Craft Haven Retreats

Final Holiday Mini Post 2011

2012-01-11T22:26:00.000-06:00

We had a few cards that Nanci did this fall that we did not get around to sharing with you! Hope you enjoy them!

You cannot go wrong with the Top Note die!

I love this combination - Natural White, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso card stock with Cherry Cobbler accents! It's absolutely gorgeous!

Punches add dimension and whimsy to your cards and they are quick and easy!

A vintage Christmas combo!

These cards and matching envelope were part of a free class we offered with the Simply Scored Scoring Tool! Have you tried the water color paper from Stampin' Up?

We will post pictures from our retreat last weekend soon! Our guests created a scrapbook layout for each month of the year complete with photos and embellishments!

It was unseasonably warm last weekend in Michigan. Nanci spotted some Pansies blooming in the flower bed at the front entrance to Lake View Lodge.

Yes, pansies in January, in Michigan! Last Monday we had a snowstorm and this Sunday we have pansies! Even odder . . . here is a photo of the same flowers with some of the leftover snow! A little bit of spring in winter!

Holiday Mini 2011 Review

2012-01-03T03:39:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! Nanci and I were at Lakeview Lodge this weekend preparing for next weekend's retreat - the first of 2012! Monday morning we woke up to our first real snowfall of the winter season, so I decided to take some pictures of the fresh snow (through the screens on the porch).

These are some cards we made earlier this fall.

The door card design is cased from Jennifer Timko. I love the simplicity of her design!

I love these two cards! Nanci used the Natural White card stock, Cherry Cobbler embossing powder and Crumb cake Ink. This color combination is fabulous-the picture just doesn't do it justice!

This card is cased from Sage Kimble's blog. I changed the design slightly to make it easier and less costly to produce and mail!

The stocking is a gift card holder!

This card is also cased from Jennifer Timko! The tree panel is Very Vanilla card stock sponged with Always Artichoke ink. It looks like velvet!

Nanci and I are looking forward to the creative possibilities in 2012. We hope this season will afford you the opportunity to explore your artistic inspirations as well. If you are looking for a craft weekend getaway, visit us at Lakeview Lodge! We are running our Crazy Eight Special - bring your group of eight and the eighth guest is free - a $299 value!

Pop Up Gift Card Simply Scored with Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty Paper

2011-12-24T00:22:00.001-06:00

Isn't this gift card holder cute? When the holder is opened the gift card inside pops up! It's a quick and easy project with the Simply Scored Scoring Tool and Table Top Cutter. I selected two patterns from the Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty Paper to dress it up. I am completely addicted to this pine cone stamp from Pines and Poinsettias. Use the Stampin' Write markers to ink the stamp and then highlight the stamped image with Dazzling Diamonds.

Gina K. posted a video tutorial to make this Gift Card holder and I had to give it a try! My co-worker wanted a few gift card holders, so I decided to try out Gina K.'s tutorial.

I used sticky strip to adhere the belly bands and the scored areas that form the base which holds the gift card. The area that the gift card stands in is open the entire width, so this design will hold gift cards of varying sizes.

The Scallop Punches make an attractive embellishment for the belly-band, but I wish I had a Very Vanilla Gel Pen. As you know Holly Berry Bouquet uses Very Vanilla as an accent color, so I did not want to use my white gel pen to decorate my Real Red scallop. Does anyone else feel the need for a Very Vanilla Gel Pen or do you have an alternative suggestion for embellishing the Real Red scallop? Leave a comment, if you have a solution to the Very Vanilla/scallop circle dilemma! Happy Holidays!

Village of Christmas Cuteness Featuring Holly Berry Bouquet DSP

2011-12-18T19:18:00.000-06:00

Hello! Remember us, Craft Haven Retreats? This year has passed in the blink of an eye for Nanci and I. We haven't posted since March! My camera decided to stop working and I did not replace it until Black Friday! Lake View Lodge kept us pretty busy this spring and summer. Nanci attended the Stampin' Up! Convention in Utah this past July and I became a demonstrator later that month as well.

We decided to hold our December Club meeting one week after our November Club, so that two hostesses from our club could take advantage of the additional hostess benefits that Stampin' Up! was offering. While at Convention, Nanci participated in the Village of Cuteness class and she decided that our club should make a Village of Christmas Cuteness at our December meeting.

Village of Christmas Cuteness

All our club members were thrilled with the project! Our villages sparkle with Glimmer Paper, Mica Flakes, and Dazzling Diamonds!

Nanci downloaded this My Digital Studio stamp image from Welcome Christmas and sized it to fit the project!

We love the dimension that the wood sheet layers give this door.

We will all enjoy our Village of Christmas Cuteness for years to come. One of our club members suggested that we could add to it each year by adding a church, stores, or additional homes. We hope this post will inspire you to start your own Village of Christmas Cuteness! Nanci and I wish you, your family and friends a safe holiday season and a happy new year!

Stamp Club Road Trip!

2011-03-04T02:11:00.002-06:00

Nanci and I had planned an overnight special at Lake View Lodge for February 19th. Several members of Nanci's Stamp Club signed up, so we decided to have the February Club meeting at Lake View Lodge! We had a blast! We had planned to make this delicious cupcake card, but we forgot the Create a Cupcake stamp set!

What do you do when you are 125 miles from your sentiment? You improvise!

Terry, the newest member of the Stamp Club, is modeling the re-design with an extra cherry on her cheek! We love the Red Glimmer paper--it makes the cherries on the cupcakes sparkle! The Elegant Lines embossing folder really adds depth and swirl to the cupcake icing! Nanci and I went to a Stampin' event at Carol Nee's home and she actually had the cutest cupcake stand and cupcakes that looked just like the one's on Nanci's card! They were delicious too!

From cupcakes, we switched over to Ice Cream Parlor DSP from the sale-a-bration catalog!

The colors of this DSP are fun and fresh. The Sew Suite stamp set is great! I wish they had done sentiments to go with them! Nanci and I want to suggest; Sew nice to meet you, Sew Sweet, Miss you sew much. The possibilities are endless! Share your sentiment ideas with us--leave us a comment at the end of this post!

Puns from the Past stamp set does include--sew glad we're friends--I recently purchased that stamp set just because it had that sentiment in it! :)

The Sweet Stiches DSP paper and Pattern Pieces stamp are great too! We used the coordinating fabric and buttons with a little bit of crochet trim to embellish our card. Another great card using Sweet Stiches DSP and Designer Fabric!

Once we finished our club projects, we jumped right into full throttle crafting mode! Michelle and Jessice were swapping pictures and the stories behind them!

Have you ever made a diaper cake for a baby shower? Becky's turned out so cute!

Making sure that the stamp is inked thoroughly!

Terry's very first scrapbook page!

A whole lot of scrapbooking is going on!

Chris made her first Squash Book and has plans for a second one already!

These ladies are serious crafters! Almost everyone was crafting until 2:30 AM, but I heard the first person head back to the craft room around 7:30 AM!

Jessica took several photos of our group before everyone left Sunday afternoon! These two are my favorites.

Which do you prefer the black and white or the color photo? Please e-mail us at info@crafthavenretreats.com, if you would like to bring your group to Lake View Lodge for a crafting retreat! We are running a Crazy 8 Special right now. Bring your group of eight crafters and we will give you an additional $200 off our Spring 2011 Special of $199 per person! Happy crafting!

Afternoon Delight!

2011-02-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

We had a great card class on Wednesday. Fourteen novice card makers attended our Beginner's Valentine class! We made the three cards from our post, Be My Valentine on Monday. Isn't this room perfect for crafting?

We used Stampin' Up! glue sticks and Dimensionals for our adhesives with great success. Everyone agreed that the Red Glitter Paper is fantastic!

A little concentration, smiles, and laughter made the afternoon fly by!

This lively group of neighbors were eager to learn about card making! We had so many great questions!

Applying light even pressure after careful placement of the background layer.

All the participants loved the cards they made! They stamped the backs of their cards with the Handmade By stamp from the Occaisions Mini catalog. They also stamped their envelopes with coordinating stamps from the XOXO Stamp set. We will be returning in April to make Easter/Spring cards!

Punch Art Montage!

2011-02-09T22:56:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not . . . Nanci's daughter painted her room Basic Gray with Black, White, and Melon Mambo accents! So Nanci created this montage of punch art to hang on her wall. Yes, with the exception of the Melon Mambo button all the decorations were punched or cut with an embosslit die!

Here is a picture of the 12" X 12" page before it was framed!

This project is fast, fun, and fabulous! Happy crafting!

Be My Valentine!

2011-02-07T00:04:00.001-06:00

I'm doing a Valentine's card class this week. All the participants are first time card crafters, so the cards need to be fast, fun, and fabulous! The class materials are limited to the XOXO stamp set, Real Red Ink, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Real Red, Basic Gray card stock, Love Impressions DSP and Red Glimmer Paper. These are the cards I chose for the class.

Card 1

I just love the Red Glimmer Paper! Don't you? I stamped some Whisper White card stock with the XOXO background stamp and punched out the other two hearts! They are mounted with dimensionals on Basic Gray Scalloped Heart of Hearts embosslits.

Card 2

This card is cased from Lori Mueller's blog. Lori cleared up the mystery of where I saw this card! Thanks Lori for sending the link to your card! You can view Lori's card here! I love the Pinking Heart border punch! The Basic Gray layer of the Curly Label was cut with the Movers and Shapers Curly Label.

Card 3

This card is the only one in the set that didn't use the Red Glimmer Paper. At the suggestion of the hostess, the Real Red and Pink Pirouette Small Heart punches were replaced by Red Glimmer Paper punches. Unfortunately, I sent the card samples ahead, so they could be displayed without taking a picture of the card with the Red Glimmer Paper hearts! All three cards are easy to assemble. Vote for your favorite card in the comments!

January Stamp Club with a Valentine Theme

2011-01-23T21:28:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day was the theme for our January Stamp Club. Our cards this month feature the all new XOXO stamp set, Valentine's Defined, and Love Impression Specialty Designer Series Paper found in the new Occasions Mini Catalog. We also used the Love Patterns DSP and Filled With Love stamp set, along with our free Bitty Buttons from the Valentine's Day Promotion. A touch of Red Glimmer Paper completd our cards.

Paper: Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Love Patterns DSP

Stamps: Valentine Defined, Filled With Love

Ink: Pretty in Pink

Misc: Big Shot Movers and Shapers, Pinking Heart Border punch, Heart Small punch, Full Heart punch, Basic Pearls, misc white ribbon

Earlier this fall we discovered that the Movers and Shapers pieces can be used to add a layer to several of the stamps and punches, perfect for an extra border!

