In the Pink: Purse and Cards

Hmmm. Apparently my photography skills haven't improved much through the months. Oh well, a good opportunity to use our imaginations. Can you imagine this purse as black faux aligator? The template is another of Becky Robert's delightful creations. Check out her blog: Inking Idaho - her templates are wonderful!

Christmas Card Workshop

A Christmas card workshop has suddenly precipitated out of my recent Jingle obsession. The cost of the workshop is $10 (free with a $50 order placed on the day of the workshop) We will be using an assortment of stamps and techniques.

Just a quick reminder: November is STAMPAGANZA month (buy two stamps get one free) Yes, it is a stamp lovers extravaganza. PLUS if you order $50 worth of stamping and scrapping goodies, you will get the November stamp of the month for $11.48. In other words, you can get a lot of Jingle for your jangle. Haaaa haaa haaa aaa haaaa.

When: November 7th 1:00 - 4:00 p.m

Cost: $10 (free with $50 order placed the day of the workshop)

Email me (tlkaiser-1@msn.com) to register.

See the calendar for more information.

Happy Crafting

CTMH Jingle: The Creation Continues

This paper has certainly captured my imagination. The above card was inspired by Paper Cupcakes. It required quite a bit of "stuff" to make. The tag and holly leaves are Cricut, the embossing is Cuttlebug (of course) candy cane- Sizzix. The edge punch is Fiskars, paper is CTMH Jingle, the snow flake is CTMH Dimensional Elements - Flurry; stamp - CTMH Say it in Style.

I know I've seen a card similar to this somewhere - but I can't find it anywhere. So, if it looks like something you've made, send me an email and I'll give you credit. This one was really simple.

I know what you're thinking: "who has time to embroider their Christmas cards?" Honestly, it took less than three minutes and the embroidery floss from CTMH matched EXACTLY. Besides, when your friends and loved ones see that you've embroidered on the cards, they will think you're a rock star and they will forever consider you the Crafting Queen. (Martha Stewart, move over)

Happy Crafting!

CTMH Jingle

I wasn't sure I was going to love this paper, but I've fallen to it's charms. A few years ago I was caught up in the disturbing trend toward pink Christmas cards. I churned out snowmen clad in pink caps and scarves set against pink plaid backgrounds by the dozen. They were tied with hemp to balance their"pinkness" and stamped with a sentiment wishing the recipient "toasty toes and a frosty nose" or something along those ridiculous lines. I thought they were delightful and I was endlessly impressed with myself, even though they'd been shamelessly copied from an idea book.

That experience purged my creative soul of the need for pink. Until now. I spent many unproductive hours staring at the packet waiting for the muse. Finally, a card happened. Then another. I believe pinkish Christmas cards may be in my future. In this case, the pink is balanced with other colors like tulip and juniper. I think I love this paper.

Above is the tri-fold shutter card opened and closed. I might replace these photos with better ones tomorrow. I think I need better photo editing software.

My sister made this one. Thank you, Kathy!

I think the card above is my favorite. I made the poinsettia by trimming down a CTMH white flower and dying it in tulip ink.

Pocket card - I don't know if I like it.

Happy Crafting!

Twitterpated Thank You

I never have enough thank you notes, so I got on a roll and made several of them using Twitterpated. The blue table cloth doesn't show them to their best advantage, but sometimes that's the compromise - get it done with the readily available tools (like a blue sheet/tablecloth) or wait another week and have a better setting.

The stamp set is CTMH Thoughtful Seasons. If I'm ever stranded on a desert island and can only save one stamp from the ship before it goes down, I will try to save Thoughtful Season. It's the best all-purpose stamp set CTMH sells. It includes sentiments and images for all occasions (most occasions) I'll try and salvage some markers, scissors, adhesive, and a paper packet from that sinking ship, and use my isolation to accomplish some of my paper crafting goals. Wouldn't be lovely to arrange a good stranding?

Happy Crafting!

Twitterpated - Kit of the Month

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new Twitterpated. I've already made a mountain of cards and some scrapbook pages, and I can't wait to make some more Twitterpated goodies! You just gotta see this paper in person!

You can purchase Twitterpated by itself for $12.95 anytime, but for the month of October you can buy the Workshop on the Go Kit which includes

• Twitterpated Level II paper pack
• Exclusive Stampset (super cute) Can't get it anywhere else - only with this kit
• Chocolate Ribbon Assortment
• Workshop on the Go idea booklet and cutting guide

All for only $29.95

Halloween

Curiously, I never tire of making adorable little outfits for my candy. I wish I'd invented the idea - it's such a clever notion.





