November Kits

Just a quick post today. 

November kits are now ready and up on the website. 

 

You'll find a few projects from Sarah, with more to come ...

"Just Because" kit layouts

Happy Friday everyone! 

I've just received my product for the November kits and have been busy getting things organized.  Just waiting on a few bits and we should be ready to roll.

 

I wanted to share my projects from September's "Just Because" kit. 

I find that the photos of the kit on the website really don't show how vibrant it actually is. 

Against some very neutral colours (black and white), the beautiful reds and greens are so striking.

 

I used the photos I took on the first day back to school because I felt like they would stand out.

The little border strip along the bottom of the photos is actually the branding strip from one of the Kaisercraft papers.  I love when you can use the "garbage" from your kit for an accent.

 

I wanted to include some sort of label for the photos without taking away from them. 
I used one of the little file cards from the September "Reflecting" kit
as a template to make some that coordinate with this kit. 
Super simple ... no die cutting machine required.  Just trace with a pencil and cut out.
The mini alphas are from the Simple Stories I Heart Summer Collection
that coordinates with August's "Summer Camp" kit.
 

I used the Kaisercraft Curiosity Rare patterned papers for my little file cards because I could get a variety of colour and patterns from one sheet of paper. 

Also, the scale of the patterns was smaller and were better suited to a small page accent.

As a companion to the previous page, I created this layout. 

I rarely do double-page spreads.   

But do enjoy when two single-page layouts are created from the same supplies,

such that they present as a single spread.

 

I did a little stamping on the red cardstock so that it wasn't quite so "flat". 

Just a swirl stamp and some charcoal ink. 

Nothing over the top.  Just enough to create a bit of interest.

And instead of clipping on the camera accent,

I ended up using a bit of glue so that the entire image would show.

 

I wanted to fill up the blank space on either side of the title, but didn't want anything too elaborate. 

I punched out some scalloped circles from one of the patterned papers

and topped them with a set of matching gem arrows.

 

Overall, quite a simple looking layout, but you'll see that there are several layers to it. 

Everything is intended to compliment the photo

without taking any attention away from those grinnin' faces :)

"Up Time"

Hey guys!  Long time, no blog!

I've just finished updating the September Gallery.  Some good stuff in there, with more to come :)

 

A quick share today ...

One from Sarah.

 

 

She added the alpha, some stamping and a bit of spray. 

Otherwise, everything is from September's "Just Because".

 

Still kits available.  Get yours here :)

August Projects

Hey guys.  I hope everyone has had a great summer.  I finally have some projects to share from the Summer Camp kit.

Nothing too fancy, but I find that Simple Stories papers make for some quick layouts.

 

A photo of the kids on the last day of school.  I took the tag that came in the kit and turned it over for a title block.  I also used some of the blue embroidery floss from the Friendship Bracelet kit to "sew on" the die cut cardstock.  I like that it adds just a little pop of colour here and there.

I just had to crack open a package of the coordinating flair badges for some extra dimension.

Not that it shows very well in the photos, but I used Glossy Accents to portions of the paper accents.

More embroidery floss wrapped around the photo mat. 

A super fast and simple layout of a jam covered Paul.

Another flair badge and some of the little "washi" stickers from Simple Stories.

Visit the website to order your kit or to get some more ideas on how to use this month's kits.

Online Store Up & Running!

Hey Folks!  Finally a bit of cool weather to enjoy. 

I know that most people are missing the hot, but I am not one of those people. 

It's wonderful to be able to sleep again at night.

 

I had said that I would have the August kits ready early, and I suppose I'm a few days early.

Just not nearly as early as I wanted. 

Problems with my internet and my not reading an e-mail properly concerning a wholesale order set me back about a week. 

I've now loaded some of the basics into the online store. 

It's a new set-up and I'm hoping it will run smoothly.

 

A few things to consider when using the website to shop ...

 

Shipping ...

• If you are ordering locally and want to avoid the shipping costs by picking your order up or having me drop it off, you need to choose the "Local Pick Up/Delivery" option when prompted. 
• This will add no extra shipping to your order and should save this preference for future orders.

Regarding your payment options ...

• I am considering setting up to accept credit cards online.  Until then, I still have my machine here at home and can manually run through any credit card payments. 
• You can also use PayPal through the website and have your credit card attached to your PayPal account.
• If you are wishing to pay by cheque or cash, please use the Money Order option and make a note in the comments as to whether you will be paying by cash or cheque at delivery.
• I will be in contact via e-mail to make arrangements for delivery.

