EtchAll Mug

Hello friends! I hope you're all enjoying the nice weather we've seen here lately. If not, then get ready because the project I have to show you today will warm you up!

Scrap-Mart is now carrying the Etch All Cream so I grabbed a bottle and thought I'd give it a try. I picked up a blue glass mug at the store to try it on. Here's what it looks like:

I cut a snowflake from the Making Memories Slice FaLaLa design card out of Quickutz Vinyl. For the etching you need the "negative" of the shape so I removed the snowflake and used transfer paper to get the negative onto the glass. Once I had it centered where I wanted it I smoothed the vinyl onto the glass all around the snowflake ensuring there were no bubbles or unattached spaces where the cream could "bleed". I poured the cream onto the vinly...DO NOT pour it onto your shape or it will leave "ripples"...then I used the squeegee to pull the cream onto the shape. It sat for about 15 minutes then I scraped the cream back off. It's reusable so I just put it right back into the bottle then washed the mug under warm running water and pulled the vinyl off. That's it! It does take a bit of time to make sure you're getting it set on straight and all but it's actually a really simple process. Here's a closeup of the etching:


I'm going to package this mug in a clear box with some hot chocolate mix, some marshmallows and candy canes and send it to my mom! I'll call it here "Winter Warm-Up Kit".

Grab you some EtchAll and go create something! When you're done send me some pictures at Katie@scrap-mart.com and we'll feature it on the blog!

Thanks for stoppin' by! See you soon!
Katie

I don't know

about you but I LOVE cake! My mother-in-law got me a new bundt cake pan for Christmas. I really enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes but I've never tried my hand at baking...other than a store-bought mix and an occassional Banana Nut Bread. Well, the bundt pan she got me was a Christmas tree pan so I thought I'd try to make a cake for Christmas. Mint Chocolate Chip is one of my favorite ice creams so I thought I'd try to find a recipe for a Mint Chocolate Chip cake. I searched the internet and found one. I altered it a bit to make it the way I wanted it and fortunately it turned out. It was soooooo delicious! Super moist. I also made a homemade Cream Cheese frosting! Yummo! Here's what it looked like:


By Dec. 23rd the store was all sold out of candies like red hots and those silver bead things so the decoration on the cake was limited to tinted frosting and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. My hubby insisted on helping so he frosted the last bit and added the "snow".

I'm spending the weekend with Laura from Scrap-Mart and Christi at The Scrappin' Pad next weekend so I'm going to bring one of these cakes for us to eat.

I have big plans for this cake pan. My son, Cody, is turning 4 in March and I'm going to make him a volcano cake using this tree pan! I'll bake a tree cake and one 9" round with the round cake serving as the base. I'll put the tree cake on top and frost it green but will leave some of the chocolate cake showing in spots. Then I will put plastic trees on it and on one side of the cake it will have red icing flowing down the side of it. Hopefully I can find some dry ice for the center! How cool will that be!?! I can't wait!

Thanks for stoppin' by today! If you're looking for some inspiration be sure to check out whats happenin' on the Scrap-Mart blog. We have some fabulous things in store for our readers in 2009!

See you soon!
Katie

Continuing Education Classes

Hello all! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday filled with family and friends! It was CRAZY here at my house. LOL! My kids got more stuff than we know what to do with and I promise you that is no exaggeration!

A few months back Christi, owner of The Scrappin' Pad, was approached to see if we would be interested in teaching a series of continuing education classes on scrapbooking for Northeaster State University! When I got the email from Christi my jaw hit the floor. I, of course, said YES! What an amazing offer! Here's the write-up from the brochure they mailed out.



Class will be held at The Scrappin' Pad every Tuesday for 6 weeks beginning the first Tuesday in January. We are requiring a minimum of 12 students so we are still waiting to hear whether or not the class will make. Either way, I'm honored to have been asked to participate in such an endeavor. Thank you NSU for your invitation!

If you're in the area and would like more information or would like to sign up for the classes you can call NSU's Continuing Education Office at (918)444-4610. The cost of the 6 week course is $156 and that includes everything except your adhesive.

Well, that's all I have to share today! If you're in the shopping mood, hop on over to Scrap-Mart for some awesome sales! From now until Dec. 31st there will be some great savings. Each day a new "item of the day" will be chosen. Today's item, the Making Memories Slice Design cards, are 40% off! You can sign up for their newsletter and get automatic daily updates!

Thanks for stoppin' by!
Katie

I know I've been....

neglecting the blog lately and I'm sorry! I've been super busy getting ready for today. Actually, I think I overloaded my schedule....but shhhhh, don't tell my DH I admitted it. LOL! But, now that everything is done and I'll be off work during the day, I can play and create!

I would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. I hope your day is full of love, laughter and happiness! And don't forget to take lots of photos (wink!)!

Merry Christmas,
Katie

Baby, it's cold outside!!!

And when I say cold, I mean COLD!!! We woke to a chilly 17 this morning. Whoa! I know it's colder in other spots but that is pretty darn cold for the Tulsa area.

It's a perfect day to share this tag I made for Scrap-Mart's 12 Tags of Christmas Blog Contest.

I used my Making Memories Slice to create this. The snowflake and snowman are from the FaLaLa design card and the layered label are from Noteworthy. The snowman was cut three times...once in white for the snowman, once in black for the hat, and once in brown for the arms...and paper pieced. I cut a piece of the American Crafts ribbon down to make the hat band. I didn't have a die or brads small enough for the eyes and buttons so I took out my Crop-a-dile and punched out of the black cardstock from the small side. For the nose, I just cut a corner off of a piece of orange cardstock. I had some 1/8" satin ribbon and I wrapped that around the snowman's neck to create his scarf. After I assembled the snowman, I covered him and the snowflake with ultra fine glitter. They really shimmer in real life.

