Gifts

The photo above shows the Sewing Chair that I altered for my daughter (who loves to sew) as a Christmas gift. I didn't post this before Christmas because I know she checks my blog, so I waited until after Christmas. She was thrilled to have a place she can store and organize her sewing items!

Anyway, you can get more photo shots at details if you head on over to the Fiskars Crafts website. I've attached a link below to make it easy for you to get there!

http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/projects/t_sewingchair.aspx

New projects

Well, I've not only been busy with Christmas, but I've been working on a couple projects for Fiskars as well. You will see them pictured at the links below to Scrapbook.com where you can also purchase the supplies to make them yourself!
http://www.scrapbook.com/gallery/image/layout/1874215.html

http://www.scrapbook.com/gallery/image/other/1875355.html

This will most likely be my last post until after Christmas so to all of my loyal blog followers and those of you who pop in now and then too......Happiest of Holidays to you!

Fiskars Crafts

Ok, for those of you needing some last minute holiday inspiration head over to Fiskars Crafts. Tons of projects to get your creative juices flowing over there.

Below is a link to an article on mini albums and you will find one I created as part of the article.

Also if you are a Fiskateer, lots of projects that I posted on there. Check back in the next day or two and I may post a couple of them here!

http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/articles/t_wmini.aspx

Cocktail party!

For those of you who remember a post a few weeks ago about the cocktail party invitation I was looking for feedback for, well the party was last night. If you recall I used the Heidi Grace Jolly and Bright collection to create the invitations. To extend that theme I also used the HG Jolly and Bright collection to create the table tents labeling the food, and the fork holder is decorated with embellishments from the line as well. So anyway, I thought I would share some pictures of the table. I managed to snap this just a few minutes before the guests began arriving.

Anyway, leave a comment and let me know how you incorporate paper crafting into your holiday festivities! I'd love to hear your ideas and what you do. And if you have pictures include a link so I can see what you create too!

Remember....

Remember when I posted about the http://www.storiesbyeveryone.com/ website? Then I did a book and shared it on my blog? Well, like I said I was going to do a calendar as well and let me tell you.....I received it today and it is totally awesome. I've given you a sampling of pictures of the front and a couple inside pages. I think these make terrific gifts! Just think you make it once and then order a copy for everyone on your list. It is personalized with photo memories from the previous year and perfect for anyone on your list. What a great teacher gift, huh?

Anyway, if anyone has any questions just let me know! It was fun and easy to do and the finished project is very professional!

Christmas is coming....

Ok, here is a project I want to share with you today! How many of you paper craft your own holiday table? Well each year I add some cute paper crafting to mine! The sky is the limit and I've altered little gifts, candy, place cards, napkin rings, cup decor, etc.

I'd love to see what you come up with for your own holiday table. Create a sample and then post a link here so I can see what you created. I love it when people share what they are doing with me so I can be inspired.

Bear with me...

Good morning bloggers! Just a quick note asking you to bear with me for a few days. My husband just set me up with a brand new state of the art computer which is going to take me a few days to get used to. I have to test my devices and work out some bugs. Then I'll be back with some holiday projects to share with you.......hopefully by Tuesday if not before!

Christmas class!

I just wanted to post another reminder about the Christmas Explosion box class I am offering! This is a great way to make a cherished keepsake while also having a gift wrapped box to hold a small gift or pockets to hold a gift card. There are 8 flaps that open up inside that are embellished with all kinds of fun things!

Get your kit and be invited to the class today! The instructions are a download so you work at your own pace.

http://www.creativityboutique.com/

Post below if you have any questions!

I'm So Proud...

I am really proud of one of my best friends! Jan and I have been friends for 28 years now and have been through so much together. During those 28 years Jan was a legal secretary. Anyway, about a year ago she gave it all up for her dream! I am proud to say that she is doing extremely well after plugging away and building her own business for almost a year and has helped so many people! Check out her website...

www.simplicityhealthworks.com

Jan, you are such an inspiration to me!

Lisa

Roll Baby Roll!

A layout that I created using the Heidi Grace Reagan's closet line! This was totally a fluke photo shoot! My daugter was propped up on her elbow's and next thing you know she rolled for the very first time. I was so lucky to have been holding the camera to catch this and what a fluke it was!

So Many Cool Blog Features!

So for those of you who visit my blog that have your own blog, are you aware of all the cool bells and whistles you can add to your blog? You can add a site counter which allows you not only to track how many hits you have on your blog, but also exactly where the hits are coming from. For instance on my blog I can see if someone is coming from Los Angeles, California or Green Bay, Wisconsin or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! I can also tell which of the posts have been viewed by each individual viewer and how much time they spent reading my blog. If you don't have a site counter on your blog you should consider adding one! It really is so much fun to see who is visiting your blog! I have people visiting from all over the world.

Stop back over the next couple of days and I will be adding some projects I have been working on!

Fiskars Crafts Projects

It is a busy month indeed over at Fiskars Crafts! So many cool gift giving ideas are on the monthly project calendar. You should head over and check it out! I've shown a couple of the projects I have up and if you want more detail just follow the links below to the projects!

http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/projects/t_apron1108.aspx

http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/projects/t_breadjacket.aspx

Ok, now I am signing off for a couple of days due to the Thanksgiving holiday! I'll be back soon and in the meantime enjoy the projects I've posted!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Winner, Winner!!!

The winner of the Heidi Grace Reagan's closet stamp set is..........

Harley Dee

Please send your mailing address to me at lfalduto@charter.net

Congratulations Harley Dee!

Everyone else please continue to leave me feedback so I can continue to improve the blog. It sounds like many of you would like to see more projects and pictures! Thanks for that feedback and I will work on doing more of that. A couple of you also requested video tutorials. I will have to give this some thought and figure out how to do that. I guess I would need a video camera........which I do not have!

