Happy New Year!!!

Just a quick post to wish each and every one of you a very Happy New Year! Any resolutions any of you care to share? If you post a comment sharing your resolution after the first of the year I will do a random draw and send one lucky person some crafting goodies!

A wonderful evening!

Well here is a photo from our gift opening last night. My daughter was most crazy about the Zhu Zhu pets from Grandma and Grandpa. The funniest gift award goes to Aunt Sharon who creatively wrapped Meliah's gift in several boxes before she got down to the final gift. She teased Aunt Sharon for the rest of the night about all the boxes she used.

Oh and my 5 year old has made it perfectly clear that this is the last year she wants to wear a beautiful dress for Christmas!

Christmas is finally here!!!

So tonight is our family make up Christmas Eve! Looks like this time the weather is going to cooperate and things are a go!

Each year I try to do something handmade for my holiday table. I do place cards and gifts on each place setting. This year I used the Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses line of paper to create my holiday themed table. I created a box using my Cricut and my Cricut Wild Card cartridge and placed window plastic over the opening. Then I filled each box with candy, tied a ribbon around the outside and placed a felt poinsettia in the center of the knot. Pretty simple!

I also decided for my place cards this year to use candles. I got these at Michael's on sale for 50 cents each and they are cinnamon. Then I cut a border strip, layered it with patterned cardstock, and punched out a scalloped circle along with a regular circle to place on the front that holds each persons name.

I also did a google search for napkin folding to find the napkin folding pattern I used for the plates. I also normally use paper plates and napkins but decided that it was time to do a more "green" christmas. So last year we bought an entire 12 piece place setting of these plain white dishes on clearance after christmas for like $23.00. There are serving dishes, coffee mugs, salt and pepper shaker, plates, bowls, dessert dishes, etc. So it was a steal of a deal for that entire set!

Well, back up to the kitchen to begin my food preparations. On the menu for this evenings festivities is Chicken Parmesan, fresh tomato mozzerella salad, Foccacia and Italian bread with seasoned dipping oil, and then my sister is making a homemade raspberry sorbet for dessert!

Christmas Delay!!!

Due to some icy road conditions in my area we had to reschedule our family Christmas celebration. So I won't be posting pictures of my holiday table decorations for a few days! Hope each of you had a very Merry Christmas eve and Christmas day.

Soon I will be doing another giveaway so check back often so you don't miss your opportunity to win!

Lake in the Hills Road Show!

I made it home safely from the Road Show this afternoon. It was so nice to meet so many of you and a huge thanks for stopping by! I am pooped and can hardly wait to get into bed tonight.

Stop by my blog after Christmas and hopefully I will have a picture of my holiday table with some paper crafting goodness! I always love having handmade goodies decorating the table at Christmas!

Last Chance!!!!

If the Cricut or Cricut accessories or cartridges are on your list for Christmas be sure to get to Costco at Lake in the Hills, Illinois to see me for some awesome deals before the store closes on Sunday! Don't you deserve a little Christmas goodness for yourself?

Holiday Decor

I decided to post my fireplace mantle decor for Christmas along with my Christmas tree. I love decorating for the holidays and this year with a new fireplace I did something completely different! Our tree is the same but housed in a new location in our living room this year.

I would love to see pictures of your holiday decor. So if you have any posted online feel free to leave me a link so I can go and check them out! I love to be inspired by how others decorate!

Come and visit with me!

Starting Tuesday December 15 I will be at Costco at Lake in the Hills Illinois for 6 consecutive days demonstrating the Cricut Electronic Personal cutter. We will have exceptional holiday specials on the Baby Bug, the Cricut Expression, the Jukebox, Essential tools kit bundle and cartridge bundles! If you do come to see me please introduce yourself so I know who you are!

If you have any friends or relatives in the Chicago area be sure to tell them to stop by as well for some excellent Cricut deals!

When the party's over...

Well gang, another fun holiday cocktail party has come and gone! I always enjoy hosting this event and getting to do one of my favorite things....talk! Anyway, I know I posted the empty table shots the other day and thought I would follow up with some shots of the table once it was all set up with the food items. Here is a list of what I prepared-

Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Antipasto tray
Smoked Salmon
Fruit and dip
Smokie links in BBQ Sauce
Apricot glazed Kielbasa
Cucumber/Dill Cocktail Rye
Small Dessert items

Cocktail Party

Each year we host a party for my husband's employees at work. This year is no exception and today I set up the table for the party. I thought I would share with all of you. Notice how things on the table are at different levels. This adds interest to the table. I also try to place a couple of candles and some decor on the table as well. Some of you may also recall the invitation sample I posted about a month ago for the party.

Anyway, tomorrow I will be very busy cooking and prepping for the event! So this week has been busy planning for the party and working on a couple more fun projects for the Wausau Paper Creative collection. Will share peeks on my blog when I can!

Christmas place card idea.....Scraplift!!!

Well for any of you who visit the Cosmo Cricket blog you will be able to tell right away that this is a stolen idea from none other than the very famous Julie Comstock! I've been trying to come up with an idea for my Christmas table setting this year and was coming up empty. Thanks to Julie I now have a plan!