Scrap-Mart is having a blog contest right now...as I previously mentioned. All you have to do is create and decorate a tag using your dies (we prefer you use ones sold by Scrap-Mart, but it is NOT a requirement!) and email it to me at Katie@scrap-mart.com by midnight Tuesday, December 16th. The Scrap-Mart design team will vote on their favorite and the winner will have their tag posted in the final blog post on Friday, December 19th and will receive the Quickutz Chopstick alphabet set! WOW! You still have plenty of time to enter so get busy! I can't wait to see who wins. You can read more about the details of the contest here.

Materials used: Making Memories Slice Digital Design Cutter, MM Slice Noteworthy Design Card, MM FaLaLa Design Card, Prism Kraft Cardstock, Making Memories FaLaLa patterned paper (red label frame), ultra fine glitter, American Crafts ribbon, other: white, orange, black, brown cardstock and satin ribbon.



That's all I have for today! I hope to see your entry for the contest in my mailbox. Stay warm!

Katie

Happy Friday and an Announcement!

Hello friends! I hope you are all having a wonderful Friday! I keep referring to tomorrow as if it's still days away. This week has gone by so fast! Tomorrow I will be kitting for Tuesday's calendar/planner class and working on some other goodies. A friend of mine referred someone to me who wants to give a scrapbook as a gift to a friend for Christmas. So, I have an album to complete....and quickly!

Now for my announcement. I kinda mentioned in my last post that I had some exciting news to share. I've referenced Scrap-Mart in previous posts and mentioned that I was applying for their design team. Well, I've been asked to be their Blog Editor. What does that mean? Well, that means you can read about me on 2 blogs! LOL! Just kidding! I will work with the 5 members of their DT to bring the Scrap-Mart blog readers some FABULOUS projects! You will be amazed at what this team creates! Next week we'll be debuting the CUTEST candy holder (I don't want to reveal more than that!) and a picture tutorial for some quick, last minute gifts. Oh, and on Tuesday I'll be posting some details on a contest! That means prizes!! So, bookmark it, visit it, play along! And, if you have some projects you create with your dies send them to me at Katie@scrap-mart.com so we can showcase your work too! If you don't have a diecutting system, Scrap-Mart carries all the popular brands like Quickutz, Spellbinders, Bosskut, and the new Making Memories Slice! And, just for future reference all dies ship FREE!!!

I can't post without sharing a project with you. Here's a cute little box I made with some clear plastic sheets. I used my scor-pal to score the plastic and the cardstock.

Gotta run for now! You can read the full details on how I made the box on the Scra-Mart blog.
Thanks for stoppin' by!
Katie

My new hair cut, Shelby and Mom, a Project, and a Class

My friend Rae asked me if I'd share a picture of myself with my new hair cut so here it is! I really like it short. It takes MUCH longer to get ready in the morning now but I think it's worth it.

Ignore the funny face...I'm not a very photogenic person! LOL!

This picture is one taken of Shelby and me on Thanksgiving Day. Remember I told you all our dinner was being catered at the Doubletree hotel? Well, it wasn't a traditional Thanksgiving meal! I was very sad. There was a turkey but the rest was kind of a modpodge of appetizers. It was good, but not Thanksgiving. Now, the Pumpkin Cheesecake is a whole other story! LOL! Anyway, here's our photo:

Next up is a little book I designed with my Bind-It-All machine. I call it a Flip-Flap book.

The base of the book is a 5" square. The pages measure 4"x4 1/4" and are bound on the 4" side. The idea of the book being that the pages can fall in any order...i.e. they can flip or flap! It is a SUPER simple little book and I'll probably be doing a video tutorial in the next week or so. I used Sassafras Lass papers from the Mini-bundles. They are double sided so it makes assembly of the book even easier. I included some plain kraft cardstock pages as well as some transparency pages. I taught this class 3 times!!! It was a hit! Stay tuned for the tutorial but if you have any questions about it in the mean time just shoot me an email. Here's a picture of the book open:

And, last but not least, a picture of me teaching the last Flip-Flap book class this past Saturday at The Scrappin' Pad.

We had a great turnout...11 students with 3 young girls! They all did a great job and I'm looking forward to my next class...which is creeping up on me! It's next week already! LOL!

I have 2 very exciting announcements to come later this week so stay tuned...I may even let the cat out of the bag early! Thanks for stoppin' by! Katie

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I just wanted to pop in and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful day! I am NOT cooking this year...and it's a first for me. Rocky's aunt is having our Thanksgiving dinner catered at the Doubletree hotel! I'm excited to see everyone. I chopped off all my hair and got my nails done the other day. It was nice to have a little pampering.

I'm hoping to hit the sales tomorrow. I know I'm crazy but Black Friday shopping has always been one of my favs. LOL! I've actually done quite a bit of my Christmas shopping online already. Found some great deals so far. Keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow! If any of you go out be safe and good luck!

Today's project is a little random. It is a bag-a-lope I created for an order. My friend, Sara, orders projects from me about once per month. She wanted Oreo Balls for her friend's birthday and I decorated this bag to hold them. It was super simple.

Thanks for stoppin' by today! Enjoy your day and I'll see you next week!

Katie

My first Copic color job...

Okay, so I finally picked myself up a handful of Copic markers. They are awesome! I'm super impressed with how easy they are to work with. I always loved to color as a kid. I have to admit, and most of you already know, that I'm not much of a stamper. I've always considered myself a scrapbooker. But, I really WANT to get better at stamping and coloring and such.

