Summer!

Wow the summer is just about over and I cannot tell you what has been going on.

Well I dropped the Ball on the last challenge, and I know that not many people are scrapin, but I thought I would put something out there for all to try.

I would like to see some LO using a picture LARGER than a 5x7!

I have just had one printed out at 8x10 and am going to see what I can come up with!

Like I said I know the scrapin is not happening, but if you need to escape from the heat lets see what we can do!

Have a great long weekend

Robyn

Yea Sarah!!!!

OK
So I have been out of the loop and I apologize. I have confirmation from the design team that they are sticking with me, so we will be working on some fun stuff in the next few months for some amazing stuff for the fall!

Now for the summer, we will keep things going here so when you have time check in and be challenged.

Now to explain the title I received an e-mail from Sarah last night and check it out!
http://www.basicgrey.com/catalog/idea_gallery_info.php?idea_gallery_id=33508

Sarah is more insane about Basic Grey then me (and yes that is possible!) and I am sure she is over the moon with this.

Now I am going to throw a show and tell challenge out to you all... As I have just spent the night making teacher gifts (3 down 2 to go!) My challenge is this

show us what gifts you are creating out there.

Post in the Gallery and I will collect all the entries and post them here together for all to see! I will then put all the entries in a hat and randomly draw for a RAK from me!

Deadline is June 29th

Have fun
Robyn

Oh my...

I am sorry to all, time has gotten away from us all!

So here I am to be the bringer of Joy with a new sketch from our favorite sketch site Pagemaps!

Now usually I give you one off the older maps on the site, but I saw this one and cannot wait to see what everyone does with it!

Have fun and I cannot wait to see what everyone comes up with!
Robyn

Reduce and reuse!

This past week was Earth Day - a day to renew our commitment to making our Earth a cleaner and better place to live!

I challenge everyone to create a card using only the scraps left over from creating your latest layout -don't cut any new sheets of paper!!

My card uses the new Bo Bunny Grease Monkey scraps, left over from my Wild Ride layout that is posted in the gallery - go check it out!! The colours in this line are so vibrant - and my fav. colour combos too!!

I also used a stamped image from my stash (Bella), Kaiser Pearls from the store, and puffy Thickers!

Insperational Challenge from Kirsten...

Well our little Aly is painting, moving and trying to get settled in her new place.

So what that means is that we have a special guest this month

So without further ado her is Kirsten giving you a challenge.

I get a turn to do a challenge, how exciting is that?! So I thought I would give you lots of room to play with. It is an inspirational page, what, who, where is your inspiration? Or just pick an inspirational quote and do a page around it. Originally I was feeling so inspired by all the sunshine that we have been having. Then I found this picture of my most favorite person in the world, my inspiration. So, have fun!

So what is your insperation? A person? A thing? A place? Come out and play everyone ans show us!

Inspiration for Late in the Week

We haven't had a sketch up lately so it seemed about time to try and get some creativity flowing.  This is from Pagemaps April maps.  I love that it layers two patterns of paper either over a third, or over a solid color.  I love using multiple sheets of patterned paper together, so this one is definitely my style.  Hope some of you will play along and look forward to seeing your results in the gallery!

Alison's Challenge

Sorry everyone Alison sent this to me and I fell asleep at the wheel, so here it is Alison's Challenge for the month! Have fun I LOVE this Technique!

Robyn

Hi again everyone!

Well this challenge has been a challenge for me! Mainly because I picked my material that I thought I would use and then packed up ALL my scrapbooking supplies for our upcoming move. So when it came time to "create" all I had was two pieces of patterned paper, a piece of cardstock I had to "borrow" and letters. Lucky for me a found a scrap of ribbon and that mess stuff kicking around in the back of a drawer!

My challenge is totally fitting because like I said I am packing up the house for our move.

Packing Tape Transparencies!

Print you picture off on plain paper from your printer (Robyn - can you confirm or deny that ink jet doesn't work - my page didn't work but Kirsten's laser printer page was fineRobyn's edit- I do believe that laser jet is your best bet on this project!). Cover the picture with packing tape, slightly overlapping then let it soak in water only for a minute or two. Carefully peel back the plain paper and you will see that the image remains on the packing tape. Picking at it can give a nice aged look but be careful where you pick as it will create a see through "hole" in the picture. Set aside to dry, trim and have at'er.

Have a look at the finished project I came up with. I am still thinking about my "wishes" so my journalling card is blank for the time being.

