Happy BELATED Birthday!

Technically Paper Crafts Magazine had her 5th birthday in January, so I'm just a wee bit late. Then again I couldn't find the premier issue in my stash. The earliest I could find was March 2004, so that works.



I still remember when Crafts magazine and Valerie Pingree (Founding Editor-in-chief) made the bold and inspiring decision to concentrate fully on paper crafts. It was an exciting time for all or us and we were thrilled to be part of a creative and fun new hobby.

Not too long ago I did some math. (Yeah, I try not to.) I figured that over the last 5 years, between my work with Paper Crafts Magazine, all it's special issues, on-line content, blogs, swaps, videos, tv segments, conventions, classes etc... I have created close to 1000 paper crafted projects.

Yikes! You would think I might be bored with something I've done so much of, but absolutely NOT. I am still SO energized when it comes to paper.



To help celebrate I'm doing a give-away...this time for 3 birthday cards I did for our PaperCrafting 3 ways special issue last year. Just leave a comment and BE SURE to check back next week. I still haven't heard from Alice, my last give-away winner, so Alice, if you're reading this, please email me with your home address so I can send you your goodies!

Here's to 5 great years for Paper Crafts and my passion for paper. Happy Birthday!

Get Inspired

Do you ever read your magazines backwards?

It never fails, the first thing I turn to when I get an issue of Paper Crafts Magazine is the last page which happens to be the 'Get Inspired' column. It's perfect; a quick read and always fun to see the designer's creative interpretation.

A year ago, I got this very assignment for the Feb. 2008 issue and was matched up with a Hall of Fame (Creating Keepsakes) winning layout. The other day I was looking through my computer files and came upon my work in progress for this column. I remembered how much fun I had working on this and wanted to share with you the process. I did something I had never done before, which, for me, is often the best way to learn.

I really wanted to use this picture of Savannah (my youngest daughter, isnt' she Schweeet!), but also wanted to stay true to the color combo Sheri Reguly had created...love the pink, green and red! The challenge was the photo didn't have the visual impact I wanted, mainly because her dress was a small print (first photo) that was somewhat drab.

Using photoshop, I was able to select her dress and change the color to coordinate with my papercrafting elements. I'd love to re-create this tutorial for you, but wow, I don't have several hours to spare right now! But I will point you in the right direction.

I used the magnetic Lasso Tool and painsakingly selected just her dress. Once that was done, the rest was pretty easy. In fact, it was fun. This is where you can play around and explore your image adjustments either replacing colors or enhancing them.

The same thing can be done in Photoshop Elements and many other photo editing software programs. So, when you have some spare time; play around, get creative (I've even whitened teeth before!) and customize your photos to your supplies instead of the other way around.

~ Sue

Valentine Winner!

I normally do a random number generator to keep it picking a winner fair, but I simply could not resist sending Alice these goodies...Congratulations & Enjoy!

alice said...
Your blog pix and ideas are beautiful. This may sound sad, but this year, my only "valentine" is my love of paper crafting. Maybe things will change in the future, but whatever happens, I'll always love creating, so you're give away would really be an awesome addition to my supplies. Thanks for the chance to win!! Alice
February 14, 2009 2:13 PM

(Please email me alice to I can get your snail mail addy.)

I can't count, but I still love you

I thought it was appropriate on this Valentine's day, to share this card/keepsake I made for my husband (and the magazine, of course!) several years ago.



What cracks me up is I only had 4 reasons! Maybe the last one is a secret? Or maybe it just changes from year to year. Yeahhhhh...that's it!

What you can't really see on this project is that the "adore" piece actually slips off (it keeps the pretty thick card closed) and reveals the exact same image underneath.



Isn't that picture of Steve with Emma & Ethan hillarious? And even though this was years ago (13 or 14 years ago) nothing much has changed. Emma, at 17, is still screaming and Ethan is just oblivious to it all (NOT sucking his thumb though!) I'm trying to be funny here... really, Emma is a sweet, fun teenager (yippee, I have someone to see chick flicks with now!) and Ethan is a serious art student at BYU.