Remember to check out my latest class at www.creativityboutique.com And if you didn't win the stamps scroll down to my blog post about the class because you have a chance to win there as well!

Ok, I will be absent from the blog Friday, Saturday, and Sunday since I am going wedding dress shopping with my daughter out of town! Next week I will get a couple of projects posted for all of you to take a peek at so check back!

Leave some feedback, and win!!!

When I created Paper Fashions almost a year ago my goal was to inspire crafters everywhere! I wanted to post my work, tips, makes and takes, and other stuff to share with Paper Crafters. So now after almost a year, I would love your feedback! Please either just leave comments on this thread or feel free to send me an e-mail at lfalduto@charter.net with any feedback you have for me. I want folks to be excited about visiting my blog and I want to make sure I am keeping people inspired by what they want. So help me to make this blog a place that many scrappers want to visit!

What are the things you like most about my blog?
What would you like to see more of?
Less of?
What could I improve upon?
How often do you visit and what prompts your visit?
What would make you want to visit my blog every day?

Oh, and the first 25 people to post their feedback or e-mail it to me will go into a drawing for these stamps! These are Heidi Grace Reagan's closet stamps and they are so adorably cute! So send everyone you know who reads my blog to leave feedback and be entered to win! I will draw once the posts reach 25 so don't delay!

Thanks in advance!
Lisa

Chance to win a free class!

As you know I have a new class up at Creativity Boutique. I thought it would be fun to do a giveaway on my blog! When you sign up for my class by purchasing the kit no later than Monday November 24 you will be entered into the drawing to win one of my past classes from me free! I've done many classes and have many saved files so I will choose a past class I have done and one winner will receive a free copy! So follow the instructions below for your chance to win!

1. Head over to Creativity Boutique and order your class it! (link below)

http://www.creativityboutique.com/

2. Come back to my blog and post a comment in this thread that your kit is on order.

3. Wait until Monday November 24th to see who the winner is!

The Holiday Explosion box class is a fabulous way to create a cherished keepsake for someone you love on your Christmas list! I can hardly wait for this class to start! I think all of you are going to be very excited about this project!

Weekend crop!

Ok, trying to catch up on sleep after my weekend crop! I had a great time and talked to so many people that were there scrapbooking! There was a total of 53 women and we had a huge room and each of use had our own table. Plenty of room to spread out. I do this crop every fall and it is awesome! For $55 it includes your crop space, a goodie bag, and all of your meals. The crop starts on Friday evening and ends Sunday at noon. Anyway, I ate way too much, talked way to much, didn't get anywhere close to my long list of projects completed.........but I had a great time!

I'd love to hear about your crop stories or how you get projects accomplished! Leave me a comment below!

Holiday Explosion box class!!!

Ok, I know many of you have been waiting for this announcement!

As you can see I've posted a sneak peek picture for you above. I am so excited about this class and I know you will have a blast making this very fun and festive explosion box!

Below is a link to a website I have partnered with to offer classes on a regular basis. I am very excited to be working with Angela again on a project! I have actually known the owner (Angela) of Creativity Boutique for several years now and we have worked on other projects together. Anyway, head over to Creativity Boutique and you can purchase the class kit there!

http://www.creativityboutique.com/

The class will be in the same format as my last class in a Yahoo group. Once you purchase the kit you will be invited to join the group. The Yahoo group format has worked very well as everyone can chat, you can get your questions answered by me, download the instructions at your leisure, and post your completed project! Plus you can join the group anytime since the instructions are a download that you work on at your own pace. The yahoo class group will be available beginning Friday November 21st. If your kit has not arrived by that date, no worries since you can pop in anytime to download and join in on the fun. The group will close as of January 1, 2009. So that gives everyone well over a month to get their kits and get instuctions downloaded and questions answered.

I can't wait to see all of you in class!

Class Update

It won't be long now until I post a picture of the class sneak peek! So stay tuned........it will be coming soon!

If you have any questions be sure to post a comment and Iwill respond!

Sneak Peek!

Ok, many of you know that I have been busy working on another class! This one is going to be a Christmas class and I am working with another online retailer to make class kits available for purchase. My goal is to finish the class this weekend and then post a sneak peek on my blog for the class and give you a little more information!

So check back in a couple of days to see what I am up to!

Do you like Sketches?

I created a sketch for the Fiskars crafts website for the month of November. I think sketches are fun because they give you new and different ways of looking at your scrapbook layouts. So follow the link below over to the Fiskars craft site for a look...
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/projects/t_nov08sketch.aspx

Check this out!

Alright, head on over to Fiskars Crafts to see more detail about this fun advent calendar I created. It has 24 little drawers you can fill up with all kinds of fun like chocolate, stickers, mini ornaments to hang on the tree, notes, etc. If you want more detail, follow the link below!

http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/articles/t_adventcalendars.aspx

It has arrived!!

Remember how I was telling you I was creating my very first hardcover book about my vacation to Washington DC over at http://www.storiesbyeveryone.com/?

Well it arrived a couple days ago and I want to share it with you. It is really cool because it is like a book you would purchase in the bookstore. I almost felt like my photos looked like a professional photographer because of the crispness, high quality paper the pages are, and because there they all were in a book! Anyway, the photos show the book in it's protective sleeve, the book cover, and two of the inside pages!

I also did a calendar which should be coming in a few days and when it does I will post pictures of it here as well.

I really do love creating pages by hand, but let me tell you that if you want to do gift calendars or gift books this is the way to go! Sometimes I really do not have time to scrap all the photos I want and it is wonderful to know this resource is there to help me when I get behind! And for those non-scrappers who read my blog, well here is your perfect solution! Pop your photos in place, do a little typing and you are done and have a beautiful memory to keep forever.

