Insider vs. Outsider
In the car on the way to a scrapbook retreat, my friend Amy asked me if I would ever consider speaking about crafting on a podcast similar to the Paperclipping Roundtable discussion we had been listening to… and I told her that I wasn’t really qualified to do so: that I wouldn’t want to sound naive in comparison to some of the scrapbookers that were speaking on the shows. It’s not that I don’t feel that I’m qualified: I certainly have an opinion about paper crafting and I do enough teaching to prove that I know what I’m talking about. But, I’m not published, I don’t own a store, I’m not on a design team, I rarely update my blog because I just don’t have the time.
Then Paperclipping offered a contest. The task: post an opinion about a topic they have discussed. The prize: a guest spot on a future show. Am I interested now? Yes.
Why? Part of the show includes reading from listener comments/mail/etc… and a few weeks back they had a listener who was complaining about the commentary regarding the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) “cracking down” on membership so that there were fewer non-industry scrapbookers on the floor of the trade show this year. My reaction to the mailbag commentary was all, “Hey, stop discluding me from the new product showcase, you big meanies!” The funny part being that I had listened to the podcasts back-to-back and wasn’t even disturbed when the comment was initially made.
What made me balk the second time around? I understand that there has to be a new product preview for those who actually have the monetary power to buy in bulk and to sell in a retail environment. I completely get that and wholeheartedly support it. However, I feel there is a huge disconnect between the blog coverage of CHA and actual products being sold in stores. Sometimes, you can’t find products for months and by the time you discover them online in a place that isn’t going to break the bank, they are frequently sold out.
My objection is seated in the fact that maybe it’s not so much about the concept of being an insider allowed to attend a coveted trade show, but rather the fact that we are all hobbyists that are equally excited about new products on the market. Some of us get to see them right away, touch them, photograph them, and even walk home with them. Others have to wait months to see them for sale anywhere in a retail environment.
Maybe the focus should be about ways CHA and manufacturers can fix this problem. By introducing the new CHA Supershow pre/post the trade show, I feel they have taken a step in the right direction, but it’s my understanding that most manufacturers don’t stay for the Supershow to show their new products.
The question is: how much more time and effort would it take these manufacturers to stay for a couple more days and show the new products coming for release? Is it a win/win situation? I really don’t know the answer to that question, but the traditional model of selling to retail stores who sell to consumers isn’t quite working. Raleigh is a perfect example of that: three independent stores went out of business in the past three years, but there is definitely a market for it here.
The bottom line is that every other hobby out there has some sort of annual convention that allows like-minded individuals to gather, purchase, discuss, and otherwise enjoy their hobby together. So far, the industry has smaller “retreats” but nothing that is wholeheartedly accepted by a majority of the independent manufactures. CHA and the scrapbooking industry may want to take a lesson from the comic book industry on this one and follow the model of Comic-Con.
P.S. The iTopper was totally a uni-tasker when it was first released, but now you can make buttons, magnets and pins with the tool. Something to consider when talking about something that is so fun and easy to use!
Scallop Envelope Die
I was recently thinking about “out of the box” ways to use the scrapbooking supplies that I have on hand. One of the popular things I’ve seen lately is to create cards using the Sizzix Scallop Die… so I thought I would see what would happen if I tried that concept on other dies I had on hand.
I folded a 4 1/2 by 8 1/2 piece of patterned Designer Series Paper in half and placed the resulting 4 1/2 x 4 1/4 piece of paper on the Scallop Envelope Die with the fold facing away from the scalloped edge.
After folding in all of the envelope tabs and folding out the scallop edges (which I also covered with different patterned DSP for contrast), this resulted in a cute little purse, which I embellished with a brad, ribbon closure and handles and a stamped greeting inside.
It is almost big enough to fit a gift card in it… but not quite! Actually, I don’t mind that the gift card overhangs slightly, but I would recommend using the slit punch to hold the gift card in more securely.
Here is the list of product that I used:
Parisian Summer Designer Series Paper
Pretty In Pink 8 1/2 x 11 Cardstock & Ribbon
Perfect Plum Classic Ink
One Smart Cookie Stamp Set
Sizzix Big Shot & Stampin’ Up!’s exclusive Scallop Envelop Die
Materials used to create this project can be purchased at this link… click “Shop Now!” to access my Stampin’ Up! store.