I purchased a few stamp sets from Gina K. Designs and I couldn't wait to ink 'em up. So, I did and I pulled out my new Copics to color the image. Here's the result:

Once again, I scanned not thinking of the bulky bow...sorry for the blur in the background.

I used my Making Memories Slice to cut out the patterned transparency label. The stamps are from Carolyn King's Whimsical Autumn set. After I colored the image, I cut it out and used pop dots to adhere it. It gives off a nice shadow in real life.

That's all I have for today! Thanks for stoppin' by. And, if you have any Copic tips I'd love to hear 'em. I've been reading up on the Copic blog, www.ilikemarkers.blogspot.com, and I've learned alot already. See you soon! Katie

Oooh, goodies!

I don't know about where you are but our gas prices have fallen...and I mean fallen! We hit $3.89/gal and suddenly we're down to $1.75 today! YIPPEEEE! The transmission is going out in my hubby's pickup so we decided it was time to get ourselves a van. Yep, I now drive a mini van. And you know what? I LOVE it! We just got back from Dallas today with it. It is a total dream. I really liked the Honda Odyssey so that's what we decided on. It is used but in excellent condition. It even sports leather and a dvd player and of course, power sliding doors. The color is Dark Metallic Gray which I actually like more that I thought. What more could a mommy ask for? LOL!

So, with the gas prices falling I find that there is a little extra money hanging out in my checking account. In honor of that I decided to do a little e-shopping. I headed over to Gina K. Designs and got myself some stamps. You may remember my post from a few days back. Well, my package arrived before I left town. See:

I got Carolyn King's Whimsical Autumn set, Melanie Muenchinger's Just so Hippy and Hip Hop Accessories PLUS a FREE set. I also picked up some gold cord and gold glitter dots too. I have a great card planned...in my head! I will hopefully have some stamping time after my class on Tuesday evening to complete the card. I promise it'll be good:)

I'll try to post a pic or two of the "Mommy Van" as Rocky calls it soon. Thanks for stoppin' by! Katie

2S4Y Sketch and Blog Candy Winner!

My friend Rae has folled the 2S4Y blog for some time. She always created the most beautiful cards from their sketches. Rae has made the 2S4Y Design Team!!! YEAH Rae! I'm super excited for her. So, I checked out the blog and it's really cool! They have weekly sketches that you can follow and post your creations for the chance to win a prize from one of their sponsors. So, I thought I'd give it a try.

Here's the sketch from the 2S4Y blog:

And, here's my take on it:


Sorry for the blur. The batteries in my camera died as I was trying to take a picture of it and I don't have anymore. So, I had to try to scan the card and since the bow is so bulky, it stands off the glass of the scanner and blurs the image behind it. SORRY! As soon as I get batteries I will post a better pic.

Also, I posted that I was giving away some blog candy. While I have had numerous subscribers (Thank you!) only one person subscribed AND left a comment. That person was Carolyn King! Congrats Carolyn! I have a yummy package heading your way.

In other news, my DH is working diligently today to secure a new mini van for me! Yippee! As I read what I just wrote I can't help but smirk. I was always the one saying no van or wagon but here I am happy to see a van! It is actually in Carrolton, TX so we will be taking a small road trip tomorrow. The pics look great so I'm really hoping that it really IS what it seems...since it's used.

Since my batteries are dead I coulnd't upload anymore pics that's all I have today. But as soon as the camera is back up I'll post some other goodies! Thanks for stoppin' by! Katie

Post edited 11/9/08...
Okay, fixed the picture. Much better! Thank you ladies for your wonderful comments. I forgot to add before that the accordian fold at the bottom of the card was made using my Scor-Pal. To add some detail I chalked the edge of the card and all the creases.

Score-Star and tutorial

Okay, so as usual I'm a day late and a dollar short! I'm really sorry! I was supposed to post this over the weekend along with a video tutorial but LIFE took control and it didn't happen.

I'm sure you've all seen the large 3-d metal stars. They're very popular in home decor right now...especially in Texas. They look like this:


Anyway, Sizzix came out with a die where you can cut 5 petals out and assemble them to create this 3-d star. Well, I have the Nestability stars as well as a star on one of my Slice design cards. Honestly, I didn't figure I needed another star but I thought this idea would look great on a card or pages.

So, for this one I took out my Slice and cut a 4" star from the Basic Shapes 1 card. Then I laid it on my Scor-Pal using the point of the star as my guide. Since we're only making one score mark it doesn't matter what line you put it on. Line it up so that the point is in the groove at the top and the "v" is upside down and in line with the same groove on the bottom. Like so:

Score only to the MIDDLE of the star. If you need to you can poke a small hole or mark a hole with a pencil so you can easily find the center. I just eyeballed it. Repeat this step for each point on the star.

Then you will turn the star over and align the "v" in the groove at the top with the point in line with the same groove on the bottom. Again, score only to the middle of the star. Like so:


There are so many options when working with these stars! You can emboss them, stamp them, layer them, and even stitch on them. This weekend, I'm going to try to make an ornament out of them! Here's a picture of a layered set I made:


Sorry for the poor picture quality. I had to take the pics by myself, one-handed! LOL! But, I hope it's clear enough for you to get the point. Thanks for stoppin' by and if you try this, leave me a comment and let me know so I can check it out! Thanks, Katie

FREE-10

Happy Halloween!!! As a kid, I LOVED Halloween. I loved dressing up and trick or treating. I wore my mom out. LOL! This year, my little man, Cody, has gone to Arkansas with Dad to Rocktoberfest. It's a 4-wheel drive convention. They hooked the Jeep up to the truck and left at about 4 this morning...hence my EARLY post! LOL! I'm sad that he won't be here with us but I'm very glad that he is able to do these types of things with Dad. Cody loves anything to do with 4-wheeling...mud, climbing rocks...and it can be in/on anything with wheels. Brian has gone to visit his mom so it's just Seth and Shelby here with me all weekend.

