Copic Aquatics

Aren't these little guys just too cute? This is our Scrappigators Copic Club, Dover project for the month. The stamps are from Gina K Designs and I used the Don't Worry, Be Happy design elements featured in the Copic Coloring Guide by Colleen Schaan and Marianne Walker. The set requires five copic colors: BG11, BG72, BG74, YR04, and YR07. Of course, I changed things up a bit and used the same color scheme for two additional cards. Besides creating my own original Copic projects, I like incorporating designs from books and magazines into my teaching mix so my students can see they can replicate publication-worthy projects. I also used Paper Cuts Blue Raspberry  cardstock and embossed them with both Cuttlebug and Sizzix embossing envelopes. I made my envelope base from white cardstock.

Footloose WOTG

It's been forever since I've been able to blog! My SMASH books are growing -- especially my Scrappgiators one. We're vending regularly at Crop Classix weekend retreats, Becky & Clare's day crop in Millsboro, DE and Stamping by the Sea (last month) weekend event. We've suddently discovered that May is our take a breath month, so we're trying to play catch up there as well. That said, I'm excited about revisiting my Close To My Heart projects.

IThis is my first CTMH Workshop on the Go project this year. I'm featuring the Footloose WOTG at my May 21st Workshop at Scrappigators Country Store. Be sure to check out Scrappigators Group and our Scrappigators Country Store page on Facebook for more details. 

Here’s what the kit includes:

· My Reflections Footloose Paper Packet (X7151B)

· My Acrylix Footloose Workshop Stamp Set (C-size)

· 2 White Daisy Cardstock sheets

· 1 Wooden Badge Buttons (Z1703)

· 1 Instructional Brochure

We will also be using these additional products:

· E1002 My Acrylix Rustic Alphabet

· Z2167 Crème Brulee Exclusive Inks Pad

· Z2195 Lagoon Exclusive Inks Pad

· Z2135 New England Ivy Exclusive Inks Pad

· Z2164 Sorbet Exclusive Inks Pad *

· Sanding Kit

· 3-D Foam Tape

· Y1000 1”x1” My ACrylix Block

· Y1003 2”x2” My Acrylix Block

· Y1006 3”x3” My Acrylix Block

Scrappigators Country Store

We've been busier than we can be between vending at Crop Classix Cape May two weekends ago, Becky & Clare's Day Crop last weekend, and preparing for the opening of our "country store" yesterday. Getting ready involved moving an overly-filled classroom upstairs and resetting everything for "retail." We anticpated having more stock, but were pleasantly surprised by our sales at two prior events.

These photos represent two of the four walls in our former living room minus carpet. We have lots of changes we want to make in the future depending upon the reception we get in the months ahead. We are only opened one weekend a month -- the first Thursday (noon to 6PM), Friday (10AM-6PM), and Saturday (10AM - 4PM). We hope this small effort will lead to bigger and better things for our Delaware customers. We are focused on selling product that you don't normally find in the big box craft stores.


Three people stopped by on our first day, which is great since we're relying on word of mouth and social networking. Two of the three drove up from the beach to see what we had to offer. Of course, one had a $50 gift certificate to Dover Downs and a gift card for Applebys, so we were the perfect excuse for her to make the drive to Dover. The other heard about Bylers (about 4 or 5 miles from our home) and made us the reason to drive up on Thursday. The third was Tina who came to rescue Melissa's 4-year-old. She wanted him to help her bake cookies. When I first told her about our new venture, she asked if we had enough stock. After a quick walkaround, she said, "yes, you do have enough stock."
We're quite proud of our inventory. We're not carrying a lot of paper, but we do have a good array of cardstock along with Melissa Frances' "First Avenue" collection and several Graphic 45 paper pads. Of course, we also have Mosaic Moments papers since this is one of our featured projects at retreats and day crops.

We're also expanding our Copic services. We have pens (a growing inventory), refills, and nibs. We're also offering a refill and pen-cleaning services.

We also have an active dollar bins (the little green bins) which Melissa keeps full one way or another. Here, our friend Elaine is checking out the offerings.

We're particularly proud of our "checkout" counter which we created with a table that has telescoping legs. It's a perfect fit. What we hope to see more of are smiling customers at the counter like Pat, one of our downstate friends.

Some of our other products include but are not limited to: Scraponizers, Paper Cut, quilling products, Herma Dotto Repositionable Adhesive, Zutter, our own Accessories, ETC product line and more.

All it all, it was a very good day. We hope to have many more which will support our sense that 2012 is going to be a very good year. We're tickled to say that we're off to a great start!

So Many Smashes, So Little Time

I couldn't help it. I saw the blue one and knew I had to have it along with the black, orange, yellow and pink. Then I figured it out. I used my Brother P-Touch to create labels for each. So my Pink (Pretty Style) Smash is now labeled "Family & Friend Smash 2012. My Blue "Retro Style" is labeled "Our Pets Smash 2012). My Yellow Smash is "Scrappigators Smash 2012." My Orange Simple Style" is now my "Steampunk Smash 2012" where I'll record and store great ideas and play with my steampunk papers and stamps. My Black Mod Style Smash will be my "Ministry Smash 2012." My Red Doodle Smash is "My First Smash 2012." Since we're moving my craftroom upstairs so we can run our Scrappigators Country Store downstairs, I'll find plenty of odds and ends to drop our scrapping pages. This photo above is in my Doodle "First Smash" book. I am totally into this bird. Doesn't it look great? I think 2012 is going to be a "Smashing" Great Year.

Smashing Progress Report

This is a page-in-progress that will, I am confident, that will receive more snips, scraps and bits over the days and weeks ahead. These are students from Michaels in Rehoboth. These photos were left over from another project and were a perfect fit for my Smash. There's also a little paperweaving practice swatch that didn't make the trash bin.

Post Christmas Smashing Post

 

One of the best things about the Christmas holidays is the January recovery time. Still trying to clean of my craft table where I found most of the pieces above. The heart is a 6" Cricut Plantin Schoolbook cartridge that I cut to try paper weaving. The Santa on the heart is a misting excercise. Since my last entry, I have purchased four more books to fill. I also have eight out of ten pages finished for Michaels in Rehoboth. I'm having a Smashing Good Time.

Go Light Your World Smash Page

 

 My Smash journey continues. Our ministry drama outreach partnered with a local homeless shelter, Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing, to present a mime during the morning service at Trinity Wesleyan Church on Sunday, December 4th. After the presentation, the pastor stood and said, "well, that's the sermon! There's nothing left to be said. We'll now light the second advent  candle. . . " The twelve homeless men who participated in the mime were quite moved. They accomplished something special. They were seen as something other than worthless because they're homeless. My Smash page elements includes a December Diecut ticket from my Cricut Art Philosphy cartridge (I can order that for you if you're interested), a list ticket from the K&Company Entertainment Smash pad, scanned images of the church program cover and a reference scrap highlighting our place in the service. The photos were provided by a Trinity Wesleyan church member (Susan W.).