I Can See Clearly

Hey Guys!

I'm back again with another something that you may not have tried yet.
Clear Sheets!

Clear, acrylic albums and embellishments are still quite popular but many people are afraid of them.
Why not stop by The Shoppe and pick up a sheet or two to play with and you'll see just how amazing your projects can become with that little hint of transparency!


We have lots of pix here of samples for you to view . . . a Disney Album, a clear card, tags, and lettering. If you can think it, you can create it with these clear sheets!

We're starting you off with clear covers that we created using the lighter-weight of plastic which we cut on our Cricut machine and then embossed in a Cuttlebug folder.
After that we lightly sanded the embossing and inked the edge with Stayz-On Ink.


You'll need to use the deepblade on #6, set your multi-cut button to 2x, pressure on high, and speed on low.


Next are the letters, also cut on the Cricut but then we layered them with coats of Crackle Accents (that's from the last post!)


You can also run these sheets through your AccuCut, Sizzix and Cuttlebug machines. We used the heavier sheets for these tags & die-cuts, also inked with Stayz-On.






Then lastly, here is a clear card made with the heavier weight sheets. As you can see, the plastic is also score-able for folding cards, as well as thin enough to cut with your patterned scissors.





If you are lucky enough to be attending Heidi's class on June 26th, she'll also have an example along of an album she created using clear tags!


So don't forget to stop by The Shoppe to grab a couple of these to play with.
Then come back and show us what YOU'VE created!

Watery Good Stuff

First, I gotta apologize for so seriously ignoring this blog. Sorry.

But today I'm back and ready to share a product (or two) that you might not be familiar with.

They are: Paper Glaze, Crackle Accents, and Glossy Accents.

















These all pretty much cause the same effect no matter which one you choose.
Paper Glaze & Glossy Accents will give you a clear thick finish.


While the Crackle Accents does just that . . . it crackles when it dries.


There's no special instructions to use them ~ just squeeze it where you want the highlights!


I love using them on anything water themed because the finish leaves your projects looking wet and shiny . . . just like it's fresh out of the water!



That makes them the perfect choice for all of your beach and pool pages. And don't forget about aquarium, bathtime, and blowing bubbles!





If you are registered for Heidi Kelley's Beach Pages Class here at The Shoppe in June, you might want to stop by & grab a bottle BEFORE class day. She'll be showing you how to re-create her gorgeous projects with them!

Here's another peek at something Heidi will being showing you in class!


So give one of these great products a try .. . I promise you'll love what you create!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Another Celeb Design Class!

Yep . . . we're on a roll!
We've got another company designer lined up to teach here for us!

Next month we have the honor of hosting Couture Cardstock design team member Heidi Kelley!


She'll be here teaching you how to create some gorgeous beach-y elements for the layout & card you'll be making, while using all kinds of goodies!
Everything from ink & Stickles to micro beads, sand, & Glimmer Mist!

Here's a peek at what she's designed for us:


Since she works with Couture, she gets to choose from just about any other paper company she'd like. So for The Shoppe's class, she's going to incorporate the beautiful new "Seaside Retreat" designs from Webster's Pages!

Class seating is limited & is already 1/2 filled!

Go check out Heidi's blog & her gallery and I'm certain you'll fall in love with her stuff just like we have!

Oh it's been W*A*Y too long since I've been here!
The Holidays kept me jumping and then it was the dreaded tax time stuff . . . YUK!

And of course the Shoppe's new FaceBook Page is such an addiction . . . I gotta stay away from there!
Maybe . . .

Anyways, today I'm happy & really excited to post about an upcoming class on our calendar in May!

We have the honor of hosting a Celebrity Make~N~Take Class with
Stephanie Howell!
YAY!
(Click on her name or pix to go to her blog)

If you guys aren't familiar with her name yet (and if you're true scrappers, then you'll have seen her & her work all over the scrapbooking world!), she is on the design teams for Jenni Bowlin, Lilybee Designs, and Studio Calico.

She's going to be here on May 22nd and if you'll be in her class, get ready to use some of the just released product from Lilybee's "Hello Sunshine" collection!


We just got our order in from them ~ the entire line! ~ and it's "OH-So-Cute! Bright, happy, and fun . . . just in time for the Spring & Summer photos you will all be taking!