So, my post title is "FREE-10". That is a coupon code. Gina K. Designs issued this code and it's good 'til midnight tonight for $10 off your order of $60 or more. Plus, you get FREE shipping on orders over $35 AND if you buy 3 stamp sets you get one FREE! Geez!!! Seriously, you can't beat that!

Carolyn King is a super talented stamper! She is also a designer for Gina K. Desings. She desinged a stamp set called "Whimsical Autumn." Carolyn lost her grandmother to Alzheimer's recently. In memory of her grandmother, Carolyn will donate 100% of her proceeds from sales of this stamp set to the Pennslyvania Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association...always!!! You can read more about her story and see some fabulous projects with the Whimsical Autumn set here.

So you see friends, it just doesn't get any better! You can get FREE shipping, a FREE stamp set, $10 off, PLUS you can help researchers continue their quest to find a cure! Hop on over to Gina K. Designs and get yours today...I already did (wink, wink)!

I hope everyone has a fabulous and safe Halloween! Check back this weekend for a tutorial on making 3-d pop up stars. I'll be using my Slice and my Scor-Pal so you won't want to miss it! As always, thanks for stoppin' by! Katie

My Scrap Space

Hello there everyone! You know, I often wonder what everyone's scrap space is like. Do you have a dedicated room? A cubby in your kitchen? A corner somewhere? Well, my scrap space is kind of a hodgepodge of a space. I have a wall in my bedroom parallel to my bed.

Here's a peek:


I have a 4" table that stays put. Next to that I have converted our old changing table into a storage area. On the top I have my Cuttlebug (when not in use), my basket full of adhesive, and my tool tote. On the lower shelves I have my bins with embellishments in them, some papers, and such. My DH hung some shelves (just a 1x6 on 'L' brackets) over the chaning table. This is where I keep my paints, stickles, flock, and embellihsment jars full of bling, flowers and such. All my 12x12 paper hodlers are on the shelf in the top of my closet. Then, my storage totes and all my Quickutz are under my table. Oh yeah, I have stacking storage drawers inside my closet with all my stamps, inks, etc. in.

So, I'm curious. What does your space look like? Dawn is giving away some blog candy on her blog for those who are willing to take up the challenge of posting pics of their space. You can see it here.

Thanks for stopping by! Katie

Scor-Pal Layout and subscriptions...

Okay, so as promised I have completed my layout I created with my Scor-Pal and my Slice. I actually created this layout for Scenic Route's monthly challenge. The challenge was to create a project using at least 2 of their product lines. I used 3!!

This is a very simple layout but I really wanted to showcase the photos and the meaning behind the layout. Cody has LOVED being out in the garage with Dad while he's been restoring his '59 Jeep Willy's Edition. Cody can spot a Jeep from a mile away!

Here's the layout:


I used the Scor-Pal to create the accordian background. I simply cut my paper to 10"x10" and scored the first side at the 1/2" mark then every 1" thereafter. I turned the paper over and scored at the 1" mark then every 1" thereafter (in between the previous scores). Then I folded the paper up, like a fan, and stretched it back out where I wanted it and adhered it. It's that simple! I think that it really adds LOTS of dimension to the layout...especially in person.

I used my Slice to cut the journaling block and the title. It's hard to see in the photo (look at the "Got") but I used a Glaze pen to randomly color in circles only on the red dot paper to give it a varnished look. Again, really cool in person.

Like I said before, it's really simple but I LOVE how it turned out. And I used ONLY cardstock/paper!

Now, you may have noticed but I added a Feedblitz subscription link to the side of my blog under my class schedule. I can see from my tracking that I have many of you who visit regularly...but few comment. So, to drive some subscriptions and some comments I'm going to give away some blog candy! I'm not revealing the prize yet but it'll be something good, I promise. All you have to do is 1.) sign up as a subscriber and 2.) comment on this post. It can be about anything. That's all you have to do to enter to win. I will randomly draw a name on Oct. 31st! That's right, on Halloween!

Oh, and if you're interested in playing along in the Scenic Route monthly challenges click here. And if you want to get yourself a Scor-Pal and/or a Slice you can go here.

Thanks for stoppin' by! Have a great week! Katie

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!

And, yes I'm yelling! LOL! My Making Memories Slice Digital Design Cutter has finally arrived. It seems like it's been forever since it's release at CHA Winter 2008!!!

Okay, so my first impression. I think the packaging is cool! You can see everything that it comes with and you can actually see the machine itself. The design cards packaging has a flap on the front that you can open to see what designs it will cut. Now I obviously didn't buy this thing because of it's packaging, and I don't know anyone who would but let's face it, appearance matters. Right?

The instruction booklet sets everything in simple, easy to follow steps. It took me about 10 minutes to read over everything. I set up the machine and went to town. I, of course, ran some tests on scrap paper so I'd know what I was getting into. My thoughts? I LIKE! It's really a great little machine. You can pop the sd cards in and out with ease, scrolling between the screens is simple, and the screen shows you exactly where the machine will begin cutting.