So the photos above are what I came up with. I used Julie's advice and headed for the Dollar store and there I found these Tootsie roll banks and bird picks just perfect for creating these logs! I used the Nutmeg dark brown tree trunk inspired pattern as Julie did and then simply added the bird pick on the top. I added ribbon off to the left and then created the placecard on the front hanging down. Mine is already filled with Tootsie Roll goodies inside so this was super simple. Oh and the placecard on the front is made using patterned cardstock from the Cosmo Cricket Oh Joy collection!

Head on over to the Cosmo Cricket blog so you can see what Julie dreamed up that inspired this project! www.cosmocricket.typepad.com

Winners!!!

As promised today is the day to announce the winners from last week. If you recall there were to be 2 winners, one that would win the set of cards and the other that would win the paper crafting kit. I threw all names into a hat and if you posted linking to your blog or facebook you got an extra name in the hat! So the winners are-

Ladydoc- Holiday Card Set
Sandy- Paper Crafting Kit

Ok ladies, send me an e-mail with your mailing address so I can get your prizes out to you! lfalduto at charter dot net

Weekend inspriation

First a reminder to make sure you have made a post every day this last week to be entered into the drawing to win either the scrapbook supply kit or the set of cards! Read the post this past Monday and Tuesday for full instructions! I will be choosing the winners on Monday so you have the weekend to post and send your friends over to post as well!

Now as many of you know I do project work for Wausau Paper Creative Collection and the December projects are now up! You will see a gift item and another card using cardstock! So follow the link below to see the photos and full instructions! It is like taking a free class!

http://mywpcreativecollection.com/BeCreative/Project-of-the-Month/archive.aspx

Last day of Holiday Cards

Ok, today is the last day of the holiday card week! I hope each of you have enjoyed viewing the cards and that some of you have gotten some inspiration to make your own cards! I love reading each comment that gets posted on my blog so thanks to each and every one of you who took the time.

Read back to my first post this past Monday to see the prizes and how you can win! Have a wonderful weekend!

Another Holiday Card!

Ok, I know I am late today posting this but it is still December 3rd so I got it in under the wire. Anyway, again leave a comment for a chance to win. Read the previous posts to see how!

Day 3 of Holiday Cards

Welcome to another Holiday Card day on my blog! I am really enjoying creating these this week. Do you ever look to your creativity as a source of escape or therapy for things you have going in your life? For me it is an escape, a way for me to use the creative side of my brain and try to put the other side of my brain to rest. That side tends to work overtime and it is on overload this week.

So leave a comment on today's post as well as Monday and Tuesday for a chance to win at the end of the week. Remember, you get an additional entry if you link to my blog.

Day 2 of Holiday Cards and an additional chance to win!!!

So today is the second day of Holiday Card inspiration! I hope you enjoy seeing these each day as much as I have enjoyed making them. If you are reading this post but did not see yesterday's, make sure you check so you know how to win.

Today I am adding a second way for you to win. That is right, a way to get a second entry into the random draw! Post a link to my blog on your blog or facebook page. Once you have the link posted then come back here and comment that you did that and also leave a link so I can check out your blog or facebook page. If you don't have a blog or facebook page then feel free to post on a craft message board or somewhere else that will encourage others to pop over and be inspired.

So to get 2 entries:
1. Post a comment on each card thread here on my blog each day.
2. Link from your blog, facebook page, message board, back to my blog.

Enjoy your day and I hope this card inspires you! Oh and feel free to scraplift any of these cards if you like, I am so flattered when folks do that!

EDITED: Ok, to answer a couple of questions.
1. The hanging "ornaments" are actually a row of tree rub ons from the Heidi Grace Christmas line a couple of years ago. But don't they look like ornaments?
2. The border punch I used was Fiskars Apron Lace.

A Week of Holiday Cards and Two Ways to Win!!!!!!!!

Well it is no secret that Christmas is coming, right? Well, to get everyone motivated to begin their card making I decided to do a week of holiday cards on my blog! Each day I will post a new card to inspire you.

How to win?

1. Post a comment each day on the blog after I post the card. (starting with this post) Anyone who posts a comment all 5 days will be entered into the drawing.

2. What will you win? There will be 2 lucky random winners. One winner will get the set of 5 cards that I have created. The other random winner will get all the goodies in the photo above to either make your own cards or complete the mini album included in the package.

The more the "merrier" of course, so send anyone over who you think might enjoy a chance to win! I will draw the random winners on Monday December 7th.

Cosmo Cricket project

Hey all! Ok, so today I had a little time set aside to finish my latest Cosmo Cricket project! You will see the creatiion above. I love the colors in this line and the cozy fall feel the entire line has. I wanted to get this done and up before it felt too much line Winter and Christmas. I think we are well on our way there, but thought I'd sneak this in before we go completely in that direction.

This project is a photo flip stand. There are photo sleeves behind the main page and you flip it open and insert your pictures. It is a fun piece to have sitting out for visitors to browse through your family photos.

