Scrapfest 401 & Cards for the Troops

Sorry I'm posting so late today. My cousins needed me to haul tables to their house for their garage sale, then I had banking to do for our business, then we visited Shane & Andrea at their new house, then the boys and I jumped in with Jim to have some family time in the truck. The boys were in their glory "working" with daddy. Especially when we got to go to a new quarry and load. These boys are probably the youngest kids ever to know exactly what the machines are called. Just a quick story. Riley was 2 and Jager just a baby, and a semi passed us carrying a bobcat and a tractor. Riley said "mom look at the pay loader", I said no Riley it's a bobcat. This went back n forth, me trying to correct him. Then Jim phoned, I asked him what the heck a payloader was, and yes...my 2 year old was absolutely correct. He was talking about the tractor on the semi as I was pointing out the bobcat. I took a beating on that one, having now had my Class 1A for now 8 years, not knowing the different machines. So now if my kids say a back hoe, yes I assume they are right. LOL

• So we had a small intimate gathering to make cards last night. But it was fun & efficient. We made 44 cards for the troops. Hooray! The best part for me was getting the time to just hang with fabulous friends and work for a cause. I look at my grandparents & parents. Anytime someone needs help, or there is a cause to support, they step up immediately. It just doesn't seem to be the case very often with my generation. My gramma Elliott makes crocheted blankets for needy kids and the preemies. My Gramma Elian makes quilts to be sent over seas for the needy and also she knits booties & hats for the newborns. My mom is the first person to volunteer in any situation someone needs a hand. I think we need more of that. I can remember when we had a huge garden & orchard(like acres for real!!!! I know cause I had to weed it!) at the farm. We always took what we could eat, then gave to all our relatives & friends and then we always took huge boxes in for the Friendship Inn. It just was so automatic in our thinking. It is really important to me that this art of helping isn't lost , I want my kids to think it is natural to help others. So I went to bed absolutely happy. I hope our troops are safe and enjoy a little home made touch! Also Jo-Ann, you have left a huge impact on me!, I loved meeting you at Scrapfest, and having a great talk. I hope that your husband receives one of our cards! I'll be thinking of you & him this season. I will pray for his safety! I saw that you checked me out. Julie Cortens is a link on the right hand side of my blog. She has powerful military layouts of her son Mark. They are a must to check out. She is an outstanding lady that I used to work with, whose site is always interesting as you can see that she shares her passion for her family, her religion and her art in such beautiful ways. Here is a link to her site: http://www.cortens.blogspot.com/

(Yes Julie, I needed your business cards this weekend. I met so many fabulous military wives and I kept telling them that they HAD to check out your site. Hope you don't mind!) So this is my little burst of happiness this week. I am absolutely lucky to have married such a great guy who spoils me with flowers. He has done it so often that now I find it my little instant smile in the day. Now I want flowers around me at all times.(He's created a monster!) I love the colours, the fun, the smell. So I thought I'd share this little burst of sunshine with you.

Especially my little off balance sunflower. LOVE it!

Okay back to Scrapfest. So my passion for this new company STIX 2, all started by sitting down at the ever so fabulous Anam Stubbington's make n take. She is a designer for them and she was having us create our own doodles to play with. It is a Canadian company and I was privileged to have had the entire weekend to hang out with Allesandra (very beautiful woman!, with a great passion for her company) & Colette. I think that their booth was my second home that weekend. They just kept letting me try all their new stuff, and showing me their products that release soon. They create the whole line of amazing adhesives, for great prices for us. But, they have this one product...

that allowed me to create this fun page...

check out the detail...

(Even the "Pirate Party" is done with foils.)

and here it is! STIX 2 PVA glue. But not your ordinary PVA glue. This one stays tacky after it dries. When it is wet you can stick down micro beads, sparkles, really anything. But when it dries than you can break out the foil and have a fun party. Allesandra gave me a huge kit, and I've almost used up all my foils!

It takes about 15 min. to dry, then you just press the foil onto the glue and it is awesome. Here is what Allison did on her transparency.

Here is my transparency. So I came home and used the star and journal box on a layout already! I loved the result.

This is what the package of foils looks like. And CHEAP! I will never go without this again. I love the little bling it adds.

So 4 times a year you can get this magazine, Scrapbook & Cards Today for FREE! at Yesterday's Memories. All you have to do is a minimum purchase and then its yours. Each store only gets 100 copies and then its GONE! Its totally jam-packed with new products, great layouts, clean pages. I love this magazine. And I'm proud that it is made in Canada. They have a real concept that the art of scrapbooking is brought to us in scrapbook stores where we can see amazing products, learn from great instructors and be able to create friendships with other scrapbookers. They want us to enjoy, no LOVE our scrapbook stores. Their point is yes Walmart & Dollarama do carry supplies for cheaper, but that's it! There is no relationship that grows in our art, no learning that takes place in these places. Isn't that unique, a magazine that wants us to have solid relationships with our local stores, to be able to start friendships with other scrapbookers , to be able to share our art. I definitely think they have something going. So when the seasons change, you know their issues will be coming out.

Here are the girls behind this beautiful magazine. Kerry McRorie & Catherine Tachdigan. Totally cool girls too. Funny, down to earth and really awesome. Kerry taught some classes at Scrapfest and the buzz was they were GREAT! I saw the projects and totally wished that I could've snuck in on some of them! Next time!

So our booth was like the hang out booth, I think because we had nothing to sell. Only an adventure to discuss. So we had lot's of fun talking about the cruise, our sponsors, meeting great people and seeing people's portfolios. There are so many people that want to be an instructor next year. It was awesome to see everyone's uniqueness. If it was up to me I think I'd have more instructors than attendees. Good thing I'm not the person making the call. So it was really cool spending this weekend with Allison Orthner. It was cool to see this photographer/TV host in action. We both were on City TV and it was so much fun but scary. I knew I was on a specific segment so I was prepared for that, but Katharina Doyle (Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine) pulled me into the opening segment. Freaked me out! I didn't even get a chance to pee first! Talk about nervous! It was fun though. My cousin taped the segment on VHS but I have no idea how to get it onto the computer to show you guys. Jim & I had a good time watching it.I waited to watch it with him so that was even more scary wondering what it looked like. We had a good laugh. Allison of course looked flawless. Maybe somehow I'll find a way to show you guys.

• Allison took this awesome pic of Vicki & Anam. totally fun girls! Us fooling around with the Canadian Scrapbooker girls. They totally ROCK! our Crop & Cruise booth

Allison & I doing a make n take. We had a blast! Talk about unprepared. We were told to go and take part in this, mingle with the attendees. So do you want to know how much you get razzed when you show up at all the different make 'n take tables with NO scissors, adhesives, or trimmers? LOT's! But it was still fun!

I only wished that Heather, Jill, Rae & Christine could've been there to get rowdy in our Crop & Cruise booth. Next time!

• Okay, so was it fun seeing some of the cool events that took place at Scrapfest? I really enjoy meeting all of the fantastic scrapbookers out there! Everyone has such stories to tell, amazing layouts, unique ideas. For me these events just ignite the fire in me to create more, to try new things.
• I have a few more fun random pics, I'll post a few more tomorrow.Then that's it! I'm so excited for splurge tomorrow. We have such a great group of ladies. It is going to be a blast!