News from TheScrapbookStore.ie

Christmas Party Crop–Thursday 8th December at 7pm

2011-12-05T22:20:00.002Z

Our Christmas Party Crop takes place on Thursday December 8th 2011 from 7pm to 11pm at the Whitehall Parish Centre, Dublin 9 and all tickets are sold out!

It's our final Crop of the year and promises to be a great night for all. For the ticket price of €30.00 you'll get a Scrapbook Workshop where we'll create three scrapbook layouts (if there's time, of course) with the new MME Lost & Found Christmas Collection Pack, then Michelle La Grue will show everyone how to create a beautiful home decor project using Christmas papers (bring your own favourites or we have loads of new Collections to purchase in the shop!) and a string of indoor fairy lights (white). Then there'll be loads of prizes and challenges too. Mix all that up with plenty of Christmas tunes and it's sure to be a great night.

Here's what you'll need to bring along:

For Michelles project:

a variety of border punches
a hole punch (spring type - there'll be one to share on the night)
any range of papers
matching journalling tags or embellishments
matching alphabet letters
scissors, wet glue
and finally a string of 15 white lights

For Annamarie's Workshop:
Layout 1: Two 4" x 6" portrait photos with no border
Layout 2: Two 4" x 6" portrait photos and two 4" x 6" landscape photos with white borders
Layout 3: Two 4" x 6" landscape photos with no border

You’ll also need to bring:

A rosette die (if you have one - otherwise you can make the rosette by hand with a border punch and glue)
Craft knife, trimmer, foam pads, scissors, paper distresser and small piece of sandpaper
A large red button or silver gems/silver star shape for putting in the middle of a paper bow

Don't forget to bring along your own drink of choice (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and a plate of food and we'll bring the mince pies, soft drinks and tea and coffee.

Looking forward to seeing you all in festive mood next week,
Annamarie

Here’s what we did at our November Workshop!

2011-11-20T15:53:00.001Z

Many thanks to everyone who attended our November Workshop last Thursday, we hope you enjoyed the class. We used the new Basic Grey Picadilly Collection of papers, stickers and diecuts to create two layouts and a greeting card. Here’s a peek at what we made:

A small number of kits are still available from the Workshop costing €12.50 so if you’d like one they’re now available ONLINE and include full instructions.

Don’t forget, bookings are now open for our Christmas Party Workshop on Thursday 8th December 2011 from 7pm to 11pm in Whitehall Parish Centre. Tickets are available to purchase ONLINE now and cost €30.00. It promises to be a fun night with a Scrapbook Workshop, a Home Décor Workshop and crafty and not so crafty prizes!

Hope to see you there!

Dublin Scrapbooking Workshop–Thursday November 17th at 7pm

2011-11-14T23:43:00.001Z

Hi everyone,

Just announcing details of our November Workshop at Whitehall Parish Centre this Thursday November 17th 2011 from 7pm to 10pm. For the month that's in it, we'll be hopefully brightening up the dark evening by using the new Basic Grey Picadilly Collection of papers and embellishments.

The kit (seen below) includes: 6 sheets of Basic Grey Picadilly 12" x 12" double sided papers, 1 sheet of BG Picadilly Elements Stickers and 1 pack of Basic Grey Picadilly Petals.

This month, we’re creating two layouts:

The first layout is open themed, with a blue colour scheme so it would suit photos with blues, reds and yellows in them. I used two 4” x 6” portrait format photos with white borders in this layout. I chose pictures of a little boy wearing a blue babygro against a blue background for this layout.

The second layout is again open themed with a green and red colour scheme so it would suit photos with greens, reds and blues in them. For this layout I used a 4” x 6” landscape format photo (no border) but you could use two 4” x 6” landscape format photos instead. I chose a close up photo of a little girl wearing green and sitting on a red slide for this layout.

You’ll also need to bring the following:
A paper trimmer
Glue
Foam Pads
A 1.5” circle punch
Green Ink (I used Versa Tea Leaves)
A white gel pen and a thin black felt tip pen
a small piece of sandpaper or a sanding tool
Red alphabet stickers (I used Basic Grey Jovial stickers) to add a title. It’s a great chance to use up those alpha stickers you have hanging around so bring along a selection of browns, blues, greens, yellow or black too.