Paper: Whisper White CS, Basic Grey CS, Real Red CS, Love Impressions DSP

Stamps: Filled With Love, Valentine Defined

Ink: Real Red

Misc: Big Shot Movers and Shapers, Pinking Heart Border punch, Full Heart punch, Real Red Ribbon, Basic Rhinestones

Paper: Basic Grey CS, Real Red CS, Pink Pirouette CS, Whisper White CS,

Love Impressions DSP, Red Glimmer

Stamps: Filled With Love

Ink: Real Red, Basic Grey, Versa Mark

Misc: Love Impressions Rub-Ons, 1 3/8" Oval punch, 1 3/4" Oval punch, Heart to Heart punch, Heart Small punch, Heat and Stick Powder, Pink Glitter, Real Red Seam Binding, Basic Rhinestones

Paper: Whisper White CS, Basic Black CS, Real Red CS, Love

Impressions DSP,Red Glimmer

Stamps: Valentine Defined, Filled With Love

Ink: Real Red, Garden Green

Misc: Pinking Heart Border punch, Heart Small punch, Real Red Glitter Brad, black

ribbon, misc. flower punch

Paper: Very Vanilla CS, Cherry Cobbler CS, Basic Black CS, Love Letter DSP, Red Glimmer

Stamps: XOXO, Filled With Love

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Misc: Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit Die, Full Heart punch, Small Heart punch, 1 3/8" Oval punch, 1 3/4" Oval punch, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding

Paper: Real Red CS, Pretty in Pink CS, Whisper White CS, Patterns Love DSP, Red Glimmer

Stamps: Filled With Love

Ink: Real Red, Versa Mark

Misc: Pinking Heart Border punch, Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit Die, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, 3/4" Circle punch, Full Heart punch, Small Heart punch, Heart to Heart punch, Heat and Stick Powder, Pink Glitter

Paper: Whisper White CS, Basic Grey CS, Pretty in Pink CS, Patterns Love DSP

Stamps: Valentine Defined

Ink: Pretty in Pink, White Craft

Misc: White Embossing Powder, 1 3/8" Oval punch, 1 3/4" Oval punch, Eyelet Border punch, Curly Label punch, Basic Rhinestones, white ribbon

Paper: Whisper White CS, Real Red CS, Pink Pirouette CS, Love Impressions DSP

Stamps: XOXO

Ink: Real Red

Misc: Small Heart punch, Bitty Buttons, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Scalloped Circle punch, 2 3/8" Circle punch, White Gel pen

Quilt Much?

2011-01-08T18:03:00.000-06:00

My grandmother made us quilts when we were little. I still have mine. I enjoy quilting and have seen several quilted top note cards on different blogs and wanted to try my hand at quilting a card.

I used DSP Patterns Stack Regals Collection and the 1 1/4" square punch to make my squares. I adhered my squares to a piece of cardstock and then ran it through the Big Shot with the Top Note die. I used my paper-piercing tool and mat pack to create the pattern for my stiches. Luckily, I had some gold embroidery floss that matched the More Mustard ribbon. I used a cross stich to add stability to the paper pieces (some of them ended up quite small) and to add more texture to the quilted layer. The card base is Night of Navy card stock layered with More Mustard DSP Patterns Stack Regals Collection and Very Vanilla. The senitment is from Inspired by Nature and stamped in Night of Navy Ink. I used the cutter kit distressing tool to distress the edges of the Very Vanilla and Night of Navy layers of the sentiment. I loved making this card. I hope you will try this technique too!

Merry Christmas-disco style!

2010-12-25T11:55:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from Nanci and I! I cased this idea from Melanie and Joy over at Everyday Cricut! Of course, I picked another song and dance! Nanci and I were both disco queens! LOL Hope you enjoy the video! You may need to go to the blog to see the video, if you receive our posts via e-mail. Just click on the post title Merry Christmas-disco style! and it will take you right to the blog!

Sweet and Simple Box #2 Bigz XL Dies

2010-12-24T18:08:00.000-06:00

We crafted these boxes to hold peppermint candies to sell at our craft shows for the holiday season. We sold all the boxes we made originally.

Nanci received an e-mail from a prior customer wanting to purchase twelve more boxes. We did not have enough of the Candy Cane Christmas Specialty DSP left to satisfy the order. At the customer's request we improvised.

This box design is what we came up with. We stamped the candy piece from Bingo Bits and punched out the circles and scallop to coordinate with the papers. We love these festive little boxes all tied up as gifts for our customer's guests!

The boxes travel better with the lids closed. The candy tag lets the recipient know what to expect inside the box when it is opened.

This tower of boxes makes a sweet display!

Did you notice the background paper? It's the Specialty Paper Bride! I purchased it on clearance a few weeks back because someone had mentioned it in a blog that was discussing the Presto Patterns DSP. I love this paper! If you have the snowflake punch, it is an awesome combination due to the shimmer of the paper's design and the slim detail of the punched snowflake!

We hope that you will enjoy this video that Nanci's daughter suggested. The group is Straight No Chaser doing the 12 Days of Christmas. They are fantastic!

Nanci and I would like to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas!

Snow Expected!

2010-12-23T19:36:00.000-06:00

We're expecting snow for the next three days, so I thought I'd share this Sweet Snowglobe card with you!

We used the Sweet Treat Cup to hold our dazzling diamond "snow." We ran our Bashful Blue card stock through the Big Shot with the Northern Flurries embossing folder. Our sentiment and Sweet Snowglobe are heat embossed with silver embossing powder. We also applied a little two-way glue to the stamped image so some of the dazzling diamonds would stick to the stamped image too.

The sentiment is from the Snow Swirled stamp set. Night of Navy and Whisper White card stock complete the card. We recommend mailing this card with the padded envelopes from Stampin' Up! Extra postage will be required. Let it snow!

Jolly Holiday Revisited and $99 Overnight Retreat Special

2010-12-22T23:25:00.000-06:00

Oops! I forgot to post these cards the other day with our Have a Jolly Holiday DSP post. If you need a few quick and easy card ideas these are very simple. We made them at our beginner's card class at our Ladies Night Out Retreat.

We ran the Very Vanilla card stock through the Big Shot using the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. Our wreath stamp came from the Northern Hearts set stamped with Old Olive. Our sentiment is from Many Merry Messages stamped in Cherry Cobbler. We've adorned our wreath with red crystal stickles!

The idea for this card came from DOStamping with Dawn (Olchefske)'s blog. She used the French Foilage stamp set to create a holiday wreath with the "stamping off " technique which she explains in the same post. We loved her card, but wanted to give it our own look. Our sentiment is from the Scenic Season stampset. We inked the stamp with VersaMark and Cherry Cobbler inks and heat set it with clear embossing powder.

This card uses the Scallop Edge Border, 5-Petal Flower, and Two-step bird punches and Holly Jolly DSP to create a fast and easy card! Our sentiment is from the Bright Christmas stamp set inked with Cherry Cobbler.

We have 6 spaces left for our $99 Overnight Retreat Special February 19, 2011. Check-in will begin at 11:00 AM on Saturday. Your overnight will include:

*Lodging at Lake View Lodge on Saturday Night

*Free Make n' Take

*Full use of our Craft Room and Tools

*Saturday Lunch & Dinner

*Sunday Brunch

*All Beverages and Snacks

Check out is at 12:00 PM on Sunday! Located on Dewey Lake, the address for Lake View Lodge is:

50650 Garret Road

Dowagiac, MI 49047

Space is limited! Place your reservation today! E-mail us at info@crafthavenretreats.com, for additional information or check out our Facebook page. Happy Holidays and Happy Crafting!

Deck the Halls DSP Collection

2010-12-19T19:04:00.000-06:00

We love Deck the Halls DSP Collection! We designed these cards for Nanci's Stamp-a-stack, the November Stamp Club, and our Ladies Night Out Retreat in early December.

Dasher was the favorite at our Ladies Night Out Retreat! The sentiment and Dasher stamp are both stamped with VersaMark and heat embossed with gold embossing powder. Don't forget to use your static pad or embossing buddy you want a really clean image when you're through. We ran the Early Espresso card stock through the Big Shot using the Northern Flurry embossing folder.

We love the vintage look of the Deck the Halls DSP and fabric! We frayed the edges of our fabric ribbon to add texture to the bow. Nanci used colored pencils to decorate the bell stamp from Bells & Boughs.

Here's another vintage Christmas look! I used markers to color in the stamp of the bough image and then I masked that stamp and stamped the bell in Early Espresso ink. It looks like the bells are hanging from the bough. The sentiment is from the Bells & Boughs stamp set also. The Cherry Cobbler card stock was run through the Big Shot with the Petals-a-plenty embossing folder. I think it makes the background look just like poinsettias. We also finished this card off with a Deck the Halls fabric bow.

We just love the Christmas Collage stamp! Nanci inked it in VersaMark and Early Espresso and heat embossed the image with clear embossing powder on Crumb Cake card stock. She used the same procedure for the sentiment and the "25, " but she used Cherry Cobbler for the ink. She punched them out and used dimensionals to add depth to the card. She used colored pencils to fill in some of the images of the stamp. This picture doesn't do the card justice--it is really a show stopper when you see it in person.

I cased this card from Tiffany Bauer (www.mycraftyworld.blogspot.com) who made it for a Founder's Circle event. We decided that it was a lovely card, but too expensive to make in bulk and mail--those buttons are heavy! We tried to find a more cost effective design for mailing.

This card was my cheaper to produce and mail alternative. I tried to make it look like the ornament was hanging from the bough. I used markers to color the stamp. The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and is stamped in Early Espresso ink. The Cherry Cobbler card sock was embossed using the Petals-a-plenty embossing folder.

We loved the gift tags from Tags till Christmas! We used gold gel pen accents on some of the punches with natural twine for the ties.

More chocolate--you can never have enough chocolate on hand for the holidays! Again, we used Deck the Halls Fabric for our ribbon bows and natural twine ties.

We loved this paper from Deck The Halls DSP for these Fancy Favor die-cut bags! The poinsettias were so pretty on the outside of the bag. We choose the fabric that matched the inside of the bags to make our bows out of. Soft suede card stock accents finished them off nicely.

We're from Illinois and the cardinal is our state bird. We loved the look of these gift bags and mini-milk cartons with their Cherry Cobbler cardinals. Our bags are tied with Deck the Halls fabric bows again, but our milk carton bows are the Cherry Cobbler seam binding. The icy edge on our mini-milk carton roofs is Silver Glass Glitter which really looks fabulous in person!

The altered Scalloped Envelope die holds a regular size gift card and can easily fit inside any of our gift bags or cards. It also would look nice just placed on a branch of your Christmas tree!

That's a quick overview of some our Deck The Halls DSP collection. We have really enjoyed working with all the designer series papers this year and we hope you have too.

Nanci and I wish you and your family a healthy and happy holiday season and Happy Crafting in 2011!

Have a Jolly Holiday DSP!

2010-12-16T23:21:00.000-06:00

Gift Tags - þ

Medium Gift Bags and Christmas Cards - þ

Gift (a.k.a. Chocolate) - þ

Gift Card Holder - þ

Hoo is it? Santa - þ! Hiding Chocolate and his true Owl identity--even his pack of toys is an owl punch!

