It's Christmas in the Studio...

YIKES!! Is it that time already?
Time to be thinking about decorating for the upcoming season?


Yep! Well, I've started. I figured since we will be creating Christmas Cards in the Studio tomorrow we should create them in a festive environment! hehe Looking forward to seeing the girls tomorrow and next week too! It's going to be a fantastic Card Workshop (aka cookout :) ) See you tomorrow ladies!

I realized yesterday when I went to make a blog entry that I didn't take any photos of the Dollar Store Club Wednesday night! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! So sorry... it was a Great night too! All 8 ladies came to the studio with projects in hand -- all as unique as the people creating them! Truly inspiring! Loved how you used the leaves ladies!!


I did teach a technique Wednesday night -- as always. This month I showed the girls the technique I posted earlier on the blog: using Crafter's Workshop templates to emboss on Sticky-Back Canvas! Love this technique! The card to the left is what we created with the embossed canvas and a fall pattern paper from My Little Yellow Bicycle. I am loving Stick Pins and wanted to incorporate them in this project -- I don't know -- seemed fabric-like canvas would make a great plush pin cushion?? Am I wrong? hehe

If you like fancy stick pins as much as I... you will love In A Pinch Design's Friday Flick today. All about creating your own fun pins. Love the flick, Sher ... and .... you're right! "Why didn't I think of that?" *smile*

Anyway, we had a great time and I can't wait until next month -- Christmas Items. The nexgt meeting will be the first Wednesday of December! See you there!

Thank yous all around!

It's Remembrance Day! I hope you took a moment to remember the men and women who so bravely defend the freedoms we enjoy everyday. Thank you to all our Veterans!!


I told you I would blog with some retreat photos today! Here they are!

You can find more in the Go Scrapping Photobucket Site (link at side) I hope you enjoy.

This was a very fun, very productive crop!! I did a layout tally when I returned and guess what??? THE AVERAGE number of pages completed was 27!! 27!!! Wow!! That's more than an album per person! The page count ranged from 6 -62. You ladies were there on a mission!! Hope you had a great time completing them!!

The theme for our London Retreat was "British Invasion" We had some people come with flags and shirts with various British slogans and team names. Who knew so many scrappers were soccer fans? *wink* Thanks for participating in the theme ladies.

We had 4 great classes offered on Saturday. A "distressing" album class, a full and enthusiastic group of ladies for a layout class, a fabulous Card Class offered by Sheri East of In A Pinch Designs and a Desk Calendar Class using some yummy Graphic 45 Papers and bound with the Zutter! Love that Calendar -- I think I'll make another one to give away at Christmas. Its a great vintage look!! Thanks for being such wonderful students!!

I was very happy to welcome Lori from the Memory Mill as a vendor at the retreat. Lori is from Dorchester and will be

starting an online retail site in addition to her studio space very soon. Look out for that. Congratulations on your business growth Lori!! And thanks for being there with us.

Lori and Judy and Sheri from In A Pinch Designs (who were also at the retreat selling their fabulous kits!!) offered some amazing make n takes too ... Thanks for adding so much to the retreat ladies! I really appreciate it!

All in all it was a great retreat and I am looking forward to seeing the ladies again soon! I know I will be seeing some ladies at the Nottawasaga Resort February 26-28 and others at the Stratford Retreat March 26-28. If you'd like information on those retreats, please let me know. The early bird rate is still in effect for both events.

I would like to end this by quoting Kelly -- she posted this on the Go Scrapping Messageboard:

"ah yes, you know it's a good weekend when there was more than one occasion that you laughed so hard you were crying and could barely breathe."

Have a great day everyone!! Dollar Store Club tonight so look for some pics tomorrow!!

Ask Karen - Grunge vs Chip

Hello Bloggers!

I am home from a great weekend retreat with some ubber productive scrapbookers!! :) I have taken the last couple of days to re-connect with my family and to unpack and get back in the groove at the studio!

I have gone through the retreat pictures and will blog about it tomorrow!! Today is Tuesday which means I need to post an "Ask Karen" :) So -- hear is one question that came out of the retreat.... "What is the difference between Regular Chipboard and Grungeboard."

Grunge vs Chip -> Both are great to use to add dimension to your pages and products. Grunge is FLEXIBLE (literally). It's made from a compressed paper-based product (that's all the description I can find and I fully suspect something synthetic in it :) ) You will notice a leather-like smell the second you remove it from it's blister pack packaging. Never fear - that scent is normal.. and will fade eventually. Consider it an added bonus :)

I like using grunge. The diecut shapes are easier to use than the regular chip because the "pop out" more cleanly, without breaking. I also like the fact I can do anything to it -- ink, paint, emboss, etc directly onto it in colours and patterns that I choose. Many regular chipboard pieces have a coating on them preventing the ability to alter them -- without prep work first.

Which brings me to another question asked me this weekend -- How can I alter "shiny" chipboard pieces. Well, first, they are shiny because they've been coated with a lacquer coating. The reason paint and ink comes off these chipboard pieces is because the coating acts as a resist. If you would like to change the colour of the chipboard pieces, you must first sand the coating off the chipboard. Ranger has a fabulous tool for this ... the Sanding Block. It is a refillable block that will give an even, FLAT surface to sand the tiniest, most intricate pieces. It's great to sand board books for altering too!! Gotta love that!