Come back Monday for a special holiday announcment on my blog which will include a chance for you to win!

A Touching Thanksgiving Story!

As many of you know I do some work with the Cosmo Cricket folks from time to time. I have been involved with their awesome company almost since the time they started it doing project work and teaching. I must tell you that they are a great bunch of people. They are fun, quirky, creative and just down to earth nice.

While I was with Julie and Lindsay at Scrap Fest they shared a touching story with me. Well, they finally decided it was time to post this story over on the Cosmo Cricket blog to share with the world. I was touched when they shared the story with me in person and when I watched the videos about the story I was touched even more, most likely because of the pictures that go with the story and a special family connection.

So below is the link and I just want to say I am over the top happy for Lindsay. He is one of the nicest guys I know and he totally deserves this family happiness in his life.

www.cosmocricket.typepad.com

And before you run off to hear all about Lindsay's story I just want to say to pop back in soon! I have just started work on a brand new project using the latest Cosmo Cricket Nutmeg line!

More Design Team info

Ok, as promised I am back to post more about being on a manufacturer design team. Here is what you need to ask yourself first?

1. Do I have the time to be on a Design Team? Each team is different and has different requirements. Be realistic about what you can handle.

2. Are you good with deadlines? Because manufacturers need your work and sometimes even on very short notice!

If you are serious about being on a manufacturer team here is what I tell folks!

1. Choose your tp 3 manufacturers and make those 3 teams you goal.
2. Try to get to know about the culture of the company and if you would be a fit.
3. If you are near an event that the manufacturer is attending to to visit and get to know them. Share some pictures of your work. Network!
4. Find an e-mail contact at the company to send an online gallery of your work and ask if they are having a call soon.
5. Don't give up, sometimes it takes a long time to get on a team. Once you build your resume and a good reputation you will continue to be invited on more teams.

Hopefully this has helped you a bit! Whatever you do, choose manufacturers that you are passionate about. You will do your best work if you are totally in love with the product.

Projects of the month

Ok gang, I have a couple of new projects up over on the Wausau Paper Creative collection for November. A couple of teaser photos are above! Head over and take a peek! Here is the link-

http://mywpcreativecollection.com/BeCreative/Project-of-the-Month/archive.aspx

Crop project

Ok, as promised I am back to share a layout I created at the crop I was at this past weekend. The photo is from Universal Studios in Florida when we were on vacation last year. My daughter really wanted these light up bunny ears which were on a very large rack of hats and necklaces to celebrate Mardi Gras.

I tried to create the layout so it had lots of sparkle and bling which is always the feel of Mardi Gras. The stitching around each piece of patterned paper is not real but done with a journaling pen.

Crop time!!!

This last weekend I was fortunate enough to get to spend the entire weekend cropping. This was a large crop group of 57 and it was so much fun! I crop with my 2 girlfriends and the bonus is that I met a new friend (Melanie) at the crop last year. We have stayed in touch and had fun sharing and talking again this year. I created a couple of things I will share with you this week once I have taken photos of the projects so make sure that you come back in the next day or two for a peek!

So do you crop? If so, leave a comment and share a fun crop story with me!

The Creative Process

I am a guest blogger at Jump Create this week. Head over and take a peek at my article about the creative process...

www.jumpcreate.com

Then come back to this thread and let me know about your own experiences/stories!

Design Team tips!

So, you have been thinking you would like to be on a Design Team? You have no experience? Well over the next week or two I am going to do several posts about this process and how you can continue to move towards achieving your goal. This is all based on the process of how I went about it. I am sure there are many ways and many ideas and if you have other tips please post them in the comments section below each post.

So how to get started? How to break into the Design Team game?

I decided for myself that before I approached a manufacturer that I wanted to get some experience. So I found a kit club that I loved and I joined. Once I was a member for a couple of months I contacted the owner and inquired about the possibility of being on her Design Team. I sent her some samples of my work. She liked what I sent and said to contact me a couple of months later. So I put a note on my calendar and two months later I followed up. I attached more samples of my work. Well, she invited me at that point to be part of the team! So this was my very first time on a Design Team and I was thrilled! I had so much fun on this team!

The same owner of the kit club decided to become a manufacturer of papers and embellishments. So she invited me on to that team once she got things going as well and this was my first manufacturer team. She actually asked me to be the DT coordinator which was a fun job.

So this is how I broke into the industry as a project designer. I've got more to share so check back in a few days and I will focus more on the process of doing work for manufacturers. I thought I would start at the beginning and get any of you that do not have experience something to think about as you decide what direction to take in the industry.

There are tons of kit clubs out there but also think about your Local Scrapbook Store, online stores, and being a guest designer on blogs.

Once you are rolling with an entry designing gig then you will want to create your own personal blog to track your experience for people to view. If you notice on my blog home page there is a link to my resume. I have this set up so when I approach someone I want to do work for they can easily go and see my experience.


If you have any questions post them in the commnets and I will post a comment answering your question!

Looking for Design Team Information???

