Sunday, September 30, 2007

Exciting News!!!

So much exciting news lately! The New Orleans Hornets basketball team contacted us and asked us if we would do a craft project with the Girl Scouts of New Orleans when they go to watch the Hornets play, in November. Of course, we said YES!!! We will be making a fun project that the girls are sure to love (can't say yet, it's a secret!), and they are expecting somewhere around 500 girls to attend!

While discussing things for the Hornets' project, one of the other Girl Scouts staffmembers overheard that we were working with them, and asked us to go to the Girl Scout Leaders' Camp to teach the leaders how to scrapbook. That's in mid-October. We'll be teaching the Girl Scout Leaders all about what scrapbooking is and how to actually go about scrapping, and how they can work with their troops on scrapbooking and papercrafting projects.

We're very honored, and very excited to be able to do all this, and are very appreciative to those who helped make it happen. We have a number of Girl Scouts leaders and moms who come to the store, and have already been getting calls saying how excited they were to hear of our involvement.

The Scrappy Sisters Crop in Pensacola, Florida is next week (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), and Felix and I will be there as vendors. I will be doing a FREE make and take that I know everybody will LOVE, and will have a class, too. If I get any free time, I'm going to try to make a couple things myself, but I don't think I'm really going to have time for myself this go-round.

Also, in case you haven't read the post Felix sent out the other day, on Halloween night we will give anyone in costume a goodie bag and 25% off their ENTIRE purchase that day (no rainchecks!), and candy will be available for children of all ages. The store will close at 5:00 PM that night, instead of 7:00 PM.

Have you heard about Un-Du? They have stopped production of Un-Du and are in the process of reformulating it in order to comply with recent EPA guidelines. There is no more Un-Du available to us as retailers, and if you like your Un-Du and are worried about not having it, I suggest you try to find it as soon as possible before they sell out of what's on the shelves. My distributor is going to contact me as soon as they find something comparable or as soon as the Un-Du goes back into production. I'll keep you all posted.

TODAY'S TIP: Embossing on vellum with your printer.
Did you know you could heat emboss things you print on your inkjet printer? Make sure you put your vellum in so that the ink will be on the rougher side of the vellum. Have your embossing powder ready before you print. Print your words or images on the vellum with your inkjet printer and AS SOON as the vellum comes out of the printer, hurry and pour the embossing powder on the wet ink. Tap off the excess, and heat it with the heat gun, just like regular heat embossing. The result is gorgeous. This would be very well suited for a Scripture quote or a poem or song lyrics. Give it a try and let me know what you think. It really is that simple.

Unti next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

New Arrivals and Sale Items

Today we got in new Karen Foster and K&Company. Everything is already on the shelves and the walls. I felt like I barely got a chance to sit at all today, we were so busy! We have the cutest Tim Coffey Halloween 3-D embellishments and paper. Bats with googly eyes, goblins, Frankenstein, Dracula, a little boy and girl in costume. Flocked bat paper that is only $1.49 a sheet (one of my customers told me she's seen it elsewhere at $3.50 a sheet!!!), glitter spider web paper, skulls, bones, Halloween dots, and a page with children in costumes across the bottom. Very, very adorable. If you're not sure what to do with all of these, we have some great examples displayed of things you can make with them (not just layouts). We also have Sandylion Bats, Black Cats, and Witches. These would be perfect if you were making identical favors or invitations for Halloween parties.

We finally got all of the collection of the Pirate line from Karen Foster (some had been on backorder), along with more stickers. Also a new Ballet collection with cardstock stickers and stacked (3-D) stickers that are very beautiful. And, Felix was jumping with joy when he discovered I also got in the Billiards collection from Karen Foster, paper and stickers!

We hung up lots more samples of layouts, and I'm trying to finish a sample of all of the new Cards collection from Karen Foster. I've got a couple done already, and they're really nice. These are double-sided, distressed, heavy cardstock-weight papers in themes like Congratulations, Happy Birthday, Thinking of You and more. There are coordinating rub-ons and specialty brads (cupcakes, party hats, bees, flowers, etc.) and button brads that really add the finishing touches. I have a large stack of idea cards that has samples of a card made with each of the papers in the collection (free!). What a great way to get started making gift collections of greeting cards for Christmas presents!!! (BTW, these papers are ONLY 65 cents a sheet!)

We also got in new paper from Karen Foster that is In Loving Memory, along with coordinating cardstock stickers. This is very nice paper that would be so appropriate if you are doing a memory layout or working with an obituary or the like. Very tasteful.

I don't recall if I mentioned it before, but we got in A LOT of ribbon!!! We have gorgeous silk ribbon, printed ribbon, more ric rac (all 3 sizes), and so many different patterned ribbons. We have another entire display filled with just ribbon!

