Why I Love Going to Retreat

Back in 2008, when I was still a Club Scrap® Newbie, right around this time of year, folks in the Coffeehouse Forum were chatting furiously about going to Wisconsin for Retreat and even though I wasn't going, I found myself caught up in the excitement - I thought to myself, "Someday I'll get there, too!" Well, it didn't happen in 2009 (although I did get Retreat in a Box that year), but in 2010 I made my first (but not my last!) trip to Wisconsin for the October Retreat.

Michael Strong, Tricia Morris, Cherryl Greene, and me

It is an experience that almost defies description. There are lots of workshops and food and hugging and laughing and more hugging and there's not much sleep, but the hugs and laughs help you forget that you're not sleeping very much, so it's all good! And as much as I loved the projects and the food and the hugging and the laughs, those weren't the best parts of Retreat (although all of that was amazing) as far as I'm concerned.

Party time!

The best part of Retreat are the people! Really. If you spend anytime at all in the Coffeehouse chatting with people in the forum threads, you slowly start to build friendships. Meeting those people in real life is what made the retreat extra-special for me. So I went back in 2011 and I'm heading back in 2012 - as much as I want to experience the projects and the hugs and the laughter, I really just want to see those people again - they've become family and I can't imagine not taking the time to spend a few days with them.

Brenda & Julie

So if you haven't made the trek to Wisconsin yet, think about going to Retreat this year - you won't be disappointed! And if you have been to a Club Scrap® Retreat, please post a comment and let me know what you liked best about your Retreat experience!

Floral Canvas Project

Hi Everyone!

My name is Julie Heyer and I am so excited to be a guest blogger today here at Club Scrap Creates! I have been a member of Club Scrap since January 2008's Study in Red kit and have loved every minute! I have enjoyed blogging about my love of paper crafting and Club Scrap since 2010 on my Cape Cod Scrapper Blog. I am a stay at home wife and mom of 3 living on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.  

Every month the Club Scrap Design Team comes up with another completely unique kit and June's Bon Appetit Kit is set to be released in just a couple of days. So exciting! In honor of the brand new June Kit,  I went back in my stash and revisited a few past June collections. For my project, I used June 2011's Dream in Color along with a few Pops from 2009's Concrete Jungle. Be sure to check out some of the goods I used here along with other past June items on sale at Club Scrap!

I am an avid gardener and took some pictures of my flowers that are in bloom. After uploading them to iPhoto on my Mac, I opened my iScrapbook software and created a template to drag and drop different photos into.  It's easy to set this up and I can easily create a collage of different sized images. I printed it out on a Canon Pixma printer on 8.5x11 Matte Photo paper.  

To complete the canvas:

1. Spritz the canvas with glimmer mist or other colored spray and set it aside to dry. (I used homemade mist.)

2. Stamp the quote from the Dream in Color Unmounted Stamp sheet and emboss with clear powder. Heat to set.

3. Rub the embossed area with Club Scrap's Leaf Ink and an ink applicator tool. The embossed area resists the ink. Wipe away excess ink with a damp cloth.

4. Stamp a second image from the Dream in Color UM sheet onto the panel with Black Soot Distress ink and rub away excess. Matte the quote with Concrete Jungle Dark Blue and White panels.

5. Trim photos and matte with Dream in Color and Concrete Jungle panels. Ink the edges of the matted photos with Club Scrap Black India ink to create depth in the layers. Arrange the matted photos and quote onto the canvas until you are pleased with the placement.  I trimmed my photo's and matted each with various cardstocks from the Dream in Color and Concrete Jungle kits.

6. After settling on the arrangement, add chip board risers to the back of the photos to add depth and room to nestle embellishments. Here, I've added die cut leaves inked with CS® Leaf Hybrid ink.

7. Gather up a few of your favorite punches and paper scraps. I use several brands of punches including Fiskars, Marvy Uchida, and EK Success.

8. This is the fun part! Create a variety of paper flowers to add color and dimension to the leaves on the canvas. Use a ball stylus tool (I made my own with a wooden dowel and a metal round head pin) to create the flowers. A piece of craft foam helps in the shaping of the flowers as well, acting as a cushion to make impressions in each petal.

1. On back side of cardstock roll the stylus over each petal in a circular motion.
2. Continue doing this with each petal.
3. Once all the petals are curled, flip the flower over to the textured side of the cardstock.
4.  Place the stylus in the center of the flower and press down firmly in a circular motion. Be sure to stay within the center of the flower.

9. After all the punched flowers are shaped and formed, adhere them to the flowers with hot glue. For an added touch, dot the center of some of the flowers with Black Enamel Glossy Accents. Arrange the flowers onto the canvas by tucking them in behind some of the photo mattes. I also added two brackets off the alpha sheet from the Dream in Color Jr. Kit.

The purple roses were created using Tim Holtz mini tattered florals die, purple cardstock from the 2011's Papillon Kit and added a touch of glimmer with Distress Stickles.

Once satisfied with the look, secure everything with hot glue. Then the piece is ready to hang and enjoy!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I want to thank Club Scrap Creates for inviting me to be a guest blogger.