In addition to the Slice, I also picked myself up a Scor-Pal! I've wanted one for a while and finally took the plunge. My dear friend, Laura, from Scrap-Mart has them on her website. So, when I was in Tahlequah earlier this week to teach my class, I met up with her and picked it up. I've also been playing with this and I'm impressed. I have TONS of ideas for it already. And this time, I'm sketching them and making notes...that way I won't forget. I'm sure some video tutorials will follow too so stay tuned.

P.S. I know that the Scor-Pal was designed with cardmakers in mind. I do make cards but not nearly as much as I scrapbook so my goal is to show you all what this wonderful little tool can do for you and your pages. I promise you'll like!

I'm almost finished with a project that will showcase the Scor-Pal and the Slice. I'll have it posted hopefully by Sunday night. And if anyone is wondering, my friend Laura also sells the Slice on her website.

Tata for now! Thanks for stopping by! Katie

Party Light Cube

Okay, so you've seen those outside party light cubes right? The ones you string up light Christmas lights? I think they are so cute! I used that same concept to creat this single light cube.

For the sides and the top I used 4" chipboard squares and covered them with patterned paper. To cut the circle centers out I used my Quickutz nesting circles die and ran it through my Cuttlebug. I backed each hole with transparency. The sides and top are simply hot glued together. You can use an anywhere hole punch to punch the holes in the top for the ribbon to pass through.
The light on the inside is simply one of those battery-powered tea lights. I adhered it to the top with velcro strips so that it can easily be turned on or off and also to allow access to change the battery.
I will be teaching this for my next Kids Camp project. I'm sure the girls will LOVE hanging one of these in their rooms.
Don't you think this would look cool with some rub-ons or stamped images on the transparency? If you try this be sure to leave me a comment so I can check yours out too!
Thanks for stoppin' by!
Katie

What is your names hidden meaning?

I found the link to this on Jennie's blog. I was curious so I followed the link. Here's what it had to say about me!

What Katie Means

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life.You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip.People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic “Type A” personality.

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home.You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

I was kinda surprised at how "on" this analysis was. It does describe me well. If you're curious as to what your names hidden meaning is click here.

Check back soon because I have a cute project to share with you. It is actually already assembled but it is missing one key component that I have to pick up...hopefully tomorrow. It will be my next Kids Kamp project and kits will be available for purchase.

Til then, happy scrappin'! Katie

Happy World Card Making Day

Hello friends and Happy World Card Making Day! We were hoping to be moving today but our closing date has been pushed. The only thing I have made so far today is a gift box. I have a friend who is celebrating her 3 anniversary next Friday with her boyfriend and she bought him a small gift. So, I made an explosion box to put it in. I will stuff it with the torn bag stuffing so when the lid of the box is removed the sides will collapse and the stuffing will flow out revealing the gift. As soon as I get the ribbon topper on I will post pics. But, I have more projects to work on and hopes of completing much more today.

How 'bout you? Have you been making cards or cropping today? If so I'd love to see it so leave me a comment with a link to your blog.

Also, there are lots of sites out there doing giveaways today too. My friend Rae completed the painstaking task of looking them all up for you and has them posted on her blog. Check it out at: www.simplyrae.blogspot.com. She even has a giveaway herself. Stay tuned today because you never know when I might throw one out there too!

Katie

Teresa Collins Halloween Kit

I had so many ideas in mind for October's class at The Scrappin' Pad. Then, I got an email about this fabulous Teresa Collins class kit. Usually, when I teach I try to make sure that the class was designed by yours truly but this was too cute to pass up!

It has a total of 31 pages! Yeah, 31 pages! The book itself is 8x8 but all the pages inside vary in size. It is WAAAAYYYYY cute! I liked it so much that I decided to make this October's class. It is chock full of awesome paper, stickers and die cuts and pre-stamped images.

If you're in the area and are interested, the class is on Oct. 21st from 6 to 8? pm or until finished. The cost of the class is $35. If you're not in the area but would like a kit you can email me at myscrapshack@yahoo.com. There will be a $2.50 charge for S/H. The deadline for sign-up (for class or kit) is Friday Oct. 10 to ensure plenty of time for shipment. I will ship kits out by Monday Oct. 20.

Thanks,

Katie

All is not lost....

Okay, so my DH went plugging around the computer and he found EVERYTHING!!!! I couldn't believe it. Not one photo was lost. I was so happy I almost cried. So, I will be spending some time backing up my photos...oh yeah, not taking a second chance on that one. He also re-organized all the pics in the computer too. Isn't he sweet?!

Now, onto some fun. My friends over at Scrap-Mart.com hosted a design team call. In my frenzy to enter I created numerous different items for consideration. Some didn't make my personal cut so I can show you them now.

This is an altered photo frame I created for Brian's school picture from last year. He worked very hard and maintained the A and A/B honor roll all year! We're very proud of him. I used the Appleton page kit from Scenic Route, my star Nestability dies, the Quickutz Diesel alphabet and my Quickutz scallop border die (all available at www.scrap-mart.com).

I love the frame and it was so quick to make. But, I had other ideas zooming around in my head and entered a Halloween themed door hanger as my altered project.

I'm sure they had MANY entries for the design team call. I know they have some very talented customers too. In just two days the Scrap-Mart Design Team will officially be announced. I'm eager to see who makes the team....and crossing my fingers that I'll be on that list. Good luck to all who submitted!

Tata for now! Katie

Out of sight, out of mind...

Well, as you know (from my last post) our home computer crashed. It appears that our virus software either wasn't enough or wasn't at all. Anywho, our computer is back but I cannot find ANY of my pictures. NONE! I thought they were here, I was sure Shawn said he'd saved them but they are nowhere to be found. I'm so very sad, to say the least. Those pics covered the last four years of our life. Cody and Shelby's birth, everyone's birthdays, Christmases, etc. That's apparently what I get for not backing anything up. Well, I can say that was one costly lesson learned. I still have hopes of them "turning up" in some unexpected folder on the computer but honestly, it's unlikely.