So next month you guys will be in for a treat as by good chum Kirsten will coming up with a challenge for you all while I am busy unpacking. Fasten your seat belts because she loves to think OUTSIDE the box! Most importantly - HAVE FUN!

Saltspring Crop

Just In

Contact Loretta to get the Early bird special!

Have a great day

Robyn

Scrapbooking Cards Today

Well we are all moved (not yet unpacked much to our cats disgust!)

Our first bit of exciting news is that we will now have avalible

Scrapbook & Cards Today

Speaking with Catherine from SCT they are very excited because they have changed the layout a bit this year and they feel it is better then ever!

Not sure what Scrapbook & Cards Today is all about? Check out thier BLOG to find out what all the excitment is about.

Issues will be available starting March 26th, 2009 with a minimum $20.00 purchase!

Keeping watching for more exciting things coming our way

Spring Time on the Island

Spring is only a few days away - despite the winter-like weather we have been experiencing here on the Island! And with spring, comes the birds! I love looking out to see birds in the yard, and have already had some brave Robins come around!!

I challenge everyone to create a card or layout with a bird on it!

My card was created with the gorgeous Crate Paper kit available in the store, and the buttons are American Crafts, also in the store!

The music notes are hand drawn, and the stamp is by Studio G.

March Sketch

I completely lost track of time, but here it is the March sketch from Pagemaps!

I think I get one more chance and then the DT is taking away my decision privileges for this. They say I scare them!

Here is my take on the sketch.

Please e-mail to blog@thepapercrate.ca or post in the Projects Gallery!

Have a great week

Robyn

Wonderful Woman prize...

We had 2 entries for our first card challenge and here they are

Kirsten

and zuziqu

Now it took me so long to post as I have been busy around here today and I had a customer draw a name at random for the RAK and the winner is...

Kirsten

Congratulations!

Watch carefully everyone for the next Challenge.

Wonderful Women Part 2

I am very very very late in getting stuff together so I have extended the Wonderful Woman Challenge from Margo to Monday March 2nd.

What this means is that I need to have your entry e-mailed to me (blog@thepapercrate.ca) , or on the site under BLOG Challenge by Sunday March 1st.

I will then put them on to the BLOG for viewing. We will put the names of everyone who enters (meaning I have the image when I post on Monday morning) into a hat and randomly draw a name for the RAK.

1 package or Pageframe cards

Tags from the Lily Kate and Romani Collection

Letter Stickers from the Romani and Lily Kate Collection

3 Sheets of 8.5x11 Bazzill Card stock

1 Ribbons & Blooms from Imaginisce

3 bottles of Liquid Pearls from Ranger

and 6 yards of ribbon.

This 'card kit' will make some beautiful Spring and Easter cards!

So get those entries in and make sure you are back on Monday to see what everyone got up to this weekend.

Have a great weekend

Robyn

Happiness Is.....

For me it is my slippers. I love my slippers. In fact, I love them to DEATH - literally. I would guess I go through three or four pairs a year. I slip them on as soon as my feet hit the floor whether it is when I get out of bed, out of the shower or in the front door. Let's just say the pretty pink slippers in the picture DON'T look like that anymore. Usually they take the return trip with me when I take the garbage out but not this time...they won't be coming back. On to my next "love-a-pair".




This week I will give you a bit of help with your page - I will give you the title.

"Happiness Is...."

......the perfect latte, a good book and time to read it, sale at your favourite store? You provide the picture and tell us all about it. Here is a bit of a twist though.....happiness CAN'T be your kids or your husband!

I was inspired by Cherie Avril 27/10/08 sketch posted at Creative Scrappers. I had a great time using the new MM Love Notes paper!

Have fun!

Alison

Ecole Mill Bay

Update: This Crop has unfortunately been canceled. Once a new date has been set I will let everyone know

Thanks Robyn

Just a reminder to all that will be in the area in March about the Mill Bay Crop!

Registration cut off is February 24th

So make sure you get your seat for this event!

Wonderful Women

March 8th is International Women's Day - so what a perfect excuse to surprise one of your favorite women, with a homemade card!!

My challenge for everyone this week is to create a handmade card - and either mail (in time!!) or hand deliver, to a special woman in your life, on or before March 8th.

I know I love to receive unexpected cards, so I'm sure everyone knows someone special, who would love a surprise as well!!!

My card is a simple one, made with the gorgeous MM Love Notes Collection (patterned papers and brad in flower center) - found in the Papercrate store!!

