Just a few more days . . .

Just a few more days until the Grand Opening of Miss Art's Papercrafting School!  Woot, woot!! And because it's the week of April, this is the last Thursday that I'll be giving away a free month's subscription to Miss Art's.  Please leave a comment to be entered in this week's drawing.  I'd really love for you ALL to join me at Miss Art's in May, so even if you don't win (unfortunately I can only draw one name each week), please come check out the new site on May 1st!  The winner of last week's giveaway is . . . Jocelyn!!!!!  Please send me your email address and desired username for log in.

To recap, I am honored to be Miss Art's first "201" teacher when the new site launches in May.  In my "The Secret Garden" Layout class we will create three layouts.  Along the way I will show a variety techniques for adding texture and dimension to your pages, layering, clustering and - YES -- CROCHETING!!  My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was a little girl.  Since then I've crocheted many blankets, funny looking booties and misshapen hats.  I first got the idea to crochet on my scrapbook pages when I saw it done by the very talented Wendela Lam a couple years ago (thank you for the inspiration, Wendela!).  I've been addicted to crocheting on my pages ever since.  My Miss Art's lesson on crocheting will be geared towards people who have never crocheted before, though all levels are welcome!

Here are sneak peaks of the three layouts we'll be doing in my class:

I hope you'll join me in May at Miss Art's Papercrafting School!

Monday, Monday . . .

Happy Monday, everyone!  After one of my busiest months ever, I'm finally coming up for air.    Phew!!

I scrapped most of the weekend, but I took a little break yesterday to help my girls with a lemonade and cookie stand to raise money for their school.  Their school is in dire financial straights and at risk of having many crucial programs cut and the class sizes increased next year (thanks to the huge budget deficit in our state and legislators who don't realize the importance of public education . . . but I digress).  

Business was pretty slow under my supervision.  During the first 45 minutes we only had two customers, and one of those was my mom who made a special trip to our house to support the girls' charitable and entrepreneurial endeavor (thanks Mom!). 

The girls started to get bored and discouraged, and soon they began eating and drinking the profits (and I admit that I had a cookie or two). It was not going as planned.  But then my husband came outside and, being the business "go-getter" he is, he shook things up a bit.  Before I knew it, the signs were off the table and the girls were up on their feet, waving their signs and shouting "Lemonade and cookies! Support our school!"  

That did the trick!  People were smiling, honking, waving and . . . finally . . . stopping to buy lemonade and cookies. We had a constant flow of business for the next hour, and the girls raised $60 for their school!  It's only a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed, but every little bit counts, right?  Most importantly, the girls felt good about raising the money and they had a ball doing it.   They're already planning their next sale!  

Since Easter was yesterday, I thought I would share a page I created for Creating Keepsakes.   My stepmother celebrates Easter, so every year the girls get to have an Easter egg hunt at her house.  The journaling says: Every year you girls look forward to going Easter egg hunting at Grandpa and Mumsie's house.  We've learned from past experience to count the eggs before we hide them so that we know when all the eggs have been found.  A couple of times we've stumbled upon a treat-filled egg that we hid the previous year.  Yuck! April 2010.

As seen in the March/April 2011 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine.  Copyright Creative Crafts Group.  Published with prior permission from the publisher. 

Have a great week!

Miss Art's Papercrafting School giveaway and another sneak peak

The winner of last week's Miss Art's Papercrafting School month's subscription is:  Lynette!  Lynette, please email me with your full name, email and preferred username for the log in.

Don't forget to leave a comment here and post the Miss Art's countdown blinkie on your blog for another chance to win a free month's subscription to Miss Art's Papercrafting School. You can get the countdown code HERE. It will appear at the very top of your screen. Copy the entire code and paste it into the "Add HTML" section under "Design" in Blogger.

As I mentioned, I will be teaching Miss Art's 201 Level class for the month of May.  It's called "The Secret Garden Layout Class," and I'll be leading you through three different layouts.   The class will consist of 12 different videos full of techniques -- including crocheting on paper!!  You get access to ALL of  these videos for only $5 (such a deal!!).  It's self-paced so you can watch the videos whenever you want and as often as you want during the term.  Here's the description of my class:

There once was a girl who found her escape in a secret garden. While she worked to bring the flowers to bloom and the garden to life her soul was refreshed, and her creativity was sparked. In “The Secret Garden” Layout Class, teacher Stacy Cohen brings you layouts and techniques inspired by both flower gardens and by the “Madeline’s Song” Miss Art’s Papercrafting School kit.

Join Stacy in this 201 class to learn techniques for creating a shadowbox effect on your layouts, adding dimension through layering, and creating beautiful floral clusters. You will also have the chance to see a step-by-step demonstration on how Stacy creates her crocheted pages. Join Stacy in “The Secret Garden” on May 1, 2011.

