Breeze

New Blog on our New Website!

2009-01-19T11:59:00.000-08:00

Check out our new blog on our new website!

http://www.windycityscrapbooking.com/Blog.html

It's easy to get to! Just go to http://www.windycityscrapbooking.com/ and click on the 'Blog' tab at the top of the page. Be sure to read Christina's post from Sunday (1/18/09) because she is giving away blog candy! See you there!

Full Circle Friday

2009-01-16T12:36:00.001-08:00

Ribbon, Ribbon, Ribbon!

All of our ribbons at W.C.S. are

50% OFF!

Now is a great time to stock up.

I am finally back into the swing of things after the holiday madness... I finally have a Full Circle Friday sketch for you! We are starting off 2009 easy... a one photo layout. This is a great sketch to showcase a single photo enlarged to 5x7. Sometimes all you get is a single photo to help you share your story. This sketch "boxes in" the photo with strips of patterned paper, ribbon, or whatever embellishment you would like. The left side of the sketch is left empty for the eye to rest.

I am still working on scrapbooking our Christmas holiday... ahem... from 2007. I had one photo to tell this cute story about my older daughter and how she wanted a certain type of carrot to leave for the reindeer on Christmas Eve. As the event was happening it stopped me in my tracks and made me realize what a cute kid I have. So even though the photo is not from the actual event that took place in the grocery store, I have a related photo that helps me remember.

Supplies:

Patterned paper, lace paper, epoxy sticker - KI Memories
Chipboard ribbon - Technique Tuesday
Alphabet rubons - American Crafts
Journaling die cut - My Mind's Eye
Felt flower - Chatterbox
Bling rhinstones - Heidi Swapp
Sheer snowflake - Maya Road
Button - Creative Cafe
Brown pen - Sakura

For the top and bottom strips I used patterned paper. I love to use small stripes in small doses on my pages. I used a chipboard die cut and covered it with patterned paper and then sanded the edges. I filled in the space under the photo with the lace cardstock. I have yet to use a piece of the ever-popular lace cardstock in it's full 12x12 size. I always cut it up... hmmm... I think I have a new challenge. I put my journaling on a journaling die cut and layered it with a sheer snowflake and some stickers and flowers.

I am happy with the results because I think it is different from my normal style. For one, I didn't use a single piece of solid cardstock. I used all patterned paper. I also used a journaling die cut I have had on hand for awhile. I didn't use it exactly as it was intended but I like it. Then I was very happy to find a reindeer epoxy sticker in my stash I didn't realize I had. It was perfect for the reindeer theme.

Playing Hooky

2009-01-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, Everyone! I hope 2009 finds everyone happy and healthy!

This past weekend, I had the chance to play hooky at The Paper Doll House in Sycamore, IL! After 1 hour and 45 minutes to get there (I missed the exit not once, but TWICE -- something only I could do!), I cropped Friday, Saturday and Sunday, slept in a cozy room, and ate VERY well! I cannot recommend the Doll House highly enough -- this was my second trip there, and even as a solo scrapper, I had a great time! There were 4 other friendly scrappers in the house (Stacy had brought her ipod with a great variety of songs that I caught myself singing along to several times) who shared ideas and camaraderie throughout the weekend. MaryKim, the hostess with the mostess really did everything she could to keep us happy -- which included pizza, amazing sandwiches, CHOCOLATE Kahlua cake, snacks and more! But most of all, MaryKim makes an AMAZING homemade Chai latte mix that is SO yummy (and I am a Chai latte snob!)

If you ever need a weekend away -- as a single cropper, a pair of croppers, or with a group, The Paper Doll House is the perfect place to go! And, (armed with good directions from MaryKim) it only took me about an hour and 15 minutes to get from Sycamore to Windy City on the way home (I made all the exits the first time!!) -- so really it is far enough away to be "gone" for the weekend, but not too far away from home either!

So, now for the fun stuff --for approximately 25 hours of cropping time, who can guess how many pages I completed (a 2-page spread counts as 2 pages)? Please comment with your page count and the person to first guess correctly or come the closest (according to the comment posting time) by Wednesday afternoon at 5 p.m. wins a pack of Valentine's Day stuff!

Good luck and don't let your memories blow away! -Christina

SCRAPPIN ON SUNDAYS...

2009-01-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all of our WCS Blog Readers...

Hope that you had a wonderful Holiday Season and are revived and ready as 2009 is here.

As always...we have things going on at Windy City Scrapbooking and I am here to update you as I post the first Scrappin On Sundays of 2009...

First....SALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We always like to hear about SALES and we have a great one going on at WCS. It is our Pre-Inventory, "DO NOT MAKE US COUNT IT SALE" where all papers and stickers are 25% off and our retired section in the back is 80% off...not only do we not want to count it as inventory is approaching later on this month, we want to make room for new items from CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) as Christina is making plans on attending at the end of the month and we know we all want her to bring back alot.
The sale ends on January 12th so make sure to stop in and stock up!!!

Second...CLASSES!!!
Our classes for this month are posted on our website and there are a couple of new ones that are worth checking out.
For this week, I will be teaching Basics and next Sunday, I will be teaching both Beyond Basics and my Create L.O.V.E. Class (L.O.V.E. stand for LayOuts Very Easy) where as the month's theme will be Resolutions and Winter
Angie will be debuting her new DISNEY Class and she will also be teaching her Stitchery Class.

Third...CROPS!!!
Our Crop Nights will resume this month with the first one being this Friday, January 9th. Sesil and I will be your hostess for the evening. Remember, crops are where you may come and have 6 hours of uninterrupted time to work on your projects and we will provide you with dinner and prizes and giveaways. This can also be considered as a great girls night out.

For Classes and Crops...feel free to either stop in and sign up or give us a call.

There are 2 things that I would love to share with our WCS blog readers and invite you to play along if you have not already started...

Your word for 2009.
This can be found on Ali Edwards blog http://aliedwards.typepad.com
I was very surprised as she listed the words that she received from others that are doing the word and I did not see my word.
My word for 2009 is REBIRTH

Project 365
Alot of us at Windy City Scrapbooking are doing this and also my scrapping group, Scrap On Sistah... for me...it is definetly a challenge, but I welcome it.
You may read more about it here http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2008/12/understanding-concept-of-project-365.html

So since I am involved in both...I am trying to make myself more accountable so please join and share if you like on how you are going to join in.

And finally...I have updated my personal blog...Inspiring 2Be. I will still be posting older posts since I have them in que but I will also move forward with newer posts of my online journal.

Enjoy
TTFN
Alraynita
http://www.inspiring2be.blogspot.com/

Scrappin On Sundays

2008-12-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone...

I know that it has been a very long time since I have posted our "Scrappin On Sundays" ...glad to be back...
I hope that everyone has had a great Holiday Season and just like me...looking forward to a Happy New Year.

We have a few sales going on that we hope...will be of great interest

Our DON'T MAKE US COUNT IT SALE started today...this is to help us out with inventory (which we dread doing next month)
With this sale...Papers and stickers are 25% off and our retired section is 80% off and we have been adding more to the retired section to make room for new merchandise

Speaking of new...we just put out the new Basic Grey "Bittersweet"...papers and embellishments and new Heidi Grace "Valentine's Day" papers and embellishments....so we are getting ready for your Valentine's Day crafting needs

For classes...we have Basics this Tuesday night and that will be it for classes for this year.
Make sure to look out for our new calendar and Breeze which should be available by the end of next week

Our...DO NOT MAKE US COUNT IT SALE ends on January 12, 2009...so make sure to stop in and see us.

Happy New Year to you all

TTFN
Alraynita

Full Circle Friday

2008-12-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

Before I begin my last Full Circle Friday of the year, I have a big announcement for the store...

Gift Certificate Redemption Days*

December 26th & 27th, 2008

If you were lucky enough to receive a holiday gift certificate or have a certificate you haven't redeemed yet, come shop on December 26th or 27th and receive 30% off your entire purchase when redeeming a gift certificate! More special gift certificate redemption days will follow in 2009! Watch our website for more information!

*Does not apply to gift certificates purchased after 12/24/08.

I started a little annual project last year for the grandparents. Every year I make a 2-page layout for each month featuring my two little beauties. This year I did it all 100% digital but this project could easily be completed traditionally with papers and tactile embellishments. Even if you do no other scrapbooking throughout the year, you can complete this project for your own family in as little as a week. Here is the process:

Step 1 (1-2 days) - Develop 2-4 different templates using anywhere from 8-15 photos each. My 3 templates each have a different number of photos to accommodate months with lots of photos and months with not so many photos.

Step 2 (1-2 days) - Gather your photos. Edit them, print them and organize them into the months.

Step 3 (1 day) - Gather your supplies. To make it easy, chose one set of papers from a manufacturer and the matching embellishements. Make sure to get an album too.

Step 4 (4-5 days) - Assemble, assemble. Put those layouts together and put them in a book.

For my 2008 book, here are my three templates:

Okay, now for the final outcome:

You can do it! You can record your memories for an entire year! Ask our staff if you have any further questions on how to get started. Good luck!

More BIG Sales!

2008-12-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday started two new HUGE sales!

From now until December 24, 2008 you get

40% off every mini-album!

Acrylic, chipboard, bound with binder rings or metal coils... they are all on sale.

Making a mini album for a loved one is a great holiday gift and you can finish one quickly.

Don't know what qualifies as a mini-album? Just ask our staff.

Calling all QuicKutz QT Members:

BOGO SALE

Buy one 2x2 or 4x4 shape with your regular 30% discount, get the second shape FREE!*

This sale is for QuicKutz QT Members only.

You can join the QT's at any time, call the store for more details.

*BOGO sale is for regular priced, in-stock merchandise only. Not valid on prior orders or holds, clearance, Cookie Cutters, alphabets, 12" borders, November 2008 release shapes, or December 2008 release shapes. Consult store for further details.

Full Circle Friday - Well, sort of

2008-12-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

We are going to take a break from the sketch this week. I am working on a ton of gifts right now and thought I would share a couple. This week I created a bucket for my girls to hold all their hundreds of little plastic animals. The collection is outgrowing the little tupperware where they are currently stored. This concept can be adapted to hold small toys of all kinds... cars, princess, Barbie accessories, crayons & markers, etc. The ideas don't stop at children. Use the bucket to hold a spa set for a friend or teenager, a family-movie-night kit for a neighbor, or just use it as fun gift wrapping!

Supplies:

Metal bucket by EK
Patterned Paper by Basic Grey
Stickers by American Crafts and Basic Grey
Rub Ons by Creative Imaginations
Ribbons by Maya Road and unknown
Super Tape by ThermOWeb

(Did you know W.C.S. sells this particular white bucket and other plain paint cans? They come in gallon, quart, and pint sizes.)

The first thing I did was measure the diameter of the lid and cut out a circle to adhere to the top. Then I cut paper strips to go on the sides of the bucket. My bucket took 2-12 inch long strips to go all the way around. In the end, however, I only used 3 sheets of patterned paper! When adhering the paper to the metal I recommend using ThermOWeb's Super Tape and place it completely around the edges of the paper. It is strong enough to keep the paper in place despite some wear and tear. After the paper is on, embellish with stickers, rub ons, Stickles, or whatever you would like.

My animal toy bucket took only about 30 minutes start to finish. It was a great quick and easy gift with a big impact. I know my little girls will love toting it around the house. With busy schedules and a shrinking time frame, quick and easy is the way to go!

Full Circle Friday

2008-12-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

This week I pose the question “Why can’t your photo act as the background of the layout?” Our sketch this week is one photo that covers an entire 8.5x11 page. With so many companies now printing enlargements and so many personal photo printers out there it is easy to blow up that favorite photo and use it as the background of a page. This technique is not limited to 8.5x11. Try this on a 12x12, 8x8, or 6x6 layout. The trick here is not to cover up the focus of your photograph. Place the title, journaling, and accents in the photo’s white space, or in other terms, the background part of your photo.

I turned my photo black & white (well most of it anyway… more on that later) so I chose paper and embellishments that went with the mood I was going for. Journaling on your photo is easy with the American Crafts Slick Writer. That pen will write on any slick surface… plastic, glass, etc. Completely underrated embellishments, in my opinion, are the 7 Gypsies Grafter Tapes. They are just like sticker borders but made of fabric and are self adhesive. They add great texture to your pages. Instead of cutting off a piece of the grafter tape, I also rip it off to get the nice raw edge. I recommend giving the grafter tapes another look!

Supplies (mostly from my stash):
Pink Paisley patterned paper
7 Gypsies grafter tape and twill sticker
Scenic Route chipboard letters
Heidi Swapp ghost snowflakes
American Crafts Slick Writer pen
ThermOWeb Zots
Scrap paper

In case you were wondering how I got my daughter in color and the rest of the photo is in black and white, the technique is not as hard as you think. Sesil and I would be happy to show you how to accomplish that in our Get Digi class at Windy City Scrapbooking. No, I am not going to tell now… I am not going to spoil all the class surprises!

Yes Virginia, It is One Big Sale!

2008-12-04T05:58:00.000-08:00

Just announced from W.C.S.! Today starts the first of a series of December 2008 sales. The first event is great for holiday cards, gifts, or just holiday scrapbook pages:

Holiday Sale*!!!!

December 4th - 13th

Purchase $20 of Holiday Products (Christmas or Hanukkah), get 10 sheets of regular 12x12 Bazzill (reg. price $.55) FREE!

Did I mention the brand new October Afternoon has a Christmas collection?

QuicKutz Silhouette December Special!**

Through December 23rd, 2008 only!

$199.99

(regular price $369.99)

We only have a few at this price, so shop early!

By the way, today is a DOUBLE POINTS day.

For every dollar you spend pre-tax you get two points instead of one. Collect 250 points for a 20% Off coupon. Collect 1000 points to become a member of our VIP Club!

*Promotions valid on non-sale IN-STOCK merchandise only. Not valid on previous purchases, sale prices, or special orders. No rain checks. Quantities are limited. Other restrictions apply! Not vaild with Bazzill Bling, scalloped, or other specialty cardstock.

**Promotions valid on non-sale IN-STOCK merchandise only. Not valid on previous purchases, sale prices, or special orders. No rain checks. Quantities are limited. Other restrictions apply.

Scrappin On Sundays

2008-12-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

on a Monday...

Happy Holidays everyone...

So we are officially in the Holiday Season and I am really excited about all that is in store.
I had to take some time off this week and I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into Windy City to see all of the new items that had come in...
Where shall I begin...

OCTOBER AFTERNOON...
This was a favorite of mine at CHA this past summer and I am proud to say that we have it...we have the Night Light, Weathervane and Good Cheer collections and the collections consist of double sided papers, acrylic stamps, stickers and rub-ons.

TERESA COLLINS...
Her new line has come in for those wanting to get a jump start on Valentine's Day or for those of you who are like me, just like to collect new product (LOL)...there are new double sided papers, stamps and transparency papers

CHATTERBOX...
We have new filigree papers in from Chatterbox and it is really cute...reminds me of the KI Memories Lace Papers just in different colors and patterns.

Make sure to stop in and see all that is NEW.

Classes are as follows for this week:
I will be teaching Basics on Tuesday night(Dec. 2nd), and also my Create L.O.V.E. class on Sunday(Dec. 7th).
Sesil has her Digi clas on Thursday(Dec. 4th) and Angie will be teaching her Altered Envelopes class on Saturday(Dec. 6th)...just give us a call to reserve your spot.

For all of you Quickutz Lovers...
The Silhouette Digital Craft Cutter is going to be on promotion for $199.99 originally priced at $369.99.
The Revolution is still on promotion for $39.99 originally priced at $149.99
One of these or both would make a great gift for someone or for yourself.

We are also having our Holiday Card Swap on Sunday, December 7th at 3:30pm...if you are interested, just give us a call to sign up...the swap is FREE and all you have to do is create 6 holiday cards(total) to swap out with the group...there is still space available.

Do not forget...even though we do not have any crops for this month, you are still able to come and use the crop room...just make sure to check our calendar on our website for classroom availability...as long as there is not a class then you are able to come in and use our classroom.

Let us know if we may assist you in anyway this holiday season

TTFN
Alraynita
Windy City Scrapbooking Team Member

Full Circle Friday

2008-11-28T10:45:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a fun and safe Thanksgiving!

Windy City Scrapbooking was busy, busy this morning. However we still have a couple QuicKutz Silhouettes at the special sale price of $149.99 (regularly $369.99). This price is good for TODAY ONLY (Friday, November 28, 2008)! We are also offering 20% off your entire purchase for the rest of the day. And we have some of our albums on sale for just $12, again today only. Hurry if you have your eye on something special for yourself or a loved one!

Our sketch today is a display of 4-4x6 photos, one is trimmed down to 4x2. The title is split in half and runs across the top of the photos and then continues down the side. The split title is unified with an accent.

For my layout I decided to go festive and work with photos from last year's Lincoln Park Zoo's ZooLights. I took a minimalist approach and used only 1 piece of older paper by Scenic Route, glitter letter stickers by Me & My Big Ideas, a chipboard star by Heidi Swapp, stamps by Luxe and Maya Road, and finally the Uniball White pen.

I don't pull out my stamps for scrapbooking enough. I use them a lot for cards and other smaller projects but they are great for layouts too! I used the fun Luxe border stamps with a bright silver ink to outline my photo box. To make sure I didn't stamp on my photos I put down a piece of scrap paper that covered the photos and stamped away.

There are a great line up of stamping techniques that can be used on scrapbooking pages. To learn more about your stamping options take Acrylic Stamp Challenge at Windy City. In that class you will make 4 cards and 1 12x12 layout using different stamping techniques. There are dates coming up in 2009; check the website for more details.

Happy Thanksgiving..

2008-11-27T06:43:00.000-08:00

We are wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving from the Windy City Scrapbooking Family. Just a reminder about our Day After Thanksgiving Sale. Check out the great deals...

Day After Thanksgiving!!!

We have lots in store for November 28th -- we open at 8 a.m. to get you the best in scrapbooking Chicago has to offer!!!

Early Bird specials:

8 a.m. - 9 a.m.: receive 40% off*!