Small Gift Bags with Cards - þ

Jolly Holiday Collection - þ

Happy Crafting!

$99 Overnight Special and Tags Till Christmas!

2010-12-13T22:48:00.000-06:00

Nanci and I have decided to offer a $99 Overnight Special for Saturday, February 19, 2011 with check-in at 11:00 AM through Sunday, February 20th at 12:00 PM. Your overnight will include Saturday night lodging, make n'take, full use of our craft room and tools, Saturday lunch, dinner, snacks, and beverages, and Sunday brunch!

We hope you will be able to join us at Lake View Lodge located on Dewey Lake in Dowagiac, Michigan for our mini-retreat! It will be cold and snowy outside, but the lodge will be warm and toasty! Space is limited for our $99 Overnight, so make your reservation today!

When we were preparing for our craft shows this fall, we decided to make Christmas gift tags to coordinate with the three holiday designer series paper packs;

Jolly Holiday DSP

Candy Cane Christmas Specialty DSP

and Deck The Halls DSP

We loved the Top Note packaging that we designed for them, but it definitely did not show off the tags to their full advantage! So we took some photos of the contents before they were packaged!

Aren't they cute! The Tags till Christmas stamp set coordinates so well with the Stampin' Up punches--they are a snap to stamp, punch, and assemble. We added some white and gold gel pen accents!

Unfortunately, the gift tags for Jolly Holiday were already packaged at this point, but all three designs were very similar!

Farewell to Candy Cane Christmas DSP

2010-12-11T16:35:00.000-06:00

We were saddened to learn that Candy Cane Christmas Specialty DSP is no longer available. We have really enjoyed the projects that we made with this paper. We hope you enjoy them too!

Gift Card Holders with the Scalloped Envelope die cut altered to fit regular size gift card. Click here for a link to Tara Bazata's video tutorial! It's fast and fun! We used velcro to close our gift card holders and a few quick punches and a brad to decorate the envelope!

We cased this gift card holder by Vicki Burdick from Late Night Stampers! It was so cute! We made it at our November Stamp Club and at our last retreat at Lake View Lodge! It's a gift before you open it to get your gift card!

We did not pick the gift card our to match the paper--it was a happy accident!

A Baker's dozen gift tags made with the Tags till Christmas stamp set.

We loved the matching Candy Cane Christmas fabric that Stampin' Up! put out to match this paper. We used it in place of ribbon to compliment these chocolate bars wrapped in the Candy Cane Specialty DSP.

Fabric ribbon and some fancy penguin punch art adorn these mini milk cartons! These quirky birds are concealing chocolate treats and their true "owl" identities!

We designed these cards for our Christmas Stamp-a-stack, but we also used them at last weekend's retreat for a beginner's card class with fantastic results!

Everyone at our retreat loved the dazzling diamonds! A little "bling" goes a long way!

What would scallops be without a little Crystal Stickles? Remember to give the stickles some time to dry!

So long Candy Cane Christmas Specialty DSP! We will miss you!

A Candy Cane Christmas is coming!

2010-11-26T14:57:00.002-06:00

Everyone needs gift bags at Christmas! We've used the Candy Cane Christmas Specialty DSP and Candy Cane Christmas fabric to decorate our holiday gift bags! The tag on our bag was created with the Sweet Snowglobe stamp, circle punched, and adhered to a scallop circle punch of Garden Green decorated with White Gel Pen dots!

A great gift bag deserves a great card! :)

Is this bag too large? How about a die-cut gift bag? These cute little bags were made with the Fancy Favor Stampin' Up! Bigz Xl die. The stamp on our tag came from the Tags Till Christmas Stampset. It's a fast fun project. The perfect container for that special gift!

What about a Candy Cane Christmas Gift Box!

This box was cut with the Box #2 Bigz Xl die. We filled ours with peppermints of course! Tomorrow we'll have a few ideas about what to put inside your gift bags and boxes! :)

Thank You - Inspired by Nature

2010-11-21T22:28:00.000-06:00

I love the stamp set Inspired by Nature. I purchased it in September or October, but I haven't had a chance to use it until yesterday! I needed to send some Thank you cards out, so I decided to inaugurate the stamp by using it to create my cards.

Here's the design I came up with. The stamp is quite large and double-sided. The background grass is on one side and the flower is mounted to the other side of the wood block. I inked the stamp with VersaMark and then I inked my brayer with Early Espresso so I could apply an even coat of ink over the VersaMark before stamping my flower image. I embossed the image with clear embossing powder. I used daubers of Always Artichoke, More Mustard, and Cajun Craze inks to apply ink to the Very Vanilla card stock. The edges were inked with Early Espresso also.

Early Espresso card stock is layered with Autumn Spice DSP which frames the completed stamped image. The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, stamped with Early Espresso, and punched out with the Word Window and Modern Label Punch. The completed sentiment is attached to the stamp image with Dimensionals.

I highly recommend adding Teeny Tiny Wishes, Word Window Punch and Modern Label Punch to your arsenal of stamping supplies--they are must haves! You can purchase them on-line from Nanci's Stampin' Up! site 24/7. As for Inspired by Nature, I cannot wait to use this stamp again!

Happy Stamping!

2010 Ladies Night Out - Chrysalis Community Center FundRaiser

2010-11-20T20:34:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful time at 2010 Ladies Night Out! The event was from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM and benefited the Youth Programs for the Chrysalis Community Center. Our Penguin Treat bags sold out! We had pre-packaged our Note Card Desk and Christmas gift sets, so we displayed samples of each set on our table.

There were approximately ten other venders at the event which featured a raffle ticket fundraiser with vendor donations and a weekend getaway!

A troup of dancers provided entertainment at regular intervals over the course of the evening. Their costumes were charming and the dances were lively!

The dancers were all different ages!

We had a great view from our table!

Yes, those are lighted candles that they are dancing with on their heads! The Chrysalis Community Center is going to have another fundraiser this spring, we hope to see you there!

Craft Haven Retreats current special of $199 per person has been extended to our Spring 2011 season. Retreat weekends at Lake View Lodge in Dowagiac, Michigan, include two nights lodging and five home-cooked meals, beverages, and snacks. Your weekend can be customized to meet your groups needs. Crafting classes, massages, manicures, and pedicures available for an additional fee.

2010 Ladies Night Out - Chrysalis Community Center

2010-11-18T00:00:00.001-06:00

Just a quick post to let you know that we are participating in a charity event to benefit Chrysalis' youth programs at the Chicago Heights Country Club West tonight from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. We sold out of our Thanksgiving Hostess gifts at Saturday's show, so we came up with a couple of cute replacements!

These cute little boxes of "Rudolph Spares" are filled with Red Hot Candies or Cherry Candies.

These Penguin Kiss bags are the substitute for our Turkey Treat Bags! They'll both make excellent stocking stuffers! I want them both in my stocking!

Look close our "penguin" is an owl in disguise! After the Chrysalis Community Center event, I'm off to the midnight showing of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1! I will be drinking a lot of coffee at work on Friday!

Retreat!

2010-11-16T23:56:00.000-06:00

We've been keeping quite busy in our scrap-booking room preparing for a few craft shows and some Stampin' Up! events. I thought I'd share some pictures from a retreat we had at the end of October. The weather at the lake was beautiful that weekend--mostly sun! The grass is not brown--it's covered with pine needles!

Sandy, from St. Louis, MO sent us this photo. The view is from the living room of the house looking at the lake. I love the fall color in the foliage. I love sitting on the front porch--it's so relaxing!

We had a varied group of crafters this weekend-- quilting, scrap-booking, and handmade ornaments. Saturday after lunch we all ran over to Kathryn Wise's store, Sew Many Pleasures in Dowagiac, MI and we hit a sale! Kathy specializes in gifts and collectibles. After our guests departed on Sunday, Nanci and I ran up to Kathy's shop and hit the sale again!

Best of all we had lively games of dominoes after dinner both nights! Grilled Peach and Chicken Salad, Home Made Navy Bean Soup, and Creme Brulee French Toast Casserole were the favorite weekend menu items! We are booking retreats for 2011 now! E-mail us and reserve your weekend today!

October Stamp Club

2010-10-25T21:23:00.001-05:00

We celebrated the arrival of Fall at our October Stamp Club meeting by making 4 cards using Stampin' Up!'s gorgeous Day of Gratitude and French Foliage stamp sets. Both of these beautiful sets are featured in the Holiday Mini Catalog. Our DSP for the evening was Autumn Spice. With all of the rich colors and texture, this specialty paper is the perfect choice for Fall and Thanksgiving projects. Combined with card stock and inks in Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Old Olive, Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake, our fall color palette was complete!

For our first card, we used the French Foliage stamp set.

We used every stamp in this set to create our background paper and then inked the edges in Early Espresso. We lightly sponged More Mustard throughout our image to give a more aged look. Our sentiment from the Holiday Best set was stamped in Cajun Craze, layered on More Mustard and Cajun Craze card stock and popped up with Dimensionals. For our simple embellishment we cut out a few more stamped leaves, inked the edges for a crisp look, added an antique brad and a twist of twine! All of our ladies LOVED this card!

For our second card we used the awesome medallion stamp from Day of Gratitude. This stamp is so bold and versatile! It can be used for all seasons with just a change of ink colors, and looks great stamped with multiple colors or in just one tone. It's perfect as a background stamp using tone on tone, or embossed with Versamark. It's hard to go wrong with this fantastic stamp!

For our project, we went for multiple colors using our Stampin' Write Markers. We cut out our medallion and layered it on Early Espresso, More Mustard and Cajun Craze. Our sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and punched out with Word Window and layed on a Modern Label punched out in Cajun Craze.

For our next card we made a gate fold and featured a beautiful patterned paper from the Autumn Spice DSP on one panel and complimented it with a leaf image stamped in tone on tone on the other panel. We Ticket Corner punched our layered panel for added dimension. Our Day of Gratitude sentiment was punched out using the Decorative Label and made for the perfect card closure!

For our last card we created a quick and easy background using the Bright Blessings Jumbo Wheel rolled twice across our paper in More Mustard ink. Our three simple images were colored using our Regal markers and punched out using the 1 1/4" Square Punch and then layered on Early Espresso. We used Crystal Effects on the center of our flowers and added 3 Rhinestones across the bottom for a little sparkle and shine!

We ended our evening by making our Turkey Treat Bags, which have become quite a hit! You can view these cute little guys in our previous post! Thanks for looking at our projects and Happy Crafting!

Craft Show Recovery!

2010-10-17T09:23:00.000-05:00

We survived the craft show! Sunday, October 10, 2010, we participated in the 29th Oktoberfest at Marion Catholic High School. What a great experience!

