Better Than Modge Podge

It's that time again; My new favorite product. For years (and I do mean years) I've used Modge Podge for all my collage and decopage projects, but I've found something I like so much better. It's "Glue n Seal" by Ranger. This is another product Tim Holtz introduced me to. We used it to adhere heavy scrapbook paper to canvases. We applied a medium coat to all the exposed surfaces; front and sides, and we got a superb result. Tim even showed us how to deal with those annoying corners you would normally have to try and do "hospital" folds on, but that's for another day's blog.

What's the difference between GnS and MP? MP never really seems to dry. I did some decopage (using MP) on an old valise two years ago and it still feels tacky and sticks to other smooth surfaced objects. GnS dries completely. It comes in two styles: matte and gloss. It also comes on 4 ounce and 1 ounce sizes.

Better Than Modge Podge

It's that time again; My new favorite product. For years (and I do mean years) I've used Modge Podge for all my collage and decopage projects, but I've found something I like so much better. It's "Glue n Seal" by Ranger. This is another product Tim Holtz introduced me to. We used it to adhere heavy scrapbook paper to canvases. We applied a medium coat to all the exposed surfaces; front and sides, and we got a superb result. Tim even showed us how to deal with those annoying corners you would normally have to try and do "hospital" folds on, but that's for another day's blog.

What's the difference between GnS and MP? MP never really seems to dry. I did some decopage (using MP) on an old valise two years ago and it still feels tacky and sticks to other smooth surfaced objects. GnS dries completely. It comes in two styles: matte and gloss. It also comes on 4 ounce and 1 ounce sizes.

The one ounce size retails for around $3.50 but I've seen it as cheap as $2.49 online. Haven't seen the bigger sized bottle online yet, but as good as this product it I want the larger pot. It also has a built in brush so you don't have messy cleanups or wasted product. Just use it and put the lid back on!

The Ruler that Rules

What a delight when artists design the tools that artists use! No this isn't a tongue twister competition or a brain teaser either. I'm talking about Tim Holtz' Design Ruler. After trying a load of rulers, he sat down to design one with all the features he needed as an artist. He created one that has a metal edge so you can use a craft knife without gouging the ruler. It is a centering ruler so you easily find the center of your project. It begins with 0 rather than starting with an inch at the beginning. It is clear so you can see where you are placing it! It has graduated markings at 1/8" so you can also mark at equal spots across your projects. He designed it with holes in it so you can use a piercing tool and poke holes should you want to do some hand stitching. It has a beveled edge on one side so you can get your pens and pencils right up to the paper! I know I could think of more things it can do, but for now I just want to give a quick recommendation for this ruler that rocks! You can get there just about anywhere Tim Holtz products are sold, but don't forget Michael's and their 40% or 50% coupons and you'll get the best deal. My Michael's in Odessa even takes Hobby Lobby coupons! Isn't that a nice bonus?!

Here is a video with Tim sharing all this ruler can do: Tim's Design Ruler

Marvelous Tool

When is a tool not a tool? When it's something you clean your hands with, but it's so weird there really is no other descriptor! I'm talking about the Inkssentials Craft Scrubbie from Ranger. I used it for the first time at the Tim Holtz Extravaganza (loud echo to follow)! Tim never does a project that his hands aren't covered with alcohol ink, distress ink, glues and such. Our hands were all covered with the same types of products during our two day exploration into all things "altered". Tim mentioned the bar in passing and I paid little attention to it as I was deep in creative thought.  Of course after drinking Iced tea all weekend frequent trips to the little girls room was vital. In the room was the strangest bar of what looked like pumice sitting on the counter of the vanity. After washing my hands with antibacterial soap I picked up the strange "bar o soap" and rubbed it on my wet ink stained fingers. Voila! Off came all the ink. The bar is light as a feather and not the least bit rough like pumice. Wild!!! The results reminded me of Mr. Clean "magic erasers", but for ink stained skin. I found my very own bar yesterday at my local "Michael's" store.  I wanted to share this miracle cleaning trick with you while it was fresh in my mind. The cost is $4.99, but if you use a 40% off coupon you can get it for $3.00. I know you'll be amazed at how clean your hands come, just be sure that they are wet!

