My craft fair season did not go well. I had prepared 100 + cards, 9 various stationary sets, 20+ tea matchbooks, 12 envelopes of homemade cappuccino (1 serving size), 12 jars homemade cappuccino, 6 mini notebooks, 6 notebooks with matching pen, and Santa, reindeer and snowman soup. I did sell 2 jars of homemade cappuccino at $8 each, 8 envelopes of cappuccino 6 teabag matchbooks at $1 each, 1 card at $2.50 and 1 mini notebook at $4. Mom had made some coasters for me to set out as well and there were no takers on that. Many of the crafters said that it was a poor year because it occurred before the pension checks were out. I’m not sure how drastic the pension checks affected the sales but I did learn some lessons. The main thing is people here do not like packaging. I had the cards packaged with a matching stamped envelope and the inside verse displayed. The notebooks with matching pen were packaged together as were the stationary sets. There were less than five people who glanced in their direction. All in all, I made just over the cost of my tables and gas. I’m glad I did it just for the experience, but next year? We’ll have to see.

Work is going well. I'm not even out of training and am already getting a 6 day week. I don't mind the job and actually think I will enjoy it once I'm out of training. That will be Wednesday, by the way. I can't wait to just get at it.

Two peas in a pod

Last weekend Mom and Dad and Isabella came to visit. It was fun seeing them and especially watching Lavinia and Isabella play together. This time Lavinia was following Isabella’s lead. It’s very interesting because at home and at her Nanny’s she rules the roost. Lavinia seemed to go to bed well Friday night so the last night we put the two girls together in Lavinia’s bed. They did really good. Realistically I thought Lavinia might keep Isabella up and we might need to separte them but I never heard a sound that night. Lavinia did not “sneak out” that night. Lately she’s been raiding the refrigerator in the middle of the night while we are sleeping. The next morning we’d wake up to find cheese slice wrappers or empty yogurt containers. There were no signs of that behavior on Sunday morning. Isabella still slept in a bit. Mom and Dad were stunned that she was not awake. When she did wake up Mom asked her, “How did you sleep last night?” Isabella said, “Not very well. Lavinia was peeping all night.” None of us really knew what she meant so Mom asked, “ Really. How did she do that?” Isabella said, “Like this. Peep, peep, peep, peep.” Even though Isabella had a rough night, it was a great visit. The two girls were like two peas in a pod.

Stress

I’ve been pretty busy since going back to work. Since working full time I feel really pressed for time. I suspect I will feel this way until the New Year. All last weekend I’ve been packaging the items I made for the craft fair. This weekend we are having visitors. I did not get as many projects done for the craft fair as I would have liked but at least I have something to put on the table. When I worked full time before I didn’t have much else on the go and fast easy meals. Since I stopped working I did a lot more cooking and baking. I had a lot more time to exercise. Lavinia really enjoyed baking from scratch and helping me cook. I have not exercised regularly since going back to work. I still want to continue less fast food, take-out, and pre-made dinners but need to find a way to manage my time. I also have got to take some time to organize the piles on my desk. Time management is key and I need a crash course.

