Layouts, Layouts, Layouts!

I used to be one that only did mini albums.  I did them for every occassion and gave them to countless relatives and friends as gifts.  I rarely did scrapbook pages any longer.  Once I realized that the online website was taking too much of my time and making me crazy, I realized that I needed to get back to my roots of why I do this.  I have a lot of reasons why I do this.  I really enjoy using photos of my family and friends and doing something with them.  We take so many pictures and don't use them, they end up on a computer somewhere or online at a photo printing place.  I love playing with all the fun products and getting excited when one "matches" my photos.  How long did you carry around pictures of a certain event, and didn't scrap them because you didn't have the "perfect" paper?  I do it so often.  But thats the fun that this hobby affords us.  Picking papers and embellishments for that perfect picture you have is FUN!  Its great to experiment with different colors, layouts and then the final product.  This hobby has changed so much in the 8 years I've been at it, and my style has changed and the end goal has changed!  I LOVE teaching, inspiring others, and the friendships I have.  I love taking pictures, knowing that I can't wait to scrap that!  So, for today, I'm sharing some recent layouts.  The ones of Bianca and her boyfriends were pictures I had carried around in my crop bag for over a month, waiting for those perfect papers to come out and whallla, Studio Calico came out with Atlantic!  I LOVE this line.  Its on trend, has fantastic embellishments to go with the paper and it matches these pictures perfectly!  Also, I love the new Crate Paper "The Pier".  I love to take off and go to amusement parks, and beach boardwalks, so I'm loving this line as well.  I now know I need to do these layouts for my books and my crafty side, and I also LOVE doing mini albums and teaching, so I've found a happy medium.  How about  you?  What do you like to work on?  Come back on Monday to be a part of a GIVEAWAY!  I'll be putting together an inspirational pack of goodies for someone!  I'll post the giveaway on Monday!

I am so excited to spend the day at Scrapbook Territory on May 25th!  Have you signed up for either of my upcoming classes?  I have a fantastic Basic Grey Card Class!  We'll make 16 cards (both boy and girl) and you'll have tons left over to make more! Then I'll be teaching the fantastic Teresa Collins Memories Binder Album!  This is a day filled with crafty goodness that you'll love and go home with a bunch of finished scrappy things!  Call the store to sign up at 510-559-9929.

 

Happy April

I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter weekend.  I was blessed with a visit from Bianca!  She was only here for the weekend, so so short, but I tried to cram in everything and everyone to see her and spend time with her.  It started with surprising Tony at school Friday.  He was so happy!  We had 3 family dinners, a shopping spree at Target (can you believe they don't have a Target in Santa Barbara - the horror!). Quality time with her which I cherish.  I can't explain how proud I am of her.  I am amazed at the woman she is becoming. 

Easter was a blast with Tony, he is 7 and still loves the hunt, the presents and the candy!  He was spoiled with 3 Egg Hunts, including one at his grandparents house which was outta control.  He has enough candy to last until Halloween.
Planning lots of fun Scrappy things for April and May!  Here are the details of most of them so far!

Sunday April 7th - Scrappy Garage Sale in Campbell.  If your interested in coming out, just email me at theartlife@yahoo.com for the address!  I, along with 5 other crafters are purging our stash of items. at great prices. Sale starts at 10am

I'm so excited to be doing a Birthday Girl Scrapbook Party on April 13th!  I donated a party to Tony's School Auction and will be playing with 8- 8 year old girls making mini scrapbooks and printing pictures of the party.

April 27th - Scrap Again Crop and Consignment Sale - This is a great crop in Vacaville,  which runs from 10am - 10pm and I have a booth of the latest and greatest scrapbook products.  This event also is having a consignment sale which lots of people are selling their used goods as well!  The website is: www.scrapagain.com.  These ladies put on a great day and I love being a part of this crop!