Workshop places cost €25.00 and can be booked online HERE or paid for on the night. If available, spare kits can be purchased online about a week after the Workshop.
If you'd like to attend the Workshop just email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephone 086-8441159.

Hope to see you there,
Annamarie

Finished photos of our October Workshop with Prima Printery!

2011-10-28T11:45:00.002Z

Thanks to everyone who came along to our October Workshop last night. We used the fabulous new Prima Printery Collection of papers, Prima Bretton Vines and Prima Say It In Crystals to create these beautiful layouts. If you didn’t manage to get both layouts finished I have emailed everyone who attended with close up photos of the finished layouts so you can finish them off at home.

Thanks to the lovely Tracy for her beautiful cakes, they were delish and we were well and truly spoiled!

If you fancy coming along to our next Workshop on November 17th in Whitehall Parish Centre you can find all the details on the forum www.scrapbooking.ie or on the blog closer to the time.

This weekend, we’re opening bookings for our December Christmas Party Workshop. It’s going to be a fun party night at Whitehall Parish Centre on Thursday December 8th from 7pm to 11pm packed with prizes, layouts and Christmas home décor ideas. Places will be limited and will have to be booked and paid for in advance. If you’re not already signed up for our newsletter, sign up now HERE and you’ll receive all the details of our upcoming events.

Thanks to our Guest Designer/Tutor ... Michelle La Grue!

2011-10-11T22:07:00.006Z

Many thanks to our Guest Designer/Tutor Michelle La Grue for teaching our September 2011 Workshop. Michelle treated everyone to a beautiful layout and card made using the new My Minds Eye Lost & Found 2 Collection of papers, stickers and diecuts. Here's a look at the finished layout and card:

We'd really recommend you check out Michelle's blog www.whatsseldomiswonderful.blogspot.com and be prepared to be inspired by her amazing creations ... and energy! I was so impressed with her latest project that I just had to share it here with you ... WOW! It's made using the MME 12 Days of Christmas papers and Spellbinders Stars Nestabilities and we think it's AMAZING!!!

Our next Workshop is Thursday October 27th 2011 from 7pm to 10pm at Whitehall Parish Centre. Here's a look at the kit:

Bookings are now being taken and you can email us on workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or BOOK ONLINE NOW. Workshops are suitable for all levels, including beginners. You'll need basic crafting tools to take part and full details of the Workshop will be posted here about a week before the Workshop date.

Hope to see you there,

Come along to our September 29th 2011 Workshop & Crop–Sneak Peeks!

2011-09-22T12:06:00.001Z

Hi again,

We hope you'll be able to join us for the start of another season of Workshops at the Whitehall Parish Centre, Dublin 9 next Thursday 29th September 2011 from 7pm to 10pm.

This month TheScrapbookStore.ie is delighted to be joined by our guest tutor, Michelle La Grue, who will be teaching a fantastic class using the new My Minds Eye, Lost and Found 2 Collection. The Workshop involves creating a stunning card and a beautiful 12" x 12" scrapbook layout.

Here are a few sneaky peeks:

The Workshop Fee is €25.00 and includes a full kit, tuition and refreshments. The kit includes four sheets of double sided paper, a cardstock diecut title, a sheet of label stickers, twine and a toothpick.

To complete the Workshop you'll also need to bring along the following items:

One 6" x 4" portrait Black & White photograph. The title on the layout is "Dream Big" so bring along a photo to suit the colours of the papers/embellishments and the title!
Tim Holtz Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink
Foam Pads
Double Sided tape
Glue Dots
Scissors
Paper Trimmer
Corner Rounder (we have one to share also)
Leaf punch (we have one to share also)

The Workshop is suitable for beginners or experienced cardmakers and scrapbookers/papercrafters.

To book your place just email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or post your name below.

Hope to see you there,
Annamarie

Finished Layouts from the June Workshop and July Crop News!

2011-07-01T19:53:00.001Z

Hi everyone,

Thanks to everyone who came along to our June Workshop. As promised here are the finished layouts:

If you missed the Workshop, we have a few spare kits available in the store! So don’t delay as stock is extremely limited! Click here to BUY ONLINE! The kits come with full step by step instructions and photos of the layouts and are so easy to follow. If you have some butterfly stamps, punches or dies you could use them to create extra embellishments on the layouts.

