Lyn's Paper Petunia

Memory Box Card Class Preview!

2012-02-12T07:58:00.000-05:00

Every quarter I offer a Memory Box card class and here are some photos of what is in store for us on February 25th from 10-12pm at the Shoppe! You will make 4 cards for a great fee of $20! There's always lots to learn on each card and the take away is more tips and tricks to enhance your design skills. I do need everyone to bring a well stocked Basic Kit to ALWAYS include Vintage Photo Distress ink and either Old Paper or Antique Linen Distress ink with blending pads among the other essentials that are necessary including 1/8" Scor Tape, tape runner, glue dots, scissors, wet adhesive such as Tombow, Quickie Glue Pen, black ultra fine tip Sharpie or similar. We are using Copics on the Simply the Best card in pinks, lavendars, yellows and leaf greens if you wish to BYO.

Each card has something unique on it that just might catch your eye and wonder 'how'd she do that?' There's one way to find out and that is to call the Shoppe and sign up: 315-633-5325. Payment is required with your reservation. Hope to see you on the 25th!

CAS Trust Your Heart

2012-01-28T18:02:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I create a card and didn't even know how it happened! This is one of those times when a card design quickly came together in a CAS kind of way and I was happy with its simplicity. Keep in mind that I believe there are many definitions of CAS...one being keeping it flat with no bulk. Obviously, I'm ignoring that design style! Here's what I did to create this card:
Stamp a heart shape and cut it out to use as a template/pattern. Trace around it with pencil. (I tilted mine slightly for interest.) Lay a line of white glue all around the pencil shape. Don't worry if it looks wonky, the glitter will cover it up. Pour chunky crushed glitter (I used Stampendous silver crushed glass glitter) along the glue and tap off and let dry.
Tie a double bow with seam binding. Mist it with water (not soaking wet, just damp) and scrunch it up into a little ball and re-form back into a bow. Find a flower in your stash and hot glue it to the scrunched bow. Hot glue the ribbon/flower onto the heart. (Hot glue gives a maximum stick over the glitter.) Corner round two top corners (this is a top fold card). Stamp a little word sentiment and you are done!
To find out more about my CAS Card Group on Papercraft Planet, just click HERE.
P.S. Keep a watch on this card design because I'm going to morph it into two more designs that will go from CAS to anything but CAS ending with my favorite style, vintage!

Paper Arts Club Tomorrow!

2012-01-24T17:37:00.000-05:00

Swap Theme: Valentine

Our monthly meeting is Wed., January 25th and is packed with new and interesting projects! We are at capacity for this meeting. If there is a chance you are not attending, please call the Shoppe to let them know. Meanwhile, here's what you need to make sure you have in your Basic Kit: Distress Ink (any one of tea stain, walnut stain, vintage photo), also any one of broken china, shattered glass (or anything in the teal blues) with blending pads. Also, you should have these essentials, 1/8" Scor Tape, tape runner, Glue Dots, scissors, bone folder.
We have to do a lot of sharing so if any of you already own the lace stamp from the Great Impressions monthly program, please bring it as we will be creating a background with it!

And, of course, we're creating the six sided fold snowman card!

Can't wait to see you all! hugs, Lyn

3d146 - Altered Tin!

2012-01-17T09:39:00.000-05:00

Hi all and welcome to another 3d challenge! Today we are altering an empty Altoid tin! Covering the tin with pattern paper is a little fussy, but you just have to be careful when tracing, cutting and affixing. The fun part is decorating the inside and my inspiration was a photo of my grandmother, Sara, a cherished treasure that I use often in my work. I have a little shelf in my powder room and will enjoy displaying this piece on it.

Okay, let’s begin with the tin:

I sanded off the red paint to reveal the natural tin color. Another option is to paint with Gesso over the edges and/or anyplace you want to cover up existing color as desired.

Next, gather papers, ephemera, photos, embellishments, etc. that you wish to use. This is a fun part for me as I kept two things in mind: I knew I was using my grandma’s photo and papers from October Afternoon’s Farmhouse collection.

To cover the tin, place it over the paper and trace the lid and cut out. Confirm the piece fits and use it as a pattern for the outside base of the tin. For the insides, use the same pattern piece but cut it down slightly until it fits into the insides of the tin.
Next, measure the edges and cut a narrow strip 12”x1/4” for the outside top edge and 12”x ½” for the outside bottom edge. Measure and repeat for the inside edges. Make sure all cut pieces fit prior to affixing!

Distress all edges with Antique Linen first and Vintage Photo Distress inks second (Ranger). The narrow edge pieces are distressed with Antique Linen only. I used 1/8” Scor Tape to affix all papers to the tin. Strive to run the tape close to all edges for a good seal against the metal. The tin will look like this once pattern papers are in place:

Outside View 1 - I actually removed the lid by bending the hinge thingy so I could wrap the paper neatly. I cut away a little notches for the paper to fit perfectly around the hinge area. Adding ribbon will also 'cover up' any imperfections that might have occurred when working around the hinges. (No one will ever know!)

Inside View 2

Front View 3

The final step is the best part designing a collage on the inside of the tin. I created the page with the photo first because I was most inspired to start there. I added glass glitter (Jenni Bowlin) around the edge of the photo. Flowers were clustered in the lower corner and top left corner (there was a big space of nothing that needed filling in). To fill in the photo, I stuffed lace motifs under the photo.

The left side of the tin was kept fairly simple with a few pieces from the October Afternoon collection along with misc. buttons, a tiny paperclip, stamped sentiment from Limited Edition and a resin bird from Webster’s Pages.
The seam binding was wrapped around the box between the lid and the bottom and tied in a bow. To get a good ribbon ‘scrunch’ mist your hands with water and scrunch the ribbon really tight. Pins were stuck into the bow for interest. Keep in mind that this tin does not close and remains open as a display piece.
Altering a tin is so much fun and if you love this sort of 'green' crafting, do give it try! I chose a vintage look, but any style will work here. Let the papers speak to you! If you get a chance to play, just upload your photo to your Paper Craft Planet photo gallery and tag it 3d147 so I can add it to our group album. Post a comment to notify me you have your project uploaded. Not a member of the 'Planet?' Let me know and I'll send you an invite!

Anything But Cute Challenge Week #2!

2012-01-11T20:18:00.000-05:00

Here in Upstate New York, this card is the closest thing I'm getting to snowmen and snowflakes as we are having an unusually mild winter with hardly any snow! Over on Anything But Cute at Paper Craft Planet our challenge this week was to create a 'winter blues' card.
I believe I have successfully used every scrap of my Fancy Pants Winterland collection because I love it so much! I also used my Tim Holtz Sizzix snowman die and a second Sizzix snowflake die. I spread white glue over the snowflake and dipped it into glitter that was a little bit chunky. If you look closely, I stuck a straight pin into the bow that I made all by myself!
We're having so much fun with stick pins that we are going to have a challenge using them on All Things Vintage real soon! I can't wait! Someone in our group suggested getting larger and longer pins in the bridal section of craft stores. Good idea!

All Things Vintage Celebrates a New Year!

2012-01-02T08:43:00.003-05:00

Much excitement is happening over on All Things Vintage in 2012! We are rolling out some new features that are sure to intrigue anyone who loves vintage anything!
First, I will be hosting card challenges using vintage clipart. We’ll all work with the same image but the difference is that you’ll be creating with your own stash of stuff! To find my post, click HERE.
Lilian Moir will host a Vintage Friendship Pages Mini Album beginning with creating the covers first and filling in pages later on. To find Lilian's post, click HERE. Karen Oliver will host Scattering Sweetness Swaps designed to fill vintage treasures into little envelopes! To find Karen's post, click HERE.

Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue Card Class!

2011-12-29T16:45:00.002-05:00

My New Year's resolution is to get class samples done 'early' and posted so here's 3 out of 4 card samples for my upcoming class on Sat., Jan. 21st from 10-12pm. Class fee: $24 Bring a Basic Kit including plenty of tape runner, Vintage Photo distress inkpad, Antique Linen or Old Paper distress inkpad with blending tool. Pre-register by calling the Shoppe at (315) 633-5325.

I have a friend who collects flamingos and she will be the recipient of this card. All the images on this sheet are different and I anticipate we'll have a lot of fun working with them!

So far, this is my favorite card because it has a pocket on the inside to hold photos or a special memento from a vacation.

Inside of card without the photo tuck in.

Inside of card with a photo tucked in! Cool huh?

Are you dialing the phone to register yet???

1 Day Before Christmas Eve!

2011-12-23T08:58:00.000-05:00

Finally got into my wrapping groove and have continued with up-cycling of used brown kraft paper found in shipping boxes from my husband's office. Good old Martha's fringe scissors came in handy for the bag toppers. Run tape along the top edge of the bag for quick application of the fringe. Flowers are hand cut circles in 3 different sizes held together with a tiny brad and scrunched together. Get out your glue gun to affix the flowers to the bag fast. A leftover card from last year's Christmas stash finishes the project. Okay, gotta take these to the girls at the office!

7 Days 'Til Christmas!

2011-12-18T14:57:00.000-05:00

I purchased this towel at Zerillo's, a favorite local holiday gift shop, and knew I'd be giving it as a gift. The towel was so holiday-ish that it became the wrapping for a jar candle! Add a bit of twine and some sprigs from craft store sprays and it's done! This would work with scraps of fabric or muslin too. Guess you could say this is Part 2 of my 'pioneer woman' series...
P.S. There was Day 8 which was get the darn Christmas cards made and in the mail!!!! I made two styles, one a true paper crafted and stamped card and the other was a family photo paper crafted card however, I didn't get photos of them to share.