 

Now on to the August Kits!

 

Are you ready for a bright summer kit?  I think "Summer Camp" will fit the bill quite nicely.

Lots of vibrant coloured papers from Simple Stories "I Heart Summer"

and Echo Park "Happy Camper" ...

There is a tonne of paper in this kit ...

A nice feature of the new website format is that I can link related products. 

When you open the "Summer Camp" kit on the website, you will see a list of items at the bottom.  I've tried to include the patterned papers and cardstock from the kit so that you can order extras if you can't decide which side you would use.  I've also linked some coordinating embellishments.

While this kit looks pretty paper heavy, you receive a 12x12 sheet of stickers and three of the patterned papers can be cut apart to use as journaling or accent cards. 

One of the items I'm pretty excited about this month is the Friendship Bracelets kit.  

It contains six colours of embroidery floss as well as written instructions to make six different styles of bracelets.  I thought this would be a really useful product to include ... make the bracelets to wear, use a finished bracelet as a trim on a layout or card, use the floss as you would normally use twine or get out an embroidery needle and stitch away on your paper. 

There are just so many ways to use the floss and the colours work wonderfully with this kit.

If you purchased "Heating Up" last month, I would recommend just dumping both of the kits in one big box and going to town.  I hadn't realized until I had them laying out together how well they coordinated.  If you didn't purchase one when they first came out, there are a few left in the store.

The "Tripping" kit is the one that had me in a bit of a holding pattern this month.

I couldn't quite decide how I wanted to deal with it.  I had thought it would be nice to do another mini album kit like I had last summer so I built this kit around the idea that you would use it to complete a few layouts and a mini album ... all with a travel theme. 

But the album really bumped up the price of the kit and not everyone is into doing mini albums.  So ... what you receive in the kit is what is pictured below. 

Not as much in the way of 12x12 paper, but a lot of other product to be used in a variety of ways.

The sticker packages look deceiving because each package actually contain 6 sheets of stickers.

One package contains six different colours of alphabets and the other has six sheets of various labels.



The album will be sold separately and is the Basic Grey Basics Kraft Bound Album. 

It is quite nicely made with bound pages.  I don't know when I've been as impressed with a mini album's construction.  There are a limited amount of these albums, so snatch one up while you can :)

In lieu of the amount of 12x12 paper you would normally see in one of my kits, you will receive 12 sheets of 6.5x9.5 paper from the Basic Grey Captured collection. 

 They are perfect to work with if you choose to complete a mini album, but they also are a nice size to use for layering on 12x12 layouts and for cards.

The 12x12 patterned papers are from Teresa Collins "Far and Away" and Basic Grey "Carte Postale".  Also included is some new Tattered Angels mistable burlap.  Not quite sure whether I'll bother misting mine.  It's a gorgeous cream colour that would be wonderful on it's own or die cut.

Extras are available in the store if you can see yourself using this over and over again. 

One more thing regarding "Tripping" ... you will have a choice of Thickers with this kit. 

Please indicate in the comments when you check out whether you would prefer the Memo Cork or the Kensie Cream.  Photos are available in the gallery.

 

This month's project gallery is running a bit behind.  Sarah has too much on her plate this summer and is taking a break from the kits and I've been working at getting the website presentable.  Hopefully soon :)

Goof

Good morning all you hot mamas out there.  How is everyone handling the heat?  I actually flopped into the pool yesterday and it has already happened again today.

My mom was invited to her friend's 80th Birthday Brunch at Langdon Hall in Cambridge on Sunday.  As she wasn't comfortable driving on her own, I played chauffeur.  I have a terrible sense of direction and would fail miserably if I tried to drive professionally.  We eventually reached our destination ... in one piece without any major emotional breakdowns.  And what a beautiful spot.  Just lovely.  Of course I forgot my camera, but managed to snap a few photos with my phone.  None do the place justice. 

 

I was to have a few friends come out for a visit, but between headaches and summer colds, I guess I'll be on my own.  I won't complain though.  I think today would be a very good day to sit under the ceiling fan and enter product into the store.  I always seem to find other things to do and have been neglecting this task.  However, I managed to squash my fingers the other day and am finding it difficult to do physical type work.  Even typing hurts so I'm reverting to a hunt and peck style that is not my thing.