Sunday Make and Take

Ok, here is the second make and take for the weekend!

This is a cute little gift box using the brand new Heidi Grace Christmas line. What I love about this line is that it is full of soft non-traditional Christmas colors. So pretty!

To make this box you begin with a paper mache' box. Lay the cover face down on the plain side of your flocked paper and trace around it leaving about 1/4" all the way around. Cut on this line. Now make snips about every 3/8" and using Super tape or another strong adhesive fold each piece over. Now cover this with another patterned strip that will go around the rim of the cover.

Repeat the above for the bottom of the box. Your strip around the side will obviously be much wider.

I added some curly ribbon on the top of my box and then made a cute little gift tag using the XL Seal of Approval squeeze punch by Fiskars. I added a circle in the middle using the Fiskars Large Round 'n Round squeeze punch as well. To finish the tag off I added two hearts from the Heidi Grace chipboard.

This project only took me about 20 minutes! What a fast and easy way to make some little gift boxes for Christmas!

Enjoy!

Make and Take Weekend

Ok, I've decided to do a make and take weekend! So I have one project for today and another one for tomorrow!

I've created a quick and simple Christmas tag using Fiskars Ultra Shapexpress, the Christmas template, XL Tag You're it Squeeze punch, and the Cloud 9 Christmas Joy line! So here is how I made it---

Using your Ultra Shapexpress and the template cut out the ornament shape from your Cloud 9 paper. Next cut out the ornament topper as well and cover with glitter, adhere to your ornament. After that punch out your tag and ink the edges. Embellish with Cloud 9 stickers and tie on to the ornament with gold embroidery floss. Your tag is finished! You could also add some stickers to the ornament itself.

Ok, come back tomorrow for a little gift wrap and tag fun!

Free make and take is coming....

Stay tuned to my blog over the next couple of days as I will be posting a free Christmas make and take! We have to start getting ready with our hand crafted items, right? Tell everyone you know that is a crafter to start watching so they can get a head start on holiday creating!

Stamp winner!!!

Remember the random draw stamp contest for 150 posts on the blog? Well the winner I chose has not come forward and as promised I am choosing a new winner for these stamps. So see below!

Misvish said...
How sweet of you to do an RAK.I love this time of year too, the temperature is perfect, the colors are so beautiful, and there is HALLOWEEN...one of my favorite events.Karin #4472 - Fiskateer

Send me an e-mail with your mailing information so I can get these out to you! lfalduto@charter.net

Calendar!!!

Ok, the Stories By Eveyrone site now has the calendar up and ready to load your photos and journaling in. I think Calendars are a wonderful gift for the holidays as the people you give them to have photos to remember you all year long! Anyway, head over and check it out!

www.storiesbyeveryone.com

The best part is that you create one calendar and you are done. You can then order how ever many copies you need! It took me about 45 minutes to upload the photos, pop them into place, and then add my journaling. So 45 minutes and you could have 10 people knocked off your Christmas list!

Paper Crafts Gourmet

Did you guys see this new book? It looks really cool and it not only has paper crafting in it, it also contains cooking recipes as well as supply lists and instructions for the paper crafting projects!

Anyway, here is a link so you can check it out!

http://community.creatingkeepsakes.com/store/products/paper_crafts_gourmet

I did it!

I created my very first online scrapbook! This was so cool and man could I see doing that for Christmas gifts! You create one book and then order several copies to give to everyone!

I made a book of our vacation to Washington DC this past August and basically you upload your photos to the site and then drag and drop there where you want them in the book. Then you click on the text and then hit edit and add your journaling by your photos.

So my book is done and next I want to try a calendar. Once I receive my book in the mail I will post some pictures here on the blog so make sure you keep checking back so you can see my finished project! I will keep you posted on the calendar as well because that would be a totally awesome Christmas gift! I believe you will be able to start making those on October 25th.

Check it out...

www.storiesbyeveryone.com

Where or where?

Oh where, oh where is my most recent blog winner? Oh where, oh where can she be?

Ok, scroll down to read the winners from the Halloween stamp giveaway..................if you are the winner follow the instructions for your prize. If you know the winner please let her know she is the winner! I'll wait for about a week and if I have not heard from the winner I will choose another random winner from the list..............

Oh my gosh.....look what I found!

I found the coolest website today that is going to save me a ton of time for Christmas! Well, a ton of time overall, not just for Christmas! (think birthday, grandparents day, etc)

So you go to the link below and you basically choose the book you want to build and enter your pictures and journaling and you are done. The book is complete and it is mailed to you within 5-7 days or to your Local participating Scrapbook store. There are many different book sizes and styles and very soon there will be a calendar option available. The prices are very reasonable which is a bonus! Can you imagine giving a personalized calendar like that to the people on your Christmas list? You create one and then give it to everyone! How easy, huh? Anyway, here is the link so you can go and check it out!

www.storiesbyeveryone.com

Oh Joy!

Yes, I am already preparing for Christmas! First the invitations a few posts ago and now I am working on decorations for our home. Julie Comstock sent me a package containing their new Christmas line, "Oh Joy." I love the wonderful colors and designs in these papers and love the fact they make the die cut sheets with the matching chipboard! If you want to see the line and coordinating embellishment pieces just pay a visit to http://www.cosmocricket.com/

So run out and get some of this great new Christmas line and start creating! Those fun chipboard pieces with matching die cuts make great ornaments, package decorations, and you can whip up your Christmas cards fast using them!

You guys did it!

You made the 150 post mark!!!!! So I am now able to give the darling Heidi Grace Halloween stamps away..............and the random winner of the stamps is................

