JUST IN CASE...

you have nothing else to do this week - I thought I'd throw out a fun idea or two!

hahahahha - like you don't have turkeys to buy, stuffing to make, pies to bake and sweet potatoes to candy.  

But just in case you're like me - and are going to a cabin in the mountains, and throwing steaks on the grill for Thanksgiving dinner - you might need something else to occupy your time.

And for that - I have some cute suggestions...

TIC-TAC COVERS.  Useful, practical and doable - just what I need this time of year!

Just wrap a piece of cardstock around a package of Tic-Tacs (over the top, open on the sides) but before gluing it in place, embellish the front.  Any kind of embellishment will work, as long as you can punch a hole in it.  These use a QK Snowman (last year's, but the new BK Snowman will work just the same), a nesting Ornament from Jolly, and some miscellaneous leaves.  The key is cutting the hole - and that can be done with either QK Nesting Circles or Spellbinder Nestabilities.

Here's a close-up.  Wouldn't these be adorable as a classroom project, or for all of your co-workers that you don't regularly exchange gifts with.  CUTE!  And doable with just the dies and scraps you have on hand!  I LOVE IT!

ORNAMENT #1.  Easy to make, even easier to exchange!

Look at THIS cute one...

take this BK Snowflake II die and cut it out six times.  Fold each snowflake in half, the same way, and glue them all together with glue pen.  Add some bling - and VIOLA - an easy-peasie, one-of-a-kind ornament!

Here's a view from the top, just in case my directions make no sense -

DOABLE?  Totally!

ORNAMENT #2.  A simple idea - that has endless possibilities!

Take an empty glass ball, and decorate two circles of patterned paper.  Using light weight paper ensures you the ability to roll and stuff your finished piece back into the glass ball.  Remember to decorate both sides of your circle...

and remember to pour in a healthy dose of glitter!  This example uses the new QK Deer and the Merry Christmas Cookie Cutter words.

CANDLES.  Another idea that could take several different paths.


Take a simple, inexpensive, glass candle holder - and decorate the heck out of it.  By theme, by color, or by what you have on hand - anything you add will make it better than before!  These use - QK Flourish Border and Snowflakes, QK Beads Border...

and the QK Gingerbread Border!  Very FUN...and they look beautiful when the candle is lit!

Those ideas should keep you busy for a few days.  If you have other suggestions - please leave us a comment so everyone can see!

As for the rest of this week - the Scrap-Mart blog crew (ME!!) is heading up north.  To the cabin, to the mountains, to the solitude.  No phone, no computer, no doorbell.  I can't wait. What that means for you is that things will be a little quieter around here this week.  But you'll be fine, trust me!

Cherish your family this week, take lots of pictures, write down lots of funny stories, eat until you're stuffed and laugh until your sides hurt.  That's what family is for!

(but maybe check the web-site on Wednesday, just to see what awesome plans are on the horizon!!)

For now - have a blessed holiday.  May you all be sharing the weekend with someone you love.

PEACE!

- - - Susan

THE FIRST QUESTION EVERYONE ASKS...

is how to pronounce it.

And so I say - "Just like you pronounce KODAK...except with different letters."  Which no one seems to understand.  But then, that's a problem I often have.

So then I just say - "KOH-PICK"...with the emphasis on the "KOH".

Once we have that all straightened out, I tell everyone how much I am lovin' these markers lately.  Seriously - lovin' the Copics.

So to further explain my recent infatuation - I did a video for you.  Let's just consider it "Copic 101 - a la Scrap-Mart"...

I used the following pens for the bear:

YR21 - Cream

E35 - Chamois

E47 - Dark Brown (in the video I called it Dark Bark - OOPS!)

These are my go-to-browns.  I can make any tree trunk, dirt, bear, leaves or wood with these colors.

Throw in a:

W1 - Warm Grey No. 1 and a

C3 - Cool Grey No. 3

and your possibilities go up - exponentially!

I love these markers!  At first the price bothered me a bit - but let me tell you how I got over it:

– these markers are practically indestructible

– they are refillable

– they have interchangeable nibs (brush, chisel, medium point)

– the alcohol ink allows these markers to color smooth and silky - no color-over-lines

– the alcohol ink allows blending and shading and layering

– there are a gazillion colors...and that just makes me happy

– but with just a few colors and a couple of greys - your options expand

– I spend probably $100 a year on journaling pens...which I can totally replace with a black Copic

– AND I really dig the coolio color names...I mean really, who doesn't want IRIDESCENT MAUVE and COOL SHADOW in their collection of markers?

Here is a picture of my finished teddy bear - and as my daughter would say "OH MY GLOSS"...he's cute!

(Click on the picture - you can see it full-sized.)