Order in My World

I'm sure my girlfriends think I'm organized and have all my ducks in a row, but the only ducks that are in a row in my life on a constant basis are the seven quackers out in my front yard. For some reason they follow each other in a single file row at every opportunity. Oh, if only life was that simple.

I like order because I like to do some many things. If I don't have some semblance of order I have a tendency to freak out. My husband likes order too, but he's way more laid back in his everyday life. He can just let things go.

My friend Vicky organized my scrapbook space AFTER I had organized it. She is a paid organizing consultant and thinks order. I loved the whole process, though at the time it was a tad uncomfortable. We order lovers do NOT like letting go of control of the reins. After she talked me through the scarier parts we breezed through it all. There were a couple of organizational things I put in place before she changed my space, and I still use them. Today a favorite catalog company sent me an email with one of those things I discovered before the makeover and use after the change; a jewelry organizer.

I'm a scrapbooker, card maker, paper crafter and over all crafter. I have so many paper punches I had to come up with a way that I could see them so that I would use them. For me out of sight means out of my mind (unless I'm hunting for a specific hidden goodie). I wanted to share the great item before the sale is gone. These organizers can be pretty pricey, so when a great price comes up I want to share it.

First the company is ABC Distributing. They have fun junk and occasionally something useful. You can order a catalog and call in orders, mail in orders or go online and order from their secure website.

Here are snapshots of two of the products they are offering this week for a good price. Get them while they last. If you have a variety of paper punches in a variety of sizes the jewelry organizer is a great tool. Also, vertical space is a great way to go when you run out of shelves. These funky wall storage devices can hold glues, paints or other oddly shaped items. The price is right for both of these. The jewelry organizer is less than $6.00 and the can organizer is less than $7.00!

Cerise

Sharing The Love

I'm so excited to share all Vicky M. and I learned at the Tim Holtz Extravaganza in Roswell, NM. I can't thank the girls at "Imagine That" scrapbook store for hosting this awesome event. We got to do things that no woman has done and will ever get to do again. Tim retired the Patchwork Pandemonium we did, and a couple other projects that we got to do. He had NEVER done a two day workshop with the same women in attendance! I don't want to spoil the fun so I won't say more.

I do need RSVP's for the meeting as I plan to dip into my vast supplies for this meeting and do a "make n take" using one of the many techniques Tim shared with us. Each gal will go way with a prize in hand and that means I have to prep. If you plan to attend this meeting you MUST RSVP. The cost will be $5.00 to cover my supply costs. Of course we will have door prizes (might throw in a nice surprise here)!

When: Tuesday September 13th at 7PM
Where: Barnes & Noble Booksellers Midland, TX
Contact: Cerise Welter at cerwelt@gmail.com to say YES!

Please bring something you don't need or use from your scrapbook supplies to add to the kitty if you're coming.This keeps costs to a minimum and insures that we all participate. Also please consider buying a magazine, book or something from the cafe at Barnes & Noble to say, "Thanks" for them hosting our meetings each month.

Supplies you need: Sanding block or a piece of sand paper. An emery board will do in an emergency. Basic craft supply kit: scissors, adhesives, paper trimmer and you!

Your busy leader

Cerise Welter

No Fair?

Our August meeting had light attendance, but I was pleasantly surprised that anyone attended! There were six of us and we had a nice time. We discussed how to submit items into the fair and our own lovely Ann H brought fair books for us! What a sweetheart. Blythe, Ann and Kim had submitted items in the past (not scrapbooking) so were familiar with the procedure, but even Blythe was unaware that she could submit items in both needle arts and paper crafts so the meeting was informative for even the experienced. 

I shared what last year's ribbons looked like and also some of the ephemera I had purchased for our booth. Ms Ann also informed us about the first fair meeting coming up this week and also some of what she knows. I know Ann has been an involved fair person for many many years so it's great she was able to come to this meeting. I love having informed guests and members!

The Permian Basin Fair is from September 9th through the 17th and I really am excited to be a part of it once again. I had some girls volunteer to take an hour each day so I could check out the restroom and grab a bite. Yay! I plan to get more help by sending out a mass email campaign, but not until after the meeting on Tuesday. 