The event is run as a fundraiser for the band. The band members help the vendors with set up and tear down before and after the event. They also bring coffee and donuts around in the morning and provide a lunch menu pick up and delivery service. Everyone was so helpful! We had a great time!

Nanci's son-in-law and husband built this great display for us! It folds in half and we can change all the shelving around to fit the display each time we exhibit. At the craft show we were invited to three other events. We will be participating in two other craft shows in November, Miss Nikki's Craft Fair and Ladies Night Out 2010 at the Chicago Height's Country Club!

We sold out of one item at the craft show--our Thanksgiving hostess gift wrapped chocolates. Luckily we took pictures of them before the show. We love the Autumn Spice DSP. It really has the flavor and feel of Thanksgiving! :)

Nanci's Turkey Treat Bags were popular also!

Nanci's stamp club is meeting on Tuesday, so we will have some sneak peeks for you tomorrow! :)

Boo! We're Back!

2010-10-05T19:55:00.000-05:00

Five days to the craft fair and we're counting! Here are a few more "crafty" items for Halloween!

We used the Texturized Spider Web embossing folder on the brown treat bags. It embosses the pattern onto all 4 sides of the bag at one time! You can also emboss paper napkins with the embossing folders too! Give it a try! Here's a close up of the detail on our treat bag.

Our treats bags are stuffed with candy--don't tell anyone!

We hope you are enjoying all the "owl" art on the internet! There are so many creative people out there. Nanci saw a mini lunch sack on Stampin' Connection posted by Shauna O'Donnel with this image on it and couldn't resist turning it into one of the card projects for the September Stampin' Club. Everyone at the club meeting enjoyed making this card. Thanks for the inspiration Shauna!

Owl Punch Playdate Desk Set

2010-10-03T20:35:00.000-05:00

Don't cha just love that owl punch and Playdate DSP? We do! The Zutter binder is hiding extra large post-it note pages. Stamps and sentiment are from the Apple Blossom stamp set. Paper clips are hiding out in our mini-milk carton. We will be selling this set at the 29th Annual Oktoberfest Craft Show at Marion Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, IL next Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM. We hope to see you there! Happy crafting! :)

Love Letter DSP Desk Set With Note Cards

2010-09-26T22:05:00.000-05:00

The elegance of Love Letter DSP is perfectly presented in this desk set which includes seven note cards and matching bookmark. It would make an excellent gift for your favorite teacher or avid reader!

Nanci discovered that the retired stamp set, Note to Self, matches the paper pattern in Love Letter DSP to a tee of T if you prefer! Take a look at the stamped edges of the post-it notes and the black patterned paper of the note card holder--they are exactly the same pattern!

The note card holder contains seven note cards. The stamp "just a little note" is from the Apple Blossom stamp set.

There are ten different book markers to choose from. Each with their delightful "bookworm" sentiment which is also from the Apple Blossom stamp set.

This set will be available for sale at the 29th Annual Oktoberfet Craft Show at Marion Catholic High School on October 10, 2010 in Chicago Heights, IL. We hope to see you there! Happy Crafting!

Pumpkin Instructions!

2010-09-25T14:32:00.001-05:00

We have had several inquiries about our "Great Pumpkins" post from last Saturday. The pumpkins were fast and fun to construct and decorate. We hope these directions will assist you in creating your own pumpkin patch!

The pumpkins were made using 11 1" X 6" strips of card stock. Punch holes at top and bottom of card stock strips and run a piece of ribbon through the bottom and top holes. (I stacked mine and used the cropadile to go thru all 11 at once). I used about an 8" piece of ribbon. Secure the ribbon at the bottom with a brad. Pull the ribbon from the top to form your shape and fan the strips around to form your circle. Tie off the top of the ribbon to form the stem, and decorate as you like!

If you want to purchase your pumpkins already made, plan to attend the 29th Oktoberfest Arts and Crafts Show at Marian Catholic High School on Sunday, October 10th! You could also book a weekend retreat at Lake View Lodge in Dowagiac, MI and request a class in pumpkin paper crafting!

We've also received several inquiries about where we purchased that "skinny" bags used in Thursday's "Harvest Time Delights" post. We purchased all our bags from Clearbags.com.

Happy Crafting!

Harvest Time Delights

2010-09-23T23:57:00.000-05:00

Our 1"X8" and 2"X5" clear bags arrived and we immediately put them to good use! We punched out Cajun Craze tags stamped in basic brown with happy harvest from Loads of Love Accessories stamp set. We layered a small More Mustard card stock oval stamped with Cajun Craze pumpkins from the same stamp set on top of the tag. The edges of both punches were inked with Basic Brown to give added dimension. The Sizzix Bag with Scallop die was cut using the Big Shot.

The pumpkins were made with Cajun Craze and Autumn Spice DSP. Punches used were the Medium Oval and 1" Circle punches. The leaves are punched from the Two Step Bird punch. Sentiment is stamped from Teeny Tiny Wishes and punched out with Word Window punch.

Here are some close ups of the completed treat bags. Both projects would make excellent table decorations and/or hostess gifts for your holiday dinner table. These treats will also be for sale on our table at the 29th Annual Oktoberfest Marion Catholic High School Craft Fair. We hope you will stop by and visit with us. We will also have information about our weekend craft retreats at Lake View Lodge in Dowagiac, MI!

Batty For You And Treats Too!

2010-09-21T23:26:00.000-05:00

Directions - Stamp, punch, punch, punch, glue wiggle eyes, glue, glue, white gel pen dots, cut, fold, fold, scallop border punch, punch, punch, punch, tie, insert sucker of your choice (ours is Carmel Apple), adhere back of sucker closure sleeve.

We found that these suckers are extremely top heavy. We will be selling these Halloween treats at our upcoming craft show at Marion Catholic High School on October 10, 2010. We could use a good display idea. If you have a display solution that you would like to share with us, please leave a comment on this post.

Recipe:
Paper: Wicked Fun Specialty DSP, Old Olive, Basic Black, Cajun Craze, Rich Razzleberry
Inks: Old Olive, Basic Black, Cajun Craze, Rich Razzleberry
Suckers of Choice

Haunted Handbags!

2010-09-20T23:49:00.000-05:00

Check out these cute gift bags with coordinating cards! Stuff with purple or orange tissue paper and add some candy flavored chapsticks and you are ready to trick or treat your BFF!

These cute handbags were part of a Tres Chic Handbag tutorial that we purchased from the creator and designor, Becky Roberts! Becky is a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and she creates, designs, and sells her tutorials from her blog, Inking Idaho.

Want to really trick or treat your BFF? Suprise her with a Craft Haven Retreat weekend at Lake View Lodge! Our fall special, $199 per person, ends October 31, 2010. Contact us for information at info@crafthavenretreats.com.

Project Recipe:

Papers: Wicked Fun Specialty DSP, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, and Basic Black card stock

Stamp sets: Wicked Cool and Batty for You

Inks are Cajun Craze, Basic Black, and Rich Razzleberry

Punches: Scalloped Border Punch, Scalloped Cricle Punch, Oval Punch, Circle punch, Modern lable punch

Textured Spider Web Embossing Folder

Big Shot Original Blossom Party

Happy Crafting!

Are you searching for the Great Pumpkin?

2010-09-18T10:39:00.000-05:00

Well you have found it! Grab your Cajun Craze, Old Olive, and Very Vanilla card stock and Day of Gratitude stamp set and you are good to go!

We love these pumpkins! They'll make great table decorations for your Thanksgiving feast. These pumpkins are going to the 29th Oktoberfest Arts & Crafts Show, Sunday, October 10, 2010 at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, IL from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Stop by our booth and get information on your next crafting retreat! Pick up a pumpkin or two while you're there!

If you cannot attend the craft show, send us an e-mail at info@crafthavenretreats.com and we will send retreat information to you. Thank you for visiting our blog! Happy Crafting!

Boo!

2010-09-15T21:41:00.000-05:00

Halloween is right around the corner! We hope you are gearing up to "treat" your neighborhood visitors! Stampin' Up! has such a variety of crafting materials for the Halloween season! Light a path to your door--take a look at these luminaries which we made with the Wicked Fun Specialty DSP!

Here is a close up of the black luminary!

We embossed the vellum with the Spider Web Textured Impressions Embossing Folder!

Got Treats?

This stamp set is made to coordinate with the Mini Milk Carton Bigz L Die for the Big Shot! Filled with your favorite candy--PUSH UP HERE . . . TO OPEN--and pour--we're sure they will be a hit at your home!

Nanci and I have been preparing for the 29th Annual Oktoberfest Arts & Crafts Show at Marion Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, IL. The craft show will be held on Sunday, October 10, 2010. Craft Haven Retreats will have a display at the craft show and we will also be selling paper-crafted items. Doors open at 10 AM and close at 4 PM. We hope to meet you there!

Big Shot Hero Video Contest Winner!

2010-09-11T21:48:00.000-05:00

This video is the winning entry for the Stampin' Up! Make Your Own Commercial Contest produced by Matt and Linda Heller. Nanci and I both thought it was pretty entertaining! If you are receiving this post via e-mail, click on the article heading, you will be redirected to the blog to view the video! :) Hope you enjoy it!

By the way, we have a Big Shot and a lot more crafting space in our craft room at Lake View Lodge. Make your reservations today and you can roll out your own die-cuts and embossed images--soundtrack optional. Happy Crafting! :)

CHA Summer 2010 Remembered at Last!

2010-09-08T01:20:00.001-05:00

The CHA Summer 2010 Craft Supershow was held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois this year.

We attended the show on Friday, July 30th. I had to work on Friday morning for a few hours and we thought we would be arriving late. We did not realize that it didn't open until Noon on Friday, so we didn't miss anything. We were in line and waiting when they opened the doors! :)

We had such a great time at the show. We decided to stop by the Splitcoaststampers.com booth. I joked with Nanci that maybe we would get to meet Beate! She does a lot of the video tutorials on Splitcoaststampers.com and her blog, fresh & fun, is wonderful! We were doing a make-n'-take and the woman at the booth started explaining how to use the Copic markers and I instantly recognized her voice--it was Beate! I was "star-struck" and tonque-tied immediately! I still cannot believe that we actually got to meet her--what a thrill!

Nanci, Beate, and I at CHA Summer 2010

Custom Crops had this photo opportunity all set up at their booth including the props.

We're thinking of replacing our current blog photo from last years Covered Bridge Festival in Southern Indiana with the snapshot from the Custom Crops booth. Leave a comment and let us know which photo you prefer! Thanks in advance and happy crafting!

Original Content Removed at the Request of Stampin' Up! Compliance 2

2010-09-06T21:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Labor Day!

Our Fall 2010 Special $199 per person is good through October 31, 2010. We have a few spots left for the weekend of October 22-24th! Reservations via e-mail, info@crafthavenretreats, or telephone, Nanci 708-259-7482 or Melannie 708-441-9531. Happy Crafting!