The good news is that I do have a computer now. I still have to reinstall my Microsoft Office software so that I can open my documents (that somehow managed to survive?) and so that I can continue to use my Word etc. And, I will have to reinstall my Photoshop...which was from my father-in-law so I will have to contact him to come and do it! LOL! But, I can blog again! YEAH!

So, here's a card that I created for my upcoming class on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at The Scrappin' Pad.

The class is designed to show how simple it is to add stitching to your projects without a sewing machine. Attendees will also complete a one page 12x12 layout.

And in other news, DH and I are trying to buy another house. If all goes well then we will close on the 30th of September. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the continued fallout in the housing market doesn't have any negative effects on our transaction. IF it goes through and we move, then DH has agreed that I can turn our current home into a Scrap House! That's right ladies, an entire house just for scrappin'! Does it get any better than that?

Well, I will close for now. Thanks for hanging in there with me and I'll be back soon with more projects. Katie

I'm stilll here....

Well, it seems that just when I get my groove back, something else goes wrong or in this case, down. Our main computer has crashed!!! We are pretty sure we will be able to recover all our stuff but I'm still down nonetheless. Hubby and I are trying to decide we will replace it with another desktop, just get this one a new hard drive or get a laptop. I'm voting laptop...that way I can take it to my scrap space! Oooh, how 'bout a "scraptop"? I like the sound of that. Anyway, until we decide what to do my posts will be lacking as will my pictures. We have some fun classes coming up at The Scrappin' Pad. You can always see the class schedule here. Until next time, take care and happy scrappin'! Katie

Happy Birthday Braelyn!!

One of the funnest things for me is to be asked to teach at birthday parties. This last Tuesday night I joined Braelyn and her family and friends at The Scrappin' Pad to celebrate her birthday. Including the birthday girl there was a total of 6 girls and they each completed 2 projects. The first was an altered notebook and then an acrylic hanging picture frame. They had tons of fun and they all did a great job.

Here's a picture of me helping Braelyn finish up the edges of her notebook:

Thank you Braelyn for allowing me to partake in your birthday celebrations! I heard a few of her friends talking about coming back to The Scrappin'Pad with me for their birthday party too. I look forward to seeing you girls again!
Katie

Back to School

Wow, it's hard to believe but it's back to school time already. Brian, our oldest, starts back next Thursday...August 7th! That's insane! Seth has yet another week, not starting until the 14th.

With August being full of all the back to school tasks I thought we should do a class on it. So, on August 19 at The Scrappin' Pad we'll create 4 layouts and a card with the new Scenic Route Appleton kit. I LOVE the colors and the patterns. Reds, blues, greens...all colors I think of when I think of school. The kit we'll be using is chock full of double-sided paper, chipboard embellishments, alpha stickers and die cuts and much more. With all the embellishment choices, this kit is perfect for kids of all ages...and even the teachers too!

Here's one of the layouts for the class:

This layout is of my son, Seth, and his 2nd grade teacher. It was taken on the last day of school last year. The chipboard square in the upper right hand corner reads "last day of school" and I completed the page title with the "my teacher" chipboard tile and a mix of the alpha stickers and die cuts. I even added the date and Ms. Williams 2nd Grade in my own handwriting. I finished off the page with my Stampin' Up spiral punch. Stay tuned to see what else we'll be creating in next month's class.

Thanks for stoppin' by! Katie

My first video tutorial!

Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by. Today, I have my very first video tutorial for your viewing pleasure. The following video will show you how to use the Quickutz 12" Border dies in a Cuttlebug machine.
Please excuse the background noise and the camera movement. My DH was trying to corral my two toddlers in the other room while my 8 year old shot the video with my cell phone! LOL!




If you watch the video, please take a moment to leave me a comment with your thoughts, comments, etc. Thanks, Katie

Supplies: Patterned paper: Daisy D's; Die machine: Cuttlebug; Dies: Quickutz Scallop Border die (CC-BDR-009)

Making Memories Slice

Okay, have you seen the Making Memories Slice yet? This little electronic die cut machine is soooo cool. I think by now everyone knows that MM is one of my top favorite manufacturers. I love the colors and textures they use, the shaped papers, all the coordinating 3-d embellishments.....So I was thrilled when I heard they came out with their own machine. Now, I'll be able to cut that classic MM artisan shape I LOVE so much out of anything. I will be able to make my own layered 3-d embellishments and to top them off I can add glitter, flock, foil, or whatever my little scrappy heart fancies at the time. You can read all about the Slice here.

The Slice will begin shipping on August 8. I will be hosting a Slice release party at The Scrappin' Pad in Tahlequah, OK. At this party I will show you how the fabulous Slice works and each attendee will complete multiple projects using the Animal Crackers and Noteworthy Slice design cards. Since we are not yet sure how far up on the shipment list we are, I'm holding off on scheduling a date. So, stay tuned here for more information.

If you'd like to pre-order a Slice you can go here. Be sure to tell 'em Katie sent ya. Mr. and Mrs. Doss are dear friends of mine and they have MANY of those cool gadgets on the way to their store. (Disclaimer: I receive no payment of any sort for my endorsements. I simply LOVE MM products and happen to know that Scrap-Mart can get 'em for ya. I'm just a craft lover sharing my info.)