Our attendees were: Cheryl, Ann, Blythe, Stephanie (nice surprise), Kim and myself. We had door prizes and need to have the gals bring leftovers for our Door Prize kitty. We didn't discuss September's meeting, but I plan to do a make and take that didn't get used at a previous workshop. Should be fun.

It's Official

Girls,

We will be meeting at Barnes & Noble (Midland, TX) on August 9th at 7PM for our monthly meeting. We will be sharing about what we've done during the summer as well as talk about entering the fair and volunteering to take an hour at our booth.

The theme of the Permian Basin Fair this year is "Deep in the Heart of Texas". They always have a special category for the year and you can submit scrapbook pages, greeting cards, scrapbooks and even wall art under that theme or any other theme.

I'm really looking forward to the girls in our group submitting items this year and also taking part in representing our group at the booth. I had so much fun doing simple crafts with the folks coming in to see the displays. Sharing the love of scrapbooking, stamping or some other paper craft is so much fun. Showing someone who has never done any of these is also just as rewarding.

All of you gals are gifted and have something to share. You don't have to be present to submit. You can submit your items to me and I will submit them under the PB & J heading. You will get the ribbon, and I will get the thrill of seeing your face when you win! It's so easy. I don't want to come home with a bunch of personal ribbons this year, I want YOU to take them.

The fair is about supporting your community. The fair is about sharing your love for scrapbooks, greeting cards and a thousand other things you do with your gifts.

I also need a committee to help me decorate our booth. Ours was a little lame last year and I'd like to have something prettier and more creative. If you can spare a Saturday afternoon to help me make some posters and displays I'd really appreciate it. We can discuss more of this at the August meeting. Why not invite a friend. Looking forward to seeing all of you at Barnes & Noble. Oh, and don't forget to buy a magazine, book or something from the cafe to say thanks to the store for hosting our get togethers.

Smiles and happy CROPPPING!

Cerise Welter
Inspiration Coach and Pestering Pal

In the Works

Wow am I busy, but I really like it that way.  Of course that is true until I am so pooped I have to stop and rest up. We had such a wonderful July meeting at our (hubby's and my) second home in Gardendale. Vicky Mumme did such a great job of helping eight very different women create eight different and  beautiful sets of scrapbook pages. She claims not to be a teacher, but I say "Bah humbug". Can one use that outside of a Dicken's novel? I think so. Anyway. We had so much fun, talked a great deal, played a great deal, and had NO drama. Yay!!! By drama I mean flooding. Now we need to talk Vicky into doing it again in the future. That means we have to bug her, cajole her (fancy for more bugging) and convince her we can't live without another workshop like this one! 

For those of you who missed out, I'm so sorry. You really missed a blessing. Perhaps you'll get to come again to another workshop.

I'm working on our August 9th meeting. Hopefully we'll be at Barnes & Noble that Tuesday night. I hate changing venues for meetings, but sometimes you just have to. B & N doesn't have the space or facilities for us to eat and play at the same time. I'm blessed with a house that is used for just such things! So back to Barnes and Noble we go if the powers that be say it's a go!

My plan (so far) is to seriously discuss the Permian Basin Fair. Their theme this year is "Deep in the Heart of Texas". I would love it if you gals would take a few moments to look through your scrapbooks and find pages you did this past year (from September 2010-today) and see if you don't have something that represents Texas. For example: if you visited the Alamo or San Antonio and scrapped it those pages or that book could be submitted under the fair's theme. Please bring any pages you might have or books you might have. Bring pages in clear page protectors.

Next you can submit anything paper related. If you did a card you're especially proud of and haven't given it away it qualifies. It doesn't HAVE to be Texas related. There are different ribbons and awards for several categories. I would love to have a representation from our group for the fair this year. I must admit I snitched many of the leftover Valentine cards you all made for the nursing home in Midland and have them in a undisclosed location. I will be submitting them under the PB & J group's name. If a card should receive a ribbon, the owner will be notified at the October meeting. I have NO idea whose cards I have as they don't have names and it's been so long since you gave them to me. You'll have to attend the October meeting to see if your card won and claim your card and ribbon! A little good extortion can be fun.