Patti said...
Sam sent me your way...nice to have a new blog to check out! BTW, love, love, LOVE the Christmas cocktail party invite (Oct. 5) just the way it is!! Beautiful!

Send your mailing address to me Patti at lfalduto@charter.net

Congrats Patti!!!!

Now for the person that referred the most people to post....winner is....MaryNSC! Send me your address! Congrats!

Another Halloween project!!!

Ok, this just up on the Fiskars Crafts website! I found this wire basket in the thrift store and knew it would look so cool altered with the new Cloud 9 Designs Halloween Fun line! Of course I had just the pair of scissors to make all those cuts.........Fiskars Classis No. 8.

Anyway, if you want to see what I used to make this basket and how I did it head over to Fiskars Crafts to check it out!

http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/articles/t_scissors1008.aspx

Fiskars Halloween Fun!

Happy Saturday everyone!

Today is a big online crop over on the Fiskateer site! I made a special project just for my Fiska-Friends which is pictured above. The treat sacks are for my daughter's halloween party at school and the candy dish next to it is for her Teachers. They deserve some special sweet treats as well! I used the Heidi Grace halloween line and threw in some of the Cloud 9 Halloween Fun as well! The lines mix very well together.

Oh, and don't forget to check the posts below this one because you can actually win the Heidi Grace Halloween stamps! Just follow the instructions and have fun!

Slow going....

Oh my....I thought for sure by now we would be at 150 posts! Ok, I am going to throw out an additional incentive..................

I challenge each of you to see how many people you can send to my blog to post in the thread below to reach the 150 mark. Make sure when they post, they post your screen name as well. The person that gets the most people to post on the thread below will win a little prize from me. I will still do a random draw for the halloween stamps!

Ok, on your mark, get set, go!

Giveaway fun!

So it is fall........I can feel it in the crisp and cool mornings! With fall comes the fun of baking and the smell of fresh picked apples. Then in the middle of it all there is Halloween. How fun! All the children dressing in costume with parties and trick or treating! Anyway, I want everyone to have fun with halloween. Have you seen the new Heidi Grace Halloween line? It is delightful and fun! This set of stamps coordinates with the line. You can see papers and embellishments for this line here http://www.acherryontop.com/company/heidi_grace_designs/line/halloween

So in honor of getting everyone enthused, I have this fun set of stamps to give way! So here is the deal:

Post a comment to this giveaway thread. Once there are 150 posts I will choose a random winner. You can send anyone you want to post to help reach the 150 mark I will need to choose the winner. BUT....you can only post once! So if we reach 150 posts tomorrow, I will draw tomorrow. So the faster we meet the 150 post goal, the faster the drawing will take place. Send every crafter you know!

Want to win?

Ok, keep checking my blog because in a couple of days I am going to be giving something away! Yep, something free......something fun.......something you will like! And tell everyone you know to begin watching my blog for the announcement because I am going to do the 100 blog post again! Watch for details coming soon...........

From halloween to Christmas!

Ok, I know I just posted a little halloween project and not to skip over any holidays, but I like to plan ahead.

Each year my husband and I host a cocktail party for his employees. This will be our third year and I must keep up the tradition of creating the 21 invitations by hand! I found out last year that several of the women keep the card because they love my work and can't part with it! So now I feel pressured to create designs they will like!

Anyway, the photo above is what I was playing with today. Take a look and leave me a comment letting me know what you think. I'll make it easy..you can pick from one of the comments below!

a) I love it, go with it!

b) Um, it needs some work but not bad

c) Dump the whole thing and start over!

Trick or Treat!!!

So I am busy getting ready for halloween. I was thinking today of what crafty little item I can create for my daughter to take to her preschool class for their halloween party. Well, I decided I was going to create sucker covers!

Very simple and fun! I used the new Cloud 9 Designs Halloween Fun collection. I simply cut patterned cardstock the width to fit the sucker and then created a double length. You will see the black striped cardstock is not yet folded. So then you score, fold and then I opened it back up and used my Fiskars eyelet setter to pop a hole in the center as shown. I took my Round the corner squeeze punch and rounded the top corners. Next you slide your sucker stick through the hole, add adhesive on the inside at the top and secure. Then you embellish the outside using the many fun embellishments that come with this line! I added a bit of curling ribbon at the bottom.

Very simple and very cute. I know the kids will love it!

Fiskars Crafts

Hey all!

As many of you know I recently made the Design Team for Fiskars Crafts. (www.fiskarscrafts.com)

Anyway, just a tip to begin watching the website! Right now you can see a sneak peek of a project I created that will be up this month on the site........so stay tuned!

Gearing up for Halloween!

Well it is that time of year! Time to begin thinking about halloween. Each year there is a tradition at our house that our daughter goes out trick or treating with daddy and when they come back she rings our doorbell for her final trick or treat stop! Each year I do something special up for her. So I had this cute little gable box and the brand spankin' new Cloud 9 Designs Halloween fun line and decided to create her special box that I will fill with treats closer to halloween!

This was easy to do as I started with a blank gable box. You just cut paper to fit the 4 panels and then trace around the rounded side panels and front panel and cut inside the lines a little so a white edge trim shows around the piece when attached. Then I simple used embellishments and ribbon to decorate. Fast and easy!

Where have all the projects gone?

I think I have a boring blog! LOL

It has been awhile since I have posted something fun...and I promise I will very soon! I have been busy getting orgainzed and cleaning my scrapbook room. I've also been busy beginning my new position on the Fiskars Design Team! Anyway, it won't be too much longer and you will start seeing some of my work appearing over on www.fiskarscrafts.com. I have started my project work..........so stay tuned! I will alert you here on the blog when my projects start getting posted over there.

