|
|
Dearest Friends of The Crafting Cottage,
Things have been a whirlwind these last few weeks.
Sue Leven and I had a huge success this past weekend at the Stamp & Scrapbook Get Away Show. It was held in the Finger Lakes Mall in Auburn, NY. We worked our tails off from Thursday (setting up the booth) through the early evening of Saturday (taking down the booth). Friday and Saturday were packed with Sue and I teaching classes, taking care of customers and then Friday night was the Make 'n Take Party Event.
Saturday was a bit more relaxing in that the day was paced so that Sue and I could even walk around the show and visit the fellow vendors. I taught a quick class on Saturday morning - but then I was able to chill and socialize with so many wonderful crafters that came to our booth.
I will be clearing out the Workshop Room this week so that the new flooring can be installed on Tuesday. All the tables, chairs, bits and bobs of furniture and the large hutch need to be moved out.
I had hoped to get a commercial grade vinyl flooring that "looked like" wood planks. However, due to the uneven floor, the owner of Cutler Flooring, convinced me that that would not work as the vinyl would need a thick layer of wood to be installed first to allow the floor any chance of being "level". Installing the wood base would have meant having to shave off the bottom of the wooden french doors......Needless to say - change in plans. I am excited though for the old carpeting to be taken out and the new carpeting is going to be stunning!
A couple of weeks ago, I met with a Landscaper. His company will be sprucing up the exteriors of the Crafting Cottage. I realized that I need to call in experts if I truly wish to get things done. For the last couple of years, I have dreamed of creating a true "Cottage Garden" for the Crafting Cottage. Needless to say, what I have actually accomplished is more of a of "Junk Yard Hoarders" compilation of STUFF!
Last summer, the heat and torrential rains stopped my projects. This summer - it's going to be different.
The Cottage is going to look mighty sharp!
On to the Musings...
|
| | Bye, bye grey, bumpy carpeting!!! | |
Special Event Musings...
Thursday, June 11th
OR
Friday, June 12th
2 PM OR 6:30 PM
$25 per person
Gina k Design Card-A-Thon
Using clear stamps, embossing folders, dies and stencils - crafters will create several stunning cards.
The picture shows just three of the cards that will be created.
Register via the website. Click Here!
Registered and confirmed for the Friday, 6:30 PM
slot: Mina B. + 1.
Thursday, June 18th
2 PM OR 6:30 PM
Embossing Folder Fun
$12 per person
Embossing folders have come a long, long way. Some of today's folders emboss SOOOO deep - stunning effects. Other folders will not only emboss - but cut out the shapes. One can use inks and stencils with embossing folders. There are wonderful and creative ways to play with these crafting tool must-haves.
In this fun event, crafters will move from station to station and create several different cards and tags using embossing folders in different ways.
Register for any of the above classes or events by clicking HERE.
| | | |
Saturday, June 13th
ALL DAY CRAFT 'N CHAT
9 AM till 9 PM
$25 per person
(minimum of 4 crafters needed to register
for event to take place)
Get those graduation & wedding projects finished!
Start your summer-time scrapbooking pages.
Included in the $25 fee:
Twelve hours of crafting bliss!
- Snacks & beverages
- Goodie Bags
- Your own table - lots of space!
- Access to hundreds of dies and die-cutting machines to create everything from interactive cards to boxes and bags and scrapbooking pages, titles, borders and more.
REGISTER FOR THIS CRAFT & CHAT - CLICK HERE!
****DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT IS****
JUNE 5TH
Read more about a Craft 'n Chat below.
| | |
What IS a "Craft 'n Chat"?
A Craft 'n Chat is an opportunity to get out of your home, where lots of distractions (laundry, cleaning, paying bills...) are taking up precious crafting time.
When you attend a Craft 'n Chat, you get 6' of table space all to yourself. You enjoy a comfy chair and lots of ample lighting.
