A few weeks ago I went with Caroline to The Crafty Scrapper in Waxahachie. Well Carolyn gave us a little demonstration using some Ten Seconds Studio products. My project was very simple compared to Caroline’s as I created a simple little altered heart. I wanted to use mine as a base for a project and well here is what I came up with. I think Ten Seconds Studio and Maya Road are a perfect combination. The base of the wall hanging is a page from a Maya Road 2-Ring Heart Chipboard Book, the scroll is from their new Scrolls II Chipboard Sets (LOVE THESE) the smaller heart is a page from their Heart Coaster Album and the flowers are their new Trinkets Velvet Pleat Blossoms and you know I love these!

As much as I am trying to fight not needing another medium to jump into well I cannot fight off this one anymore. I am so hooked. This craft is fun and easy… as long as you have the right tools that is… so any of you who are thinking about trying some metal work jump in and give it a go.

Yesterday I went with Caroline to help teach her class “Home is Where We” at “The Crafty Scrapper” in Waxahachie. Talk about the neatest store. I am trying to figure out a way to get the residents that live above the store to move. I would so live in that place. I’m not sure the rest of my family would be as happy as I would so I guess I will live there only in my dreams.

If you have not had the chance to visit this store you so need to jump in your car and get there. It is an easy drive, at least I thought it was as Caroline drove and I just talked her ears off. The Crafty Scrapper is located on the historic town square of Waxahachie and is nestled among lots of quaint shops so after you finish shopping at The Crafty Scrapper you can spend several additional hours shopping and eating at “The Dove’s Nest Restaurant.” Carolyn was so sweet and treated Caroline (gosh that is so hard to keep straight) and I to lunch. So we got a little taste of some food from “The Dove’s Nest”. I had the most incredible Chicken Apricot Salad sandwich and their chips are the best.

Check out the amazing amount of Maya Road products they carry.

Honestly you will really enjoy the store. The owner Carolyn and all her employees are super sweet and extremely helpful and Carolyn has some of the cutest projects and layouts displayed all throughout the store created by her design team.

I can’t wait to go back.

I’m done kitting all 5 classes. That was a job but everything is finally sorted, cut, packaged and boxed ready to ship to Lasting Memories. Their retreat is April 4th – 6th. I can’t wait to put faces and personalities to all the ladies I have chatted with online. Below are a few photos of some of the items that will be included in the kits. Yep… lots of Maya Road, new Scenic Route and Dream Street Papers as well as Daisy D’s. It’s gonna be a fun filled weekend.

This is half of the 5th class I will be teaching at Lasting Memories. Talk about one creative filled weekend. Lots of fun is being planned. Caroline and I picked out some neat give aways to be handed out during each class as well as some of those oh so popular keychains Maya Road creates. Those little cuties are so versatile. If I have time I will show some fun techniques to do on them. But something tells me with one class Friday night, three classes Saturday and one class Sunday morning I’m going to be a bit crunched for time. Anyway, here is a sneak peek of one layout I created this weekend for the 2 – 12 x 12 layout class I will teach on Saturday. This layout is created with the new Country Fair line by October Afternoon. Talk about the most gorgeous colors. I am in love! Also, notice the cute new Maya Road Noah Chipboard Alphabet.

Okay back to creating… will post again soon.

Okay as promised here are some more photos of the booth at CHA. I tell ya these were all taken the last day of the show because during the show you could not even think about taking photos. That booth was crazy.

The Tree Album was done by Aubrey and the little houses were created by Wendy.

These are the cutest houses. The windows, shutters and doors are all stored separately inside the house along with an album. Super fun project. The 3D effect that the windows, shutters and doors give to the houses is so nice. These projects were created by Wendy, Jessica (sure wish someone would get a blog Jess) and Caroline.

Super cute new stamps All the stamps along the top are new. The images are so crisp. I love working with them. The projects shown are created by Wendy.

Man do I LOVE all these flowers. They make my heart skip a few beats each time I see them. They are all handmade and so lovely. The rhinestones are so sparkly and the pearls are all dyed and will not flake off and all the rhinestones and pearls are sewn on to the flowers. Gosh, these are just the best. If you love flowers you really have to get these. The projects shown were created by Wendy and Katie.

These are the new Trinkets Beads and Charms. They have Birds of a Feather, Hearts and Butterflies and Tutti Fruity. They are the clearest beads with the perfect amount of color and detail. Seriously top notch in quality but that is pretty much a given when you purchase any Maya Road products. The projects shown are created by Wendy.

Okay more tomorrow. I have got to do a few things for Cocoa Daisy using their March kit. I will post tomorrow or Saturday. Man can someone tell me where this week went?

I can’t believe CHA has come and gone. It is amazing how fast it goes by… just one big fabulous blur. It was great getting to see old friends and make some new ones. The internet is a wonderful thing as I will be able to keep in touch with people I met people from all over the world. While doing make-n-takes in the Maya Road booth…. nearly 500 in 3.5 days I met people from New Zealand, Paris, Germany, Australia, Japan and all over the USA.