Anyway, I am going to try to do a little project to post on my blog sometime this week so make sure to check back soon!

Dreams and goals

From time to time I share my dreams and goals on this blog. I seem to have so many swimming around in my head. Anyway, today I am going to share another one.

For about 3 years now I have had this goal/dream to teach scrapbooking classes on a cruise ship. I've been on a cruise once for my honeymoon and we are going on a Disney cruise this winter. I really enjoyed my time on the cruise ship when I went several years ago and am really looking forward to our upcoming Disney cruise!

Anyway, I think teaching on a cruise ship for me would be the ultimate way to combine my love for travel and scrapbooking all together! So I have to do some more thinking in my mind about how I can go about making my dream/goal a reality!

I am home!

Whew....what a weekend! Most of you already know that I was at Scrap Fest in Minnesota which is a huge event! I will tell you that I had a great time working with the Cosmo Cricket folks! They are nice and fun and full of energy!

I won't kid you, I am pooped! Thursday started with the vendor meeting at 6:00 and then booth set up until later that evening. Then Friday and Saturday started early in the morning and went until 10:00 at night. Sunday was the shortest day from mid-morning through late afternoon. I left around 3:30 headed for home. I have over 40 hours of work in 4 days.......and I am beat and I think I need like an extra week of sleep!

I had the best time with scrapbookers from all over the world. I always love this event because there are so many people that are so enthused about paper crafting and my energy just soars! My favorite part of the event is teaching classes! For me that is the most energizing part!

Anyway, if any of you get a chance to head to Scrap Fest next year, you should really go! You will have such a great time! Ok, I should be recovered in a couple of days and back to a more normal routine!

Cardstock galore!

Well, I was the Professional Grand prize winner over on Two Peas in a Bucket. It was a contest sponsored by Wausau paper and well, I won! What did I get? This big pile of cardstock!!!

Anyway, I reminder I will be off my blog doing jury duty and Scrap Fest and won't be back on until the beginning of next week!

Scrap Fest, Jury Duty, and Chat

Well I am going to be off the blog for a few days! First of all I have jury duty tomorrow and then I need to pack because I am headed to Scrap Fest!

What is Scrap Fest? Well, if you have not been there you really should go! It is held at the Mall of America in the Minneapolis, MN area. Archiver's holds this event each September. Basically you pay $12, get a badge and you can do every manufacturers make and take. You can also sign up for classes and crops all sponsored by manufacturers and Archiver's for an extra charge. It is 3 days full of scrappin' goodness! So I will be there at the Cosmo Cricket booth doing the make and takes, will be teaching a darling little Halloween mini album on Friday and Saturday morning designed by Julie Comstock, and then Cosmo Cricket has a crop both Friday and Saturday evening. I will be immersed in 3 full days of Cosmo Cricket creativeness? I am pretty lucky, huh? I really look forward to getting to spend my time with Julie and Lindsay who are so incredibly nice and fun! Anyway, if you are at Scrap Fest be sure to stop by the booth to say hello and if I'm not there ask Julie or Lindsay when I will be back!

www.scrapfest08.com

Tonight (Tues Sept 9th) I will be doing a chat with the Fiskateers as a new member of the Fiskars Design Team. If you are a Fiskateer make sure you pop in the chat room at 8:00 CST. If you are not a Fiskateer...well...what are you waiting for? www.fiskateers.com

So anyway my next post will probably not be until next Monday! I will miss you guys!

Can someone pinch me????

Wow, I am totally excited and keep wondering if I am dreaming!!! I better not be though because this is something I have been wanting for quite awhile and it would just be cruel if it were only a dream....

Anyway, I won't keep you in suspense any longer.....I was invited to join the Fiskars Design team! I cannot believe it and I am over the top excited! I have been a proud Fiskateer for about a year and a half and through that website (www.fiskateers.com) have been asked to do a special project now and then. I also became a Certified Fiskars Demonstrator through the Fiskateer site and all it has to offer as well. I love all the Fiskars tools and I love all the consumable lines owned by Fiskars as well! Anyway, I love every day and every minute of being a Fiskateer and this opportunity is another way to share my love of crafting in so many ways and with so many people. I am sure I will be getting project assignments soon so keep checking the Fiskars Crafts website at www.fiskarscrafts.com.

After I talked with Stephanie yesterday (Education Manager for Fiskars) I couldn't stop jumping up and down. I am so thrilled to be joining such a talented group of crafting designers!!! I cannot even begin to describe to all of you how exciting this is for me to have this dream of mine become a reality.

And just in case I am dreaming.............please ignore the title and DO NOT pinch me. I want this dream to last forever...............

Hello--Free Class Update!

Well it has been a couple of days since I posted! I've had some things going here with back to school and all!

Anyway, I wanted to update everyone on the Free Class I am doing and give you a couple of reminders.

1. Product is expected in next week Monday or Tuesday for the kits. Once Jackie receives it and gets it all in kits she will be shipping them out. I will keep you posted, ok? Don't worry....we will wait for kits to arrive before beginning the class. Either way the class is going to be in file format so you will go to that section of the Yahoo group I started and get the file. So you can print it and then work on it right away or wait. I plan to keep the yahoo group open until about a month after the class is posted so we can chat, share photos, get questions answered, and have access to the file. So don't stress if you have a vacation planned or will be busy because it will be there for awhile, ok?

2. If you have not ordered your kit yet over at Scrappin Deals you better hurry up and get it in!
http://www.scrappindeals.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=20880

3. If you have not already joined the Yahoo class group please make sure to send me an e-mail with the following info

Free class in the subject line
The e-mail address you want the invite sent to in the body

Send this info to lfalduto@charter.net

Ok, post if you have any questions!!