9 a.m. - 10 a.m.: receive 30% off*!

10 a.m. - 11 a.m.: receive 25% off*!

11 a.m. - 7 p.m.: receive 20% off*!

Store Specials (throughout the day):

(No holds honored prior to the sale)

Albums: Select Albums $12

QuicKutz: All 4x4 (Revolution) Shapes

excluding September and November releases, and

Goosebumpz:SingleKutz: $5.99

DoubleKutz: $10.99

QuicKutz Revolution Tool Promo:$39.99

(regular price $149.99) while supplies last!

QuicKutz Silhouette$149.99

(regular price $369.99)

We only have a few at this price, so shop early!

*Discounts on non-sale IN-STOCK merchandise only. Not valid on previous purchases, sale prices, or special orders. No rain checks. Quantities are limited. No holds prior to Friday.ALL EARLY BIRD PURCHASES MUST BE COMPLETED BY 1 P.M. Other restrictions apply.

See you bright and early Friday morning. I will be eating a ton and getting some rest to help everyone out on Friday. Enjoy your turkey day.

:)Sesil

Tuesday Tips

2008-11-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

Oh my! Thanksgiving is next week. Therefore, I wanted to find something to document all the things that I am thankful for this year. As Al mentioned there are some great classes online to help me with this idea.

Melodee Langworthy:
Melodee Langworthy is such a great inspiration on how to use the stamps that we have and how to incorporate them into our projects. She is also doing videos on how to complete the album. LOVE HER. I am working on mine right now it's not to late to start. Here is the link.
http://melodeelangworthy.typepad.com/candid_thoughts_/free_grateful_blog_class/

Teresa Collins:
Another thankful class is by Teresa Collins. Love the way she shows you some great ideas on how to use her product line. She has all the directions and wonderful pictures to make her Thankful album. Here is the link.
http://www.teresacollinsdesigns.com/t-copyright.aspx

As you may know, both of these classes were inspired by our very own Susan Dallas. Both Melodee and Teresa are good friends with us at Windy City Scrapbooking and we love what they have created. I would love to see some of the albums that you create from taking these classes. Please send pictures to classes@windycityscrapbooking.com and I would like to post what you have created on our blog.

So from our family to yours have a great Thanksgiving. I will see you in two weeks. I have to get my house presentable for Thanksgiving...so enjoy. I will have some great videos to share in December. Get ready for the holiday season it is just around the corner.
:)Sesil

Scrapping on Sundays...

2008-11-16T21:13:00.000-08:00

Here is your SOS for this Sunday, November 16th, 2008

I want to start off by sending big "THANK YOUS" to everyone who stopped by this past Saturday for our Customer Appreciation Day. Customers enjoyed mini massages, mini makeovers, mini cupcakes and even had a visit from my 'mini mes' (Alex and Allegra were with me as I stopped in) along with sales, and an all around great time. This was one of the last events that our beloved Susan took the time to plan and I think she would have been very happy with how things turned out...her spirit was definitely there and always will be.
Please continue to keep her family and friends in your prayers...

Here are our classes for this week

Holiday Tags on Monday at 6pm with Jen
Beyond the Basics on Tuesday at 6:30pm with me
Basics on Thursday at 12pm with Sesil
Birthday Rolodex at 6:45pm with Michaelene
Invitations and more on Friday at 6pm with Sesil
Home Mini Book next Sunday at 12pm with Jen
Holiday Planner next Sunday at 2:30pm with me
You may call us to reserve your spots in class or stop in to register
Our December calendar of classes will be posted very soon on our website

Speaking of classes, I wanted to share with you a Gratitude album blog class that Melodee Langworthy is hosting on her blog...the album was inspired by Susan...you may go to her blog site at http://www.melodeelangworthy.typepad.com/
Teresa Collins has also posted on her blog directions to her Gratitude album that was inspired by Susan as well(you have to scroll down to the November 6th & 7th post) http://teresacollins.typepad.com/
Both of these directions are FREE...I do plan on doing both and I would love for to share what you made once you get the directions.
Supplies for both projects are available at Windy City Scrapbooking

This Saturday, November 22nd will be the last crop of the year at Windy City. It is an ALL DAY crop for $35 and we will provide lunch and dinner along with giveaways and raffles...not sure if all the spots are taken so make sure to call us if you want a spot.

Turkey Bucks started today at Windy City Scrapbooking. For every $25 (pre-tax) you spend, you will earn a turkey buck that can be used on a future purchase and do not forget, you will also be earning your loyalty points from your purchases from now until the end of the year.

Wacky Wednesday for this week is 40% off all of LUXE acrylic stamps...I can not wait for this as I have had my eye on a couple of them

We are also having a HUGE SALE on Quickutz dies whereas alot of our 2x2 and 4x4 dies are 40% off and so are some of the alphabets...the Revolution is also still on promotion for 39.99 so make sure to stop in or give us a call for all of your Quickutz needs

Do not forget to check out our website at http://windycityscrapbooking.com/ and do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

As we approach the Holiday Season, do not forget that Windy City Scrapbooking has alot to offer to meet your holiday needs...from card making and gift giving, we have it. You may stop in and create a WISH LIST for a loved one to come in and shop for you or you may come in and shop off of a loved one's WISH LIST...and we are more than willing to assist you.
Keep in mind that we also have gift certificates available as well

TTFN
Alraynita

Full Circle Friday

2008-11-14T12:52:00.000-08:00

Well I am back from my recent travels and adjusted back to normal life again. Though it can be a big effort I do try to make scrapbooking part of my normal everyday life. A recent way I have been making that happen is scrapbooking with my 4-yo daughter. She is very interested in scrapbooking! After our Disney vacation I got her an 8x8 scrapbook of her own to work on. She chose her own papers, some stickers, chipboard and other embellishments. Because she is only 4, I do help her trim photos and apply the adhesive but the page design and product selection I leave up to her. Even if I make some suggestions, she makes the final decision. It is so cool to see her take ownership for this project and care so much about it. So onto my proud mommy bragging, here are a few of Ella's Disney scrapbook pages:

This holiday season try making some gifts with your children... a card for their teacher, a mini album for the grandparents, a frame for dad's desk. There are many great ways to include the kids and they will have a great time too! If you are having trouble coming up with kid-friendly ideas, just ask the staff at Windy City Scrapbooking to point you in the right direction.

Ok, now onto the sketch! The November guest designer sketch didn't happen last week but there is no reason to waste a perfectly good sketch. Plus I had to stick to my challenge of starting my Disney photos. This one is a 2-page layout, 8.5 x 11. There is one focal photo and journaling on the first page and then a series of smaller photos on the second page. You will see I chose to change some of those smaller photos to blank space and embellishments.

Because my photos were pretty busy and intense, I went with a plain white cardstock background with a few bursts of color. I love the new flocked dot paper from Doodlebug and they were perfect for my design. The flocked alphabet stickers are also by Doodlebug (they come in glitter too!). The EK Disney themed embellishments are perfect for our vacation memories as the characters were the main focus of our trip. The new Technique Tuesday stamps designed by Ali Edwards are really fun and versatile, I just had to find a way to use them on my layout. The last embellishment I used was a sticker we collected from the Magic Kingdom while waiting in a line. They give away a ton of stickers there. Some the kids plastered on their shirts but I was able to hide a couple for the scrapbook.

Using memorabilia from a vacation is a great way to add a personal touch to your pages. Every vacation I take I designate a plastic bag as the "paper bag". I pick up brochures, ticket stubs, receipts, etc throughout and put them in the paper bag for safe keeping. When back home I pull out the bag while I scrapbook to incorporate the goodies into my pages. Try the paper bag on your next trip!

If you recently took or are planning a trip to Disney be sure to check out Angie's new class "Doing Disney". In the class you will complete a 2-page layout featuring Disney themed pattern paper and stickers. The class will also discuss an organizing principle for scrapbooking an entire trip to Disney World. This class is coming in January and is not to be missed by Disney vacationers!

Tuesday Tip Tim Holtz Masks

2008-11-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

Hey bloggers, I am not sure if you have seen this video from Tim Hotlz on how to use his new masks. We have them at the store so come by and try these great techniques yourself. Enjoy the video.

See you on Saturday for Customer Appreciation Day.

Scrapping On Sundays

2008-11-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone...

I know it has been a long time since I have done Scrapping On Sundays...so good to be back.

I first want to personally thank each and everyone of our blog readers for all of the prayers, hugs, and love that you have sent our way here at Windy City Scrapbooking....it has been difficult for us, and just knowing that we have such a good support system from all of you makes it a little easier and for that...I thank you. Susan touched all of our lives in a very special way, and she will never be forgotten...I am not saying goodbye to her as I will continue to talk to her everyday as I have always done since I have known her...we will see each other again...

Things have been busy at Windy City as always...
For classes this week, Melissa is doing her Acrylic Stamp Challenge... For those of you who are looking to do more and learn more about acrylic stamps... Here is your chance!
I will be teaching Basics this week so if you know anyone who is looking to get into scrapbooking, have them give us a call to sign up themselves up... Keep in mind, our Basic classes are FREE.
Sesil will be teaching her Get Digi class (featuring Adobe Photoshop CS)... so for all of you who wanted to start to learn more about Digital Scrapbooking... Call and sign up for this class!!! If you are using Adobe Photoshop Elements, Melissa's version of Get Digi will be offered again soon. We will have Crop Night this Friday and there is still space available... Jen and I will be your hostesses for the evening.

On Saturday, November 15th, Windy City Scrapbooking will be hosting a "CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY" and will be celebrating YOU... our CUSTOMERS. The day will be filled with projects, make and takes, massages, makeovers and much more. Make sure you check our blog and our website as we will post more about the event in the days to come and also check out http://www.cropscene.com/ for more information.

As far as new product that has arrived at our store... Let me see...
We have the new ALI EDWARDS acrylic stamps that were posted on her blog a few weeks ago...
We also have the 7 Gypsies new monogram self inking stampers, new acrylic stamps and more ATC goodies. We have Creative Imaginations Lego papers and embellishments, Crate Paper Prudence and Lemon Grass collections... both are great for doing fall pages. Chatterbox has surprised us with their new "Together" collection which has cute papers, embellishments and storage boxes that are flocked with flourishes. Speaking of flocked... Doodlebug came out with flocked polka dotted paper called La-Di-Dot papers in a wide range of colors.
We also received the Tim Holtz Distressed Stickles...which happened to be one of my favorite new items from the past week.

Now you know...I do not have photos so make sure to stop and see the new items as things always look better in person. Also when you stop in, if you have any stories that you would like to share of your Susan encounters with her son, Evan, take the time to write them down in our special memorial area. We will be putting a scrapbook together for her son Evan of all of our memories of her

Have a great week everone
TTFN
Alraynita

A request from the family of Susan Dallas...

2008-11-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

Susan touched many lives during her time. As a request from her family we were wanting to gather all the funny and touching stories you have of Susan. We will be putting together a scrapbook of all the stories and it will be given to Evan, so he will be able to know how funny, caring and a wonderful friend Susan was to each and every one of us. Just post a comment to this entry or if you would like to write something in your own handwriting just drop it by the store.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society. Alternatively, funds may be donated in support of Susan’s young son, Evan Dallas. Checks can be made payable to Evan Dallas and dropped off at the store or mailed to the store. If you are local, and plan on attending the memorial service a request is to bring can goods to help out with the church's Thanksgiving Basket/Project Share.

Thank you again for all the loving support. Keep Susan's family in your thoughts and prayers.

Our beloved friend Susan

2008-11-04T17:13:00.000-08:00

It is with great sadness and many tears that I post this message on our blog. Our good friend and store manager, Susan, has passed away. For all of you that know her, she was the best mother, the best wife, and the best friend you could ever have. She was the most genuine person you could ever come across -- she told it like it is and she took great care of everyone she cared about! She affected people with her beautiful smile and her great laugh. And boy could she get herself into a pickle -- you've read about some of those here on the blog (and how her face would turn bright red!!!). We are going to miss Susan to no end here at WCS. Please take a moment to leave a message for her family here on the blog and we will forward them to her family for you.

There will be a memorial gathering to share the wonderful life of Susan this Friday, November 7th from 6 to 9 p.m. with a short service during the evening at North Suburban Evangelical Free Church (northsub.com).Please feel free to come to the memorial gathering anytime between 6 to 9 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association in the memory of Susan Dallas.

Please keep Susan's family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you! We love you, Susan!

Full Circle Friday

2008-10-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Boo To You! Happy Halloween! Of course I had to do a Halloween page today but I did something different this week... I created my entire layout digitally! Digital is a fun way to change up your scrapbooking style. Digital scrapbooking includes everything from adding text to a photo, to creating photo blocks, to creating an entire album. There is a lot of flexibility and you don't have to give up the traditional paper, stickers, rubons, etc. There is a creative, fun balance between digital and traditional scrapbooking.

If you are interested in learning more about digital scrapbooking, Windy City Scrapbooking now offers digital scrapbooking classes. Sesil teaches our "Get Digi" class with Adobe Photoshop Creative Suite 3 and I teach the same class with Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. Right now we offer this intro-to-digital class; in the next several months we may consider a more advanced class. Check out our website and class calendar for more details!

This week's sketch has a 5x7 focal photo and 2 smaller accent photos. The cool thing about sketches is that they are adaptable. I decided to flip the entire sketch vertically so it was facing a different direction.

Most of the supplies are from Designer Digitals, a great digital scrapbooking website run by Katie Pertiet. She also graciously donated all the digital elements we use in our Get Digi class at WCS. (I created the orange cardstock background myself.)

Don't Forget!

We are having another Guest Designer Sketch for next week. Use the sketch in this link to inspire a layout (the sketch at the bottom of the post). Email a scan or clear photo of your completed layout, 500K or less, to classes@windycityscrapbooking.com by Wednesday, November 5th. All entries will be posted on next week's Full Circle Friday. Blog candy will be given away too!

Tuesday Tip * Heat Embossing*

2008-10-27T16:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the video for this week. Have a great Halloween. Enjoy.
If you would like to see the video in high quality click here. HIGH QUALITY VIDEO

See you next week.
:)Sesil

Coupon Mania!!!

2008-10-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I wanted to give you a heads up on an awesome coupon we have going on right now!
You must go to our website http://www.windycityscrapbooking.com/Coupon.htm and print it out!

The reason I am telling you about it is because this is a great time to get a leg up on your holiday cards!!! All glitter, foil, and glazed papers are $1!!!!
Stock up on all glitter, foil, and glazed papers with a regular price over $.99. Coupon valid on in-stock merchandise only and MUST BE PRESENTED at the time of sale. While supplies last, Other restrictions apply.

That includes the glitter papers from Doodlebug! All the new Best Creations we got in-wedding,sports, holidays! And all the Heidi Grace papers that are glazed! There are LOTS of these papers through out the store!

Don't know where they are--ASK! We will help you find them!

This coupon is only good until October 31st, 2008 until 5:00 p.m.--Don't wait, RUN to Windy City and stock up on these fun papers!!

Scrappin on Sunday

2008-10-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

Here is your SOS for this week!!

Tomorrow, October 27th is our last Manic Monday of the Month-- To complement your Halloween pages (or just to add some orange to a page) all* Simply Luxe ORANGE papers, Simply Luxe ORANGE alphabet stickers, and Simply Luxe ORANGE Jotters are 31% off!*In-stock, regular priced items only. Other restrictions apply

Tuesday, October 28th is T-SHIRT day--Wear your Windy City Scrapbooking you can choose one Halloween product and get 50% off that product!!

Thursday, October 30th is Stitchery with Angie and I think she has one more spot open!Call the store to reserve your spot now!

Friday is Halloween and we will be closing at 5:00 p.m. so we can all go trick or treating too!

Saturday we Melissa has two great classes she will be teaching- Get Digi and also Mom's Reminder book! Check out our website to learn more about these awesome classes!

We have lots of NEW product in! One of the items we know some of you have been waiting on is The Slice--well, we have it in stock! We also have all the extras to go along with it!

So this has been your SOS for the week and we hope to see you this week!
(in case you have not figured it out--I am stepping in for Alraynita!)
--Susan

Full Circle Friday

2008-10-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Hello! This week's sketch is a 2-page layout focusing on 1-5x7 photo with several smaller accent photos. This week I am completely going against tradition. Where are the rules that say you have to use certain colors and themes for events. I wasn't in the mood to scrap my pumpkin patch photos with the traditional orange, green, and browns. I found an old piece of Basic Grey Perhaps patterned paper on my desk and I challenged myself to use it. The colors reminded me of fall even if they are muted. I set to work and found several embellishments to work with my muted theme.

Supplies:

Scenic Route background texture patterned paper

My Mind's Eye chipboard sticker, rub ons

Maya Road sequin ribbon

Basic Grey patterned paper, Perhaps collection

Micron pen

I added a couple of horizontal elements to the top and bottom of the photos to emphasize the horizontal flow of the design. The journaling is toward the top of the design, which is different from my norm.

Tag, You're It!!!

Time for another Guest Designer Challenge! This one is due Wednesday, November 5th. Please send a scan or a clear photograph 500K or less and a supply list to classes@windycityscrapbooking.com. Again we will post all entries as long as they follow the requirements. Blog candy will be awarded too!
The sketch is for a 2-page 8.5 x 11 layout but you could easily change it to a 12x12 spread. Turn grid of elements/photos to 3x3 and change the focal photo to 8x10. That brings me to my next point... not all the rectangles on page 2 need to be photos. They can also be patterned paper, journaling, or whatever! You're creative, you'll figure out what is best!

To give credit where credit is due, I got this design from Ali Edwards. She posted some pages from a recent album on her blog and I was instantly drawn to them. She is fantastic!

Tuesday Tip Next week...

2008-10-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry Ladies... Trying to fight a migraine. I have not had a chance to edit the video. It will be a quick card with heat embossing. So see you next week. :)sesil

Full Circle Friday

2008-10-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to our first guest designer challenge! I have some fantastic layouts to show you inspired by this sketch (shown in order of submission):

"Perfect" by Cheryl H.