You can either bring some projects you want to work on (cards, scrapbook layouts, mixed media projects, etc.) or you can find projects to do by touring the "Tool Room", where you will find hundreds, upon hundreds of various dies to cut out shapes,
3D projects, boxes, bags, shaped 12x12 papers, interactive cards, sentiments, borders and much more.
| |
Also in the Tool Room for crafters' to enjoy using while attending a Craft 'n Chat are:
Paper Punches
Ink Pads
Blending Brushes
Embossing Folders & an Embossing tool just for the folders
Stencils
Thin metal dies & die-cutting machines
Rubber stamps with images and sentiments and even some with coordinating dies
Markers
Coloring pencils
Paper cutters
Attending a Craft 'n Chat gives you the luxury of playing with hundreds of unique products without having to buy them for yourself. The Tool Room is a "lending library" of sorts for crafters to enjoy using a vast variety of goodies.
| | |
What else is included?
Crafters get to enjoy doing creative research in the Library Lounge. In the library, there are books and magazines galore to give a crafter ideas and inspiration.
The kitchen is available for crafters to use while they attend a Craft 'n Chat. Some crafters choose to bring their own snacks or meals and they can use the refrigerator and microwave. There is also the "Beverage Center". Crafters enjoy using the Keurig machine, the ice-making machine and will find pods for coffee, tea and even some specialty drink pods. There are cannisters for hot cocoa, iced tea, lemonade as well as all the various condiments for beverages.
And, one of the best parts of a Craft 'n Chat are the "chats" amongst crafters. Several friends have started off not knowing one another until they attended a Craft 'n Chat. Crafters can be the best "cheering squad" for fellow crafters. Ideas, opinions, suggestions and most of the time, praise and admiration are received from fellow crafters when one needs it.
At some Craft 'n Chats, I will provide snacks. Most of the time, crafters just bring what they want to munch on.
At the end of the day, crafters usually go home with a completed project or two or three or...but mostly go home feeling a sense of accomplishment and refreshed. A lovely day spent creatively crafting and socializing.
I hope you will join us for a Craft 'n Chat soon.
| | |
Currently, here are the weekends
still available and are on the website:
July 24th
September 4th
October 16th
November 6th
There may be some weekends available in November and December, however, due to a variety of special events, themed retreats and holiday workshops being planned, if your group is interested in either a November or early December weekend - please contact me and let's see what we can do.
Below are pictures of some of the updates done thus far to the largest guest room on the 2nd floor. This guest room is named, "The Harmony Suite".
This guest room has it's own attached private bathroom with a wonderful waterfall shower!
| |
The other guest room that also enjoys it's very own attached full bathroom is located on the first floor. This guest room is currently under renovations and I am going to guess that once crafters check it out - it may become the new favorite room.
Also on the 2nd floor are two additional guest rooms. One is a "single". The other room, known as the Seaside Cottage room, accommodates up to two guests and shares the hallway bathroom with the single room.
| | |
The next BIG paper crafting/stamping/scrapbooking show that is fun to attend is at the end of August this year. Here are the details:
The SSAT (StampScrapArtTour) Show
When: Saturday, August 29th - 10 AM till 5 PM
Sunday, August 30th - 10 AM till 3 PM
FRIDAY NIGHT MAKE 'N TAKE EVENT IS ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 28TH
FROM 6 PM TILL 9 PM
The Friday night event requires a separate ticket that you can only purchase online from SSAT.
The Crafting Cottage will be participating again this year.
We are also doing the Friday Night Make 'n Take Event.
For more details - please visit SSAT's website.
| | Below are pictures from this past weekend's Show: | | The theme of the show was the 250th Birthday of the United States. Lots of gals wore various renditions of the theme. there were several "Contests" each day for those that dressed up for the theme. | | The Crafting Cottage provided four cards plus a box for the cards to be placed in for the Friday Night Party.
Sue taught two of the cards and I taught two of the cards and the easy to assemble box. | | |
Those attending any upcoming events or staying at the Cottage will be able to check out several brand new goodies from Waffle Flower, Taylored Expressions and Altenew.