And now for news of our July Crop. We won’t be teaching a Workshop this month, instead we’re having a fun packed challenge night on Thursday July 28th from 7pm to 10pm in Whitehall Parish Centre. Crop spaces cost €10.00. The challenges will include:

Layout and Cards Scrap Challenge
A Super Sketch Challenge
Tag Card Challenge
and a few other fun challenges

We’ll be posting further details of what’s involved in the challenges and a list of everything you’ll need to bring later in the month. All of the details will also be included in our July Newsletter so if you haven’t already signed up you can sign up online now!

Hope to see you there,

Annamarie

Our Dublin Workshop–Thursday 23rd June 2011

2011-06-21T21:23:00.001Z

Counting down to our June Workshop this Thursday June 23rd at Whitehall Parish Centre, Dublin 9. This month we’re using the Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden Collection to create two beautiful layouts.

To take part in the Workshop you’ll need to bring along the following:

A good scissors (we'll be doing what they call "fussycutting" )
A paper distresser (or you can use the edge of a scissors)
Distress Ink (Antique Linen and blue if you have some)
A paper trimmer
Adhesive for paper and buttons
Butterfly/dragonfly stamps or butterfly/dragonfly punches if you have some

Photos:

Three 4" x 6" portrait format photos with white edges for layout 1
Two 4" x 6" portrait or landscape format photos with white edges for layout 2

Workshop places cost €25.00 and include kit, tuition and home baking. Crop spaces are also available at €10.00.

To book your place email us at workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephone/text Annamarie at 086-2065346.

Hope to see you there!

Annamarie

May Workshop thanks and finished layouts!

2011-06-01T22:16:00.002Z

Huge thanks to everyone who came along to our May Workshop at the Whitehall Parish Centre, Dublin last Thursday 26th May. It was another full house and everyone’s completed layouts were absolutely stunning.

This month we created two layouts using the new Pink Paislee Hometown Summer Collection of papers, chipboard and alphabets. We chose to use photos of Summertime in the garden with the kids for the demo layout, but on the night everyone chose their own theme and title. Here are photos of the completed layouts:

Our next outing in Whitehall is on Thursday June 23rd from 7pm to 10pm and we’re staying on the Pink Paislee trip! We’ll be creating another two layouts using the new Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden Collection. Why not join us for an evening of crafty fun, chat and home baking? You can book your place by emailing workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephoning/texting 086-2065346.

Hope to see you there,

Annamarie

May 26th Workshop–Sneak Peeks!

2011-05-22T23:49:00.000Z

Counting down to our monthly Workshop in Whitehall Parish Centre, Dublin 9 this Thursday May 26th 2011. This month we’re creating two beautiful 12” x 12” layouts using the fantastic new Pink Paislee Hometown Summer Collection. It’s a bumper €15.00 worth of kit this month with Bazzill Cardstock, five sheets of Pink Paislee Hometown Summer double sided paper, a pack of Hometown Summer Chipboard Pops stickers and a pack of Pink Paislee Lemon Cushies.

Here’s a few sneak peeks:

To take part in the Workshop you'll need to bring

a scissors,
paper trimmer,
adhesive for sticking paper,
and black or brown ink (I used Antique Linen Distress Ink).

For the first layout you'll need:

One 4" x 6" photo and one 3" x 4" photo, printed with white borders, both portrait format.
For the 2nd layout you'll need: two 4" x 6" portrait format photos and one 4" x 6" landscape format photo.

As always, the photos can be added later if you don't have suitable ones on the night.

The colours are bright reds, greens and yellows and will suit a Summer or Summer Holiday theme. The layouts are open themed as you'll have a sheet of alphabet Cushies stickers to decide on your own title on the night.

Workshop places cost €25.00 and include a kit, tuition, homebaking, tea & coffee. Crop spaces cost €10.00 if you would like to attend and work on your own projects. You can book a workshop place or a crop space by emailing workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie, by texting 086-2065346.

Hope to see you there,

Annamarie

Sneak Peeks of our April Workshop!

2011-04-04T21:42:00.005Z

If you’re interested in taking part in our April Workshop, here’s what you need to know ……

We’ll be creating an open themed scrapbook layout using papers and embellishments from the new Basic Grey Curio Collection. The Workshop costs €25.00, is suitable for papercrafters of all levels and all materials are supplied. While the papers are beautifully detailed with a vintage feel, they are also suitable for modern photos. So bring along a few of your favourite photos and get scrappin’!