Nugget holders - delightful! I first saw the idea of putting stamped labels on Nichole Heady's website. She has the best ideas!

Here are the Card and Treats class samples for Halloween. Last year the class was such a hit that I'm going to offer it twice this year - Sat. Oct. 17, and Wed. Oct. 21. You can mix and match making any or all of the cards and treat holders.

For more information see the calendar on my CTMH website.

Until next time,

Happy Crafting!

Christmas Gifts

Quality on a budget - that's this year's Christmas theme. I've made several of these purse and card sets. They're surprisingly quick to make and many of the people I know appreciate receiving handmade cards for gifts.

I like the purse because I can refill it with cards and they stay in good condition (no bent corners like the ones I stuff in drawers) Also, it looks cute on my desk or shelf. This paper design is Bella. Silhouette is my other favorite paper for this set.

Sometimes I get caught up in the card creating moment and continue adding details and layers to the card late into the night. While I enjoy the process of making the 6-hour $450 card, sometimes the practicality of limited resources (mostly time) dictates a 20-minute card which is mostly stamped on the surface as opposed to stamping every image separately, cutting them all out and piecing them together for the delightful 3-dimensional experience I crave.

Above is a case in point: The flower is cut out. Each little petal loving released from the cardstock. The button - trimmed, it's edges inked, and it's center laced with waxy flax. Such fun - it nearly bordered on a spiritual experienced as I lost myself in the joy of trimming and inking. Until I'd done about 30 of them. That's when the cramping in my hands disrupted the Nirvana. I decided flat flowers and buttons stamped directly on the card would convey all the necessary sentiment to the recipient without crippling my hands.


Click here for a tutorial to make it on your own. Or join us for a class.

When: Nov. 1 from 1:00 - 4:00
Cost: $18.00 includes paper, use of stamps, inks, etc. (there will be plenty of paper left over for other projects)

For more information, see the calendar on my CTMH website.

Happy Crafting!

Heritage Scrapbook Workshop: Vintage Travel

Vintage Travel Heritage 8-page Workshop

Cost: $30.00 + S&H and tax
When: during any Open Workshop.

To purchase supplies or sign up for workshop, contact me: tlkaiser-1@msn.com or
call 509 863 2020

To see available workshop days: http://paperescape.myctmh.com/
"Open Workshops" are offered on a couple of Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons each month. When you purchase your workshop materials from me, you can come to any of the open workshop days and complete your project in the studio. If you don't finish in one session, you can return until you're finished.

Majestic Blue

I had a very short but relaxing visit with my son in Eugene this summer. We spent a day driving along the coast. With no particular agenda, we just drove until something caught our interest. It drizzled all day, so we spent more time in the car than walking along the beach. His football and college schedule doesn't leave much time for days like that and I'm very glad he could spend it with me. I look at these pictures and it is quite clear: my little boy is all grown up!

The Majestic Paper packet from CTMH is perfect for beach pictures.

Happy Crafting!

Moon Doggie 8-Page Workshop

Moon Doggie 8-page Workshop

Cost: $30.00 + S&H and tax

When: during any Open Workshop.

To purchase supplies or sign up for workshop, contact me: tlkaiser-1@msn.com or
call 509 863 2020

To see available workshop days: http://paperescape.myctmh.com

"Open Workshops" are offered on a couple of Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons each month. When you purchase your workshop materials from me, you can come to any of the open workshop days and complete your project in the studio. If you don't finish in one session, you can return until you're finished.

Emporium 8 Page Workshop

The Emporium 8-page Workshop
Cost: $30.00 + S&H and tax
When: during any Open Workshop.

To purchase supplies or sign up for workshop, contact me: tlkaiser-1@msn.com or
call 509 863 2020

To see available workshop days: http://paperescape.myctmh.com/

"Open Workshops" are offered on a couple of Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons each month. When you purchase your workshop materials from me, you can come to any of the open workshop days and complete your project in the studio. If you don't finish in one session, you can return until you're finished.

Back Country Eight Page Workshop

The Back Country 8 page Workshop

Cost: $30.00 + S&H and tax

When: during any Open Workshop.