9 Days 'Til Christmas!

2011-12-16T11:08:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we went to a friend's birthday party in Armonk, NY and I wanted to wrap a bottle of wine for them. Well, as I looked at all the recycled materials I seem to be collecting, it occurred to me to grab some brown kraft that I brought home from the office and wrap the bottle with it! (Rather than packaging peanuts and bubbles, I'm seeing companies use brown kraft more and more!) I needed to jazz up the overall package so I made a flower with several layers of hand cut circles held together with a little brad. The dimensional affect comes with scrunching each layer toward the center! So easy. The fringe was another random act using my Martha Stewart fringe scissors, but regular scissors can do this trick also. I cinched the paper together at the neck of the bottle by taking a length of brown kraft and twisting it as tight as I could which formed a 'rope' that I used to tie around the bottle! Paper is surprisingly sturdy when twisted.
I call this my 'pioneer woman' packaging as it is totally created from recycled materials! The entire wrapping actually lifts off the bottle and can be re-used again and again!

PAC Holiday Meeting Project!

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a sample of one of one of the four projects from last night's annual holiday meeting! I used a Kaisercraft 3d wood ornament and with just one of the two halves created this lovely vintage ornament. We also made a darling matchbook mini gifty with two Dove candies tucked inside. Sherry's project was a perfect little gift card holder/folder that has us all scrambling to make some for our gift lists! Jane's project was a sweet tag with a 3d scored star on the front and a little diecut bow. Plenty of food goodies were brought by our members too. There were gorgeous handcrafted bags and altered items for our gift exchange and, as always, our favorite moment of the evening is exchanging 30 tags with each other! A good time was had by all and to all a good night!!!!

Everson Festival of Trees!

2011-11-28T08:48:00.000-05:00

Today is setup day of the Paper Arts Club 2011 Everson Tree and here's a sneak of it before it leaves my house! I chose a white tree this year because we've always had a green one and I went out on a limb to be a little different! I wish you get a chance to see it in person as it is really pretty and against the white tree, everything just pops! The Festival is once again at Shoppingtown Mall in the former Bon Ton store.
Another element to our tree that you may not know about is the star topper. When the tree is all decorated, I always finish it with wood stars that I purchase at a craft store. Every year is a different design and this year I chose the solid red card stock to coordinate with all the other bits of red. Here's a closeup of it:

I hope you've enjoyed what I consider to be our Club's most important community project of the year! Thanks to every Club member who donated a card each month. This year we have 130 cards on the tree! I would love to scrapbook all our trees we've donated over the years. There are so many I struggle to remember the year of our first one but I believe it was 2000. I do remember it was made of diecut little boxes made to look like ornaments. We've come a long way since that tree and it is a Festival favorite from what I am told!

3d141 - Yo Yo Ornaments!

2011-11-21T23:12:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone and welcome to another week of 3d fun! As we think about holiday gifties, I found these yo yo ornaments fit the quick and easy category beautifully. And you know what? I've never made a yo yo in my life until this project and now I'm hooked on the little things. I will admit that I found this idea in a Better Homes and Gardens Holiday book (I gave the book as a gift and have asked my friend for the exact title) and just added my style to them! Close ups of each ornament better show detail along with a 5th ornament that didn't make the featured photo. How to construct the yo yo itself is after the close ups section.

I do hope you will try these little cuties and share them with us in the comment section of the 3d Challenge Group or The Planet Blog! They make great gifties for co-workers, employees, teachers, hairdressers, etc! They make fun package tie-ons for wine bottles too! Once you get started, they are addicting to make!

The 'snowflake' ornament starts with hot gluing the white string to the center and then adding a scallop circle punch also hot glued at the center of the yo yo. Next add layers of tulle (kinda hard to see in the photo) that are cut in squares and offset. A Sizzix snowflake is punched and added next and finished with a flat pearl. Several narrow lengths of tulle are tied around the hanger for additional fluff and dimension.

I call this one the 'green tulle' ornament. The first step is to add the gold string for a hanger. Next, tie the tulle in a bow and fan out the loops and stick it down with hot glue. The ribbon flower was added next along with Prima leaves, some gold pearls and pins. I think this is perhaps my favorite one!

Hot glue the gold string to the back of the ornament first. The 'lace ornament' is a lace diecut that is edge distressed with Vintage Photo ink and hot glued to the back of the ornament. A wired ribbon is double tied to add more loops and hot glued on. A glitter star, flower and gold leaves are from Prima with an added gem to the center of the flower.

Add the red crotchet string to the center first with hot glue. The crotchet circle is next. The double bow ribbon was tied separately and the jingle bells tied onto the ribbon center then hot glued onto the center. I stamped Goodwill to all onto seam binding and hot glued that into the center.

The 5th and final ornament has two rows of hot glued lace forming a circle. The gold hanger is glued next, then double ribbon bows with scrunched seam binding and a Prima flower. The glass bauble is added last and tied on with string.
Here are the directions to make these little darlings:

Cut a circle. I used a discarded Planters Peanut can that was 6-1/4" in diameter. The fabric is thin enough that I could cut 6 circles at once! I traced the can using a pen right onto the fabric stack.
Double thread a needle and hand stitched 1/8" from the raw edge. Some directions say to fold over the raw edge and iron it flat and then stitch but I saw absolutely no value in doing that step!

Next, cinch the stitches by gently pulling the thread as much as you can to gather all the fabric together. Tie a knot several times to hold the gathers in place. Cut away the excess thread.

Shape the yo yo by flattening it and fixing the gathers to your liking. All that's left is to decorate! The entire cutting, stitching and gathering takes less than 5 minutes!!!!

2012 Calendar Class!

2011-11-20T10:15:00.000-05:00

It's finally here! My annual calendar class! The class is today and is sold out but here's a sneak of this year's calendar design. Every year I come up with a different design and one day, I'll compile all the years of calendars we've made. It is difficult to remember how long I've been doing this class! We will be using my new fav tool today, the We R Memory Keepers The Cinch to bind our project. Stop by the Shoppe and see the entire project in person!

Whimsie Doodles Challenge on Paper Craft Planet!

2011-11-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

This darling image Cookie Fairy from Whimsie Doodles was so much fun to work with, especially with the added sentiment! I used some seasonal papers from Crate Paper called Farmhouse and literally chose the background paper first and then decided how to color the little girl with Copics.

To give depth to the project, I tried to create dimension as much as possible. Here are the raised pieces: the brown scallop, the little girl, the word banner, and the punched heart.
Further dimension was created by adding the flower to her headband, gems to her shoes and the ribbon and embellishment pieces in the center. Don't forget to add distress inking around the card panel to add depth too!
Here's another card I made with an equally cute image Shy Fairy!

Again, because of the papers I chose (Memory Box), the card design fell into place nicely. I can't seem to make a flat card so there's lots of chunky dimension here. The tiny jingle bells are part of a string of garland purchased from a craft store. It has lasted me years and was an excellent purchase. They came in gold and silver. Notice her eye glass lenses are filled in with Glossy Accents! Sentiment is from Hero and image is colored with Copics. Glass glitter was added around the image panel that was Distressed with Old Paper prior to adding the glitter.
Hope you get a chance to visit us over on the Whimsie Doodles Challenge on the Paper Craft Planet blog!

Fran*tage Friday - Angel Kisses!

2011-11-11T09:49:00.000-05:00

Mix up a bit of montage and eclectic collage with a touch of vintage timelessness á la Fran Seiford, and what do you get? Fran•táge!
Every Friday, we'll be showing you a technique using the new Fran*tage line of stamps from Stampendous. The best part? You can win some free goodies from Stampendous just by leaving a comment over on the discussion forum found here!
Here are the products I used to make this card:

Cling Jumbo Snowflake
Cling Angel Kisses Set
Cling Warmest Greetings
Shabby White Embossing Enamel
Silver Crushed Glass Glitter
Transparency Sheet
Colored Cardstock (Burgundy Cut 4-1/4 x 11 and Gold Cut 4-1/2 x 5-3/4)
Black Memento Inkpad
Scattered Straw Distress Ink
Here's another view of the card front:

The first step is to cut the transparency to the size of your card front which is 5-1/2x4-1/4. (Remember when cutting transparency to put a printer paper sheet under it otherwise the cutter won't slice through the plastic.) I used a glue pad to ink up my snowflake but you can also use Watermark pad, a Top Boss embossing inkpad, or any pigment inkpad. For some reason, the glue pad worked best for me. Sprinkle on the embossing enamel and shake off excess. Apply a heat tool to the image but hold farther away than you normally would for paper. Keep a close eye on the melting process as overheating will warp the transparency.

Next, simply run a line of adhesive on the top edge of the transparency and affix to the burgundy card front along the top fold. You will cover up the taped area with the ribbon. I used seam binding and created a double bow then scrunched it with a little mist of water to create the vintage feel. To make the ruffle edge, just lay down a length of Scor-Tape or similar and work a length of ribbon into ruffles as you work along the tape. This is very random! Cut the gold cardstock layer 5-3/4 x 4-1/2 and mount that to the back of the burgundy card.
Create the tag with a scrap piece of cardstock and edge distress with ink. I added a length of Scor-Tape at the end of the tag and dipped it into the crushed glass glitter. I colored baker's twine with a Garnet Copic marker to match the cardstock.
The inside of the card looks like this:

Stamp the sentiment with black Memento inkpad and then the snowflake with the Scattered Straw inkpad.

Want to win some FREE Stampendous stamps? Post your comment by clicking here. You can tell me whatever you’d like. You have until Thursday at midnight, Eastern Time. After that, we’ll pick a winner through Random.org and announce the name on the next Fran*tage Friday.
Good luck!
Thanks to our good friends at Stampendous for sponsoring this event!

2011-10-22T00:00:00.030-04:00

SURPRISE AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUSANNA!

Today, October 22nd, we are celebrating Susanna's Boyd's birthday with a week-long challenge event that every member on Paper Craft Planet can participate in!
The Paper Craft Planet Super Novas got together and each made a special birthday gift for Susanna's birthday. In honor of this momentous occasion, we invite everyone to post a birthday project or card for a chance to win some fabulous prizes! Yes, there are several chances to win some awesome paper crafting goodies just by posting a birthday theme project!
Further details can be found by clicking on Paper Craft Planet The Planet Blog. Check out where the party is and join us for a week of celebrations and prizes!
My project is a brand new template from Creations by AR called Bottle of Cheer! It is a 3d template that accommodates all sorts of sweet gifty things inside. I used a favorite paper line by Graphic 45 Curtain Call. Here's an aerial view of this project:

There are optional openings that come with the template. I hand cut a rectangle to allow for a larger opening to insert a gift. The project goes together very quickly and makes an awesome gift for anyone on your list who is a lover of wine! Include a gift card to a wine store and the recipient will appreciate your clever ingenuity! Can't you just imagine this project at receptions or special event dinners?!?