Here's a sneak peak of one of the layouts I'll be teaching you in my class:

It's based on the amazing monthly kit for May entitled "Madeline's Song" which will be for sale on the Miss Art's website starting May 1st for only $28.50 (a $34.76 retail value, not including some extra goodies).

It's chock full of beautiful Prima papers, flowers, chipboard, crystals, and more.  And the kit also includes some special surprise additions from my own special stash of trims.

Miss Art's will also be offering several great "101 Level Classes" next month (including a great class on customizing chipboard taught by Alyssa McGrew), so be sure and check those out too! 

Creative Therapy Guest Artist

I'm thrilled to be the Guest Artist at Creative Therapy this week! The catalyst is:

Tell us about a favorite or special piece of clothing.

I chose to do a layout about my favorite pair of Dearfoams slippers.

 

I used all Prima goodies on this page.  The papers are from the beautiful Melody collection.

The journaling says: Nothing signifies comfort to me more than my soft and cozy Dearfoams slippers. I wear them at all times when I’m at home. The first thing I do when I walk in the house is take off my shoes and put on my slippers. They are the last thing I take off when I go to bed at night and the first thing I put on when I wake up in the morning. I’ve been wearing this same style and color of Dearfoams slippers for almost a decade, and I’ve worn out quite a few pairs over the years. I usually buy two pairs at a time so that I’ll always have an extra pair should one pair wear out. Combined with a thick pair of white socks, my feet are very happy inside these cushiony slippers, even in the hot summer months. They are on me all the time — while preparing meals for my family, while talking to clients on the phone, while cleaning the house, and of course while I’m scrapbooking. I never thought about it until now, but they are like a trusty old friend, always providing me comfort. I’d wear them everywhere if I could, even out to public places (and I’ve actually done that a couple times by accident). If you’re listening, Dearfoams Corporation, thank you for making such comfortable slippers. Please don’t ever stop making style number DF672, color black. They are my hands down favorite thing to wear.

Of course I'm wearing my beloved slippers right now as I type this blog post.  Ahhhhhhh, pure comfort.  I hope you're feeling comfortable and cozy today too!!

A little more about Miss Art's Papercrafting School . . .

I wanted to share a little bit more about Miss Art's Papercrafting School and the online class series I will be teaching in May (see my post below). The online classes are a total bargain! Here's the price breakdown:

$5 - 201 Subscription: Miss Art's 201 classes are composed of 10-12 videos, and are perfect for the crafter seeking to learn new moderate to advanced skills and detailed techniques. In these monthly classes, our industry-leading teachers bring you 8-12 videos taking you through a detailed project, and teaching you every technique they use along the way. As a 201 student, you will have the unique opportunity to participate in a live online chat and receive personal email responses from the teacher.

$10 - 101 Subscription: Miss Art's 101 classes are posted every 10 days, and are designed for the crafter who loves having a constant flow of new ideas, fun tips, and techniques. These classes are video based, and range in length from 2-6 videos. As a 101 student, you will have access to live online chats with some of your favorite designers and teachers, as well as personal email responses every time you have a question.

$15 - Extra Credit Subscription Miss Art's Extra Credit subscription includes access to all of our classes, at the 101 and 201 levels, providing you with a total of 4 new classes every month. As an Extra Credit student, you will also receive a Library Pass, which will enable you to see classes that have been posted for 90 days and archived in the library.

I will be teaching the 201 classes in May, during which time we will put together three . . . count 'em THREE . . . layouts filled with texture, flowers, bling and a touch of shabby chic, and I'll share lots of tips and techniques along the way. I will even be doing a video lesson teaching you how to crochet on your pages!

Here's a sneak peak of one of the layouts I created for the class:

Sign-ups will begin on May 1st on the Miss Art's Papercrafting School website.  But in the meantime be sure to check out Miss Art's Facebook page for a chance to win some prizes!

And don't forget about all the blog giveaways this month (see my Miss Art's post below).  I'll be giving away one free monthly all access Extra Credit subscription every Thursday to a lucky winner who leaves a comment on my Miss Art's blog post AND posts the count down blinkie in their sidebar!  So leave a comment here before next Thursday.  You can get the countdown code HERE. It will appear at the very top of your screen. Copy the entire code, and paste it into the "Add HTML" section under "Design" in Blogger.

Miss Art's Papercrafting School winner

Thank you for all the encouraging comments on my last post about Miss Art's Papercrafting School.  The winner of the all access Extra Credit subscription for a month is Creatingme!   I will contact you to get your info.  Congrats!!

I've been busy working on lots of projects I can't share just yet, so in the meantime here's one of my recent Prima projects.  It's based on the March BAP and features papers from the Sweet Fairy collection.

Check back here this Thursday for some sneak peaks of my Miss Art's class projects and another chance to win a month's subscription!

Come join me at Miss Art's Papercrafting School!! And did I mention a giveaway or two?

I have something very fun and exciting to share with you all today . . .

Have you ever wished there was a school which only taught your favorite classes, that had the best teachers and where tuition was so affordable it left you plenty to buy the most stylish school supplies?

