Our February Card Workshop

It's that time again and I have 4 fabulous Cards to create this month.

We'll be using some Public Domain Images, some ink, faux stitching & water colouring techniques and more.... Hope you can join us.

I will offer these Saturday February 13 from 11:30 - 2pm, but AS ALWAYS, if you are interested in coming into the studio to complete these at another time, just let me know. We'd love to share them with you.

I do have a couple of Valentine Class Kits available -- $7.99 gets you the pack that includes a Teacher Card and 24 class cards. They are all pre-stamped and ready to assemble.

HAVE FUN, MAKE CARDS!!

One World - One Heart

I am so excited about this BLOG give-a-way event!!

What a wonderful idea Lisa had. I wish I could have posted this on the 25th... but here it is now. Thank you for letting me take part in it!

The idea behind this Blog event was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. Last year there were 911 participants from 28 countries participating! I wonder how many there will be this year.... it looks like we are on track to surpass that!

I am truly inspired by what I see in the blogosphere!! There are so many creative people "out there" with a voice. Thank you for making those voices a little clearer! I can't wait to surf the net!!

I am a mixed media girl... and have been playing with a lot of different things lately. Taking the "que" of a "Magic Carpet Ride" I found a Public Domain Image of a belly dancer I just had to make into a necklace for someone!! ....A thank you for taking this ride with me. This dancer is Up For Grabs simply by leaving a comment on this post.

Wonder by Wonder was created by embossing Sticky-Back Canvas and highlighting it with Perfect Pearls to give it some luster. The belly dancer and words were adhered with matte medium and I attached an "ideaology" foliage piece to the ball chain for a little something extra..... I hope you like it!! I find her mystical :) hehe

I will post the "winner" of the necklace via random selection (using the Random Integer Generator) on February 15. Good Luck

I'm off to do a little surfing! ENJOY THE RIDE!!

Karen

All good things!!

This is a long post today - BUT TRUST ME... it will be worth reading to the end!!

It's life's little moments that take your breath away....

One of the things I LOVE about CHA are the displays. They are so inspiring. "Life Moments" was part of a display I snapped at the Advantus booth. Advantus is the company that manufactures the Tim Holtz Ideaology line. Stunning! And yes, the papers I mentioned in an earlier post are even yummier in person. Can't wait to get them in ... I digress...

This year the Ranger Booth was all decked out in Melt Art (See..... yet another fabulous display)

I showed you Carmi's Designer challenge.... I thought you might like to see Tim, Claudine and Suze's pieces. Here they are.... Aren't they stunning and true to their styles!? Hard to believe they were given a box of the same stuff to do this... Isn't it?

And here is a picture of the wall with all the displays -- Scrapbookers may recognize Donna Downey & Jen Starr (I think you'll be able to see theirs if you click on the image below)

The Ranger booth is also always buzzing with demos by their artists.

OMG, Tim had an entourage if at least 15 - 20 people constantly when walking from place to place... and at least that crowding tables to see him work. No, I did not follow him around. :) He is the master marketer though. Kuddos Tim!!

Tim played with all his new stuff. Let's just say the inks are yummy and I am sooooooooooo glad that I have a sizzix machine. There are oodles of ideas running through my brain. It's hard to sleep! LOL

As you know, I am also getting Wendy Vecchi's stamps in the studio this release. Here is Wendy, caught ( a little) offguard, demoing away....

But back to the displays... wowsers!! :) LOVE LOVE LOVE this. hehe

Today is Tuesday.... soooooo for ASK KAREN.... How about a little of what's coming in? That is, after all, THE question people have been asking.

I am SURE there is no surprise that I will be bringing in the 12 New Distress Ink Colours. They are GORGEOUS!!

What you may not know is that I will be offering a PRE-ORDER BUNDLING SALE on ALL DISTRESS INK PADS (NEW and previously released) and ...why not... ALL THE NEW STAMPS from Wendy Vecchi and Tim Holtz!! YES!! I said NEW inks and stamps!! Both will be shipping in approximately a couple of weeks (all going well)-- SO.... Here is how this will work:

Buy 1-2 Distress Ink Pads/or Stamp Sets and receive 10% off

Buy 3-4 Distress Ink Pads/or Stamp Sets and receive 15% off

Buy 5-6 Distress Ink Pads/or Stamp Sets and receive 20% off

Buy 7 or more Distress Ink Pads/or Stamp Sets and receive 25% off

Buy all 12 Distress Ink Pads/or 12 or more assorted stamps sets (from Wendy and Tim's Collections) and receive 30% off

Starting tomorrow, email me for an order form.

Select your purchases, fill out the form and mail it back. A 50% deposit is required at time of ordering to secure your selections and guarantee your discount. You will be emailed a receipt as proof of your order. I will let you know as soon as your product arrives. You can either pick it up at the studio or an upcoming event for free or I will mail your purchases to you for exact shipping cost. (so yes, those who don't live near the studio.... this deal is for you too!!)

