Monday, August 18, 2014

Xyron and Perfect Paper Crafting Day One - and a Giveaway!


The Xyron Design Team is so excited to be working with Perfect Paper Crafting (PPC) for the first time!  The girls were THRILLED to receive these amazing tools and we can't wait to show you what they've created.  Today we've got three of our new Design Team members kicking off the week with some card inspiration!

Alexia Misso made not one, not two, but THREE gorgeous cards using the PPC Perfect Airbrush.  The techniques she used give the most incredible results - head on over to her blog to see her third card and get some tips for using the Perfect Airbrush on your next project! 



Heather Conklin used two completely different techniques with her Perfect Airbrush and got two completely different and beautiful results! Check out her blog today for a tutorial and start thinking of all the wonderful cards you can create!



Marcia Dehn-Nix used the PPC Perfect Layers Mini to create the sharp clean lines on this mixed media card - AND she made her own sea glass!  Hop on over to her blog for a tutorial on how you too can create your own - who doesn't love DIY embellishments?


The PPC Design Team has been having fun with their new Xyron products!  Stop by their team blog (and check out their Designers blogs below) to be wowed by their creativity - and get yourself entered for a $50 gift certificate for their website!  Want to get your hands on some of these great PPC tools?  They are also offering a 10% off code just for you!  Enter Xyron10% at checkout and get ready to get crafty with some cool new tools!


We also want to share some tools with you - Xyron adhesive tools!  Leave a comment here on the blog and one lucky winner will receive a Xyron Mega Runner.  We'll post the winner to the Xyron Facebook Page tomorrow - be sure to stop by here every day this week for fun new projects and a daily giveaway.  Have a great week everybody!

Friday, August 8, 2014

2nd Annual "Purging My Studio" Sale - Calling all Seattle/Tacoma Crafters!


Another year, another frantic need to purge my studio, and another chance at the greatest garage sale situation ever!  Our town (Steilacoom, WA) hosts a community wide garage sale every year that is a HUGE deal.  The entire town participates and there are bargains galore to be found...and it is a great way to force me to clean out my space!

Of course we are selling "real" garage sale items (furniture, housewares, etc) - but I am most excited about meeting local crafters over some fabulous deals from my studio.  So if you love crafty bargains - please come on out and see us this Saturday August 9th.  We would love to meet you (and Don would LOVE for you to take away some crafty stuff!) - the official Steilacoom garage sale begins at 9am - but we will be out there bright eyed and bushy tailed at 8am so we can be your first stop!

If you are interested, and live in the Seattle/Tacoma Washington area - email me at aintshecrafty@gmail.com and I will give you our address...or you can just try and find us on the "these houses are having a garage sale" map that Steilacoom will be handing out Saturday morning!  Genius!  See the bottom of this post for some tips about where to grab some grub in Steilacoom, where to spend the night (if you are coming from far away - apparently this sale is THAT awesome) and how to navigate the sale around town.

I have inventory (all new/in packaging) at 50-90% OFF RETAIL from the following manufacturers:

American Crafts
Authentique
Bazzill
BoBunny
Clearsnap
Core'dinations
Cosmo Cricket
Crafter's Companion
Cricut
Doodlebug
Echo Park
Fancy Pants
Fiskars
Graphic 45
Kaisercraft
Jillibean Soup
Maya Road
My Mind's Eye
Simple Stories
Technique Tuesday
Teresa Collins
Webster's Pages
We R Memory Keepers
Xyron
7gypsies
and more...including a big assortment of class kits!

I've also got some fun goodies to give away...let me know you saw this post on my blog and you will receive a We R Memory Keepers Farmer's Market paper/sticker pack (retail $5.99) for FREE just for stopping by, and if you spend $100 on scrapbooking goodies (which you might - there is THAT much stuff) you will receive a Teresa Collins Adhesive Kit (retail $24.99) for FREE!  Yahoo!