Challenges by AR Challenge 6 - Christmas!

2011-10-20T03:00:00.005-04:00

It's time for another challenge over on Challenges by AR and the theme is Christmas! I chose the Let's Vase It template for my project. It is so stylish and easy to put together too! I used paper from the Prima Printery collection, which is a nice sturdy double sided pattern paper. A length of tulle was added to the bottom for decoration. Craft store trims were stuffed inside the vase and that's it! A quick project that would make a delightful gift for someone special on your holiday list.
Hope you like my creation! Take a moment to stop by Challenges by AR and see what the rest of the talented design team have created for this challenge. I'd love to see you play along too! There's always a prize to win!!!

CAS Countdown to the Holidays!

2011-10-14T09:45:00.000-04:00

As card makers and paper crafters, we enjoy creating cards and gifts for the holidays. More often than not, we fall short of our lofty goals because we run out of time. Here at home, I tell my paper arts club members every year that we need to begin our holiday preparations in October in order to be on top of our game! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to make this year the year we actually enjoy the weeks ahead of the holidays and get everything done that we planned on getting done?

Starting today, I will be presenting an 8-week series to help get you ready for the holidays on time and under budget! We will be keeping CAS styles in mind along with re-cycling, re-purposing and green gifting! As with CAS Card Group, this series is designed to teach you lots of tips and tricks. I welcome your interaction and dialogue in the comment section as we begin each week with a new project to tackle. Click HERE to go to Week 1 on Paper Craft Planet!

Here is the lineup of events:

October 13^th - CAS Christmas Cards

October 20^th - More CAS Christmas Cards

October 27^th - Tags – Diecut, Cardstock, Made From Scraps

November 3^rd - Gifties

November 10^th - Ornaments

November 17 - Packaging

November 24^th - Holiday Décor

December 1^st - Gift Card Holders

I hope you can join me in this year’s Countdown to the Holidays! I’m looking forward to sharing all of our holiday stories as we begin our 8-weeks of preparations! When we have completed Week 8, all you’ll have to do is bake and wrap!

CAS Lesson 47 - Masculine AND 1 Layout 4 Ways!

2011-10-10T09:04:00.000-04:00

Join me this week for a CAS lesson in creating a quick masculine card PLUS a lesson in 1 Card 4 Ways!!!!

Basic Grey Oxford papers were used as they already remind me of a) masculine; and b) autumn. The layout of this card is plain paper on the top and pattern paper on the bottom dissected with a ribbon and (in this case) a decorative sticker strip. The nice thing with guy cards is we don't have to fuss with embellishments!
Once the papers are chosen, then what? All we need is a focal image stamped onto a lighter panel. I chose a Catslife Press stamp that reminds me of 'me' and/or my husband who was the recipient of this anniversary card. To create depth, the panel is edge distressed with Ranger Antique Linen ink and faux stitching was added with a Zig pen.
Ready for 3 other ways to create this card???? (I covered the stamped image for purposes of showing the layout.)
Turn it clockwise a quarter turn and you'll have a portrait orientation with the pattern strip along the left side!

Next, turn so the layout is upside down and the pattern strip is along the top!

Finally, turn it yet again, and the pattern strip is along the right side. Here's where I would create something like a 'gatefold' where the pattern paper strip would unfold. I actually cut additional double sided paper to create this card and layered it to create the card front.

Okay, one card 4 ways!!!! Have fun!!!! Let's see what you can create! Feel free to post your card in the comment section just by clicking CAS Card Group or post them to your page photos. Be sure to tag your card CAS47 (exactly as typed).

Graphic 45 ABC Primer & Christmas Emporium Card Class!

2011-10-05T19:37:00.000-04:00

Join me this Saturday., October 8th at 10:00 a.m. for another Graphic 45 card party! We'll create 2 cards with ABC Primer and 2 cards with Christmas Emporium. We'll finish the inside of each card and decorate the envelopes as well. Of course I'll have some new design tricks to show you! Plan on two hours of vintage nostalgic fun! Call ahead to register for class at 315-633-5325.

Fee: $24 Basic kit required.

Challenges by AR Challenge 5 - Autumn or Halloween!

2011-09-29T06:40:00.000-04:00

It's time for another fun template challenge over on Challenges by AR.
Challenge 5 is sponsored by My Grafico!

Click on over to Challenges by AR and find out what you can win just by posting a project to this challenge!

I chose the darling Jack-O-Box template as my design inspiration and 3 papers from My Grafico Spooktacular collection. Because the digi paper is printed on one side, I covered the inside of my pumpkin with a second paper design from the same collection that I printed on regular printer paper. The outside of the pumpkin is printed on photo paper that has a matt finish. I chose a third paper design for the leaves and they are also printed on photo matt paper.

To create the face, I cut out the openings on my template only and traced the face onto my pattern paper. I used a Zig pen to color in the eyes, nose and mouth! Instead of cutting the handle as per the template, I just punched a hole! The pumpkin face is distressed with Ranger Distress Rusty Hinge and faux stitched using a black .05 Zig pen (found in most craft stores and online). The leaves were layered with two thicknesses of foam mounting tape to create dimension. I punched two bats out of glitter paper with a Martha Stewart punch. The bow is adorned with an epoxy flower from Webster's Pages. Black tulle is stuffed inside the pumpkin to create filling.

Hope you like my creation and you get a chance to stop by Challenges by AR to see what the rest of the Challenge by AR team has created! I'd love to see you play along too!

Vintage Love

2011-09-13T22:04:00.000-04:00

I posted this card on The Shabby Tea Room Challenge and in my All This Vintage Group over on Paper Craft Planet. With a lot of help from Melissa Frances 5th Avenue papers, this card fell together quite nicely capturing the vintage charm I was going for.

I always have Tattered Angels frames handy and all I did was affix Melissa Frances glass glitter to it. Other glitter was done with a Quicky Glue pen and ultra fine white glitter. The sentiment is a fragment from a larger stamp by Memory Box. Roses and lace trim are from Prima. Crotched flower is Basic Grey. All of the underscored items can be ordered from Stampin' & Scrappin' Time where I teach classes. Stop by the Shoppe to see more Melissa Frances card samples!

Emma's Paperie Sept. Color Challenge!

2011-09-11T22:14:00.000-04:00

I get a lot of emails for challenges and this one was from Emma's Paperie and the funny thing is that I couldn't find where to post a card to the challenge, so I thought I'd just post it here and link it back to their site. Melissa Phillips (love her!) designed the challenge and I just happened to have some Webster's Pages papers that seemed to fit perfectly with the color scheme. I have had the Sizzix birdcage diecut for quite awhile and this is the first time I actually got to use it so I'm pretty excited about that.

This is a paper crafted card in that there isn't any stamping at all and everything is just cut from paper to create the card. There's a lot of 3d foam tape to create dimension but it is probably not very visible in the photo.

Stampendous Sketch Challenge #41!

2011-09-09T19:35:00.000-04:00

I couldn't resist trying my hand at this week's Stampendous Blog Challenge #41. My friend, Wendy Price drew the sketch that you can find just by clicking on the link. For my card I used Basic Grey Sweet Threads collection. I found some old Making Memories Epoxy Stickers and simply stuck them over interesting designs I found on the Basic Grey papers. The double borders are Tim Holtz Sizzix dies. Together sentiment is from the Stampendous Friendship Assortment clear set.

Fran*tage Friday - Meet Me in Paris!

2011-09-08T22:35:00.001-04:00

Mix up a bit of montage and eclectic collage with a touch of vintage timelessness á la Fran Seiford, and what do you get? Fran•táge!

Every Friday, we'll be showing you a technique using the new Fran*tage line of stamps from Stampendous. The best part? You can win some free goodies from Stampendous just for reading this post!

I fell in love with the Eiffel Tower clear set and found it so inspiring to work with. I knew the Friendship Assortment word set would work perfectly with this card as well.

The Tea Stained Mica Fragments, Aged Copper Embossing Enamel, and Vintage Embossing Tinsel are absolute must haves for working with vintage styles!

I call this a "project card" as there are three separate techniques/tricks used in putting it together. To learn more, and for a chance to win free stamps, follow this link to Paper Craft Planet's Stampendous Fran*tage Fridays and post your comment by Thursday, September 15th!

Challenge 4 - Something Sporty!

2011-09-08T00:00:00.003-04:00

This week's challenge theme over on Challenges by AR is Something Sporty and I chose the Bag It template to create a football theme for my son's upcoming birthday. It is quite roomy for any number of gifties including a gift card. I chose a favorite Riley image to use as my focal point. He is stamped with Memento ink and colored with Copic markers. The banner border is an A muse diecut. Great Sport sentiment is from Great Impressions and It's Your Day sentiment is from Savvy Stamps. Papers covering the bag are Basic Grey Curio. The brown cardstock is from Bazzill. The confetti strips were made by cutting 1/4" strips and running them through a crimper. To create dimension, foam tape was used in a variety of thicknesses.
I hope you like my project and you have time to stop by our other fabby designers over on Challenges by AR. There's always a prize for posting your creation so come on over and play!

Memory Box Card Class - Autumn Spendor!

2011-09-03T16:44:00.000-04:00

Here's a sampling of my quarterly Memory Box card class being held on Sat., September 24th at 9:00 a.m. There is a 4th card but you have to take the class to find out what it is! The 3 cards you see here have a common theme...can you identify what it is? As always, you'll be finishing the inside of the cards and receiving coordinating envelopes. Bring a Basic Kit to class. Call the Shoppe to register (315) 633-5325.

Class fee: $20

3d129 Challenge - Button Box Template!

