Local Scrapbook Stores can "Shop Local," Too! (part 1)

Helloooo Gorgeouses!!

The Craft and Hobby Association's annual trade show, CHA 2013 Winter Conference and Trade Show, is approaching FAST: January 11 - 15th!  It is the cornerstone wholesale event in the crafting industry, representing companies from around the world.  Many of our Local Scrapbook Stores (LSSes) will be traveling to Anaheim, CA, to meet directly with industry leaders, take classes and seminars, and witness firsthand the latest introductions to the craft market.

While our LSSes shop this world-wide market, a number of wholesale opportunities are available to them right here in New England!  Over the next few weeks, New England Paper Crafts will be highlighting these remarkable local companies as we lead up to CHA.

Fabricate:
Fabricate holds a special place in my heart.  They are a local scrapbook store in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine - home of Acadia National Park.  As a renowned tourist destination, Fabricate wanted to fill the demands of their customers by providing papers that would reflect the memories they had experienced on their trip.

Finding a distinct lack of Maine themed papers in the marketplace, Erin Early Ward and Nessa Burns Reifsnyder took the bull by the horns and created Vacationland Papers in 2012.  Classic crafters: "If you can't find it, MAKE it!"

Nessa designed these double-sided, heavyweight papers from her own photos and they are printed in the United States.  They are available through their store in Bar Harbor (I bought one of each) and they are also available to qualified customers, including your LSS, WHOLESALE!

Fabricate has the whole introduction in a Vacationland Photo Album on their  Fabricate facebook page.  I encourage you to click through to see more details!

For more information on how to get YOUR hands on Fabricate's exciting papers, contact Erin and Nessa for more information - they gladly handle both retail and wholesale inquiries!

Fabricate
64 Mount Desert Street
Bar Harbor, Maine  04609
(207) 288-5113
Nessa@MDIFabricate.com
www.MDIFabricate.com

Let us know what you think!  Leave a comment and let us know if you YOU would like to see Maine themed paper in your Local Scrapbook Store!

Happy Day, Laurel Lee Pollard

P.S. - Be sure to contact me with your favorite New England paper crafting wholesaler.  We'd love to hear about them!

New England Paper Crafts
NewEnglandPaperCrafts@gmail.com

www.NewEnglandPaperCrafts.com

Facebook.com/NEPaperCrafts
Twitter.com/NEPaperCrafts
Pinterest.com/NEPaperCrafts

. . . and THIS is why we {LOVE} our LSS!

I have known for MONTHS what I wanted to do for my niece's 15th birthday.  I had the opportunity to meet Dyan Reavely at Ink About It in Westford, MA, last spring and I immediately knew her bright colors and irreverent style would be PERFECT for the creative teenager. (Check my blog post about it HERE!)

We packed the van with my niece, sister, son and daughter for a Dyan Reavely sourcing trip to my local scrapbook store (LSS), Absolutely Everything - 45 minutes from my house in Topsfield, MA.  Editor's note: YES! they really do stock everything ~

We had a hearty greeting from Dallas when we arrived and we headed STRAIGHT to the back for AE's huge selection of Dyan Reavely products - "Dylusions."  I was instantly struck by the impression that the packaging for Dyan's line didn't do her work justice.  Since my niece didn't have experience with Dyan's fun, colorful (and dare I say, "impulsive?") style, I approached Dallas about the possibility of getting a quick Dylusions demo.  Even though the store was B.U.S.Y. that Sunday afternoon, she headed out back to check ~

She came right back and said, "Yes, as soon as she's out from her meeting, the owner will be happy to do it for you!"  Cool!  Kate Farricker's in the house!

After a bit, Kate came out and offered a warm welcome to us.  She invited us back to the store's studio space, where she had pulled together a great selection of Dyan's product from Ranger, Stamper's Anonymous, The Crafter's Workshop and, of course, paper towels - Oh! we were going to get inky!

Kate was wonderful, explaining about the different types of Ranger Archival Ink, Adirondack Acrylic Daubers and Dylusions Ink Sprays.  She shared a multiple of engaging techniques using Dylusions Stencils, stamps and one of Ranger's signature products: Tim Holtz Water Brush.