Papers and chipboard alpha letters from the KI memories travel clipboard kit
Making memories tiny alphabet
Office supplied cool columns ivory by imagination project
Stick pin
brads
SNU twine

"Pretty Young Thang" by Sylvia S.

Background - a recycled postal service priority box
Patterned Paper - Heidi Swapp
Letters - Thickers - vinyl
Butterflies - Making Memories
"Love" Journaling Block - Maya Road
Flourish - Made using The Crafters Workshop stencil, Stickles and recycled transparency from an acrylic stamp set.

Journaling reads: "I'm beginning to see less of my precocious little girl and more of a young lady".

"Apple Picking" by Alexandra M.

Supplies:
solid cardstock: Bazzill
stickers:Basic Grey's Beat It
red flocked paper and crushed velvet red brad: Doodlebug Design
acrylic stamp: Autumn Leaves
inkpad:Versa Magic ( Jumbo Java)
title:Quickutz Chemistry.
3 red brads:American Crafts

"Nemesis" by Christina V.

"My Angel" by Melissa B.

Bazzill Bling Cardstock
Basic Grey Patterned Papers, Rub Ons, and Brads
Creative Imaginations die cut paper
Tim Holtz Grundge Board
Heidi Swapp Flower
Making Memories journaling notebook
Uniball white pen

Thank you to all who submitted a layout! I think it is so wonderful to showcase the talents of our customers. As promised I will have some blog candy for you at the store. It will be available after Sunday, October 19th.

There will be another guest designer challenge posted soon, watch the blog for details! Have a great weekend!

WOW! New product!!!

2008-10-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

I walked into the store after being on vacation and all I can say is WOW! There is so much new product I am not sure how I am going to catch up!

I thought I would share a few pictures of some of the new items!
For those of you who love Basicgrey we just got in the full line of Urban Prairie and Granola!!!

And for those of you who have waited to buy a QuicKutz Revolution now is the time!!
For a limited time it is on promotion for $39.99!!! This is just in time for the holidays!!

Imaginisce has a beautiful line called Fairest of Them All! It can be used for a baby girl, little girl or even a trip to Disney!

And I just wanted to mention for new stuff came in from Maya Road! Lots of new mini albums--so now you time to work on your holiday projects!

Tuesday Tip Halloween Treat Bag

2008-10-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a video showing you a quick and easy way to jazz up a Halloween Treat Bag.
Enjoy.

Here is the same video on you tube.

2008-10-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

This week we are getting back to the basics... a 12x12 layout with two uncropped 4x6 photos side-by-side. Getting back to the basics doesn't have to be boring though! The sketch also has a circle element in on corner with two embellishments running along the sides of the photo block.

I love new products that come into the store so it should come as no surprise that I chose the brand new Basic Grey Urban Prairie papers, stickers, and brads for my layout. Sesil, Cheryl, and I just put the new Urban Prairie and Granola collections from Basic Grey on the floor Thursday evening!

Supplies:

Basic Grey Urban Prairie patterned papers
KI Memories Glitter Lace paper
Basic Grey Urban Prairie stickers
Basic Grey Urban Prairie brads
Bazzill stretchy gingham ribbon
Maya Road flower gems
Micron Pen

Supplies from my stash:

Making Memories metal frame
American Crafts Thicker Stickers

I matted my photo block with an oversized mat of patterned paper. I also added in the glitter lace paper mat off center to add some interest.

I used a circle shaped journaling sticker but decided to use a metal frame over the top that has been in my drawer WAY TOO LONG! Sometimes I will just pull out something in my collection and challenge myself to use it on a layout. That metal frame was my challenge for this layout.

To border the photo block I used a combination of a sticker and ribbon. I accented the sticker with the small brads.

Overall this layout took me about 15 minutes to complete once I had my supplies chosen. Gotta love a quick beautiful layout!

Don't forget about the October Guest Designer sketch. Email your layouts by Wednesday, October 15, 2008 to be published on our blog. I will have some blog candy for everyone that enters!

SOS, Free Charm Bracelets and New Albums!

2008-10-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone -- It's Christina here, filling in for Al this Sunday! Al went away with several of her friends to a rented house in Indiana (or was it Michigan?) this weekend. We called her each day to get a page count to see if she was scrappin' or talkin' and the end total was 10 layouts -- so it looks like she did some scrappin' AND some talkin'! I am very proud of her! I just hope she posts some of the layouts she has finished. (hint-hint)

As for Windy City, we've had some exciting new products come in this week (I feel like I am up to my eyeballs in it with all the receiving I have done this week!) -- Maya Road clear albums, ribbons, chipboard and more, Imaginisce "Fairest of Them All" collection -- I just opened the box full of pretty princess papers, embellies and stamps -- a mini carriage stamp reminiscent of a certain princess that last her shoe....), but one of the most exciting has been the addition of Kolo to our wonderful album selection.

A lot of people have been looking for paper page albums and no one does those better than Kolo! Here are some photos of our new album arrangement! Come see it -- it looks better in person! These albums make great guest books, and they have slide on protectors to protect your photos and memorabilia once you are done with the pages!

And then, the other fun thing that came in this week are FREE Creative Imaginations Charm Bracelets. You earn your first charm (and the bracelet) with any $25 purchase of Creative Imaginations products (Creative Cafe, Narratives, Art Warehouse, etc. -- we have TONS of Creative Imaginations products to choose from). Each month, Creative will come out with a new charm and a $25 Creative Imaginations purchase in that month Will earn you the next charm to fill up your bracelet! And it gets better -- bring in a friend and if you both purchase $40 total between the 2 of you, you each earn the free bracelet/charm! And for the month of October, you just need to mention that you read about the bracelet on our blog and you will get the bracelet and first charm FREE with a $10 Creative Imaginations product purchase! Stop in and check out the bracelet and charms -- we even have a sample of November's charm to show you :)!

Ok-- that is it for this Scrappin' on Sunday -- I am actually going to get off the computer now so I can scrap -- and make a page for Melissa's Full Circle Friday Challenge -- it's due on Wednesday! I think I will scrap some photos of my dog, Quincy. We've had him for almost 6 months now and I haven't made him a page (the cat has about 20 pages).... let's see.....

Tuesday Tip Water Threading Border Punch

2008-10-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

Okay.. it was easier for me to post a video. Sorry for the out of focus camara angle, but I think you will be able to get the point. I will try and post more video tutorials if it is eaiser for you. Just leave a comment and let me know what you think. I promise they will get better with time. See you next week. :)SESIL
Enjoy,

Full Circle Friday

2008-10-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

I will admit it, I really don't look forward to scrapping big events like birthdays and holidays. I always have a ton of photos with a lot of distractions and noise in the backgrounds. So I tend to stuff those photos away with plans to do it later. Eventually there comes a time when I just need to get it done! Today was one of those days. I chose a sketch that used 6 photos, enough to give an idea of my daughter's 3rd birthday party (which was actually over a year ago, she is 4 1/2 now!) My photos were full of distractions (toys, tops of heads, piles of wrapping paper, etc.) so I cropped my 4x6 photos way down to show just the subjects. With this sketch I used 2-3.5x5, 2-3x3, and 2-2x2 photos. The photos are unified by following along a center line. In my layout I used a ribbon as the center line.

We had an aquarium themed party so instead of heading to the birthday section of W.C.S., I headed to the tropical vaction section to find my aquatic supplies. Sometimes the most obvious theme isn't the only theme. Great supplies can be found in many different sections of the store.

Supplies:

Heidi Grace patterned papers

Heidi Grace rub ons

Heidi Grace chipboard letters

Doodlebug glitter paper

Bazzill cardstock

Bazzill die cut cardstock

Micron pen

QuicKutz Blossom alphabet die cuts

Supplies from my stash:

Karen Foster ribbon

I added some patterned paper behind the photos but I also followed that center line. I used the scallop die cut paper because it reminds me of bubbles. I didn't have any aquatic accents other than my border rub ons so I made my own by cutting out shapes from the patterned paper. Cutting shapes from patterned paper is a great ways to use up your paper scraps!

Don't forget about the October Guest Designer sketch. Email your layouts by Wednesday, October 15, 2008 to be published on our blog. I will have some blog candy for everyone that enters!

Tuesday Tips Color Core Cardstock & Dry Emobssing

2008-09-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

Just found my two new found loves
1.)Color Core Cardstock and
2.)Quickutz Embossing Dies
Let me show you why.

Supplies used in this demo:
Black Magic - core'dinations color core cardstock
Quickutz Revolution with Embossing Mat
Quickutz Embossing Die - Swirls
Basic Grey- Precision File Tools
Extra sheets of pattern paper.

First of all I have to say...Love this paper. Has the texture of Bazzill but it is black on one side and colored on the other. There is another pack of paper that has kraft on one side and the color on the other. These do come in packs so get them while you can.

First I cut up the cardstock into little strips just for demo purposes.

(As you can see the pink is the core color of the paper.)

I placed the cardstock in the embossing die.

Then I closed the embossing die and placed it on my revolution platform and put the embossing mat down.
I like an extra deep embossed look. To make it a little deeper I added a sheet of pattern paper on top of the embossing mat to give the extra pressure to the die.

Then I took the embossing die off the platform and this is what you get.

This is what the cardstock looks like after you take it out of the embossing die.

Next I took the sanding block and sanded the raised part of the cardstock. As you see, the black side is the only one that gives the two tone look. ( I wanted to see if the black would show up on the pink side...answer is NO.)

Here is the cardstock sanded and a beautiful two tone look.

Just remember, the core color is what will show through when sanding the embossed image. If your cardstock is the same color all the way through you will not get the same effect. (Bazzill cardstock is the same color all the way through.) This is why I like the Black Magic core'dinations paper. I will have my samples up in the store for you to see the texture and effect you close.

Sorry for the short post. I have a house full of sick kids, including myself, so stay healthy until next week. Create and have fun.

:)sesil

Scrappin On Sundays

2008-09-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Here is your SOS for this Sunday, September 28th, 2008...

Can not believe that we have said "Goodbye" to summer and "Hello" to fall over the past few days.
We are getting in gear for the Holiday Season at Windy City Scrapbooking as Halloween will be here soon and so will the other Holidays that follow...make sure you stop by to see all of the cool Halloween products and be looking out for Sesil and Melissa to make Halloween projects part of their "Tuesday's Tip" and " Full Circle Friday"

This week for classes, I will be debuting my Create L.O.V.E. class in which you will learn how to Create Lay Outs Very Easy and Angie will be bringing back her Altered Envelope class and Jen will debut her Home Mini Book...just give us a call and register your.

There is a crop this Friday, October 3rd and we do have spots available...I have personally noticed that once the air gets cool, scrapbookers tend to spend more time indoors actually scrapbooking and going to crops are a great way to get a block of interrupted time to work on your layouts and projects..

Now we have actually made things easy for you as we have our calendar available for the months of October and November available on our website so you may plan your shopping trips, crop nights, classes, etc

Do not forget about our huge Quickutz promotion that Susan posted about last week...you always know when we are making room for NEW with any type of promotions that we have.

Here is to a great week...Enjoy

TTFN
Alraynita

Full Circle Friday

2008-09-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Greetings! For today's sketch we are working with 3 4x6 photos... no enlargements or smaller prints. A couple of those photos will get trimmed but start with 4x6 photos. The challenging part is fitting 3 4x6 photos on a 8.5x11 layout! It can be done. If you want to add more embellishment just convert the sketch to 12x12, keep all the photo sizes the same, and shift all the elements to the left or the right of the layout.

You will notice some flowers in the sketch. That doesn't mean you have to use flowers, that is just my way of denoting an embellishment. In my completed layout you will notice the "flowers" in the sketch turned into unicorn rub ons.

Supplies:

Bazzill Cardstock
Maya Road Maya Mists
American Craft Thickers
Maya Road Rub Ons
Heidi Swapp Bling
EK Success 1.25" Circle Punch
Micron Pen

Supplies from my Stash:

Scrap paper
Heidi Swapp Flower Mask

I have a major problem in my scrap space... I have way too much scrap paper. All those papers the get cut off and unused from a prior project do have a home in my space but my drawers are getting VERY full. One of my current goals is to use my scraps more. For this project I matted each photo in a different patterned paper scrap. The only thing that unifies these scrap papers is that they all have a dark pink in them. The patterned or theme didn't matter to me.

I tried a new product and technique as well. The new Maya Mists are so much fun. I dug out an old Heidi Swapp mask and placed that on my blank white cardstock. Then I started playing with the mist. You don't need to have a HS mask to make a cool image with the spray. Use any die cut or sticker you can easily peel off. I may even try leaves and small branches from outside on a future fall project.

I do have one tip for the Maya Mists... if you can, take the project outside to spray! Either that or have a large protector covering your table/surface. I got a little carried away and sprayed a little on my rug. (At least it was just my scrap room rug! That thing gets all kinds of crafting abuse... burned with the heat gun, etc.) Don't let this scare you, just properly prepare your work space first. Maya Mists are a lot of fun!

You Go Girl!

I just wanted to take a second to post a link to a layout inspired by a past Full Circle Friday by Alexandra M. You Rock Alexandra! I love how you stitched in the title.

Okay, Now It's Your Turn!

Want to be published on our blog? This is your chance to let your creative genius shine! (It's there even if you don't believe it, trust me!) Send us a completed layout using this 12x12 sketch as inspiration and have your creation posted in the Full Circle Friday for Friday, October 17, 2008. All complete entires following the described guidelines will be posted!

Email a scan or clear photograph no larger than 500k to classes@windycityscrapbooking.com along with your name and supply list. Layouts can be 12x12 or a different size. We will not publish any content that we decide is inappropriate or vulgar. Entries are due Wednesday, October 15, 2008.

I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Happy Thursday!

2008-09-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

So if you have not heard this weekend is our event for Scrap Pink! We still have a few spots left for Saturday and Sunday crops!

This week we have been busy putting out new product again!
Here are some of the items we have been lucky enough to put out!

Kimberley Poloson-This is another company by Fiskars! We got in beautiful wedding papers, the line is called Blooming Love!(Heritage, Anniversary you name it!) Papers, rub ons and stickers!

We also put out the Brand new QuicKutz! Come on in and get started on all of your holiday cards!
Speaking of QuicKutz have you heard about our sale going on???
If not here you go! This special is good until October 4th! And don't forget all the clearance dies too!
All 20 shapes, alphabets, and border dies that are featured in the new school idea book are 40% off (unless they are already on clearance which will be a better price!)

Metro SkinniMini CLEARANCE $29.99, Regular $69.99
Studio Classic 2x4 CLEARANCE $69.99, Regular $169.99

Apple SALE $4.19, Regular $6.99
Photo Corners SALE $4.19, Regular $6.99

Crayons SALE $10.19, Regular $16.99
Pencil SALE $10.19, Regular $16.99
Tabs SALE $10.19, Regular $16.99

Nesting Circles SALE $14.99, Regular $24.99
Nesting Flowers SALE $14.99, Regular $24.99
Scallops Border SALE $14.99, Regular $24.99

Aquarius Mini 4x8 SALE $23.99, Regular $39.99
Moonlight SkinniMini 4x8 SALE $23.99, Regular $39.99
Chocolate Mini 4x8 SALE $23.99, Regular $39.99
Chemistry Mini 4x8 SALE $23.99, Regular $39.99
Rollerskate SkinniMini 4x8 SALE $23.99, Regular $39.99

Chicago Classic SALE $59.99, Regular $99.99
Blossom Classic SALE $59.99, Regular $99.99

Nutmeg Classic SALE $71.99, Regular $119.99
University Grand SALE $77.99, Regular $129.99
Studio Classic 2x2 SALE $119.99, Regular $199.99

Applies to in-stock merchandise only, no additional discounts apply

These are just a few of the goodies--come see us over the weekend to see what else is new!

Have a great weekend-
Susan

Winner for Tuesday Tips is....

2008-09-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

Sylvia !!!! Girl you rock! I will have a box of goodies for you at the store on Thursday night when I come in to work. Trust me...it is a great stash of scrapbooking stuff. :)

Okay..please forgive me I will post Tuesday Tip later tonight. I broke my camera July 4th and now I am sharing a camera with my husband. He took it into work today and I have to wait for him to come home to take pictures. Just not a good tip if there are no visuals.
So please accept my apologies. See you soon. :)Sesil

Scrapping On Sundays...

2008-09-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Wow...we have had a great full week at Windy City Scrapbooking, not only at the store but on our blog as well
We are just gearing up to get all of our Windy City Scrappers ready for all of your scrapping needs, no matter how large or small your project may be.
I am totally loving Full Circle Friday and Tuesday Tips are awesome too...make sure to post your entry for Sesil's Blog Prize by tomorrow, September 22nd...I have seen her stash first hand and you are guaranteed to get some goodies...Hey Sesil...are employees eligible for your contest too...LOL

Anywhoo
Here is your SOS for this Sunday, September 21st, 2008

For classes this week, I will be teaching Beyond the Basics on Tuesday evening at 6:30pm and Sesil will teaching Basics on Thursday evening at 6:30pm. Also...if you were not able to attend the Instructor Open House this past Saturday, make sure to check out our website at www.windycityscrapbooking.com/classes.htm to see all of our cool classes coming up this fall. Dates and prices are available and all you have to do is give us a call to register yourself for class or stop in.

This weekend is our Scrap Pink Event...
Come scrap with us us as we help fight against Breast Cancer! A portion of your crop fee will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Sign up for the whole weekend and get a $10.00 Gift Certificate to spend at Windy City Scrapbooking & a Scrap Pink T-shirt if you sign up by September 7th!
Anyone cropping all weekend will receive a huge gift bag as well!
There will be raffles all day Saturday!
If you sign up for the whole weekend you can leave all your stuff at Windy City and you can have your same seat!
First come, first serve on seating!
Friday, September 26th 5:30-11:30 p.m. $15.00
Saturday, September 27th 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. $50.00
Sunday, September 28th 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $15.00
We are going to have a great time during the crop so call us to reserve your spot...I do believe there may be some slots still available
October and November crop dates are posted already on our web page so make sure to check our schedule and yours and come and crop with us

Do not forget the coupon available this week (which must be printed out) which is
September 18-23 , 2008 -- Buy any 10 sheets of patterned paper and get a free sticker alphabet from SEI Coupon valid on in-stock merchandise only and MUST BE PRESENTED at the time of sale. Other restrictions apply.
Also...do not forget our Wacky Wednesday Sale...this is the last one for the month of September

Now I know you may be wondering what is new in the store...and honestly, I have not been there since last Tuesday, so I am excited to see what is new as well so we hope to see you at the store.
If I am not mistaken, the new releases from Quickutz will be available this Tuesday and I have heard they are really cute.