2011-08-30T00:00:00.011-04:00

I'm pleased to be hosting this week's 3d Challenge over on Paper Craft Planet! This is a really simple template called a "button box" from Mirkwood Designs using Graphic 45's Once Upon a Springtime papers. It is basically an envelope with about 1/4" of thickness. I chose to omit buttons however and added lots of embellishments to the flap since the rest of the box is rather plain. The vintage frame is from Tattered Angels and the sentiment is from Stampendous stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa inkpad by Tsukineko. Check out the fastener tabs by Tombow that I used to hold down the flap! It is designed for papercrafting and is very thin! Inside the envelope are four little note cards that can also be used as gift tags. Gift cards would fit in there nicely as well.

To keep things simple, the note cards have four different paper patterns and the layered panels are just alternate pieces from the same four papers.

Told you this was simple! Now it's your turn to create your design using the link to the template below. Right click on the template itself to print and choose page 2. To post your photo, just click on the link here to go to the main discussion forum.

Button Box Template

Coffee Sleeve Mini Book Class Sample!

2011-08-25T13:39:00.000-04:00

Join me on Saturday, August 27th at 9 a.m. for a nostalgic romp down memory lane using October Afternoon's Five & Dime paper collection. If you're intrigued by what a coffee sleeve mini book is, this is just the class to find out about how to alter coffee sleeves into an adorable mini book Lynnie style! Basic Kit required including plenty of foam mounting tape, tape runner, liquid glue, edge distressing tool. Call the Shoppe to register (315 633-5325. Class fee $24.

Challenges by AR Challenge 3 - Masculine Birthday

2011-08-18T01:00:00.015-04:00

It's time for our 3rd challenge over at Challenges by AR and this week's theme is Masculine Birthday. I used the Wallet for Him template and enjoyed altering the wallet into a mini book just by affixing 3 wallet patterns together!

It just so happens my son is attending Utica College and playing football and his birthday is in September and school colors are blue and orange so this is a perfect theme for me to work with. Here's the inside of the mini book.

Pages 1 and 2:

The wallet pocket (left side) and frame (right side) were perfect for tucking in a sentiment and sports photos from his childhood. Simple punched star shapes, gems and twine added quick embellishments.

Pages 3 and 4:

This time the frame was on the left and the pocket on the right. A sentiment and additional photos were a highlight. More punched shapes, gems, twine and buttons for decoration were added.

Pages 5 and 6:

I changed up the punched shapes to circles and just had to add my favorite sentiment in the last pocket. I'll add more photos of his dog who he probably misses the most!

I hope you enjoyed my version of the wallet template and hope you can play along! The challenge is open for two weeks. For more information, just click on the link Challenges by AR.

Summer Bliss Challenge Winner!!!

2011-08-12T08:41:00.000-04:00

The Summer Bliss challenge winner has been posted. Click on the title to find out who won! Our next Challenges by AR will post on August 18th. Hope you can play along for more exciting template fun!

Challenge 2 - Summer Bliss with a Slice of Orange!

2011-07-28T07:21:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the second Challenges by AR challenge Summer Bliss with a Slice of Orange! Each month a very talented group of ladies will provide you with a fun challenge theme and lots of inspiration, all using templates available at Creations by AR. The Summer Bliss challenge will be open from July 28 at midnight PST through August 4th at midnight.

As the host of Challenge 2, I chose some summer favorites - the color orange and the word bliss. I added a recent Myrtle Beach vacation photo as the background and a stamped image onto acetate to create the window effect. I used the Peek-A-Boo Case template and turned it into a diorama to use as a seasonal display.

Hope you've enjoyed my project!

Riddersholm Project Guest Hostess!

2011-07-15T22:32:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to bring you this week's project using papers and embellishments from Riddersholm Designs, a wonderful Danish paper company. Riddersholm specializes in a charming vintage look with patterned papers, diecut tags, ribbons, and charms. The product itself is designed by Connie, produced in Denmark and marked with the Scandinavian environmental seal ‘Svanemaerket’ meaning it is produced to protect our environment.
My package of papers are called Sweet Valerian and were colors of soft pinks and greens. I counted a total of six different paper patterns that I could work with so I decided to create a tag mini book. Vintage is a natural style to work with for me so I was thrilled to use every scrap of papers, ribbons, diecuts and flower embellishments. The only items I added were some pearls, gems, mica, glitter, tulle flowers and a couple of diecut flourishes.

The cover was my favorite paper design and the word Sweet was my cover inspiration. I had a metal tag from Pottery Barn that I had saved and it worked perfectly to add the Riddersholm Designs logo to it. With such pretty paper, decorating the cover was accomplished by clustering a focal point over to the right.
If you'd like to see more of this project, just click on the title of the post. Just by making a comment, you'll have a chance to win the entire collection of papers including embellishments!

Graphic 45 OZ Card Class!

2011-07-15T14:29:00.000-04:00

Join me for another G45 card class on Saturday, July 16th at 9 a.m.! Here is a sampling of one of our cards that is a twisted easel card. If you haven't made this style of card, it is so much fun to make. I do hope you can join me for this two hour class. Bring a basic kit, Antique Linen distress ink and blending pad. Call the Shoppe to register 633-5325. Class fee: $24.

Paper Arts Club Post Meeting Notes

2011-06-23T11:50:00.000-04:00

Our meeting last night was so much fun and full of creative card techniques. The card shown above is what I call my version of "McKenzie Childs" look with all the mixed up designs pulled into one card. The strawberry was my favorite part that we paper pieced! We stamped the Unity strawberry on the reverse side of the red dotted paper and cut it out, sanded the edges and mounted with foam tape. The green stem was stamped on green cardstock and then stamped "again" with the Hero security envelope stamp to add texture. The cutie ltitle bug is by Stampendous and papers by Crete Paper.
We also made the facial tissue flowers pocket. For those of you who follow me on Paper Craft Planet, that was my 3d project this week that I hosted and it was fun to re-create it with a live audience. Our third card was a fun layered brownkraft card that we colored with water color pencils and then added glittery elements.
Next month's meeting is Wed., July 27th. Our swap theme is birthday using my new fav color: ORANGE!
Have a great upcoming month and be sure to save time for paper crafting!

Memory Box Card Class - Sneak #2!

2011-06-03T10:23:00.000-04:00

What's not to LOVE about Dave's new Valise line of papers?! Join me this Sunday at 1 p.m. to learn how to visualize cutting them apart and collaging them back together! Call the Shoppe to register 315-633-5325. Bring a Basic Kit!

Upcoming Memory Box Class Sneak!

2011-05-28T11:11:00.002-04:00

It's almost time for another quarterly Memory Box card class! Here is a little sampling of just one of the four cards we will create. I used four different stamps on this card. Can you find them all??? Hope you can join me on June 5th from 1-3 at the Shoppe for a lovely Memory Box afternoon! Call the Shoppe to register at 315-633-5325. Basic Kit required. Class fee: $20

What You Missed at Club!

2011-05-26T08:31:00.000-04:00

I couldn't stop creating cards with chalk techniques this month and we ended up making 5 (yes 5!) CAS cards!! Each card featured a different chalking technique. We used a Dove Blender Pen, Waterbrush, and Watermark Inkpads in 5 different ways. Four of the cards had added glitter embellishing too. What a creative and fun night for learning about chalks. Next months meeting is Wed., June 22. Call the Shoppe to reserve your seat. The swap card will be any theme using red, white and blue colors. Please be sure to bring a second card for the Everson Tree.

Fran*tage! Friday - Stamping Tricks

2011-05-20T00:00:00.001-04:00

Mix up a bit of montage and eclectic collage with a touch of vintage timelessness a la Fran Seiford and what do you get? Fran*tage! Each Friday on Paper Craft Planet, the Super Nova Design Team will share a technique using the new Fran*tage line of stamps from Stampendous. The best part? You can win all the stamps that are featured that week just by leaving a comment on Paper Craft Planet Blog! Join me this week for my featured stamps and project! Just click on the link to the blog!

G45 Day - Saturday, May 14th!

2011-05-08T08:46:00.000-04:00

We are setting aside an entire day for you Graphic 45 lovers! Take each class for $24 or both classes for $40! Call the Shoppe to register (315) 633-5325. Bring a Basic Kit.

10-12 pm: Four Fun Cards with Graphic 45’s Newest Curtin Call and Le Cirque Papers!

1-3 pm: Once Upon a Springtime Card/Gift Ensemble

The first class was so much fun, we decided to re-run it! The colors and graphics of this line just make me smile and feel good all over. We’ll make a card/gift ensemble that will encompass this sweet collection of papers including altering a catalog envelope into a darling pocket portfolio!

CAS 38 - Black & White

2011-05-06T08:49:00.000-04:00

This week's CAS lesson over on Paper Craft Planet was inspired by free hotel packaging! The card in the lesson says "Thank You" on the front. For this blog post, I simply re-stamped the sentiment and stuck it on over the Thank You! My Hero cling stamp set provided enough flowers to add textural variety. Hope you can stop on over and take a peek at Lesson 38. Just click on this blog post title and you're there! Have a special Mother's Day on Sunday!

CAS Lesson 35 - Distress Ink Spritz!

2011-04-11T22:31:00.001-04:00

This week's lesson on Paper Craft Planet is so easy and I hope you'll give it a try! All you need are three Distress inkpads and a spritz bottle of water and a really cool stamp. Find out how I did it by following the link to my post.

Spring Fling Sneak #2!

2011-04-02T07:48:00.000-04:00

Oh! Are we going to MAKE that cool flower or WEAR it?!? Don't you just LOVE that bird stamp by Hero Arts?!? You've signed up for the workshop, right?

Spring Fling 2011 Almost Here!