Original Content Removed at the Request of Stampin' Up! Compliance

2010-09-05T00:03:00.002-05:00

By the way, my Squash Book was featured on Young and Crafty's blog for Scraptastic Saturday. On Saturdays you can link up a project to the site. It's a fun way to see what other people are creating! Thanks again Hannah for featuring my project! Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!

Holiday Mini Projects from Studio1Stampers Meeting!

2010-09-04T01:50:00.000-05:00

In my blog yesterday I mentioned that we had been to a Studio1Stampers meeting with Laura Barto. She had four projects we could make--all using items from the Holiday Mini catalog.

Christmas Collage is a large wooden background stamp. Laura stamped an image of the stamp on a piece of vellum. She cut it to fit inside the stamps plastic container and positioned it so you could see the stamped image through the box lid. She then took 4 different Stampin' Spot inks and applied the ink (rubbed it around) to the box's lid in the areas where she wanted the color on the stamped image. Then she lightly spritzed the box top with water mist. When the color on the plastic lid beaded up, she placed a piece of white glossy paper on top of the box. Then she placed a sheet of copy paper on top of the box top and lightly rubbed the paper over the area covered by the glossy paper. This process transfers the ink colors to the glossy card stock. Carefully remove the glossy paper and allow it to dry for approximately 2 minutes. In the meantime, we inked the Christmas Collage stamp with Early Expresso.

When the card stock is dry enough, place the colored side down on top of the inked stamp. Rub lightly with the copy paper over the card stock to insure transfer of the Early Express ink to the colored side of the glossy paper. Each image will be unique.

This matchbox chest is filled with Gift tags that were stamped and punched like the Dec. 25 tag on top of the chest. The fabric ribbon is cut from the new Stampin' Up! fabric. Notice the stripes in the fabric all match the cardstock in the chest. The matchbox die-cut is for the Big Shot. It cuts the shape, scores the fold lines and will even put perforations in to make the more difficult folds easier!

The Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and the distressing tool where used to texturize this card. The image was stamped in black and colored in with the Stampin' Up markers. The rhinestones and ribbon dress the card up nicely!

This is the coaster from the Holiday Mini. The die-cut for this shape cut all three layers at once. I finished quilting the coaster at home tonight. I did not have any white or natural quilting thread, so I decided to use the gold color--it makes the stitches easier to see.

Aren't these projects fabulous? Thank you Laura for sharing these projects with us!

Christmas is Coming!

2010-09-03T01:17:00.000-05:00

We went to the Studio1Stampers Group Meeting on Thursday evening. The event was hosted by Stampin' Up Demonstrator, Laura Barto. We made several projects, but I'm just going to post one tonight! More projects and technique details will be given in Saturday's post!

This card uses the Christmas Collage stamp from the new Holiday Mini Catalog!

Hope you enjoy the card! Happy Crafting!

Merci Stamp Set with Blended Watercolor Crayons

2010-09-02T00:52:00.000-05:00

I came across the picture of this card tonight and I thought it might be interesting to see it posted with the cards that I posted on Sunday using the same stamp set.

This card was made about two years ago using the Merci Stamp Set from Stampin' Up! The images were stamped in black and heat set with black sparkle embossing power. I used the Watercolor Crayons Soft Subtles to color the card and blended it with the Aqua Painter. The flower centers are Swarovski Crystals that are applied with a heat setting tool.

These are the two cards that I posted on Sunday, August 29th.

The Merci Stamp Set images were stamped with Versamark and colored with chalk on a q-tip. Same stamps but what a contrast in styles!

Just a reminder that Craft Haven Retreats Weekend Fall Special $199 per person ends October 31st. We have reservations available! Lake View Lodge is located at 50650 Garrett Road, Dowagiac, MI 49047. If you are interested or want additional information, you can contact us at info@crafthavenretreats.com or call Nanci at (708) 259-7482 or Melannie at (708) 441-9531. See our add in Michigan Scrapbooker Fall 2010 issue.

August Stamp Club Projects

2010-09-01T02:57:00.000-05:00

Hi Crafters!

We had a really late night tonight! Our August Stamp Club met tonight, so we could get the order in before midnight! Here is our parade of projects!

Card #1--who doesn't love Play Date DSP and the Owl punch?

Card #2--Flower Pot Card--fast, fun, and fabulous! :)

Pick the flowers to reveal the sentiment! The hardest part is deciding where you want to adhere your Old Olive leaves!

Card #3--Who doesn't like ice cream? Design your own sundae!

Does anyone know what the wood grain looking square stamp is in this stamp set? We cannot figure it out!

Card #4--is the Gala Greenhouse DSP sneak peek from our post on Tuesday 8-24-10.

Are you dazzled by our Dazzling Diamonds?

Card #5--Is a card we cased right out of the Stampin' Success.

Do you like this card? Circle Yes Circle No . . . Circle Circus stamp set--we love it! Hmmm, I wonder how many circles there are on this card?

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Crafting!

Q is for Quinceanera!

2010-08-31T00:41:00.001-05:00

1. Start with a lot of Bashful Blue card stock.

2. Add in some Whisper White card stock and a little Vellum.

3. Sprinkle with tons of Crystal Stickles and white gel pen dots.

4. Punch out hundreds of scallop and stamped circles.

5. Fold and cut paper for many hours.

6. Use every scrap of red line adhesive you can lay your hands on.

7. Run your Elegant Bouquet embossing folder through the Big Shot hundreds of times.

8. Quality control check each belly band for the perfect fit.

9. Keep plenty of foil and wax paper on hand to keep scallop border punch fine tuned!

The end result is 150 Quinceanera Invitations and envelopes!

That's a lot of paper, adhesive, and ink, but what a great project!

Happy Quince Anos and crafting!

Versamark and Chalk?

2010-08-29T00:38:00.001-05:00

Yes, you read correctly. During my YouTube video tutorial marathon session, earlier this week, I saw not one but two videos talking about using chalk with Versamark. I decided to try it for myself because I couldn't tell what the end product looked like from either video. I have owned a box of chalks for about 5 years and I can count on one hand the number of times I have opened that box. Most of the chalks have never been used, but I will be using them now!

I started the project with some Very Vanilla, left overs from when I made my Squash Book. The stamp set is Merci by Stampin' Up--I love everything French! I inked my stamps with Versamark and applied chalk to the stamped images with a q-tip. It was as simple as that!

I love the soft fuzziness of the image. When you are satisfied with your image you simple tap the paper and blow away any excess. I was concerned that the image might smear because you do not emboss it with a heat tool, but it sets without heat. I had a couple of my initial attempts in an envelope in my purse for a couple of days. They looked the same each time I took them out of the envelope.

I also used the Versamark to stamp the More Mustard card stock with stamps from the Merci set to give it a tone-on-tone look. I did set the Versamark on the card stock with clear embossing powder and a heat tool.

I mounted both panels on DSP Patterns Stack Regals Collection. The polka dot is Bravo Burgandy and the stripe paper is Not Quite Navy. I love the Regals Collection! The colors are so warm and vibrant. The gem stickers are from the Martha Stewart birthstone package--I love these embellishments also! I hope you will give this technique a try! Happy Crafting!

Love Letter DSP Squash Book

2010-08-28T01:03:00.001-05:00

Earlier this week I was watching videos on YouTube, one of my new obsessions, and I came across a tutorial called Squash Book with Dawn. I had never heard of a Squash Book. This project is fast, fun, and completely awesome! Dawn Griffith's video tutorial is at the end of this post. Here's my cover!

I used Very Vanilla to construct the pages and Love Letter DSP for the background papers. These DSP papers have a vintage quality to them, so I inked the edges to age the Very Vanilla card stock. Journaled with my stampin' write basic black marker and added a miscellaneous black ribbon and Martha Stewart birthstone gem stickers to give the cover a simple old world look.

When you untie the ribbon and fold back the cover, the first page of your squash book is revealed.

Open the squash book further and you will find an amazing amount of space for photos, journaling, and embellishment!

What's more you have even more room on the flip side of this paper album!

The finished album is 4.25" square. I decided to print my photos in black and white to go along with the aged look. If you decide to cut your photos on the diagonal to fit the triangle shaped folds--lay your photos out first! I ended up repositioning a few of my square photos so the photos all flowed the same direction.

As promised here is Dawn's video! I hope you try this project out! :) Happy Crafting!

Jo-Ann Craft for a Cause Contest Announced

2010-08-25T18:44:00.005-05:00

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores have announced a new Craft for a Cause contest!

Crafters - Enter to win $1,500 Gift Card and Jo-Ann will donate a total of $90,000 to three causes--see link below for details! If you decide to enter the contest, and we hope you will, please e-mail us a photo of your submission to: info@crafthavenretreats.com We will be happy to share your project with our followers.

Contest Dates are as follows:

Begins August 15, 2010 and ends October 30, 2010
Charity voting ends December 4, 2010

Click here to Enter On-Line Now

Sneak Peek - August Stamp Club

2010-08-24T20:05:00.001-05:00

Oh--you peeked! Well, it's to be expected--we did provide a photograph!

This is a lovely example of one of the projects we will be making at Stamp Club this month! If you live in the South Suburban area of Cook County, IL and you are interested in joining Nanci's Stamp Club, please add a comment to this post and she will contact you! If you are a Demonstrator who is interested in our Demonstrator Special and would like to offer classes and/or workshops at Lake View Lodge in Dowagiac, MI, please comment to this post also.

Paper: Greenhouse Gala DSP, Baja Breeze, Daffodil Delight, and Chocolate Chip cardstock
Punches: Modern Label, Word Window, Boho Blossoms, and Ornament Extra-large
Stampset: Awash with Flowers and Teeny Tiny Wishes
Misc: Dazzling Diamonds and Dimensionals

Note Card Sets with Mini Milk Cartons

2010-08-23T21:05:00.001-05:00

Isn't this note card set adorable? It looks so cute with the pumpkins from Sew Many Pleasures (Saturday's post) in the background! There are six matching 3.75"x4" note cards with envelopes inside the box. The mini-milk carton is perfect for storing paper clips, rubber bands, thumbtacks, or my personal favorite--chocolate! Nanci based it on the design from a kit she purchased from Pine Cone Press at CHA Summer 2010.

Here's another look at the same project. Same papers in a smaller size and a completely different look! The Play Date DSP is extremely versatile. The matching cards in this set measure 3"x4"--5 cards will fit inside the holder. The flower has four layers and is adhered with dimensionals. Either set would make an excellent gift!

Supplies: Play Date DSP, Crumbcake, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Old Olive, So Saffron Cardstock, Chocolate Chip Ink, Apple Blossom Stampset, Boho Blossom, Five Petal Flower, Scallop border, Modern Label, and Word window Punch, Tim Holtz hinge clips, Misc. Brads and Ribbon

Thanks for visiting our blog--we love your comments! Happy crafting!

Fall - Chenille Pumpkins - Retreats!