May 4th is NSD! National Scrapbook Day! 
This is my annual tradition hosting it at Scrapbook Territory in Berkeley.  I think this is my 5th year!  Its a celebration of Scrapbooking and runs from 10am - 12 midnight!  Its a crop, a party and you get a goodie bag, project to make that day, lots of snacks and drinks all day, plus dinner.  Sign up quick for this one as it always sells out.  May 4th, Scrapbook Territory, $50, 510-559-9929

May 18th - I'll have a Teresa Collins Class at my house, I'll announce the details in a few days, I'm working on finishing the project!  Save the date!

May 25th is a full day of classes at Scrapbook Territory! 

Morning class is Basic Grey Cardmaking Class!  We'll use the Bowties and Kneehighs paper lines and embellishments to make 16 cards with tons left over.

We'll make 8 cards from Kneehighs and 8 cards from BowTies, so you'll have both girly and boyish style cards!


You get tons of product including 6x6 paper pads of each line!  Be ready for this fast paced class and leave with tons of cards for any occassion.
May 25th 10:30am - 1pm, Scrapbook Territory, $35, 510-559-9929





The afternoon Class is Teresa Collins Binder Album with Memories Line.  This is the brand new Teresa Collins Binder album filled to the brim with tons of products from her Memories line.  We'll make pockets, tags, and pages to fill the album with pretties!

2:30 - 5pm, Scrapbook Territory, $35, 510-559-9929

Whew, I think thats it for now!  I hope to see a few of you at some of these upcoming classes!  Email me with any questions!

Classes Sales and Fun!

Hello Friends!  I am busy planning classes, teaching and crafting!  It makes my heart happy to be crafting and spending time with friends.  It keeps us all sane.  I recently cropped at the Scrapbook Expo in Pleasanton and it was so much fun!  I spent hours wandering the isles of the show, and seeing so many friendly faces and getting to reconnect with lots of people.  I spent the day with 9 of my bestest friends and the day couldn't have been more fun, we giggled, gossiped and did a little bit of cutting paper and adhering it, but not much.  Its just the fun of getting away, and being with friends thats most important to me.  If we're preserving memories while we're at it, then that's fantastic.  There wasn't alot of great product at the show.  I'm shocked at how old and un-trendy the products are at the EXPO.  I couldn't believe the amount of die cuts, eyelets and just things that we don't normally see on Instagram, or even newer things that came out at CHA.  There were a few booths that had newer things, but darn if I couldn't find one Studio Calico items or even Maggie Holmes.  But money was flying and I even bought things I shouldn't have! It was a lot of fun and I'd go again just to spend time with my friends! Here is a layout I completed that day!  I LOVE Glitz Design!  There recent release has quickly become my favorite and I need to buy more of it.  I usually buy enough to play with a line once and then thats it, but with this line, I want to make more and more with it!


 

This Sunday is the Stationary Noted class here at my home in Walnut Creek!  We'll be playing with the gorgeous line by Teresa Collins!  Learning how to fold papers into beautiful pages, pockets, flaps and tags, this will be a fun class where you'll learn a lot!  There is space available!  Come join me and some crafty friends this Sunday at 1pm.  HERE is the link to sign up!  If you can't make the class, kits are also available, so just let me know you'd like one!


Saturday, I'm headed to Suzy West's house in Fremont for a Scrappers Garage Sale!  I'm busy purging product which means you get a fantastic deal on all kinds of fun and newer items.  All my items are brand new in package and less than two years old... I love to purge and I'm pricing to sell!  The details can be found on this Facebook page!  I hope to see you there!


Diane (owner of Scrapbook Territory) and I are working out the details for National Scrapbook Day!  I know its going to be the day of May 4th, and its at Scrapbook Territory in Berkeley, and you'll get tons of freebies, a great project, snacks food and fun, and we'll announce all the details very soon!  Keep the date open on your books!




















If you didn't join the Basic Grey Page Kit of the Month Program, here are pictures of both the lines that are featured. I love the versatility of each kit!  One is pretty and girly and the other is charming and boyish!  I still have a few slots left, and remember you get a free past months kit when you join!  HERE is the link to join us! 