 

On to a layout ....

This one has been done with "Heating Up".  Love sunburst paper.  It draws the eye so well when you place your photo at blast point.  (Yeah ... I know that sounds stupid but I'm stupid this morning.  Still working on coffee number one.)

To further accent the rays, I added faux stitching to alternating rays with a gold Uniball pen (received in the December 2012 kit).

My first go at the American Crafts Zazz! glitter glue.  It has a texture somewhere between regular Stickles and Distress Stickles.

I loved the sketchy feel of the Thickers and wanted to incorporate it elsewhere in the layout.  Using a thin black marker, I lightly and loosely outlined the elements on the "me oh my" card and the smaller letter stickers (Simple Stories Sn@p! Cardstock Stickers, Typeset - now sold out).

The August kits are coming along.  I'm just waiting for a few more items before I can reveal them.  Just be ready for bright, summer fun and some travel themed goodness :)

 

Have a great day!

Some puppers ...

Hello, hello.  The crazy heat has finally broke a bit and makes for easier sleeping around here.  We're planning a massive bonfire for tonight (the remnants of an old barn that's been torn down), so hoping for some nice weather.

The August kits will be another few weeks before they're ready.  I've had to made some substitutions, but I'm pleased with how they're coming together.

The online store will soon be ready to go.  I'm hoping by the end of next week.  Until now, I've only had just the kits and a few extras on the website.  I had no idea how time consuming it is to load each item.  One can only stare at a computer screen so long before going a bit squirrely.  But it will come.

 

Today I'm sharing a layout made with "A New Beginning" (still a few left).  Very, very simple.  One piece of patterned paper, a bit of cardstock and a few embellishments.

I didn't want to take away from the photos by adding any more paper, but I did want to add a bit of dimension behind the photos.  I used Liquitex Blended Fibers (applied with a palette knife through a Prima stencil).  It started out white, but as it dried, it seemed to absorb some of the colour from the paper.  I wish I'd taken a photo of it while it was drying.  This was my first time using the Blended Fibers so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I then just rubbed a bit of Vintage Photo Distress Ink over the tops to help bring out the texture.  Very subtle, but just what this page needed.

The "wandering afar" sticker is a bit of an inside joke.  The dogs belong to our friends Jen & Kirk and are forever wandering off and coming back (after a time) dirty, tired and thoroughly pleased with themselves.

The little gem pin is from a kit from last summer.  Keep your bits!  You never know when you'll be able to use them :)

Completely unrelated to scrapbooking, check out this website.  The director is the son of a friend (who I met through the store so I guess it's not completely unrelated to scrapbooking).  I would be wonderful to see a film made in our very own London.  Please donate!

Settling in ...

So I'm home now.  The store is cleared out and is beginning it's transformation into Once Upon A Time Weddings' new home.  I stopped by yesterday to pick up some mail that they were holding for me and had a look around at the work they've already done.  It will be different, but lovely.
It has been an adjustment ... not going in almost every day to my little store.  But with everything that needs to be done around here, I haven't had a lot of time to really miss the most recent chapter in my life.  I have many projects started and none finished :)  Typical.  Flowers purchased and waiting to be planting (we've had oodles of rain lately, so I'll blame the weather), a table partially transformed, boxes and boxes and boxes yet to be gone through and uploaded to the new online store.  We've fit in a sleepover and some cherry picking.  Planning some day trips, some time with my mom, an upcoming sushi dinner date, more cherry picking and some visits with friends.  This summer will fly by.
What I am really missing are the wonderful people I saw so frequently at the store.  Those customers who quickly became friends.  A group of them came by the night before my last day open to say goodbye to the store.  Definitely a bittersweet evening.  Great food and conversation.  But knowing that it would be the last time we would be gathered in a location that had become home to many of us was hard.  I'm hoping that after we all get over the incredible busy-ness of the summer, we can start getting together on a regular basis again.
One of the shocking events that has occurred is that I've actually been scrapbooking again.  Nothing earth shattering or ground breaking, but photos on paper and in the album. 
Nothing but "Heating Up" on this one.  No ... I lie.  A couple of staples too.  Pretty basic, but I love the background paper and didn't want to add so much that it would take away from the photo.

