Ain't She Crafty

Make a Change Monday - New Xyron Design Team is coming tomorrow!

Xyron is making some big changes this year - starting with the Xyron Design Team!  We are adding six new designers to our crew and will be announcing their names on the Xyron Facebook page tomorrow - then will be introducing you to them next week (along with another big - and awesome - change!!), and then we are going to let them loose to wow you with their creativity and passion for crafting.  Can't wait for you to meet them!  Stay tuned!

PS - these are our current Design Team members...you thought I was going to give you a little sneak peek didn't you?  :)

Make a Change Monday - Take a Photography Class

(and yes - I realize it is Tuesday...the East Coast hated air travelers this weekend.  But I digress!)

I spent last weekend at Crop & Create in Moncton, BC. It is an amazing event put on by Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine and is FILLED with incredibly talented, creative women.  In what is becoming a popular practice at consumer shows - they offered a photography class.  I took it - and I have five words for you.

FIND A PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS IMMEDIATELY!!!!!

Unless you are already one of those people who could be (or is) a professional photographer, find yourself a class and take it.  Online, at a community college, at a scrapbooking event - there are so many options out there these days - and just an hour or two of instruction will make you look at your photography in a whole new light.  My instructor was Kathy Thompson, who considers herself a hobbyist but is SUCH a skilled photographer and better yet - an AMAZING teacher.  In less than two hours she walked a room full of students through:

the basics of our cameras

a few simple steps to take better photos

how to get the "fuzzy background"

using natural light to enhance your pictures

doing "studio" shoots in your garage

taking interesting group shots

getting "action" shots

and most importantly - taking pictures that tell a story.

Are my photos 1000 times better after one photography class?  No.  But I will practice what Kathy taught and they WILL get better.  I will be inspired by the 25 other women who took the class because they want to preserve their families' memories.  I will look at things and people and places with fresh eyes. I will seek out more classes and gain more knowledge and I will grow as a photographer, and it will CHANGE the way I tell my story.  I hope you will join me!

**All photos copyright Kathy Thompson**

Make a Change Monday - Empowering Women Across the World

Just a few words from me today, because I think the attached blog post says it all.  My incredible friends at Crafter's Companion shared this story on their blog today, and I am printing it here because I was moved to tears by it.  We are SO INCREDIBLY BLESSED, and we ALL - especially women - are connected in ways we never even thought possible.  Want to be a part of this amazing project?  See the bottom of the post for a link.

Have a great week everybody!

Hi everyone - Michelle here from customer services...

I've just had the most amazing email sent into the office today from lovely lady called Letitia Matthews who has been working with communities in rural Africa teaching them to craft.

I just felt that we had to share it with you...

Hi Michelle, Hope you are well.

I just wanted to share with you what a blessing your Crafter's Companion Tools have been to two rural community skills projects that I have the privilege of serving with in South Africa.

For the past year, I have had the joy of facilitating skills outreach programmes in two under-privileged rural communities: Murchison and Mahlabatini in KZN, South Africa.  Members of these groups are women who face enormous challenges every day, not the least of which are unemployment, poverty, sickness and chronic hunger.   In addition, women in rural communities often have not had the benefit of education, but bear the full weight of responsibility in caring and providing for their families.  

For this reason, I have loved being part of this project and over the past 8 weeks, I have been especially excited about looking at basic recycling and techniques that can easily be used at home.  Bearing in mind that many homes do not have the luxury of electricity, this has been a creative journey that has challenged me and caused a paradigm shift for many of the ladies in our groups. Included in some of our sessions, were making your own boxes, envelopes, tags, ribbons and embossing.
 
I am a long time fan of the crafter's companion tools and started with the basic box and envelope models and then upgraded to the Ultimate Pro.  I donated my first one to the skills program and bring my own from home to help out, as one of our groups has 22 members and with only 3 hours per session, once a week at a remote venue, time is of the essence!  So, although members are taught the basic skills without your tools, I find them a real blessing in helping to make sure everyone completes their projects during the session, and I thought you might like to see your products in action at the other end of the world‼  

Many of the ladies would like to own their own boards, but for now they are thrilled at the chance to share when I can bring mine. It is my hope that the ladies will be able to use the practical craft skills they learn in our sessions to improve their lives and hopefully generate some income.  

One of the ladies got an order for wedding invitation cards, when a relative saw the quilling she had done in our session:-) - what a victory! 

Anyway, I just wanted to share what a blessing your product is to so many, and to say thank you for a great product that is so versatile, especially in an environment that has no electricity!-)

God-Bless you and the Crafter's Companion team, 

Letitia

Isn't this just an amazing story, and we were so thrilled to receive Letita's letter, that we have decided to donate some additional crafting supplies to her group for her to take out with her next time she is travelling to Africa.