Needless to say, Kate's demonstration had us ALL inspired - my niece loaded up with everything (sprays, ink pad, stencil and stamps).  My little angel couldn't resist the sprays and, what can I say, my little guy could not leave without Ranger Inkssentials Pipette!

Don't forget - if Absolutely Everything isn't your local scrapbook store, they have their extensive offerings available for purchase online, too!  Your support will help my LSS stay STOCKED!!

Thanks so much to Kate Farricker, and her whole staff at Absolutely Everything, for taking the time, to drop everything, and inspiring a new generation of artists!  THIS is why we love our LSSes!

Happy Day, Laurel Lee

New Englanders Embrace Shari Carroll's Signature Style

Continuing 22 successful years working with Hero Arts, Shari Carroll is renowned throughout the paper crafting industry.

She is finishing her Fall Workshop Tour of 2012 in New England with "Clean and Simple Holiday" and "Now Cut That Out Holiday."  I joined her at one of my favorite paper craft sources: Ink About It in Westford, Ma ~

Shari was using the best of Hero Arts Stamps and Inks while bringing a lot of inspiring friends to the table, including Ranger Tim Holt's Distress Ink with Water Brush, Memento Markers (which are available in coordinating color to Hero's Ink Pads) and Sizzix's BIGkick for perfect die-cutting.ble, including Ranger Tim Holt's Distress Ink with Water Brush, Memento Markers (which are available in coordinating color to Hero's Ink Pads) and Sizzix's BIGkick for perfect die-cutting.

Not only did we love Shari's artistic heart and style, but we LOVED all those "friends," too!!

If YOU would like to explore the latest stamping techniques with a renowned industry leader, contact the Papercraft Club House in Westbrook, CT at  (860) 399-4443 ASAP!! Shari Carroll's last personal appearance in New England is TODAY, Thursday, October 19th.  The first of Shari's two classes begins at 4pm - don't miss 'em!

Inky friends from Shari Carroll's 10am class at Ink About It, Westford, MA, October 18, 2012

Happy Day, Laurel Lee Pollard

It's getting INKY at The Crop Shop in Rockland, MA

Dee Pierce had offered an opportunity I just couldn't pass up today - free demos and make-n-takes with John Creighton Petersen, Creative Director of Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko.  An hour and a half from Portsmouth, NH, The Crop Shop and Destination Events in Rockland, MA is quick and easy find off I-93.

I had a wonderfully inspiring afternoon learning the ins and outs of Imagine Crafts and Tsukineko product lines including popular items such as: Kaleidacolor, Memento, Brilliance, Opalite, StazOn, and Walnut Ink.  I had the opportunity to try new product including Fireworks!, Goosebumps, GlazOn and Ink Blushers.

Why don't YOU take advantage of this wonderful opportunity??  John has two terrific classes at The Crop Shop tomorrow, Friday, October 11, 2012: Explosion box and star book.  In addition, he's offering these same free demonstrations tomorrow evening at from 4pm - 9pm.  It's not to be missed!

After all that inspiration, what do we need to do??  SHOP, of course!  Dee has a wonderful selection of fresh papers, embellishments, inks, sprays, dies, adhesives, tools and MORE!!

Not enough??  How 'bout a BIG, HUGE weekend crop??  YES, Dee and her associates have you covered!  The Annual Halloween Crop offers food, prizes, contests and giveaways, oh my!  It all starts tomorrow at 11am and runs through Sunday 'till 3pm.  Dee sold out of seats for this event early, so she opened another whole room to serve the demand - call her at The Crop Shop to ensure you get one of those spots!!

Happy Day, Laurel Lee Pollard

It's "Hands on Tuesday!"

Good Morning!  It's Hands on Tuesday at the York Public Library today!

Hand on Tuesday
Tuesday, October 9th, 10:15am
York Public Library, 15 Long Sands Road, York, Maine  03909
Admission is FREE!

