Well it's official!

So I'm a new writer for Scrapbook Update. Nancy Nally did a wonderful write-up of me HERE! I've done a couple of freelance pieces for her (360th bday party for Fiskars, and the "swag" article" last summer.) My official "beat" will be direct sales and the die cut market (both electronic and manual) in addition I'll get to run some fun pieces as the topics come up.

The support from the crafting community and family and friends has been amazing!

The wonderful comments I have been getting from the readers, and my fiskateer friends and friends and family on facebook is totally overwhemling. It's amazing to have so much support when you start something new. I'm excited for this opportunity and to see where it will take me

Wonder what I've been up to?

The holiday's are normally busy for everyone seems to be especially busy for crafters that have this NEED to personalize gifts, decorations, cards with their own two hands. This year for me was no different.

This year in addition to the typical crazy busy of life before the holidays I took on not one but TWO kids Christmas workshops.

For the first one I taught a class at Potter's Hand homeschool group. We are new members to the group and the kids and I have been thoroughly enjoying every minute of the program. Each December, they have a Christmas workshop. The older kids go off and make more intricate things, the younger kids have a class and rotate projects. This year they also rotated to "my" class where they learned about glass etching and etched their own ornaments. By the end of my hour and 45 minutes I had seen about 120 kids go through my area. (Yes I etched, and also did a negative image card with the remainder of the stencil with 120 kids) You will all have to take my word for it because I was so busy I didn't get a single picture of it!

The 2nd workshop was at my church. This was our first year for it. Normally during December I try to take a couple of weeks to let the kids make presents during kids church in addition to Christmas lessons. This year we were still working on finishing up curriculum so I didn't have the chance.

So we spent the entire day making candle screens, and tin can snowmen and covered notepads, candle trays and gingerbread houses (out of foam.) Ooh and can't forget a couple of types of ornaments and we even made and bagged peppermint cocoa with tiny marshmallows! After lunch we even spent time wrapping and making cards! I think the kids went home with 8 different presents for family and friends!

Miss Margaret helping to make

covered notepads

Emily with her "Snow Can"

Calorie free gingerbread houses!

Painting ornaments!

Looks like a bomb went off here

It's safe to say we had a BLAST, teachers and kids all enjoyed themselves (the teachers even had a chance to make a couple of things!) Something we will definitely do again!

It's getting "Swarm" in here

Looking for a chance to use your Cricut and learn more about it. Join me for a Cricut Swarm at Helmar Lutheran Church February 16th and 1pm. Email me for pricing and more information.

Around the Bend!

I love it when worlds collide! When MemoryWorks (a direct sales company I work with) started selling Fiskars products I was so excited. Since I love my fiskars tools (and even demoed for them for a couple of years) it was a fabulous match. One of the biggest questions I got was "is there a way to go around the corner with the border punches?" the answer is YUP...and Teamworks leader Lacey Igo "cornered me" (hee hee ;) to post a simple tutorial on it... enjoy!

Around the Bend

Cards for Troops

I must admit, I tear up at parades when I see the veterans march past. I also tear up when I say the pledge of allegiance. I am so grateful for our freedom here in the United States and even more so for those men and women that have sacrificed so much to serve and protect them.

I love having opportunities to give back to the troops and when my friend Diane asked me if I would create some "card kits" for a cards for troops event at her church. Operation MOMS Cookies sends care packages to our troops and the cards would be a part of them. I was more than willing to not only put together card kits but help with the event as well.

Knowing I had small group last night immediately following AND knowing my jr/sr high girls love creating I asked if they could come with. Five of us left early grabbed a quick lunch at Micky D's then went to help make Christmas cards for our troops.

Tables were set up all over the room with supplies to make dozen's of different types of cards! They girls went from table to table creating and I stayed at mine helping those that wanted to play with the tools I brought (Fiskars squeeze punches, stamps, stickles and more.)

The girls and I were joined with about 30 Men, women, teens and children from Our Savior Lutheran. The ladies there had YUMMY oatmeal raisin (my favorite of the two) and chocolate chip (the girls favorite) cookies and lemonade to keep up our strength. All in all we spent 3 hours crafting cards. We had a blast!

When all was said and done yesterday afternoon, Diane was excited to share that they had 1502 cards! What a privilege it was to be a small part of it!

It's Class time!

So November 20th will be the date for a back to back jack of crafting classes

Join me at SCRAPBOOK JUNCTION

I'll be teaching a Cricut 101 (basics of the expression and create machines...we cover every single button and learn how to combine things to make cutting easier) Cost $20 bring your machine, a font (that has upper and lowercase letters) and a shape cartridge (something with simpler layers) Class time 10am-12pm

and Cricut 201--We go further in this class and talk about the basics of layering, doodling, using the deep cut housing blade, and cutting out materials besides paper (transparency, vinyl, chipboard, fabric and more) bring your machine, a basic font cartridge and a shape cartridge with simple layers. Cost $22 (we do a project with this class plus get samples of ton to stuff to cut out!) 1pm-3:30pm

Coming up the beginning of December.

Looking to make a unique Christmas Gift? We will cover the basics of etching, creating custom stencils using your cricut machine. We will create 3 different projects, a mirror, a votive holder and a frame. Date will be announced Call Scrapbook Junction to register or for more information!!

Raffle for Charity!

Two of my favorite things!
Operation Christmas Child and scrapbooking come together in a fabulous raffle for charity!

Scrapbook Junction in Minooka, IL is the home of a fabulous gift box loaded with wonderful crafting supplies from Fiskars, Creative Options, 7 Gyspies and MORE!!! The basket if valued well over $100 (easily $150 when I tallied things) Tickets cost $2 a piece or 3 for $5 and if you purchase $5 worth of tickets you get a free 6 x 12 sheet of alphabet rub-ons!

All proceeds benefit Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child is a wonderful ministry that sends the good news of God's love by giving gift filled shoe boxes to needy children all over the world at Christmas time! Tickets can be purchased at Scrapbook Junction through the 22nd of October!

Special thanks to Lead Fiskateer Angela Daniels and Scrapbook Junction for sponsoring the raffle!