This is Paul's friend Wyatt on our trip to African Lion Safari this year.  The pizza was bigger than the kid's head. I couldn't stop laughing.

Still a few of these kits left on the website.  Local delivery/pickup available.

Stay cool folks!  Stock up on popsicles ;)



Last week in the store ...

It's here ... my last week in the store.  It's hard to believe that next week at this time, everything will be moved out and I won't be spending most days at 2 Front Street West.
There is still a fair bit of stock left.  Definitely more than I want to bring home with me, so be sure to stop by to help clear it out :)
Everything has been further reduced this week ... an additional 10% off previous reductions. 

Most items are now 50 - 60% off their original prices (all stamps, flowers, gems, sprays, etc.)
Great prices on glassware and Christmas items.
Born in a Barn cabinets will be 30% off this week as well.With regard to monthly kits, I have one of the "A New Beginning" and a few of the "Heating Up" kits remaining (no discount). 

I have also decided that I won't be having a July kit.  I just haven't had the time to plan it and summer is so busy to begin with.  The August kit will likely come out before August 1st to make up for the lact of a July kit.  More info to come ...
I'll be open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10am until 4pm each day.  Hope to see you some time this week!

Store Updates

Hey everyone.  Hope your Monday is going well.
I just wanted to quickly update you all on the store.
I will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, June 18th for the day and open Wednesday (10-4), Thursday (10-4) and Saturday (noon-4) this week.
Next week's hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 10 to 4.
As of now, most of the antiques are cleared out.  The Born in a Barn stock will be here until the store closes for good.
I have a few June kits left and there are many great deals to be found.  I have a few of the black paper racks available for purchase at $70.00 each.  Just send me an e-mail if you think you might be interested.  First come, first serve!

June Kits

Hey Everyone!  I apologize for taking so long to get the kits up this month.  June has been a busy month with trying to get the store cleared out and my house ready to accept any of the overflow.  I managed to get a bit of painting done over the weekend and getting a good chunk of my scrap area set up.  As a result, the crop area at the store is looking terribly grim.  In between taking loads home and trying to get kit leftovers out to sell, I missed the ball with getting the kits loaded.  Also, I think my computer is on it's last legs.
I've further discounted all of the product here at the store and set up a table with, what I consider, yard sale priced items.  I thinned out my crop area and found some items I had intended to use for classes.  It would definitely be worth taking a drive out to check out the deals.  There will be more to come as I empty out boxes yet untouched.
On to the June kits!
"Heating Up" contains bright colours and some beach themed papers ...

"New Beginnings" leans more towards the soft, vintage feel.  I see these papers looking lovely with summer picnic or garden party photos. 

You receive a nice variety of embellishments in both kits that can be mixed between the two easily.

Check out the website for more photos.

Some updates ...

Hey everyone! 

I hope that you all managed to squeeze in a bit of relaxation this weekend. 

I've had a lot of questions over the past few weeks about the store and what I will be doing in the coming months.  I appreciate all of the support and kind words I've received from all of you.  One of the best parts of having this store is the friendships I've formed with many of my regular customers ... ladies that I would have never had the opportunity to meet and spend time with.

Time wise ... I'm looking to be closed by the end of June. 

Next week, I will be going through the crop area and thinning out my supplies. 

I expect to have several of the Unity Stamp sets available, some of the Spellbinders dies, embossing folders, punches, etc. available for purchase.

As the paper begins to thin out, the paper racks will also be up for grabs.

If you'd like to purchase any of the racks, you're welcome to pay for them now and we'll simply tag them so we know which ones are yours. 

Towards the end of June, they will be available to take home with you.

With regard to sale pricing, I've been colour coding everything in the store ...

yellow = 20% off

green = 25% off

blue = 30% off

red = 40% off

And of course, there is still the 50% off paper bin.

In a few weeks, everything will be further discounted.

I will be continuing with the monthly kits and some supplies on the website. 

Local delivery and/or pick up will be available. 

I have also had several customers offer their homes and places of business to run classes.  Once I've settled everything at home, I will pick up with some classes I had already planned and will post this information on the website.

Another thing that I have been thinking about is running a few all day crops throughout the year.  If you think that this would be something you would be interested in, please let me know so that I'll have a better idea of whether or not to organize them.