Our monthly Workshops are stand-alone modules so you can just come along any month you choose and take part. Mark the date in your diary, Whitehall Parish Centre, Dublin 9, Thursday 28th April 2011 from 7pm to 10pm.

Here’s what you’ll need to bring:

Essentials

A paper trimmer and scissors
Adhesive for sticking paper to paper
Strong double-sided tape for making the box flower
Photographs: We used two 4” x 6” portrait format photos with white borders but you could use two 4” x 6” landscape format photos or alternatively a larger photo, not exceeding 8” x 6” ,portrait style. Photos can be colour (if they match the papers) or black and white, they can be modern or vintage as the theme of the layout is open.

Bring these also if you have them (we will have some to share on the day):

A decorative border/edger punch e.g. Martha Stewart Doily Lace or Martha Stewart Deep Edge Flower but any decorative border/edger punch will do
A scalloped circle punch (3” or 2.5”) and a plain circle punch (2.5” or 2”)
A paper piercer or needle to make a hole for the brad
You may like to ink the edges of the paper, if so, bring along some Ranger Distress Ink in Walnut Stain.

Hope you can make it and if you have any questions just email Annamarie at workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie

Looking forward to meeting you this month!

A great night at our March Workshop!

2011-03-26T19:57:00.001Z

Thanks to everyone who came along to our March Workshop last Thursday in Whitehall Parish Centre. It was another full house and I hope you all enjoyed yourselves. We used the new Cosmo Cricket Salt Air Collection of papers, chipboard and buttons to create the two layouts with a summer/swimming pool theme.

As promised, here are the finished layouts just in case you didn’t get them finished on the night.

We have two of the new Cosmo Collections in stock at the moment. The Salt Air Collection and the gorgeous Social Club Collection. There are 12” x 12” papercrafting kits, 6” x 6” paper pads, buttons, Butterflies & Doilies die cuts and chipboard available. See all of our new products here.

The date of our April Workshop is to be confirmed. With the Easter celebrations, the Centre may be closed for a few days but I hope to have news of the date by Monday.

We have a limited number of class kits available from the February and March Workshops and they are on sale now at TheScrapbookStore.ie here.

Our February Workshops in Athlone & Dublin!

2011-02-16T19:48:00.005Z

Counting down the days until our February Workshop in Whitehall Parish Centre, Dublin 9 on Thursday 17th February 2011 from 7pm to 9pm and again until our Athlone Workshop (venue to be confirmed) on Sunday 27th February from 12pm to 5pm.

This month we're creating a double layout using the new My Minds Eye Fine and Dandy Collections and for added variety you get a choice of our boy or girl paper set. Here are the layouts:

The Workshop is suitable for intermediate or advanced scrapbookers. You will be provided with all of the materials necessary (papers, cardstock and stickers) to complete the layouts but you will need to bring some basics:

Paper Trimmer

Scissors

Craft Knife and Cutting Mat

Foam Dots

Adhesive for gluing paper

Distress Ink (Antique Linen works best)

Tweezers

Black fine tip felt pen

OPTIONAL: If you have some large alphabet letters to suit the colours in the papers bring them along to create a bold title.

Photos: For the girl Layout 1 - Two 4" x 6" portrait format photos with white border, for Layout 2 - One 4" x 6" portrait format photo plus three credit card sized photos all with white borders.

Photos: for the boy Layout 1 - One 4" x 6" landscape format photo with white border, for Layout 2 - Three 4" x 6" portrait format photos with white borders.

If you'd like to book a place at either Workshop, workshop places cost €25.00 and include Kit, refreshments and tuition. Crop only spaces are available at the Dublin Workshop and cost €10.00 where you can come along to shop, crop and work on your own projects.

Bookings can be made ONLINE or by telephone/text on 086-2065346.

Hope to see you there,

Annamarie

Whitehall Parish Centre "Inspiration Evening"

2011-01-14T15:49:00.002Z

To ease you all into the New Year, we're holding our monthly crop in Whitehall Parish Centre next Thursday January 20th 2011 at 7.00pm.

Instead of a class, we're holding ..... at the risk of sounding a little like Hyacinth Bucket ;-) .... an Inspiration Evening featuring a layout by the extremely talented Michelle!