2010-08-21T14:09:00.001-05:00

Fall is right around the corner and so is our first full season offering crafting retreats at Lake View Lodge! We were out and about in Dowagiac, MI the other day and found this great store less than 3 miles from Lake View Lodge! It's called Sew Many Pleasures and it is absolutely a pleasure to visit! Kathyrn Wise, the owner, specializes in Gifts and Collectibles. We fell in love with these chenille pumpkins!

Nanci bought them for her house, but they are at my house right now--I don't know if I can give them back! :)

Kathy's shop is filled with hand-made "gems" like these pumpkins. She is a charming woman and a master-crafter! Kathy has graciously offered to teach a class at Lake View Lodge on how to make these adorable pumpkins. If you would like to sign up for a class with Kathy at Lake View Lodge, please contact us at info@crafthavenretreats.com. We are still accepting reservations for our 2010 fall weekend special--$199 per person! Visit our website at CraftHavenRetreats.com.

If you are in the Dowagiac, MI area, please stop in and visit Kathy at Sew Many Pleasures her shop is a delight to the eye! Sew Many Pleasures is open Wed-Sun from 10 AM-5 PM, May-November, Phone: 269-424-3467, Cell: 269-208-3094. Happy Crafting!

Play Date DSP With an Owl

2010-08-20T23:33:00.000-05:00

Make a date to play with this paper! It's fabulous. Have you tried the owl punch? It's fast and fun--I added the little vest and pointer! How sweet is this trio? It would make a great teacher gift set. The matchbox slides open to reveal it's contents to the recipient.

Supplies: Play Date DSP, Crumbcake, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Old Olive, and So Saffron cardstock

Hostess Apple Blossom Stamp set with Real Red Ink

Modern Label, Word Window, Boho Blossom and Five Petal Flower punches

Misc. ribbon and brad

Presto Pattern Projects

2010-08-18T23:50:00.002-05:00

The ideas for two of these cards came from Gina K. of Stamp TV and Linda Walsh, Stampin' Up! Demonstrator in Massachusettes. I had watched both of these two video tutorials and thought that the techniques used were excellent.

The "you're too kind" card uses the altered Presto Patterns DSP panels from my post on August 17th.

The '"thinking of you" card features a stamped image that has been quartered to offer a window effect also.

The "Bonjour" card is my own design. I stamped the white cardstock with Versamark and clear embossing powder to create my own presto pattern paper. I used a dauber to apply Red Riding Hood ink to the surface and sprayed it with Silver Smooch spray just like the panels in the "you're too kind" card. I wiped the excess ink from the surface with a paper towel to pop the white resist areas. I cut the Bonjour and the telephone on the Cricut Expression using the Sentimentals cartridge.

Products used are Stampin' Up! unless noted otherwise. The list of materials used is as follows:

Papers--Presto Patterns Specialty Paper, Love Letter DSP

Cardstock--Red Riding Hood, Basic Black, Whisper White, Basic Gray

Inks--Red Riding Hood, Basic Black

Stamps--Teeny Tiny Wishes, Whimsical Words, Stain Glass Window-The Stamp Mill, Background K-3219-unknown

Punches--Scallop Oval, Oval, Scallop Circle, Circle

Embellishments--JoAnne Woven Edge Ribbon, White gel pen, Stampin' Dimensionals, Unknown Crstals

Stampin' Up! Presto Patterns DSP Samples

2010-08-17T00:15:00.001-05:00

I have a package of the new Presto Patterns Designer Series Paper. If you haven't seen this paper before it looks like white paper that's had a pattern embossed on it with clear embossing powder. When you apply any type of ink or color medium to it--it absorbs the color in some places and resists in other areas to reveal the pattern--Presto Pattern!

This is a sample of the paper before color has been applied. You can see the pattern up close or when the light hits it.

I applied Log Cabin Smooch spray to this piece. I sprayed it on and then rubbed it off with a paper towel. It's very shimmery!

These next samples I used a dauber to apply Red Riding Hood Classic Ink, removed the excess ink with a paper towel. Then I sprayed it lightly with Silver Smooch spray and removed the excess with a paper towel.

This last sample I applied Always Artichoke ink using the stamp pad directly on the paper and then blotting with a paper towel. Then I added Cajun Craze with a dauber and wiped off the excess ink again. Then I took the large Aqua painter brush and applied it randomly to the paper in a few places and dabbed the excess water off.

There are several other patterns in the paper pack and you can customize them to fit any color scheme! Tomorrow I'll post a couple of the finished projects!

Sure Cuts A Lot 2 Review

2010-08-15T20:47:00.002-05:00

I finally had some time to try out the Sure Cuts A Lot 2 Software by Craft Edge that I purchased at CHA Summer 2010. I purchased the SCAL software from JoeR@createNcraft.com. He offers support to anyone who purchases Sure Cuts A Lot 2 from him. The software was really easy to load and use. I found free .svg files on the internet at http://svgcuts.com/blog/ that I could download and use within a minute!

Here are the results!

I did not experience any paper tears or areas that weren't cut through. Here is a closeup of the details from both cards.

I found the SCAL easier to use than Design Studio. Both Cards are made with Stampin' Up! Love Letter DSP, Red Riding Hood Classic Ink, and Martha Stewart birthstone gem stickers. Happy crafting! :)

Relay for Life 2010 Team and Fundraising Projects

2010-08-13T00:12:00.000-05:00

ACS Relay for Life Sangamon County 2010

Fighters For Our Future Team

Our team raised $8,198.05 this year! Go Team!

Nanci and I made these cute card holders for the balloon "pop" fundraiser. Aren't they sweet?

The purses have six note cards with envelopes in them and the card folder has 4 cards with envelopes. Craft Haven Retreats donated a weekend retreat for two to the silent auction also. We'll be posting a fundraising project for next year's Relay soon!

Make 'n Takes From CHA Summer 2010

2010-08-11T15:44:00.005-05:00

Nanci and I had such a good time at CHA Summer 2010. We met some crafty-fun-interesting people there! These are some of the Make 'n Takes projects I did while we were there!

I finally bought the Sure Cuts A Lot 2 (SCAL) software (that I have been talking about buying for at least a year) from Joe Rotella at Create & Craft. I am looking forward to creating some great projects on the Cricut with this software!

We hope to offer a retreat later this year that will feature classes offered by Joe and the Create & Craft group.

I think I mentioned a couple of posts ago that we met Beate at the Splitcoaststampers.com booth? She actually worked with us on the two make n' take projects we made at their booth! She introduced us to Copic markers and grunge paper! I am dying to take a Copic class now! :)

This is the pin we made with Copic markers at the Splitcoaststampers.com booth. I had never used Copic markers before--Beate gave us some tips about using the Copic markers! Did I mention that already?

She also helped us make these bracelets using grunge paper with Tim Holtz distress inks and hardware. We wore our bracelets the entire day. Mine had a bright pink button originally, but I put my hand inside my purse too many times that day--I lost it somewhere between the fresh raspberry smoothie and the Cricut booth. I found this button in my sewing basket. It's not pink, but I think it will do.

This Tweet-heart pop-up card we made at the Custom Crops booth. The design and technique were really fast and fun! I smeared my stamp--but that's the beauty of a handmade card.

Last night when I was catching up on some e-mail and blogs I follow, I noticed that one of the ladies who helped us make this card at the Custom Crops booth, Donna Mundinger, writes one of the blogs I follow - Popsicle Toes! She had some photos from the booth on her blog!

We made this birthday card make n' take at the eksuccess brands booth! They were using Martha Stewart punches, K&Company paper, Jolee's stickers, Inkadinkado stamps & dyes! We also signed up for a new crafting web site there called SpottedCanary.com. We even came home with SpottedCanary t-shirts!

Last but not least we made this adorable pin-wheel tag at the Unity StampCompany booth. Love their papers and stamps! :)

While we were waiting to get inside, we met two ladies who had traveled from New Zealand and Malaysia to attend CHA! It was our first visit to CHA and we would definitely go again!

We Like Demonstrators Dance Video from Stampin' Up!

2010-08-09T22:49:00.000-05:00

I heard this song for the first time on Saturday afternoon. Later that evening I saw a post of this video. I hope you enjoy it! :)

Happy Crafting! :)

DEMONSTRATOR SPECIAL

2010-08-07T14:27:00.006-05:00

Welcome Stampin' Up! Demonstrators! Have you ever dreamed of an entire weekend to do nothing but craft? Well, we can make your dreams come true!

Craft Haven Retreats offers an all-inclusive weekend retreat for crafters of all types. We specialize in card making and scrapbooking, offering the use of our craft room tools and equipment to compliment all of your Stampin' Up! projects! We have the Cricut Expression with an extensive library of cartridges, Big Shot with dies, Zutter Binder and more.

We're offering a DEMONSTRATOR SPECIAL - Demonstrators who bring 6 or more guests stay FREE! Our all-inclusive weekend retreats provide a perfect opportunity for demonstators to share their passion with customers, downlines, or friends! In addition to providing delicious home-cooked meals, snacks and lodging, we offer a craft room equipped with individual work tables, craft lighting, and the free use of our extensive tools and equipment.

Host your own workshops for the weekend - whether it be training, techniques, card making, scrapbooking or just playing with new stamps and accessories. We do the rest! We'll work with you to customize your Weekend Retreat to fit your needs.

We're located in the beautiful Sister Lakes Michigan area, just an hour and 45 minutes from Chicago. Our location in Michigan offers beautiful fall foilage with lots of side activities including apple and fruit orchards, antique and craft shopping, wine vinyards tours with taste testing, and just relaxing by the lake. Why not plan a Stampin' Up! getaway weekend now! We're offering a Special Fall Rate of $199 per person--remember--YOU STAY FREE!

Call or e-mail us for more information. We would love to hear from you!

Nanci 708-259-7482

Melannie 708-441-9531

July Stamp Club

2010-08-07T13:18:00.002-05:00

At our July Stamp Clup we featured the gorgeous Bella Bleu DSP. So sad to see this paper go! We made a darling drawer box using Holly McMillen's tutorial found here at Split Coast Stampers. Our 5 cards and envelopes fit perfectly inside. So nice for gift giving or display!

The paper flowers were made using this technique featured in Julie Buhler's Paper Pleasing Ideas tutorial found here.

Drawer top decorated with leaves from the Bird Punch and these fabulous paper flowers.

Border punches always add so much!

Everyone loved the new Elegant Lines embossing folder!

Elegant Bouquet embossed on Top Note Die.

Paper: Bella Bleu DSP, Almost Navy, Craft (not SU, substituted because my Crumb Cake didn't arrive in time)

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Just Believe, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Embossing Folders: Elegant Bouquet, Elegant Lines, Script (Cuttlebug)

Ink: Crumb Cake

Misc: Top Note Die, Bird Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, various Circle Punches, various Oval Punches, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Eyelet Border Punch, Dazzling Diamonds, misc. ribbon, twine and small brads

Thanks for stopping by!