Tool Time Tuesday

My latest purchase of scrapbooking supplies was spent on this product - the Crop-a-dile. Actually I was down to the end of my customer card at the local scrapbook store so I had $20 off any product. This baby only cost me just under $10 CAN. Great buy. To me, it is definitely worth the $30 at full price. It has a 1/8 and 3/16 punch on each side and an eyelet/snap setter. I admit I love the hammer. I really like to bang out those eyelets and not be constricted by how close it is to the edge. Silent setters never interested me in the slightest. Well I thought that if I bought this thing I should try it out. Since I am going through adhesive like crazy I thought I would save some and attatch my main image on the covered notebook on the right with eyelets. Since I adhered the eyelets before covering the notebook cover the desired area were not too close to the end of the page and it was a bit cumbersome for that reason. The actual attaching of the eyelet was very easy on both the eyelets and my hands. I do prefer the hammering method but would definitely use my cropadile if the desired area were close to the edge or if I can not hammer because Lavinia is asleep. The great news is that I did not buy this product for the setter though. Last year I went through a number of punches making paper bag books and this year I broke another punch while making my covered notebooks for the craft fair. I had heard that the Cropadile was made for heavy-duty use so I decided that after spending way over $30 in punches that had broken and trips to the scrapbook store to get them, the Cropadile would be worth trying. With my covered notebooks, I added chipboard to the front and back and because of my previous punches limitations I would have to punch all separately and the pressure would reek havoc on my hands. I knew this was the product for me once I used the punch the first time. It went through the paper cardstock, and chipboard with ease. It says that you can even use it on tin. I have not tried but I do believe that you could. I made all of these mini covered notebooks (stacked in the pic) and 3 large notebooks in one evening. Before having the cropadile I would do two notebooks in one evening. I recommend this product to anyone making mini-books and covered notebooks. If you only make cards or scrapbook pages unless you are really into silent setters, I would stick to a good quality punch.

Monochromatic Monday

Monochromatic colors are all the hues of one color. For scrapbooking the warms colors look great with sepia tones and the cool colors look great with cool tones. I will use this effect on my pages mostly when I have great embellishments that I love on the page, but they seem to overpower the pictures. Using monochromatic tones reduces their power. It could also be used to create a peaceful effect. Here are some of my projects using a green monochromatic color scheme.

This was another page done during the last VSBN. It was done for the Ireland challenge, which was to complete a layout in monochromatic green while following the sketch.
Journaling reads: Carly and I met at Canoe Cove Christian Camp in the mid '80s. We saw each other only once a year but wrote often. Once we could drive we saw each other more often. Throughout time we often lived far from each other. But we lived in the same dorm for 6 months. We worked in the same mall for 6 months. We love to laugh. We love to sing. We love to be crazy. This is us being crazy in the garden. My 16th birthday Aug 27,1991. Stamps: Noteworthy Paper: $ store patterned paper, green cardstock Ink: Whisper White, White Souffle pen Accessories: Vintage clip art, sticker quote, Monogram Rub ons Techniques: blocking

I made this cardset for the craft fair. There is 2 of each design. I used Reverse Prints (now retired) and Noteworthy (also retired). I also made a notebook with matching pen. I’m still not sure if I will sell together or separately so people have the option to mix and match. All papers were from my miscellaneous paper pile so I am not aware of the manufacturer I used Glorious Green Ink.

This is a 4 ½ x 4 ½ card The stamp is Katie&co. and the papers were again from my miscellaneous paper pile. I used Jet Black Staze on ink.

The color is off in these cards. They are more green than they seem. I used the poinsetta image from Happiest of Holidays. I used Old Olive ink and a black Zig pen for faux stitching.

Scrapbook Sunday - This month I decided to not go with a particular scrapbooking theme but to instead show some of my favorite pages from this past Virtual Scrapbook Night. The even occurs every three months on www.splitcoaststampers.com. The normal routine is that there is a preview, which is an evening of challenges (3 because each lasts 2 hrs) for those who are new so they can get a taste of the big event. Then there is a weekend when a new challenge is posted every 2 hours. It is very challenging for people like me who spend days on one page. You do not have to do each challenge but can it you want. It’s so fun to get a lot done. The October event was the sites third VSBN.
I saw a similar layout on someone’s blog (unfortunately I can’t remember which one) and modified it to fit a 12x12 page. I made this for the Italy challenge, which was to use the color of wine and some heat embossing on the page. I embossed the title and the smaller words to each side.