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, "how do you get on a design team"? I am sure there are many answers to this question and of course I have my own. I am wondering if any of you are interested in this information. If you are please leave a comment on this thread and I will describe how I have gone about it in the past. I've given out this advice many times and have seen first hand how effective it is over traditional strategies. So let me know if you are interested and I will do an entire post on this for you!

Party Invitation

So how many of you are already Christmas crafting or at least thinking about a plan for Christmas crafting?

Well as I previously posted I have been working on the invitation for my husband's annual employee cocktail party which we host at our home. I have my sample invitation done and thought I would post a picture and ask for some feedback from my expert blog readers!

So please leave some feedback and let me know what you like, what you would change, or what you would get rid of all together! I look forward to reading your comments!

Project

Well I figure somewhere out there in blogger land there must be someone with a birthday today! Sometimes I like to create some items to keep on hand so in a pinch when I need something for a birthday I have a special package to put it in . That is what today's project is for. A nice birthday box all ready to go when I am pressed for time and need something fast. Of course everyone expects Lisa the paper crafter to at least have their package done in something crafty!

Stay tuned....because if you have been following my blog over the past year you will recall that each year we do a cocktail party for my husband's employees at our home. Each year I create handmade invitations specially for this event. So I already have a design in mind and a special thanks to my fried Rita who had just enough of one particular pattern I needed to be able to make the amount of invitations I will need. So huge thanks to you Rita for swooping in a saving my invitation making season!

So I shall post a picture in the next day or two once I have tweaked the design. Then of course I will want feedback everyone!

My next Costco Road Show!!!

Ok blog readers, I am going to let you know well in advance when I will be doing my next Costco Road show so you can get it on your calendars! Next I am going to be in Illinois doing a Road show and I know there are quite a few of you that read my blog and live in Illinois so this will be convenient for you. Since it is in the Chicago area it is also close to Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin!

I will be at the Costco at Lake in the Hills, Illinois December 15-20 doing a 6 day road show. I can't wait, I had such a blast this past week in Grafton and met so many wonderful people! If you want specific details about the Road show feel free to send me an e-mail and I will answer you back promptly! LFalduto@charter.net

Ok, I will be back with creative projects to share soon! Stay tuned...

I am home!

I arrived home yesterday from my Cricut Road Show in Grafton. What fun I had! I met so many people and really enjoyed 5 consecutive days of "talking crafts." I just love hearing what people are creating and love sharing what I have created as well. Thanks to so many of you who stopped by to visit and for those of you who decided on the spot that you had to have the Cricut. It is the best electronic die cutting machine on the market and so much fun!

Come and Say Hello!

Starting on Friday I will be at Costco in Grafton, Wisconsin demonstrating the Cricut! Great package bundle prices only available at Costco. I will be there Friday through Tuesday so if you are in the area make sure to stop in and say hello!

Winner

The winner of the Halloween stamp set is....

Jill Alexander said...
Hi Lisa,
I hope to win. You never know. At least I made it in before the end.
Jill Alexander, Vail, Arizona

October 17, 2009 9:26 AM

Congratulations Jill! Please send your mailing address to me at lfalduto @ charter.net. If I get your address before 8:30 CST today then your prize will be in the mail today. If not I will get it in the mail in about a week!

Thanks everyone!

Almost there!

We are almost to 75 comments in the post below and once we are at 75 I will choose a winner. Hopefully it will happen in the next 24 hours, otherwise it will have to wait until I return from out of town.

I will be at Costco in Grafton, WI working for Provo Craft for a few days and will not be posting to the blog while I am gone. So I am not intentionally neglecting my blog for the next week and a half, just not around!

So big push, send everyone you know so I can draw a winner in the next 24 hours and get the prize in the mail before I leave!

Weekend giveaway

In honor of the upcoming halloween holiday I am giving away this set of stamps. All you need to do is leave a comment on this thread. Once I have reached 75 comments I will draw a random winner! So send everyone you know because the faster we reach 75 the faster a winner can be chosen!

Out with the Old, In with the New!!!

Ok, if you have been following things that last few days you saw some pictures of our fireplace. I ripped it all out and hired a friend of ours to custom make a new fireplace for us. He did a beautiful job...perfection I say!

Anyway, I promised I would share photos of the new fireplace and he finished the install today. He also really encouraged us to add an outlet on the top for lighting at Christmas and other times. So that is what you see in the center of the mantle top.

Let me know what you think!

Update on House remodel!

Ok, yesterday my fireplace guy was here to work on the installation. Hopfully by today the fireplace will be installed and I can take a photo to post later or maybe by tomorrow.

Carepeting comes on Thursday, still have to rip out the old to prep. All the walls have been painted and I did one accent wall in a burgundy red color. Very bold for me I must say but I think since I started doing paper Craft design I've gotten more bold with other things as well.

Furniture delivered on Friday and I cannot wait. I cannot wait to get settled in again and get organized. We have furniture everywhere! It is a mess, a huge mess in my house. I want to be back to normal!

Stay tuned......I will be posting soon with the fireplace and then of course the new furniture and carpeting later in the week. Once I get all of this done I should have some paper crafting time again!

Different kind of design!