Seriously - starting with Copics is easy. And actually, beginning to do some awesome color work is very doable. The trick is to just keep playing. Keep experimenting. Keep coloring. Before you know it - you'll be impressing yourself!

PEACE!

- - - Susan

BRAND NEW, SHINY NEW...

and temptingly new.

Wait, is "temptingly" a word?  Hmmmm - I'll have to check that out later.  But for now, it's a word.

It is how everyone here at Scrap-Mart describes the effect of having a new stack of dies in front of us.  You know - they are new, and shiny, and just dying to be played with.  They call our names in the middle of the night.  We can't help it.  Really we can't.

Well, the S.M.Arties can't - I've been busy this week, and don't have a new die anywhere to be found on my desk.  Lucky for me - I have the S.M.Arties!  Lucky for you - I have the S.M.Arties!

They have been sending me ideas and pages and projects since Tuesday afternoon.  So I figured before my IN BOX explodes - it's time to share said ideas and pages and projects with YOU!

Look at this cute page border element. ..

Made simply with the new 12" Tree/Branch Border, cut in glittery white paper, and adorned with the QK Triplekutz birds (which are currently out of stock - sorry!). But how easy - and how elegant. Wouldn't this make a great letter-sized invitation for a holiday party? Beautiful!

And speaking of the Tree/Branch Border...


this is the detail of an awesome page idea. Wouldn't this be cute done with ANY pictures you have of babies under the Christmas tree! CUTE!

The new border was used - and look how perfectly the smallest bird of the new Revolution Birds fits in the "nest". Love it!  This page also uses a QK pear, these QK leaves and the font Rockstar.

And for the birds in a non-Christmassy way, let's head to the ballpark...

Now unfortunately there is a Cardinals fan among us - but I'm pretty sure they lost this day - so all is well!  The redbirds were made out of the same Revolution Birds as above, as well as the Bead Border, decorated to look like baseballs!  CUTE!

Getting your pirate groove on is easy with this assortment of dies...

QK Scallops Border (using the negative shape, instead of the scallop shapes)

QK Tree/Branch Border

BK Wave Border

BK Treasure Chest

BK Sword

QK Pirate Ship

QK Paper Doll

QK Pirate Clothes

QK Paper Scroll

QK Nutmeg Font

WOW - that is one die-heavy page, with different companies dies all mixed together and LOOK at how awesome it looks.  Totally amazing!

And here we're looking at some cuter-than-cute Sassafras Lass paper and one of the new QK dies...

This Hog Heaven paper is the PERFECT MATCH for some of the new dies!  This little fox is the perfect fit for this page!  And I am so lovin' the new Storybook font - which I just discovered is already out of stock!

And one final page - for some creative inspiration...

a cutie-patootie Halloween page.  Err, excuse me, an "Owloween" page.  Using the 12" Tree/Branch border (can you tell that this die is topping our FAVORITES list!!) and the Storybook font and the cute little QK Owl.  Quick and easy, adorable and DONE!

Great job S.M.Arties.  I knew we picked you for a reason.  You're making it all look so easy.

Oh wait, it is easy.  And it's fun!  And best of all - - - it's CUTE!

And you know what I say - CUTE MATTERS!

PEACE!

- - - Susan

AN ANNIVERSARY TO CELEBRATE...

and a QK release to freak out about.

It's going to be a BIG DAY.  I can just feel it!

But first things first - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SCRAP-MART BLOG READERS!  One year ago last night, the first blog post was published.  Wow - cool - fun - inspiring - exciting!  It's been a wild ride for sure...Justin here, Justin not here.  Essie here, Essie not here.  Me here, me still here - and me lovin' it!

And then there's YOU!  I am confident the  Scrap-Mart blog has the best readers ever.  You comment, you email, you make suggestions, you share, you forward, you critique, you log in, you sign up.  We LOVE YOU!  We couldn't do it without you - because without you I'd just be writing for Mr. Doss and Ms. Laura - and heck, they don't have time to scrapbook.  They are busy filling orders.  So what good would a blog do just for them!

So happy anniversary to all of us.  2008 has been GREAT - but in 2009 we're going to SHINE! (that rhymed - did you catch that?!)

NOW - onto bigger and better and much more exciting news...NOVEMBER'S QK RELEASE.  Hold on to your hats, because I've already dubbed this release the BEST EVER!  The S.M.Arties have had their dies for a few days and they are all ga-ga for this set.  Totally, head-to-toe, coast-to-coast GA-GA!  Let us know what you think...but act fast.  Because of the way the holiday falls - some of us will be out of town and won't be able to restock any SOLD OUT sets until after the holiday next week.

YEP - that's me predicting that some of these will sell out today!  (And just ask Justin - I'm rarely wrong!)

First - some quarter-size-comparisons...