Kit Club Mania!

In the past, I've been part of the Basic Grey Page of the Month Kit Club and the Teresa Collins Monthly Retailer Kit club.  2013 is no different!  I love the amount of products both give and I am a huge fan of Teresa Collins and her new releases!  I have already announced the BG Page of the Month Kit and I only have 3 spots left in this great club.  See sidebar for all the info and you can sign up HERE on Paypal to get in on this fantastic club.  You get a free past kit with your opening order, and you can shop my ETSY store and add anything from it to your monthly kit with no extra shipping charge, its a great deal!

 

I am also a part of the Teresa Collins Kit Club, which are fantastic mini album kits with lots of tags, pockets and fun embellishments.  I'm teaching the February Kit on March 24th in my home in Walnut Creek.  Details you can find on the sidebar as well.  You can always just purchase the kit without taking the class.  I have January and February ready to go!  The January Kit is darling and is travel themed.  Here is the picture of part of the finished album.

You can purchase this kit directly through Paypal.  Each Kit will be announced here and you can purchase just the kit or come join us for a class to make the kit with your crafty friends.  I always add lots of embellishments and fun things to the albums when we make them in class.  Class kits by themselves are $20 and the classes will be $30 at my home.  To sign up for the 24th Class in my home click HERE I would love to have you and there are only a few spots left for this fun class! 

I'm going to be taking part in a Scrap Garage Sale on March 23rd in Fremont at Suzy's Garage!  I'm pricing things to sell and you can see all the details on the Facebook Page for when and where this is taking place. Lots of ladies selling great items at fantastic prices!

I think thats it for today!  I am super excited to crop at Scrapbook Expo with 11 of my friends!  It should be a fun filled day of crafting and gabbing the day/night away!  Sunday I'm hosting at my house again some friends to crop, crafty weekend ahead, happy lady here!  I hope you all get some cropping in too this weekend!

A Moms job is never done and BOWLING

I have had a hectic week!  For those of you who don't know, I am VP of Tony's school PTA.  This upcoming weekend is our annual auction.  I am also the room parent for Tony's class and in charge of the auction project, so I'm knee deep in PTA and school stuff, but its a lot of fun and I love giving back to my sons education!  I'll share the class project when its done. 
I'm teaching the Vintage Pink Mini Album on Sunday at my home in Walnut Creek, and there are a few spots left, please email me or click HERE to sign up through Paypal.  I'd love to have you! 

I also taught a fantastic class at Scrapbook Territory and it was so inspiring and made me so happy.  Realizing that I just love to meet new people and inspire their creativity means I need to teach more!  I love seeing finished projects, smiles on faces and that exhaustion of completion.  Here is a picture showing all the fun creativity that was going on at ST!








I also got to take my son and my nephew out bowling Saturday night, whew that was fun and exhausting.. children just make us young, let us be whomever we want to be and love us anyways... We played two games and I won the first one, and the boys beat my butt in the second one... I must be getting old, cause I was sore the next morning from BOWLING... geez...

I scheduled a new class at Territory, Layout Trends - Embroidery.  This class will focus on the Amy Tangerine Embroidery Kit that came out at CHA Winter!  This kit is fun, easy and addicting!  Once you start using it, you want to use it again and again!  We'll make 4-6 layouts and you'll get to take one of the fun kits home with you.  See sidebar for more information and call ST to sign up. April 6th, 2-5pm, $30 This is going to be a monthly series that I'll be teaching that will show current trends, teach you the basics and turn your scrapbooks upside down!


Can you believe that plans are underway for National SCRAPBOOK DAY?  I am honored to host again at Scrapbook Territory a fun filled day of crafting, eating, playing and giving away stuff!  NSD will be on May 4th, 12 hours of cropping, a great project, goodie bag, snacks and drinks and dinner!  This will be a day you don't want to miss!  Call the store at 510-559-9929 starting tomorrow to sign up 11-11pm, May 4th, $50.

New CHA Toys and Class Update!

