The 2nd crop class is up!

The kits for the second of the classes to be run on our crop day on 19th May have just arrived and I absolutely love this stuff!! We are using Collage Press for this class in shades of aqua and lilac - really fresh and summery! The class kit contains 3 sheets of double sided patterned paper, 4 sheets of cardstock, a 12x12 sheet of die-cut tabs and tags plus a WHOLE PACK of decorated chipboard alphabet. This is really amazing value because the retail cost of this kit is over £15 and we are selling it for only £7.50.

As you can tell, we aren't in this to make money - its more about getting people together and having a great time scrapbooking. I have Pauline in mind as my customer when I design these kits - if she'd buy it because its a great kit at a great price then I know I'm onto a winner! I hope you think so too - if so, you can book both the crop and our classes at www.totalpapercrafts.co.uk

Karen :o)

May CK is here!

I love getting magazine and book deliveries - probably because they are the things that I would spend my money on if I was scrapbook shopping! While I was in the shower today the doorbell rang and as I was expecting Pauline to come over, I got out and answered the door dripping wet! I don't know who was more surprised, the UPS man or me to see the May CKs were here :o) I had hoped that it would be the restock of 'Computer Tricks for Scrapbooking' but that would have been pretty darn fast service!

I've managed to find 5 mins to have a flick through and as usual this month's CK is ful of ideas and inspiration. There is a free download section this month as part of the 'Mothers Day Gifts' feature - really nice titles, tiny gift tags, hand drawn designs and CD labels. You can find them at www.creatingkeepsakes.com/momgifts I keep forgetting that Mother's Day is different in North America - Mum was in Canada for ours last month and so missed out on the celebrations here and now is back in the UK and misses out on them in Canada!!

I have to confess, I HATE the cover of this issue - the colours are yuck and the layout is hum-drum but thank goodness the contents are fab. I saw an amazing scraplift of Lisa Bearnson's layout on twopeasinabucket.com this evening - I was sorely tempted to lift it myself but I've done a couple of similar layouts lately!

You can find the May CK at www.totalpapercrafts.co.uk

Karen :o)

There's something about books and scrapbookers.....

A couple of times each year there's a book that comes out that captures the imagination of scrapbookers - the 'must-have' publication of the moment. Just before Christmas it was the Elsi Flanagan book and right now its the new CK 'Computer Tricks for Scrapbooking'. I ordered my usual quantity of this book before it was released, I just had a feeling in my water about it! I set one aside for myself as I'm a bit of a fiend for scrapbooking mags and books but somehow I managed to sell out completely (including my own copy) within less than 4 hours!

I've reordered more of this book and after checking that it is definitely on its way, I'm taking pre-orders to ship as soon as they arrive. Its no surprise then that within a few hours more than half of the stock thats coming has already been sold!! I'd like to tell you that its an amazing book but I never got much of a chance to really read it!! The feedback from Sarah and Pauline is that its fab (and it must be if Pauline's bought it!!)- loads of straighforward steps to create gorgeous effects with photos and scrapbook pages. I'm left sat here waiting for the shipment along with everyone else...........

The first crop class has been released!

I've just put the first class for our crop on 19th May onto the shop site and opened booking - the Beary Patch album class. I'm really chuffed that we have this class as it contains some amazing products - the Beary Patch "Add-a-Page" punch tool forms part of the class kit, so you get to keep one of these to add to your own toolkit!! I sold over 20 of these tools in just 2 days this week, so it looks like this is the tool to have right now.

I've also put a Beary Patch coil spine, chipboard, patterned paper, Bazzill cardstock, Beary Patch rub-ons and metal corners into the kit - over £19 in value for the great value price of only £8.50!! The fabbo Mandy Webb is teaching the class and has designed a stunning album for you, anyone who has taken a class with Mandy knows that she creates beautiful work and teaches a really fun class so you will not only have a blast but also complete a project you will love!

You can book the class and the crop at www.totalpapercrafts.co.uk

(Carolyn - you were first again!! LOL!!).

New tools

The Beary Patch "Add-a-Page" punch tools arrived yesterday and are selling like crazy!! I had a huge delivery or tools together with 50 coils and am now in single figures of both - if you want one, grab it now before they all go!! They are so fab - much more cost effective than constantly buying bare albums for circle journals and the like. After you have the tool, each album will cost the price of a spine coil - just £1!!

You can find the Beary Patch demonstration video at www.mybearypatch.com/video/bp_punch_wmv_640x480.wmv which shows you how to use the tool to make an album and how to add pages to an album you already have (how cool is that!!).

I've also uploaded the album I made from one sheet of patterned paper, a sheet of mountboard, 5 sheets of cardstock, a Beary Patch rub-on and some ribbons and fibres. It literally took less than half an hour!! (If you want to make one the same - the paper is AL Scribbles Dotty Green and the rub-on is From the Heart #1 (black).

You can find all these items at www.totalpapercrafts.co.uk

Busy, busy, busy!

I spent the whole of this past weekend scrapbooking - pure bliss!! Sarah invited a group of us to crop at her (huge) house for the weekend - from Friday night to Sunday. It was fab to have a group of girlfriends all together and we spent so much time laughing (as we always seem to do!). I'm not the type of person who works well in a social environment, in fact I'm probably the most anti-social scrapbooker I now!! I like to have all my stuff around me plus I am so incredibly slow at designing! I don't really like people seeing my work until its done - and it can take me a few tries to get what I really want. Does this make me sound a bit mad? Nevertheless, I really enjoyed myself and had planned exactly what I wanted to get done during my time there - and it was this page for my Scrapaholic club on 18th April. The kit technique is using punches and there is a really cute flower punch included. I loved the colours of the kit (mainly because I chose them!!) and am really pleased with the finished page.

I took the shop to both Sarah's at the weekend and to Mandy's club in Romford last night. I've been over there a few times before and it was lovely to catch up with everyone. Mandy was a love and promoted our May crop to the club members and we may well have a couple of takers from north of the water - its not that far to come for a good day out!

After the busy past few days I feel in need of a rest but as usual, there is no rest for the wicked!! I have a full day tomorrow and am teaching for the day on Thursday - phew, I feel exhausted just thinking about it all!

Take care, Karen :o)