Do not forget to post your entry for Sesil contest that ends tomorrow

Have a great week
TTFN
Alraynita

Full Circle Friday

2008-09-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry Full Circle Friday is a little late today! My camera battery died this morning and I had to charge it before I could get my photos uploaded. Anyway, I am back in business.

This week's sketch pushed me outside of my comfortable creative box. The first creative stretch was working with a large circle. All of the elements of the layout fit nicely inside a circle; a bit different from the squares and rectangles in which scrapbookers usually work. The second is putting the title right over the top of the focal photo. Just keep telling yourself it is okay if you cover up part of your photograph.... it is, it really is okay. In my layout you will notice the cute chubby face and hand are perfectly visible while the busy patterned shirt is the part covered up by the title. The busy pattern was distracting anyway. The main focal photo is an uncropped 5x7 photo. It may look smaller in my finished layout just because I overlapped my accent photos and embellishments over the top of the focal photo. The small photos are 2.5x3.5. Then of course there is the giant circle and then a thin strip across horizontally to add stability to the entire design.

Supplies:

Luxe Designs: Sprinkles Collection patterned paper

Bazzill Cardstock

Maya Road Butterfly Chip Coaster

Me & My Big Ideas Butterfly Rhinestone sticker

Luxe Designs journaling sticker

ThermOWeb Zots and Glue Stick

Uniball Signo white pen

American Craft Slick Writer

Supplies from my personal stash:

American Crafts Thickers alpha stickers

Making Memories brads

For the giant circle I used the super extraordinary circle template.... a kitchen dinner plate. I traced it on the paper. Then I took a second smaller plate and traced that inside the bigger circle. Cut with fine-tip scissors. I also used the fine-tip scissors to cut out the circle patterns from one of my patterned papers. I love to cut out designs from pattern paper. Sometimes you love a paper but using the entire piece is too overwhelming for the layout. The smaller circle accents are scattered around the large circle and reinforce the whole circle theme.

I covered the butterfly chipboard with patterned paper. See Sesil's Tuesday Tip from this week to get detailed instructions on covering chipboard. To give the butterfly a little "pop" I outlined it with a white pen. The butterfly houses my journaling sticker, which if left by itself would be lost in the layout. The journaling sticker needed that butterfly to bring your attention to it.

As I mentioned before, the title is big and bold right across the focal photo. I used the rhinestone butterfly mostly because I thought it was cute. But it did help balance my big, bold title. Sometimes I just need a little bling!

As always you can adapt the 12x12 to a different size layout. And please post a link to your version of the sketch after you give it a try!

Instructor Open House...

2008-09-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

is this Saturday, September 20th! Come anytime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to see what our amazing instructors have planned for this fall. You will be able to see their projects and do make & takes with them! Also you can sign up for their class that day and get a coupon just for talking with one of our AWESOME instructors! Get a jump start on your holiday shopping and see what you can make instead!

And then if you want to play stay for our meet up group until 5:00 pm and crop the afternoon away! Have questions about this weekend? Just email us at classes@windycityscrapbooking.com and we will get all of your questions answered!

I hope to see you on Saturday! And we still have some spaces left in our crop for Friday night! So grab you stuff, give us and call and get cropping!

Have a great weekend-Susan

Tuesday Tip Chipboard Flower

2008-09-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

I have had some friends ask me how I alter my chipboard. Here is my step by step on how I alter chipboard by using pattern paper. There are many different ways to alter the chipboard but this is on of the easiest way to do it besides painting.

Supplies I am using for this project:

Maya Road Flower Petals Chipboard

My Minds Eye - Laundry Line glitter paper (as you see I am only using a strip of the paper. This is such a great way to use up all the scrap paper we have laying around)

Basic Gray- Precision File Set

Tonic Scissors

Ranger- Crackle paint

Therm o web - glue stick

First thing I like to do is get out my chipboard pieces and line them up to make sure I have enough scrap paper to cover all the pieces.

Next I take all the chipboard pieces and use the glue stick to cover one side of the chipboard then add to the back side of the pattern paper.

*Like my hand models? (this is Drew my little two year old helping me.)

Make sure all the edges are covered with your adhesive.
This is why I like to use a glue stick vs. a dry adhesive.

As you see here. I just glue everything down at the same time.

Then I cut out the chipboard from the pattern paper. You don't have to get that close to the chipboard because the next step will take care of the overlapping paper.

Next I take the file set and sand down the extra paper on the chipboard. I do sand in one direction..this prevents the paper from trying to lift off the chipboard. This gives it a slight distressed look to the chipboard.

*Drew did such a great job sanding down the pattern paper.

For the center piece, we took the crackle paint and just slapped it on to give it a simple coat of color.

*Sammie loves using the paint. Check out the nail polish.

Finally we have our completed flower pattern paper chipboard accent.

Come by the store to see the final project. I love the new Laundry line from My Mind's Eye. The pictures just don't do it justice. I would love to see your pattern pattern covered chipboard elements. Post a picture or link to your picture to this post and I will randomly pick a winner for a gift pack from my personal stash. Post pictures by Monday, Sept. 22nd and I will post the winners on next weeks Tuesday tips. See you next week. :)SESIL

Scrapping On Sundays

2008-09-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

Here is your SOS for this Sunday, September 14, 2008
We have had a great week of receiving new products...as I stated last week, Maya Road is all in and thank you Susan for posting up photos for me.
I wonder what UPS will bring for us this week...

Our Wacky Wednesday for this week is for those of you who love LIVING the LUXE LIFE...
Buy 5 sheets of Luxe Paper and you will get one yard of Luxe Ribbon for FREE...buy 10 sheets and you will get 2 yards of Luxe Ribbon and so forth.

For classes this week, Sesil and I will both be teaching Basics and Jen will be teaching Tools of the Trade. This Saturday, September 20th, we will have our Instructor Open House from 11am-1pm. Here you will be able to meet our Instructors and preview what is coming up this fall for classes. This is a great event that you would not want to miss out on...the instructors will doing Make and Takes, answering questions and showcasing new classes and you will be able to receive a coupon to use to take classes and actually sign up for classes...Make sure to come by for the Open House.

There are a few spots left for the crop this Friday night...just give us a call to reserve your spot.

Check out our website to see what promotions we are doing this month for QuicKutz...

Here are the promotions valid through Saturday, September 20th, 2008!
All Cookie Cutter Shapes-Reg. $12.99--NOW $5.99!
All Nesting Dies-Reg. $24.99-- NOW $12.99!
All 2x2 Goosebumpz-Reg. $12.99 -- NOW $4.99!
All 4x4 Goosebumpz-Reg. $24.99-- NOW $9.99!
Purchase any of the above items during the promotional period you will receive a free idea book from QuicKutz while supplies last!Limit one per person.
**No additional discounts will apply to promotional items.
**Promotional prices limited to in-stock items only.

Hope to see you in the store soon
Have a great week and create something special

TTFN
Alraynita

Full Circle Friday

2008-09-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

Our sketch this week is an 8.5 x 11, but as always, can be adapted for 12x12, 8x8 and so on. We are using 3 photos. One large focal photo and two smaller accent photos. For the focal photo start with a 5x7 and trim an inch off to make a 4x7 photo. The smaller accent photos were wallet size and trimmed to 1.5x2.5. When I know I want to use a small photo on a layout I make sure NOT to crop the photo down before printing. After printing I crop the photo manually with my trimmer. That way I still get all of the main image in the finished photo. The opposite is true when I know I want to use a large photo. I do all the cropping digitally before printing. Then my image fills the entire photo without a lot of distraction.

My layout is school themed. We have a lot of great new school themed supplies at Windy City. Some of my supplies are from Maya Road which just arrived in the past few days. Susan posted a few photos yesterday.

Supplies:
Shimmer Patterned Papers by KI Memories
Green Patterned Paper by Cosmo Cricket
Chipboard Apple by Maya Road
Ruler Stamp by Maya Road
Buttons by Creative Cafe
Slick Writer by American Crafts
Micron Pen by Sakura
3/4" Circle Punch by EK Success
StazOn Ink
Glossy Accents by Ranger
Zots by ThermOWeb

Supplies from my personal collection:
Ribbon by KI Memories
Letter Stickers by Basic Grey
Photo Corner stickers by KI Memories
Journal Spot by Heidi Swapp
Letter Stickers by Making Memories

I decided to journal directly onto my photo since there was some dead space in my photo where the journaling is in the sketch. Use a Slick Writer to write directly onto your photo. The results are different and a lot of fun. I also stamped on my photo with StazOn ink to continue the line I started with the ribbon across my page.
For the circle apple accents, I took a circle punch and punched out the little apples from my patterned paper. The 3/4" circle punch worked perfectly! There are some buttons in the Creative Cafe bulk bins that have a center of about 3/4". Just use a Zot to attach your punch outs to the button to create your own embellishments. I have to admit this is a little trick I learned from Melodee Langworthy when she taught at WCS a few months back.

For the apple I just covered the chipboard piece with some red scrap paper. Scraps are great for covering chipboard elements!

My title got a little lost in the patterned background paper. I brought a some focus to it by applying Glossy Accents to the stickers. The results are better in real life than on the scanned image. I love covering letter stickers or letter die cuts with Glossy Accents. It gives it that little something extra to finish the look.

I would love to see what you do with this weeks sketch! Post a link to your layout in the comments. Have a great weekend.

Look what we have...

2008-09-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

I know Alraynita already told you about the goodies we got in this week, but I thought I would post some pictures!

Brand New Ink Pads from
My Mind's Eye!

The Laundry line has paper that is glittered and there are so many NEW embellishments to choose from!

The pictures below are from My Mind's Eye Just Dreamy 2 Collection! Very fun and vibrant colors!

The Halloween Collections from My Mind's Eye are lots of fun! They even have glittered Alphabets to go along with this line. And make sure to check out the packs--they are SUCH a GREAT deal!

And this is a small fraction of the stuff from Maya Road! Cupcakes are everywhere! Owls are everywhere(can someone explain this to me please?!) Rub ons, mini books, chipboard key chain sets, coaster sets, Stamps, RIBBON(my very favorite!) and lots more!

I will take more pictures this weekend and post more things we have put out on the floor!

And don't forget if you are a QT member our meeting is this Sunday at 3:00 pm! We will have a jolly time! Email us if you are coming!

Happy Weekend to you all! Come by and say hello!!
Thanks for looking,

Susan

Tuesday Tip * Ribbon Flower accent*

2008-09-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

Get out your needle,thread and a strip of ribbon. Let's get started on making a ribbon flower accent. (okay you non sewers..this is a great way to get started. It really is not that hard. If my friend Marie can do it .... you can to.)

Side note: Don't laugh at my non-manicured icky fingers. My poor little hands are constantly in water with having little kids. Between the dishes, dirty diapers and picking up this or that my hands have taken a beating.

Start off by threading your needle and tying a knot at the end of the thread. We will be starting on the top right corner of the ribbon.
Continue stitching up and down the top side of the ribbon.
I tend to use a long needle so I can keep all the ribbon together on the needle. Once I am done I pull the thread through the ribbon but still hold the ribbon cluster together.

To secure the bundle I go back to the last couple of folds and pull the thread through.
Then you end up with a scrunched up piece of ribbon. The next step is to connect the two ends of the ribbon together to make a circle.
There we have our ribbon flower accent. knot the end of the thread and trim off the excess thread.

Then I like to add a brad or button to the middle of the ribbon accent.

Then I like to add the ribbon accent to a flower or chipboard.

This is just a quick and easy way to give your flowers a new look. I know we all have a large stash of flowers and ribbon...why not combine the two.

Enjoy....happy stitching. See you next week. :)Sesil

Tuesday Tip (take two)

2008-09-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

Okay.. Sorry I lost the rest of my post last week. So here we go. Take two!

Texture Hammer.

This is a great technique for a small embellishment. You will need aluminum tape (you can find this at your home improvement store), chipboard, chipboard letter or die cut, and texture hammer.

First step is to add your die cut or chipboard letter to the chipboard.
Then add a strip of aluminum tape to the chipboard pieces.
Press around the chipboard letter and smooth out all the tape.

Take texture hammer and pound around the letter. Try not to pound on the letter itself you will loose the height of the embossed letter.

This is my finished result. Notice the smashed part of the top part of the letter.

If you wanted to take it to the next level you could add color using alcohol inks.

I just drop the ink right on top of the embellishment and let it dry. This is what mine looked like.

Final idea.... If you don't have any alcohol inks we still have a storage solution for you stickle fans out there. The Tim Holtz alcohol ink holder. It holds stickles perfectly. Enjoy!

I will be back tomorrow for our regular scheduled Tuesday tip.

:)Sesil

Scrapping On Sundays...

2008-09-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Here is your SOS for this Sunday, September 7th, 2008

I am sorry that I missed last week's SOS...blame it on me enjoying the holiday with my family and friends and not getting around to getting on the computer and getting Alexandre' and Allegra ready for their first day of preschool. I had a full week off and I just came back to Windy City this past Friday and all I can say is WOW...
Where should I begin with all of the happenings at Windy City Scrapbooking?

I will get right to what is NEW at the store...

Now first...I just want to say My, My, My because of all of the NEW My Mind's Eye products that we received in this past week. All of it is so cute...there are the two new Halloween lines along with two new Christmas lines...we have both lines available either by the pack or single sheets and there is also My Mind's Eye Just Dreamy Part 2 and the Laundry Line that we debut in classes taught at Windy City this past summer during CHA...these two new lines come complete with pretty glittered embossed papers, stamps, diecuts, stamp pads and alot of other yummy embellishments
We have the NEW Ranger Stickles...the new designer series colors so for all of you Stickle Fans...these colors are a must to add to your stash
We have restocked Creative Cafe and there are a few new additions that is really cute
We have NEW MAYA ROAD in...including the new Maya Mists (similar to Glimmer Mists)...this includes alot of blank board books and alot of cool embellishments...we hope to have it all out by this Tuesday.

For classes this week, Jen and Sesil will be teaching Basics this week and Grace will be doing Card Club
Make sure you take the time to come to our Instructors Open House on September 20th, 2008 11-1 at the Open House, you will get a glimpse of classes to come, do a few make and takes and meet the instructors.

For coupons this week, our magazine coupon, ends on the 9th and that one is all magazines are 50% off...the next coupon that begins on September 11th and runs until September 16th and this one is all Disney products for 30% off. Now keep in mind that our coupons are available on our website and they MUST be printed out for use in the store.

Wacky Wednesday this Wednesday is a good one for all of your chipboard/paint fans...
Purchase $10 or more of any plain chipboard sets and you will get a FREE Ranger Paint Dabber...if you purchase any of the Fancy Pants 12x12 chipboard sets you will get 3 FREE Ranger Paint Dabber now for this deal, a coupon is not needed

We do have a crop scheduled for this Friday night and your crop hostesses for this Friday will be myself and Cheryl.

Feel free to call us to register for any classes, crops, or if you have any questions, comments, or concerns...

Have a great week everyone

TTFN
Alraynita

Full Circle Friday

2008-09-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to a new weekly post called Full Circle Friday! I will complete a layout by beginning with a sketch (no laughing at my drawing skills!), discussing a supply list, and then displaying my finished layout. Follow along each week and gather a collection of sketches for the next time you get to scrapbook or actually complete a layout a week with me. Just think, that is a lot of layouts by the end of the year. Let's get started...

Here is my sketch for this week. It is a 2-page 12x12 layout that uses 7 photos. Of course you could always shrink down the entire sketch to make a 2-page 8x8 or 8.5x11 layout. Or you could even just use half of it to make a 1-page layout. Completely up to you! There are no rules for sketches... it is just a way to start the creative process.

I am a sucker for all the cool new stuff pouring into Windy City almost daily so I chose supplies from the latest new items... Just Dreamy 2 by My Mind's Eye. When I mean latest and greatest, this line hasn't even been on the shelf 24 hours yet! It is definitely worth a trip to Windy City this weekend to take a look.

Supplies:
Patterned Papers from the Just Dreamy 2 collection from My Mind’s Eye:
Dazzling “My Girl” Polka Dot with the Lot/Blue Argyle Paper
Dazzling “Summer” Sweet Midori/Flamingo Stripe Paper
Dazzling “Our Princess” Fresh Flowers/Yellow Pin Stripe Paper
Dazzling “Our Princess” Summer Stripes/Pink Deco Paper
Embellishments from the Just Dreamy 2 collection from My Mind’s Eye:
Dazzling “Our Princess” Die Cut
Dazzling “My Girl” Mini Die Cut
Dazzling “Summer” Transparency
Bazzill Kraft Cardstock
Handful of Creative Café Bulk Buttons

Ribbon from my stash

Chipboard letters from my stash

I love these supplies because it gets away from the pastel pinks I so often use for my girls. They are colors for summer photos, photos of playing with toys, beach photos, and so much more. My photos were busy and a little dark so I chose to use the patterned paper in small amounts and kept my background calm by using plain Kraft cardstock.

The sketch calls for 7 vertical photos, but I didn't have quite that many. I had 7 photos I wanted to use but some were horizontal. No problem! I just cut them all to a width of 3" and then just filled in the empty photo space with my patterned paper.

I layered the die cut flowers to give it a little depth. I also roughly cut out the transparency image. Because I used plain cardstock, I wrote my journaling directly onto my background paper. Voila! Complete Layout!

See you next week!
Melissa

Yeah for Windy City Scrapbooking...