Miss Art's Papercrafting School is a virtual academy for every student who wants to learn the latest techniques from the paper crafting industry's leading experts and it is opening its doors for the first time in 23 days.  In the meantime, you can check out the current classes on stash-to-treasure.net where Bethany Kartchner is currently teaching an "All About Me" album.

Subscriptions to the monthly classes start at only $5.00 (such a bargain!) and include live online chats and personal email responses from your favorite designers. Consisting of 2 - 12 videos with unlimited monthly access, each class is the perfect blend of individualized crafting and supportive learning.  You may purchase Miss Art's reasonable kits to compliment your course or pull items from your own stash using the detailed supply lists.

To countdown to the grand opening, select teachers and staff will be participating in a month long blog celebration. Be sure to check back each Thursday as I will be sharing information about Miss Art’s with you. 

And I'm very excited to announce that I will be Miss Art's first teacher when it opens in May!!  My class will be entitled "The Secret Garden," and I will be showing you how to create three different layouts that I created just for this class and available only to subscribers.  Through a series of 12 video lessons, you'll see how to put together the three layouts from start to finish and you'll learn a variety of techniques, including how to crochet on your pages!!

The first Miss Art's exclusive kit is a BEAUTY!    "Madeline's Song" (available May 1st) is loaded with gorgeous Prima papers, flowers and embellishments, as well as some vintage goodies and trims.  Here's a peak at the gorgeous kit (there are a few other items that aren't shown):

Nervous about trying something new? Most new students have a few first day jitters, so we want to give you the chance to get to know us better. Each business day (Monday-Friday) in the month of April we will be giving away one free monthly all access Extra Credit subscription to a lucky winner who leaves a comment on the staff member of the day’s post and posts our count down blinkie in their sidebar!  Just leave a comment here and post the blinkie on your blog before Saturday night at Midnight, PST and I'll draw one lucky winner.  You can get the countdown code HERE. It will appear at the very top of your screen. Copy the entire code, and paste it into the "Add HTML" section under "Design" in Blogger.

Miss Art’s Papercrafting School Blog Celebration Schedule for the month of April:

Monday: Bethany Kartchner
Tuesday: Heidi Kelley
Wednesday: CarrieAnne Deloach

Thursday: Me!!  Be sure and check back every week!
Friday: Alyssa McGrew

Please come join us on Facebook for a chance to win this great prize package:

Thanks for celebrating with Miss Art’s as we count down to the best first day of school ever! Don't forget to leave a comment here and post the count down blinkie on your blog for a chance to win a free monthly subscription to Miss Art's.

A few more Fancy Pants projects to share

I have a few more projects to share that I made as the Guest Designer this month for Fancy Pants.  I had a BALL playing with all these beautiful products!  Here's a layout featuring pictures of Rebecca in Hawaii a few years ago.

I used papers, ribbon, die-cuts and chipboard from the Beach Babe collection, and I added a glitter cut flower from the It's the Little Things line for good measure.  I made the little droplets using Shimmerz' new Pink Stiletto Coloringz. 

One of my favorite new Fancy Pants products are the new Filter Papers.  I used them to make the large blue flower and the small rolled rosettes (I colored them with Shimmerz).

I made the paper roses using a petal punch made by Punch Bunch.

I also made a couple pairs of shoes using my Shoe Template.  The papers are from the elegant It's the Little Things line.

 

I made the big flowers here using the Filter Papers.  I colored them with Shimmerz and added some glitter to the alternating layers.

One more pair . . .

Thank you Jodi and Fancy Pants for having me as your Guest Designer this month!  It's been a true honor and pleasure!

Fancy Pants Guest Designer!

I'm thrilled and honored to be the Guest Designer for Fancy Pants this month!  I fell in love with the new collections when I saw them at CHA, especially the It's the Little Things and Beach Babe lines.   Here are a couple of the projects I created . . .

The new Beach Babe line is so fun and colorful!  It's perfect for these Hawaii pictures that I never got around to scrapping.

This line comes with lots of adorable chipboard and die-cut pieces.  I had a ball dressing them up with rhinestones and Shimmerz paint.  I also added some real sand to the paper.

 Another close-up:

This page was made with the beautiful new It's the Little Things line.  I just love the color combo and patterns!

I used lots of different Fancy Pants goodies on this page -- paper, chipboard pieces, die-cuts, a rub-on (the journaling circle), a metal piece, flowers (yep! these are Fancy Pants too), and the great new chipboard alphas (I love these!).   Here's a close-up of the crocheted, curled and machine-stitched curvy border:

I was giddy with delight when I first opened my box of Fancy Pants products.  My sweet kitty, Smokey, was too:

(Luckily I had already removed all the goodies before he decided that the box would be a fun play toy for him.)

I'll be back in the next couple of days to post my other Fancy Pants projects!!

P.S. Did you notice the new blinkie on the left sidebar?  Stay tuned for the deets!