I hope you can join myself and the team in congratulating her on what a fantastic job she is doing - we'll be sure to pass on any comments from the blog post to her.

If any of you reading this have been involved in charitable activities like this and want to share your story, we would love to hear from you! You can get in touch via the contact form on our website.

 

Scrapbook Creations Cottage - weekend retreat review

Two weekends ago I went to a MUCH needed girls scrapping getaway weekend.  It was a gift from a friend so I had no expectations, had never been to the place before, but I walked in to the door of Scrapbook Creations in Spartanburg, SC and was TOTALLY blown away.  So I'm going to tell you all about it!

Scrapbook Creations is a 10,000 sq ft (yes - you read that right!) store located just a few minutes off of I-85.  If you are familiar with the Gaffney Premium Outlets or the Gaffney water tower (aka the big peach butt) then you are not too far away.  Don and I lived in Georgia for many years and we traveled 85 often to visit our families, and I had NO idea this place existed!  

The store is amazing.  They have the latest products, a huge section of Bazzill paper, an entire wall dedicated to individual embellishments and ribbon by the yard, the staff is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, and they always seem to have something fun going on.  Check out their calendar and you'll see what I mean!  Did I mention they have an ice cream/coffee/sandwich shop in the building?  AND a section with man tools so your husband has something to do while you shop?  GENIUS!  Free wifi is also available throughout the store.

only ONE side of the wall o' Bazzill

embellies and ribbons galore!

fabulous eats at the ice cream/coffee/sandwich shop!

If you are looking for a place to crop - for the day or for the weekend - then this is the place for you!  Let's start with the crop room.  It has room for 48 croppers - with everyone guaranteed at least 4' of cropping space. There are a variety of tools available to use, including punches, dies, a journaling computer, a 12x12 printer, and a Silhouette - which the staff will work for you!  They also have on-site photo printing in case you didn't have time to get your pics printed beforehand, need duplicates, etc.  

cropping area 

It is an easy, comfortable, creative environment to spend the day or evening, but if you REALLY want to treat yourself - come for the weekend because...

They have a retreat house ON SITE!  Yes my friends - you can literally walk across the parking lot and arrive at a 4 bedroom (two double beds in each room), 2 1/2 bath cottage with a little kitchen area.  The beds are comfy, the showers are good, and - if you sign up for the weekend crop package - a continental breakfast is included! The house is locked at all times, and each bedroom is locked as well, so you don't have to worry about your personal belongings while you are up at the store. Scrapbook Creations makes it SO easy for you - you can leave all of your scrappy stuff in the store at night, and if you don't want to cook at the cottage or go offsite to eat - their ice cream/coffee/sandwich shop is DELICIOUS.  I ate four meals there during the weekend (and too many snacks to count) and everything I had was fantastic.  My favorite?  The house sandwich - turkey, lettuce, tomato and pimento cheese on grilled wheat.  Hello!

front hall of cottage

one of the bedrooms

A few other random thoughts:

You are going to have to take a shower and put on normal clothes.  :)  I have been to a few retreats where people wear their pajamas for 48 hours and look like they've just rolled out of bed.  That is TOTALLY fine if you are at a private house or cabin or something - anyone who has ever cropped with me knows that I am describing myself.  HOWEVER - you will be in a place of business and there will be people milling about who will wonder why there is a crazy homeless lady standing in line to buy a strawberry smoothie.  Don't be that person. Take a shower and put some clothes on before you head over to the store to crop.

If you are there for a weekend retreat, you have to leave the store at midnight and can come back at 8am the following morning.  For those of you who are night owls and like to scrap all night - there are a few small tables in the cottage so you can bring some things back and work on them, but you aren't going to want to drag everything over to the cottage each night.

Along those same lines - there is no tv in the cottage, so if you like to stay up until the wee hours, bring a book or your ipad.

If you are sleeping four to a room - remember that you are only there to sleep.  The bedrooms can geta little crowded - so leave all of your scrapping stuff up at the store.

There is no alcohol allowed either in the store or in the cottage.  I know a few of us like a glass or two of wine while we're scrapping...that isn't happening here.