I've been pretty busy. Doing what you are probably wondering? Well, I have a major house remodeling project going on. See the picture above? This was our fireplace when we moved into this house about 8 years ago. When we looked at the house and decided to purchase it was keeping in mind that we both hated the fireplace and that was going to be the first thing to go. Well once we moved in and had the carpeting professionally cleaned we found out there were huge issues in the carpeting due to former pets in the home. The only solution was to recarpet the entire house. Definately not our plan and definately not in our budget. So that meant that the fireplace and floor entry tile would need to wait.

Well here we are 8 years later finally getting to it! So I took all the wood off the fireplace and all the tile off the floor. I love home projects! Anyway, we hired a professional to cut the tile off the wall and then replace the drywall behind it. The same guy is also making us a custom fireplace.

The new tile was installed Wednesday and grouted yesterday. I'm not going to give any peeks yet as I want to wait until the fireplace is done which will be sometime this coming week. So pop back over and check for the updates!

New Projects!

The sneak peeks above are the projects of the month for the Wausau Paper Creative collection. These are both related to fall. One is a party favor for halloween and the other is a pumpkin patch layout. Both are made using the beautiful textures and colored cardstock from the Wausau paper Creative collection. Head over to the link below to see the full project photos and complete instructions.

http://mywpcreativecollection.com/BeCreative/Project-of-the-Month/archive.aspx

Check out these sites!

So Debby Lewis asked me to be guest designer for a new venture she is doing. I was thrilled! I've known Debby for quite some time now and she always seems to have lots of fun paper crafting things going. So head over to the following links so you can see some of the projects I have been creating for her new site!

http://www.debbysdares.blogspot.com/

http://www.debbysdreamstudio.com/

Leave me a comment and let me know what project you saw over on Debby's site that you plan to create!

Two Random winners!

Alrighty, it is time to draw winners as promised for the 2 class kits from Scrap Fest! So here the the winners along with their comments!


Donna said...
I would love to win this so that I could make the frame and then wax over it and give it to my daughter for her daughters room. I guess that makes me the grandma. I hate that word. I sent me over does that count? If not Lisa give the extra to Tami from MN

September 29, 2009 7:32 PM


Debby said...
a little paint, a lot of paper, hmmmm I would really have some fun.

September 25, 2009 6:20 PM

Winners, please send me an e-mail at lfalduto@charter.net with your full name and mailing address and I will get your prize out to you next week! Congrats to both of you!

Provo Craft/Costco Road Shows

Ok everyone, I have a new gig! I am going to be doing Costco Road Shows representing Provo Craft! I am pumped, excited, thrilled, and can hardly wait to do my demo at the end of October. These are Costco stores in the mid-west and they are going to have deals on the Cricut original machine, Cricut Expression, cartridges, essential tools pack like you have never seen before! I actually atteneded training down in Chicago last week and the Provo Craft folks are simply fantastic! I was so impressed by their knowledge and professionalism! I am so excited to be working with them!

So stay tuned for more details about my new Provo Craft adventures! I am not the only one doing these either and they are being held at several locations. If you want to know if a Costco/Provo Craft Road Show event is happening in your area of the mid-west (Wisconsin, Indiana, or Illinois) please send me an e-mail and I am happy to give you dates and locations close to you! lfalduto@charter.net

Giveaway from Scrap Fest!!!

Ok, as promised here is the giveaway! I have 2 kits exactly as shown that include the Cosmo Cricket Ready Set Chip, Class kit with full step by step instructions, and frame all from the Early Bird collection! Want to win?

Leave a comment on this post by Wednesday September 30 telling me why you want to win this kit and what you will do with the frame once it is made? Will you place it in a certain room? Give it as a gift? Another creative use? Let me know!

If you want additional entries send your friends over to my blog, have them add themselves as a follower and post a comment that they added themselves and that you sent them over. For each friend you send to do this that is not already a follower you get an extra entry!

I will draw the two winners on Thursday October 1st!

Scrap Fest photo and giveaway!!!

Ok, above you see a photo of the Cosmo Cricket booth at the Mall of America during Scrap Fest. The Archiver's folks said that they had sold 12,000 badges for the event. That is a lot of Scrappers in one place!

Stay tuned to my blog for a Scrap Fest related giveaway this week! Maybe I will even do more than one so check back often!

Scrap Fest Recap

I am home from Scrap Fest and what a fantastic event it was! I have to admit I am pretty tired! Long days, lots of talking, lots of fun, lots of energy, and just plain lots of time involved in paper crafting! So let me give you a little recap of my time at the Mall of America and Scrap Fest!

I arrived on Thursday and did a bit of shopping first. Later that day it was off to dinner with Michelle (Paper Crafting friend) and we had the nicest time catching up. It had been 2 years since we met at CHA Summer in Chicago and I was so excited Michelle had contacted me since she lives in the area! We had a wonderful dinner and a good amount of time finding out what each other has been up to!

Next it was off to meet up with Julie and Lindsay from Cosmo Cricket. They had just finished the vendor meeting and we were meeting to check into the hotel followed by booth set up later that evening. We didn't get to bed until 1:00 am and then it was up again Friday morning at 6:00 am to begin make and takes and teaching classes.