With all of the hubbub in the last little bit, I haven't really had the time (or felt creative enough) to dig into the May kits.  Fortunately, Sarah was able to come to my rescue.  I knew that this kit would be right up her alley.  "Jar of Hearts" is definately one kit that I look at and think ... Sarah.

I have the June kits almost ready to go.  Lots of bright colours :) 

May sold out in just a few days.  Just sayin' ;)

Store Hours

Please note that the store hours for May have some changes.

Visit the website for current hours.

I will be closed today (Wednesday, May 8th) and will be open from noon until 4:00 pm tomorrow (Thursday, May 9th).

Store closing

After much consideration, I have decided not to renew my store lease.

This has not been an easy decision, but one that I feel is appropriate for the situation.

Beginning Tuesday, April 30th,

all scrapbooking merchandise will discounted by 20% (excluding May kits).

The crop area will remain available for use until Friday, May 24th.

After the 24th, many of the crop area tools and stamps will be made available for sale.

My intention is to remain open until the end of June, but circumstances may change,

so I would recommend shopping early to avoid disappointment.

If you have an outstanding gift certificate, or know someone who does, please try to use it sooner than later

as I will not be bringing in any new merchandise.

The National Scrapbooking Day Crop is still a go for this coming Saturday.

I still have a few spots available, so if you've been wanting to come for a crop,

this will most likely be your last chance.

With regard to Monthly Kits, I am still deciding whether or not to continue with these.

If I were to have enough interest by current customers,

I would seriously consider continuing them from my home.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the sales, kits, etc.

One more thing ... I still have the NSD promotion running until May 4th.

For every $20 spent (before tax),

receive an entry for a beautiful gift basket valued at over $150.00.

I would greatly appreciate if you could pass this information along to any you feel would be interested.

Have a wonderful weekend :)

Wednesday Deal of the Day

Hi all!

Today only ...

save 20% on all glitter and embossing powder!

Open until 4:00 pm.

Also, regarding store hours for the next few days ...

Thursday ... noon until 6:00 pm

Friday ... Closed

Saturday ... 10:00 am until 4:00 pm

Sunday ... Closed

Monday ... Closed

Tuesday One Day Sale

FLASH SALE!

From now until the end of March,

SAVE!

Every day, look for a new sale item.

Each valid for ONE DAY ONLY.

Tuesday, March 19th

Deal of the Day

Save 20% on all Paper.

This includes open stock patterned paper, cardstock,

paper pads & packages.

This does NOT include monthly kits.

Open today until 4:00 pm.

Friday Store Closure

Hi folks,

Just a quick note that the store will be closed

Friday, March 15th.

Back open on Saturday.

Sorry for any inconvenience!

Mixed Media Tutorial - Part 2

Here's the second part to the canvas tutorial I posted the other day.

There will still be at least one more to come.

New Video Tutorial

I've just posted a new video canvas tutorial using the March Mixed Media Kit. 

It is the first of two or three parts.  Probably three ;) 

I'm also hoping to also maybe do some cards and maybe a layout or two next week. 

Let me know if you're watching so I'll know whether or not to keep doing them.

For full kit contents, visit the website.

March Kits ... Mixed Media!

Hey All!

Here we are ... a week into March and a nice sunny day :)

Hope everyone is happy and healthy and looking forward to having the kids around for March Break.

I'm excited to share the new March kits with you. 

The product didn't arrive until late last week, so there isn't anything in the Gallery as of yet.  Soon :)

I've decided to venture into the world of You Tube. 

I haven't gotten it completely figured out, but it's something ;) 

If someone could tell me how to make it not so "squished", I would be forever grateful.

This month's kits are bright and cheerful and wonderful.

One side is the traditional scrapbook kit ...

And the other is a sort of mixed media starter kit with some cardmaking supplies thrown in ...

My plan is to do some video tutorials to go along with the kits,

so if you're on the fence about the mixed media side, you'll have some help to get going :) 

Subscribe to the You Tube channel so that you'll see new videos as they come out.

Have a great day!

Store Closed

Hey everyone ... just a quick note to let you know that the store will be closed today (Tuesday) for the day.  See you tomorrow!

February Shipping Special

Save the shipping when you place an order with Up The Street this month ...

FREE shipping to Canadian and US addresses

and half-price shipping to International addresses.

In stock  ...

February Kits

 

January Kits

 

December Kit (one left) ...

November Kits