Here's hoping you have someone to love today (romantic, familial or platonic...it's all good!). But what I can promise you, is that someone loves you.

sweetie-valentinie & give-away

I'm a bit fond of rambling. It makes me laugh... and so did this 'rambling' valentine sentiment by River City Rubber Stamps, one my favorite 'funky & fun' rubber stamp companies.

I could just get lost in all their quirky sayings and sentiments. I've had this one for awhile and wanted to create a little bookmark card with it and finally did...



with the help of Making Memories gorgeous Love Notes collection.



Unfortunately, or fortunately, I really don't have anyone to give this too, as I have a sweetie-valentinie named Steve. So, I'd love to pass this along to someone and add a few of the Making Memories goodies and maybe something sweet.

Just leave a comment and I'll do a draw next week. Happy Valentine's!

Studio 5 'Spread the Love' Video

Oh wow, I knew the odds were good I'd forgot something after only 3 1/2 hours sleep last night, but I did NOT think it would one my favorite quotes, "Never supress a generous thought." by Camilla Kimball. Seriously, it's only FIVE words!

Studio 5 'Spread the Love' projects

I'll be posting the video of my segment a little later today, but here are some of the projects for a closer look, quotes and digital elements for you.

For my "POOF" Box of Chocolates...

“This guy found a bottle on the ocean, and he opened it and out popped a genie, and he gave him three wishes. The guy wished for a million dollars, and poof! There was a million dollars. Then he wished for a convertible, and poof! There was a convertible. And then, he wished he could be irresistible to all women…”

“POOF!” he turned into a box of chocolates.

You can use any kind of chocolate, but a box does tie in nicely... and don't forget the punchline! It needs to be hidden and then revealed for it to be FUNNY. I've had this joke for years and it still makes me laugh!



Here are two of the digital elements I created for this segment.



I will get these somewhere to download later today, but in the meantime, feel free to email me and I'll send you the jpeg with a tutorial on how to use them.



Happy Valentine's! Sue

March Card Class - Savvy Stamping

Do you have rubber or clear stamps that you've never used? Maybe you do use them but wonder how to get MORE out of them? Or maybe you've never stamped before and want to learn?

Please join me in my SAVVY STAMPING class in March and you will learn fun & exciting stamping techniques like: Masking, Chalking, Watermark inks, embossing, resist, fussy-cutting and more!



Class Schedule

South Jordan Wednesday, March 11th 10-noon
Jordan Wednesday, Landing March 11th 7-9pm
Orem Thursday, March 12th 6:30 - 8:30pm
Centerville, Friday, March 13th 2-4pm
Clinton Friday, March 13th 6-8pm
Provo Wednesday, March 18th 7-9pm
American Fork Thursday, March 19th 7-9pm

Please bring the following to class:
Trimmer & scissors (fine tipped & long)
Adhesive (variety: runner tape, 3-D foam squares, mini glue dots, dotto, scotch tape etc...)
Self Healing mat, bone folder and exacto knife
1/8" hole punch
Stamping Sponge

Chalk set & cotton balls (it doesn't have to be this exact set)


The following are optional, but HIGHLY recommended. I will have one or two of the following, but you'll enjoy the class much more with your own stamps and inks. Items marked with an asterisk (*) are priority.

Heat Embossing Gun
Stamp Set - *Sharon Ann, ELegant #D232


Stamp Set - *Hero Arts Frames & Messages


Stamp Set - Bo Bunny Ornamental


Ink, Ranger Distress Inks (faded Jeans & Peeled Paint)
Ink, Versafine (*Black & Smokey Grey)
Ink, *Veramark
Ink, Versacolor (Aqua & Moss Green OR similar colors)

Please give Roberts Crafts a few weeks to get these items in stock. If you're having a hard time finding them, please email me.