The idea is as follows:

Bring along your own crafty tools plus;
some favourite paper combinations from your own crafty stash and;
use Michelle's layout as inspiration to create your own masterpiece.

Michelle will be on hand during the night to assist you with questions and it's an ideal opportunity to use some of those gorgeous papers you've been storing up. As the background sheet is white, it will match most papers in your stash.

You can of course purchase the papers Michelle used in her layout. They're from the Crate Paper Doll Collection and you will also need 1 sheet of Bazzill Cardstock with an Edge, Flower Shape in White to complete the layout. We have plenty of the Bazzill in the shop.

Here's what Michelle used in her layout:

1 sheet of Bazzill Cardstock with an Edge - Flower White
I cardstock title from the Crate Paper Doll Collection, Title Stickers pack
1 pack of Silver Rhinestones/Gems
Quarter sheet of green cardstock
Small amount of white Tulle
Half sheet of various Crate Paper Doll Collection papers
Half yard of grosgrain ribbon – pink
Pink thread
Spare cardboard to provide stablility
To make into a wall hanging – 2 eyelets and piece of ribbon or you could keep it as a layout.

You will also need the following tools:

Scissors
Paper Trimmer
Tweezers
Glue dots
Foam pads
Pink ink pad or if using your own papers bring a co-ordinating ink pad to suit your papers
White paint to edge photo
Border punch – Michelle used Martha Stewarts doily lace (but it is not working properly so it cannot be used at the class SORRY!) so bring along another fancy border punch.
Sewing needle or mini paper stitching machine
Circle punches (small and medium)
Leaf punches if available

If you'd like to book a place at our Inspiration Evening please email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie. Places cost €10.00 and include tea, coffee, home baking and as always, a warm welcome and great company!

How to ... A coloured heart with white text - Perfect for Love cards & Valentines!

2011-01-12T13:01:00.002Z

If, like me, you're a fan of white journalling but never seem to have the right white rub-on or sticker then this tutorial is for you.

If, like me, you know someone who got engaged over the Christmas period you can use this technique to create a beautiful Engagement card!

I used the technique to create this gorgeous coloured heart to use as a centrepiece for an Engagement card (with different wording of course). The beauty of creating this heart (or you could make a flower, star etc.) is that once you've done it and saved it to your pc you can change the colour and text very easily and adapt it for use in lots of projects.

To Create the Card I used:

The new Pink Paislee Sweetness Collection (available now at TheScrapbookStore.ie) for the background (Yellow), foreground (Blue with roses), accordian flower, and the individual flower on the edge of the heart was cut from the blue with roses sheet.
The Martha Stewart Flower Bed Deep Edger Punch to create the accordian flower.
A piece of Bazzill Grosgrain Ribbon

To Create the Heart you'll need:

A piece of white cardstock
A computer with colour printer
Software e.g. Photoshop CS or Photoshop Elements

Note: I also used some shading and overlay effects on this heart but the following tutorial is for a simple coloured heart without effects. If you know your way around Photoshop and would like to know how I got the effects on the heart just drop me an email to workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie and I'll send you back the instructions.

Step 1

Decide on the size of card you'll use e.g. I'm using an A5 (210mm x 148mm) size card in landscape format.
To fit on this size card, the heart can be no taller than 148mm or slightly less if you want it to fit perfectly.
So I've gone into Photoshop and created a new document and made it 148mm x 148mm as I like my hearts roughly the same width and height, and I've made the resolution 300dpi as I'll be printing it out!

Your screen should now look like this:

Step 2 - Drawing the Heart

Now we're ready to draw our heart!

Select the "Custom Shape Tool" from the side menu. Once you've done this the Custom Shape Menu will appear at the top of the screen.

Click on the drop down arrow to the right of the word "Shape" at the top of the screen and you'll see a drop down listing of all the shapes available.

Click on the Heart shape and your cursor will turn into a cross.
Using the mouse, bring the cross to the point where you want your heart to start being drawn. Tip: if you want the heart to fill the whole box then position your cursor about 1mm from the top left hand corner.
Press the left button on your mouse and drag the cursor down and across the page, the heart will be drawn as you do this. Once you hold the button as you're dragging, the heart will continue to be drawn, once you let go of the button the heart will be complete.