2008-09-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone! I hope this finds you in good spirits!
We were so lucky to be featured on an awesome blog I just had to share the great news with you all!
Our good friends at Creative Cafe(yes I do know who they are! :) gave us a shout out for our store and Creative Cafe!
Stay tuned for more exciting projects coming this fall for Happy Hours!

So hope on over to http://mycreative-cafe.com/blog/ and see what you think!

Happy Wednesday!
Susan

Tuesday Tip Distress tools

2008-09-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

Hope you had a great Labor Day. Where did August go? So here we are in September. So today you will get a triple dose of Tuesday Tips. I have been crazy busy with the kids and life. We all get like this from time to time.
Okay.. Lets get started!

One of my favorite way of getting a distressed look is by using distressing tools Here are a couple of my favorite tools.

The Retractable craft scratcher. I love the fact that it is retractable. With little kids always trying to play with mommy's toys it is a great safety feature. I also like the grip of the tool as well. It doesn't slip in my hands while scratching my items.

Simply take the scratcher to any surface. Here I am distressing the corner of a picture.

The results are simple. Here are two angles to show the detail.

Look at all the NEW stuff...

2008-08-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

WOW! We have some really cool new products!

We just got in another NEW line--Best Creations. They have the cutest sparkle papers in several themes--wedding, winter, fall, sports and school. Here a few pictures of them just to get you to want to come in and see them!

For those of you lucky enough to travel around the world we have some brand new papers from SugarTree--like Jamaica, Aruba, Cayman Islands,Costa Rica--do you get my point?!

And for those of you who love Hannah Montana and High School Musical we finally got some stickers in for you!!

And just a few pictures of new stuff from Creative Imaginations! So new scalloped papers, animal kingdom and fun new stuff from Marah Johnson!

So these are just a "few" of the new goodies!
And don't forget we will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2008 for Labor Day!

TTFN!
Susan

Scrapping On Sundays

2008-08-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...

Here is your SOS for this Sunday, August 24th 2008.

Where should I begin?

So last week...we were really busy receiving boxes and putting out new items and two of my CHA picks came in...YEAH!!!! Both of my picks are items that we have never carried at Windy City Scrapbooking so I am excited about their debut...

Kaiser Craft is here with papers, rubons, brads, wooden albums and wooden diecuts and ZVA Creative Crystals in which we have lots of cool swirls, alphabets, and other shapes

Here are a few photos

We also have in the KI Memories School line along with restock of Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy, Hello Sunshine, and Jack's World. I really like the KI Memories School line,especially since I am getting Alexandre' and Allegra ready for preschool this fall

We also have in both of the new Pink Paislee lines called Vintage Moon and Pop Fashion...papers, stickers, rubons, stamps, and diecuts

So that is what has come in new thus far along with a few more things that you must stop in to see.

For classes this week, I will be teaching Basics and Jen will be teaching Tools of the Trade...our new class schedule should be out by the end of this month as our instructors have been working hard to bring new classes to you this fall.

This week...the biggest thing that will be happening is our BAZZIL BLOWOUT...so Bazzil 12x12 and 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock is just .25 cents a sheet (This does not include specialty cardstock like the Bling or scalloped or stitched papers)...now this is a STEAL. We have kind of figured out that we have close to 250 colors and if you were to get 1 sheet of each color it would average out to about $62 (plus tax)...make sure to come early for your favorite colors. Sesil and I will be at work tomorrow and I have to look in my stash to see what colors I need. BTW...we have street cleaning on our side of the street tomorrow so you will not be able to park in front of the store from 11am-3pm...we do close at 7pm

This past Friday, we had one of crops and we had a really good time. Jen and I were the hostesses for the evening and alot of staff came to play that night. A great time was has by all of us. Here a few photos from the evening

Our class and crop schedule should be available for September by the end of next week

TTFN
Alraynita

KI Memories is Here!!!

2008-08-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

The super cute new Glitter lace paper is here! It is so much fun! There are flowers, sayings and rings which are perfect for weddings! The school line is also here--shimmer papers and really cute ribbons! This is a must have for the fall!

I know the girls today have been very busy putting new things out as well all day today!So make sure you stop in this weekend to see what else has come in!

Just a reminder that we are having our QuicKutz meeting this Sunday, at 3:00 pm and we DO have the shapes! We will be Cookin' up a good time!

Thanks and see you soon!
-Susan

It Stinks, Stinks Stinks...

2008-08-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

To thank you for braving the parking and stinky sewer construction on Clybourn through August 21st, 2008 you will receive 10% off all regularly priced merchandise in your basket!(Not valid on special orders or out of stock merchandise)

And just so you know the boxes keep coming! We will be putting at KI Memories which has new laced glitter papers!

Thanks!

Scrappin On Sundays

2008-08-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hey guys...

Okay...so there only a few more weeks before August is over...hope you are enjoying.
So...we have had a busy week at Windy City, as Susan stated last week, receiving boxes and putting out new merchandise.
One of my favorites from the show finally came in....BASIC GREY
When we saw it at CHA last month...Melissa and I thought that our outfits that day matched perfectly with the color scheme, and so we took a photo. Now that it is at the store...maybe I could get Melissa to do a layout of us at CHA (hint, hint Melissa)

We have Ambrosia open stock and paper packs of Eva, Offbeat, and Ambrosia. Now there is more to come with the Basic Grey but it is not shipping until September, but you may definitely come in now to get your papers (Those of you who might be looking for the Granola line...it comes out in October)

This week, I will be teaching Basics along with Jen and Grace will be doing Card Club. We have a few Happy Hours this week and Crop night is this Friday. It will be a great crop as Jen and I will be your hostesses for the evening.

Tomorrow is our 3rd Manic Monday of this month and it is a good one...All American Crafts brads that retail for 2.99 are just $1.00. Brads are a great way to accent any scrapbook page, card, invitation or any other project that you have...stop in and pick up some...this is valid on those brads in stock only (no special orders)

Also...be sure to check out the coupon page for this week...it ties in with Sesil posts from last week...Tim Holtz (Christina's boyfriend), his storage, fragments and something about something being FREE (make sure to read and print out the coupon before coming into the store) http://www.windycityscrapbooking.com/ (scroll down to coupon page and click on coupon to see the coupons for the month of August)

Enjoy the rest of the week
TTFN
Al

The boxes keep rolling in...

2008-08-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

There is so much NEW stuff I am not sure where it is all going to go!

We just put out tonight, the two new color additions to the Simply Luxe line-Orange and Brown.

Plus with the new Luxe line we have ALL of the new Color Me papers-dogs, baby, food and many more for you to chose from! And of course now I can't remember the name of the other new line we just put out for Luxe, so I guess you are just going to have to come and see for yourself!

The entire new line of Reminisce School is here! From preschool to Senior year! Double sided papers, flat stickers and 3-D stickers as well! Trust me--you are going to think this is the cutest school line you have seen in a long time!

And of course one of my own personal favorites--Scenic Route! We have the Sonoma line open stock and the Surprise line we have in packs! This is really cute for Adult birthdays! And of course there are other little goodies to go with it too!

And for you animal lovers--we have some new doggie papers! So take some more pictures of your four legged friends and come in to see the new things in this section!

Have you been traveling this summer? We have lots of new papers and embellishments in as well! Here are a few of the countries I know we just got in-India, Africa, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Spain, just to name a few!

See! I was not kidding you! And I know we will be getting more as the month goes on! So keep checking the blog and website to what is new!

Thanks for looking and I hope to see you over the weekend!

-Susan

Tuesday Tip TIM HOLTZ Fragments

2008-08-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

Fragments...love them.
Here is a video from Tim himself talking about Fragments.

So here is my attempt playing with Fragments.

Using pattern paper for my background. My daughter did a couple of fragments with me. (If some of you don't know. Sammie my oldest daughter will be 4 in Sept.)
Then I stamped with Staz-On Ink "Thank You" and arranged the fragments on a card.

Quick and simple.

Look you can even use Fragments as a mount for your acrylic stamps. I could not find my acrylic block for my daughter to use so we used a fragment.
Until next week. Create and enjoy.

:)sesil

Scrapping On Sundays

2008-08-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I had another family filled Sunday with my MIL's cooking and I am home from a full day. I am recovering from strep throat and also from severe flood damage (yes...alot of my scrapbooking supplies are water damaged along with the rest of my basement)

Now, I have not been in the store since last Tuesday so I really do not know what has come in new this week but I do know that we are steadily getting in new merchandise, so make sure you stop be to check it out.

This week, I will be teaching Beyond Basics and Jen and Sesil will both be teaching Basics and Grace will be doing a great NEW class for kids...Mini Scrapbook for Kids, which is a great way for young scrappers to document their summer fun...check out our website under classes for more details at http://www.windycityscrapbooking.com/

Thanks to everyone who came into the store this weekend...remember that Windy City Scrapbooking donated a percentage of sales to the Children's Memorial Hospital.

Hope that you have a great week and we look forward to seeing you at Windy City Scrapbooking

TTFN
Alraynita

Tuesday Tips ALL MONTH LONG ALL ABOUT Tim Holtz

2008-08-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

Okay… some of you might not know. Tim Holtz is Christina’s boyfriend. So in honor of her boyfriend we are going to get some tips from Tim. He has some great products out there and has teamed up with some great vendors like Cropper Hopper (Advantus), Ranger and Tonic. All vendors we carry at Windy City Scrapbooking.

So for this week we will be talking about my favorite item. GRUNGBOARD! If you have not had a chance to work with the Grungboard this is the time!!!! I love it! It gives your layouts some great dimension and is not as so stiff as chipboard. It is so much more durable and versatile than chipboard you just have to try it yourself to see.
Here is a video of Tim himself talking about Grungeboard. Hope you enjoy it.

Okay…so I cheated a little this week. I am out here in Sheboygan, WI on a mini family vacation. I am sure I will have some layouts at the store soon of our vacation. I also have to apologize for last week; I was unable to do the Tuesday Tips do to my last minute detail on trying out for Memory Makers Masters 2009. So I was busy getting my submit ion off to Memory Makers. Melissa and I both submitted so wish us luck.

Scrapping On Sundays

2008-08-03T16:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...

I can not believe that we are in the month of August and that summer is almost over...have you been enjoying your summer? Spending time with family and friends? Taking lots of photos and documenting your summer happenings? I am currently at my MIL's home in the south suburbs of Chicago, full from an old fashion Southern Sunday dinner of smothered chicken, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cabbage, carrots and potatoes, fried corn, hot water corn bread, sweet peach tea and homemade pound cake. The twins spent the day running and playing in her sprinkler, riding their bikes and just enjoying the hot weather and of course...I was there front and center with my camera. The hubby and I did go out to the movies while the twins were napping to go and see HANCOCK...I had a fun filled day.

Okay...enough of my day...
Here is your SOS for this Sunday, August 3rd, 2008

Well, remember the photos from last Sunday of Christina, Susan, Sesil, Melissa, and I writing orders at CHA...guess what? Items are starting to come in...so Christmas in July has transformed into Christmas in August as we have been receiving in boxes of NEW merchandise and opening them up with "oohs" and "aahs"
So, the last day that I was at work was Tuesday and when I came in on Saturday to help out a bit, I was surprised at what we have received already. I will just have to list it to make it easier for me...ready, here I go:

-We are restocked on all of the Teresa Collins Halloween, Christmas, and Bon Appetite along with all of her stamps and shaped chipboard album covers
-We have Tim Holtz Fragments in along with a few of his new tools
-We have Imaginese new Baby (Boy & Girl) along with their Birthday lines (with cute cupcake stamps)
-We have all of Reminisce new lines....Fall, Halloween, and Winter (glittery and shimmer)
-We have Moxie in with everything from Baby to Sports and everything in between
-We have new doodling templates in from Crafter's Workshop (cool designs to create those swirls and other intricate details to your pages)
-We have the new Quickutz alphabets
and I am sure there is more that I did not get a chance to see, and if you want to see...you know I did not take any photos and this time on purpose so that you could come in and see for yourself.

This month of August....we have started something new...just for you
Our Manic Mondays, where we offer you something special every Monday...what about our coupons...well, we will still have them but they will only be valid Tuesday thru Sunday.
So...for the first Manic Monday...here you go:
Monday, August 4th- All 12x12 transparencies are $1.00!
These are regularly priced between $2.49 and $2.99!
Come on in and stock up on these cool clear papers...I will be picking up a few my self

For classes this week, Sesil and I will both be teaching Basics this week and Melissa is bringing back her Acrylic Stamp Challenge Class...so for those of you who are interested in getting started or want to refer a friend to start scrapbooking, Basics is for you and for those who want to learn how to use Acrylic Stamps in new ways, the Acrylic Stamp Challenge is for you.
We also have crop this Friday night, August 8th in which Sesil and Melissa will be your hosts for the evening
For all classes and crops, all you have to do is give us a call to RSVP your spot over the phone if you do not come in personally and do it. I hope to see you in the store for I am really excited to see our labor of ordering during CHA come to life.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us either from the blog, call us at the store 773-935-0585, or check our website www.windycityscrapbooking.com

TTFN
Alraynita

Scrapping On Sundays

2008-07-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone

Here is your SOS for this Sunday, July 27th, 2008

Yesterday was our last day of our Christmas in July sale and let me tell you...I think that I may speak for my co-workers as I state that I am glad that it is over...Why?
Because we have made room for new items and we do not have to listen to Christmas music anymore...

Just kidding...

Actually...No I am not.

So this week for classes, we have Michealene's Baby Journal class, Sesil will be teaching Basics and Jen will be teaching Tools of the Trade. Just give us a call to reserve your spot in these classes. Our schedule for August should be up by the end of this week for classes and for crops next month.
This Wednesday, is T-shirt day so make sure you wear your t-shirts when you come and see us.
Make sure you check our website for this week's coupon...it is a good one.

So, I am still recovering from CHA that was last weekend and I must show you my favorite photo from the show...

Yes, here we are, Christina, Susan, Sesil, Melissa, and myself on the last day, tired, hungry, with aching feet and eyes crossed from looking at all of the new items and placing orders for new merchandise.

So what was my favorite at the show? One, I would have to say Maya Road

I also liked October Afternoon, Kaiser, Basic Grey (they have some very pretty lines coming in), Teresa Collins, Creative Cafe, Making Memories, LUXE, Scenic Route, Heidi Swapp, Quickutz debuted the LOVE Machine and also their new alpha dies(too cute)...just to name a few
The show was really overwhelming...as always.

Where are all the photos?...well, I will make sure to show you sneak peaks as they start to arrive at Windy City...or maybe I will not so that you may come in to see for yourself. (SMILE)

Here are just a couple of more photos from the show:

Ali and I after she signed my copy of her newest book...we should have it next month

Ali and Tim (Christina's Crush)

This is your SOS for this Sunday
Have a great week
Al

Tuesday Tip Creative Café Glitter Glue vs. Ranger Stickles

2008-07-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Tip *Creative Café Glitter Glue vs. Ranger Stickles*

I have had some people ask me about the Creative Café Glitter Glue and the Ranger Stickles. So here is my critique. I used Creative Café Lucky Red and Stickles Candy Cane. I tried to use the same colors in both but I ran out of Stickles Christmas Red. But this will still show the differences between the two products.

With the Creative Café Glitter glue you have to remove the stopper in the bottle before using the glue. Remove the applicator tip and this is what you will see.

Remove the top and replace the applicator tip to the bottle.

Next I placed a thick line of Creative Café Glitter Glue on my white sheet of cardstock.
Next I placed a thick line of Ranger Stickles on my white sheet of cardstock.

I wrote the letter “c” for Creative Café and the letter “s” for Ranger Stickles.
Here you see the final of the two close up to see the detail.

My evaluation between the two:
*Creative Café Glitter Glue is a higher concentration of glitter when the product is fully dried.
*Ranger Stickles has a thinner tip for more detail work.
*Creative Café Glitter Glue dries faster.
*Ranger Stickles have more color options.

So different pros and cons with both. I equally like both of the products.

As a bonus I have added a video taken at CHA. enjoy!

Scrapping On Sundays...

2008-07-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Here is your SOS for this Sunday, July 20th, 2008...

I will keep it short as I am VERY TIRED from our CHA week...
We had a great time this past week with everyone who visited the store...our current customers, new ones, visiting ones, instructors, fellow store owners, and just anyone who graced us with their presence...Thank you so much for taking the time to come and see us at Windy City.

So much went on this past week where we will have to recap this week and along with recapping this week, we will be previewing this week too and for many weeks to come
Our Christmas in July Sale continues this week and will end on Saturday, July 26th...make sure to check in as we are adding items daily
We also have a few classes available this week along with our crop on Friday, July 25th
Check out our website at http://www.windycityscrapbooking.com for more details about the Christmas in July Sale, our classes and the crop.

TTFN
Al

We have a winner LUXE Class

2008-07-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

Our winner is *jendera*. Please call the store today-Thursday or Friday to let us know your information. Congrats! Thanks ladies for all the great tips. See ya next week.

Sesil

And the winner is...

2008-07-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

Ranelle!
Thanks SO MUCH everyone for posting! It has been fun to see what you are doing. Don't forget to look at Sesil's post as she is giving away a Luxe class for Saturday night!

I will post some pictures today of some fun things that are going to be coming in the future!
We do have I think 1 spot left for MME's if you are interested call the store on Thursday to sign up!

And don't forget our sale! We keep putting more and more out there!
Thanks again,
Susan

Tuesday Tip Share your tip

2008-07-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

Okay… I have been in a creative rut lately. But I am getting geared up for CHA and hope to bring you some new and great tips from all the demos that are scheduled. My goal is to attend as many as I can while I am there so I can have a bag full of tips for everyone. So in preparation for CHA I have made my list of all the booths I want to visit so here are a few on my list.

Hero Arts – Technique Tuesday – Ranger Crafts – Fiskars – Creative Imaginations – Maya Road – Teresa Collins – Luxe and Prima.

I would love to know if you have a tip to share with everyone. Each comment that is posted with a tip will be entered to win one spot to attend the LUXE class on Saturday, July 19, 2008 at 7 p.m. The deadline to post your tips here is 5:00 p.m. on Thursday and we will randomly pick a winner. Good luck.