Design Challenge
I run a bi-weekly design challenge on a private Stampin’ Up! mailing list. I plan on posting my samples as I have time. This week’s challenge is to design or create a scrapbooking page using a Map created by Becky Fleck, author of the very popular book Page Maps.
The challenge uses this card map and here is my submission with directions.
- Cut a 4 x 8 strip of Baja Breeze and fold it in half for your card base.
- Cut a 4 x 4 ½ strip of Baja Breeze Grid Patterned Designer Series Paper.
- Scallop punch one edge of the 4 x 4 ½ strip of Baja Breeze DSP.
- Trim ½ off the scallop edge side of the DSP. Flip over and adhere to the lower edge of your 4 x 4 card. The scallop edges should hang off the end of the card.
- Trim ½ off of the 4×4 Baja Breeze DSP. Flip that over and adhere to the very top of your card.
- Adhere the final 4 x 3 ½ piece of Baja Breeze to the center of your card.
- Adhere border stickers from the Roof Garden Accents and Elements sticker pack to hide both edges at the bottom and top of the card where the DSP paper touches.
- Distress paper & edges of stickers using a sanding block or sand paper.
- Cut out a Top Note Die from a piece of Baja Breeze DSP and then cut the shape in half. Ink the edges and tie a bow around the piece using Basic Grey Taffeta Ribbon.
- Adhere your ½ Top Note die cut down to the edge of the bottom border sticker.
- Adhere your choice of flower stickers from the Roof Garden Accents and Elements sticker pack to the center of the Top Note die and you are done!
If you’d like to purchase the materials to make this card and cards like it, please email me!
Holiday Crafting
I was standing in front of a display of huge lilies at the grocery store today, recalling that the last time I had purchased them. Kittens and fresh flowers do not make a great combination and within a day, they were mangled all over my floor. I decided this year instead of purchasing flowers, I would make them out of paper and display them around the house. Stampin’ Up!’s Idea Book and Catalog for the Fall-Winter year had a really interesting take on a paper flower that I wanted to recreate.
I also have been thinking about this vase I purchased last year at Target’s annual “day after Christmas, let’s mark everything down 70%” sale. I am determined to use the vase in my home decor for this holiday, so I have been playing with ideas for a few weeks now. One problem is the cute snowflakes on the outside; you can’t really see them unless you get close to it. So, I thought if I slid a page of Stampin’ Up!’s Baja Breeze card stock into the base it might show the snowflake pattern better. It does, but I think it would look even better with a brighter color. One of the good things about this is that you can put florist foam in the base of the vase and arrange your flowers exactly how you want them to stand without having to see the foam.
This is my first stab at creating paper flowers for my house. You can play along too- here are the directions to make one flower:
- Using a scallop punch: punch 3 times in patterned paper and once in coordinating card stock.
- Cut the 3 patterned paper scallop punches in half.
- For each 1/2 scallop, curl them until one scallop edge is overlapping another scallop edge and adhere together. I used mini glue dots and it worked perfectly.
- Once all of your patterned paper 1/2 scallops are curled, you want to use additional glue dots to adhere them to the card stock scallop.
- Adhere a button to the center of the flower to hide the paper tips… and voila!
I put two of these flowers back-to-back on decorative twigs I purchased from an area craft store (some how buying them at the store is better than picking them up from the yard and cleaning them?). I’m not 100% liking them in that particular vase, so I will need to move them. I am thinking a shorter vase with a smaller opening at the top.
Scrapbook in a Night!
I will be hosting a “Scrapbook in a Night” class on May 7th starting at 6:30pm - just in time for creating that special gift for that mum in your life!! If you cannot attend, don’t despair! I will be having additional classes and for those of you who are not local, I can also ship the kits to you directly- just email me for more information. If you like to see before you buy, I will be posting preview pictures of the two different kits on Monday.
Each kit comes complete with full-color instructions on how to assemble a 20-page 6×6 album, and will include your choice of album, pre-cut paper pack and various buttons/brads/ribbon/etc. The class will include a demonstration (also with color instructions) of how to assemble the album with additional tips on how to make the album shine. I will be providing each of you a scrapbook kit with precut materials to make the assembly easy.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP here and include your selections in your RSVP notes. The class fee must be received by 5/1 to secure your spot and if you would like to purchase more than one kit, just make note in your RSVP.