Etsy

Well I have two items now listed in my Etsy shop!

www.blumski.etsy.com

I have a school kit and a halloween kit.....and am waiting for my first big sale! When you visit Etsy do you usually purchase supplies or do you prefer to purchase handmade items? Please leave a post and let me know what you look for when you visit Etsy! I want to make sure I am adding things to my Etsy store that people are looking for and will actually buy so I would really appreciate the feedback. Thanks!

Scrap Fest

So how many of you have heard about Archiver's Scrap Fest? It is held each September at the Mall of America in the Minneapolis area! I love this event! I've attended twice as a participant and then last year I had the pleasure of teaching at the event for both Cosmo Cricket and Around the Block. I met so many scrapbookers in my classes and had the best time!!!

Anyway, Scrap Fest is coming up again on September 12-14th and I am so excited! I will have a very busy schedule this year being with Cosmo Cricket once again at the show. I will be in the booth out in the mall doing make and takes all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. (well except when I am teaching classes or have a short break) Then I teach a class Friday morning and Saturday morning. Both Friday night and Saturday night are Cosmo Cricket crops at the Woodbury store. I had a blast as the Cosmo Cricket crop last year.......I laughed so hard and really enjoyed meeting everyone. If you are reading my blog Jane, thanks for that yummy piece of cheesecake!

Anyway, if you are going to be at Scrap Fest please, please, please stop by the Cosmo Cricket booth and say hello to me so I can meet you in person. I will be there with Julie Comstock and Lindsay Moore and they are a total blast and you will want to meet both of them as well!

Leave me a post and let me know who is coming, ok?

Etsy Shop

Well I finally did it! I opened at Etsy shop! I plan to list things in my shop that are handmade by me for purchase as well as kits and classes. Anyway, if you get a chance to stop by I have one listing so far! Check it out..........I'm so excited!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14609806

Anyway, check it out and post a comment to let me know what you think!

Very special MYSTERY guest for class!

Hello everyone! I wanted to let you know right away about a very special guest I have invited to our class once it gets rolling in the yahoo group. (see my post below for instructions) I am not going to tell you who it is, that will have to wait until closer to when class begins! But you will be very pleased when you learn who is coming to our class for a visit!

Oh, this is all so exciting I can hardly contain myself! It isn't too late to preorder your kit and sign up for the yahoo group free class. Just read below!

Free Class Update

Hello everyone! Anyone getting excited yet about the free class we will be doing in September? Remember to order your kit if you have not yet. Follow this link if you still need to place your preorder. I want to make sure everyone has their kit in time!

http://www.scrappindeals.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=20880

I've been researching the best way to do this class and I am thinking it would be complicated to do it here on my blog. I can't seem to find a way to get a file uploaded here but not to worry I have another solution!

I have started a Yahoo Group specifically for the class! This will be a private group with just the folks who sign up through my blog to take this class. So I want to get going getting people invited to join the group and all signed up. We can chatter in the meantime before the class actually starts in September. So in order to invite you I will need your e-mail address to send you an invitation to be part of the group. So please send me your e-mail address and I will send out your invitation. lfalduto@charter.net Place in the subject line of your e-mail, "Free Class Invitation" and then in the body your e-mail address.

I think having this group will actually be fun because we can all chat about the class, share photos in the photo section of ways each person decided to do the book differently, technique ideas, etc. So I am really excited about using the group format because I think we can bounce ideas off one another, get questions anwered, and basically share ideas!

If anyone has any questions just send me an e-mail and ask away! Remember to send me your e-mail address so I can invite you to join the group. Get the word out to anyone taking the class that you know to send me their e-mail.

Clear Acrylic book!

Ok, I've been published in a book called "Clear Albums for Scrappin" by Design Originals. This book contains 10 complete clear acrylic albums with step out for techniques and how to's! Anyway, this book just recently went on sale and if you want to purchase your own copy I have some. Retail price is $8.99 and I will sell you the book for $7.00 plus shipping. Please send me an e-mail if you would like to purchase a copy! NOTE: I only have 5 copies so when they are gone, they are gone.........

lfalduto@charter.net

UPDATE: Only two books left so if you want one let me know soon!

Class kit link update

Some of you said you are having issues with the previous class kit link I posted. So here is an updated link!
http://www.scrappindeals.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=20880

Winners

Ok, I threw all names into a hat and the 2 winners of a goodie from me are Mamasheg and Michelle. Please send me your mailing address and I will get your prizes out to you. lfalduto@charter.net

I can't wait until it is time for the class to start! I am pretty excited.............

You still have plenty of time to order up your kit from www.scrappindeals.com

A project for Fiskars Crafts

May Flaum asked me to create a fun project for the Fiskars Crafts website using the Cocoa Mint collection by Cloud 9 Designs. I had the perfect project in mind for this line and I created a Cookie Jar! I have the main photo here and if you want more detail use the link below to head over to Fiskars Crafts and check out more info including instruction on how you can make your very own cookie jar! (cookies not included) LOL

http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/projects/t_cookiejar0808.aspx

Pop back in later in the day tomorrow to see who the 2 winners are from the previous blog posts for the class kit order! I will draw around 2:00 tomorrow afternoon so you have until then to purchase your kit and post to be entered into the drawing!

Deadline to win!

Popping in quick to remind everyone to go to Scrappin Deals and purchase the class kit to be entered in a drawing to win. There will be 2 awesome prizes! So make sure you post in my post below once you have purchased your kit so you are entered in the drawing. I will randomly choose two winners on Wednesday August 20th!!!!!!!! (the direct link to the kit is in my post below)

Kit link for my free Cosmo Cricket Class...