Till next week, Create and have fun.

Sesil

Do you remember this night?

2008-07-14T22:05:00.000-07:00

So I was wondering if you remember this time last year when these fine looking men came to Windy City Scrapbooking? If you don't--you missed one heck of an evening! I mean someone got Spencer up on the counter and he was giving away Shopping Spree's!

I wanted to make sure you knew that QuicKutz was coming back to Windy City this Friday, July 18 from 6:30-8:30pm! (I can't promise dancing on the counters, but you never know with these guys! :) We love you Spence--and you too Kyle!

We hope to see you Friday(I am going to let you in on a little secret too!)All QuicKutz will be 25% off with a few exclusions of course(ask at the store--the Revolution, Silhouette and exclusive dies are not included!) And the really big deal--all 2x2 Discontinued Alphabets will be Buy one at regular priced and get the second one for 50% off. Good on in stock merchandise only. Again-certain restrictions apply. Please call the store for more info, or better yet come to our QuicKutz event on Friday night! Sorry-no holds will be accepted!

And speaking of fine looking men, we have just a few spots in our My Mind's Eye class and I would love to give a class away! So tell me what your favorite product and line from MME's is and we will put your name in the drawing and pull a name on Wednesday evening. So PLEASE make sure you check the blog to see if you have won!

So post by Wednesday night at 5 and hopefully you will join us in Welcoming the men from My Mind's Eye!

Thanks and have a creative day!

Susan

Scrappin On Sundays...

2008-07-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...

Here is your SOS for this Sunday, July 13th, 2008

The middle of July is an exciting time for us at Windy City Scrapbooking as we prepare for CHA. Not only are we in anticipation of what the manufacturers are releasing for the rest of the year, but we are also in anticipation of making room for the new...hence, our Christmas in July Sidewalk Sale or as Susan referred to our terrain as being Hardwood. I have not been in the store for a couple of days so I am anxious to get into the store to purchase some items from our Christmas in July Sale. I am looking to pick up a few die cuts from My Mind's Eye as they make perfect accent pieces to any page or project and I am also looking to pick up a few sets of acrylic stamps from Luxe Designs...and speaking of My Mind's Eye and Luxe...did you know that they are teaching classes at our store this week? Along with Teresa Collins and Spencer from Quickutz is visiting us this week too...

This week we not only started our Christmas in July sale (check out our website for more details at http://www.windycityscrapbooking.com/ , but we are kicking off our CHA Celebrity Classes.
We started off today with a class taught by Claire Hampton of Hampton Arts and I heard that everyone was very pleased with learning new techniques and meeting her.
Teresa Collins will be at our store this Wednesday and the class and class kits are sold out but we might be able to work our Windy City magic and may be able to get a kit for you...just call at the store and leave your contact info and we will see what we can do.
K.C. and Jody from My Mind's Eye will be teaching a layout/technique class on Thursday night and this class is only limited to 15 people and we only have a few spots left....they will be using new product that will not be available until way after the show...be the first to get your hands on it and learn from "The Guys from My Mind's Eye"
Spencer, from Quickutz, will be at our store on Friday night and will be bringing a couple of his Quickutz buddies to make Susan blush and maybe show a few new releases...let's see who will be dancing on the counter top that night
The Luxe Ladies, Emily and Jennifer, will be teaching a cool mini album class on Saturday night and there will also be a make and take that night with Luxe as well.
Finally...there is a crop this Friday night, July 18th and Sesil and myself will be working the crop.... there are only a few slots left so stop by or call to RSVP your spot.

Last but not least...I leave you with a few fun photos from today's Claire Hampton's class. I hope that everyone that took the class really had a great time, and by the way...way to go Emily for winning the spot to take the class...I enjoyed meeting you in my Basics class and I hope to see you again.

TTFN
Alraynita

Christmas in July Sidewalk Sale...

2008-07-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

Lots of people have been wondering why we have so many great deals going on with our Christmas in July Sidewalk Sale-I will tell you why! We are making room for NEW stuff we will be purchasing this week at the CHA show! I thought I would share a few photos of items that are on sale through July 26th, 2008! And just so you know--we are adding new things everyday to the sale items!

Alphaduets are only $0.10 a letter!

All SCRAPBOOKS are 20% off!

All stamps are 40% off!(yes that includes Fancy Pants, 7Gypsies, Pink Paislee, Luxe, Hamton Arts--you name it, they are 40% off!)

All DIECUTS are 70% off! They are throughout the whole store but I am sure you have fun finding them all!

All Ribbon is 30% off including the American Crafts Spools that are only $0.99!

Select papers throughout the store are $0.25 a sheet of paper! I mean it is only a quarter! Plus all the retired section is 60% off! And ALL Idea Books are 50% off

Check out the link below to see everything that is on sale for our Christmas in July Sidewalk store(okay so it not actually sidewalk but hardwood floors--but come on, it is a great sale!)
http://www.windycityscrapbooking.com/specials.htm

And stay tuned for more information on our classes for this week!

TTFN!
-Susan

And the winner is...

2008-07-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

EmmieFoo!

Please call the store today at 773-935-0585 to get signed up for your FREE Claire Hampton class! You are going to have a ball! We know it!And you want to know how we choose the winner? I put all the names in a hat and my son got to be the one to pull out the name! I think we still have a few more spots left if you are interested for Claire's class.

Thanks for playing and stay tuned to the blog for more fun things happening this week!Susan

Blog Candy anyone????

2008-07-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
Hope this beautiful weather is treating you well!

I just wanted to make sure you all read Sesil's
post from Tuesday! We are giving away a spot in Claire Hampton's class
this Sunday! Please post why you would like to take a class with
Claire. We will be drawing a name on thursday evening at 5:00 pm! So check the blog to see if you are a winner.

I also wanted to let you know that the Windy City Meet Up group is going
to meet this Saturday from 11-5. We are really just having an open crop
for you to come in and meet othercrafters and to get some things done! We will be having a Make & Take starting at 12:00 p.m. so hopefully you can make it for that!

And for those of you waiting for new product--BASICGREY is here! The Euphoria line just came in and it is beautiful! The rub on roller is here as well!

Have a great day and watch for some more blog candy soon!
--Susan

Tuesday Tip finding the time

2008-07-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

If you are like me I am always exhausted by the end of the day and while I am about to fall asleep (or pass out) I think to myself…if I had more time I would scrapbook.

One way to make time is to schedule it like you would an appointment with the doctor. Take out an hour once a week or more and set that time to scrapbook. Even if you get your pictures organized in that time it will help out your progress.

Attend a crop – this will allow you to have 6 hours of uninterrupted time to scrapbook. In July we have a crop scheduled for the 18th and the 25th. Sign up soon because the spaces have been filling up fast.

Attend a class- we have some great classes scheduled for this month. Like I said last week, this is a great way to learn new techniques and brush up on some old skills that you might not have used in a while.

A time saver for me is to jot down my stories or memories while I am downloading my pictures to my computer. I have a file in my computer with the date and just type my thoughts down. This way I have my journaling already done for my pictures I want to scrapbook.

So take 15 minutes or one hour aside this week and get your photos organized or pull papers and embellishments for the pictures you have to scrap and get a layout or two done. I would love to see some of your layouts.

This week I have some BLOG CANDY!!! Leave a comment with why you would want to take a class by Claire Hampton and you could win a FREE SPOT IN HER CLASS. Post your comment by 5:00 p.m. this Thursday and we will pick a winner. Good luck.
Till next week, Create and have fun.
Sesil

Scrapping On Sundays...

2008-07-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hope you had a great holiday weekend

Sorry I did not post last Sunday, June 29th but if you look, I did finally post about our "Evening with Ali"...great time and lots of inspiration...

To follow up with Sesil about classes, make sure to call in and RSVP you spot
I am really excited about CHA and about all of our guest instructors/designers coming to teach at the store...
In case you would like more information about the instructors and manufacturers that they represent...here is the run down... Click on links to get a feel for the instructor and their style

Sunday, July 13th with Claire Hampton of Hampton Arts (click on link below)
http://www.hamptonart.com/products/claire/claire_gallery.html

Wednesday, July 16th with Teresa Collins (One of my favorites...I took a class with Teresa when she came with Junkitz, so happy that she has started her own product line)
Class is sold out and tomorrow, Monday, July 7th is the final and last day that we are taking orders for kits only that may either be picked up at the store or shipped
(click on link below)
http://teresacollins.typepad.com/

Thursday, July 17th with K.C. and Jody of My Mind's Eye (Another one of my favorites and a great class for those of you who are looking to do more with your pages...class size is only for 15)
http://www.mymindseye.com/layouts.asp

Friday, July 18th with Spencer from Quickutz (and I heard he may be bring along a few of his buddies...maybe they will make Susan blush even more)
http://quickutz.com/qk2/

Saturday, July 19th with the Ladies Living the Luxe Life : Emily, Jennifer, Pam and Cindie
Those of you who have been in our store know that we carry the FULL LINE of LUXE and this will be a great way to come and learn how to use it in your pages and projects. Emily and Jennifer will by teaching a class and Pam and Cindie will be doing Make and Takes...There new release for Summer CHA is really something
http://blog.luxedesigns.com/livingtheluxelife/

WOW...that is it for CHA and our Celebrity Classes...just a week and half away, so do not delay and get your spot today (SMILE)

Okay...so besides the CHA Celebrity Instructors, there are also Windy City "Star Studded" Instructors and we have classes going on this month too.
Grace is introducing a new class for the summer called Memory Boxes and she also has her Card Club this month.
Michealene is doing her Baby Journal class this month
Angie is doing her Paper Dolls class (great Mommy and Me class)
Sesil, Jen, and myself will be teaching Basics this month
I will be teaching a Beyond the Basics class this month and Jen will be doing a Tools of the Trade class this month

There is a Quickutz QT meeting tomorrow evening and we will be resuming our Windy City Meetup group on Saturday, July 12th from 11-5...you may call the store for more details about both events

Also...starting July 12th is our CHRISTMAS IN JULY INSIDE STORE WIDE SIDEWALK SALE

Here are the details:

It's a sidewalk sale inside the store!
You will find great bargains everywhere you look in the store from July 12th through July 26th, 2008 only.
These bargains include:
Sticker Roll stickers - 70% off
Die cuts - 70% off
Retired Section - 60% off
Idea Books - 50% off
Storage - 40% off
Stamps - 40% off
Ribbon - 30% off
Scrapbooks - 20% off
Select papers $.25 per sheet
Select pens $1
Alphaduets $.10
Art Blanche flat monogram letters $2
Art Blanche chunky monogram letters $3

Also, during the Christmas in July Sidewalk Sale, you can enter to win a free massage from Sauganash Wellness Center or a photo session from Angie - you can enter these raffles once a day during the sale!

Make sure to come in for our SALE as we are making room to bring in new items from SUMMER CHA. I have been seeing a few SNEAK PEEKS and they are yummy.

Make sure to look at our coupons for this month too...
For those of you who took advantage of June's coupons, we will be drawing a name this week and will post the winner of June's montly prize
Also, I did pull a name for the "What are you doing for Father's Day" Blog Candy Post and Sylvia won.

Okay...that is alot to digest
If you have any questions make sure to check out our website
http://windycityscrapbooking.com or give us a call 773-935-0585

TTFN
Alraynita

Tuesday Tip It takes Class to be great.

2008-07-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

Okay... So my Tuesday tip is a few days late. My tip for today is take a class. We a fortunate enough to have the Craft Hobby Association, otherwise known as CHA, here in Chicago in a couple of weeks. CHA is a show where the retailers place orders on the new releases from the vendors. While the vendors are here for CHA we are fortunate enough to have some of them come down and take time out of their already busy schedule and come teach a class at Windy City Scrapbooking.

There are so many tips and techniques you can learn from all these classes. Just think they are coming straight from the vendor, the brain behind the products. Many of the vendors are releasing many new products at CHA and most stores will not be able to get their hands on the product until 3 months later. But I can tell you, most of these classes you will be able the first customers to see some of the new products. And every class that I have ever taken from a vendor I have always gotten more than what I paid for when I walk out of the class.

I am a hard critic when it comes to taking classes. I like to come out of a class at least learning something new I didn't already know or come out of the class with inspiration for my next project. (Trust me when I say I am a hard critic with classes.) So with this said, let me do a quick run down of the classes that will be here for CHA.

On Sunday, July 13th Clair Hampton of Hampton Arts. I am going to take this class for all the different techniques that can be incorporated into my mini albums and layouts. And to meet Clair...I am a fan. So if you are wanting to learn some great techniques and creative ideas come take this class with me.

Wednesday, July 16 Teresa Collins is teaching a class. This class is sold out but kits are available for purchase. So if you are wanting a kit call and reserve yours today while we can get them.

Thursday, July 17 the guys from My Minds Eye will be doing a two page layout with their new products. Love My Minds Eye...only 15 spots for this class, get in while you can. We will not be able to get the product in the store until after the show.

Friday, July 18 will be Quickutz....enough said. Quickutz!!!!! There will be free demos and make & takes. Come see what the cut is all about. :)

Saturday, July 19 will be LUXE. Okay....love the product line and I love the teachers Emily and Jennifer. They are rock stars with all their projects and creative layouts. Come join me and we will have a blast with LUXE. During this time there will be make and takes from LUXE taught by Pam and Cindie. I love these ladies...come out and see why and meet them for yourself.

Oh my, what a busy week we will have at Windy City Scrapbooking. Sign up now and reserve your space. Like I said before this is a great time to get up close and personal with the vendors. Maybe you could be their next inspiration for their next product line.

Scrapping On Sundays...

2008-06-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...
Here is your SOS for this Sunday, June 29th, 2008
WOW...What a week for us at Windy City...on top of our Creative Cafe move and receiving boxes, we were delighted to have Ali Edwards finally arrive at our store to teach for the very 1st time. Not only is she Susan's BFF but she has become my BFF and my FSA (Favorite Scrapbook Artist). I was very thrilled and excited to be a student in her class along with 29 other scrapbook enthusiasts (YES...we were able to house 30 students in our crop room...alittle tight but alot of creativity). Ali is not only an awesome teacher but also an awesome artist, and she is truly inspiring
Here are few photos from our Evening with Ali...Enjoy as we did

Keep in mind that we have more Star Studded classes coming up in July during the week of CHA and you do not want to miss out. If classes are sold out, we will have kits available and we will ship to you...
Please note...for the holiday, we will be open on Thursday, July 3rd 11-3 and we will close on Friday, July 4th and we will go back to our regular summer schedule on Saturday, July 5th.

Enjoy your holiday weekend and Make Memories

TTFN
Al

Don't Forget tomorrow is...

2008-06-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

T-SHIRT DAY!Thursday, June 26th, wear your Windy City Scrapbooking T-SHIRT and you will receive a free mini album from 7Gypsies!(Limit one per person!) It is a super fun album!

And for those of you who are lucky enough to be taking Ali Edwards class--have a wonderful time! I know it is going to be a really fun class the project is going to be amazing!We have lots of copy of her most recent book Life Artist if you interested. I know we have a few more kits to sell as well if you are interested in that as well--call the store to get one today! 773-935-0585! Trust me you will love the kit!
If you haven't guessed--these are all the boxes that Ali sent for her class! Even though I am not one of the lucky few I know the kit is going to be so cool to put together.

Have a great day! And I WILL see you soon!
--Susan

Tuesday Tip You Crack me UP

2008-06-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Tip is all about crackle paint. I have three different methods to produce the crackle you so desire.

To make it easy we will be painting on numbered chipboard. (okay this was so I could keep up with the pictures to show.)

Ranger Crackle Paint

The first method is using Ranger Crackle paint. This is the easiest of them all. The paint comes with the paint brush in the container. This makes it easy, quick and no mess to clean up later.

Paint on the crackle paint with a dabbing motion. The thicker the paint the more cracks you will get.

Check out how thick the paint is on there. Let it dry and you will see the cracking happen before your eyes. It will take about 30 minutes to dry.

Here is the chipboard after 30 minutes of drying.

Crackle Medium

The next method is using crackle medium. For the next two methods I prepped the chipboard with a layer of acrylic paint. Let the paint dry before moving on to the next step.

Next I applied the crackle medium to my chipboard. I used a foam brush for all these samples. Now you have to let the crackle medium dry for 15-20 minutes. (but do not let this dry completely or you will not see any results.)

Then I applied my acrylic paint on top of the crackle medium. Do not over brush the paint the more brush strokes you use the less cracks you will get. I used a different color of acrylic paint so you would be able to see the cracking in the pictures.

Here is the chipboard after 30 minutes of drying time.

Elmer's Glue-All Method

The final method I read from Claudine Hellmuth's blog. (She is a mixed media artist. She uses pictures and puts them on a canvas in a whimsical way. Check her out. One of my favorite mixed media artist.)

So like I said before I prepped the chipboard with a coat of acrylic paint and let it dry.

Next I applied the glue to the chipboard. Just pour it on.

Then I spread the glue around the chipboard and let it dry for about 3 minutes.

Then I added the second layer of acrylic paint. Again do not over brush the acrylic. The more you brush the acrylic paint on the chipboard the less cracking will occur.

Here is the final chipboard dried after 30 minutes.

Okay... so here are all the final results all together. Different looks, you choose what method you like.

Hope I cracked you up with these methods. Enjoy. Until next time. Create and have fun.

:)Sesil

Scrappin on Sundays...