Well, I was so excited to teach a class at my house on Sunday!  On Friday I went to pull out the box with all the chipboard mini albums in it.  We had just had a crazy rain day last week which unfortunately seeped under the garage door.  My chipboard albums were ruined!  Lesson learned - as soon as I receive a shipment and its going into the garage, put it in a plastic bin!  So, if you were unable to make the class Sunday, I'm teaching it again on March 10th!  Here is the link to sign up HERE I'd love to see you and I have a new shipment of books on its way to me! 

This past weekend, I was at the Scrap Again crop in Vacaville with wonderful friends.  I was able to play with the new Amy Tangerine Embroidery Kit and I'm hooked!  I loved the ease of it and the tools that came with it are perfect for all your embroidery.  At $8.99 this kit is so worth the price.  I am offering it at a discount on my ETSY site for $8.50 and I have both kits.  You can pick it up HERE.  Later today, I'll have all kinds of new things on the site as well.  Below, I used both the heart in a speech bubble and the cityscape scene!  If you want to wait to get the kits, I'm working on a layout class which you'll receive both Emboridery kits and we'll make a bunch of layouts with them!  Stay tuned!

 

 

Don't forget, I have 3 fun classes coming up in MARCH! 

1. 6x12 Canvas "Girly Grunge" at Scrapbook Territory this Saturday March 2nd, call the store to sign up at 510-559-9929.

2.  The rescheduled Vintage Pink Mini Album on Sunday March 10th at my house in Walnut Creek.  Link is HERE to sign up!

3.  March 24th My house in Walnut Creek. Teresa Colling Stationery Noted Album.  You'll be amazed at all the fun pockets and tags we make for this darling album filled to brim with beautiful things! Link is HERE to sign up

4.  April 6th - Save the date for the Layout Class with Embroidery.  Details will be up next week for this fun filled class!

 

I hope to see you sometime in March, its going to be a crafty fun filled time for everyone!

 

Daniela



Bay Area Living and Updates!

I hope you have had a wonderful long weekend!  I was lucky enough to have Tony home from school for 4 days and I decided we'd start going on adventures in the Bay Area.  There are so many fun things to do here and since we live here, we don't do them enough!  I gave him a few options and he picked Chinatown in San Francisco.  We started our day taking the BART train from our house into San Francisco which for a 7 year old is pretty neat.  We ended up in the heart of downtown, where daddy works.  He came down from his office to see us and walk us to the Cable Car Turnaround spot.  I really took for granted when I worked downtown, I got to show Tony the buildings I used to work in that are big and beautiful.  We hopped on the Cable Car and rode it up the hill to Chinatown. 


Chinatown is the largest Chinatown outside of China itself!  Its filled with little shops, restaurants, grocery and beautiful architecture.  We strolled the streets, stopping to shop, eat dim sum and see the Fortune Cookie Factory which is a unmarked door in an alley.. what a treat!  We had a fantastic day and to see him smile and have fun was so nice!  We have a lot of places on our list, so I'll share our adventures here for you!

This weekend I am attending the Scrap Again crop and sale in Vacaville CA.  Its a great crop held by two wonderful ladies and I have a small booth with goodies and I get to crop with all my friends.  Its only $25 for 12 hours of cropping and they do a fantastic job!  If you ever want to join us (I try to go every other month!) let me know and plan to sit with our group, we have a lot of fun and get some cropping done too! 

I also attended the San Francisco Gift Show and picked up a bunch of new goodies for the ETSY shop, beautiful Soldered Inspirational Necklaces, darling bracelets and fun things, take a look at some on the sidebar and see the full new collection on my ETSY site.

Sunday, I am teaching the Vintage Pink Mini Album featured last week here on the blog!  Please sign up if you'd like to come, I do have space and would love to see you here!  We'll have lots of goodies, snacks, crafting and friend time!  Link is below and on sidebar to sign up or as always, just email me and I'll save you spot! Daniela at theartlife@yahoo.com
Or Sign up HERE at Paypal!