Journaling reads: We went to the old playground in the National Park. It was very windy but Lavinia did not want to leave the slide. She didn’t even want to walk the trails. She loved that slide. Cavendish Sept 2006

Papers: Costco generic Stamps: LetterPress Alphabet, Noteworthy Ink: Perfect Plum

I did this layout for the France challenge. which was to use brown to complete a vintage look to your layout. Also embellish well. I normally love metal and ribbons; I left it out on this layout. There was a bonus for sepia tones, which I did not do. Journaling reads: Jason, Taryn, and Lavinia spent the day at Woodleigh Replicas while visiting Grammie and Grampie MacLellan for a week. September 2006

Paper: Simply Scrappin' Vintage papers and stickers, $ store patterned paper Ink: Basic Brown for aging Accessories: Basic Grey Urban Couture alphabet stickers, vintage clip art, library pocket.

I did this layout for the Scotland challenge, which was to use plaid in your layout.
Journaling reads: When I was little both Philip and Tanya’s friends called me “Little Philip”. That always made me feel so proud. Philip was the smart one who always excelled in school. My grades were never that good. After pursuing a PhD in Economics he made a decision to start a different career path. He then went to school to become a teacher. He practice taught in my high school and I loved spending time with him.
I loved to follow Tanya around everywhere. Sometimes she would do my hair. Later she became a hairdresser and she continued to do my hair for years. She was in 4-H and I remember her being very good at cooking and crafts, which I could never do. She did introduce me to scrapbooking, which later became my obsession. Stamps: Letterpress Alphabet Paper: Real Red, Paper Pizzazz Christmas plaid paper, white cardstock Ink: Read Red, White Souffle pen

The next Virtual Scrapbook Night (should really be weekend) should be January. Close to that time we will see threads in the forums with the dates and a shopping list of what you would need on hand for each challenge in the event.

Stamp Set Saturday

Stampin’ Ups Fun Filled stamp set is my latest acquisition. It is one that didn’t impress me when I first looked at it but once I started using it, it is one of the sets that I reach for most often. It is just so versatile. I love the background swirl. It’s good for any kind of card. The whole set is so versatile. Here’s some cards and projects I’ve used with this set.

For the craft fair I did some gift sets and mini gift sets. I really love coffee so I did one of each kind with a coffee theme. Here is a mini gift set. It has a mini notebook, matching pen, 4 3x3 gift cards and a mini post-it-note holder. The coffee mug was made with a 2 step basket/purse stamp. This means there is one stamp to stamp the outline of the basket/purse stamp, then I stamp again to fill it in. Actually I would do the fill first and then the outlining but it is easier to explain the steps backwards without having a visual. I used the swirl stamp for the background. All papers came from my miscellaneous scraps so they are a variety of brands. I used Chocolate Chip and Elegant Eggplant ink.

Here is a regular gift set with 2 cards instead of 4 gift tags. I used Basic Brown ink for the background swirls and used Pixie Pink and Pink Passion for the image. The sentiment reads, “I’d rather be shopping”.

Not only does the stamp set make different kinds of cards but it can also be used with other stamps for even more versatility. Here is another gift set (can you tell I’m getting ready for a craft fair?) using just the background swirls of Fun Filled. I got the main image is Katie & co. and used the Linen background stamp and “baby” from Noteworthy on the panels. My last gift set used the background swirl from Fun Filled as well.

The snoopy stamp is by Stampabilities. Fun Filled is such a great set to use. The 2 step stamp make it easy to do cards fast. You do not have to color the image but also have the option to do so if desired. The background swirls add interest to the whole card, not just the focal point. There is also a flower image and a bow to go on top of the basket/purse 2 step stamp. The stamp set definitely surpasses my expectations.

Fakey Friday

My challenge for last months VSBN was to have people make Faux-Leather for their pages. The look is created using masking tape, dye ink, and clear embossing powder. My challenge was to use this technique to create fake crocodile skin.