Hello faithful blog visitors! As promised here is a link to the Scrappin Deals store where you can preorder a kit for my free blog class that will take place around the third week in September. I'm not going to set a firm date at this point because we have to make sure all product will be in so kits will make it in time. That is the target timeframe, but it could change depending on supply availability. So anyway, spread the word to anyone that you know that would be interested in taking this class so they can get in on the fun too! You could even make a crop party out of it and invite a bunch of friends to order a kit and then all get together and work on the class together!

Ok, here is the link so you can go and preorder your kit! When you arrive at the page you will be immersed in Cosmo Cricket Haunted heaven. Just scroll down a bit on the page to get to the kit...you will see the sneak peek photo!

http://www.scrappindeals.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=3468

Remember, I won't be around much on my blog for the next week or so! Leave a message in this thread after you preorder your kit so I can see who is going to be in on the fun! I may even have a little prize for a couple of lucky random posters who have ordered their kits!

Another class update!

Ok everyone, I have another free class update for all of you!

I have been working with an online store owner to get a kit put together for you so all you have to do is go to one place to purchase the supplies for this free class. This is an online store I have shopped at several times and the customer service and prices are excellent. Jackie is always very easy to work with and I have found her to be very responsive to her customers.

I will be putting a direct link to the kit information on my blog as soon as she has it ready for preorder. It should be going up on her site soon and you preorder the kit in advance. Jackie will order and kit the materials and then the plan is to ship them out at the beginning of September! By preordering she knows the quantities she needs and will be able to make sure everyone that wants to take this class gets a kit! I anticipate rolling out the blog class the third week in September.

You can go check her store out at www.scrappindeals.com. Once I have a direct link to the class kit preorder information I will post it on my blog so you can all start placing your preorders with Jackie. If you have any questions just post a comment on the blog and I will post the answer as a comment in the same thread as well!

Oh, I've got a lot going for the next week or so, so you won't be seeing me make a lot of posts! But keep checking back because more class info will be coming very soon!

Free Class Sneak Peek

Ok, I know many of you have been waiting for more information so here is a sneak peek photo! I've been busy creating some pieces of this class so I wanted to give you a little look!

For this class we will be using the Cosmo Cricket Haunted collection which is exceptional in every way! I am working with an online retailer who is going to try to sell the supplies for this in a kit so all you have to do is go to one place and purchase the kit and there will be no hunting around for supplies...which is good news with gas prices the way they are!

Right now I am guessing...........and this is only a guess.............that things may be ready to go the 3rd week in September. That is all depending on availability of product and how things come together. I will keep you posted!

Happy 100 posts.......Winner!

Ok, we have a winner! The randomly chosen number is 23 and Mummy LOL (Sandra #1076) send me your mailing address and I will get your lovely stamp set out to you!

Stay tuned for a sneak peek of the free class I am planning. I hope to have a peek photo posted in the next couple of days! I am working on the class writing instructions as I go and taking photos. A lengthy process, but I am having a blast doing this for my faithful blog readers!

Chocolate Chalet 100 post contest!!!

You can win the stamp set above..........well, randomly anyway! Here is the deal...

Once there are 100 posts on this blog thread I will draw a random winner who will receive this set of Cloud 9 designs Chocolate Chalet stamps! My goal is to see 100 posts no later than Tuesday August 5th! If you really want to knock my socks off see if you can send enough people to make it to 100 by Sunday!

Aren't these stamps cute and fun and cheery? So send your friends and family over to post for their chance to win too! Then stop back frequently to see if you are the winner!

Ready, set, go!

Back to School!

Ok, I know I am probably a bit early, but before you know it the kiddos will be headed back to school! Every store I go in happens to be full of school supplies and my daughter is off to 4 year old kindergarten this fall so we are already making purchases.

I picked up this plastic school box for her and didn't think twice when I put it in the cart. Then when unpacking the bag I got this great idea to alter it. So that is exactly what I did. It wasn't easy because the patterned you see on top are all at different levels. Some are nested down and some are raised. I had to use thin paper to make patterns and then cut and trace on the patterned cardstock I wanted to use. Eventually I made it all work and then embellished it!

FREE Class update!

Ok, I've got some info on the free blog class I am going to offer!

Together we are going to be created a Mini album using the brand new Cosmo Cricket Haunted line! Oh man, there are so many ideas running through my head right now! Anyway, I have to wait to get the product in hand and then I will start creating the class.

I am also working with an online retailer who will actually make kits for this class so all you have to do is go to one online store and buy the kit for the class! She is very excited about doing this and will also be sending all her customers this way for the free class as well!

I am guessing at a timeline at this point. There are many variables. Because this is brand new just released product it will take store owners a little time to get it in hand. Cosmo Cricket is one of the companies that release product at show and then get it in the store owners hands fairly quickly. So it won't be like 6 months or anything. Then the online store (which I have ordered from many times and has excellent customer service) will need to order items for the kits once I have a list to her. Then I will post the info on my blog where you can order a kit for the class along with a link to her online store and you can place your orders! I will then allow a window of say 2 weeks at a guess for everyone to receive their kits and then class will begin on my blog. I am guessing maybe the class will begin sometime in September? Does that sound good to everyone?

Sound good? If you have any questions for me, please leave a comment and I will answer them in the same comment thread you post in. Thanks everyone.........I am so excited to get started.

CHA recap

Well I spent Thursday through Sunday at CHA in Chicago. What a great time I had! Anyway below is a summary of the event from my perspective.