If you do want to cook while you are staying at the cottage - you will want to bring your own pots and pans.  They have plates and silverware and glasses and such...next time we'll probably bring paper/plastic because there is no dishwasher - and who wants to waste precious scrapping time doing the dishes?  :)

So if you live in the GA/SC/NC (maybe even VA) part of the country, I would love for you to head on over and check out Scrapbook Creations next time you are passing through. There are far too few independent retailers left in this industry, so I am excited to find one that knows how to do it right.  If you are interested in a weekend crop package check out their website here - and don't forget to invite me!  :)

Disclosure - Scrapbook Creations did not give me anything for this review.  They did not know who I was (what I do for a living) until I called them the day before I arrived and offered to do some MnTs.  They don't even know I'm writing this - so you can rest assured that this is totally unbiased!

Xyron Design Team Call

Xyron just announced a Design Team call!  This is doubly exciting because this is the first time in many years that they have made a public call rather than just choosing designers they were familiar with.  We want to see some new faces - and international applicants are welcome as well!

Benefits of being on the Xyron Design Team

1. Lots of Free Product – both from Xyron and from partner companies
2. Exclusive previews of any of our upcoming products
3. Payment for projects published in print and/or online magazines
4. Featured on our Facebook page and blog
5. Link to your own personal blog
6. Private FB group for DT members only
7. Payment for projects used at trade shows and on-air
8. Opportunity to have your projects displayed on the Home Shopping Network
9. Xyron DT blinkie for your email and/or blog
10. Purchase Xyron products at a deep discount for use in teaching classes

The application process is all done online (through FB as a matter of fact!) - click this link to enter.  Some of the information you will need to complete the application:

Contact info

Short bio about yourself

Links to three different projects (one of them must be home decor or something other than a scrapbook page or card)

Links to your scrapbook galleries (if applicable)

A list of any past or current design teams you've been on (if applicable)

A link to your blog/website

There are a few questions at the end about Xyron products - how long you've been using them, which machines you own, which is your favorite, etc.

The deadline to enter is April 15th, and the new Design Team will be announced May 1st.  Good luck to everybody - I'd love the chance to work with you!

Beth

Make a Change Monday - a New Holiday Tradition

I spent a good part of last December (well - ok - every December) obsessing about Christmas cards. Handmade or store-bought?  Intricate or simple?  Mass produced or individually created? I wrote about an article from Dear Abby on this very topic, then justified not getting them finished by making some New Year's cards instead, and then just putzed out altogether...and felt guilty about it the whole time.  We can talk about my weirdness at a later date.

This past weekend I went away for a much needed scrapbooking retreat and in my "projects to work on" pile was the list of people who didn't get a Christmas or New Year's card. I was ignoring it - and feeling guilty, when I came across this image on the Canvas Corp blog:

I had just been working on some MnTs using crepe paper and finger folding, so had all the supplies I needed with me and thought "what the heck - why not make some Easter cards"?

You know what? I actually ENJOYED it. I loved working with the spring colors and new papers and fun techniques.  I loved being able to work on 30 cards instead of 300.  I loved being able to finish the whole thing in an hour or two instead of setting aside an entire day or weekend to plow through my list.  I loved that it reminded me of WHY I enjoy paper crafts and surprising someone I care about with something hand made. It got my creative juices flowing, got the cards off my to-do list, and gave me an idea for a new holiday tradition.

Instead of scrambling to make hundreds of Christmas cards during an already jam-packed season, I am going to make and send cards during different holidays throughout the year.  No minimums, no time line, no pressure - I'll do it when I have time and when I am inspired.  People "expect" cards around Christmas - but what a wonderful surprise to get an unexpected card for Easter, or 4th of July, or Halloween! I can make 2 per holiday or I can make 20, and this will also give me the time to personalize each card instead of just signing my name because I am in a hurry to "get it done".  I am SO EXCITED about this - and can't wait to spread the word to my other card making friends. Wouldn't you love to know that people are thinking about you throughout the year?

So to the 24 people on my Christmas list who thought I forgot about you, look for this little spot of springtime in the mail this week.  The rest of you...you never know when a card full of love will arrive from the Kingstons!

(products used: WRMK Cotton Tail collection - Thicket and Bunny Tail patterned papers, Bazzill Basics Dotted Swiss cardstock, Xyron 510, 250 and Mega Runner, Silhouette Cameo, crepe paper, scrap paper, Gelly Roll clear pen, May Arts ribbon, tag, joy stamp)

Happy Easter to all!

Versatile Blogger Award

What a wonderful surprise to get a note from my friend Sharon Callis that she nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award last week!  Sharon is an incredibly talented woman who was selected as Cardmaking & Papercraft Magazine's Cardmaker of the Year. The dimensional cards she creates are out of this world!

Now - let me be upfront and say that I have never participated in anything like this before...but I am so tickled she thought of me and I am always up for celebrating the creativity of others - so let's do this thing!

