Sara's Blog

Last week I got a big package from HOTP with samples of our new stamps. Oh, my! I think my favorite stamp set has got to be the Whimsical Words & Doodles…it’s funny, because normally my tastes run to vintage—but this style is so fresh and fun, I think it’s perfect for summer.

My other favorite is the Medallions & Corners…I love the elegant look of the images and how easily they can become card focals, like on the card shown here. Oh, and I also have to say the Sweet Blossoms & Swirls are really versatile too. Okay, it’s just too hard for me to choose one favorite!

In other Amsterdam news, we’ve discovered our apartment is being sold, so we must find another one. We’re a bit sad, since we really like our current place, but it’s also exciting to think of maybe trying out a new area of the city…and I’m hoping for a place with a terrace!

One stipulation will also be boat parking, since Keith bought a boat. Yes, a boat…a little motor boat, not as grand as some you see in the canals, but just the perfect size for us and a couple of friends. I have to say I was a bit surprised to find that “parked” outside our apartment, but it’s been really fun boating in the canals—you see a completely different view of Amsterdam. My family finds this whole thing pretty funny, and my dad now refers to Keith as The Admiral. My brother calls him Captain Stubing and hums the theme song to The Love Boat. Hey, I’m just glad Keith knows how to operate a motor boat, so I don’t end up swimming in the canal. Below are a few pictures of the city view from the boat (I love the “no parking” sign in the last one)…let’s hope this weather holds out so we can make the most of it!

 

 

I love using my scrapbooking supplies for projects outside my scrapbook—from tags to little gifts and even party decorations. This week, I was inspired when Personal Shopper member Antoinette emailed me from South Africa with a sweet message and a very fun papercrafting idea. She says:

“I really love the Personal Shopper kits and feel it is real value for money (even with the high dollar exchange rate in South Africa). I made a lovely banner for my 2 year old daughter for her birthday using the March kit and being able to have such a big selection of papers and items each month encourages me to start using it instead of feeling that it'll be wasted.”

She says she got the basic idea for this cool banner from Craft TV Weekly and it only took her an afternoon to make it from scratch. She adds, “I could make about 3 extra banners with the abundance of products left over from the kit!!!”

I asked Antoinette if I could show her banner here and if she had any tips to share. She generously agreed, so here they are:

1. The banner was made for a Shrek themed b-day party so I printed my daughter's name in a Shrek font and cut it out along the edges.
2. I drew a heart shaped design on a square piece of chipboard and used a strong pair of scissors to cut out the design multiple times.
3. I then glued the chipboard down on a various full sheets from the "Citrus Use 'Em for Anything" papers to incorporate the designs on the papers at the right angle on the heart shape.
4. I repeated this with each chipboard shape and then used some Memory Mists ink on square blocks of paper to mount the letters using foam tape.
5. I embellished each shape with the various elements provided in the kit like the super sized brad, silk flowers, colored and printed brads from the creative pack.
6. I punched a hole in the upper left and right corners of the hearts and tied them together using the ribbons from the Personal Shopper kit.

Antoinette also sent me this photo of her with her adorable daughter—it looks like a great party and I bet the banner was a hit! Thanks, Antoinette, for the inspiration!

Imagine Amsterdam in the new summer sunshine, café tables on the sidewalks, flowers blooming and the park benches filled with people. Now picture everyone dressed in bright orange…orange shirts, orange hats, orange clown wigs, orange feather boas. (I even saw one person dressed in orange striped tights, not a look I’ll be adopting any time soon.) Monday night was, as I was told, The Most Important Game in the World—Netherlands versus Italy in the Euro 2008. This was major, and while I’m not really a sports fan, it was amazing to see the entire city celebrating the 3-0 win. You wouldn’t believe the energy in the air!

(I hope Martine and the other Dutch readers survived! :-) )

Between this and the Queen’s Day celebration, it seems I’ll have to break down and invest in some orange apparel, even though it makes me look like a pumpkin. This is how much I love the Netherlands.

Okay, on to crafting… several people have emailed, asking when I’ll be back in the UK for classes. The answer is next month! July is the big Crafting Experience with QVC, held in London. I’ve taught there for the past three years and I’m really looking forward to the three new workshops I’ll teach this year. And if you’re not attending that event and you live in the UK, I’ll be on air with Dawn on July 4th. (Somehow I don’t expect anyone to wish me a happy Fourth of July.)

What goes into prepping for classes like these? Well, I am a bit obsessive about preparation, so I recreate the projects to test the steps, see what kinds of challenges or questions I’m likely to bump into, and double-check the designer’s measurements and required tools. I sequence the steps, figure out extra tips I can pass on about the techniques, go over my notes and make sure everything is in the kit. Then I recreate the project again, just to make sure the timing is right. I’ll review everything from top to tail once more before I get on the plane. Yes, it is obsessive but it’s the best way I know to make sure a class goes well.

The downside? My home office/crafting room is absolutely covered in papers, instructions, stepped-out portions of a project, additional project samples and embellishments. Last night I had to leap over the pile to get to the door. This morning I had to leap back in.

Okay, just one more thing…we are also busily planning an online event called Week of Webisodes. I can’t spill any of the details yet, but keep an eye out as we get closer to October. We’ll have a new Webisode each day, plus tons of great deals and loads of fun tips and techniques. You’ll hear more later!

You know how sometimes you forget about supplies you have? (Please tell me I’m not the only one.) Well, this morning I was tidying up my shelves, which is where I stash all of my paper crafting supplies, and came across my Walnut Ink sprays. Why haven’t I been using these more often? Hmmm…and how would they work on a Sara’s Surface™?

Since the Surfaces have both a glossy and a matte surface, you can choose which side you want to spritz. I tried it with both. On the Celebrate 6"x6" Portfolio, I’ve spritzed Eucalyptus Walnut Ink on the matte side. It absorbs pretty quickly and I love the aged effect, especially in combination with papers from the Flea Market sarapapers collection. Oh—and that “celebrate” stamp is from the Christmas Words set. I love being able to use holiday stamps for everyday occasions—more bang for my buck! (Or Euro.)

  

The Tall Coin Envelope was also spritzed with Eucalyptus Walnut Ink, but on the glossy side of the Surface. As soon as I spritzed it, I blotted it with a crumpled paper towel. This means it dries much faster, and also gives a softer look. The envelope was decorated with patterned papers from the Winged Things Finished in a Flash!™ kit. The music note paper is a vintage scrap of mine!

The Tag in a Bag is spritzed on the glossy side with Cornflower Walnut Ink. Then, because I didn’t realize it was in the line of fire while I was spritzing something else with Terra Cotta Walnut Ink, it also has a spattering of brown—which I realized I really liked! The blue ink was still wet when the brown hit, so it gives a speckled look. Note: If you’re spritzing on the glossy side of a Surface and not blotting it, it needs to dry overnight. Even then, I hit it with my heat tool before decorating it.

The “thank you” stamp is from the Expressions stamp set; the swirl is from the Delicate Patterns set and the text paper and lace are from my own stash of vintage treasures.

Happy crafting!

PS. If you’re looking for a great read, check out Markus Zusak’s “The Book Thief”. It’s one of the very best books I’ve read this year (and I am a big reader). I started it when I got on the plane from Portland to Frankfurt and didn’t put it down during the entire 10-hour flight.