2008-06-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...
I hope you have been out enjoying the weather this weekend as the days of summer are finally here. Whether you are out enjoying baseball (GO SOX...WE STILL ROCK!!!), playing in the park...water or amusement, enjoying BAR-B-QUE, Family Reunions, going on a road trip or out of the country...Windy City Scrapbooking has everything you need to scrapbook you memories...
Here is you SOS for this Sunday, June 22nd...
So the countdown to Ali Edwards' class has officially started for us as we are preparing for her arrival...4 more days. There is a list of supplies that she did send us for the class so we have made contact with students by either email or phone with that list. Please feel free to call if there are any questions with the supply list. I do believe that kits are still available for purchase and remember, we will ship anywhere in the United States. For the rest of the classes for the month of June, I will be teaching Beyond the Basics this Tuesday evening (great way to learn how to add more elements onto your pages), Sesil will doing Basics this week and Melissa will be doing her Acrylic Stamp Challenge this Saturday. You may call us or come in to register for classes.
We also have a few Creative Cafe Happy Hours this month and we FINALLY put out the NEW Creative Cafe and it is really cute. It really looks like a candy store at Windy City as we have added extra bins for all of the new Creative Cafe Embellishments...and guess what ?!?!?!?!
I have a couple of photos to share:

We also put out new American Craft Thickers this weekend along with NEW Doodlebug
Here is a photo of those new items and Jen labeling trays (in her Cubs attire)

We have been working very hard to change the store around a little bit...Make sure you come in and let us know how you like it and all of the new items we have been receiving. Also, before you come to the store...please make sure to check out our website and scroll down to the COUPON section and see what we have for coupons this week. Some people have been taking advantage of our on-line coupons and we would like more of you to take advantage of them...This whole month...the online coupon will allow you to pick up some FREE Bazzill card stock-in any color you choose, so make sure to check out the website/coupons before stopping in.

This Friday, we do have crop scheduled and Sesil and I will be working the crop this week so give us a call to register for you spot. When I was there this past Saturday the crop was already a little over half full.
Finally...Do not forget to check out our website for a listing of all of the classes coming up for CHA week this July. Now people come into the store and admire the layouts and ask how can they make their pages POP...my answer, "TAKE CLASSES". Classes are designed to not only learn new techniques and such, but also a way to get to learn more about a certain product line and to look at it differently and use it differently and we are honored to have some great instructors, from various manufactures, which we carry in the store to come and teach at Windy City Scrapbooking. We have Teresa Collins (yes...she is sold out but kits are available for purchase), The LUXE ladies are coming to teach a really cool class and also do make & takes, Claire Hampton of Hampton Arts will be there to "WOW" you with cool uses of stamps and inks, Jody and KC of My Mind's Eye will be there teaching a layout class and Spencer from Quickutz will make an encore appearance at the store, where I am sure lots of fun will be had by all in all of our classes. We really have a Scrapping Star Studded Line Up happening at Windy City and we would love for you to come out and learn more about this wonderful world of scrapbooking.
A lot of you may wonder what CHA is...well, CHA stands for Craft & Hobby Association and it is where retailers and instructors go to see what is upcoming and new in the crafting world and in our case...Scrapbooking and we are fortunate enough to have this great event be right in our own backyard (Rosemont) for the summer. I have had the pleasure of attending a few times and I tell you...it is overwhelming, fun, exciting, all of that and a bag of chips and sliced bread.
Okay...I will get off of my soap box and put down my pom-poms and megaphone.
Do not forget...check out our website, call if you have any questions, want to register for classes and or crop and most of all...come by and say "Hi"!!!

This is your SOS for this Sunday, June 22nd
TTFN
Alraynita

The Boys of Summer...

2008-06-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

So I wanted to give you a heads up on on of the other fabulous classes we will be hosting in July. The boys from My Mind's Eye will be teaching on Thursday, July 17th, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. They will be teaching a 2 page layout class and it is only going to be $25.00! It is going to be with their brand NEW line that will not be released until that weekend at CHA! So this is going to be a great time to see their brand new line!

KC and Jody are tons of fun and I know the ladies swoon over them! I know they always have extra goodies in their kits. Come and join us as we welcome them to Windy City Scrapbooking for the first time! But there is catch-we can only take 15 students! That is how NEW the product is! Be one of the lucky 15--trust me, it will be worth it! Call the store now to sign up!

Watch for more classes to appear here soon!

Susan

Tuesday Tips Alternatives for scallop borders using punches

2008-06-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry for missing last week. We had a visit from the stomach flu; everyone in my family got the lovely bug. So in my absence last week I have a doubled up on this tip on how to make scalloped edges.

Scalloped edges are everywhere. The craze is all about die cut borders and I have some alternate ways to create your own. This first tip was given to me by our very own Melissa.

First you will need a circle punch. Mine is a 1 inch punch. We have some great punches by EK Success that have different diameters. We all could use a couple of circle punches in our stash.

Next is to punch out several circles. I like to punch upside down so I am able to see exactly where I am punching; it helps me get the most out of my paper while punching.

Then run a strip of adhesive on the paper you want to border and start lining up the circles along the side of the paper.
There you have a scallop border.

Next idea is using your corner rounder to make scallops. There are three different sizes of this EK Success corner punches. The different sizes will work just the same.

First you will have to take off the paper guide off the punch.

Next line up your paper in the punch and continue all the way down the edge.

Make sure you are lining up the scallop shapes along the edge of the paper. This does take a little bit of practice to make sure everything is lined up so be patient.

Then you have your finished border.

Now add it to your project, just another cute border.

Some other ways to get a scallop border is using your 12 inch platform with your Revolution by Quickutz using the scallop die. This is defiantly an easy way to get the job done quickly.

See you next week. Have fun and be creative.
:)Sesil

Scrapping On Sundays

2008-06-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone

Hope that you had a great weekend, despite the rain...hey, at least we had some warm weather to enjoy.
Here is your SOS for this Sunday, June 8th, 2008

There was a Quickutz QT meeting today at the store...
Everyone was excited to hear about June's release and about Spencer's upcoming visit to Windy City Scrapbooking this Wednesday, June 11th starting at 5:30pm until 7:30pm. I heard that he is doing a really cool make and take with Quickutz products and this is FREE for you to come to the store and do.
For classes this week, Michealene is teaching her Birthday Rolodex class on Tuesday night and for those of you that need a gift for that man in your life for Father's Day, Melissa has her Father's Day Album class this Thursday evening. For our classes, supplies are all included with the cost and you will have a treasured project to either give as a gift or keep for yourself. The Card Club meets this week as well with Grace.
There are Happy Hours (Creative Cafe) scheduled this week and I was excited to see a few Creative Imaginations boxes in the back and so I can safely assume that we have the new Creative Cafe in. I am sure these items will be out this week for us to all ooh and aah at.
New items in the store:

Creative Imaginations Narrative Line and Felt Ribbons
Chatterbox Artylicious Line (we have in their ribbons now)
Ki Memories Shimmer Lace Card stock (for those of you who love their lace card stock, your are going to really love these)
Making Memories Passport Collection and Acrylic Stamps

Now of course I do not have pictures...because I would like for you to come and visit our store and see all of this awesome new items along with other items in the store.
Make sure that you check out our coupon page on our website...for those who love papers, both patterned paper and card stock, the coupons for this month are going to allow you to really stock up on both...go to our website at http://windycityscrapbooking.com and scroll down to the coupon link and click on to see what we have in store for you with our coupons.

Do not for get that we are closed next Sunday for Father's Day. What are your plans for Father's Day along with what you are giving...Post what you have planned for an entry into a drawing for some Blog candy...can not wait to read what you have planned.

This is your SOS for this Sunday.

TTFN
Alraynita

Tuesday Tip Embossing with your Crop-A-Dile

2008-06-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

It is Tuesday Tip time!

So...I love my Crop-a-Dile and just found out a new way to use my favorite tool. Embossing dots on paper!!!! I saw this on Jennifer McGuire's v-blog a few days ago. So I had to try it myself. So all you need is a strip of paper and your crop-a-dile.

First I adjusted my crop-a-dile to set an eyelet. (A-1) combo. Notice the "A" setting is at the top of my tool. (the part of the tool that collapses when you set the eyelet.)

Then I placed the texture side up on my strip of paper to the crop-s-dile and squeeze the tool. (don't press too hard because it will punch a hole in the paper) You just need to squeeze just enough to where you feel the tool coming together. Then you just move the tool over and you can get a cool embossed dot on your strip of paper. Too cool!
This is just a quick and easy way to get more texture on your pages or cards. And I just love finding new ways to use my tools. Hope you enjoy using your crop-a-dile in a new way.

See you next week. Until then, enjoy and create!

:)Sesil

Scrapping On Sundays

2008-06-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...

Hope that you had a relaxing Sunday and enjoyed the weather.
I am feeling good about our temperatures finally rising and being able to get out with the family and friends....do not forget your cameras!!!

Here is your SOS for this Sunday, June 1st 2008...

We have been really busy this past week...as always...putting out new items
If you have not seen the new CHATTERBOX you must come to the store. I was off for a few days and was really impressed with the new line and the embellishments that go along with the papers
We also have the new CLOUD 9 line...really cute for the little guy in your life and if you are traveling this summer, LIL DAVIS has some really cute papers, and acrylic stamps...and yes...Windy City has them. I did not get any photos so you will have to come in to see ;)

This week, for classes, Sesil and I will be teaching BASICS, there is a Creative Cafe Happy Hour scheduled for Friday night and there is a crop this Friday (Jen and I will be working the crop this Friday so give us a call to reserve your spot)

Finally...some of you may already know, we have another guest designer coming to Windy City Scrapbooking.
Ali Edwards will be coming to our store on Thursday, June 26th to teach a class. The class is sold out and I do believe we are taking names and numbers for kits. We are really excited that she is coming to our store to teach. I will be sure to have my Ali Edwards idea books so I can get her to sign it. I think we have a few copies left at the store of her books too, so if you would like one...just give us a call.

Be sure to be on the lookout of our newsletter, website, and/or blog...as this will be where you can get information about happenings at Windy City Scrapbooking.
CHA is the 3rd weekend in July and I know we have some great things in the works and as soon as details are ironed out...we will let everyone know. So far for CHA, Teresa Collins will be a guest designer on Wednesday, July 18th (yes...that class is sold out too and we are taking names and numbers for kits) and we will announce other events soon...
Matter of fact...I do know that Spencer from Quickutz will be in the store next Wednesday and there is a Special Event planned (I guess it is so special that I do not even know the details yet) and there is a Quickutz QT meeting next Sunday at 3pm

The Breeze will be coming out this week and make sure to check out our website later this week for the coupons for this month. I am sure they will be good ones

Until next Sunday...this is your SOS

TTFN
Alraynita
http://www.inspiring2be.blogspot.com/

Chattebox is back!

2008-05-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

We have pretty much all the new Chattebox items in!(At least the ones they shipped to us!)
I have missed their papers--I love the way they really all coordinate with one another, it makes my life so much simpler.(If you don't remember that was my word for the year " Simplify"). Not only do they have beautiful papers but they have gorgeous embellishments as well. They are also debuting clear stamps and beautiful foil papers! You must come in and see them!

I thought I would show you a picture of it--come into the store though because the pictures do not do it justice.

I also thought I would share a picture of the Summer Ribbons by American Crafts! These cute little spools of ribbon are only $0.99! I feel like my $1 goes a long way with these spools. It matches so well with so much of the Creative Cafe line it is hard to believe it was not made for it!

Another new cute line to the store is the Noteworthy Collection from Making Memories. Here a few pictures of the Die Cut papers! Enjoy!

As I head to Indianapolis this weekend as my niece is graduating I ask all of you--what is a good gift to give for graduation? Do you do money? A gift card? Nothing? Something for their dorm room? A scrapbook for their high school memories(you knew I had to add this as this is a part of my nieces graduation present! :) LMK what you think is a good gift! Post it on the blog and I will pick a random winner next Thursday and they will win some blog candy! I mean all you have to do is comment and you could win a goodie bag!

Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you next week!
-Susan

Tuesday Tips –“Rub-Ons”

2008-05-27T07:14:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day, what a beautiful day.

The last couple of weeks I have heard many people not happy with their Rub-on experience. I want to help you with your rub-on happiness and hope you love rub-ons as much as I do. So Tuesday Tip for today will be to apply your rub-ons with a regular ball point pen instead of the popsicle stick.

First, cut out the word, shape, letter or image of the rub-on that you want to use. Again, here I am using my favorite Tonic scissors. Make sure you are cutting out the rub-on sheet and the protective sheet behind the rub-on. This protects the rub-on from sticking.

Position your rub-on to your item and remove the protective sheet from the back.

Start transferring your rub-on by using your ball point pen. I use a regular pen pressure like I am writing a letter to a friend. I am not pushing hard on the rub-on. I like using the ball point pen because it allows me to see exactly where I have gone over the rub-on.

I still like to double check that the transfer of the rub-on was successful.

Woo hooo! Now we have a completed transfer of the rub-on to add to your project.

So I know we all have mishaps with our rub-ons. There are solutions to the stray rub-ons that get on our project. Some ways to fix this is the rub-on erasers made by EK success, regular tack tape on the unwanted rub on and peel off, or hid the mistake with an embellishment.

Hope this helps bring you back to rub-ons. I will say that not all rub-ons are created equally. There are some vendors that I will not use directly on my project. I will use them on an item then add to my project. Most of the others I will add directly to my layout.

Make sure you read the manufactures directions on how to apply their rub-on. Some suggest taking the protective sheet and rubbing again to insure contact to your project, others do not.

Continue to rub it the right way and start using those rub-ons again!

Until next time! Create and have fun.

Sesil

New LUXE just in...

2008-05-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

If you are in love with Luxe Designs, wait until you see all of the new product that just came in
today! They have 5(yep that is right,5) new lines!

Capris
Cashmere Sweater II

Flip Flop

Sundress

Classic Black II
This is an add on to their original line of Classic Black and it is all wonderful! I mean you really can use this with so many different themes! This has to be my favorite at the moment(well, I really like Capris and Flip Flop as well!)

Each line has 8 papers and epoxies! And they also have new jotters! Really cute!

Come in and see which line you like for yourself! And the best part about this line is that we have it ALL!

Have a great week!

-Susan

Scrapping On Sundays

2008-05-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...

Hope you had a great weekend with family and friends...enjoyed the weather (at least what we had) and took lots of photos to preserve those memories.
Here is your SOS for this week...
Monday...is Windy City Scrapbooking T-shirt day...wear your t-shirt to the store and receive a special discount.
We have Creative Cafe Happy Hours set for this week...make sure you stop by and do a couple of them with us.
Classes this week...
I will be teaching a Basics class this week and Sesil will be teaching a Tools of the Trade class. Melissa brought back her Acrylic Stamp Challenge class this month and we are very excited about this class...if you wanted to learn about using acrylic stamps or wanted to find new ways to use the stamps you may already have...this is the perfect class for you.
Melissa also has a Father's Day Album class that she is teaching this week that makes a great gift for that father figure in your life or great to create and keep as a keepsake for yourself.
Grace is doing her card class this week too...she is really creative with her card making so make sure you try to come and take one of her classes.
Make sure you check out our website that list the classes along with dates and more specifics.

Okay...so speaking of classes...we are very proud to have a special class coming this July
Teresa Collins of Teresa Collins Designs will be here
July 16th, 2008 at 6:30pm

On her blog...

she posts about coming to Windy City Scrapbooking and our very own Sesil has been published on her blog with her one of her creations

Now we have limited seating for her class so if you are interested in signing up for her class you may come in and do it or give us a call and we can do it over the phone for you (773)935-0585 (Spaces are already filling up)

Make sure you check out the coupons that we have on our website...this month's coupons are all about albums so make a copy and come into the store and save.

Remember we do have new hours for the store and we will be closed next Monday for the holiday (Memorial Day)

Have a great week and hope to see you soon

TTFN

Alraynita

Family fun time...

2008-05-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Sorry I have not posted in awhile, but I have been busy with family activities. We had all of my husband's family in for the past week! We surprised my in-laws with all their kids and grandkids to come for a visit to celebrate their 70th and 75th birthdays, as well as their 40th Wedding Anniversary!!! It has been lots of fun to spend time with our nieces and nephews that we don't usually get to see! Why am I writing about this? Well we have made many memories over the week plus I don't know how many pictures I have even taken--to many to scrap!

But the best thing we did do was have a photographer come and take our family photo! She did an amazing job! It was so much fun and our family is thrilled with the results! I thought I would share some of the photos with you.

Just in case you were wondering who did such an amazing job--it was our very own Krista!

I have always loved all of her layouts because she is so talented but I think what I really love is her photos--they very much tell a story! So the next time you need a family photo check her out!

http://www.kristaaustinphotography.lifepics.com/

I will share some of the layouts I have already sketched out soon-kids really do say the darnest things!

Please watch our website for some exciting news on some people who are coming to Windy City Scrapbooking this summer!

--Susan

Tuesday Tip Quick Fix- Brads

2008-05-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

This weeks tip is for those times when you are working on a project late at night and you can not get to the store. Here is a quick fix for that perfect color brad. I would not recommend this for all your brads, the color is just that, a quick fix.

Gather your supplies brads, sponge or makeup wedge and some paint.

First you will need to place your brads into your sponge or makeup wedge before you start painting. This will be your stand for the brads.

The next step is to paint your brad. I love using the Dabbers from Ranger, no need to get out a brush, just paint and go.

Let your brads dry and you will be able to use them on your project. Hope you enjoyed this quick tip.

Until next time. Create and have fun!
:)Sesil

Scrapping On Sundays...

2008-05-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

Hope that everyone had a Happy Mother's Day...despite the weather, I hope that there was warmth in your homes and your hearts. I did have a very relaxing day with family, food and fun...
Here is your SOS for this Sunday May 11th, 2008
We did get some boxes in this week and might I say we were all glad to get one from Advantus...yes, we have the new Heidi Swapp papers and embellishments in and they are really cute. Here are a few shots including my dear Allegra holding up the mirrored butterflies

I personally had the pleasure of putting out the new Reminisce Jet-Setters 3-D stickers...this was a large task but I was able to fit all 50 states into our travel section. If you are traveling to South Dakota, New York or even Vermont, we have the perfect embellishment for your scrapbook page...just looking at them made me want to map out road trips for my family to take.
For all of you LOVE ELSIE fans...we finally got in her new idea book. I have heard that this a great source of inspiration so make sure to stop by and get your own copy.
We also got in the new Revolution Platforms which will allow you to use the long border dies and also cut out more letters...Quickutz has us all thinking...WHAT WILL THEY THINK OF NEXT?