Email entries to blog@thepapercrate.ca and they will be posted for viewing on Wednsday February 25th!

Spring Cleaning Sale

OK I know that the groundhog said 6 more weeks of winter, but I really want to tidy up around here. So starting today (Sunday February 15th) all products in the store will be

30 - 50% !off

February 15th - March 1st

Make sure that you check out all the great deals coming, we need lots of shelf space for all the fun things coming in from CHA !

Hope you all had a great weekend.

Happy Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day coming up this weekend, I wanted to share an awesome project a friend showed me to make cute candy containers. I made them for my son's preschool class today, although wouldn't do the same tags again as I wasted a lot of time on them last night only to be torn open and discarded so quickly by 10 three year olds! The containers themselves are super easy to make and then can be dressed up however you want.

Here are the steps;

1) Cut a 4 1/2" by 5 3/4" piece of paper. (You can cut any size, but this one makes a nice sized container that holds about 8 Hersheys Kisses or 4 candy hearts).


2) Using double sided tape, places the adhesive as shown in the photo below. (One long strip along one of the short sides, one shorter strip in the middle of one of the long sides, and another shorter one at the end of one of the long sides).


3) Take the backing off the long strip and adhere together to make a tube.


4) Take the baking off of one of the ends and press down to pinch the end shut.


5) (Optional) Use a paper crimper to crimp a few lines in the end that you just shut. If you don't have a paper crimper this end can be decorated too.


6) Fill with candy or other treats.

7) Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the other end.


8) Decorate as you like - I made tags using my friends Cuttlebug, then punched holes in the corner, and set eyelets in them. Then tied ribbon around one end of the container and attached the tag using jump rings. I would probably not do this part again without needle nosed pliers because it too forever to get the jump rings to stay on.


If anyone has any other cute ideas for treat containers or other Valentine's gifts, we would love to see them. Email us at blog@thepapercrate.ca.

Alison's Challenge Submissions

Here are the entry's for the Alison's Challenge

Kirsten

Robyn

Thanks for Playing!

February Sketch

So Here it is the sketch for February! Once again it is brought to us by Pagemaps.

Have fun and don't forget to post your finished work in the Projects Area of the site so every one can see! I will post all projects here on the BLOG on February 11th.

If you are not sure how to post in the Projects e mail your LO to blog@thepapercrate.ca

Toonie Challenge for February

Here is our winner for January

Jan H

Congratulations Jan!

February's Challenge is ready for all who dare to play.

Have fun!

Next up.... It's Alison!

My turn! I am totally loving the blog and I am really excited to have my chance to challenge you all! If I were to crack open my albums you would see lots of pictures of my kids. Few of my husband and even fewer of me! So my goal for the year is to scrapbook pages that have NOTHING to do with my kids! And I plan on taking you guys along for the ride. So buckle up everyone - here we go!

Like Sarah said a couple of weeks back - people often start the year with goals and resolutions. I have made my share but there are some things that I never resolve to give up. So this month I challenge you to create a page about something you are truly addicted to.

The picture I included isn't the greatest quality as it was taken by the three year old. But I found it so interesting that he framed the picture with me AND my ever present Diet Pepsi! But to give it a twist and make the bottle of pop (soda for our south of the border pals) I worked in Photoshop to make the picture black and white and left the bottle color! The process is really quite easy - here is a link the tutorial I used.

Have fun!

EDIT**

When you are finished your LO email it to blog@thepapercrate.ca and we will post it! Or Post it in the project area of the site!

Please have submissions in by Wednesday February 4th

Cards Cards Cards...

As Margo said, "Love is in the air", and that means it is time for some CLASSES, to make sure we are ready for Valentines Day!

The first class is to show off the new line of stamps we will be carrying :

Amuse Art Stamps

We are very lucky to have Glenda, from Amuse, coming to teach this fun filled class!

Date Sunday January 25th

Time 1-3pm

Cost: $26.95 + GST

Supplies Needed: Your Basic Tool Kit - everything else will be here for you!

The next set of classes will be for all of the kids out there.

Each child will Create 30 different cards in the class, to use for the big day at school.

Date: Saturday January 31st (for ages 8+)

Time: 1-3pm

Cost: $14.99+GST

Date: Sunday February 8th (for ages 5-7)

Time 1-3pm
Cost: 14.99 + GST

Nothing is required for this class - all supplies are included!

To register for any of these classes, contact us at

250-743-1216

or

info@thepapercrate.ca

Love is in the Air!

Love is in the air - or at least in the stores!!