15 bloggers I admire/stalk/am proud to call friend/am inspired by:

Jessica Barnett - Jessica is my long-time partner in crime on our Xyron video series - love that girl!

Stephanie Howell - Stephanie and I have never met, but she is some sort of weird spirit guide who seems to share my brain.  Not only is she super crafty, but we are both Ranger wives - and that is a very special (and sometimes scary) sisterhood to be in.

Tammy Caudell - is a member of the Xyron Design Team and quite possibly one of the nicest people on the planet.

Melissa Frances - I have said about 1000 times that I am obsessed with MF - this is 1001.

Karin Aguirre - Karin and I met on the set of the now infamous Xyron infommercial and became instant friends - until I discovered that she is on the Melissa Frances DT.  Now I just stalk her out of jealousy!  :)

Happy Home Fairy - I don't know who this chick is, but I want to move next door to her immediately and have her adopt me.  Her kids craft projects make me so happy!

Ann Corbiere-Scott - is also a member of the Xyron DT, and when the two of us get together you better just step back, because we are going to have a creativity explosion and you won't get a word in edgewise!

Julie Thigpen - The upside of moving every few years is that with each new address you get a blank canvas with which to create a home.  The downside is that you can't do anything too "permanent" because you know you won't be there forever (especially if you are renting)!  Julie's blog lets me dream of my forever home where I can do anything my heart desires.

Better After - One of my great obsessions is renovating furniture.  Don and I have a dream of owning a store when we retire - he will build/renovate furniture in the back and we will have an artist co-op in the front where all of my crafty friends can peddle their wares.  This blog keeps my dream alive with their incredible before and after photos and ideas!

Christina Klauer - another member of the Xyron DT who inspires me not only with her talent, but with her strength in the midst of difficulties.  Amazing.

Megan Klauer - Christina's sister.  I mean seriously.  Is it fair that one family has SO much talent?  ;)  I have gotten away from doing 12x12 scrapbook pages (I do Everyday Stories divided page protectors) but Megan keeps sucking me back in with her beautiful pages.

Maya Road - whenever I need inspiration my first stop is the MR blog.  Their products are amazing, their story is fantastic, and they have brought my creativity to a whole new level.  They actually have three blogs - the DT blog, the company blog and Caroline Lau's blog.  Caroline is one of the owners of MR and I am proud to call her friend.  What originally started as a "behind the scenes" blog has recently turned in to a love letter to her father and her family as they all gather around him in his last days.  I encourage everyone to read her posts, and hope every family can face something like this with the love and dignity and peace and togetherness that Caroline and her family have shown us all.

Wendy Morris - I have known Wendy for...holy crap...going on 10 years almost! We were friends before blogs even existed I think - so I am grateful to have this way of still being inspired by her creativity even though we haven't seen each other "IRL" since I left the South (FYI - I don't consider Fayetteville the South).

Cathe Holden - I am a relatively new follower of hers - and love everything she does.  She has great freebies, shares wonderful personal stories, and can re-purpose stuff like nobody's business!

Sweet Paul - the only dude (that I know of) in my line up.  I keep telling myself I am going to subscribe to his magazine, because I LOVE his blog.  He combines food and craftiness - and we all know how I feel about both of those things!

And now - to round out the VBA requirements - seven things about me!  Enjoy!

I am OBSESSED with The Melting Pot.  Every time I go home I make my parents take me, and Don and I once drove over an hour to one because that is where I wanted to go for my birthday.  There is one less than five minutes away from Xyron, but no one will ever go with me.  I think it is a conspiracy.

I do not drink coffee.  Never have.  I am a tea girl all the way.  UNLESS - I need it to...ummm...poop.  There - I said it.  Am I the last person in the world to know that coffee makes you poop?  Apparently so.

Don and I have moved 8 times in 11 years - Hawaii, Savannah, Virginia (for three months.  THREE!), Columbus GA, Alaska, back to Columbus, Fayetteville NC - and we are moving to Kansas this summer.

I must have been an old man in my past life - because other than wine, the only other alcoholic beverages I drink are vodka gimlets and bloody marys.  I even have this bloody mary mix shipped to our house by the case. Is that wrong?

I am the only one of my HSN friends who watches herself (or himself) obsessively - at least the only one who admits it.  I record it on my DVR at home, and the first thing I do when I get back from Tampa is plop down in front of the TV and watch each airing at least twice, sometimes three times.  Then when Don gets home I make him watch it, and THEN I will delete it. There is one thing I do that drives me CRAZY (and no - I'm not telling you what it is, because then you will notice it even more than I already think you do) and I will obsess about it for DAYS after watching the videos, and then by the next time I get to HSN I have forgotten all about it.  I have been repeating this process (and continuing to do the annoying thing) for almost three years.  Therapy anyone?