Products used in this project:
Canvas - Michaels
Adhesive - Hot Glue (Surebonder) ,  ATG (Scapa)
Cardstock - Dream in Color Green, Red, Vellum ;  Concrete Jungle Dk. and Lt. Blue ;  Papillon Purple (Club Scrap)
Stamps - Dream in Color Stamp kit UM sheet (Club Scrap)
Stickers- Dream in Color Jr. Kit Alpha sheet (Club Scrap)
Die Cut- Leaves and TH Tattered Florals Minis (Sizzix)
Punches- Med. Retro and small Daisy (EK Success), Med Daisy (Marvy Uchida),
Large Daisy (Fiskars)
Inks- Black Soot Distress Ink (Ranger), Leaf Hybrid Ink (Club Scrap), Black India Ink (Club Scrap)
Emboss-it Clear (Inksentials)
Other- Clear Embossing detail powder (Club Scrap), Canvas (Artists Loft),
Black Enamel Glossy Accents (Ranger),  Milled Lavender Distress Stickles (Ranger)

Meet the Flockers

Remember this nifty stuff?

It's black flocking powder. We featured it as a goodie in the Arts & Crafts Club Scrap kit. We've got a few jars available if you think it might be fun! 

It's easy to use and not quite as messy as glitter.

1. Stamp an image or choose an image that is printed on the paper/artwork.

2. Outline the image with a Quickie Glue pen or other liquid glue.

3. Sprinkle the black flocking onto the glued area. Rub away excess with your fingers and return it to the jar.

5. Brush away any stubborn pieces of flocking with a foam or bristle brush.

Next thing you know, you've got a really nifty, textured art piece for a card, ATC card or scrapbook page!

Kay Williamson made this gorgeous card with the flocking. The entire card was stamped. I know--quite brilliant.

Here's another simple card made with the same stamped image.

We hope you take the time to meet the flockers someday!

Creative Spaces--Clean or Chaos?

Are you interested in a behind-the-scenes sneak peek into Tricia Morris' creative space? I snagged this picture of her Stamp storage binders today.

(Oops, I just realized there's a teensy bit of a spoiler there. Shhhh, don't tell anyone...you can keep a secret, right?)

Now imagine each of those binders full to the brim with yummy Unmounted Rubber Stamps. That's a lotta rubbah, people! Just look how organized she is, *sigh*. If only MY creative space looked like this. One can dream, right?

So, what kind of a crafter are you? Is your play space all neat and tidy, like Tricia's? Or are you more of a "Did a tornado rip through here?" kinda guy or gal, like me? I guess as long as we're creating, it really doesn't matter, right?

Paper Veneer Photo Frame Project

I've gotta tell you, this is one of my favorite Club Scrap® projects ever! It was one of the projects competed on the 2009 Club Scrap Cruise and although I didn't go on that cruise, I made sure I bought one of these great frames as soon as I could.

While it mimics wood veneer, it's made of book board, paper, Distress reinker, and that magical concoction, Club Scrap® Bookbinding, Padding, and Laminating Adhesive (aka, magic in a bottle!). It may look complicated, but it's really a snap to put together, thanks to the clearly written instructions that accompany the project. (and except for the adhesive, the reinker, and a foam brush, you get everything you need in the kit to make it, even the metal stand!)

After I made my version of this project, using a beach photo I had taken, I showed it to my friend Sharon and she loved it so much that she asked if she could have it. Of course I gave it to her (she is my BFF after all!) and then I hurried to GHM! (um, that's Gotta Have More, Club Scrap's online store) to buy myself another one of these amazing frames! Here's a photo of the one that's now hanging on Sharon's wall:

You can customize your own frame in many different ways - adding your own photo, of course, but also adding some 'extras' like Kay did in the photo below:

And if photos aren't really your 'thing,' Terri blogged about another way to complete your frame here.

What's that you say? You don't have a Paper Veneer Photo Frame Project yet? Well what are you waiting for? Click here and get yours before they're all gone!

It's a Dog's Life at Club Scrap

Almost every member of the Club Scrap staff has a beloved pet. Today, our buddy Driver is here at the Clubhouse for a visit. (Our Production Manager, Deb, is dog-sitting while Driver's Mom, Kristin, is away.)

As you probably guessed, we live in a pretty fast-paced environment at Club Scrap. There's always something to keep us busy. Today Deb enlisted Driver's help with her "to do" list. We thought you might enjoy these photos of Driver at work:

Here's Driver helping Deb with her emails.

Oops...it's hard to type when you don't have opposable thumbs!

We need a tape gun, Driver...FETCH!

Let's go, Driver...there's LOTS to do!

Time for Launch!

Hey, Gang!

We're so thrilled to launch our very own "Club Scrap" blog. We figure this is a great format for sharing even more creative ideas with our paper crafting friends!

So, let's get right down to business and blast off with one of the most basic of all basics--how to get a decent image when you use rubber stamps. We'll spend about eight minutes dispensing tons of tips and techniques for 'ya! Ready?

We hope some of these tips help you achieve flawless results!

Happy Stamping!