2011-03-25T08:25:00.000-04:00

April 9th is just around the corner for our annual Spring Fling at Stampin' & Scrappin' Time! The first sneak peek is posted and there will be more to come! The Hero Arts vintage silouettes are a favorite of mine and I loved working up the card! Cari, Kathy, Sherry and I are all looking forward to a fun-filled day. Call the Shoppe to register if you haven't already. OH! Mention promo code SMILEY and receive $5 off the workshop price! To recap our day, you'll make 24 cards including envelopes, two projects (one is an awesome Prima project with Cari and the other is a cutey patootey gifty project with Lyn), snacks, lunch, gift bags, and prizes...! We start right at 8:30 a.m. so if you've signed up great, if you haven't, just pick up the phone and call (315) 633-5325 to register at the Shoppe!

Paper Arts Club This Wednesday 3/23!

2011-03-22T08:38:00.000-04:00

It is a dark and dreary day but that didn't stop me from creating a card that is bright, cheerful and screams spring! We'll use Spica glitter pens, vellum, Quickie Glue Pen, glitter and my favorite butterfly punch and this month's Great Impressions stamp of the month! Hope you can join us at 6:30 pm to make this card along with 2 others! Card swap theme is to create a humorous card. $10, two hours, 3 cards, door prizes and card swaps! Sounds like a blast to me!!!!

Graphic 45 Card/Ensemble Class March 20th!

2011-03-12T18:01:00.000-05:00

Join me on Sunday, March 20th from 1-3 for another exciting Graphic 45 card class featuring the Once Upon A Springtime collection! Create 3 cards with finished insides, matching envelopes and an altered diecut that packages everything together. Papercrafting is easy with G45 being so beautifully designed already. All we add is the card making twist!

Altered Cigar Box Class

2011-02-18T11:57:00.000-05:00

October Afternoon's Modern Homemaker paper line is so much fun to work with! You'll learn basic skills of papering a box to look artistic and professional as well as decorating in the shabby vintage chic style that this paper collection lends itself to. All class materials provided including the cigar box. Please bring your basic kit. Additional items to bring to class include: Ranger Distress Pads: Old Paper and Frayed Burlap. Class is Sunday February 27th 1-3 pm. Class fee: $24

All Things Vintage Challenge #1

2011-02-15T17:45:00.001-05:00

I've been in my vintage happy place this week and created this 7 Gypsies card for my new group All Things Vintage. If you love vintage, stop on by and say hi! Just click on the title to be taken over to Paper Craft Planet.

Classic Book Club This Sunday, Feb. 13th!

2011-02-12T22:21:00.000-05:00

Here's just a partial sampling of what's in store tomorrow at our Classic Book Club meeting! We'll be discussing Little Women and creating two 6x6 pages depicting life in the mid 1800's. We've even found paper dolls dressed in the period to tuck inside the pockets. Lot's of fun scrapbooking and lively discussion are in store for us starting at 1 o'clock on Sunday. The next book on our reading list for the March 13th meeting is The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde.

Twisted Easel Card

2011-02-04T17:56:00.000-05:00

Using a classic Somerset stamp that I can't bear to let go of, I created this twisted easel card with Making Memories papers. The sweet little adore word is actually part of a larger Memory Box stamp and I just punched the area out I needed. Sizzix flourishes, Prima flowers and lace complete the vintage romantic feel. Complete directions are on the left sidebar under Tutorials. Card size is 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 inches. Give it a try! If you're really feeling creative, why not join me on Paper Craft Planet for our first 4-Group Challenge Throwdown!

2011-01-10T23:20:00.000-05:00

Whatever would I do without the influence of Jenni Bowlin in my life?!? She has inspired me in so many ways! I began this class project with her papers that are text weight but work well with the giant coin envelope Accucut die. Folded in half, we now have a darling little mini book. Since the class is January 30th, the obvious theme is Valentine's Day, but I'm stretching it to be lots of endearing thoughts and precious moments. With the cover alone I literally covered a Hero Arts image and used a portion of a Memory Box image for the adore word. The 3d fan in the lower left corner is a Pottery Barn lifted idea. So, if you like the cover, just think what the inner pages might contain! The class is two hours, but there's sure to be three hours worth of work in this project! Class Details: 1/30/11, 1-3 pm, $24

Classic Book Club Begins This Sunday, Jan. 9th!

2011-01-05T09:39:00.000-05:00

Sample of Page 1

If you love to read, if you love altering books, if you love keeping journals, AND if you love tea, this is the CLUB for you! Inspired by the new American Crafts classics paper line, we have developed a one-of-a-kind book club designed to appeal to anyone who has a desire to read the classics, loves altering books, mini books, journals, and creating individual pages. Our journey will be inspired by whatever book we are reading that month. Here are the details: Each month we will have a book assignment to read. You can take it out at the library, listen to a book on tape, and as a last resort, watch a movie. Bring a basic kit to club and a favorite cup for some delicious tea and scones from Tealightful Treasures!

Sample of Page 2

Club meets 2nd Sunday of every month from 1-3 pm. Jan. 9th, Feb. 13th, Mar. 13th

First book assignment: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott due Feb. 13th. Our first meeting will encompass creating the two pages shown here, starting our covers to hold 12 months of pages, and to discuss the next book to read out of a list of 24 choices!

Giant Coin Envie Class This Sunday, Dec. 5th

2010-12-01T16:09:00.000-05:00

Join me this Sunday from 1-3 pm for my Graphic 45 Christmas Past giant coin envelope mini book. Every page is full of vintage loveliness, embellishments and charm. This project makes a wonderful gift for that special someone on your list. I have two spots left before the class is full! Call the Shoppe to register at (315) 633-5325. Class fee $35. Bring your basic kit including plenty of tape runner, favorite wet adhesive, Glue Dots, Scor-Pal tape (or Red Line).

Annual Holiday PAC Meeting Tuesday, Nov. 30!

2010-11-29T08:55:00.000-05:00

Our Everson tree is in place! As you walk into the former Bon Ton, it is immediately to your left along the wall. I do hope you can stop by the Festival through December 12!

Speaking of the holidays, our annual Paper Arts Club holiday meeting is tomorrow and I'm all excited about preparing some wonderful projects for you! Here's a reminder list of what to bring to this year's meeting:

30 Handmade Gift Tags (they can be all the same or different)
Hand Decorated Gift Bag with $5 Gifties Purchased at the Shoppe
Recipe Card of a favorite holiday recipe
Goody to eat (optional)!
Basic Kit

This is truly the meeting of the year and if you are planning to attend and haven't already done so, call the Shoppe to reserve your seat at 315-633-5325.

Paper Arts Club 2010 Everson Tree!

2010-11-27T14:38:00.000-05:00

Our Club tree is finished just in time to deliver tomorrow to the Everson Festival of Trees! We have over 125 cards again this year and I want to thank our wonderful Club members for faithfully donating every month to this worthy community project. Our Giving Tree, as it is called, is a popular favorite and the Everson looks forward to displaying it every year. I've lost track of how many years we've been donating a tree, but it is at least 8 years now. I'm also proud of the fact that some of my friends from Paper Craft Planet's cards have landed on our tree! I do hope you can all stop by the Festival at Shoppingtown Mall in the former Bon Ton over the holidays to not only see our beautiful tree, but the many other trees, wreaths, and table displays from organizations all over our community.

2011 Calendar Class This Saturday!

2010-11-17T13:19:00.005-05:00

Reminder my annual calendar class is this Saturday, Nov. 20, 10-12 pm - fee $24. Call the Shoppe to register at 633-5225. Bring plenty of tape runner, wet glue, glue dots and other basic kit essentials! If you have a Bind-It-All, bring that too to help facilitate the binding process.

Here are two sneaks of the project. All levels of skill are welcome to join us! Come be part of this not-to-be-missed annual event!

3D Challenge #88 - A Pocket Full of Cocoa

2010-11-15T00:00:00.003-05:00

Come on over to Paper Craft Planet to see what all the fun is about this week in the 3D Challenge Group! We are creating a sweet mug-shaped pocket with a cocoa packet tucked inside. Pattern and directions are found on Paper Craft Planet. Just click on the link over to the left column and find Challenge #88 in the discussion list. Hope you can all play!

October Meeting OWH Card!

2010-10-28T23:27:00.000-04:00

Just had to show our OWH card we made at Club last evening. I liked it so much, I might tweak it ever so much and use it for my Christmas card this year! You can use any scrap papers for the background pattern piece. The card base can be any color and personally, I think it can use an embossing folder to add some textural interest, don't you? Otherwise, I'm pleased with the overall design and perhaps you can get some ideas from this for your use. The label is an A muse cling, papers are Memory Box, snowflake MS, Ranger Distress Old Paper around the pattern paper edges, Fiskars border punched top edge.

Paper Arts Club October Meeting

2010-10-18T15:17:00.000-04:00

Meeting reminder! The next Paper Arts Club meeting is Wednesday, October 27th at 6:30 p.m. We will be embracing seasonal themes of autumn and Thanksgiving. Join me, won't you? Call the Shoppe to reserve your seat at 315-633-5325. Swap theme this month is Thanksgiving. Make a second card (same or different) for the Everson Tree. This is the last month to donate a card to the Everson for 2010!

Also, take a peek at my latest Tutorial for Paper Craft Planet on how to make a light box from scratch. It is a nifty box when you need a quality card photo and the weather outside isn't cooperating!

Holiday Impressions 2010

2010-09-30T11:01:00.000-04:00

Holiday Sparkle is what it's all about!

Our event is a few days away and we're all busy getting ready for a wonderful workshop! Here are a few sneaks to get your interest going about our event. We are hosting a re-mix of Holiday Impressions on Nov. 6 which is our "no frills" version. You can read about it in the Shoppe's newsletter and also read about what else we are bringing you over the upcoming holiday season.

Graphic 45 Steampunk - If you look closely, you can see my card! Shhhhh! don't tell anyone!

Paper Arts Club Meeting Wednesday 9/22!

2010-09-21T20:54:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love the new Graphic 45 Halloween in Wonderland?

Well, come to club and see how we can extend these papers beyond a Halloween theme!

Three cards with decorative insides and envelopes will complete our September meeting agenda!

Won't you join us?

Create a Gift Bag From a Box - A Tutorial on Paper Craft Planet!