We have two of the biggest dogs in America.  Beckett - our bloodhound/mastiff/lab mix:

and Bizzy - our six month old mastidane who is already as tall as Beckett - Heaven help us!

I watch Miami Vice reruns every morning (they are on Centric at 8am Eastern).  If I am not home I record them and have been known to sit in front of the tv with my computer for hours on end, "working" and watching Miami Vice at the same time.  In fact - that is what I'm doing right now!

 

Kids Crafts Saturday - Potato Painting for St Patrick's Day!

Looking for a fun and easy St. Patrick's Day crafts for the kiddos?  A potato, some paint and paper, and a little creativity makes for the perfect project!

SUPPLIES
potato
knife
white cardstock
markers
WRMK Crop-a-Dile (or hole punch)
ribbon 
washable craft pain
paper plate/bowl 

Cut the potato in half, then carve your shape on the exposed edge (we used a chipboard heart for a template but you can also cut your shape freehand).

Use a bowl (or plate with raised sides) for the paint, so excess can be wiped off before stamping the potato on to the paper.

To create a clover - get paint on the potato, stamp the heart, then rotate 45 degrees for each leaf.  The kids used their fingers to create the stems - their favorite part!

Working with younger kids?  Don cut out a "handle" on one of the potatoes by cutting away the sides of the potato about halfway, then cutting a hole through the center.

To complete the project, let the kids write their names on the paper, then punch holes at the top, tie with ribbon, and set aside to dry.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Make a Change Monday - Using your Gifts...and ANOTHER giveaway!

I am always amazed by people who find a way to use their gifts to help others...and my friend Amanda is no exception.  She has recently turned her interest in crocheting in to woobiesfor.com:

"Woobies for" is a project that hopes to spread positivity from your creativity, talent and generosity. I was unable to sleep one night and an idea hit me. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could gather a community of people who knit, crochet, quilt or sew to create blankets, or woobies, powered by a specific positive emotion. Knit a blanket while focusing on love. Sew a quilt dedicated to hope. Then we could gather those beautiful works of art and donate them to children in need. Children's hospitals, homeless shelters, and the families of our brave troops. Giving children in need these woobies filled with such powerful emotions to give them strength to face what's ahead. The recipient would receive their woobie and a one word explanation like "bravery" or "comfort" so they know what the woobie represents.

One of the things I love most about this project is that Amanda is not asking for money - she is asking for gifts from the heart.  She is not asking for a specific amount of time or commitment - she is asking for creativity and love. For blankets and quilts and cards created out of joy and strength and a sense of reaching out to someone in need. I am proud of her for starting this - and am honored to share it with you.

To celebrate the launch of woobiesfor.com (and because you know I love a giveaway!) - please leave a comment here and tell us about how you've shared your creative gifts, or if you know of other charitable organizations that crafters might be interested in supporting (Operation Write Home is another of my favorites).  Someone is going to win an Anna Griffin Fabric Squares Collection - and these patterns are gorgeous!

I have offered to make cards to go with the blankets and quilts, and to spread the word about woobiesfor.com - because those are my gifts.  My hope is that you too will be inspired to share your creativity and bring a little joy to someone who needs comfort.  What a wonderful way to make a difference!

Have a great week everybody - woobies for all!

PS - deadline to enter is midnight Eastern on Wednesday February 22nd. Good luck!

We have a winner...and ANOTHER giveaway!

Congratulations to Kathy Livingston!  Kathy is the winner of our Everyday Stories album and refills giveaway. Kathy wrote:

I've never tried it, but it sounds great. I would love to get "caught up" (I have granddaughters, I'm never really caught up..lol).

I'm telling you Kathy - this is going to change your world!  A box is headed your way - enjoy it!

I told you girls last week on my FB page that I was going to be giving away some good stuff from HSN - how does one of those FABULOUS sold-out We R Memory Keepers Lucky 8 Punches sound? My buddy Andrew (he presented the punches on HSN last week - love that guy!) gave me one to try out before the shows, and I love YOU so much I am going to give it to one of you!

It is the Retro Scallop punch - I LOVE this thing.  I love ALL of them.  If you haven't seen one in action - here is a video to get you just as excited as I (and about 20000 other crafters on HSN) am about it!

 

So comment here with a shout out to WRMK and one of you will get this little beauty delivered to your door next week!  Deadline to enter is midnight Eastern time on Sunday February 19th.  I am off for a long awaited scrapbooking retreat with Crafty Sharron and some of my other North Carolina girlfriends - so have a great weekend everybody!