Brenda did these awesome samples for you - here is the 4x4 set of birds -

and just wait until you see him cut out of patterned paper!  Absolutely adorable!

Here she did the 4x4  butterfly - first in cardstock, as QK probably intended for it to be.  Second in patterned paper, as an awesome scrapbooker would picture it to be!

And you get a bonus - you can use JUST the inside pieces of the butterfly's wings, and get an entirely different, smaller butterfly!  HOW COOL...two-for-one butterflies!

These guys - holy cow - how sweet are they?  The 2x2 Rabbit and the 4x4 Deer.  Too cute for words - unless the words are proceeded by "awwwwwwwwww..."!

Anyone needing an "oh my dear" page, or a "she's such a dear"...or the classic "Christmas music program" pictures "Doe, a deer, a female deer...."  CUTE STUFF!

On the project front - Tammy whipped up these cute little gifts for a baby shower next weekend...

She used the 2x2 Fox, 2x2 Owl and 2x2 Squirrel.  She also used some QK 12" borders to wrap around the entire candle jar.  How EASY and QUICK!  I just love this stuff!

She also made this cuter-than-cute altered composition book.  I love it!

She used one of the 4x4 Owls and the 4x4 Branches.  She added in a 12" Bead Border - and a great QK font (T.L.C. is her monogram - even THAT is cute!).  I love this idea - composition books are so inexpensive, and with just some scraps of paper and a few minutes of time - you can have one cute gift, ready to give in nothing flat!  AWESOME!

Moving on to cards...

how about some "Hogs & Kisses"?  Well, as long as they are from the new QK 2x2 Hedgehog.  

Jenn used TWO hedgehogs, pointing nose-to-nose - and added a QK Bead Border.  This would even be cute done up as just a tag - to stick in your hubby's briefcase.  CUTE!

Brenda, well, we've already declared her NUTS about QK - and she proved it by doing this awesome card.

She used the new 12" Branch Border and two of the new 2x2 Squirrels.  She also used an old EK Success acorn punch - but you could find lots of things that would work there, even if it was the acorn off of the 4x4 Squirrel.  What'd I tell you - she's just plain NUTTY!

And look at this big guy - this 4x4 Owl takes up almost the entire front of this card.  Add a little pen work and he's simply irresistible.  She used the new 4x4 Owl, the 12" Branch Border and the Rockstar font.  

Brenda - why do you do this to me - I seriously thought I could survive without this particular owl.  But now I know I need him.  I really, really need him!

And finally - for this November release day - a couple of scrapbook pages...

This is Jenn's 8"x 8" page, using the new 2x2 Fox - dang he's adorable all done up!

Yes - and her son is pretty cute too!  But what a simple and quick page - the new 4x8 Storybook font (for a super-duper price too!!) the 2x2 fox and a little hunk of a QK flourish.  That's it - quick and simple - and DONE!

But she was on a roll last night - here she used the new 4x4 Squirrel and the Jolly font from last month - but she cut it out of brown mulberry paper and CORK!

The new 12" branch she also cut out of mulberry paper.  Heck, I haven't even thought of mulberry paper for ages - and here it is looking all adorable and perfect as a tree branch!  WOW - I need to dig into my stash and find some to play with - for sure!

For an entire list of November release dies - check out the web-site.  The prices of the "collections" we've assembled are awesome!  It's a totally adorable release - versatile and timely and usable.  I'm spending the day making owl t-shirts.  Oh, you know those are going to be cute!

And just a suggestion - if you can't resist filling up your shopping cart today - toss one of these in as well.  Because LOOK at how well they go together:

QK 4x4D AND Fawnd of You

QK 2x2 Hedgehog AND Hog Heaven

If you have any questions about these dies, or these projects - shoot me an email and I'll track down an answer for you.  Enjoy - shop - choose - and plan.  I can't wait to hear which ones you can't live without!

Happy Anniversary and Happy November release!!

PEACE!

- - - Susan

PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK ME...

what the Revolution will cut.  And I always say the "usual" stuff:

- patterned paper

- cardstock

- vellum

- tin foil and,

- QK stamping foam

But in the last week we've been playing.  We've played and experimented and challenged ourselves.  Which means the list of known materials to cut in the Revolution has changed.  Yep, it sure has!

So if someone asks that question of me today (and they will, trust me!) I can honestly say:

- patterned paper

- cardstock

- vellum

- tin foil

- QK stamping foam

- felt

- vinyl

- fun foam

- fuzzy iron-on sheets

- folded lightweight patterned paper

- adhesive backed paper (like QuickStripz)

- transparencies

- Shrinky Dinks

- punchinella and

- fabric

WOW, what a list.  We need to start working on samples of all of these very soon, so we'll have examples to show people.  You know, so they believe us.  Of course this weekend, I'm just going to point to Crafty Deb (yep, she flew in last night to play with us in Seattle!!).  Because today she is wearing this...