I was so happy when Beth Williams Executive Editor of Memory Makers Magazine and GinaMarie Reda Assistant Editor of Memory Makers Magazine came by Maya Road to say hi. It was great getting to chat with them for a bit and actually put a person with their emails. Staci Ethridge and Tracy Austin two MMM ’08 came by to say hi too. They are just as sweet as ever. I was so busy doing make-n-takes that I didn’t get a chance to really chat but just being able to saying hi in person was great. I got to chat with Tracie Radtke while she was doing her make-n-take at the F & W Publishing booth. We even planned a fun post for the MMM blog so be on the lookout for that one. While talking to Tracie I got to meet Katrina Simeck MMM ’07. Talk about super sweet and a pleasure to meet. I ran into Christine Doyle, Editorial Director of Memory Makers Books and got to have a fun and exciting chat with her. As I was coming back from lunch I ran into Greta Hammond MMM ’08, Vicki Boutin, the Queen of Foof herself Teresa McFayden and the super sweet Jenni Bowlin as you can see at every turn there were people to meet, chat with and get to know better. It is so fun to be around all these people with the same hobby.

I got to visit with Tricia and helped her pick out some fun things for future Cocoa Daisy Kits. I got to meet Ali Edwards rather quickly while she and Tricia were walking the floors and I was doing make-n-takes. Some of my ScrapGal friends stopped by to say hi… it is always so fun seeing Celeste Smith. She just quietly stands in line for make-n-takes and when I look up I am always so surprised to see her. I got to talk to Dina Wakley for awhile and meet Amie Farkas.

The one part of CHA that is not fun is all the stealing. It amazes me as to how much product and displays people will steal right out from under your nose. I had 2.5 projects stolen. Thankfully, Caroline caught one person and was able to get back the cover to my bird coaster album. I created it about my daughter and her friend. Of all the items taken this would have been the hardest one to recreate.

So if you happen to see these two projects floating around they are mine and I would love to have them back. No questions asked. Most likely I will never see them again. But I do find it amusing that the owl card is in the Maya Road catalog and would love to know how someone will explain that one as being their own. Kinda funny I think. I don’t know how people live with themselves knowing they took something that does not belong to them and will be missed by the designer.

I will post all about some of the new products that will be must haves for me tomorrow. Some really nice products will be hitting the stores soon.

I have my “Sweet Sentiments Box” tutorial listed for those of you that are interested in creating this for a loved one. It is a really pretty project and I am sure it that will be cherished for years to come by its recipient.

Okay on to Sneak Peek #4

I LOVE the new Maya Road Bird Coaster Books… these little darlings have so much creative potential. They are a smaller version of the Bird Coaster Book that was released during this past CHA-S. I loved creating their fancy wings with the new Scrolls from the Scrolls II Collection. The Velvet Sparkle and Jewel Ribbon Blossoms are a wonderful accent as well as their new buttons and Heart and Butterflies Charms.

5 Fanciful birds have been removed for publication.

I can’t believe I only have two more days of sneak peeks until I head off to CHA. Please stop by the Maya Road booth (#1987) so you can see all these great new products in person. They are jaw dropping.

Oh this little sneak peek is full of wonderful Maya Road new release items. So much fun I tell ya! In this little Valentine for daughter #2 (don’t worry daughter #1 I am making something for you too) you will see lots of new Maya Road goodies… Heart Beads from their Trinkets Beads “Hearts and Butterflies” collection, Crochet Shimmer Blossoms, Scrolls II, a butterfly from the “Butterflies and Bugs” collection and a Heart page from their new 2-Ring Heart Chipboard Book. So much fun!!! The possibilities are endless with all the new products. My brain cannot keep up with all the ideas I have swirling in my head. I do believe their new flowers and scrolls are what sends me soaring over the moon. I can use them on everything and LOL… I think I have.

Oh and Santa is picking the RAK winner today. I will announce the winner tomorrow. Good luck. I hope you all have been very good.

Enjoy your day!

Man… I have been about to bust holding in all these Maya Road new release secrets. Finally, we get to start sharing!! It has been torture I tell ya flat out torture! So here is my first sneak peek…. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new Velvet Sparkle Blossoms… oh my gosh the quality of these hand stitched VELVET flowers is incredible. The rhinestones in the center sparkle like diamonds…pure bliss!!! The new Scrolls are another of my absolute favorites. Covering these beauties in Antique Silver Fine Glass Glitter by Art Glitter Institute makes my heart skip beats. The album shown is about my great grandparents.

To see an additional project I created using the Jan. Kit by Cocoa Daisy and some more new release Maya Road products go check out the MMM Blog.

Oh I wonder which project I will show tomorrow… it is so hard to pick just one.

Today I woke up another year older… yep 43 years old today. My inbox is full of wonderful birthday wishes from family, and friends from all over the world. I cannot thank you enough. My Maya Road family certainly surprised me. I was not expecting this wonderful surprise at all. Andrea, Jessica, Sandy, Wendy, Katie and Caroline you truly made me feel so special and I thank you.

Today is also a very big Maya Road sneak peek day. Here is their WINTER CATALOG. Oh my are you going to love all the new products. Some just make me jump for joy!!! Tomorrow is finally the day to start the project sneak peeks. I cannot WAIT. You are going to love all the eye candy.