Thanks for stoppin' by. I will be back later this week with sneak peeks of the upcoming Back to School layouts. Katie

My School Boy

Cody is well settled into his "school days" now. He started attending Early Head Start in mid-February of this year. He wakes up every morning asking if he's going to school. I was a little hesitant of a year-round program at first but it seems to be working well. I have my mornings and it also gives me time with Brian and Seth.

Anywho, they took their classroom pics last month and they just came in. Here's the layout:

I had seen this paper and knew right away it would be great for this picture. I layered it over a piece of kraft cardstock. Since the bottom of the photo already said the school name on it, all I needed to add was the year. I used my Making Memories mailbox numbers and added a paper clip in the top left corner with a little ribbon. That's it! Seriously, a 15 minute layou...and I love the result. I will write down the names of all the kids and his teachers and tuck in the paper clip behind the photo.



Thanks for stoppin' in! Katie

Yummy Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Oreo Balls!

Okay, so one day a friend of mine was talking about ordering some chocolate covered strawberries for her boyfriend. She showed me a picture on-line of what she was considering. Looked delicious, no doubt, but the packaging was so plain. So, you know me, I said "Sara, I can make those for you and put them in a personalized box." Sara loved the idea. The first box I made for her was a Harley Davidson theme. It had textured diamond plated cardstock, and a mix of vintage papers. The top of the box said "It's not the destination, it's the journey!" And wouldn't you know I forgot to take pics. LOL!

So a month later Sara ordered another box for her boyfriend and this time she wanted Oreo Balls to accompany her strawberries. I said no problem and whipped out a masculine box and stuffed it full. Yeah, you guessed it...I forgot to take pics again! UGH!

Then this last Thursday she asked if I could whip a really girly one out by Saturday. Of course, I couldn't disappoint my BEST customer! (BIG grin!) I said sure! She was hoping for rainbows but said anything bright and girly would do. She said her best friend is fun and funky. As much as I wanted to do something with rainbows, it didn't quite make it there. But, I did use some bright and funky colors...pink, lime green, teal, yellow. This time I was sure to grab some pics before I delivered it.

The top of the box:


A close-up of the lid:


The front view:


And, the goodies inside:


I really LOVE how this box turned out. I think that is the hardest part of special orders...you just might create something you don't want to let go of! LOL! For the band of the lid, I scrunched up some white crepe party streamer and dabbed it with Mod Podge. This is my new favorite technique right now. I also used it on a recent layout in place of ribbon. A little advice though, if you are using these crepe streamers with a wet adhesive, be very careful because it will tear easily. I really enjoyed making this box...and the yummy goodies inside too! My kids especially love the Oreo Balls.

If you're wondering, to make the Oreo Balls simply crunch a whole package of Oreo cookies (I put mine in my blender), mix in one package of softened cream cheese then roll them into little balls. You can also use a medium scoop (like the Pampered Chef ones). Melt some white chocolate or Almond Bark and simply drizzle it over the cookie balls and add sprinkles or nut toppings. I like to chill mine in the freezer for a few minutes so that the Almond Bark dries quicker. It's that simple...and they're to die for! Hope you enjoy them and if you try 'em, let me know what you think.

If you hung in with me through this LONG post, thank you! Hope to see you around again soon! Katie

About a Boy Explosion Box

I first learned about Explosion Boxes and how to make them early last year. I think they are a great twist on mini books and they are quick and easy to make. This coming Thursday at The Scrappin' Pad in Tahlequah, OK I will be teaching the About a Boy Explosion Box class. I had a ton of fun putting this little album together and I just know they're gonna love it.

Here's the outsidde of the box:

Two sides read "oh" and the other two opposite sides read "boy" so no matter which angle you're reading from you get "oh boy"!

And here's a look at the top:

Don't you just love that running child silhouette? I know I do!

And a picture of the inside:

A cute, quick, and fun mini book! I'm also offering a girl version for those who don't have boys or have both. Looking forward to this class! Thanks for stopping by!

Oh, and I haven't forgot about the blog candy...just need to pick out a prize! Stay tuned...Katie

Happy Birthday Shauna

Last week I taught at a birthday party. It was so much fun. There was a total of 7 girls including the birthday girl. They had chosen a door hanger and requested something girly. So, here's what they made:
We used Mod Podge to adhere the paper to the wooden door hanger then they cut around the edges with scissors (I cut the center out with my exacto knife). All the girls did a fabulous job and they really seemed to enjoy the sanding part. They even tried the sanding blocks out on their nails. LOL!

For once, I actually remembered my camera but low and behold, after 1, yes 1, picture my batteries died! UGH! We had actually spent that morning at the zoo with Cody's Early Head Start group so the batteries were well worn. But, here's a picture of the birthday girl hard at work.

Thanks Shauna for sharing your birthday fun with me! I had a blast!

And, just one more pic today. This one is actually of everyone patiently awaiting zoo entry. Aren't they cute?


I know I haven't been posting near as much as usual and I'm sorry. I have lost LOTS of readers. So, if you're out there and you're reading please drop me a line. I will be giving away some blog candy at the end of the week so stay tuned! Thanks, Katie

Kids Camp Project

As you can see from my class schedule, I am teaching a Kids Camp Class at The Scrappin' Pad in Tahlequah on May 24. I thought it would be fun to create a mini book that resembled a purse. I wanted something really trendy and eye catching and immediatley the Making Memories Funky Vintage collection came to mind. The colors are so bright and fun and they are definately trendy!

So, here's what the final project looks like....