I taught the Happy Days Frame class and Julie taught a layout class. We both love teaching and Lindsay loves coming along to help. Now if I could just find a way to keep that microphone in my hands instead of his!

Make and takes at the event go from 9:00-5:00 and then after that we were off to the crop around town at the Eden Prairie Archiver's location. Each year Cosmo Cricket sponsors a Crop at the event and it is always a blast! Was a great group again this year and I always enjoy going around and talking to everyone and seeing what they are working on. Julie had a class planned for the crop and I assisted with that while Lindsay handled the fun, games, and prizes.

Saturday brought more make and takes, and we actually did not have a crop on Saturday night. Originally we planned to have dinner and play board games in our room that night but after dinner we were all beat and went back to the room to sleep!

Sunday starts at 11:00 so we were able to relax a bit before beginning classes and make and takes again.

I have to say that it is so much fun going to this event each year. Although I am in touch with Julie and Lindsay year round, this is the one chance I have to actually spend time with them and it is always so much fun! I have also met so many people at this event that return year after year and always stop to say hello. I also meet new people each round and hope that I will see them again the following year.

Special thanks to Sandra who dropped off a bag of very healthy treats on Friday. They were great to have in the booth to keep our energy levels up. Tami also deserves a thanks for the great goodie bag she dropped off on Sunday. It is so sweet of those folks to think of the manufacturers at Scrap Fest and know how many hours are put in to the event and how little time we have to eat along the way. Knowing so many care is wonderful and heartwarming. We also had others who dropped off fortunes or pieces of candy, or just stopped to chat and say hello.

I must admit I am really dragging today. But for me it is all worth it because for an entire 3 days I am involved with fellow crafters doing what we all love and are passionate about. So for the many of you I met and got a minute or two to chat with, thanks so much for taking the time to connect. I loved meeting and talking to each person along the way and I hope to see all of you again next year!

Where will I be?

It is that time of year again for me....the annual Archiver's Scrap Fest event at the Mall of America in Minnesota! I love Scrap Fest! I have been fortunatate enough to attend as a participant and then the last 3 years I have gone to teach, work the crops, and the make and take booth with Cosmo Cricket. So this year is no exception.......a total Cosmo Cricket weekend for me and I love it. Julie and Lindsay will be there and they are so much fun to hang out with.

If any of you plan on coming please make sure you stop by the Cosmo Cricket booth and say hello while you are there! Just ask for Lisa if you don't know what I look like and someone will find me!

This is my last post until next Monday the 21st. Then I will be back to tell all of you about Scrap Fest. If you have specific questions post them below and I will answer them as part of my follow up post!

Donna Downey classes!!!

Ok, as promised I am going to share a couple of images of things I did in the Donna Downey classes that I took this past weekend!

Both pictures are sample pages from a couple of the album projects we worked on in class and obviously they are not complete. the smaller samples are done using watercolor crayons. I've not used these before and I really enjoyed coloring first and then watching the water pool and swirl the colors. This was really fun and I love the swirly look of each color melting into the other.

So anyone want to place bets on when I will finish these? LOL

My weekend

Watch my blog, I will be posting pictures sometime this week!

Last weekend I was able to attend 3 classes by Donna Downey in Waukesha, WI. I came away very inspired and with so many new techiques. Mind you, the projects are not completed yet but I will take some pics of parts of each class so you can see. I tried modeling paste, watercolors, watercolor crayons, working on canvas, and so much more! It was a great experience and if you are ever able to take any classes by Donna, you will learn a great deal and come away with new inspiration!

Stay tuned for those photos coming soon!

Project freebies!!!

As some of you know, I do two projects each month for Wausau Paper Creative collection. These are step by step instructions along with a supply list so you can recreate the project yourself. One is more of a beginner project and the other is a more advanced project. Above are a couple of peeks for the projects that just went up for September. Below is a link to the September projects plus the past months I have done as well. So head over to get your free projects today!

http://mywpcreativecollection.com/BeCreative/Project-of-the-Month/archive.aspx

To be added to their newsletter e-mail list for reminders about projects of the month and other great news about happenings at Wausau Paper Creative Collection follow the link below-

http://mywpcreativecollection.com/KnowCreative/Newletter.aspx

Jolly by Golly project and chance to win!

Alrighty, I had some creative time this afternoon and this evening and finished the Jolly By Golly project as promised! As you can see from the photo I altered a Noel Christmas stocking hanger. I actually found this at Hobby Lobby on clearance for $1.00 a few months ago and have been waiting to alter it. So do you want a chance to win?

Here is what I am going to do...

This stocking hanger would be perfect for a Christmas stocking that measures 5" wide by 10" in length. So I want you to create a stocking that will coordinate with this Noel Hanger. You don't have to use Jolly By Golly (unless you have it and then I'd love to see what you create with it) but you do have to coordinate the colors. So use cardstock or other papers you have laying around. Or if you have been dying to pick up Jolly By Golly, now would be a good time!