This week in classes...
Sesil and I will be teaching Basics this week and remember, they are FREE. Grace has her Card Club class this week and I am sure she will doing some great cards this month. Danielle has brought back her K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Scrapper) class in which you will do some layouts and also a card and a mini project. She also has a Baby Keepsakes Box that is a NEW class...this is great to give as a gift or keep for yourself. There are also a couple of Happy Hours schedule for this week...make sure to stop in a check out our new projects for the month of May. Next Sunday, Angie will have her Paper Dolls class which is a great "Mommy and Me" class.

This Friday night, there is a crop and we can take your reservation over the phone...this is a great way to catch up on some pages or a great way to met and get together with fellow scrapbookers any way you look at it...it is 6 hours of uninterrupted crop time for you to come and create.

Please keep in mind our new Summer Hours, which we all have to get used to. We open daily at 11am and on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays we close at 7pm. On the Fridays that we have crops we close at 11:30pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we close at 9pm (these are the days for most of our classes) and on Saturdays and Sundays we close at 5pm.

Hope to see you in the store soon...

TTFN
Alraynita

Tuesday Tips ~How to make your own paper embellishment~

2008-05-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Tuesday Tips -

I have a ton of tips to share with our blogger friends of Windy City Scrapbooking. So get ready to start using up your scrapbook stash in different ways you may or may not have thought about. Let me know if there are any suggestions or topics you would like me to cover on our Tuesday Tip entries, just post a comment to the entry and I will do my best to answer or cover your topic.

Okay, let's start with our first Tuesday Tip on "How To Make Your OWN paper embellishment"

I am going to start off with a simple paper flower embellishment. Here is what I have done.

1. First I picked out some pattern paper that would make a good embellishment. Here I am using LUXE Classic Black Fresh Cut Grass. There are some great pattern papers out there that make great embellishments...just another way to look at the papers. The possibilities are endless. My suggestion is to look for bold or large patterns. It makes it easier to cut. But remember there are no rules saying you can not use the small print patterns. Just a suggestion.

2. The next step is to cut out the elements of the pattern paper. It is easier to use a sharp fine tip scissors. My favorite is Tonic brand (the spring loaded pair, helps with all the cutting I do with my pattern paper. If you haven't tried them out come by and try them out...you will want one for your own. LOVE THEM.)

3. The next step is to embellish the cut out. Here I have used Stickels by Ranger. Love the ease of the Stickels...one stop shop.. no messy glues or loose glitter everywhere. Let the stickels dry and you have a great embellishment. It takes anywhere from 10-30 minutes for the stickel to dry, depending on how thick you layer up the Stickels. (You could also use more than one color of Stickles on the cut out.) I always leave my embellishment out to dry overnight to make sure it dries completely. (and most of the time I am having to run around with the kids and can not get back to it until the next day to finish a project. But I digress.)

Some other ways to make it your own... using Glossy Accents by Ranger, adding Hot Fix gems to the project, even adding ribbon, eyelets, brads or you could even adhere the two flowers with a pop dot to give it more dimension. Okay, the possibilities are endless!

So here is my finished embellishment. I would love to see what you come up with for your OWN paper embellishment. Just post a link to our comment section. Let me know what you think. Can not wait to share more of my tips with you. Until next time! Create and have fun!

:)Sesil

What are you doing this weekend???

2008-05-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

My, oh My! Wait until you see all the new goodies we have gotten in this week at Windy City Scrapbooking! I have to mention the brand new Hambly! The brand new transparencies are here and they are AWESOME! If you are a Hambly fan hurry in and get these because I KNOW they will not last long!

We do have the gift sets for Quickutz as well! These are limited edition--so once they are gone, we CANNOT reorder them. (There is also a rumor we will have the new Platform at the store this weekend too but call the store to make sure we did really get it in! Mr. Harold(our UPS man) usually comes after 4:00pm!)

Also here are a few more items I know we just got in too! The brand new Travel Line from Teresa Collins-super cute! Her stuff is so amazing...you can really use it for lots of different things and I feel like it does not date itself! (I guess I am trying to say I think it has a classic look to it! But then again I am tired and I may not be expressing myself right!)

Don't forget all our FABULOUS National Scrapbook Day festivities!

Here is a reminder what is going on!

The sales are good Friday, May 2nd-Sunday, May 4th!
*40% off all Luxe Designs(don't know what it is-don't worry just ask and we will tell you where that is!)

*40% off all Hampton Arts stamps(yes that does include the Creative Cafe stamps!)

*40% off all Heidi Swapp stuff(same thing-don't know where or what it is? Just ask!)

*40% off ALL ADHESIVE!(I am pretty sure you ALL know what this is! :)

Free 180 piece paper pad with $100 in purchases!(Super Cute!!!) A $19.99 retail value!

Revolution is $79.99--this weekend only purchase the Revolution and get a free mini album Revolution die for free(retail value $24.99) Don't know how to use it-well be will be demoing it for you to learn how to use it!

On Saturday, May 3rd we have an all day crop from 11am-11pm! Croppers can come in at 9:30 and take our mini album class which is available ONLY to croppers. I know we have a few spots left so come join us!

All day Saturday from 11-5, every half hour we will be having raffles! Find a balloon in the store to stand on and hope we call your number! This is lots of fun!

Plus we are having demo's and make & takes all day long! Come join the fun!

I hope to see you this weekend! It is going to be lots of fun!

--Susan

Scrappin On Sundays...

2008-04-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

So alot has been going on at the store...between classes, crops, and new items coming in daily...we have all been really busy
Kudos to Susan for posting great photos of what we have been getting at the store and for letting you know about the Bazzill wall change. I really like the change as it allows you to shop by texture and all of your colors will match along with the texture...make sure you check it out

Here is your SOS for this Sunday, April 27th...

For classes this week...here is the line up...
Melissa is teaching her Wall Monogram class on Monday night...this class makes a great gift for anyone who is into monograms
I will be teaching Basics on Tuesday night and my Birthday Acrylic Album on Sunday
Michealene will be teaching her Baby Journal class on Wednesday night

Now starting this Thursday, May 1st, Windy City Scrapbooking will start Summer Hours...please make sure to note our new hours

Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays 11am-7pm
(Keep in mind for Friday night crops, we will be open until 11:30pm)
Tuesday and Thursdays 11am-9pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am-5pm

There is a Quickutz QT meeting this Thursday and I heard the new Spring Gift Sets are really cute and functional

There is a Kid's Crop this Friday and lunch is provided with the cost

This weekend, we are celebrating National Scrapbooking Day

National Scrapbooking Day (NSD)

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

Sale starts Friday, May 2nd through Sunday, May 4th 2008

All Day Crop!!

11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Crop all day long (12 hours)

enjoy meeting new people,

learning new ideas,

and participating in our other store events that day!

All NSD croppers are also invited to our mini-class which begins at 9:45 a.m.

(doors open to croppers attending the mini class at 9:30 a.m.)

Throughout the Day, we will also be offering:

*Raffles each half an hour from 11:15-4:45 p.m.

*40% off all products from Heidi Swapp (we just restocked on alot of these items), Hampton Arts (Love their Clear Acrylic Stamps),

Luxe Designs (All of it including the new Simply Luxe products and new Acrylic Stamps),

ADHESIVE (great way to stock up),

and much more!

* Free 180 page paper pack with $100 in purchases (after discounts)

*Demonstrations throughout the day!

*Free clear tags or clear frames with the purchase of a Clear Scraps Album

*QuicKutz Revolution sale -- Buy a Revolution at $79.99 and get a FREE Mini-Album die (retail value $24.99) -- The best Revolution deal we've ever had!

*QuicKutz Club Members receive 40% off all alphabets throughout the day

(sorry, not valid on gift sets).

And the best thing...No coupon is needed

Okay...so I hope to see you this weekend at the store

This is your SOS

TTFN

Alraynita

http://www.inspiring2be.blogspot.com/

(updating soon)

So are you "Simply" ready to start the weekend..

2008-04-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday to you all! I have a few pictures I wanted to show you from the store! I know we have talked about the new "Simply Luxe" lines but I wanted to show you the epoxy stickers and the stamps!

See I told you they were cute!

And just in case you haven't heard-we ordered the whole display of Tim Holtz's Distress Crackle paint! Here is a picture of it while we were putting it out-I got so excited I could not wait until it was all finished! If you don't know how to use them--ask us and we will be happy to tell you!
These little bottles can save you SO much time it is not even funny!

I also wanted to remind you all about my post from Monday--tell us your opinion of the new Bazzill Wall! And you might win some blog candy!

Just a reminder that are new summer hours start next week on Thursday!
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11-7
Tuesday and Thursday 11-9

Saturday and Sunday 11-5!
(I mean we have to enjoy summer too, right???)

Hope to see you all at our all day NSD crop next Saturday, May 3rd! And the sale is going to be awesome as well as the giveaways!

Have a good Friday!
-Susan

Canvas, Criss Cross, Orange Peel...

2008-04-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

What is the meaning of this title, you ask! These are just a few of the names of the textures that Bazzill cardstock comes in . And do you want to hear all of the names??? Well, here goes! Classic(their first kind of cardstock), Canvas(their largest selection of Cardstock is in this texture), Criss Cross(when this came out it was the "Doodlebug" texture), Orange Peel (when this first came out it was the "KI Memories" texture), Washboard(when this first debuted it was referred to as the "Scrapworks" texture), Destinations(it has a darker hue to it), Burlap, Bling(need I say more!), Grasscloth. So there you have it-you lesson in Bazzill cardstock.(Oh yeah-this is also the Corduroy texture that used to be the Chatterbox texture but those have been discontinued! We do have a few of those left though if you like that texture!)

And just in case you don't like texture, most of Bazzill is only textured on one side! So if you like the Classic look you can flip over most of the other textures to use that!

The reason I am posting this is to show you we have changed up the wall of Bazzill. It used to have all the textures mixed in together in a Rainbow fashion. Now with guidance from Bazzill we have switched to putting them in textures in the Rainbow fashion. So now if you love the "criss cross" texture they are all in the same place! I am going to show you pictures of the Bazzill wall before, during and after the move! Cheryl, Sesil and I worked really hard on this so I hope you all like it! It has been very interesting to hear people's opinion why they do or don't like it!

Post on the blog what you think and you could win some blog candy! Yep that's right! I have put together a fun little giveaway(paper from Reminisce, stickers and pens!). So post by friday and I will post who won on Friday night during the crop!

Before... During..

Working hard...

Completed! :)

It was a tough job but it was fun to see colors I did even know what their true color is!

Have fun the next time you come in shopping!

Here is a picture of the new Bazzill Bling we just received too! It is named after the Birthstones! Super cool colors!

Also here is the new Cardstock with an Edge! It is just the edge in several different patterns!

Have a wonderful week and don't forget to post--maybe you can win this time!

-Susan

Sesil got published...and we have a winner!

2008-04-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

Whoo-hoo! I was going to post the winner of our "Simplify Your Stash" contest when I checked emails this morning and saw that our very own Sesil ("Cecile") had a projects posted on Teresa Collins' blog! Take a look: http://teresacollins.typepad.com/teresa_collins/2008/04/time.html
You can also see this project and more by our Teresa Collins display in the store!

And now, for the winner of our "Simplify Your Stash" Contest...Drum roll please...................
Sylvia S.! Sylvia has one one complete collection pack of Simply Luxe -- she gets to choose the color -- red, pink, lime, black, turquoise, or blue. The Collection packs contain 2 of each paper from the color family (12 papers in all), one jotter, one set of NEW epoxies, and one set of alphabet stickers. Congrats, Sylvia -- you'll really be able to simplify your stash now!

For those of you (and Sylvia, too) ready to simplify your stash and ready to play more games, check out the Luxe Scavenger Hunt posted on their blog on April 8th! 2 winners have already been found, but there are more chances to win out there!

And if you REALLY want to have some fun, check out the Luxe Design Team call posted on their blog on April 1st! How fun would it be to "work" for Luxe!!!!!

Finally, since we are on the subject of blogs, i just thought I would send you to a link of my husband (Dave) winning his Master's Party Tournament last Sunday! Well, he was a co-winner but I just thought I would share! Now to get those photos and scrap them -- make him appreciate my hours and hours and hours of scrapbooking (while he is playing hours and hours and hours of sports!!!!) Check it out here: The Master's Party

Have a great day!
-don't let your memories blow away!

Scrapping On Sundays

2008-04-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Here is your SOS for this Sunday

We have been busy...as always...putting new merchandise out just for you
New Cosmo Cricket is in which includes Black Board Books in different sizes and new papers along with ribbons and rubons.
The new Luxe acrylic stamps are in and they are very versatile...it is hard for me to decide which one to get, if not all of them.
For classes this week, Grace will hold her Card Club class on Monday night and she will be designing cards that you may use for Mother's Day, Wedding, Sympathy, and Baby. If you want to learn about adding more to your pages, I am teaching Beyond Basics on Tuesday. Michealene is teaching her Birthday Rolodex class on Wednesday and Sesil will be teaching a Basics class on Thursday. There are Happy Hours scheduled for this week and we have a crop this Friday which is almost full. (It is Sesil's birthday so she will be cropping that night too.)
You may easily give us a call to reserve your spot in any of our classes or crops.

Do not forget your entries into the Simply Luxe contest...I will be entering it...will you?

Hope to see you in the store soon
Have a great week

TTFN
Alraynita
http://www.inspiring2be.blogspot.com/

Mmmmm....Yeah

2008-04-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm....yeah...
These are the words proclaimed by the winner of our birthday prize raffle (valued over $200), Patty C. Here is a photo of her coming to pick up her prize -- a beautiful Fancy Pants bag filled with new papers from Simply Luxe, adhesive, a Heidi Swapp Calendar, a Cosmo Cricket Collection pack, and much more!
Watch for our next BIG raffle prize on National Scrapbooking Day, Saturday, May 3rd! that will be a big prize, too! But if you are interested in winning a prize before "NSD", don;t forget about our Simplify Your Stash Challenge (see post from April 3rd)! The drawing for one collection (the color of your choice) of the new Simply Luxe lines will be on April 15th!!! Here is an entry from Sylvia -- she made a whole project so she gets 5 tickets for the drawing! Send in your photos now to be entered to win! And since we ALL have stash that could use some simplifying, we are having another challenge for our Team Members at WCS -- and here is my entry for tonight -- i matched products from the pink Simply Luxe Collection (jotter, pinstripe paper, and alphabet stickers) with some fun papers and bling from Glitz Designs, as well as some new Maya Road for Luxe sheer ribbon! can;t wait to see what I make with these items....just have to find the perfect photos now! :)

-don't let your memories blow away,
Christina

Bling, Bling and more Bling

2008-04-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

April Showers bring May Flowers! I sure hope so! I am already tired of the rain--I really just want some sunny days!

I thought I would post a little bit about what is going on in the store this week. We have a crop on friday night and there is a fun "happy hour" starting at 6 p.m. No reservations needed-just show up! The card set is only $6.00.

I also wanted to post some pictures from our birthday celebration! Thanks for all of you who stopped in to see us. We had a wonderful day! And if you did not "BLING" up your shirts- you do not know what you are missing out on! You have to come in and see this awesome new little tool! The jewels are stinking cute! I know you are going to have a fun time with them--I mean you can do your clothes and your scrap pages, what more could a woman ask for??? The 23rd of Wednesday is a good day to come into the store to add to your bling for your W.C.S. T-shirt! Check out the website for more details!

And the cutest one of the day!

That is the "King of Scrapbooking" doing a demo with the new cutter from Tonic!

Don't forget to post what you already have to go with your Luxe stash! If you need a reminder scroll up and see what Christina posted last week!

Have a great weekend!

-Susan

Breeze

New Blog on our New Website!

Full Circle Friday

Playing Hooky

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More BIG Sales!

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Yes Virginia, It is One Big Sale!

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Tuesday Tips

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Tuesday Tip *Tim Holtz Masks*

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A request from the family of Susan Dallas...

Our beloved friend Susan

Full Circle Friday

Tuesday Tip * Heat Embossing*

Coupon Mania!!!

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Tuesday Tip Next week...

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WOW! New product!!!

Tuesday Tip *Halloween Treat Bag*

SOS, Free Charm Bracelets and New Albums!

Tuesday Tip *Water Threading Border Punch*

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Tuesday Tips *Color Core Cardstock & Dry Emobssing*

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Happy Thursday!

Winner for Tuesday Tips is....

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Instructor Open House...

Tuesday Tip *Chipboard Flower*

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Look what we have...

Tuesday Tip * Ribbon Flower accent*

Tuesday Tip (take two)

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Yeah for Windy City Scrapbooking...

Tuesday Tip *Distress tools*

Look at all the NEW stuff...

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It Stinks, Stinks Stinks...

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The boxes keep rolling in...

Tuesday Tip *TIM HOLTZ Fragments*

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We have a winner *LUXE Class*

And the winner is...

Tuesday Tip *Share your tip*

Do you remember this night?

Scrappin On Sundays...

Christmas in July Sidewalk Sale...

And the winner is...

Blog Candy anyone????

Tuesday Tip *finding the time*

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Tuesday Tip *It takes Class to be great.*

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Don't Forget tomorrow is...

Tuesday Tip *You Crack me UP*

Scrappin on Sundays...

The Boys of Summer...

Tuesday Tip Tim Holtz Masks

Tuesday Tip Halloween Treat Bag

Tuesday Tip Water Threading Border Punch

Tuesday Tips Color Core Cardstock & Dry Emobssing

Tuesday Tip Chipboard Flower

Tuesday Tip Distress tools

Tuesday Tip TIM HOLTZ Fragments

Tuesday Tips ALL MONTH LONG ALL ABOUT Tim Holtz

Tuesday Tip Creative Café Glitter Glue vs. Ranger Stickles

We have a winner LUXE Class

Tuesday Tip Share your tip

Tuesday Tip finding the time

Tuesday Tip It takes Class to be great.

Tuesday Tip You Crack me UP

Tuesday Tips Alternatives for scallop borders using punches

Tuesday Tip Embossing with your Crop-A-Dile

Tuesday Tip Quick Fix- Brads