted my request for tickets and they had several shows looking for audience members. I picked The Kelly Clarkson Show and within a day I was accepted for the April 29, 2021 date. On the morning of the show, I was so excited and a little nervous! The taping started at 10:30 AM but I had to check in at 9:30AM...

Our former First Lady Michelle Obama is a knitter!!! I saw this post on Instagram and loved to know she, too is a crafter. Check out this article entitled, "Michelle Obama Tells Gayle She Knitted Malia and Sasha Halter Tops" by Monica Chon of Oprah Daily online publication.  Link HERE Michelle also talked about her knitting achievements on the Rachel Ray Show video. Video link HERE Isn't this so fascinating? She is not the only famous fiber artist. Our U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris enjoys crocheting. Here is the blog post I wrote about her creative background.   Link HERE Also, I saw this picture on Instagram of a crocheted mural dedicated to Vice President Harris.  Apparently, several crochet artist helped to complete this mural. This is so awesome!   Well, if you thought fiber arts aren't cool, they surely are now! LOL! I loved learning to crochet in 2019 and have compiled some helpful resources here on Inspired Me 411. I hope you check it out and give kni...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! In celebration of this cause, I dedicated my NEW "Story Time With..." YouTube video to this month's awareness.  "Field of Rest" is the art featured in this story and it tells my self care journey of rest and renewal. #permissiontorest In 2016,  I painted "Field of Rest." It is one of my favorite art pieces and was so fun to paint. I love seeing the process pictures of how the art came about.  I hope you will  watch  this video and  share  it with your loved ones.  Check it out! Video Link HERE Also, this art is  NOW  available in my shop. I would love for you to have this in your home to remind you to rest and take care of yourself. My Art Shop HERE Mental health awareness is so personal for me. I have lived with various degrees of depression and anxiety over the years. Many resources have helped me and I am on a mission to help others with my experiences and art. Here on Inspired Me 411, I have lots...

K. Simone Designs Turns 10!!! April 20, 2011, my husband Ron and I launched our greeting card business. Since we started, we have sold over 300 cards and donated over 80 cards to charitable events.  After years of selling our cards, we have also added my art to our collection. This is an exciting newer venture that we are thrilled about, too. (Our Art shop link is HERE.) In celebration of this anniversary, Ron and I created this fun YouTube video to share some of our favorite cards, inspired art and memorable stories from over the years. It was a joy reflecting on all the exciting moments and precious people who helped us. VIDEO LINK HERE One of the stories I shared in the video was about Gospel Music Artist Vickie Winans and how she encouraged us so much. Well, here is the blog post I wrote about the special mini album card I made for her in 2012. The thank you video she made has been lost but the sentiment of the moment is still special.  Her Story HERE Now for a look at mor...