I have the Seasonal Grunge Diecut Sheets (one pack with 8 sheets for Christmas, Winter, Halloween and Valentines Day) in the studio for $8.99 (that's approximate 20% off the regular retail price), I also have a few more Grunge Mini Books for $8.75 and Grunge Sheets you can but in your die cutting machines too!!! ...and yes, we have Sanding Blocks! Contact the studio for more info or come in to check them out for yourselves!! Love to see you.

Just a tip -- Grungeboard takes some time to dry when inked with some inks - especially pigment inks - but they can create some cool effects. One of the ladies at the retreat inked her grungeboard with a brown pigment ink and it looked very leather/suede-like! Totally cool! So, when doing this, zap it with a heat gun to set the ink.

Also -- try something new!! Use your Matte Medium to adhere tissue paper or napkin (yes, napkin) to the chipboard or grungeboard. You can seal this with Glossy Accents to protect it and give it an epoxied look. So fun! Use your imagination- be creative!!!

Here's a video by Tim Holtz explaining Grunge too!!


Now.. I am off to get some more work done....

Look for tomorrow's retreat post tomorrow afternoon. I'm looking forward to tomorrow night's Dollar Store Club too!!! Can't wait to play with the girls.

Talk to you soon,

See you in London!!

I am ready to go!!

Looking forward to seeing everyone later this afternoon in our crop space at the Ramada in London ... okay, Ontario :) ... but we can pretend!


I will post more when I can -- I'm not too sure if I will have internet access from the crop room or not.


PLEASE REMEMBER -- While I am at the retreat this weekend, the Studio will be closed. Sorry for any inconvenience. I will re-open on Tuesday for our regular studio hourse.
>

Getting Ready!!!

...For the Invasion!

Yep -- in just about 24 hrs I will be welcoming my retreat guests at the Ramada London for our British Invasion weekend retreat!

I have some fun things planned and can't wait to share them with you!

I am packing up the last of my class and make n take materials including all the "ingredients" to make this fun Grungepaper Flower Magnet (totally inspired by a project created by Donna Lewis). Cute isn't it? I have done these before with Sticky Back Canvas... now its Grungepaper's turn. We will be giving everyone at the retreat a chance to create one and I'm looking forward to sharing the tricks of the trade :) (here's the link to the sticky Back version)

See you tomorrow ladies!!

Ask Karen - UTEE UTEE UTEE

Hello Bloggers!

I hope you had a great Halloween Weekend!! I know I did! :) .... lots of "making memories!"

It's Tuesday and time for our "Ask Karen" segment.

I had a question about UTEE -- "What is it and how do you use it?" Well -- talk about a loaded question!! I'll start by telling you what it is and then I will set you free with a bunch of links to get those creative juices flowing!!

UTEE stands for Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel -- It a thick, granular version of embossing powder that can be melted a couple of ways - in a melting pot, in an oven, or with a heat gun.

Unlike regular fine embossing powder, UTEE does not raise an image -- it coats it. Therefore it is not meant for outlining fine detail. You can pour it into a mold to create your own personalized embellishments, stamp into it to create fun effects, you can crack it for a broken glass look - it's all good.

• Videos, Videos, Videos. Here are some great educational videos produced by Ranger and demoed by Suze Weinburg the product designer: http://www.rangerink.com/videos/browsevideos_meltart.htm Check out the UTEE poured into the Memory Frames to create some fabulous pendents!! Love playing with this technique!


• a great little scrapjazz tutorial on how to stamp into UTEE and to create a cracked glass effect: http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Techniques/Embossing/967.php


• UTEE image transfers? Yep!! Here's the link to "the Artful Mama": http://theartfulmama.blogspot.com/2007/01/utee-image-transers.html ... you can bet I will be playing with this technique and SOON!!!!

Enjoy! If you have any specific questions about UTEE let me know.

The studio carries the clear, metallic and brightz powders, super quiet heat guns, melting pots and accessories. I have them all available to use in the studio as well.... come on by for an in house demo or class. I'd love to create one for you if you would like to learn more.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone!
I love this time of year - carving the pumpkin, roasting up the seeds, seeing my kid get all into the whole dress up thing! It's so much fun to just "take it all in".

It should be a nice night for the tricksters. This is the first year my daughter will not be trick or treating. She will be dressing herself and the dog up in costume to greet the kids that come to the door. .... that and she wants to teach me Jak and Daxter on her Playstation. Should be interesting -- these thumbs aren't into that whole gaming thing. Where's the joystick? LOL

I hope you have fun tonight!!

BUT... before that .... I hope you drop by the studio today before I close at 4pm. I have some of these super cute layouts for your kids to create and place a photo of their Halloween experience in -- it comes complete with a 8x10 frame to display it in. Kits are $8

I also have our remaining Halloween Papers and embellishments 25% off today and next week Tuesday - Thursday (before I have to leave to host the London Retreat Weekend on the 6th)

We have some Basic Grey papers, rub ons and stickers, some My Little Yellow Bicycle Glazed papers and some American Crafts Halloween Papers too! Drop on by and sa HI!! Love to see you.

I have chocolate goodies for those who come in today -- it is Halloween after all. Muahhhhhh!