This offer ends SATURDAY January 30. Items will be at regular price when they come in.

I am getting the following Stamps from Tim:

And I will be getting all of the stamps from Wendy Vecchi that are found on her BLOG post except the words set.

Tim Holtz IDEAOLOGY will hopefully be shipped in March .... I am getting the entire line including his Paper Stacks!!

As will the NEW PERFECT PEARL colours!! CAFE!!

Yes, I will be getting the entire Tim Holtz "Alterations" line too ....but by PRE-ORDER ONLY. This is not something that I will be regularly carrying. I will, however, be getting this in for use in the Studio (and for my own personal use and classes) and will get it in by request too. Sooooooooo..... Look for a pre-order email soon -- there just might be some good "deals" in it. *wink* The expected ship date is MARCH/early April.

I also got in some fun canvas pillows to make art with. Some stretched burlap to play with and some some findings too.... perfect for jewelry making and mixed media projects...... Just wait until you see!!! Eeekkk... so exciting!

Well.... I think I have just about had it for the day (I need sleep! This red eye thing is for the birds - hehe ... but sooooooooooooooooooo worth it!!)

WAIT!! Hold the fort!! I have to post my ONE WORLD - ONE HEART give-a-way... I'll try to do that this evening ....EARLY this evening! LOL

Thanks for sharing my excitement with me!!

Been Seen.... at CHA

Hello ladies!! ...and gentleman readers :)
I really wanted to blog this last night but by the time I got back to the hotel it was 2am our time. The computer was turned on but.... I fell asleep typing on it. LOL I tried! :) Anyway, I'm up getting ready for a new day and just HAD to share. There will be a couple of posts today to watch out for :) ...and One World - One Heart will be posted tomorrow (I hope that will be okay with the organizer - crossing my fingers). Okay -- here we go.

I started the day by meeting Elizabeth (L) from A Scrapbookers Dream (Bolton) for coffee and look who we ran into? Yep - that's Kim from The Scrapping Bug (C) and Catherine (R) from Scrapbook and Cards Today! Great to see the Canadian stores represented. I also saw Juanita from Barrie and Sheila from Hamilton .... All is good!!

After coffee I officially opened my account with Stamper's Anonymous and made a fun order -- Tim Holtz and Wendy Vecchi stamps. I am a member of Wendy Vecchi's Yahoo Group so... yes, you will be seeing me play with these stamps quite a bit in the near future! Can't wait to get my hands on them. I'll post the stamps soon.... promise,
Yes, I also placed my Ranger order today too. All their new stuff will be coming in -- All of Tim's Ideaology, the New Distress Inks, the new epoxy.... yep everything. I will even be placing special orders for Tim new Sizzix line "Alterations" as well... so stay tuned. I have lots of plans up my sleeve. Pics to come.

One of the great things about the Ranger booth? My friend Carmi (I know you have read about her in other posts) was asked to do a Melt Art project for their Designer Challenge. Here's Carmi with her Frieda!! Love it Carmi! Photos don't do it justice!!
I also did Claudines Make N Take. Such a Great lady. I love her new Studio Medium "A little more time" glaze. I see so many fabulous possibilities with it -- and YEP ... it's coming in too!
Remember I said on Saturday night I spent part of the evening with the Kiki girls... Here they are!! LOVE the bright fresh designs from them .... I am crossing my fingers that they do come to the area (I hear possibilities are good!!) crossing my fingers! Great to meet you Girls

On a side note..... I did see Katharina and Leica from Canadian Scrapbooker today on the show floor too. I saw the yummy new issue .... I can't wait until it's been "Seen" hint hint. *WINK*

I spent the rest of the day looking at the show and getting ideas.

Then, I met the mod for my Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group - Allie Gower for dinner. It was great to meet her... we had quite the discussions and creative jammering ons. We ate at Downtown Disney Jazz Diner - yummo - and ended the day Disney Style: ...and yes, Stephen (from Bark Avenue next door, I got your little Mickey! hehe)
Gotta go get ready for the day today.... It's going to be a long one.

I will be 0n the Red Eye home tonight and will open the studio tomorrow... but just in case of Delays, don't look for me to be there until closer to 2pm

Blog again soon!!!

I'm Here!!!

In Anaheim for the CHA Trade Show.

I am on a whirlwind trip though. I arrived last night, I leave tomorrow night. But all is good!!

The show floor opens in about an hour. I am meeting Elizabeth from A Scrapbooker's Dream before we go in and.... I've already had the chance to catch up with Katherina from the Canadian Scrapbooker and Arantza and her team from Kiki Art (Quebec). It's going to be a fabulous show!

Off I go. Check back later... you never know what will happen at CHA!

What a Response!!