Emery made some specialty Halloween brads that you HAVE GOT to see! Supplies are limited, and I'm sure once you see them you'll want several, so make sure you stop in as soon as you can to get some before they're gone.

We have several things on sale until November 1st. 50% off wood-mounted stamps (EXCLUDING New Orleans, Mardi Gras, Saints, and Louisiana specialty stamps!). 25% off ALL Girl Scout and School-themed papers. 25% off the Rick and Sonia Bare Elements wine bottle container and purse (have you watched the video on www.crafttvweekly.com from 09/14?).

Hope to see you soon! Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Monday, September 17, 2007

So, ScrapFest! has come and gone and now I think I actually have time to breathe. We had great fun, met so many new people and made new friends, and also got to visit with others who have moved away from the New Orleans area. I did take a little time to scrap, myself, and actually got 5 pages done. Well, sort of. They still need journaling and frou-frou, but the 'meat' is there and the layout is put together. I'm not sure when I'll have the time to sit down and finish them, but it's a start!

At ScrapFest! I got to sit with a couple of my best friends, Chris and Ann, and although she couldn't make it, there was a place saved for Charlotte. We even drew her name on her spot so we would feel like she was there. It was funny, too, because as Chris and Ann finished their layouts, they put them in Charlotte's spot, so it looked like Charlotte was REALLY busy! Felix teased me about not getting much done, but it's kind of hard to run a booth and scrap at the same time. Felix even got a chance to do some papercrafting, himself. He made a crown with a couple of the fleur de lis lasercuts and Mardi Gras alligator diecuts, Stickles, and jewel brads. I was proud of him, he even got over his fear of the Crop-A-Dile and actually used it finally!!! In all, it was loads of fun, and we are definitely looking forward to the next one, next February.

We've got the store mostly put back together, just a couple of tweaks here and there. Our next event will be the Scrappy Sisters Crop in Pensacola, Florida on October 4th, 5th, and 6th. We have some fun things planned for that event, too. I'll let you know more about it as the time gets closer.

Since I've already mentioned the Crop-A-Dile, I'll give you a tip on that. I've seen a couple of them with the setting tip pushed all the way in, inside the head, unable to use. Don't fret! Take a pin or paper piercer and push it into the hole where the tip pushed into, inside the head. You'll feel it in there. Give a slight push with the pin inside there, and the head should pop right back out, ready to use just like new. I've had this happen to my own Crop-A-Dile and fixed it right away. Emery and Felix taught me this little trick. I hope it helps you if you ever have that happen.

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Tip: Font Catalog

Well, we're getting ready for ScrapFest! again. It seems like I just finished unpacking from Crop-N-On the River, and now we have to repack all over again. I don't mind though. I have totally different stuff to bring with me to ScrapFest! and I can't wait for everybody to see it all.

Monday begins Felix's birthday week of sales. He turned 40 today (sshhhhh!!!!) and so he's having 40% off sales all during this coming week. Every day he will have something different on sale at 40% off, so be sure to stop in each day to see what bargains you can get. You have to come into the store to find out what's on sale, though, so don't bother calling to ask. No cheating!

Emery will be holding a crop (by himself, again) this Friday, since Felix and I will be at ScrapFest! Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I'm going to try to squeeze in some crop time for myself, but with so many people that attend ScrapFest!, I'm not sure if that is actually going to happen. We shall see.

I would like to pass on a tip to you. I'll try to post tips as often as I can. If you have any special tips or tricks you use in your papercrafting, please write me. I'd love to share them with everybody.

Create a small font catalog showing the typeface of each of the fonts you have. Keep it with you in your purse, crop bag, or with your supplies so you will be able to refer to it when you're thinking about journaling or creating a title. Remember that the font style often sets the mood for the page, so make sure it works well with your title or journaling. You wouldn't want a very elegant, script font used on a beach layout, would you? That just wouldn't seem right. There are many free fonts out there on the internet, so search for them and have fun with them. The possibilities are endless!

Until next time, happy scrapping!

Dee

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Rick and Sonia



Tonight's crop was a blast! Remember I posted about the CraftTVWeekly.com webisode coming on September 14th that will have the Creative Imaginations "Rick" Wine Bottle Container and "Sonia" Purse project? Well, we have the kits in already to do them, and I thought it would be a great make-and-take (free!) to reward the very loyal customers we have cropping with us every week. I believe they had great fun--I know I did, and we ended up with very different versions of the same items, each one beautiful and unique. I was truly jealous because I don't think mine came out as well as theirs did! I've posted a couple pics to show you. We will be having a workshop on this ($35), on September 20th. If you wish to participate, please call NOW to reserve your spot!



You know, you can never tell what we have up our sleeves. One night it may be as simple as name buttons, another night crowns and visors, another night a layout... Our crops are always lots of fun, and you just never know what to expect! I like that... keep 'em guessing!