2010-09-13T17:07:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to post my latest tutorial on Paper Craft Planet!

Turn an ordinary box into an easy-to-construct gift bag.

If you can wrap a present, you can make this bag.

Add some simple decorations and you

will amaze anyone lucky enough to receive your gift bag!

Just click on the post title to go to the tutorial.

Thanks Graphic 45 for the inspiring papers decorating the bag!

Double Pocket Card Featured In Scrapbooking News!

2010-09-01T21:21:00.000-04:00

It was my week to create a tutorial for Paper Craft Planet and I re-created a favorite, the double pocket card, just 'cuz it's so stinkin' adorable and useful and isn't a fold that can be figured out without a pattern. I'm still stuck on the latest October Afternoon papers and can't seem to get enough of them!

Well, Irene at GoneScrapbooking.com picked up my little tutorial and placed it in one of her articles in Scrapbooking News! Woo hoo! So, I'm sharing not only my tutorial but also her online magazine as well. Enjoy!

Paper Arts Club September Newsletter

2010-08-31T20:59:00.002-04:00

Paper Arts Club had a great August meeting! Click on the title and get all the latest details!
You don't want to miss Holiday Impressions 2010, our big fall event on Saturday, Oct. 2nd! Just click on the event title on the left column for info!
Sneak peeks begin on Saturday!!!

Paper Arts Club this Wednesday 8/25

2010-08-23T12:17:00.000-04:00

Here's a sampling of this Wednesday's Club meeting card using

WeR papers. Not only are we creating a card, we are making a

matching envelope using an Accucut diecut! We will be making

two other paper art "projects" that you won't want to miss!

Plus, our OWH card that we will make to donate.

Be sure to call the Shoppe to reserve your seat at (315) 633-5325.

See you at 6:30 pm on Wednesday!

Holiday Impressions 2010

2010-08-18T22:15:00.001-04:00

The flyer is up! Just click on the left sidebar to go to the detailed flyer and registration form! This is an event not to miss! Hope to see our valued return participants as well as new attendees. All skill levels welcome. We pack alot into our one-day event in order to create at least 25 cards and two holiday projects! See you on October 2!

Paper Arts Club August Newsletter

2010-08-16T12:27:00.002-04:00

Indeed, it was a beautiful day at July's meeting!

We introduced our newest component,

which is to create and donate a card to

Operation Write Home!

Click on the link in the left sidebar

to learn more about this fabulous organization.

For this month's newsletter, click on the post title.

Prima Apron Class is Here!

2010-07-29T08:57:00.000-04:00

The Prima canvas apron class is finally here this Saturday from 12-3pm with Lyn!

There are 8 Donna Downey foam stamp designs to choose from, acryllic paints to play with

and Prima flowers and trims to affix wherever you wish! This is a totally "you-nique" class

that will bring out the freestyle artist. Designs and ideas for layout provided to help

get you jump started. This class is nothing short of fun, fun, fun!

Call the Shoppe to register - Class fee $45 includes canvas apron,

foam stamp design of your choice, Prima flowers and trims.

I-Top Brad Making Tool is Awesome!

2010-07-10T19:54:00.001-04:00

I was playing with my wonderful new I-Top tool from Imaginisce and not only made the brads, I created 3d flowers to go along with them! The fabulous new October Afternoon papers Fly a Kite and Thrift Shop were perfect choices to show off these fun flower cards and a tag.

On the tag is a medium size brad and a flower that was punched twice and also scrunched into a 3d shape.

This 6x6 card is just layered up with different patterns and shows off the largest brad and a Tim Holtz Sizzix flower. Notice how easy it looks to center an image on the brad? You will love this tool if you don't already own one. I'll be demoing the I-Top at the Shoppe next Thursday if you'd like to stop by for some personal instruction. Hello Girlfriend is from Hero Arts.

Paper Arts Club July Newsletter (Click on Title to View Newsletter)

2010-07-01T17:06:00.001-04:00

Another great club night! I forgot to mention in the newsletter that we also made yet another 3d flower! Here is a photo of the prototype and when finished with pattern papers, it was awesome. I was staring at a Prima flower I had on a card that I didn't have enough of for club night, so I decided to replicate it with punches and voila! Another 3d flower is born! This goes perfectly with my flower techniques class coming up on Saturday, August 7th. We'll be learning at least 12 3d flower techniques!

LeRomantique Card Class Today!

2010-06-26T08:24:00.000-04:00

The vintage style of this card class is so very me and I think I've captured what it is I wanted to do with this line, which is to not necessarily to scream wedding and to show you some other ways to stretch the message of these beautiful Graphic 45 papers.

Paper Arts Club Meeting Wed., June 30!

2010-06-21T09:07:00.000-04:00

This Wednesday promises to be loads of card making fun as we work with the new Tweety Jill line of papers, diecuts and stamps. You will each receive a clip art sheet to work with and I'll show you some fast and easy cards you can create from these gorgeous vintage images. This is a meeting not to miss!

Paper Arts Club June Newsletter is Up!

2010-05-31T22:22:00.000-04:00

Hi All! Just click on the title and read the latest Club news from our meeting last Wednesday to upcoming classes and Shoppe events. This coming Saturday, June 5 from 10-3 is the annual garage sale. If interested in selling your stuff, call the Shoppe to reserve a table for only $10. It's always a great time!

Paper Arts Club this Wednesday 5/26

2010-05-24T09:14:00.000-04:00

CK-Buffalo is over and I brought back many, many terrific ideas! I haven't slept in days thinking about how I will turn everything into classes, club projects, make & takes, gifties, and so much more. Here's what I'm working on today for our meeting on Wed. The theme is coffee/tea and dessert so I think I've got a good start based on the photo of products! You won't believe what I'm doing with the Hero cupcake cling. So, call the Shoppe to reserve your seat and be sure to bring your basic kit including plenty of favorite adhesives and Glue Dots. I look forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday at 6:30 pm!

Anything But Cute Challenge Group is Up!

2010-05-18T22:34:00.000-04:00

I'm excited to tell you about a new group I started over on Paper Craft Planet! It's called Anything But Cute (ABC) Challenge Group and was formed as a direct result of a huge discussion on the very same topic. After about 50 comments back and forth by various people, I piped in and said "sounds like we need an anything but cute group." I quickly began to get very real creative thoughts about forming such a group and here we are! My vision is to work one month ahead and through weekly card challenges, you'll not only post your card(s) to your own photo gallery, they will also be posted into a group album for everyone to look at. Weekly card winners will receive a prize from Stampin' & Scrappin' Time during the month of June. I hope you will check us out and join Paper Craft Planet! There's so much to see and do right from the comfort of your home!

Luggage Ensemble Class Tomorrow!

2010-05-15T11:26:00.001-04:00

Sweet, sweet Luggage Tin and Bind-It-All Mini Book class tomorrow, 5/16 at 1:00 pm! Bring a basic kit including lots of 1/8" Scor-Pal or Redline tape. Hey, did she say "tin?" As luck would have it, my mini "suitcases" are nowhere to be found (and I mean nowhere!) It was a when their gone, their gone deal with Bind-It-All apparently. However, I found these darling hinged tins that were shipped to me yesterday!!!! I actually like this project better...no painting involved!!!!

Getting Cards Made

2010-05-12T09:06:00.007-04:00

I recently posted an article in Paper Craft Planet entitled "The Cobbler's Son Has No Shoes - A Paper Crafter's (Living Nightmare) Dilemma," and as a follow up to it, I'm hoping to inspire you to get cards made ahead and out the door.

Today's post is all about using a magazine for design inspiration. Last March at Paper Arts Club, we made cards with tree themes that were from cards in Paper Crafts Magazine, March/April 2010 issue. One of the cards I replicated using my creative twist was found on pg. 74 by Catherine Doucette. I love this card and its sheer simplicity and sweetness. Making it all pink was fun and whimsical.

Referring back to my Cobbler article, I have 5 cards to get made this week! With that in mind, I decided to use the same layout for two of the graduation cards which made the task of completion so much easier!

Because it was somewhat lumpy, my little acrylic box packaging came in handy to dress up the presentation! Hope this inspires you to get cards made this week! Would love to hear your comments on how you're getting cards made this week!

Mother's Day Packaging Idea

2010-05-06T10:54:00.002-04:00

While trying to figure out how to creatively mail 3d cards out to both my mothers in-law, I came upon what turned out to be a really nice packaging idea along the way.

Lately, it seems we are always making really lumpy, bumpy, dimensional cards that are beautiful and yet, how do we mail the darn things? I think I stumbled upon a nice solution and that is to put the card inside an acrylic "box" that comes flat and is then popped into a box shape with flap closures. Being the "hoarder" that I am, I have several of these items already at hand. To accompany the card, I inserted some 4x6 photos printed from home of a previous family event that I knew would be appreciated. I finished the little card package with a length of pretty ribbon tied into a bow around the box and added my signature heart embellishment with a rub-on "M" for mom. Sweet!

Now, to mail it. I purchased a USPO bubble mailer for $1.29. The acrylic box retails at our Shoppe for $.75. The contents came to $1.38 and the total cost of my "special" Mother's Day card gifty came to $3.42!!! My husband is happy because I got everything mailed on time, I'm happy because I turned a simple card into a darling little gifty (not to mention used some of my stash), and both my mothers in-law will think all kinds of wonderful good thoughts (about me) upon receiving this unique card gifty package on their special day!

May Paper Arts Club Newsletter is Up!

2010-05-03T09:32:00.000-04:00

Click on the title to go to the newsletter. Read about last month's meeting, card swap details for May's meeting on the 27th, card projects themes for May, and upcoming classes on the Shoppe schedule for May through mid-June. Anyone can join us for our monthly meetings. This is a technique club to learn lots of card making tricks and tips in every card. Just call the Shoppe to register your attendance. See you on the 27th! Hugs, Lyn

What To Do With Our Stuff?

2010-05-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

The inspiration for this article actually happened at a crop I attended while celebrating National Scrapbooking Day at Stampin' & Scrappin' Time. I met a cropper who literally rolled in this gi-normous rolling cart that could fit a human and I immediately thought she was a serious scrapper or she was so highly organized she was totally together. Of course, I immediately hated her.