WOW....
The In A Pinch Designs and Go Studio Crop for Haiti reserved their 12 spaces in about... let's see....ummm.... 12 hours! THANK YOU LADIES We are looking forward to hosting this event for you and doing our small part to help the people of Haiti.

Thank you for supporting us in supporting them.

BUT WAIT... that's not all ... we have a wait list in place for this Friday's crop (the last two spots will be confirmed when I land in LA) AND if there are enough of you interested, In A Pinch Designs and I may just be willing to do this again. SO!!!! Let us know if you are interested and look for a future post with details if it's a go. Crossing my fingers.

Okay... time for me to board the plane. CHA or BUST! Right?? :)
Get wait to get an "In Real Life" look at all these Ranger and Tim products. I'll be sure to keep the drool under control!

Crop for Haiti!

Hey bloggers!!!

In A Pinch Designs and I wanted to do a little something for those in Haiti who need our help.

We've gotten together to host a crop at the studio with proceeds being donated to the Canadian Red Cross. Please join us! There's limited seating so, call right away. Crop fee is $20 -- We will be providing pizza, a make n take AND an In A Pinch Kit too!! It's going to be a fun night!

To register call Karen at 519-954-6620 or email .

CHA or BUST!

Well.... I wasn't going to go but...... YOU GUESSED IT! I'm heading to CHA on Saturday for a couple of days. A whirlwind really..... but ooooooh, what a good one!!

I got one Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet travel deal that made it possible. That, and I have an absolutely AMAZING husband!

So............... I will be taking my camera. Look out RANGER! Here I come!

Please note... since I am going to CHA, the studio will be closed on Saturday. Sorry for the inconvenience. I will be back on Tuesday afternoon to open up. (my flight arrives in Buffalo at 8am Tuesday -- yep, the red eye ... so be nice to me when I get back! There may be something in it for you! *wink*

It's Done! It's Done .....

Well, sort of....
It's done enough that I had to share!

The Studio got a face lift this week. At long last the temporary retail wall came down, I had a Demo Table for Scrapfest made (that I am also going to use as my sales counter) and some sleek looking slat wall put up -- and don't forget new lights too! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I'm loving it!

On Sunday night my hubby and I took down the temporary wall (and the corner desk) and piled stuff all over the studio tables ready for my handy dudes to come in and fix me up!! :)
I was tired just looking at the mess on Sunday!! Eeeek... do you blame me? :)

Here they are - Coder and Ron - getting the lights up and the slat wall hung.

Ron said that I could take his picture and post it as long as I got a shot with his company logo on his shirt and hat -- LOL... Here you go Ron from FIEDLER ELECTRIC here in Kitchener.

Coder has his own contracting business located in my plaza (his workshop is below the studio with access around the back). He was the person who made my Demo table too.... Thanks so much, Coder. I appreciate everything!

And here it is.... all put away and ready to go!! I can't wait to complete a couple more projects and hang them on the wall above all that RANGER product.

Yep ... lots of Ranger Product -- Tim Holtz's name is EVERYWHERE! hehe ... and Claudine's name and Suze's name.... I already have SOME spaces set aside for their new products coming in from CHA ... Stay tuned for more on that soon!!

Soooooooooooooooooo??? What'cha think? I'm loving it!! ...oh yeah, I said that already! *wink*

It's almost midnight and officially Tuesday ... Ask Karen day.

I didn't think you'd mind if I posted this an hour early ... I will be SUPER busy in the studio tomorrow getting things put back together. For those who don't know -- I am renovating the retail section of the studio. New slat wall is up, a new demo table has been built... it's all done but the cleaning and the sorting so I will be in rather early to get it ready for an 11:30am opening. Lots to do... so exciting!

Anyway, without further ado... here is this week's Ask Karen (re-printed word for word from an email I received last week)

Dear Ask Karen
I LOVE 3-in-1 Glue! But I'm a bit of a clutz... how do I get it off my clothes?

Signed,
Sticky in Kitchener

p.s. seriously.. if you have a solution, I need to know. I dipped my boob into a glue bottle today and now I have a glue nipple! :)

Okay... So, after I laughed my head off - I sent her a response.
3 in 1 Glue from Beacon is a FABULOUS glue but once it's dry -- it's waterproof and not coming off in the wash. So... clean off any glue mishaps BEFORE it dries because if you wait you will have permanent glue spots.

Some of the great things about 3 in 1 Glue:

• its waterproof (I use it for all my crafting and quick fix needs - indoor and outdoor)
• it adheres buttons, metal, and all your embellishments beautifully
• a little goes a long way and doesn't warp your paper
• it doesn't leave a watermark on your ribbons
• it dries perfectly clear and as a result can be used to adhere clear objects like acrylic and transparencies...
• Works on Grungeboard & canvas
• A great fabric glue
• can be used as a 3D epoxy.
• fast grab and dries quickly
• is acid free
• A great price - 4oz for $5.99 (buy 2 for $10)

I LOVE 3 in 1 too, Sticky in Kitchener.... Just be a little more careful where you put it! *wink*

A couple Sneak Peeks... and some crafting too!