I'm really pleased with how it turned out! Spots are filling quickly...actually there are only 4 seats left. So, if you're in the area and want in you'd better call Christi at 918-453-8166 to reserve your spot before they're all gone! And, there are other adults taking the class also so if you're worried about that, I can assure you that you won't be the only one! Katie

{Note}worthy *New* Collection

Okay, everyone knows how I LOVE MM. Have you seen the new {Note}worthy collection? OMG! It is too cute! I grabbed up some on National Scrapbook Day and created this layout for Shelby. I actually had another picture in mind but I thought this one fit better.

Shelby LOVES to have her picture taken. Everytime she sees the camera come out she says "cheese!" And as soon as the flash goes off she gets really excited and says "I wanna see Shelby!"

I love this picture of the two of us. Not really my best photo but it shows us in real life.


Isn't she the cutest?!? Thanks for stopping by! And if you haven't got your scrappy little hands on this collection, you better hurry before it's all gone! Katie

Making Memories Layout

Hello all! I have been busy, busy, busy working on all sorts of projects. Today, I will show you the Making Memories layout for my next class at The Scrappin' Pad (April 15th).

I have fallen for kraft cardstock. I know, I'm a little behind the bandwagon on this one but old habits are hard to break. As many of you know Making Memories is at the very top of my favorite manufacturers list. For this class we used the Funky Vintage line. The papers are so bright and, well, funky! LOL! MM was out of the flocked flowers so we substituted with the jumbo blossoms with crystal brads. I think the ribbon was everyone's favorite part of the layout!

I'd also like to thank Making Memories for sending me an apron to wear while I'm teaching my classes. It's wonderful! Oh, and I cannot forget the awesome Slice t-shirt they sent along with it! Thank you MM for being so fabulous! The MM blog is one I read everyday. There's always something wonderful happening over there. You can check it out here.

As always, thanks for stopping by. I will be back very soon with more projects for your viewing pleasure! Katie

New T-shirt available!

I openend an online store a while back. I have sold 6 shirts so far plus I provide The Scrappin' Pad with their logo t-shirts. This morning while I was driving a little poem of sorts came to me. When I got home I jotted it down and decided it would make a cute shirt. Here's what it says:

It started as a hobby,
I’d scrapbook now and then.
One Friday every month I’d meet up with a friend.
One Friday turned to two, then quickly three then four.
Now weekend retreats every quarter and we still want more.
I buy new stamps and paper and, of course, I need new ink.
Scrapbooking IS just a hobby, I think,
I got all the hottest magazines, rub-ons, flowers, and bling.
Chipboard, charms and paint. Am I missing anything?
My totes are overflowing and my budget is running thin.

What started as a hobby has become an obsession!

If you would like to purchase this (or any other) shirt you can go HERE. You will choose your size and proceed through a secure checkout. The only information I will receive is your name and what you ordered! Your item will ship directly to you. I will (hopefully) be adding this to a tote bag but those will be ordered directly through me so that I can add some bling and dazzle to them. If you have a design or something you'd like to see on a shirt, please feel free to contact me! I'd love to help you out. Thanks! Katie

Scrap Strip Layouts

Hello fellow scrappers...oh, and cardmakers, and papercrafters. LOL! Today I'm sharing with you 2 one-page 12x12 layouts that I'll be teaching mid next month at The Scrappin' Pad. Most of the classes at The Pad have been projects and we had yet to do an actual layout class. So, we decided to start with a basic layout and technique class. I think I've covered the "basic" layout but you may be wondering what the technique is. Well, it's working with Strip Paper. We've all seen it. The paper that has different sized strips, some with words, some plain, some patterned. Yeah, that. I took 1, yes 1, Scrap Strip, 1 piece of cardstock, 1 piece of patterned paper and 1 sticker sheet and created 2 layouts. Talk about stretching those bucks. That's why those Scrap Strips are so great. You can do sooooo much with them.

For the first layout here, I took the strips to make a border along the bottom of my page. I added a 5x7 picture then cut out the stars from another one of the strips to embellish. Then, I pop-dotted the sticker so it would barely overlap the picture and that's it.

For the second layout, I used a few more of the strips from the Scrap Strip to create a layered border down the left side of my page. I added three 4x6 photos then arranged the stickers to read "U R..." and added the list sticker. Oh, and I went back and cut 2 photo corners with my Quickutz to add a little something extra. That's it!
Very easy. Two layouts completed in less than hour. There are so many ways to use these papers. Katie

Patterned paper and stickers: Scenic Route Paper Co., Metropolis Collection; Kraft Cardstock: Prism

New Layout

Well, I know it's been a LONG time since I've posted and I'm sorry. Things have been rather hectic around here...I'm sure most of you can relate. Rocky and I took a very quick road trip to Iowa a few weeks back to pick up a Jeep he bought on Ebay. On the way home, he stopped for me so I could shop at Archivers in Des Moines. I'd never been to one before and I really wanted to see what it was like. I bought some Making Memories Noteworthy paper and I couldn't resist their new CHA Winter 2008 release Animal Crackers. I bought both Ella and Jack. I finally got some craft time for me, not a class, and I created this layout for Shelby.


I love the circle scallop paper. The journal block came from the MM Animal Crackers tag book...a must have! The heart die cuts are from my Cuttlebug and I used Bazzill Bling cardstock to make them and the title. The flowers, ribbon, buttons and glitter die cuts are a collection of MM stuff. I actually used products from a variety of their collections. I love how you can mix and match their stuff.

Here's a close-up of the embellishment cluster:

This layout actually turned out better than I had pictured in my head. I LOVE it when that happens. I'm very pleased with it and although Shelby is only 2, she pays attention to things with her picutre on them. She must've asked 50 times yesterday to see "Blankie." I don't think she goes anywhere without that silly blanket. And now it's documented for her.

I'll be back tomorrow with a preview of an upcoming class. See you then! Katie