Anyway, the point of this article is simply to ask, what are we doing with all our stuff that we are accumulating over the years? Is it piling up, is it stuffed in bins, is it taking over your dining room, is it a constant irritation to the spousal unit, is it cluttering up your life so much that you can’t even create anymore? What is a paper crafter to do?

I am here to address these issues and will try to help all who are drowning in a sea of stamps, supplies, paper and embellishments. As an instructor, I need to work with “the latest and greatest” in order to help sell product at the store. However, I have accumulated all that I mentioned in paragraph 2 including filling these really cool Cropper Hopper bin things that hold 12x12 papers that I never touch anymore as well as filling two Iris carts with papers and stuff, just to mention a few. There’s more but you don’t want me to go there! In a word, get rid of it!

Since I’m kinda sorta speaking for myself, here’s what I would do first. I would pile all my 12x12 papers into 3 piles – single sided, double sided pattern paper, plain card stock. I would keep the plain card stock ‘cuz you can always use it. If your papers are a couple of years old, it is time to send them on to a better place. You could contact your local stamp/scrapbook store to see if they take consignment items. While you’re at it, see if they have a garage sale as a lot of them do and you could participate in it. Next, go through your wood mounted stamps and decide to part with them. If they are really old, the red rubber dries out and they don’t stamp worth a darn. Purge them now! Keep what you can’t part with, but seriously, get rid of it if you haven’t used them in awhile. Sell your stuff on Craig’s List or E-Bay. If you’re affiliated with schools or clubs or summer programs, I’m sure they can use your old crap, I mean stuff.

So that’s my message. Let’s all take a gander at what we’ve accumulated over time and make sound decisions to move it out. Believe me, you’ll feel so much better and your creative levels will soar!

If you're wondering how my personal craft space re-org is going, here's an update. I've sketched my vision in my notebook for the room layout, I've subscribed to Where Women Create, a fantastic magazine published by Somerset Studios that has me totally immersed in every page, I've had numerous discussions with my sister about my vision, I've gone to a Mr. Second-type store to begin looking at cabinetry and countertops, I've purchased some inspiration pieces to use as organizers at my favorite little antique and flea market right here in Brewerton. I guess I've made some progress and I need to look at what I've done, and not at what I haven't done.

National Scrapbook Day Celebrations Start Today!

2010-04-28T12:58:00.000-04:00

The Shoppe is ready to celebrate with 5 events lined up beginning today with Paper Arts Club at 6:30 tonight. I have designed us some extra special scrap-crafting cards with 4 of our brand-new paper lines! Here's a sampling of one of the cards made with our new monthly program from We-R-Memory Keepers. There's so much to this line of papers and embellishments. I love the glitter elements to their papers too. We'll be learning more techniques about papercrafting cards along with special door prize giveaways. To learn more about what's going on at the Shoppe this week, just click Celebrate National Scrapbook Day at Stampin' & Scrappin' Time!

Lyn's Mini Luggage & Bind-It-All Book Ensemble Class

2010-04-25T09:28:00.003-04:00

Inspired by the new Webster's Pages Lullabye Lane papers and Cornish Heritage Farms Inchie Style stamp set, we will create a mini book that will tuck inside an adorable piece of mini luggage. Lots of altering and vintage elements will make this the sweetest darn project for all paper crafters.

Class is Sunday, May 16 - 1:00-3:00 pm. Fee: $35

Call Stampin' & Scrappin' Time to register

Spring Fling Sneak #5

2010-03-30T09:54:00.000-04:00

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Diane, the owner of Graphic 45 this past weekend at a retail show in Massachusetts. She is absolutely charming and lovely and we had a nice chat about the era that she captures in her paper line. I definitely consider myself a groupie! Anyway, this is my sneak peek to Spring Fling Week #5 because my cards are all masculine using The Proper Gentlemen collection. You are gonna love them! We have one spot left so get on the phone and call Stampin' & Scrappin' Time to register.

The Play Date Cafe Challenge #22

2010-03-25T09:58:00.004-04:00

This week's challenge uses 3 colors of blue/magenta/grey. I just happened to pick up new Bella Blvd. papers (Estate Sale) at the Shoppe last week and thought they fit within the challenge parameters nicely. I also used my new Sizzix Tim Holtz dies that I absolutely love. The scallop border punch is half hidden on the stripe strip to just reveal the scallops and not the little holes. Hope you can play along too at The Play Date Cafe.

The Shabby Tea Room Challenge Week #1 - Elegant Shabby

2010-03-21T18:00:00.011-04:00

Here's another challenge I entered today from The Shabby Tea Room. Click on the site to see what they are all about. If you love shabby, vintage and cottage chic, you'll just have to go there now! The challenge was to use pink, green, cream, red and brown and thanks to Webster's Pages, I was able to pull it together! Not sure if you can see how I created the fountain water with German Glass Glitter (thanks Jenni!). Word and tag are a fab set from Cornish Heritage Farms.

The Play Date Cafe Creativity Challenge #21

2010-03-19T23:23:00.011-04:00

Hi All! Just click on the post title for all the details of this fun card challenge. I just joined this group and hope to participate often! Come on, join me for some creative fun!

Spring Fling Update

2010-03-18T18:53:00.004-04:00

If you are planning on attending our event, there are just 4 spots left!!! Call the Shoppe to register if you want to insure your seat at 315-633-5325.

Lyn's First Tutorial on Paper Craft Planet!

2010-03-10T08:40:00.010-05:00

I'm part of a Tutorial Team on Paper Craft Planet and invite you to take a look at my first project! Let me know how you like it and if you make the flower as a result! Just click on the title to get to the weekly Planet newsletter. Better yet, stop by Stampin' & Scrappin' Time to see the original sample card! Thanks for stopping by!

Just 2 Spots Left for Lyn's Birthday Book Class on 3/6!

2010-03-05T11:12:00.003-05:00

Not only is this a useful book when finished, the class is very much a technique workshop in deconstructing and re-constructing a 3-ring binder. What you learn on Saturday will be useful for many types of book altering. We will completely re-cover a 3-ring binder and create 12 months of pockets as well as decorate them! So, come on over and join us on March 6th at 11:00. Bring a basic kit including a corner rounder and small stapler. See you Saturday! Call the Shoppe to register: 315-633-5325

March Newsletter is Done!

2010-02-25T12:21:00.003-05:00

Wow! I'm enjoying a snow day and apparently think it's best to compose the newsletter while it's fresh in my mind. Click on the photo to the left for all the latest fun at Paper Arts Club!

Paper Arts Club Tonight!

2010-02-24T08:27:00.005-05:00

Hi all! I'm excited for our meeting tonight as we are going to learn about "scrap-crafting" our cards! Not only are we creating the card front, we will finish the inside as well for some added punch. So, let's not worry about the weather...come and play, create and learn!

On another note, Cindy has emailed me the following: WOULD YOU CONSIDER SENDING AN E-MAIL TO OUR CLUB MEMBERS ASKING IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO BRING AN EXTRA CARD TO CLUB THAT I COULD PUT IN A BASKET FOR A RAFFLE TO BENEFIT THE MOTHER WHO JUST LOST HER 19 YR OLD SON LAST WEEK IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THEY ARE HAVING A BENEFIT FOR THE FUNERAL EXPENSES THIS SUNDAY AND I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO BRING A BASKET TO RAFFLE OFF. HE WAS MY BROTHER'S NEPHEW AND A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MY 3 BOYS.

So, I'd like to help our fellow member and bring her an extra card. We can always donate our Everson cards that we collect tonight to this basket.

Oh and the card image you see here is one that we will be making tonight. Remember last month, I said we'd make another 3d flower? Well, you don't want to miss this easy-peasy dimensional embellishment!

Dreams LO

2010-02-05T08:50:00.004-05:00

Yes, it's true! I created a layout (or LO for cardmakers!). Even though this began as a card, it quickly got too big and ended up approximately 7x8 finished. I will be framing and giving it to my sister for its inspirational message. The point here is that quite by accident, I stretched out of my comfortable box of cardmaker, mini book and altered projects lover.
The "assignment" of this project began as a Webster's Pages Inspire Me challenge to print a photo onto patterned paper, which intrigued me. From there, with my love of Webster's Pages papers guiding me, creating ruffles with the gorgeous new ribbon from the Shoppe, and my vintage touches, this project came together nicely much to my surprise!
So here's your inspirational message: Do what you love, love what you do!

February PAC Newsletter is Up!

2010-02-01T11:48:00.005-05:00

I'm trying something new. Just click on the card photo on the left to go to the latest newsletter. Let me know if this works for you! Thanks for stopping by! Lyn

Cherish

2010-01-25T19:24:00.004-05:00

I made this card for Paper Craft Planet's Sketch Challenge today. Again, I'm drawn to the upcoming season of Valentine's Day, so I grabbed whatever was near me which included Webster's Pages and Making Memories papers, a favorite image stamp from Somerset Studios called "The Kiss" and an Outlines word stamp Cherish. I cut out the butterfly from the reverse side of the Webster's Pages paper and made it 3d by cutting into its wings and then embellished it with gold Stickles. The sweet little ribbon flower was something I've had forever which worked beautifully tucked in the corner. The velvet ribbon was a perfect touch to give the appeal I was going for. This just may be my swap card for Club this Wednesday!

I'm supposed to be working on my craft space re-org and did manage to do a little bit today. Progress is definitely being made, but I'm not ready to show you new photos just yet. Actually, I was finalizing our Club cards for this Wednesday and I think you'll just love them! Lot's of fun little added tricks and techniques to add to your card making skills!