Here's another one of the cards I made for the February Card Workshop... Stay tuned for more details!! I will be posting them next week. This card uses a Public Domain photo, some faux stitching, inks and more.... gotta love it!! -- I think this is perfect


And... for those who saw the Ranger goodies on my table last post - here's a sneak peek of one of the Nottawasaga Retreat classes I completed. The retreat classes and times will be posted here on February 1st.... It's getting exciting!!

I had a another great day in the studio creating with some fabulous girls!! I love having you all there!! ....love my Sushi Saturdays! *grin*

Come work on your cards, books, canvas, jewelry, whatever you wish -- The studio fees are $2/hour (there is a $6 minimum) - All are welcome!! Hope to see you there!

Valentine Kits.... and other play things

I have been creating in the studio this week getting ready for this weekend's card workshop, preparing for February's Card workshop, getting things ready for the retreats... So exciting! I can't wait to show you all the items I created. But this might help wet your whistle.

I created 4 cards for February's Card Workshop including this very fun little Valentine that I thought would make the perfect Teacher Card. I will be showing you how to stamp using the mini mister, some water and Distress Inks to get a "watercolour look" (which unfortunately is hard to see here... but is soooo sweet in person). Anyway, as I was stamping and enjoying the technique, I thought... this would actually make a pretty sweet class kit. So, I put one together. I had 6 Valentine Treat Boxes hanging out in my "tickle trunk" of an office... so, now I have 6 little Valentine Card Kits -- all pre-stamped ... just attach the embellies and address them as you like. The kit includes all you see below, enough to make 24 class cards and 1 teacher card (teacher card comes with an envelope).

I've priced them at $7.99 - so be sure to let me know you want one before they disappear!! And have fun with you kiddies!! :)

Now, on to more fun today.... More class stuff for the retreats! Anyone have any idea what I'll be teaching? *wink* Off to play!!

I received an award!

... Thank you Amanda. I am honoured that you gave me a blog award! I've never received one of these before. I'm thrilled you thought enough of the blog to award it!! But... now I have homework - hehe - as this award comes with the following responsibilities (so I read):

1. I must thank the person who bestowed this honor upon me. (Thanks again Amanda)
2. Copy the award and place it on my blog. (check)
3. Link to the bestower’s site Pieces of Me
4. List seven interesting things about myself :

• I was once a professional clown (yes, I know... hard to believe LOL) I ran my own business while I was in high school - worked private parties and events by the city (Barrie)
• Marge Simpson inspired me to become a Realtor ... if she could do it! So could I! (it's scary but true! hehe) I did that for 3 years (right out of university) but resigned because of my young daughter and my family commitments.
• I have a "fake face" - I had facial reconstruction surgery when I was 14... I still don't have all the feeling in my chin - so please let me know if there's anything on it, k? :)
• I never took an art class in my life ... not even in highschool
• I'm married to a man who loves to be called 'Adorkable"
• I've tossed a caber and hurled a hagis.... among other things
• and there was a time that I not only spoke English and French... but also Klingon: HIja'!!!

okay... now you all know I'm a geek!! LOL But I have FUN!!

5. Nominate seven bloggers that I find beautiful:
I love reading blogs! I regularly read designer & industry blogs (that are fabulous!!) BUT, I also have some fabulous people who join me in the studio, at my events and classes who also have blogs I read regularly - and they are beautiful for many reasons.... These blogs include:

• Rosanne - very inspiring... the challenges, the cooking, the projects.
• Mindy - I still think about your Christmas Poem!! *wink* - funny funny
• Sheri - My queen.... can't wait until school is over to see more of your creations!
• Sheri's husband Darrin... OMG Scrubbie you slay me!
• Judy -- lovin' the Tags you did for Christmas gifts, Judy!
• Michelle - another talented lady... I sneak over here to keep up to date :)
• Jeannie -- A new blogger who makes me laugh. Keep 'em coming Jeannie!

Thanks again Amanda..... :)

ASK KAREN - Binding with a Mitre Edge

Hello Bloggers... It's Tuesday and ASK KAREN is Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

I had a call this week from a lady who took one of my mini book classes at a retreat last fall. At this class I showed the ladies how I cover my chipboard books so that they have a mitred edge. I talked her through it on the phone.... but I thought I would post it here too ... for easy reference.

I will label all the ASK KAREN blog posts -- you can find them by clicking the ASK KAREN search link found one the right sidebar -- just scroll down to find it.

So, without further ado... Here is my way of getting a mitred corner when you cover your mini books. Have fun!!!