Everywhere I look, there are hearts, and red and white decorations, in preparation for Valentines Day!

Today's challenge is to create your own Valentines card for someone you love! Your card must contain the colour red, and must have at least one heart image on it - the rest is up to you!!

My card was created using BG Christmas paper, bazzill scalloped cardstock, ribbon from my stash, a junkitz chipboard heart, and some black bling (which is actually stuck inside the card, and is seen through punched holes!!

It is begining to look alot like...

SALE TIME!!

The holidays are over and our lives are getting back to normal again (what ever normal is!), CHA is going to be starting soon so there will be tons of new stuff so we have to make room!

What does this mean for you?????

45%

off all Christmas and Halloween Stock Starting

Monday January 19th

to

Monday February 9th

Come on it and check it out!

And we have a winner!

Congratulations to Kirsten for winning our first contest of 2009. Now, I heard a rumour that Kirsten has just recently starting scrapbooking and I have to say I never would have known by looking at this layout. Fantastic work! You can claim your prize from Robyn in the store. Congratulations again!



Watch out for more inspiration and news from the store on the blog this week!

Monthly Challenge

It is a new year and I am here to start the year off with our first official challenge. As with the start of each new year, many people have started to think about what their year will be like and have set some goals or made resolutions. I haven't set resolutions per se, but I have definitely thought about what I want to accomplish this year and what things that happened in 2008 that I would rather not repeat.

Since January is the month of new beginnings, resolutions and new goals, the challenge for the week is to create a layout about your aspirations, goals or resolutions for 2009. It could be related to anything in your life, silly or serious. It could be something as simple as drinking less coffee, getting more exercise, scrapping more, or being more environmentally conscious.

To get your creative energy flowing, here are layouts from Ali and I.





We hope you will play along and submit a layout. Anyone who submits their layout to blog@thepapercrate.ca by this Saturday, January 17th will be entered into a draw to win a set of SEI Doodley Doo Boy paper, along with an extra piece of their velvet paper.



I will post the winner's name next Sunday (the 18th). Good luck and happy creating!

Sarah

Pagemaps challenge

Here is DT Margo's layout based on the Pagemaps sketch from last Monday!

Inspiration for the Week

Thank you Robyn for posting this earlier - I had a scheduling conflict last night, so couldn't get something posted then. So as Robyn posted, here is our sketch for the week. I have also posted both my take on the sketch as well as one from Alison, another Design Team member. Hope you will play along and send in your take on the sketch by next Wednesday, January 15th and I will post any that come in to the blog. Next Monday expect a new challenge with a prize for the winning layout.

January Sketch

I am not sure what has happened to Sarah, so I am going to go ahead and post the sketch for this week! So without further ado here it is. Sarah will follow up with the DT ones and rules and regulations.

Oh and before I forget this is from one of our favorite sites Pagemaps

Have Fun

Robyn

New Year Means...

Time to get all those creative juices flowing! Sarah (our BLOG nut) has created a schedule, so watch out - these girls have a TON of stuff coming at you.

Now in my job description from Sarah, I am to keep you up to date with store happenings (she cannot magically do it from Saskatchewan - what is up with that???)

'The Toonie Challenge' is starting up again and I thought I would give you a peak!

For those of you who are new to our little community, here is what 'The Toonie Challenge' is all about. This is an in store challenge, and it costs a toonie (for our international friends that is a $2 coin) to enter. When you enter, you receive 3 elements to do with as you please. Each participant MUST have their project in to the store by end of business, on the 15th of the month. From the 16th until the end of the month, all the projects are displayed in the store, for people to vote on their favorite. The winner , gets to have their project displayed in the store for the following month, and receives a $10 gift card! All proceeds from this little challenge go to our local food bank.

Last year we raised $64 (I am hoping to get there this week if the weather and sick kids will allow!)

Thanks for checking in!

Robyn

Happy New Year!!!!!

Well I hope this New Year finds everyone Happy and Healthy (we have a sicky in this house today, so I really hope everyone else is healthy)

Now for some exciting news around the design team!!!!!

First the one all can see RIGHT NOW!!!!!!
Check out our very own Margo (tenth down) on the Page Maps new SIDE MAPS section
http://www.pagemaps.com/jan09sidemaps.htm

Yea Margo!

And something I neglected to mention last month is Alison is in Scrapbooks Etc. this month (January) I will double check the page with her and let you all know.

Yea Alison

Once again have a Wonderful New Year

Robyn