Kit Options:
Option #1 - $50
6×6 Linen Post Album (Choose from Real Red, Mellow Moss, Navy or Natural) with 10 page protectors
Simply Scrappin’ Paper Pack (Choose from Rose Cottage or Tie the Knot)
Various sundries (brads, buttons, eyelets, ribbon, etc)
Option #2 - $65
All from Option #1, PLUS
One Package Rub-ons, Cherished Memories
Option #3 - $75
All from Option #1 and 2, PLUS
Stampin’ Dimensionals (Foam adhesive squares to add dimension on your pages)
Anywhere Glue Stick
Knock Knock.
I’m off for the next week or so to sit on a lounge chair and bask in the Caribbean sun. I’ll leave you with this little card I made. It’s eventually going to wind up being reproduced about 150 times and hung on mailboxes and mailed out to invite people to join my card making classes on a monthly basis. More details on that later… Talk to you all in April.
Pink Cupcakes
One of the first things I wanted to do differently on this blog was take high quality photography of my artwork. I’ve seen a lot of craft blogs and the one thing I disliked the most was the fact that the pictures were always shady and hard to see. Turns out no matter how hard you try, sometimes it is just not easy to get a great shot. My lightbox doesn’t seem to want to cooperate this week. Nor does my camera; no matter how many times I’ve cleaned out the guts, it’s still got dust inside. I am going to have to schedule an intervention with my husband in hopes that he can take the brush to it (something I’m just not comfortable doing with my Canon EOS 30D).
Another goal was to start using the stamp sets that I purchased from Stampin’ Up instead of having them just sitting there. So, this is the first card (of many, I’m sure) that uses one of the first sets I purchased; ABC Images. 28+ little itty bitty stamps that have a different image for each letter of the alphabet, plus an ABC & 123 stamp as well. I can think of a lot of cute gift ideas for a certain little boy I know… but perhaps when he’s a little older.
The Rule of Thirds
One of the single most important rules I apply to all (most) of my cards is similar to the Rule of Thirds in photography; everything that you place on the card should be done in thirds. Take a look at the card- it has three major embellishments and each embellishment in itself has a “third” applied to it.
1. The star paper at top is approximately 2/3s of the card (partially hidden by the ribbon).
2. The pink paper at the bottom has three cupcakes.
3. The blue striped ribbon has a bow 1/3 of the way in and I’ve placed it right in the “Rule of Thirds” hotspot to visually draw the eye to the bow when initially looking at the card.
If you use these general rules, you should be able to pull off a visually pleasing layout every time you work with paper.
Of course, here comes the confusing part of this conversation- I wouldn’t always apply the rule of thirds to all sizes of cards. For me, it’s more visually appealing to have a matted image in the center of a square card.
I also tried to take a picture that would showcase off the minimal amount of glitter I used. Hope you can see it in this picture!
The Card That Never Went Anywhere
A few weeks back, my sister called me up stressed out, with another cold and generally grumpy like only a future test-taker can be. She was studying for an interview with exclusive nurse anesthesiologist (yes, I had to look up the spelling) program she was hoping to get into. They only take something like 20 students out of the thousands that apply. Shockingly hard, but it’s a great career path for her. Honestly, the best part is she’ll get to work in Harlem and freak my mom out!
So, in an effort to encourage her, I made this…
…and never sent it. She did well on her initial interview, now we are just waiting to hear about the final acceptance. Wish her (and me) luck! Her to get into the program and me to get to the post office to get stamps sometime this week!
Welcome!
Well, welcome to my new blog! As some of you may know, I have had a blog in some format or another for many years. However, as my interest in crafts grew I found myself spending less time sitting at the computer and more time covered in glitter, alcohol ink and glue. Much as I love what I do, I also like sharing my art with people and hence this blog was born.
For those of you who don’t know me well, my husband and I move from Miami, FL to Cary, NC approximately a year ago. The three+ hours I was spending in the car each day translated into a work from home job that allows me to use a far greater part of my time dabbling in what I love. I can’t promise to be interested in one particular craft at any given time; I have played around with most of everything at once point or another. However, the focus of this blog will primarily be papercrafting and card making, sharing what inspires me, and also teaching what I know.
