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.