Nanci

Flowers For You!

2010-08-04T16:14:00.000-05:00

This sweet Flower Pot Pocket card is fresh, fun, and easy to make! I used up some leftover paper I had from a Close to My Heart paper pack. I didn't have the punches with me to make the flowers in the tutorial, so I improvised with the Cricut cartridge - Walk in My Garden. "Pick" the flowers out of the pot to reveal the sentiment inside with space for a personalized message too.

Check out the tutorial for this card here at Splitcoaststampers.com. At the bottom of the instructions page is a video tutorial by Beate--she makes the best video tutorials!

Nanci and I went to CHA Summer 2010 in Rosemont, IL last Friday. We stopped at the Splitcoaststampers booth and we met Beate! We were both thrilled to meet her--I was star-struck! We'll post our CHA blog soon!

June Stamp Club

2010-07-03T16:32:00.000-05:00

Craft Haven Retreats Stamp Club held its very first meeting this past week! We made lots of fun summer cards featuring Stampin' Up!'s Tropical Pary Stamp Set and the Island Oasis DSP. Our theme for the evening was totally tropical, right down to the delicious Key Lime cookie bars provided by our June Hostess - Melannie!

We started out with a quick and easy card inspired by Laura Barto at her May Stamp-a-Stack Buffet. Be sure to check out all of Laura's great projects at http://www.papercraftingtrends.com/.

Our next card was CASE'd from Gretchen Barron. Gretchen's Flirty Little Sundress and Matching Purse was the perfect project for our tropical theme, and everyone LOVED it! Thanks Gretchen for the dress pattern and directions, available here http://gretchenbarron.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/05/a-flirty-little-sundress-and-a-matching-purse.html .

Our version of the Monkey Hut card came straight from the June 2010 Stampin' Success magazine. How fun is this!! Our Joy Fold tropical flower card was inspired by Oregon Stamper on Splitcoast Stampers SU Gallery and can be viewed here http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1710919?&cat=19175 .

All supplies are Stampin' Up!, unless otherwise noted

Stamp Sets: Tropical Party, One of a Kind, Warm Words

Paper: Island Oasis DPS, Tempting Turquise CS, Pumpkin Pie CS, So Saffron CS,

Rose Red CS, Old Olive CS

Ink: Tempting Turquise, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Rose Red, Old Olive

Tools: Scallop Circle punch, Scallop Circle Bigz XL die, Round Tab punch, various size

Circle punches, Small Oval punch, Baskets and Blooms Bigz XL die, Big Shot,

Cuttlebug Herringbone Enbossing Folder

Accessories: Misc. buttons, twine, ribbons, brads, Stampin' Dimensionals

We The People

2010-06-28T01:10:00.002-05:00

I read a request on Late Night Stamper's digest a few weeks ago. The father of a family, stationed in Germany, was deployed to Afghanastan. Their 6 year old did not believe that the people in America knew that his father was serving to make America and the world a safer place. His mother requested that cards be sent to her son to let him know that the people in America know about his father's service and appreciate it. The request really touched me because my cousin's husband, Jerry, was away from his family for a year. Their son was very young and missed his father very much. I am sending this card to Jay and his sister, Katie, to let them know that their father is a hero and we all appreciate his service to our country.

I saw the idea for this decorative border on StampTV.com. Gina Krupsky of Gina K's Designs was demonstrating the technique using the Scor-Buddy. I knew right away it was the perfect border to highlight this stamp from Image Tree. I used my Martha Stewart Scoring Board to do the border and create a custom envelope to fit the card. The paper is from Daisy D's Paper Co. - Modern Romance with White and Solid Indigo Accents from DieCutsWith a View. The ink is Red Dye Marcella by K and Company. The ribbon came with the Modern Romance paper in a kit I purchased last year. The finished card is 6" X 6". I'm sending this card to Jay and Katie in Germany. I hope it will help them understand that the people in America do appreciate their father's service and their family's sacrifice.

Tri-Fold Card Technique

2010-06-06T15:07:00.003-05:00

I first saw this technique on Paper Pleasing Ideas. I really liked the card design. Nanci had just purchased a Scor-Pal, so it seemed like the perfect time to try it out. I used DSP Cottage Wall, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry. and White cardstock. The edges were inked in Rich Razzlebury and Old Olive. Punches used were the Scallop, Word Window, Ticket, Modern Lable, Scallop Trim Border and Scallop Trim Corner, and circle punch .

I'm not sure what set the cover sentiment is from, but it it a Stampin' Up! set. The inside sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes. I used the Scallop Trim Border and Corner punch to edge a piece of white cardstock to write a personalized message on. I believe the ribbon came from Michael's or Jo-Ann's.

I used a few pop dots to add dimension to the sentiment on the cover. Two eyelets secure the middle sentiment and I used a left-over Cricut-cut vine as an embellishment. Here is a video tutorial on the technique from SplitcoastStampers web-site.

Create a Critter Cards Created with the Cricut

2010-05-30T13:00:00.001-05:00

These cards were created with the Create a Critter cartridge using the Cricut Expression. I keep a shoe box with leftover paper scraps. All the papers used came out of that shoe box. Each card unfolds to display the "Happy Birthday" sentiment also cut from the Create a Critter cartridge on the Cricut. The cards fit nicely in an A2 envelope. I know my niece and nephew, Elizabeth and Elijah, will love these cards when they receive them!

Fall 2010 Reservation Special!

2010-05-23T16:38:00.002-05:00

We have our first ad in Michigan Scrapbooker Summer 2010 and our first reservation special! Place your reservation for a craft weekend in September or October 2010 for $199.00 per person!

Our Last Retreat Spring 2010 Season

2010-05-22T16:44:00.007-05:00

We hosted our last retreat of the Spring 2010 Season for the lovely Ludwig Ladies and friends--all novices to paper crafting! Our weekend opened with

a dinner featuring Creamy Pasta with Spring Vegetables and Chicken, Tomato Bread, Ceasar salad, and fresh strawberries. The meal ended with a light dessert of lemon chiffon ice cream with a lime twist. Save some room for our decadent late night desserts and snacks!

After dinner we jumped right into our beginner's mini-album class. We covered the basics of cutting paper and choosing adhesives. We mastered the technique of clear embossing with Versamark to create a tone on tone or watermark effect with butterfly stamps across our book cover. Then we bound our mini-albums with the Zutter. A short intermission occurred, so we could recharge our collective batteries with warm, oozing, chocolate lava cake a la mode!

Once our albums were bound, we designed layouts for our blank pages. The fun continued as photos were cropped and pages were embellished with gems, ribbons, punches, and buttons. We crafted until the birds began to chrip in the trees!

The weekend concluded with a leisurely breakfast of Creme Brulee French Toast Casserole and Baked Sausage Breakfast Casserole, yogurt parfait, and fresh fruit. Our guests left relaxed taking their completed mini-albums home to share with friends and relatives. We hope your craft group will spend a weekend with us this fall!

Final Selections for Crochet and Knitting Contest Chosen!

2010-05-20T18:51:00.001-05:00

In January we posted information about a contest sponsered by Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores and Red Heart Yarns Eco-Ways to use a recycled or renewable source yarn. Experts from Red Heart Yarns have chosen the final selections from the projects submitted. Please show your support and visit their site to vote for the winners! A few days ago, AC commented on our blog that her project had been selected as one of the finalist. We invited AC to share a picture and a description of her project and we would post it on the blog. Congratulations AC and good luck with the contest! :)

Thanks so much for offering to post a pic and description of my entry on your blog! :) I've been designing crochet animals for six years, and I designed this peacock using eight colors of Red Heart's Eco-Ways blend yarn. The colors just jumped out at me and screamed "peacock"! It was the first time I had worked with the recycled blend yarn, and it really is fabulous--the weight is perfect and it's SO soft. I used a 3.25 mm hook, floral wire for the comb, and dowel rods to support the feet. To create the fringe border on the tail, I separated the hunter geen yarn into individual plys and handknotted little snippets all the way around the edge of the feathers. I used the same technique for the eyelashes, too. Voting is open on Red Heart's site thru June 1st: http://redheart.com/saveplanet.html.

Congratulations Dominique - Class of 2010!

2010-05-15T12:03:00.001-05:00

Well it's been a long time since we posted, but our hiatus is over! :) Today, I'm going to give a shout out to my nephew, Dominique, down in Georgia. He's graduating from high school this year! I cannot attend the graduation ceremony, but I'm sure this shaker card will let him know how excited I am for him!

The Stampin' Up! cardstock is: Rich Razzlebury, Old Olive, Orchid Oppulance, and DSP Cottage Wall. The Gold Glitter Paper is from DCWV Mariposa paper pack. Stampin' UP! punches are Word Window, Large Circle Punch, and Ticket Punch, with Rich Razzlebury ink and sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes. The shaker cup with padded envelope for mailing are available through Stampin' UP! as well. I cannot remember where I bought the STAR brads--I've had them for years! :) I added a few white gel dots and filled my shaker cup with STAR confetti. His name and graduation year were cut on the Cricut Expression. He requested purple and gold, so I hope the card will meet with his approval!

Congratulations Dominique!

Butterfly Mini-Album Retreat Class

2010-03-27T10:02:00.004-05:00

This Zutter mini-album was the project for our most

recent retreat weekend at Lake View Lodge. The Stampin' Up! DSP Cottage Wall was used with Razzleberry, Old Olive, and Orchid Oppulance cardstock and ink accents. We used the butterfly stamp from the Sprinkles stamp with VersaMark and clear embossing powder to create the tone on tone random butterfly pattern on the top half of the Razzleberry cardstock. The scallop border and butterfly punches and Flight of the Butterfly stampset continue our butterfly theme. White gel pen, rhinestone and ribbon accents complete our cover design. Additional butterfly embellishments were cut on the Cricut Expression using the Walk in My Garden cartridge. The Round Tab punch was used to add index tags and journaling to some of the pages.

Craft Haven Retreats Premieres at Lake View Lodge!

2010-03-06T10:58:00.007-06:00

The reviews are in, and according to Emily Taylor, our first two events at Lake View Lodge were "a smashing success!!!" Our afternoon demonstration class opened with a "sour cream container" project, a Sweet Treats box die-cut with the Sizzix Big Shot, and several card making techniques including using embossing folders.

Our guests thoroughly enjoyed creating their projects and using the tools and embellishments provided to add the finishing touches to personalize their designs. The Chocolate Muse regularly appeared to replenish the endless supply of inspiration and treats needed to produce and fill these works of art! The afternoon class concluded with the participants joining the evening class for a Mexican fiesta.

Olé!

Fresh from their Mexican feast, our evening participants were all smiles as they arrived in the craft room to begin their introduction to Mini-books and Zutter bindings--pajamas optional!

...just a short time later--more smiles and the mini-book is taking shape!

Time for a few embellishments!

There's room for a few more pretties!