I will also be asking for volunteers. I know you're all running the other direction at the speed of light, but please don't. I only work our booth at the fair on Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays. I simply need gals to spell me for an hour for lunch and bathroom breaks. That means you volunteer for only one hour during one of the two Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays the fair is going. If I have a volunteer for each day I get to eat! If you would simply like to work one hour during the fair so I could actually see the fair, that would be good too. Fair volunteers get in FREE! That might inspire you to help. You all seem a tad shy or reserved about the fair, so come learn more about how it works and how easy it is to submit stuff. (Especially under the Group's name!) 

Please email me if you'd like to help in any way. Either with the upcoming meeting, with future meetings or during the fair. You can email me at cerwelt@gmail.com

I'll be posting more information the closer August 9th comes. 

Cerise

Upcoming Events

It's summer and I'm sitting in the cool of my kitchen at my laptop arranging the next few days in my mind. I have more to do than I'd like so I'm centering myself and prioritizing. I'm learning that if I pick off the MOST important things and do them first, schedule the next most important things for tomorrow and the "it can wait" things for whenever I get to them I'm much happier.



We have some fun events coming up in the next two months. Our next PB & J meeting will be at my other house here in Gardendale. Vicky Mumme will be demonstrating and helping us make 2 two page layouts that are so lovely. (see illustrations) This special meeting will be Saturday July 16th from 10:00AM to 2:00PM. At last count there was one seat open. There is a cost as Vicky purchased the kits out of her own pocket. For $12.00 you receive supplies to make the 2 two page layouts and enough leftovers for 2 more pages. Please bring rhinestones or similar embellishments as Vicky is NOT providing those. Please email Vicky at vicky@grandecom.net to see if that one spot is taken.

Our next regular meeting will be August 9th at Barnes & Noble in Midland, TX. We will be discussing the upcoming Permian Basin Fair and our booth. I will also be taking submissions from all the girls that attend PB & J meetings. The theme for the fair this year is "Deep in the Heart of Texas". If you you would like to submit something (paper craft, greeting cards, scrapbook pages, scrapbooks etc. ) please bring them to this meeting. You can also do theme specific items for special ribbons and trophies. I will help you prepare for the fair so your submission will go smoothly. I'd like for the group to have some submissions and have in fact "borrowed" leftover cards from our Valentine's day project. We only needed 127 of the 146 Valentine's Day cards we made for the nursing home, so I kept the leftovers to submit to the fair under the PB & J heading. If a card wins, we will share the ribbons at the October meeting! You may win without even trying.

Please look through your finished scrapbooks, cards and other paper crafts (must be made in in the time period between September 2010 and August 2011).  If you find something you're particularly happy or proud of PLEASE bring it to the meeting at Barnes & Noble. If you want to submit and can't make the meeting, please email me at cerwelt@gmail.com and I'll pick it up or meet you somewhere and get your personal info for the fair people.

I also need volunteers to take one hour during the fair (normally on a Saturday or Sunday) so I can eat and go to the restroom. If you'd be willing to sit at our booth and share a little about what we do, please volunteer. It's not hard and you can even play with the craft supplies I bring. I made cards with kiddos last year and it was so fun. It draws in new members and makes the time go by quickly. The folks that volunteer at the fair are great people and you will not regret helping me! If you are willing to volunteer for an hour, please email me at cerwelt@gmail.com. We won't know the timing for a while, but I'll have a list to pull from when the time comes.

Summer Break

Gals,

I want to take the time to let you know what's in the works. We won't be having a meeting in June. I repeat we WON'T be having a meeting in June. I'm bugging out with hubby and the grandkids to an undisclosed location where magic abounds. Mum's the word as they kids have no clue.

