American Crafts Black Cloth Albums are now back in stock!

For Sale - Silhouette SD (Demo model)

The Silhouette is an electronic cutting tool for personal use. It connects to your computer just like a printer, but instead of printing designs it cuts them with a small blade. With the machine connected to your computer, you'll get access to all of the fonts on your PC plus the thousands of cuttable designs found on the Silhouette Online Store.

Purchased in early summer 2011 and used a handful of times for kit items and such.

Comes with all cords, manuals, etc.

Includes two mats (used) and one new blade.

$175.

Email us for more info.

Slice Demo model for sale

Includes Slice machine, plug-in, cutting board, adhesive, 5 replacement blades and the following cartridges...

- noteworthy

- mix & mingle

- basics 1

- animal crackers

- big kids

- studio essentials

- thinking of you

This package would retail for over $500...

but we're selling it for only $100!

New Arrivals.

October Afternoon Sidewalks has just arrived!

Weekend Sale

From October 13- 15 enjoy 30% off!

(Take 15% off new arrivals)

New Arrivals.

- Studio Calico (Classic Calico, masks, and more)

- We R Memory Keepers Autumn Splendor

- more Smash goodies

New Arrivals

- most of the new Amy Tangerine has arrived.

- new Crate

- new Pink Paislee

- new Cosmo Cricket

More Smash and Studio Calico arriving next week.

Online Crop Challenge 11 ~

Scrapbook something other than a person. Something from your everyday? Laundry? Books? Your home?

Online Crop Challenge 10 ~ Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue

Use something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue on your page.

Online Crop Challenge 9 ~ Banners

Create a banner on your page.

Online Crop Challenge 8 ~ Always a Bridesmaid

Create your own background... Use mist or stitches to create a one of a kind canvas.

Online Crop Challenge 7 ~ Lookin' Sketchy

Use this sketch as the jumping off point for your page.

Online Crop Challenge 6 ~ Color Challenge

Use an aqua, red and white color scheme... ala our MSS colors!

Online Crop Challenge 5 ~ Use...

Use flowers, buttons and a stamp

Online Crop Challenge 4 ~ Newbie

Try something new that you've always wanted to try.

Online Crop Challenge 3 ~ Recently

Scrap a photo taken in the last month

Online Crop Challenge 2 ~ Use...

Use buttons, a die-cut and handwritten journaling

Online Crop Challenge 1 ~ Color Challenge

Okay... here we go... some challenges and inspiration for your weekend.

Welcome to our September Online Crop. The challenges will be posted here (and added to throughout the day) and the chatting will go on over on our Facebook forum.

Link your layout to the comment section and share it on our wall... I'll see if I can dig up a prize or two! ;)

Here's your first one...

Use a yellow, blue and black color scheme

New Arrivals

New in the shoppe...

- some Smash items (more arriving soon)

- My Mind's Eye Mischievous, 12 days of Christmas, Lost and Found 2

- Prima alpha stickers

- Fancy Pants Off to School collection

... and more.

More arriving next week... including Crate and Amy Tangerine!

Project Kits and embellishments

Have you all checked out our shop at Studio5? It's full of mini book kits and fun embellishments. Here's what's in stock right now...

New Arrivals

October Afternoon Boarding Pass

Crafter's Workshop Swiss Dot Template

A few My Mind's Eye embellishments (the rest of the My Mind's Eye is arriving on Tuesday).

Ink Splatter Tutorial

If you want to know how to make mist/ink splatters on your page like this...

then check out the video tutorial I've posted over here. Enjoy.

Weekly Challenge #1

This one's for Carol...

Use patterned paper for your background.

I'll try to have challenge posts up once a week... but remember... we have an online crop coming up. Be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep up with us over at the shop.

Coming next week...

Coming next week...

- new BoBunny

- new My Mind's Eye

- new Smash (although the folios are only arriving at the end of September)

Harvest Festival Sale

To celebrate Harvest Festival we're having a sale!

Enjoy!

New Arrivals.

New product should be hitting the shop in a few weeks. Look for Smash and My Mind's Eye to come first... followed by Amy Tangerine!

Other new stuff coming....

- new Studio Calico

- new Cosmo Cricket

- new Fancy Pants

- new October Afternoon

- new Crate

- new Pink Paislee

* Note... most companies have a short run this release. This means that what we get is what we get... and it will not be able to be restocked.

So keep an eye on this blog...

New Boards

Happy Monday everyone.

We'll be continuing our community over at our Facebook page... and more specifically over on the Discussion board there. So, be sure to come on by.

We also have a September online crop in the works.