To purchase supplies or sign up for workshop, contact me: tlkaiser-1@msn.com or

call 509 863 2020

To see available workshop days: http://paperescape.myctmh.com/

"Open Workshops" are offered on a couple of Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons each month. When you purchase your workshop materials from me, you can come to any of the open workshop days and complete your project in the studio. If you don't finish in one session, you can return until you're finished.

Scrapbook in a Day: How does it work?

First of all, it isn't really just one day. However, the recipes and cutting diagrams do make it possible to create beautiful pages quickly. I generally spend about 4 hours cutting and assembling the 18 basic pages. At the workshop, you will receive the cutting diagrams to create the 18 pages. The next open workshop, or at home, you can add journaling, a few embellishments, and pictures to finish each page to your unique taste.



I offer "Open Workshops" on a couple of Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons each month. When you purchase your workshop materials from me, you can come to any of the open workshop days and complete your project in the studio. If you don't finish in one session, you can return until you're finished.


Here is an example of a basic layout (remember, there are 18 different pages):

This is a completed page using embellishments:


As this page commemorated a particularly special moment, I added a number of elements to make it special. The library card journaling, the title were all more time consuming; however, I enjoy adding details. You can use any of my cutting tools and the Cricut when you're working in the studio.

This page was much simpler and took about 15 minutes to complete.

This page was also quite simple. Coordinating cardstock highlighted the colors of the prom and made the dress "pop."




The 18 page workshop includes the Paper Packet, Stickease, 16 sheets white cardstock for bases, 4 sheets of color cardstock and matching ribbon (call or email me to select color) and cutting guides. During the open workshop, you can use the studio tools (Cricut etc.) to complete your pages. Cost: $50.00

I've had people ask if they can select a different paper pack for the workshop and the answer is yes. This scrapbooking system will work with any of Close To My Heart paper packs. However, the samples that I have available are made with Silhouette. For more information, go to my website: http://paperescape.myctmh.com/ click on calendar to see Open Workshop days.

Until next time,
Happy Crafting!

Cards, Cards, Cards

Kid Cards
Yes. I've been making cards. These two were made using the Creative Basics Animal Cookies packet. Each Creative Basics packet provides enough coordinating paper and ribbon to make dozens (oodles of dozens) of cards. This is a particularly fun design, perfect for Kid and baby cards, as well as all the "stuff" that's fun to make for kids.

The card on the left uses "It's Your Day," CTMH stamp of the month for August.

The card on the right is stamped with an image from CTMH: Nursery Bash - it's my all purpose "baby" stamp that I use for all things baby.




Masculine Cards
Why don't we ever have enough cards for men? I hypothesize that it has something to do with 3 million flower stamps on the market vs. the 7 non-flower stamps available (okay, I made those numbers up, but you get my point)

The card on the left uses the Simple Pleasures packet and the Alfresco stamp. So often I find that the stamps I use the most are both inexpensive and versatile. Case in point: Alfresco, one of the least expensive stamp sets I own, but I use it, use it, use it. It's a great set for making your own background paper.

The card on the right uses Majestic Blue paper and the New Horizons stamp set. This is another one I've used extensively. It is a sailing stamp and I know exactly zero people who sail; however, the theme of "sailing" transcends the literal meaning of "sailing." For example, we can "sail" through life, "sail through troubled waters" etc. When I coordinated summer school, we used the theme "sail through summer school." In fact, we can probably sail through virtually anything life throws at us, even troublesome multi-decade birthdays, particularly if we are reminded to do so with a lovingly hand-crafted card.




Wedding Cards
The card on the left uses CTMH's Soul Mates stamp set and cardstock. Clean. Simple.

The card on the right also uses Soul Mates, but the paper is Silhouette. I like the warmth - it has a very different personality, despite similarity in design.

I'm off to create workshops for the coming crafting season.

Happy crafting!

Paper Museum Curator

That is exactly how I feel sometimes: like the curator of a paper museum. This isn't the position that I've particularly aspired to. Rather, it's the result of appreciating the beauty of paper so much that it never leaves the little bag it came in. My solution is to randomly select a packet and make something, anything out of it. This week, Cosmo Cricket was let out of it's box. I ordered it two years ago from QVC and it's been aging in the corner of my studio for the entire time.


My first project is an 8-inch album with 10 two page layouts suitable for a little girl. My goal was a "shabby chic" look. I'm not sure if I got there, but the journey was fun.


Here are a few of the pages:















Happy Crafting!