Now for some yard sale/Steilacoom tips!

Where to stay: If you are coming from a few hours away and want to spend the night - book a hotel in Dupont.  NOT LAKEWOOD.  You just have to trust me on this.  :)

Where to eat: The Bair Bistro is a darling little cafe housed in an old drug store.  You can stop in for a coffee to go or you can have a sit down meal (they have indoor and outdoor seating).  The food is delicious but the service can be slooooooow...so this is definitely not for a quick food stop, this is for a leisurely breakfast/lunch stop after you have shopped shopped shopped!  The Bair is located next to the tennis courts (see why that is important below) on Lafayette Street.

Topside Bar & Grill - this is a GREAT stop for lunch after you have shopped the day away.  The view from their rooftop seating is not to be missed.  The theme of Steilacoom dining seems to be "relaxed" service - you'll find that here too from time to time.  ;)  The food is delish and the view is worth it all!  They have also recently purchase the Two Teaspoons Cafe downstairs in the same building where you can get coffee and "to go" food.  Topside/Two Teaspoons are located about a block from the tennis courts.

Tips for Town: The yard sale doesn't "officially" begin until 9am, so you can make us your first stop at 8am!  ;)  You will want to make a stop at the tennis courts on Lafayette first thing as well - the town rents out "stalls" at the tennis court for folks to sell their stuff, AND they pass out a town wide map that gives you the location of every yard sale in town (well - every yard sale that paid the $5 to get on the map).  It is a great way to help plan out your day and keep you from driving around in circles!

Bringing kids with you?  There is a playground on the corner of Union and Martin with some swings and playground equipment so the kiddos can run off some extra energy.  There also happens to be a coffee shop right across the street (for the AM crowd) and the Steilacoom Pub (also across the street) serves ice cream cones in the afternoon!

Hope to see you on Saturday!

***UPDATE*** the yard sale was a HUGE success (thanks to everyone who came out!) but I've still got a few goodies left to give away!  Just leave a comment here and two lucky winners will receive boxes filled with some fun little surprises.  I'll announce the winners on my Facebook Page on Monday. Have a great weekend everybody!!

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Xyron Announces New Fall/Winter 2014 Design Team!


We are thrilled to announce the newest additions to the Xyron Design Team!  Please help us welcome:










They join our returning Design Team members:









Join us next week as we feature our new team members' projects  - you'll see why we love them and are excited to have them on board.  This is going to be a wonderful term - we can't wait to inspire you!

Congratulations girls - and welcome!

Friday, July 25, 2014

Xyron Loves Maya Road - Day Five and a Giveaway!

The Xyron Design Team has had a blast sharing their Maya Road projects with you this week - and speaking of the Design Team we want to say a HUGE thank you to them for the past six months.  Their DT term ends next week and we have been amazed every day at the incredible creations and fun projects they have shared with us (and you)! We couldn't do any of this without them!  Thank you wonderful women!!!!

Want to let a friend know how much you appreciate them? This darling tag would be perfect tied to a coffee mug or a bottle of wine - and on her blog today Angela Holt shares a video tutorial for creating this little gem!


We have one word for this pillow box from Lori Williams.  Stunning!  Can you imagine getting a little treat tucked inside one of these?


We think Magnet Tape is the unsung hero of the Xyron Adhesives collection.  Today on her blog Rhea Freitag shares a quick tutorial with us on how to create this gorgeous magnet using Xyron Magnet Tape and a Maya Road Bottle Cap!


Card sets are a great way to use up leftover embellishments - mixed media card sets are even better because the possibilities are endless!  On her blog today Pinky Hobbs gives us some quick tips for creating these cool cards that would be so fun to give or receive.


We're finishing up the week with one final giveaway - leave a comment here and one lucky winner will receive a pair of our Xyron 3" Sticker Makers!  We'll announce the winner tomorrow on the Xyron Facebook Page.  Have a great weekend everybody!