CHANGES

Hi there everyone.

The online retail world is tough tough tough. So it's with a lot of thought and consideration that we're going to be making some changes around here.
I don't have the time that I used to have to devote to this site. Our membership is really small too.

So, with that said, here's the changes...

- we'll be eliminating the forum and the gallery a few days into August.

- we'll be keeping the online and the physical store.

I REPEAT... THE STORE IS NOT CLOSING! PREORDERS HAVE BEEN MADE... NEW STUFF IS ON THE WAY.

So, I want to thank all of you and Leigh and Flo for keeping this little community going! We'll see you in the shop!

* Right now I'm not sure if store updates will happen over here or on my personal blog (www.marcypenner.com)

Summer Inspiration

On vacation? Looking for some inspiration to get you scrapping? Here's what inspired us for this week's challenge:
I love the fresh mix of colours. It just felt perfect for this time of year.

Here's Leigh's layout:

And here's mine:
We'd love to see yours! Post them in the gallery if you participate so we can leave you some love.

Summer Sketch #3

Summer Sketch #3 comes from the My Mind's Eye blog:


And here's the layout I made with it:


The patterned paper, embellishments & brads are all My Mind's Eye. The alphabet stickers are Lily Bee and the chipboard letters are Pink Paislee. The stamps and dies are Papertrey Ink.

If you'd like to play along with my Summer Sketches, just create a layout using one of the sketches I post. Post your layout in the MSS gallery and then link it to this thread in the forum.

Summer Sketch #2

This week's sketch is from the October Afternoon blog:


And here's the layout I made with it:


I stuck closely to the sketch, modifying it only to add a third photo. I used American Crafts cardstock, thickers and Dear Lizzy journaling cards, My Mind's Eye patterned paper & brads.

If you'd like to play along with my Summer Sketches, just create a layout using one of the sketches I post. Post your layout in the MSS gallery and then link it to this thread in the forum.

June Featured Product Challenge: Chipboard

This month's DT product challenge is chipboard.

Since I have quite a bit of this in my stash (alphas, embellishments, etc.) I didn't have a hard time coming up with a layout using it.



I used Bazzill cardstock, Crate Paper patterned paper and chipboard shape, Pink Paislee chipboard letters and Sassafras letter stickers, all from the Shoppe.

What kind of chipboard do you like?

Summer Sale - starting Monday

30% storewide sale beginning on Monday, June 27 ? (I'm never sure what the actual date is LOL... but, this coming Monday)

Members... you can start shopping starting today. No extra 10% applied during this sale.

*excludes New Arrivals, Smash Products, adhesive, page protectors, handmade items and cardstock

Summer Sketch info & a Spring Sketch winner

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm going to post the Summer sketches every second week over the summer. I'll be posting them on Mondays instead of Fridays, starting July 11th and will be alternating with the DT challenges.

I hope you'll play along.

I also wanted to announce the winner of the Spring Sketches prize....

Here are the people who participated in the Spring Sketches:

1. Susi Teichroeb
2. Susi Teichroeb
3. Carla
4. Carla
5. TaraLeClaire
6. TaraLeClaire

I put the numbers online in the random number generator and the winner is.....

1. Susi Teichroeb

Congratulations, Susi! I'll try to leave your RAK at the Shoppe in the next week or so.

Thanks again to everyone who played along!

Smash Folios and Accessories

Smash folios and accessories are now here. Whatever's out will be restocked next week (providing the supplier's not out).

Also going up today... October Afternoon Rocket Age and some new We R Memory Keepers Travel line.

How to adhere toothpick flags

I recently purchased these toothpick flags:
But in my haste excitement, I never stopped to think how I would adhere these onto a layout. So, as I usually do, I went trolling online to see how others are doing it, and found a few ways:

Tiny Attacher
This is probably the most ideal thing to use to attach the flags. I know Marcy uses this pretty often, and I'm thinking I would love to get one as well. I tried to use my stapler instead for a card I made, and while it held, staples are too wide, and didn't keep the flags firmly in place. I'm thinking would be a better alternative.

Sewing

Not sure if you can tell from above, but Tina Aszmus simply used thread across the toothpick to keep her flags in place.

Pop Dots
In my layout, I used pop dots to adhere the envelope to my layout, so I simply stuck the toothpicks into the foam. Easy!

Just use the flag!
Or, you can do what Nicole Harper did, and just use the flag part! Just take the toothpick out (it's super easy) and then use whatever adhesive you want.

Have you purchased (and used) these? How have you adhered it?