Flirtatious Love

2010-01-21T10:06:00.005-05:00

Responding to a challenge on Paper Craft Planet, I immediately thought of Valentine's Day, Graphic 45 papers and creating something green. What better green medium is there than corrugated cardboard with the top layer of paper ripped off? I wanted to create a journal and reference book that can sit next to my computer to serve as a calendar and a place for my numerous passwords that are now written on bits of paper. Since my craft space is in total chaos and my supplies are in bins in other rooms, I had to work with very little and am totally pleased with the result. I even added an old pin I had that is very Jenni Bowlin! The scallop frame is from Scenic Route and you are seeing the reverse side that I sprayed with Glimmer Mist. The little chipboard word is also from Scenic Route that I sanded to add a distress look. Well, that's my little green project and I hope this inspires you to grab your corrugated and have some fun with scraps!

Craft Space Re-Org

2010-01-10T12:02:00.013-05:00

Day 1: I managed to "waste" 4 hours before I actually began the project I set for myself--to gut my craft space and re-think how my room can best work for me. Suffice it to say by the BEFORE photo that this space is definitely not working!
I decided to begin just inside the door and work my way down the wall and around the perimeter of the room. I'm trying to stay within the rules of organizing using the theory of keep, toss, give away, or sell. So, the work began and my first wall became visible again! Thoughts of being a hoarder and a total organizational failure were springing into my mind, but I managed to keep my resolve and press forward and focus on what I was accomplishing, and not on what a freaking mess I had before me.
Day 2: I only dallied one hour today and hit my re-org project with lots of energy and enthusiasm. Since I'm gutting the room, I'm creating piles in other areas of the upstairs, but I know this is a temporary measure. I can't believe the crap I've accumulated over the years and as I said to my friend, Ann, why do we hang onto stuff we haven't touched in over ten years?!?
This situation reminds me of the Biggest Loser standing on a scale half dressed for all the world to see the shocking reality! So, good-bye old stuff! Once the space is cleared, my brother inlaw is building desparately needed shelves in the walk-in closet. Next, I'll remove a half wall of wallpaper so I can re-paint the room. Wish me luck on that job! I envision a soft tint that quietly sets a calming yet creative tone. I love vintage, yesteryear and girlie things and this room will speak LYN!
Day 3: More of the same clearing and tossing and organizing for several hours. I just can't believe how daunting all this stuff is when trying to organize it. I'm also struggling to understand why things became disorganized in the first place so as not to repeat this nightmare again. For example, buttons. I have a zillion buttons that are in two separate plastic containers - one is primarily dark buttons and one is lighter shades. The problem with these containers is that if you see a button in there, you can't get at it 'cuz the container is too deep! So, what is the answer? I don't know, but I'm going to throw everything in a cookie tin. It is sturdy and easy to see the buttons and easy to reach them. Now, that that's settled, let's talk about ribbon. Like buttons, I hoard ribbon and love collecting them. Storing ribbon is quite another matter. The ribbon already on spools is easy to keep tidy. It is the shorter lengths that becomes a huge problem for me. I have some solutions in mind, but for now, they are all stuffed in a plastic drawer waiting for me to make sense of it all once my room is painted.
Day 3: Progress Photo! The dresser is being removed to another
bedroom and I'm selling the tower and most of the stamps in it!The ugly banquet chair will be replaced with a flee market find.

I feel empowered looking at this photo and the nightmare of the "before" photo is far behind me now. I am also putting myself out there for all of you to share in my transformation project. Perhaps you'll be encouraged to tackle a similar project along with me. For those of you who are already totally organized, I'll be there soon enough! This experience can also lend itself to share what organizing tricks work for you; specifically, button and ribbon storage. I'll be posting again next week on the next phase of my craft space progress. Meanwhile, take a look at your stuff and see what you can do to get organized in 2010!

Paper Arts Club January 2010 Newsletter

2009-12-28T12:43:00.014-05:00

Issue 130 Dues: $10 Per Meeting Time: 6:30-8:30 Jan., 2010
Editor: Lyn Bernatovich - Lynpress@aol.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS: NEXT PAC MEETING: Wed., Jan. 27 – 6:30pm
The card photo on the right is a little something I made yesterday in response to a sketch challenge on Paper Craft Planet. What's not to like about October Afternoon's Farm Fresh papers? I added a vintage bottle cap insert and button from my stash. Stop by the Shoppe to see the sample in person!

· Monthly Special: Buy 2 yards ribbon, get 1 free. Bazzill cardstock-13/$4
· Storewide Clearance: December 27-31 – Starts Monday!
· Table Time: Get together to crop or make cards – $5 per person. Call Shoppe to reserve.
· Friday Crop: Every Friday 9:30-11am - $10
· Paper Arts Club: 4th Wed. 6:30-8:30 - $10 (1/27, 2/24, 3/24) – Please note that all club prices have gone to $10 per meeting beginning January 2010.
· Copic Marker Club: 1st Payment due 1/16, club meeting 2/13, $110
· New Weekend Crop: Last Sunday of the month 1-3pm - $10 (1/31, 2/28, 3/28)
· New CAS Club: Every Wed. 1-2:30, 3 Clean & Simple Cards - $10 (1/6,12,20,27)
· Monthly Consignment – Sell your stuff! Call the Shoppe for details.
· Spring Fling: Save the Date! SAT., APRIL 10, 2010, Bridgeport Methodist Church.
· http://www.lynspaperpetunia.blogspot.com/ Stay updated on Club news, my class schedule

and samples at Stampin’ & Scrappin’ Time, Spring Fling and Holiday Impressions workshops. New: Get organized articles in 2010!
· The Shoppe’s blog at http://http://www.stampinscrappintimeny.blogspot.com/ is your resource for up-to-date store information, class photos, schedules and lots more. Read about the weekly “Blogger Bonus” that’s good for free stuff at the Shoppe. You’ll get a real kick out of this informative and visual site with frequent updates.

DECEMBER MEETING REPORT

The holiday meeting was another great time. Food was plentiful and yummy. Our projects were presented courtesy of Sherry and A muse. Several door prizes were won. We swapped our hand decorated gifty bags with $5 goodies inside. Our tag swap was definitely a crowd favorite as we all line up around the Shoppe with the last person in line working her way to the front collecting tags. This was a very special night indeed!

JANUARY SWAP: Valentine’s Day

We love Valentine’s Day so show us what you can create in honor of this sweet celebration. Show us the love!!!! Bring a second card to donate to the Everson Tree!

JANUARY PROJECT: A Month of Hearts

With the obvious theme in February of Valentine’s Day, we will create cards that will work well all month long just by sneaking in sweet little hearts here and there. I absolutely love hearts in my card and project designs and look forward to creating cards for you that can be used all month and beyond!

UPCOMING Shoppe Classes: JANUARY/EARLY FEBRUARY

Friday Crops: 9:30 am every Friday with Kathy $10
Wed. CAS: 1-2:30pm every Wed. with Sherry $10
Paper Arts Club: 4th Wed., 6:30-8:30pm with Lyn $10
1/9 – Winter Wonder Altered Canvas Décor, 1-4pm with Jen, $35
1/16 – Cricut Class 101 Basics, 11-1pm with Cari, $15 – Bring your Cricut, cutting mat, any cartridge and Basic Kit
1/16 – Cricut Class 2 Beyond Basics, 1:30-3:30pm with Cari, $20 – Bring your Cricut, cutting mat, any cartridge and Basic Kit
1/23 – Sea of Love Valentine cards, 10-12pm with Sherry, $20
1/23 – Gold Leafing Artwork, Cards & Pages, 1-3pm with Jen, $25
1/24 – Hero Arts 2010 Debut, 1-3pm with Kathy $18
1/31 – Weekend Crop, 1-3pm with Kathy $10
2/6 – Love Takes Flight Altered Birdhouse, 11-2pm with Jen, $35

Good stuff coming in daily. Call the Shoppe for more details! 315-633-5325.

Basic Kit Essentials: Edge distressing tool, scissors, double sided tape, bone folder, scoring tool, ¼” hand held hole punch, foam mounting tape, favorite adhesive, such as Glue Dots, glue stick, tape runner, etc., Red Line or Scor-Pal tape.

2009 Christmas Card and Postscript

2009-12-27T14:31:00.004-05:00

I loved making my card this year. My inspiration was the Prima acryllic image and a giant box of glitter snowflakes from Michael's that my sister said I could play with! I didn't have any cards leftover to photograph so I re-created this one today.

I've started my 2010 lists (notice I didn't say "resolutions") and once again my priority is to get my craft space organized, reduce the accumulation of "stuff," sell and donate what I can part with and toss the rest. My brother inlaw is going to help me design a workable space that makes sense to me. My friend, Jane, has this tiny little space and it is uber organized to an unbelievable degree! I'm so unable to be that highly organized but admire those who are. My sister comes in a very close second and so I try to study what they do that makes their craft space so appealing. I also use the excuse that I teach a lot and am continually making a mess with everything I touch. The key is to put things away immediately after use and to clean up frequently. I do believe that having the right room layout to begin with is key to staying organized. I'm fortunate to have an unused bedroom as my craft space with a big walk in closet. I need hooks and shelves, ribbon racks and punch racks and ways to display my tools so they are accessible and easy to put away after use. And let's not forget adequate paper storage!

I've decided to share with you the pain of getting organized and staying organized on a regular basis so that perhaps you will be inspired by the fact that you are already organized and are just laughing at my dilemma, or you, too, can look around and re-create your craft space to work even better for you. Do we really need all the stuff we have accumulated over the years? Would it serve a better purpose going to someone or something else? Do we need so much of one thing? I'm going to find out the answers to these perplexing questions and will get back to you with what I discover. And so, my journey begins...

Everson Festival of Trees 2009!

2009-11-30T19:48:00.008-05:00

Our Paper Arts Club Everson tree is up and beautiful as ever. I counted about 130 cards this year. The new site at the Bon Ton is easy to get to from the back of Shoppingtown Mall. As always, I've been given 10 free tickets to the Festival that we will give as door prizes at our holiday Club meeting this Wed., Dec. 2nd. Thanks to all who donated cards throughout the year. It's a major part of what we do as a Club and I'm darn proud. BTW, the Post Standard was there taking photos of me at the tree and did a quick interview!

P.S. Click on the photo to see a larger and more detailed view!