So if you're in the Columbus/Atlanta area and would like to join her, please call The Shoppe to reserve your seat . . .May 22nd 1p - 3p . . . .706*321*0202

Christmas Card Alternatives

We're back again with another Holiday idea for you to try . . .

We know that many, many of you enjoy creating & sending your own cards for the Christmas season.

This year, why not put a different spin on those hand-crafted greetings!
Send out "Holiday Postcards" instead!


Now these will be a little bit more time consuming but they are Oh-So-Cute!
Whoever receives these will surely remember them for years to come . . .and what a surprise to find in the mailbox!

We made ours a 5x7 size, but any standard letter size will work . . . just remember to add a little extra postage!

You'll need just a few basic ingredients for these:
Chipboard
Assorted Holiday Papers
Ink Pad
Stickers, Rub~ons, Stamps, Photos, etc.
Mod Podge
Cut your chipboard to your desired size and adhere (with ModPodge) your chosen papers.


Remember to ink the edges to cover the raw chipboard & give it a bit of a distressed look.


After that, the sky's the limit!
embellish with more paper, stickers, photos . . . . whatever you'd like.

Stamp or print out your sentiment, sign your card and address it.


Your last step will be to give it another all-over coat of ModPodge to seal all of the edges to keep them from coming up.


Super simple and really cute . . . . Have fun with this one!

Christmas Wraps

Hello Everyone!

We're finally back with another idea (altho' not original) for you for your handmade gift-giving this season.

Many of us love to bake & give holiday treats to those we love.
So instead of just handing them a bag of goodies, why not dress it up a little?

Today we're sharing our ideas on presenting those home-made breads we love to make.


These are super simple & quick to put together.
So if you own a sewing machine & can sew a straight line, you're in luck!

To begin all you need are a couple strips of co-ordinating papers.
We cut ours into a 3x12 inch strip and two 1inch strips.


Next we zig-zag stitched the 2 strips on each side of the wider piece . . .




After that, use your imagination!
For this pink one, we used a decorative border punch to finish off the sides before wrapping it around our Banana Bread.


Or try using a scallopped scissors . . .



And don't forget to add a cute tag and some frilly ribbons & bows!!



We hope this post inspires you to create some beautiful wraps of your own this year!

Watch this place for another Christmas idea soon!

Check Us Out!

OK . . .we did it!

The Shoppe is now on FaceBook!




So make sure you visit us & become a fan for the most up-to-the-minute news!

Now you can get updates immediately instead of waiting for a newsletter!

Click on the box up in the corner to join us!

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Another Halloween Treat

Here's another quick & super simple cute, cute Halloween treat idea!

And there are only a couple ingredients that you'll need . . . . here's the 1st one:

A simple piece of styrofoam . . .


and this is the other thing that I used . . . altho' not neccessary, but it makes it easy!



And here is your first peek at what I ended up with:


Here's the big picture . . . really cute & takes less than 10 minutes (plus glue-drying time)

Now keep in mind that you'll need to round off the corners of your styro piece & glue a grey piece of cardstock to the front. The ghostie goes on the back side.
And it's alot cuter when you add a little pen doodling and some googly eyes.

Then just poke in your favorite lollies and your finished!

Hope you enjoy todays little treat project!

Do You Want Fries With That?

OK, Guys . . . .Here's the next treat project idea we've got for you!

And they're Oh-so-Cute . . . .

So here's a hint:


We've taken out the fries, changed the color, and added candy to ours!


These are cutest when made with double-sided papers (we used one from Fancy Pant's Trick or Treat line). . . . and we wrapped them with ribbon to add a little more ooh-la-la to them.


We've got a template for these here at The Shoppe if you'd like a copy for your own party favours. Just stop by!

And while you're here, grab a few extra sheets to make yourself some of these treat bags . . . . we've got the die for this one . . . it'll take you just 2 seconds to roll thru the machine!




And to send you off for now, here's another cutie-patootie we found . . .



He doesn't involve any paper ~ just some chenille stems (that's a fancy-schmancy word for good ole' pipe cleaners )


Hope this post gives you guys lots of creative inspiration for some special treats for your classroom parties or get-togethers you have planned for this Halloween season!

TaTa until next time . . . .