Lastly, TWO new changes for Q's Creative Card Classes. First of all, card classes will now include envelopes! and secondly, I'll be doing one big GRAND prize each month. All students will be entered in the draw. GOOD LUCK!

Chicken Supreme

Please tell me you have as disgusting a recipe in your recipe box as I do? I've had this recipe for probably close to 26 years now. My Mother gave it to me, either that or I typed it...on a typewriter! Gag! It's been folded to fit into the box and all those stains are from the lovely, messy ingredients that make up a wonderful sauce. And probably because most of the time I'm making it, I'm in a hurry or maybe it's just becasue I'm messy??

Anyways, I got a kick out of it the other day when I made this and wanted to share it with you. No, I'm not throwing it away, even though I have this recipe neatly filed away in my digital recipe box. I'm sentimental that way :).



So, this is a recipe I have made countless times and a family favorite. It's really quite different and not something I've ever come across, which coming from me, is pretty amazing.

Fall-off-the-bones tender (skinless) chicken legs (or thighs), tangy bar-b-quish sauce with chunks of vegetables. Perfect over rice. Great for leftovers!



Here's the nice copy for you...

Chicken Supreme
10-12 pieces of chicken (legs and/or thighs)
1 lg. Onion, chopped
4 Tbsp. Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
8 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 C. Ketchup
½ C. Chopped Parsley
6 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. Prepared Mustard
Salt
8 oz. Sliced fresh mushrooms
1 C. sliced celery
1 Chopped green pepper

Pull & Cut the skin off chicken pieces. Place chicken in shallow 9 x 13 baking pan. Combine all other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover pan with tin foil and let marinate in fridge for at least one hour (but you can let it go longer, up to 4 hours). Bake 1 ½ hours at 350 F. Bake covered for 1 hour and then remove foil for the last ½ hour. Remove chicken to dish and pour mixture in pan into a pot on stove. Thicken mixture with a water/flour mixture (see below). After thickened, return chicken to sauce. Dish over rice.

Enjoy!

Swap Heaven

It's always fun when you can share your passion for something with people who understand. It's hard to believe, but not everybody makes cards...yeah, can you believe it??

So, to get the chance, once a month, to ohhh and ahhhh over everyone's creative cards is just a pleasure for me.



Highlights for me this month? Well, I just adore the paisley embossing folder from Cuttlebug (top left and right below it). What I love about this is how 2 completely different looks can be achieved with the same design.

Sharon is always innovative with her cards and this month she really surprised me. (2nd top card from the left). I was familiar with these valentine words from Making Memories and I really had to do a double take. There was no way she used an entire sheet of these for each card and sure enough, she scanned the whole thing in! So cool.

Shauna's knots to keep the charm in place - clever! (top RH card) and of course, you just can't go wrong when chocolate is part of the mix. It's always great to have some of these on hand for little gifts...that is if I don't break into them first. So far, so good.

Lastly, I wanted to share a card made by another swap group I do on-line (center, Love birds card). Mindy beat me to the punch! I've been eyeing this die-cut (Cricut Joys of the Season cartridge) for months, planning to do exactly the same thing. The birds were designed for "Two turtle doves - Christmas application", but it works so perfectly for a wedding card.

Thanks for sharing ladies, you make my day!

A blog within a blog

I'm thrilled to announce that PaperCrafts Magazine's new blog is UP and running! Yahoo!

It's in the very capable hands of P. Kelly, our online editor extraordinaire! Wednesday will be With the Pros Wednesday so I'll be blogging there once a month. There will be lots of projects, tips, techniques and give-aways, so please visit often.



And yes, I'm allowed to 'lift' my blog for my blog. Just think about how much time that saved me today!

Chocolate Crush

I don’t need an excuse like Valentine’s day to express my love for Chocolate, but I’ll take it, AND any other day that celebrates this, the greatest of food groups (and yes, I’ve decided it is a food group, at the very tippy-top of the pyramid).