Viola! We've jumped continents to finish our "Ooh la la" books. Take a look at our pages!

In this case you can judge a book by it's cover!

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Some projects are so fun you want to do them again and our evening class agreed!

. . . and that was just the beginning! The crafting continued until 4:00 AM when the last die-hards succumbed to the satisfaction of an evening well spent!

How much cropping can I get done in one evening without interruptions? As much as I want to get done!

It's been a hard night's work, but the party has to end sometime!

The End

Our New Craft Room at Lake View Lodge

2010-02-23T00:33:00.001-06:00

We're so excited--we have our craft room set up for our Stampin' Up! demonstrations on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at Lake View Lodge.

Here's a sneak peak at a few projects we have planned for Saturday. We'll supply all the tools, tips, and chocolate you'll need for a cozy winter afternoon and evening at the lake! Creme Brulee French Toast is on the menu for Sunday brunch.

Sweet Treats Valentine's Day Cards

2010-02-07T17:02:00.000-06:00

These cupcakes look good enough to eat! All three were cut with the Cricut Expression using the Sweet Treats cartridge with Stampin' Up! Sending Love DSP. Stampin' Up! punches used; Word Window, Modern Lable, and Scalloped Trim Punch. Real Red Ink stamped with sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes from Stampin' Up! coordinates with the cardstock and punches. Ribbon and rhinestones from Michaels and Crystal Stickles complete the embellishments. Thanks to Julie at Paper Pleasing for the Easel card idea and she posted the Splitcoaststamper's tutorial to make Easel cards on her blog as well, so I will too! Hope it inspires you to try this technique--it definitely inspired me! Happy Valentine's Day!

Winter Fun at Lake View Lodge

2010-01-30T20:10:00.000-06:00

Winterland Retreat at the Lodge

It was a beautiful day for a walk along the frozen shore.

Melannie and Lucy ventured out onto the lake, following a trail of snow mobile tracks!

Ice fishing was good today - or so we were told by this group of fisherman!

Snow mobilers kicked up the snow as they sped past us!

A make-shift ice house on the lake.

Inside, Chris and Brady enjoyed a toasty fire.

And some Valentine's Day card making complete the afternoon.

This card features the Cricut Expression and Love Struck 2010 cartridge. Stampin' Up! DSP Sending Love was used along with Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Real Red and Pretty In Pink card stock. Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, Chocolate Chip ink, Word Window and Modern Label punches complete the sentiment.

Love Bug and Sweet Treats

2010-01-17T17:50:00.001-06:00

Another fun Valentine's card using the Love Bug Hostess Stamp set--so quick and easy--too cute!! I love using the Stampin' Up! water color pencils to customize my stamped images. I can change the colors to match my paper stock and inks. The Bitty Box die is so easy. Just run the paper through the Big Shot, glue, fold, and viola! I punched the box top with the Heart to Heart punch and mounted a piece of transparency paper underneath which allows the treats inside to be seen! Fill with candy and it's ready for Valentine's Day gift giving! Stampin' Up! Products used are:

Bigz XL die Stampin' Up! Bitty Box
Stamps: Stampin' Up! Love Bug Hostess Stamp Set
Papers: DSP Sending Love
Punches: Scallop Circle, Heart to Heart , Ticket Corner
Ink: Real Red and Water Color Pencils
Embellishments: Ribbon and Gemstones

Special Delivery

2010-01-17T17:46:00.000-06:00

Our new Cricut Expression was delivered on Friday, so we brought it with us this weekend to Lake View Lodge! We've been using a few of our new Cricut cartridges too! This mailbox is from the Love Struck 2010 cartridge and is cut from Stampin' Up! cardstock Lovely Lilac accented with Chocolate Chip and paper from the DSP Sending Love. The Scallop border punch and the Heart to Heart punch made light work of the final touches. This "Special Delivery" is large enough to hold a small gift, candy, or a sweet sentiment.

. . . and more hearts!

2010-01-12T21:03:00.000-06:00

I just received my Stampin' Up! order for this week with the Sizzix Big Shot for Stampin' Up! Movers & Shapers Curly Label which is sold exclusively through Stampin' Up! I also received the Punch Windows Movers & Shapers (Set of 4 - Full Heart, Large Star, Scalloped Oval, and Modern Label). These can be used with the die and also coordinates with the Stampin' Up! Punches of the same name. To make this card I used the Movers & Shapers die with the Full Heart Punch Window. The papers used were from the Sending Love DSP pack with Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, and Pretty In Pink card stock and Chocolate Chip Classic ink. The Pretty In Pink cardstock was put in the Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss Embossing Folder and punched out with the Full Heart Punch which fits inside the Full Heart Movers & Shapers Punch Window. The heart shape can be moved anywhere on the card, so you can choose where you want it placed. The bag is from the BIGZ XL BAG W/SCALLOPS die which is also another exclusive through Stampin' Up! All items are available currently and can be ordered through my Stampin' Up! link.

Split Negative Heart Card

2010-01-10T19:20:00.002-06:00

This card was created for a challenge offered on Splitcoaststampers.com. If you've never visited their site, you should! They offer tutorials and different daily challenges which allow you to try out new techniques. You can post a picture of your product on their site and get feedback on it from other site visitors.

The Split Negative technique uses two different images of the same stamp. Cut both completed images in half, and switch one half with the opposite image. The effect is a completed image in two different color schemes. It's a really awesome technique that we will be including in one of our future technique classes.

Joann Knitting and Crochet Contest started January 1, 2010

2010-01-09T15:45:00.001-06:00

I'm re-organizing my house from the holiday hub-bub and noticed that one of my Joann bags had a contest announcement in it. I crochet and knit a tiny bit, but there has been a resurrgence of interest in knitting and crochet recently, so I thought I would pass the contest information along. What caught my eye is that it is a joint effort between Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores and Red Heart Yarns Eco-Ways to use a recycled or renewable source yarn. They are inviting you to knit or crochet an original project using the following Red Heart yarns:

Eco-Ways 30% recycled polyester

Eco-Cotton Blend 75% recycled cotton

Eco-Ways Bamboo Wool 55% Bamboo

The prizes are very nice. The Knitting Grand Prize is a $1000 Jo-Ann Gift Card and the Knitting First Runner-Up prize is a $500 Jo-Ann Gift Card. The Crochet Grand Prize is a $1000 Jo-Ann Gift Card and the Crochet First Runner-Up prize is a $500 Jo-Ann Gift Card. The Red Heart Yarns Eco-Ways used for the project must be purched from Joann Stores or Joann.com.

Go to joann.com/redheartcontest or redheart.com/savetheplanetcontest for the entry form, official rules and details. I found that the Red Hart link loaded very slowly and they direct you back to the Joann site for the official details and rules, but you can get the contest entry form there.

If you plan to enter the contest we'd be happy to post a photo your entry on our blog. Happy Knitting and Crochet!

Craft Haven Retreats Hosts a Stampin' Up! Workshop January 30, 2010

2010-01-08T18:49:00.001-06:00

Craft Haven Retreats will host two events on January 30, 2010 at Lake View Lodge. An afternoon Stampin' Up! workshop and our first girl's night slumber party workshop. We will be making several Valentine's Day projects featuring the new Clear-mount Stamps, Two-Step punches, and Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper from the new Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Catalog paper pack. We will also be using the Sizzix Big Shot to create a Valentine Treat Shaker Box.

For the evening slumber party, we will be pulling out all the stops and demonstrating the new Limited Edition Love Struck 2010 Cricut Cartridge on our new Cricut Expression!

New Look at Lake View Lodge

2010-01-08T16:34:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!

We have been very busy at Lake View Lodge. Fresh paint, new quilts, snow, and a crackling fire in the fireplace create a peaceful winter wonderland! Take a look at our progress.

We've seen deer passing through the woods in the back yard and snowmobilers on the lake. The bait shop around the corner is open for ice fishing.

The lodge is warm and inviting. Plenty of natural light in every room. Cable and wireless internet are up and running. We'll be hosting some Stampin' Up! demonstrations at the end of this month. Follow our blog for e-mail updates of our postings!

Lake View Lodge Update

2009-12-29T11:58:00.002-06:00

We've been working fast and furiously over the last two weeks, getting ready for Craft Haven Retreat's Grand Opening! Painting, cleaning, moving doorways, building shelving, and oh so much organizing! Thanks to Verne, Sonny, John and Wayne, things are looking good around here. Here's a picture of one of the finished bedrooms, the Star Quilt Room! It turned out super cute. I'm working on the Log Cabin Quilt room today. What fun!
Christopher's hockey rink on the lake is snowed over since our last trip up. He's been shoveling a new one and hopefully we'll get to try out our new skates that we all got for Christmas!

We'll be hosting a Stampin' Up! workshop at Lake View within the next two weeks. We'll be trying out Stampin' Up!'s new line of clear stamps and making projects for Valentine's Day.
There are still openings so let us know if you would like to attend! Details will be posted soon.

Back to cleaning for now - more pictures later!

2009-12-29T11:53:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Craft Haven Retreats Blog!

2009-12-09T23:08:00.013-06:00

Welcome to the official blog for Craft Haven Retreats! For those of you that don't already know, Craft Haven Retreats is a brand new business that my dear friend, Melannie, and I have formed. Craft Haven Retreats will soon be offering the most fabulous, all inclusive, weekend crafting retreats ever! Just imagine spending an entire weekend with your best girlfriends, doing what you love the most - CRAFTING! Whether it's scrapbooking, card making, rubber stamping, quilting or bead working, Craft Haven Retreats is just what you need.

Leave the "to do" list at home and spend time relaxing with friends, both old and new. We'll take care of everything for you - the cooking and cleaning, the laundry, grocery shopping, and running the errands. We'll car pool your kids, mow your lawn, walk your dog, put out your cat and visit your mother-in-law. Well, maybe not all that, but we will provide you with everything you need for a truly awesome weekend retreat!

*Comfortable accommodations at our newly acquired Lake View Lodge. Located on beautiful Dewey Lake, Michigan, this spacious lodge style home will eventually accommodate 18 weekend crafters
*Delicious, home cooked meals, desserts, snacks and beverages
*Individual work table with comfortable seating and craft lighting
*Well stocked craft room with the use of all the latest tools and equipment including Stampin' Up!, Cricut, Zutter, Sizzix and more
*Instructional classes and demonstrations, make and takes, and gift prizes
*Optional services including manicures, pedicures and massages

Pamper yourself and start planning your getaway weekend now! We'll be posting our Grand Opening information soon!

We'll also be using our blog to share our passion for paper crafting. We'll be posting our projects and linking you to our favorite fellow crafters. We'll be keeping you up to date on the latest trends, and reviewing new products and tools. We'll be offering free tutorials and instructional videos, along with lots of tips and tricks. We'll also be hosting guest designers and sponsoring "blog candy" giveaways.

Join our blog today and follow the journey of Craft Haven Retreats!