Creating Keepsakes Budget-Friendly Scrapbooking and a GIVEAWAY!

Creating Keepsakes newest special issue is out!  It's called Budget-Friendly Scrapbooking:

"Prepare to make your stickers, papers, die cuts, and more go further than you ever imagined possible. With the tips and tricks in this special issue from Creating Keepsakes, you'll learn how to create beautiful scrapbook layouts using your scrapbooking leftovers and minimal supplies. Whether you're a new scrapbooker or have been creating for years, we'll show you how to stretch your scrapbooking budget to its fullest."

Here's a little sneak peak of a layout I created for this issue (I'll share a close-up in the coming weeks):

As usual, Creating Keepsakes is graciously allowing me to give away a copy of this special issue to one lucky blog reader.  To be entered to win, simply leave a comment here before Sunday evening and tell something you do to stretch your scrapbook supplies and/or make the most of leftovers.  (One thing I do is save all my scraps of patterened paper and cardstock.  I keep them in drawers in arms' reach of my scrap table. Whenever I need smaller pieces for cards, page accents, stamping, journaling, etc., I reach into my drawers of scraps.)   I'll draw a random winner and announce it here next week!  

Altered embroidery hoops + Prima blog feature

I'm going to keep this post short and sweet because I have a very long post on the Prima blog today where I'm the featured Design Team member.  I've shared some little tidbits about myself along with a couple projects and a tutorial.  Here is one of the projects you'll see there.  It's a set of altered embroidery hoops that I made for Prima's CHA booth. 

I cut three circles out of white fabric and misted them with a rainbow of colors. I then added a plethora of color-coordinated flowers, leaves, a butterfly and a bird from the beautiful new collections. I plan to hang these on my scraproom wall.

I also shared a quick and easy tutorial on the Prima blog showing a fun way to use Prima's new cotton Writer's tape.  Go check it out!!  Here's the link to my post:   Prima's Writer's Tape tutorial.

An owl, a fox, a bear and a hedgehog . . . OH MY!!

I created some little woodland critters and printable paper piecing templates for Club CK's Summer Camp event.  Here is my owl, fox, bear and hedgehog:

I also created a PDF pattern for each of these animals that you can print and cut out, and Creating Keepsakes took it a step further and turned these into SVG files that you can download and cut with your SVG compatible die-cutting machines! You can find the printable PDF files and SVG files here at Club CK: Stacy Cohen's owl, fox, bear and hedgehog.

Have a fabulous weekend!!

Prima layout

Just a quick post before I run out today with my girlies.  Here's a layout I did for Prima's CHA booth using the new Londonerry line:

Gotta love pop dots! I use them on every layout.

This layout is actually a scraplift of one of my earlier layouts . . . this page that I created back in  March:

I like working with this little grid format, so I think I'll try some other variations.

Thanks for stopping by!

A 2-page layout

Happy Friday everyone!  I'm officially in a very relaxed summer mode . . . sleeping in, hanging out by the pool, staying up late and watching my favorite reality TV shows, etc.   I haven't been scrapping much at all over the past couple of weeks and I've just been enjoying time with my family and friends.  Ahhhhhhhhh . . . so nice.

I'm often asked to do 2-page scrapbook layouts for my Creating Keepsakes assignments.   For me, making 2-page spreads is very different from making 1-page layouts.  But they're fun to do because they challenge my creativity.  My 2-pagers always come out looking more "clean & simple" and linear than my single page layouts.  Here's one I did a while back:

As seen in Creating Keepsakes Magazine.  Copyright Creative Crafts Group.  Published with prior permission from the publisher.

I made the tree by hand-cutting fabric and coloring it with Shimmerz Spritz.  I cut the trunk from some specialty corrugated cardboard.  I made the apples by coloring plain rhinestones with alcohol ink. 

I created a quick little video for Creating Keepsakes showing how to do this simple technique:  Coloring Rhinestones Video

Another close-up:

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

CRAFT Beach Retreat

First of all, we have the winner of Creating Keepsakes' new special issue, Scrapbooking Tips & Tricks: Summer Fun & Travel.  The random number generator I used picked commenter number 4, and it is . . . da da da da da da da da da da da (that's my impression of a drumroll) . . . Caroline Hackney!  Congrats, Caroline!  I'll contact you to get your info.

I want to give you more details about the upcoming CRAFT Beach Retreat, where I'll be teaching a class chock full of beautiful Prima goodies.  This is going to be an amazing and unique event that you won't want to miss!!!

The Dates: November 11-13, 2011
The Times: 9-5 each day, broken into two workshops.
The Workshops: Six emotion-based scrapbook and mixed media/home décor sessions.
Plus four bonus ‘art and soul experiences’ will be right before and after classes, and a few in the evening at the hotel. Some secret…but including a henna painting workshop, sand art/message in a bottle and more...

The Instructors: Linda Barber, Paige Evans, Ly T. Le, Amy Tan and yours truly!

The Location: Beautiful, sunny Santa Monica.

The Venue: The classes will be held at the beautiful Annenberg Beach House, right on the sand off Pacific Coast Highway (also known as HWY 1). 

The space we'll be in is an intimate room, the Terrace Lounge, with floor to ceiling windows...every seat has a view of the ocean. Right outside the door is a lovely seating area with a fountain where you'll be enjoying your lunch breaks.

The Sponsors:  Creating Keepsakes, Prima, American Crafts, Lily Bee and Jillibean Soup.

You can get more of the details and sign up here:  CRAFT Beach Retreat.  This will be a scrapbooking retreat like no other!