Summer Sketch #1

Okay, it's true that we're still a few days away from the official start of summer, but today is my second last day of work until summer break, so please indulge me. ;)

Here's the sketch I chose for this week (that I made):



And my layout:



If you'd like to play along with my Summer Sketches, just create a layout using one of the sketches I post. Post your layout in the MSS gallery and then link it to this thread in the forum.

The deadline for being entered for the draw to win a prize from me for the Spring Sketches is the last day of Spring, Monday, June 20th, at midnight. I'll draw a winner on the first day of summer.

Member Highlight: Carol Haney

Although she (unfortunately) doesn't share very many of her layouts with us online, Carol Haney is great at sharing other projects she's made.

Here are just a few that she's shared in the gallery recently...

Some creative wall decor:




Some very creative walls in her daughter's room:



And some "before and after" MCC finds:





You can check out Carol's gallery here for more inspiration!

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Carol!

A little mist, a little stitching and some numbers.

Another Monday, another challenge. For this month's Triple Threat, we want you to include:

- some mist,
- some stitching, and
- a number (either in your title, or somewhere on your layout).

Easy, right? So here's what Leigh came up with:
As for my layout, I'll get that posted tomorrow as it looks like I've run out of daylight for today (boo!). So be sure to check here to see my creation, and be sure to post yours there as well!

Spring Sketch #13

For this years's last Spring Sketch, I chose a Page Maps sketch from January 2011:



And here's the layout I made with it:



I adjusted the sketch to be 12x12, but other than than, stuck to it pretty closely. It was fun creating a blocked layout like this-- something I haven't done in a while.

I used Crate Paper patterned paper, American Crafts thickers & My Mind's Eye brads, all from the Shoppe.

If you'd like to play along with my Spring Sketches, just create a layout using one of the sketches I post. Post your layout in the MSS gallery and then link it to this thread in the forum.

The deadline for being entered for the draw to win a prize from me is the last day of Spring, Monday, June 20th, at midnight. I'll draw a winner on the first day of summer.

Alter your Alphas

This is the DT challenge for this week: alter your alphas. Sand them, paint them, stamp on them, whatever.... just make them your own!

Flo, in her creativity, decided to mist her alphas-- a very cool technique for those who aren't afraid of mist!



And I decided to press my pale pink alphas into a darker pink ink pad to darken them a little to match my layout. Because the alphas were flocked to begin with, it gave a cool mottled effect:



Do you ever alter your alphas?
How?

Spring Sketch #12

For this week, I chose the Crate May 2011 edition sketch:



And here's the layout I made with it:



I used Crate and American Crafts patterned paper, American Crafts thickers and Basic Grey buttons, all from the Shoppe.

If you'd like to play along with my Spring Sketches, just create a layout using one of the sketches I post. Post your layout in the MSS gallery and then link it to this thread in the forum. Your name will be entered into a draw to win a RAK from me at the end of Spring.

Spring Sketch #11

This week's sketch is from Inspired Blueprints Sketch #73:


And here's the layout I made with it:


I decided to rotate the sketch to use it for my layout.

I used My Mind's Eye & The Girl's Paperie patterned paper, Papertrey Ink dies, Studio Calico, PTI, SU!, AL & Hero Arts stamps, Basic Grey alphabet stickers & SU! build a brads.


If you'd like to play along with my Spring Sketches, just create a layout using one of the sketches I post. Post your layout in the MSS gallery and then link it to this thread in the forum. Your name will be entered into a draw to win a RAK from me at the end of Spring.

My stamps & dies books

Several weeks ago, inspired by this post, I made a couple of books to help me keep track of my stamp & dies inventory. I thought I'd share them with you, today.

The books are basically the same... They are both 6"x5.5" made with plain white cardstock and chipboard covers, attached together with a binder ring.

For my stamp book, at the front, I have a list of my inks (note, I'm expecting an order of new ink and once I get it, I want to redo this list, in the order of the rainbow.)




The following pages contain all of my stamps, stamped into it with black ink. I have my sentiments stamps sets...


And my images...


I find that this book really helps me when I'm looking for a certain stamp, or just basically reminds me of what I have.

For my dies book, I have my alphabet dies...




...my shaped dies & punches...




... my embossing folders...


... and my impression plates.


Again, this helps me to keep track of what I have. On each page of the book, I've labeled what everything is.

Another cool thing that I can do with these books is use them together, to see what stamps fit with which dies...

For instance, I was thinking of using the top image of my SU! Bliss set...


And wondered if it would fit on my Mat Stack #5 die.


So I took the page with my die and layered it over my stamped image, like this.


And could see how well it would fit.



Thanks for looking!