A t-shirt I made for her before leaving Phoenix.  I ironed lightweight fusible webbing onto the back of basic quilting fabrics (fat-quarters) and then made a sandwich for my Revolution:

1. die

2. fabric (wrong side/ webbing side down)

3. piece of copy paper

4. cutting mat

So the fabric was in between two pieces of lightweight paper.  It cut like BUTTAH!  I didn't even get any fraying edges.  And I didn't just cut big flowers...I cut dainty flourishes.  And each one came out beautifully.  Then it was just a process of following the directions for the fusible webbing, and assembling the shirt.

Start to finish this shirt took me 45 minutes.  I could have put it on right then and there and worn it to a fun scrapbook crop.  Or to teach a class.  Or to shop at my favorite LSS.  But instead, I made another one.

My mind is racing with crazy ideas for the holidays.  And next week's release is going to make for some ADORABLE t-shirts.  In lots of fun calico prints of fabric.  I can't wait to show you what I have in my mind.  And I know the S.M.Arties minds are cranking as well.

But they've been given the assignment of using some of the other materials in the Revolution. 

How does a Shrinky Dink charm bracelet sound??  Cute huh?  Or how about some fun felt hair accessories for the daughter/niece/grandbaby in your life.  Yep - the ideas are filling up pages. There aren't enough days left in November.  

Luckily, we've still got December.  So I think my crazy posting schedule will continue!

If you have any questions - shoot me an email or leave me a comment.  I'll do my best to check back in before I leave Seattle.  The sun is supposed to come out today, and I guess that throws everyone here in town for a loop.  Who knows how the day will proceed!  (hahaha)

PEACE!

- - - Susan

SALMON, APPLES, SHRIMP...

and the best cream of tomato soup I've ever tasted.  I know - it's a weird combination - but what can I say.  I'm a weird eater.

Since landing at the airport we've walked, we shopped, we've eaten, we've dodged rain drops, we've dodged flying salmon, we got lost, and we've driven up steeper hills than we have in Oklahoma AND Arizona combined.  It's been a great day.

But the best part about arriving in Seattle today - was arriving at the hotel.  Because when I checked in they handed me a package.  A package that arrived from Utah, via UPS.  A package that has a whole bunch of dies inside.

Dies that are set to be released next Tuesday.

OH MY!

You girls are going to LOVE next week's release.  I am telling you the truth.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and say "this could be the best release of 2008"!

It's cute.

It's totally usable.

It's versatile.

It fills a big hole.

It fills a request I hear all of the time.

It makes total sense.

It's for card makers.

It's for scrapbookers.

It's AWESOME!

You're going to have to trust me on this.  You're going to have to be patient.  You're going to have to check back next week.

Because you won't want to miss this...really you won't!

PEACE from Seattle!

- - - Susan

BECAUSE I CAN'T KEEP TWO THINGS STRAIGHT...

at the same time, I often forget things.  And it's embarrassing when the thing I forget is OH-SO-STINKIN'-CUTE!

S.M.Artie Brenda sent me this card last week...and I forgot to post it yesterday with the other card ideas!  So I'm giving it its own post, simply because it made me laugh out loud - and I'm copying it!  It's totally worth copying in my book...

because let's face it - it's the kind of card you'd send to your sister. Or mother-in-law. Or school principal.  Or co-worker.  (Hey Justin...could you email me your mailing address??)

Brenda used not a turkey die, but a mix-match of other dies...

QK Butterfly

QK Chick

and the QK Katie font

I love that you could make this whatever colored tail feathers you wanted.  I think I'll make my turkey with lime-green and polka dotted feathers.  You know, just to mix things up a bit!

Thanks Brenda - for the cute card!

I'm sitting at the airport right now, bundled up ready for my flight to Seattle.  I'm meeting up with Mr. Doss, Ms. Laura and Sweet Justin - and we intend to explore the entire downtown area.  Seattle, consider yourselves warned!

If you're in the area of the Seattle convention this weekend, I hope you'll stop by and say "hi".  I'm teaching 2 QuicKutz classes and the Scrap-Mart booth is set to be jam-packed with goodies.  We can't wait to see you!

I'll do my best to blog from the hotel...coming up very soon on the blog:

• Bosskut Peekers

• home made envelopes

• Slice video

• what can you cut with your Revolution

• more Silhouette inspiration

• Scenic Route Garland

• glass etching ideas for Thanksgiving

WHEW - I'm exhausted just looking at that list!  The rest of this month is going to be AWESOME!  We hope you'll continue to check back, leave fun comments and let us know what you'd like to see and/or learn!

PEACE!

- - - Susan