I was digging in my stash the other day and found this little gift box that really, perfectly, describes how most of us feel about the big C. And yes, there is a shocking lack of hearts on this project, but that’s because I made it for a guy…my son!


Valentine’s is truly a perfect time to pair two favorites, chocolate and paper crafting…it just takes it to the next level: nirvana.


There is an odd anticipation factor with paper crafted chocolate though…EXACTLY how long can I last before I rip apart that adorable package of kisses (Thanks Brooks, so cute!). So far I’ve resisted, but now that I photographed it for posterity, I don’t think It’s going to last very long.

And chocolate bars? Did the chocolate gods specifically design them to be wrapped in cute paper? I think so, because I can’t STOP doing it!

And now, just because I want to make you drool, I want to share this picture of me in a grocery store just outside of Paris France last summer. Look closely. Once you’ve gotten over the shock of how much chocolate that is (and actually the other side of the row was also all chocolate) please note that I am actually FLIRTING with the chocolate.



Lastly, I want to share with you my latest chocolate crush – Lindt Intense Orange chocolate. Just slightly bitter with bits of almond and orange peel, heavenly! Thanks to my Sister in law, Donna, I now buy these in bulk.



Happy Valentines! Sue

In the know

CHA is the Craft & Hobby Association. It's the largest of it's kind and my legs can attest to that. But not this year! After 6 years of attending this show I was a no-show! It feels strange and I'm regretting it, but I just couldn't seem to make it happen.

So, I'm counting on my PC peeps to keep me in the know. There is probably no better place to start then with Cath Edvalson's Moxie Fab World. If you want to see what awesome things Cath saw and loved at CHA, then please visit her blog.

Bad, bad Blogger

Yup, that's me. It's been a crazy, creative, scary, exciting and overwhelming month for me and frankly, I'm glad it's over. Yeah, like moving to February 1st is going to change anything...but actually, it really does feel better. That illusion will pass shortly.

So, it's Sunday night. I fed the fam. I've prepared my lesson for church next week (11-year old sweet girls), I'm listening to super mellow Mark Knopfer, it's ONLY 7:30 pm and I'm blogging.

So, what I can share with you at this point is that we are renovating our downstairs. I really don't have the money to renovate, but I figured that tearing down walls and moving things doesn't cost a thing!


So, here you see Steve, working on one wall. It was part of a storage room that we are dividing in two, to make one bedroom larger. The part that really kills me, even though it was MY idea, is to take this ridiculous 4 ft. wide hall and give it to the bedroom as well. Well! You see all that STUFF!? it's MY STUFF. So, I'd like to know exactly where I'm supposed to put it all??? PANIC! I need to some serious SIMPLIFYING. I can't tell you how much this is stressing me.

Okay, next. I've certainly had my fill of doctor and dentist appointments this month. Highlights are my 17-year old daughters wisdom teeth they took out on Friday. I'd share a picture but she would most likely kill me, wouldn't ya, chipmunk-cheeks?


It was also my younger daughter's yearly testing up at Primary Children's hospital. Savannah has Tuberous Sclerosis. Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form in many different organs, primarily in the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin and lungs, and I should mention, teeth and gums! We discovered this month, some gingival tumors that she's going to have to have removed.

The testing keeps track of all those tumors and their growth. As you can see she's developped a good sense of humor about the whole thing. How can a kid who can spell 'conscientious' misspell 'bored'?

Mom avoided giving her advice (this time) in downing the 1/2 gallon of yucky contrast liquid "chugg is honey, it'll make it easier" = throwing up!

And, as you can see, my almost 13 year old daughter is still very much a little girl, even though her body doth protest! "really, Mom, I can fit...I did last year!"

So, that's just a bit of what's been keeping me from you, my friends. I'm hoping for a quieter February, but as my husband likes to say "hope is NOT a strategy".