I only had about 2 hours to browse the show so I didn't get to see as much as I would have liked to this year! I spent time on Friday and Saturday morning doing make and takes and demos in the Fiskars booth. Man, have they got some awesome tools releasing from this show....you really must check out www.fiskarscrafts.com where you can view the brand new summer tool releases in the PDF catalog. Friday night I attended the Fiskateer dinner at Giordano's Pizza in Rosemont. There is nothing like their Chicago style deep dish pizza and I am having some craving as I type this! What fun I had meeting so many of my online Fiskateer friends...hello everyone!

I also got to spend some time helping the folks out at Cosmo Cricket in their booth. Have you seen their new lines? You simply MUST go to www.cosmocricket.com and check them all out! There is Mr. Campy, a line for camper's but those patterned papers can be used for so many layouts and crafts, not just camping! Then there is Haunted...........my favorite halloween line ever. And I'm not just saying that because I love Cosmo Cricket. When you see the rich and beautiful colors in this collection it is unique and different from all halloween lines out there. It is where elegance and fun meet............and this is a stunning line! Jack's World is all about little boys and is absolutly darling. I think that the past two Cosmo releases have really shown some great boy stuff which I continually hear is lacking in the market. So there is something for everyone in the new releases from Cosmo! I know I am always talking about how great the Cosmo Crew is..............and they really are. Lets just say that by the time I left that booth early Saturday evening my stomach and cheeks were literally sore from laughing so much. They are the best!!!

Saturday eve I was off to the Two Peas social. What fun again seeing so many online friends. I hung out with the girls from Clear Scraps. I didn't get to spend much time in the booth but I know my designs were on display there! Unfortunately I did not win a prize, and there were so many given out! Maybe next time!

I need feedback for the free class!

Ok, it appears from the comments and e-mails I received that there are 37 people that would love to take a free online class! I was hoping for at least 25 and thrilled to get 37! Although please do not stop posting if you have not yet because the more the merrier!

Ok, I'd love a little bit more feedback. At this point I was considering doing a Halloween related mini book. I want to see if you are interested in that concept? Anyway, please leave some feedback and let me know what you think!

FREE is good, right?

Ok, I've been thinking about doing a FREE class on my blog. It would be a project broken down in lessons. So lets say I would decide to do a mini album, on the first day it might be the front cover and back cover. The next lesson would be a couple of inside pages, the next lesson a couple more inside pages. Anyway, you get the idea. I was thinking the class would last over the course of a week. Of course it would stay on my blog for a long time so you could always come back and check in later.

Anyway, I am trying to determine if there is enough interest for me to put the time into creating this. So if you could do me a favor and post a comment on this thread letting me know if you would be interested...........well, then I will have a better idea if there is a large enough audience for this. So send anyone you know that might be interested over to post and then I will see if there is enough interest to proceed. I will count the number of folks interested in a week or so and then post a follow up message.

If it is a go I would post a supply list first and give folks say 2-4 weeks to purchase the supplies and then we would begin. *****Note***** A few of you have already posted about finding supplies. I will be sure to put links to online stores where you can purchase the product and then try to give between 2-4 weeks for everyone to gather those supplies. I will make it as simple as possible. So I will be making a decision about the class in the next week and posting so check back at the beginning of next week for more info! I am thinking the class will start sometime in September and the supply list will go up at the beginning of August sometime. These are guesses at this point depending on how much interest I see on the blog!

So post below if you are interested..............

I couldn't resist!

So I was in the thrift store again looking for unique things to alter. Yep, that is my favorite place to go to find cool stuff I can alter for work at trade shows. (that and the Dollar Store) It is so cool because you find unique things from maybe years ago that are just treasures waiting for the perfect line of paper! Just ask my husband who reminds me often that the entire shelf covered in alterable items in our storage room needs to be organized!

So yesterday I am browsing and out of the corner of my eye I see the cutest little lantern. What did I immediately think of? Yep, the new Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy line! So I grabbed my $3.00 purchase and brought it home and altered it!

I created the top of the lantern using small punched squares of patterned paper scraps. Can you believe that after making all these Mr. Campy projects shown on my blog I still have some patterned paper left? Anyway, I arranged these in a patchwork fashion and then trimmed the ends around the top circular opening and the bottom edge and then inked around the outside edges. Inside the lantern is a battery operated tealight for a cool look! The acorn on the front is the blackboard chipboard shapes that go with Mr. Campy and the cool thing Cosmo did was to make the die cuts self adhesive. And if that isn't enough the blackboard chipboard pieces are now self-adhesive. (whoops, no they are not, see Julie's post in the comments below)

BOO !!!

Scared? Ah, I didn't think so.....and you really should not be. These images are from the third line Cosmo Cricket is releasing at CHA Summer 08 and the name of the line is, Haunted. I am totally thrilled with this line. The colors are rich and beautiful! I have been seeing sneak peeks of a lot of halloween lines for CHA and I believe this one stands out. It is unique and different from the other ones being offered. It really makes you feel halloween. A bit of elegance with a bit of fun mixed in. You really have to see the colors in person to appreciate the look and feel of this line but trust me.........you are going to have to have it!

Winner

Congrat to Tania who guessed Lindsay was the man in the cockpit in my little Jack's World Biplan! Send your mailing address to lfalduto@charter.net and I will get a nice little goodie in the mail to you!

For those of you who don't know Lindsay, he is the Sales Director for Cosmo Cricket. He is so much fun! I thought he would enjoy having his very own airplane so cut him out and put him in! LOL

Ready for Jack's World?

Ok, I'm going to post all 4 projects I have using Jack's World the brand new line being released at CHA next week by Cosmo Cricket! Although I have no brand new Cosmo Cricket product to give away....I am going to do a little contest. I will find a nice little goodie for the first blog poster who can tell me who is in the cockpit of the Biplane in the photo above! Anyway, first one with the correct answer is the winner! Good luck...