Customer Art

I have a couple of pieces that customers have sent.  I always love to get art from customers who use what they buy here to make fabulous things.

First comes a great tag from Betsy Gray.  Betsy used the little goodie bag she got with her order to make this tag....how cute is that!

Then Purnima made this fabulous tag with her new Tim Holtz Distress Stains.

Fabulous creations...don't you think?

Have some fabulous art to share?  Send it along to me at sue.stoughton@gmail.com and it will post at some future time....

Fabulous Friday with Kate - Chevron Pattern with Washi Tape

Today Kate works with Washi tape to make a card with a chevron pattern but not just for cards, this technique will be your next 'go to' technique to add a burst of fabulous to all your projects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niikOwDEA0Y

it's a great video and great instructions.  Have fun watching....and here's one of projects made with today's techniques...

15000 - A Celebration - 15% Off Everything

You guys are the best...you know that, right?

So this past weekend I hit a milestone that was a goal to reach by the end of the year.....15000 sales...

So much for considering this a hobby and not a career...

So, since you are responsible for the phenomenal results....you get the present.

Very simple sale....15% off everything until Sunday at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com

Because you are blog followers, you get this one day before the rest of the world.

Use coupon code blog15 to automatically receive 15% off your total purchase (except shipping)

If your shipping charges are high because you put a lot of stuff in the cart, remind me in the comments on the order and I will adjust the shipping charges when i print your shipping label.  Cannot adjust afterwards....if you have problems with the coupon code, email me before you process your order.

Thanks again so much for making all of this possible.

A Project From Special Cupcake

A while back on one of our out-in-the-country scrapbook weekends, I was calling everyone cupcake.  What a fabulous page, cupcake.  Love the paper you used, cupcake...etc....etc....etc.  So one of the girls pointed out that she thought she was my only cupcake....so I said that she was not my only cupcake, but she is my special cupcake....so it stuck.....

My special cupcake Jessie does these amazing 7gypsies trays...I posted her winter one earlier this year.  Since she was kind enough to send me a pic, I thought I would share....fabulous...don't you think?

So when Jessie showed her tray around to the others, some of them got inspired and some of them pointed out that they could really just have one tray with velcro in the spots and make a different set of cards for different seasons and change out the cards and it all got very exciting....so much inspiration....do you have a pic of a tray to share?

Kerry's Remaining Project - Comment for a Chance to Win

Kerry has even more goodness to share....This is her last project.  I'm sure you'll agree that Kerry has been a great source of inspiration.  Leave a comment about Kerry's great projects between now and November 1 and I'll draw for a $20 credit to www.itsalwaysfabuous.etsy.com

Here's what Kerry says about her fourth project:

I had so much fun making this mini.  I found a video on youtube to make my own mini coin envies.  I found a template online for this at http://houseofstirfry.com/chia/templates/coinenv01.html

For this project I used 3 different paper packs...and I mixed and matched them....I used Pink Paislee Hocus Pocus, Basic Grey eeerie, and Fancy Pants Designs Oct. 31st paper.  I used all three papers for the colors and the theme....and could interchange them....they still worked great together.

I had fun using the Stickles on the cover and using Crystal Effects for added dimension.  I used the Stickles straight from the bottle and kinda used the bottle tip to move the Stickles around.

I used my distresser on the edges and added a little Tim Holtz distress ink to emphasize the distress.

I love to use my Spellbinders dies to create tags and frames.  I use my trusty Big Shot or my Cuttlebug with my Spellbinder Dies....they work just great.

The tags in the envies got sprayed with Tattered Angels mist and then stamped with Crafty Secrets stamps.

When I got all the individual envies done, I played with the sequence until I was happy with the way the papers worked together.

Fabulous Friday with Kate

hey guys welcome to another fabulous friday video.  today, we are going to make a super quick & easy paper 'flower embellishment.' if you would like to follow along with the video please click link below.  i have also, included step by step  photographs.  here were go :)

supplies needed: 12"x1" strip of double sided pattern paper, scissors, scor-tape (or any other strong think adhesive), paint brushes (or any round objects in varying sizes i.e., pen, glue stick), buttons, twine/thread (embellishment for flower center

select a double sided pattern paper and cut into 12"x1" strip

apply thin adhesive to both sides of paper, making sure the orientation on both sides is the same

leave a one inch space at one end of the the side you wish to be visible 

the thinner the adhesive the lower profile the flower will have, the thicker the adhesive the taller it will sit on you project

make perpendicular cuts along entire strip of paper in varying sizes making sure to cut all the way to bottom of adhesive

you can use any scissors, i happen to have the martha stewart fringe scissors that make it go a lot faster

(9)(8) i miss numbered ...

once you have cut strips the entire length of paper you will chose the size flower you would like to create

the size is determined by the center of flower

if you wrap paper around a large circle object you will have a larger flower, and the same for smaller 

here i wanted to make a smaller flower so i am using a think paint brush

remove adhesive backing from both sides

i start with area that does not have adhesive (don't want our flower sticking to paintbrush) and roll 

remove flower from brush and press firmly in center to spread petals

choose a button or other embellishment large enough to cover center of flower

adhere flower to project ( i use glossy accents for this step)

hope you try this out on your next project! thanks so much for watching! see you next week :)

to see a video of this demo go to  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh_68CfKWy4

Where Have I Been?

Every year about this time, I take a bunch of the most fabulous scrappers on the planet (that live in the midwest) out to camp.  We go from Friday to Sunday and have great times with great people.....beautiful surrounding, outstanding food and all the scrap space and time you can use....  So last weekend was that weekend.  74 of us met to do what we love....we played with paper.  So I pack up the store and we go.....and because I pack up the store gradually and then have to unpack it at record paced to fill orders when we get back....I get a little lost....but I'm back now.


