Fall issue and 2012 Calendar news!

Be sure to RUN to your local scrapbooking store to pick up the fall 2011 issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today....or you can always download it for FREE by clicking here. See if you can eye-spy two layouts of mine..."Hike" and "A Girl and Her Dog" are hidden in that issue with some kinda coolio techniques on both of them. ;0)
Also, starting on October 14th, you may begin pre-ordering the 2012 PageMaps Sketch Calendar. For more information, click here. I will be creating a layout for November of this calendar. Wheee!

Today's the day!!!

Today's the day that registration begins for ScrapFest Oshawa 2011 at 8pm EST. I am teaching a class on the Saturday night that you don't want to miss. Here are the deets:

Patchwork Quilt Photo Album

Date: Saturday, Oct 15th, 2011

Time: 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm (2.5 hours)

Location: Campus Wellness and Recreation Centre (Durham College) in Oshawa, Ontario
Skill Level: Beginner and up
Focus: Design
Price: $49.00 + HST (This DOES NOT include your Marketplace pass!)

Class Description
Make an entire album in just two hours! Each participant receives a 12"x12" Xyron Everyday Stories brown leather album (retail for $40US). Heart warming patterned paper by Jillibean Soup (Homemade 6 Bean Soup) and crafty cardstock by Core'dinations (Kraft-Core) compliment the layout of this 6 double-page album. Create a patchwork quilt of all your favourite photos from over the years. Embossing, sanding and stitching are just the icing on top of this workshop that you don't want to miss! Only 20 spots available.

Photos for album (can be added after the class):

Mostly 4"x6" and 6"x4" but additional sizes can be used.

All the student will need to bring is their basic tool kit. All other supplies will be provided by the instructor. Students need to bring to class a basic tool kit.

Sponsors: Scrapbook & Cards Today, Xyron (Everyday Stories Album), Core'dinations, Jillibean Soup.

Summer lovin' with Kraft-Core

It's a problem, people.

My stash of Core'dinations' *NEW* Kraft-Core is starting to dwindle. The shakes could be setting in soon.
This layout uses 30 different embossing folders (Quickutz, Cuttlebug, Sizzix, Stampin' Up!/Sizzix) and a Stampin' Up/Sizzix "Embosslit" which cuts and embosses 6 buttons at once.

Supplies: Core'dinations cardstock (Kraft-Core) and Sand-It Gadget tool, Cuttlebug embossing folders, Sizzix embossing folders and flower dies, Stampin' Up/Sizzix embossing folders and buttons Embosslit, Quickutz embossing folders and letter dies, American Crafts layering tape, Font: Mason, other: sewing machine and thread.

Want a close-up of those flowers? In order to make them I cut the flowers first with Tim Holtz/Sizzix and Sizzix flower dies. I then embossed each flower layer with a different embossing folder. I then sanded them and adhered them to a separate sheet of kraft paper. I attached the buttons with layering tape and then trimmed the over-hanging petals and attached it to the main sheet of kraft paper.

Oh, yes. Kraft-Core is going to be a problem for me. A very enjoyable problem.

And now...a Kraft-Core layout!

Kraft-Core is the latest product coming from Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock. They have paired up with Tim Holtz to bring us 24 different coloured cardstock with kraft paper in the core. You can sand it, tear it, emboss it or just leave it as is. Coming from a diehard kraft paper fan this is fan-friggin-tastic!

Supplies: Core'dinations Kraft-Core cardstock and Sand-It Gadget tool, Sizzix owl die, Stampin' Up!/Sizzix letter dies, Quickutz letter embossing folder and branch die, Cuttlebug embossing folder (for owl's chest), We R' Memory Keepers Sew Easy tool (to add small holes to the blue strip), Uniball white pen, Xyron adhesive, American Crafts layering tape, Font: Mason.

Helpful Hints: To create the tiny holes in the blue border strip I used my We R' Memory Keepers' Sew Easy tool. I ran the basic straight-stitch hole maker over the strip and then lightly sanded to reveal the kraft paper core.

Use Core'dinations for all your diecuts. It allowed me to add great dimension to this owl by sanding the edges and embossing and sanding his chest. This is where it pays to have WAY too many embossing folders in your stash. ;0)

Kraft Core...a card!

Today I have a card to share which I just made last night with the *NEW* Kraft Core by Core'dinations. I used 6 different Tim Holtz/Sizzix embossing folders since this collection is a Tim Holtz/Core'dinations product.

Supplies: Core'dinations cardstock (Kraft Core) and Sand-It Gadget tool, Tim Holtz/Sizzix embossing folders, Stampin' Up!/Sizzix letter dies, Xyron Creatopia adhesive, other: sewing machine and thread. This card is based on a sketch by Becky Fleck from her book Scrapbook PageMaps 2 (page 47).

Here's a trick:
In order to sand the small black letters I first had to adhere them to the card using my Xyron Creatopia and then sand them. They are much to small to sand before attaching and the Xyron provides the adhesive you need to keep them in place for the sanding.

ETA: Today, over on the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog, I wrote up some instructions on how to make a pair of these little beauties.

Kraft paper meets Core'dinations!!!

Christmas has come early. A dream has finally come true. Core'dinations has come out with a cardstock line with kraft paper in the core. 24 colours. The best part? It arrived at my house today. I *just* finished making a huge pot of coffee and I am heading up to the craft cave now.
Stay tuned...

Xyron Creatopia meets knitting

The other day, on the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog, I posted the following card for the 3T (Tips, Tricks and Techniques) feature of the week. I am assigned the last Tuesday in each month if you want to add that to your blog-cruising calendar. My article was all about going back to your crafting roots and trying to add your crafting skills to layouts and cards. My mother and grandmother armed me with multiple crafting skills and I really want to start adding some of those skills to my future projects.

Supplies: Jillibean Soup kraft paper and patterned paper, Xyron Creatopia (fabric adhesive), Patons yarn, Font: Another Typewriter, other: sewing machine, thread, bamboo skewers.

Finally....Happy Canada Day! Happy 4th of July!