There are times when you get a surprise call in the night and you just want to shout it from the rooftop. I had such a call the other night. I was sitting in my beautiful Dusty Durango colored Lazyboy recliner minding my own business. I think I was either playing backgammon on my cell or Sudoku. Either way I was NOT expecting a phone call. It was rather late for an actual call, but once I figured out the call was from New Mexico I understood. (They are an hour earlier in New Mexico.) It was Dene Van Winkle from Imagine That Scrapbook store in Roswell, New Mexico. She sounded a little apprehensive about the call and my mind was racing trying to figure out why she would call so long after store hours. (Oh yeah it's an hour earlier there, the store might even have been open!) She told me that they had just heard from Tim Holtz and he would be coming in August! I was so excited. I knew the "bottom line" would be a kicker for me, but even after I told hubby the price he was "Sure you have to go". I'm still pinching myself. I paid my deposit and will be saving my shekels so I can pay for the rest of the classes. I'm not sure if all the spots are filled, but if they aren't you'll want to Google "Imagine That Scrapbooks" in Roswell, New Mexico and call them. It's a little pricey, but hey you don't have to bring a thing! In fact Tim insists that his students not be concerned with anything but being creative! I'm so excited. Two full days of altered art, crafting and everything is supplied. Fun and then some.

The Great American Scrapbook Convention in Arlington was last weekend and Vicky Mumme and a couple of her friends attended. By her Facebook post I'd say she had a blast, is exhausted and ready for a nap. She has graciously offered to do a special workshop at my scrapbook house in Gardendale for our July meeting. We have tentatively marked Saturday July 16th for the meeting. We will be doing make n takes based on what she learned at the convention. I will give you more details when I return from my vacation and write my next newsletter. Be sure and let me know if you're interested. Though I have several tables space will be limited and there will be a charge to cover the cost of materials. Vicky is a wonderful paper crafter and I love her work. You will too and won't want to miss this meeting.

Our August meeting (the 9th) will be focusing on creating and submitting things to the Permian Basin Fair. Their theme this year is "Deep in the Heart of Texas". I will have forms for you to fill out while there and you'll want to bring finished scrapbooks, cards or other paper crafts you created from September 2010 through August 2011.  If you have questions you can always contact me at cerwelt@gmail.com. Start looking at the things you've created and also think about creating something for the fair exclusively. Your submission doesn't HAVE to be Texas themed, but they have a special category devoted to Texas and IF you have something already, you'll want to share it. I'll be giving you more details the closer the fair looms. It's so fun to submit and then to win. I hope you'll be a part of the fun this year. I also need volunteers to help me man a booth at the fair. That means we need to decorate a display board with PB & J related stuff and also do "make n takes" at the fair itself. If you can devote an hour on Saturday or Sunday at the beginning or end of the fair I'd be thrilled. It gives me a chance to see the fair, eat and use the facilities. I need you gals, so please volunteer.

So I've yammered on long enough. Please comment on this blog. Also tell your crafting friends to "follow" this blog. It helps get the word out about events in our area. Have a great month of June. I know we will.

Until I return from vacation I will bid you farewell. Stay out of the sun.

Cerise Welter

Looking Ahead

April 12th is our next meeting and I want to start early inviting gals from the Permian Basin to our meeting. Donna Stanco has kindly offered to demonstrate the Cricut Imagine for a second time. She has learned how to change and customize colors and we are so excited to see all she has learned. Many of us have Cricuts, but can one seriously have too many Cricuts? Only if they are the chirping kind.

We also have the "raffle and dessert queen" Vicky Mumme bringing a bag full of adhesives to raffle at the meeting. I think she also mentioned having some special scissors to throw in the mix to round out another awesome prize package. Tickets for the raffle are always 50 cents so buy a bunch and help PB & J grow.

Our last meeting we did two "make n takes" with Vicky. She taught us how to use stock greeting card blanks and make money and gift card holder birthday cards. We had our choice of either masculine or feminine papers to decorate with. It was a really great time.

I won the raffle last month. I love my new hot pink tote and craft tool caddy. I will be using them at a CROP tomorrow in Midland. I don't normally enter drawings, but pink and green are the colors in my scrap room and I couldn't resist. One of the biker guys that has their meeting next to ours drew MY name. I was really tickled to win.