For the first example the Big Easy, I made lines with my masking tape and cut out circles and ovals to look like the skin of a crocodile. It took a while and since there is a 2 hr time limit, the rest of the page had to be very simple. I did not have or take any pictures while I was in Louisiana so I used my postcards from the area and one picture of Robin and me who was in Louisiana with me, even though the picture was taken in Los Angeles.

Journaling reads: In 1999 I toured Louisiana and Arkansas with David Groves and Robin Black. After 3 years on the road I'd lost so many cameras that I gave up taking pictures and bought postcards instead. These postcards are particularly special because it was my favorite place – the French Quarter. We went to Café du Monde often and get coffee and baguettes. Each time the same trumpet player was there and I thought it was so funny when I saw him on the postcard. I loved Arkansas and northern Louisiana but because we had gaps in our itinerary, I booked more shows near New Orleans so we could spend most of our time there.
We were in Lake Charles for Fat Tuesday and the celebrations were tamer than the New Orleans version but still a lot of fun. We still saw lots of parades and went dancing on Bourbon St many times. Because of one of our school programs we had the opportunity of a lifetime. The teacher previously worked for the mayor and was still involved in many charities and was able to get us in the stands where the mayor and the judges sat. It was so amazing. When she found that I was a big Harry Connick Jr. fan, she also got us in to see the Orpheus parade. I did not get a good look at Harry because he turned and kissed his wife right when he passed. I did see Sandra Bullock as she was presented with keys to the city.
I loved the cultural diversity – Creole, Acadian, Southern, and urban. It was such a great mix and the food was so delicious. Cajun food is the best. I tried many new foods that were so delicious. I tried crawdads, jambalaya, and even tried alligator. It tasted like spicy pork to me.
Hurricane Katrina struck last year in 2005 around the end of August. It was a horrible devastation to the area. New Orleans was completely under water and even areas in the northern LA were destroyed. It was such a horrific thing to happen to this great area and to the great people in it. I sometimes think of the time I spent there and wonder what happened to the great people we met and who took us into their homes. The destruction was so bad that New Orleans is still finishing rebuilding now a year later. According MardiGrasday.com many hotels are taking reservations and this year will be a big celebration of life. After going through hell and surviving, I can’t think of better people that deserve a good time.

Stamps: Letterpress Alphabet Paper: Bravo Burgundy, scrap paper under faux leather, Old Olive Ink: Old Olive, printer ink for journaling Other: metal edge tag, vintage clip art, burgundy ribbon, library pocket, key sticker from Simply Scrappin' Vintage pack

On my other sample page, I decided to use holographic EP instead of clear for a variation. Journaling is just Lavinia’s full name and Spring 2005.

Stamps: Letterpress Alphabet Paper: neon green cardstock for base, tan cardstock Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Handsome Hunter Other: masking tape, Holographic EP, heat gun, circle punch, paper fastener, silk flower

A tutorial for the faux leather technique can be found in the resources section on www.splitcoaststampers.com.

3D Thursday

I made this purse card holder for the upcoming craft fair to include a set of 8 cards. I really like the look. Double sided papers would be perfect for making these.

Paper: light green cardstock, brown scraps, Stamps: Linen background (SU), Flower Power Alphabet (SeeD’s) Ink: Basic Brown, white Souffle pen for faux-stitching, Other: Prima flower, paper fastener, mini-brads.

Wednesdays Words

You are part of all that surrounds you. Celebrate your connection to the beauty and mystery of Life – Flavio

I made a covered notebook and card. I’m trying to make quick and easy projects to sell at the craft fair for a number of reasons. It will not take as long to make, keep costs down, and some people like the simple look. I’ll see how this year goes to see if I’ll do it again next year and if I’ll keep it simple or get more complicated. The card is made with Close to Cocoa and white cardstock. I’m not sure the name of the vender on the corner stickers and the vellum quote. Those came from the supplies I’ve been keeping for years. The notebook is made with Basic Grey paper from the Urban Couture collection. The vellum quote and rub-on came from my stash of miscellaneous supplies.