I have refreshed the Crafting Cottage booth at The Shoppes at Oldies But Goodies.
The stunning Lavender and Honey themed papers and ephemera are now there. I also swapped out a lot of the winter holiday themed products for more summer themed goodies.
The Shoppes at Oldies But Goodies
10 Carpenter Road
Big Flats/Elmira NY. Off of Route 352
Hours of Operation:
Thursdays through Mondays: 10 AM - 5 PM
Closed on Tuesdays & Wednesdays.
***Note: Always check their Facebook Page or call them before you go to double check that they are open during inclement weather or certain holidays.***
Click here to go to their Facebook Page!
Here are pictures of the Crafting Cottage's booth:
| How adorable is this owl??? The Owl die set works perfectly with the Gina k. Design stamp and die set for all kinds of graduations & celebrations. | | |
The Lavender and Honey themed papers are in the
12 x 12 format as well as 6x8 Paper Pad. The ephemera packages are filled with 86 pieces of stunning florals, bees, honey pots and, of course, lavender!!!
You will also find wonderful sea shore, lake and lighthouse themed stencils, dies, stamp sets and papers.
| | Looking for an easy peasy way to create interactive albums? Check out the various Folio's that were originally created by PhotoPlay. Unfortunately, PhotoPlay closed their company - so these are some of the last ones I have left. | |
There are several Gina k. Design stamp & die sets in the booth.
More fun retail shop news will be announced in the next few weeks!
| | |
First and foremost, a HUGE Thank You and shout out to Sue Leven who stepped in to help me for not only the Auburn Show - but she is going to help me for the Hamburg Show at the end of August.
The fact that Sue is still willing to help me for the Hamburg show - after she was subjected to spending over twelve hours on day one - on her feet, teaching a class, selling products, answering questions, promoting the Crafting Cottage's Retreat Cottage and then nearly three hours of participating in a version of "SPEED DATING for card-makers" - says a lot about Sue and friendship.
Sue is also one of those steady and dependable people that don't stress even when at 9 PM after a very long day, I couldn't find my car keys!!! HOW could I have lost my car keys??? I had put them in my backpack right after Sue and I returned to the show after our dinner break.
Long story short - I found the car keys. They were in my backpack. At the very bottom of my backpack...Sue never stressed. She simply walked all over the show floor and checked where we had just finished the three hour Make 'n Take Event.
I drove us back to the hotel where we couldn't even find a parking spot because of some event that was going on. We finally parked in a space by a Dog Groomer's shop. Exhausted, we walked into the lobby and were greeted by several people walking around with wine glasses. There was some kind of Art Gallery Showing going on. Sue and I found a place to sit in the lobby as people socialized around us. We must have looked like something the dog dragged in from the rain. We were hot, sweaty, disheveled and exhausted.
I managed to find two CANS of white wine in the mini-grocery store in the hotel's lobby. Sue and I braced for a terrible drink - but - it was actually a very nice wine, surprisingly.
Needless to say - I slept very well that night.
I also want to give a shout out to several crafters that stopped by The Crafting Cottage booth to give us hugs and simply say "Hello". Thank you to Jan, Andrea,
Joan and Susan.
I am sending a Welcome to the Crafting Cottage Family Shout out to: Heather, Kim, Ellen, Darlee, Christina, Pam, Jaymie and Debbie.
On the family front, my daughter, Brianna, flew over the pond on Saturday evening to visit my other daughter, Tara, for a couple of weeks. It is amazing how I was able to track her flight (which I did, of course). I could not fully fall asleep until I knew she was safely at Tara's apartment. Around 4 AM Sunday, Brianna sent me a text to let me know she was with Tara. The two of them will have a wonderful time together.
OK, my friends, on that note - you know I wish all of you creative moments of bliss. Please stay safe. Stay strong. Stay healthy.
And, as always - Stay Crafty My Friends!!!
Cheers,
Georgiana
| | | | |