For those of you who love Stampin Up there are only six days to send me your snail mail address to be included in the mailing of the summer mini catalog. You will receive a catalog at your home that has some really cute products. There are a couple of brand new punches that you can punch multiple floral shapes. They are adjustable. I really can't describe them, but they are really neat. I plan to order both of these new punches. Once the catalog is released I will post pictures of these punches.

Ammie Riggs has been keeping our monthly notes and I really appreciate her help. I can't remember everything that we discuss at meetings and she graciously noted all the VIP stuff (even though she wasn't feeling 100%)!

All the girls brought $2.00 worth of scrapbook supplies to add to our door prize kitty. We have quite a treasure trove full of products. I look forward to picking a variety of stuff to give away at each meeting. Our choices have grown.

If you are planning on attending the April meeting and did NOT bring $2.00 worth of scrapbook supplies (new) please remember to do so at this upcoming meeting. It makes it so our club is due free and assures that we always have door prizes. I do my best to pick from all the different categories of supplies and whoever is picked during the meeting chooses what she wants. That way you don't end up taking home your own stuff.

I'm not sure what May holds, but am sure whatever we come up with it will be loads of fun. Please tell all your crafting friends about PB & J Paper Crafters so our club can grow and we can pool ideas and talents.

Oh, the Great American Scrapbook Convention in Arlington is just a couple months away. You can find them on the internet by Googling their name. You won't want to miss this Texas event.

If you know of other events happening in and around the Permian Basin, please email them to me at cerwelt@gmail.com. I will do my best to post them here and on Facebook. We want everyone to be connected so we can grow and draw good events and demonstrators.

Meeting: April 12th, 20011 7:00PM
Where: Barnes & Noble Booksellers
What for: Cricut Imagine Demonstration
What to bring: Money for raffle and $2.00 worth of scrapbook supplies if you haven't already participated, and yourself and a friend

More info? email me at cerwelt@gmail.com

March PBJ Meeting

For all of you who missed our March meeting I am posting this blog. We had such a good time and I was so tickled to have Vicky Mumme take over teaching. She demonstrated how to make money and gift cards birthday cards using premade greeting cards from the hobby store. We each made two cards and decorated them.

We had a really lovely raffle item; a scrapbook trolley and craft bag in hot pink and floral fabric. I'm thrilled to tell you all that I actually won them. I know some girls who were a little green, but they soon got over it and congratulated me. My $5.00 purchase of tickets yielded a win which was drawn by the head of the Christian Bikers that meet next to us at Barnes & Noble. I should have asked his name. We know each other by sight, but neither of us knows the other person's name.

We also had six door prizes and six of the nine gals in attendance took something fun home. All of the gals brought items for our door prize kitty. It should be a whole lot more fun to draw from the goodie bag with all those wonderful items to chose from.

I shared how to use a single slot punch (shaped like a regular hole punch, but with a single vertical slot) and a tag punch of any sort together to make ribbon tags. I also shared that I found scrapbook how to books at Dollar Tree in Midland.

Here is a list of places you really must hunt for scrapbook supplies.

• Tuesday Morning
• Big Lots
• Michael's
• Hobby Lobby
• Office Depot
• Staples
• Dollar Tree
• Dollar General

We had a great time and look forward to April's meeting. Donna Stanco will be demonstrating the Cricut Imagine for a second time. You do NOT want to miss this. Our raffle will be a bag of adhesives and some specialty scissors. Tickets will be 50 cents. If you come and didn't bring $2.00 worth of scrapbook supplies for our door prize kitty do so at the April meeting. It makes it fair for all and keeps costs down as well.

We also discussed the "Great American Scrapbook Convention" in June (2-4th) at the Arlington Convention Center. I emailed Tim Holtz and asked him if he'd be at the convention. He said, "Nay" and I said "boo whoo". You will want to Google the GASC and learn the details.

Remember our meetings are always the second Tuesday of the month, 7:00PM at Barnes & Noble in Midland, TX.

Sweethearts for Sweethearts

Gals,

Miss Yehaw Memaw (Wilma Dean Cunningham) and Miss Chilly (Cerise Welter) had a lovely time visiting the sweethearts at Terrace West in Midland, Texas. Their job was to hand deliver 127 Valentines to the residents early on Valentine's day. Where did the wonderful Valentine Cards come from? From the girls at Permian Basin Jewels Paper Crafters and the little girls of American Heritage Girls Troop 220 in Sheridan, Wyoming.