1. Create your stocking
2. Post a link to the photo of your stocking on this blog post comment thread no later than Wed Sept 9th (that gives you one week)
3. On Thursday September 10th I will randomly draw a winner from all those that entered the create a Christmas stocking challenge!

The winner will get a nice little mini collection of Earth Love by Cosmo Cricket!

So what are you waiting for? Get creating!

It was a tie!

Ok, I have 6 for Earth Love and 6 for Jolly By Golly. So time for a coin flip! Heads is Jolly By Golly and tails is Earth Love. Ok, have a quarter, flipping, letting it land on the floor, and it is....

HEADS!

Ok, Jolly By Golly it is! So I will create something fun using that line and have it up today or tomorrow. So make sure to come back to see! For you Earth Love lovers, please do come back as well because I will create something fun with that line next, ok? I can't leave you guys out!

Need to create!!!

Ok, so last week I showed you the 3 brand new Cosmo Cricket new CHA summer collections.

Jolly By Golly
Boyfriend
Earth Love

Tell me which line you would like me to use and I will create something using the line that gets the most votes. Post your choice on this thread and on Wednesday morning I will start creating something using the most popular line. In case of a tie I will toss a coin!

Look what I made...

Ok, I've been in need of a crafting apron for when I pull out the messy stuff! This has been sitting in my "to do" pile and it finally made it to the top.

I started with an apron that I picked up at a local department store for $2.97. Then I found the fabric yo-yos at a craft store pre-made. I could have made these myself but when I found these in the colors I wanted on clearance there is no way I could have purchased fabric more reasonable!

I ironed the Yo-yo's on using Therm O Web's Heat and Bond. This stuff is wonderful and has a nice tight hold. I also cut the leaves using fabric and heat and bond and attached to the apron.

Then I created rhinestone swirls by making the pattern I wanted using iron on rhinestone and then secured them using my iron. Finally I added smaller yo-yo's to the top of the larger one by sewing them in place. I popped some buttons and bling on the top of each and called it done! This is a pretty dimensional apron with all the layers and such.

So do you have a crafty apron and is it plain or decorative?

Back to school

Next week it is back to school for my 5 year old! Off to Kindergarten with her! What will I do with my time you ask? Oh, believe me, I have tons of stuff around here that needs my attention! Lots of cleaning, organizing, and of course crafting.

Anyway, I am busy this week preparing to send her off. I spent some time reviewing the lunch menu and from day to day there was a recurring theme. Saturated fat, Trans fat, and canned fruits and veggies. Then I sat down with her and read through the menu and and out of the whole month there was only one day she said sounded good. Mind you, she is a very picky eater. I mean VERY!

So I decided if I wanted to offer a nutritionally sound meal I'd take matters into my own hands and send cold lunch. The thought of all those plastic baggies and paper napkins made me cringe. Then I found laptop lunches!

I love this system and we are practicing with it all week this week. I want her to get the concept and make sure everything gets put back in the box each day. I've also eliminated paper napkins and will be sending cloth. The only garbage item will be the wet wipe I send with her to clean her hands before she begins eating. We all know there is already big time talk of H1N1 this fall and I want those little hands to be clean before they hit her mouth with the healthy foods I will pack.

Anyway, if you are interested in finding out more about this system the web address is below. And no, I am not associated with the site in any way...stumbled upon it while looking for healthy cold lunch ideas!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

www.laptoplunches.com

Who is Jolly?

Jolly By Golly that is! Here is the third and final new release from Cosmo Cricket for CHA summer! A darling Chrismtas/Winter line with lots of good stuff. What is included in this marvelous collection of product?

1 paper crafting pack
12 Designer Cardstocks
Elements sheet
Borders
Cardstock stickers
1 sheet 12x12 ready set chip
1 package Icon rub ons
1 package letter rub ons
1 package ribbon
1 package Ready Set chip letters
1 6x6 mini deck

This line can not only be used for Christmas but winter as well. I love it because it isn't gender specific! Think of all the card possibilities and scrapbooking opportunities!

Ok, head over to the Cosmo Cricket website and check out the individual sheets of this paper. Then come back to my blog and leave a comment letting me know which sheet of paper is your favorite from this collection!

www.cosmocricket.com

Oh and did you know you can shop right on the cosmo cricket website? The cool thing is you place your order and it ships directly from a store near you that has the product...a win for retailers and a win for you too!

Another collection...

Alright today I feature another new Cosmo Cricket collection! This one is "The Boyfriend." Word directly from Cosmo is that this line is selling like hot cakes! I'm not surprised, since it is so versatile. It's great for school pages for male or female, great for husbands, sons, boyfriends, and even girls! So much you can create with this line from pages to home decor to cards for occasion, etc. I plan to make a coupon book using this line for Father's day next year....perfect!

Anyway, here is what is in the photo!

1 Paper crafting kit (12 Designer papers, element cards, borders, cardstock stickers)
1 sheet of 12"x12" Ready Set Chip
1 sheet of Ready Set Chip alphas
1 sheet of letter rub ons
1 sheet Icon rub ons
1 package ribbon
A 6"x6" mini deck (great for cards or photo mats)

Ok, tell me what you would create with this line!