Kate Pfirman and I have a couple of wonderful kits prepared for our wee friends from around the area:

Finger Paint Indian Corn

Fall Fingerprint Tree

Parents can help!  We'll get to use our Sizzix BIGKick and Tim Holt's Alterations Die "Tattered Leaves"

featuring K&Company's Specialty Paper "Fall Collection" by Tim Coffey

We look forward to seeing you soon!!

Happy Day, Laurel Lee Pollard

We had a HOOT on Grandparents Day!

Grandparents Day was this past Sunday, September 9th.  It was the perfect opportunity to show my mother, "Gammy" as she's known to the kiddies, what Sizzix dies can do with fabric!  I scraplifted this appliqué project from Sizzix Design Team Member and New Englander, Amy Friend from During Quiet Time.

As you can see, Gammy's an AVID sewer - so this would be a perfect project to share with her in celebration of Grandparents Day, with a little help from the babes!

We start by cutting the fabric to 6".  Prewashing is recommended -

Iron flat.

We cut the Steam-A-Seam iron-on to 6" to fit our fabric piece.  This is the appliqué webbing that has special paper on each side.  $2.99/pk at Joann's Fabric & Craft.

We peeled off one side of the paper (save this paper for later), laid the webbing side onto the fabric, and PRESSED  the iron onto the paper.  *We did not move the iron side to side as we would regularly.  Press, lift. Move, press, lift.*

All of our colors are prepped with appliqué webbing!

We're using Dena Design Sizzix Bigz Owl Die from her brand new "Happi Baby" Collection.  These dies are "larger than life," and they're wonderful for appliqué!  All the pieces are included on this one die - the owl, eyes, pupils, beak, wings and feet.  We cut the owl base first, which takes up most of the space, so we laid the fabric over the entire die.

Susan is a highly experienced Sizzix BIGkick user.  After making her Sizzix sandwich, she's showing Gammy how it's done -

Next, we're just cutting out the pieces, so we layer fabric over the appropriate parts of the die.  The die can slice right through multiple layers of fabric at one time, so we're stacking them up!

The eyes of the owl stay attached by a THREAD, so they are easy to keep in place while we assemble our appliqué.  *When I use the die for paper, they pop right out.*

We used some of the discarded Steam-A-Seam backer paper (it's similar to parchment) to assemble our owl on the paper, so the appliqué doesn't stick to the ironing board.  While leaving the paper on the back of the owl, we removed the backer paper from the pieces, starting with the beak, and layered them on to the owl.  *This is one of the reasons I love Sizzix dies:  you don't have to worry about getting the pattern adjusted correctly - the cut-outs for the eyes show you right where to start!

Beak's done, now the eyes, pupils, wings and feet!  Again, the Dena Designs Sizzix die gives you the pattern base for the placement of the feet.  Easy peasy!

Cutie patootie!

We pull the appliqué from the paper and remove the backer paper of the owl . . . 

place it on our t-shirt . . .

press down iron (again, not side to side motion!) to adhere.

While the Steam-A-Seam is enough to hold the appliqué, we wanted a finished look.  We pinned Pellon's Stitch-N-Tear stabilizer ($2.99/yd at Joanne's) to the back of the t-shirt, behind the owl, to give it some form so we could top-stitch a zig-zag edge.

After top-stiching, we flipped the t-shirt over and started pulling off the Stitch-N-Tear.

For the middle, we used a pin to scrape the Stitch-N-Tear, so we wouldn't damage the t-shirt underneath.

We finished peeling the Stitch-N-Tear from the middle of our appliqué.  We found that little bits will stay caught in the stitching, which is why Amy Friend recommended Sulky Tender Touch.  The next time I try this, I'm going to check out a Water Soluble Stabilizer option.

We were so HAPPY with the result . . . 

we made a coordinating wristlet to go with it!!

Thanks again for the wonderful inspiration from Amy Friend of During Quiet Time.  She's always coming up with great ways to expand our crafty use of our Sizzix BIGKick and dies!

Happy Day, Laurel Lee Pollard

New England Paper Crafts