The girls first stop was in the Alzheimer's unit where Miss Yehaw shared the talents of her lovely stick horse "Minnie Pearl". The residents enjoyed her merry making and the cards. The cowgirls then took their show on the road, or should I say down the halls of Terrace West where they visited each room and either dropped a card or hand delivered a card to the joyous residents.

Miss Chilly addressed the hispanic residents and learned how to say, "Valentine" in Spanish. It is "Valentino" for those who want to know. "Este Valentino es por tu!!" she gladly replied to those who spoke no ingles. What a fun day and even bilingual!

The sweet folks at Terrace West were especially thrilled to receive the Valentines made by the little girls in Midland and the American Heritage Girls in Wyoming. It was clear they were touched that anyone would make a card for them and come from another state!

All along the corridors of the nursing home were happy recipients of the beautifully hand crafted cards. Many of the residents were resting so Miss Yehaw and Miss Chilly left the spare cards to be handed out when they woke.

It was such a blessed day and the time flew. Before either gal knew it they had visited every room and passed out cards to the happy owners of the lovely cards.

Thank you PB & J gals, American Heritage Girls and Carrasco girls. Your hard work was so appreciated. We look forward to a repeat visit in the near future. The folks so rarely have outside visitors that both the cowgirl clowns have decided to make return engagements on a more regular basis.

Junk or Treasure?

Gals,

Once again it's almost time for the Permian Basin Jewels (paper crafters) monthly get together. This month (February 8th) we will bring all our unwanted or extra scrapbook supplies to swap. We all have stuff we've discovered we aren't using or really can't see using in the future. It's a sure bet that someone will love the things we don't want. "One man's junk is another man's treasure" is an appropriate quote for this meeting.

We also have a surprise guest for this month (if all things go well). Donna Stanco is a friend, fellow Stampin Up rep and also a Cricut owner and user. She has recently purchased the Cricut Imagine and has offered to demonstrate its features at the February meeting. Barring any personal emergencies she will be at our meeting to share one of the latest Provocraft products.

We are also asking each gal to bring a handmade Valentine to exchange at the meeting.

When: February 8th, 7:00PM
Where: Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Midland, Texas
What For: Swap Shop and Cricut Demonstration
What to Bring: Handmade Valentine to trade, your unwanted Scrapbook supplies to swap, Cricut Imagine questions
Who to contact: Cerise Welter (cerwelt@gmail.com)

Note: The Cricut part of the meeting is subject to change, but the SWAP is a sure thing. Bring your stuff and come play with us.

Love is a Many Splendored Thing

I'm looking forward to our meeting next Tuesday with great relish. I've used my Big Shot and cut out all sorts of backgrounds to help with the construction of Valentines. I know the residents at Terrace West will be so delighted to receive handmade cards and I know I'm going to have fun delivering them. My friend Wilma and I are scheming and creating a clown bit to deliver the cards on Valentine's day. Hey, what can I say I love opportunities to clown when folks aren't expecting it. Surprise is fun.

We invite all crafters to come to the January meeting at Barnes & Noble. I'm asking all those who come to bring paper, embellishments, stickers, and basic craft tools to help us get all 120 cards made before February 14th. My sister is having her troop of American Heritage Girls make 50 of the cards so we only have to get 70 done this year.

We will be meeting at 7:00PM on January 11th at Barnes & Noble, Midland, TX. Please bring adhesives, scissors, stickers, brads, cardstock and paper with Valentine theme. I am also bringing stamps and ink for sentiments. If we all pool our resources it will relieve the burden. Of course we have door prizes (thanks Miss Cheryl) and I will encourage all of to visit the cafe and order a drink or goodie in support of B & N. It's the least we can do to thank them for the free meeting space.

I appreciate your participation and hope to see a bunch of new faces. Come join in the fun.

For more information email me at cerwelt@gmail.com

Later Ladies,

Cerise Welter
Ambassador
PB & J Paper Crafters