Happy 100!!!!!!!!!!

No not me.......I am not 100, LOL!

Thanks to all who recently added themselves as a follower to my blog to reach 100 followers! Yipee....I am excited! Ok, you are all thinking I am sooooo silly! But really, I am excited and this calls for a celebration.

To celebrate I decided to go to Randomizer.org and enter 1-100. The result is the number 47! So I counted from the top of my followers and #47 is Maggi from North Carolina! Maggie you lucky girl you just won yourself a prize package! Did you read that? Not just a prize, but a prize package!!!! Send me an e-mail at lfalduto@charter.net with your mailing address and I will get your prize out to you!

See, you just never know when I am going to throw a little prize celebration on here and who will win! So what number of followers should I shoot for next? Leave me a comment and let me know. If I see a common theme occuring I will run with that number and of course when I reach it, I will have another impromtu random follower prize package!

Natural beauty...

Ok, I have in my hands the entire collection of Earth Love which is one of Cosmo Cricket's brand new lines. Three lines were released at CHA from Cosmo and this is the one I am sharing with you today!

I love the natural colors, the fun designs, the earthy feel of it all. This collection has many possibilities for how you could use it. Great for upcoming fall photos, good for any outside shots overall, you could use it to talk about your love for the environment or green changes you are or have made in your life, garden photos, kids playing outside photos, etc.

Now I want to tell you what is included in this collection!

Paper Crafting pack (12 patterned cardstocks double sided, element card, borders, and cardstock stickers)
Ready Set Chip (12x12 sheet)
Ready Set Chip letters and journaling boxes
Package of letter/sayings rub ons
Package of Icon rub ons
Ribbon
Mini Deck which is 6"x6", wonderful for cards and photo mats!

I would love to hear if you have purchased any of this line. If you have and you have actually created something with it leave me a comment with a link to where I can see it because I want to take a peek at what you have created. If you have not yet, then tell me what you think you would create first if you had this line or just tell me what it is you love about the Earth Love line!

Winner, and thanks!

First of all, a huge thanks for the supportive comments and e-mails on my post yesterday. It means so much to me that so many of you care! Things are on track again today and the pity party is over! LOL

Second, I wanted to say another thanks for the folks who recently added themselves as a follower of my blog. I am up to 98 followers now, and only a couple left to go before I hit 100!

Third, as promised I am choosing a winner of the Heidi Grace Stamp set and Fiskars Stamp block sets from my Augus 6th post. So the winner is---

sandyh50 said...
Hi Lisa, I love checking out your blog and seeing your work. Great giveaway! Thanks for the chance!

August 6, 2009 10:50 PM

Sandy....send me at e-mail at lfalduto@charter.net with your mailing address so I can get your prize out to you! Congrats!

Stay tuned this week as I have had new product arrivals that I will be showing off! The first collection will be tomorrow! Yes, I said collection...as in entire collection. This week I will show them off before ripping open the packages and then next week I plan to do a little something fun with each collection!

I had a bad day...

Ok, I know we all have them...days where things don't how you had hoped they would. Well today I received some news that made me feel really sad. Over the past year I have poured my heart and soul into a dream...a dream that I never imagined would be possible and yet it became possible. I am so grateful for that dream coming true and I wish with all my heart that the dream were not ending. But it is my reality and it hurts and it stinks and it doesn't feel good to not have any control over that dream. No way to change it, no way to know, didn't see it coming, and taken by surprise. It hasn't mattered how hard I've worked, how committed I've been, how loyal I've been, how creative I've been, or how many folks have told me that as a result of my dream/work how inspired they have been and how much they can relate to my work more than others because it is real. The reality is, that dream is over.

Now I am an optimistic person by nature! I tend to feel my hurt and pain, pull myself up by my bootstraps and move on. I know there is a plan for me...a new dream I will dream that I will try to make reality. I don't know what that dream is yet but I do know one thing......

If I am going to create something new for myself I cannot spend too much time looking at that closed door. I have to look for the open door and head down that path into what my next dream will be!

Wanna help?

Ok, I have this goal for my blog...I want to have 100 followers! I am only 9 away from getting to that mark! Oh, I am so close! Do you have a crafty friend that you think would enjoy following my blog? If so send them over and let them know to add themselves as a follower!

I appreciate each and every one of you who take the time to pop in to my blog and see what I am up to! So thanks for continuing to come back, for being so supportive of the work I do, and for always having such wonderful comments to share with me. That is my favorite part about my blog is getting to read the comments that each of you leave!

So here is a layout I created from our last family vacation. We were sitting in the airport and my daughter started asking daddy questions about what he was listening to. So he let her take a turn and he could not get it back...she was hooked. So started snapping pictures and created this layout!

You just never know when you may need your camera to capture an everyday moment. I just think it is so cute when little kids get into technology! I know it is normal for them but thinking that it wasn't when I am little and how sometimes I am really challenged by technology it just cracks me up when she picks something up and is hooked right away!