For those of you looking for Kate's Fabulous Friday Video from last week, it will be posting later today.  But now, I bring you another excellent project from Guest Designer Kerry.  Don't forget to visit Kerry's blog to get a coupon code good at www.itsalwaysfabulous.etsy.com


I love the way that Kerry uses bits and pieces on this layout.......design elements like the scalloped border that 'float' on the page that tie the whole thing together....and who can resist that face....


For this project Kerry used: October Afternoon 5 and dime, and rocket age paper
used October Afternoon Kite Tales stamp
Rocket age chipboard and stickers and miscellany
Jenni Bowlin No 9 Spiced Tin
Basic Grey basics manilla paper as well

Easel Card from Guest Designer Kerry

Today Kerry shares a fabulous easel card that she made using the Rocket Age papers...here are her comments about the project:

I love the little boy in this collection he so reminds me of my son.  my son is about the same age as the little boy in the stamp now..so it's like his twin!!

for the little boy I fussy cut him out..and paper pieced his shirt and pants from the October Afternoon Rocket Collection Paper…I love to paper piece…its so fun to do instead of coloring.  i did color his face and hair arms with my copics On the little boys shirt I added Crystal effects to pop up the planet on his shirt…I tend to color with Copics and Prisma color pencils a lot..I like to blend the colors to give the image more dimension.

This collection is one of my favorite of all times..because its out of what I normally create in and its fun to just let the boy in me out..I tend to be really girly!!! 

I used my Jenni Bowlin Spice to ink around the edges

when I saw the moon card from the Miscellany Pack I knew I wanted to use it and for it to be a major element in my design  I usually have a centerpiece that I create around, that works best for me..then I can focus on the items I need to match it with.

I used crystal effects on the moon and the planet on the boys shirt   Crystal effects is one of my "go to" items I seem to use a lot..it just give the item a finished look to it.

and I so love to make easel cards they look like they take a long time but really are very easy to make .here is the link for the easel card…its too hard to try and explain..but this is how I learned it from these instructions and video!!

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/easelcard

I think that you will all agree that Kerry's results are incredible.....More from Kerry later....she has much more to share.  Here are the pics of her project

Fabulous Friday With Kate - A Layout - Start to Finish - Part 2

Here is the fabulous conclusion to last weeks layout ...enjoy.


Click here to see the video.  

Guest Designer - Featuring Kerry Duff

Kerry is a fabulous artist and fabulous youtube participant.  Her enthusiasm for her craft and her life are contagious.  Although Kerry and I have not met in person, we share our passion for all things paper.  I asked Kerry to talk about herself a bit and this is what she had to say:

I started Scrapbooking in 1994 with Creative Memories…and was hooked on scrapbooking from the very 1st class..and even went on to sell it for a while.  I am married to a wonderful man of 17 years, and have 2 loves of my life , Makenna 12, and Griffin 7.  I am in the Ohio Air National Guard as an Active Duty Member, and have served for 23 years and will retire in less then 5 years, its a job that lets me afford to scrapbook, and I have great friends there.  I found scrapbooking on youtube in July of 2010, and have made lots of great connections with people on there..and truly learned so much about scrapbooking, and mixed media.  I have also run a lot of 5/10Ks and 1 1/2 marathon.   By way of introduction - I asked Kerry some questions...those and her answers are below: your favorite thing to work on is:  Layouts for scrapbooks (my kids love to look at them) and making minis of any kind and cards  your favorite paper company is:  not fair question LOL!!!  I like them all…G45, K and Co, October Afternoon, Sassafrass Lass, Websters, PinkPaislee, 7 Gypsies, Basic Grey  your go-to product is:  my ATG, paper of any kind  your style can best be described as:   I don't really have a style…it depends on my mood and the project can be real clean and simple or grungy and heavy with embellishments most my scrapping gets done: (when)  the weekends in the morning, and weeknights after the kids homework..and Mondays I am off during the day kids at school  if i could only take three crafty things with me on a long weekend they would be:  my ATG, something to cut with, and paper!!

So you can see why we think Kerry is fabulous.  Without further ado - here's Kerry's first project followed by her notes on the project:

On this layout the font I used in the photo collage was a driving factor of what style I was going to use.  Old School!!

I like a lot of layers but knew I couldn't make it a bulky since it was going to go into a scrapbook album
and I am finding that I like to use a lot of different papers… just by getting out all the papers I like..see how they go and how they don't go..and use the ones I really like… I tend to use my scraps 1st..that is if I find one I like otherwise I start with a whole new piece of paper…and I try to stay with the same company…but not always…sometimes I use many different companies..but in a way that, they match.

Then I just cut pieces from the papers I like and lay them out on the page..and this is the fun part..   A lot alot of times I will have seen a layout that I like from a magazine, the internet, a blog and use that as inspiration…and I make it my own…sometimes I cut all the pieces and sometimes I tear away…it really depends on the project and my mood!! As far as the shapes of the pieces I just cut or tear…and see how it works…sometimes it does and sometimes I have to rethink it!!

My favorite element on this page is the notebook paper that I stamped and then crumpled all up..there is some kinda satisfaction about that for me..I flatten it out somewhat..and distress it them a lil Tim Holtz Ink.  When I distress I mainly use a foam applicator.

I like when there is a mess up..and it just works!!

I also inked all the edges of everything withTim Holtz Distress Ink.  I seem to distress a lot of the items I create with…it just makes it blend into the project better...
Kerry has lots more to share.  Visit her YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/duffer9904.  It's possible that Kerry has a coupon to share....ya never know.

Come back tomorrow for more from Kerry....you won't be disappointed.