You can now use the "Move Tool" to move the heart around the box so it's positioned exactly where you want it.
If the heart isn't the correct size, you can adjust it by clicking and dragging any of the small boxes around the heart (holding the shift key as you're doing this keeps the heart from becoming distorted)
You should also notice the "Layers" palette on the right hand column of the screen. It now shows a new layer with a heart shape and beside the shape it shows a colour swatch (the default colour is black).
To change the colour of your heart simply double click in the colour swatch box and pick your colour using the colour picker or by dialling in an RGB reference or # number. For our red heart we used a #number of b23038

Step 3 - Creating the Text

To create the text, select the Text Tool from the left hand column, change the font to one of your choice (we used Fontdinerdotcom Sparkly font at 72pt size - available FREE at www.fontdiner.com).
Make sure the text colour is set to WHITE and type in your words.
Once you've typed in the words, you can use to the Move Tool to move the text block to position it correctly in the heart if necessary.

Step 4 - Save and Print

Now, simply save the document and print it out onto White Bazzill or similar and cut it out with a scissors.

A step-by-step Christmas Layout using 3 photos!

2010-12-28T12:48:00.002Z

We hope that you had a safe and peaceful Christmas and now that the last of the turkey and ham has been eaten it's time to think about getting those Christmas photos scrapped! Here's a simple single layout created using the new Basic Grey Jovial papers and alpha stickers.

It's suitable for three 4" x 6" portrait format photos or you could adapt it to take two 5" x 7" portrait format ones.

To complete the layout you'll need:

4 sheets of Basic Grey Jovial paper (or similar) - Coal, Snowball Fight, Merry Maker and Flannel Pajamas
1 sheet of Basic Grey Jovial Mini Mono Stickers (or similar) for the title
Scissors and paper trimmer
Acid-free adhesive for paper e.g. Scrappy Glue or Herma glue runner
Three 4" x 6" portrait format photos with white border or two 5" x 7" portrait format photos with white border.

Step 1

Use a single sheet of Coal (black side) as your background.
Trim a sheet of Snowball Fight to 10" x 10" and stick it down, centred onto the sheet of Coal paper.

Step 2

Cut 1 big flower and 3 small flowers from the sheet of Merry Maker paper.
Cut the biggest of the flowers in half.

Step 3

Cut two .5" x 8" strips of Flannel Pyjamas and make a "v" shaped notch in the ends of both strips.

Step 4

Arrange your photos centrally across the page then stick the Flannel Pyjama strips above and below the photos as shown on the layout.
Make sure you have enough room for the alphabet letters at the top of the page.

Step 5

Next, arrange the flowers around the page, using the layout above as your guide.
Arrange the Basic Grey Jovial letters into a title of your choice.

I used an Ikea frame to frame this layout. The frame measures 21" x 21" and the mount measures approx. 11.5" x 11.5" so it's the perfect size to hold you layout. Just make sure that no important details are obscured by the mount by not placing any items too close to the edge of the layout.

Why not give it a go! The papers and stickers are available at TheScrapbookStore.ie HERE or you could use any Christmas papers you may have in your stash with co-ordinating solid cardstock as the background.

Sneak Peeks of our November Scrapbooking Workshop!

2010-11-11T12:36:00.001Z

Our Whitehall Workshop takes place next Thursday 18th November, 2010 at 7pm. This Workshop is also being held in Athlone on Sunday 21st November at 12pm. This month we'll be creating two layouts using the new Crate Paper Restoration Collection. The layouts have an open theme so just bring along a selection of your favourite photos in the sizes listed below or alternatively you can add photos when you get home.

One of the layouts has a small frame and we'll be using it to frame a piece of journalling. You can handwrite your journalling on the night or if you prefer you can type it on your computer beforehand and bring it along.

Here's what you'll need to do:

Open a blank Word document
Change the page size to 3" x 3"
Change the margins to 1" on all sides
Type in enough text to fill the page
Print out on some textured white card. Remember you don't need to put a 3" x 3" piece in your printer (it'll probably get stuck anyway), just cut a piece of card big enough so you know it won't get stuck in your printer and print onto that and then cut out the part you need. I usually cut a piece of 12" x 12" cardstock in half and put that through the printer.

To take part in the Workshop you'll need to bring:

A paper trimmer
Sharp scissors
Crop-a-dile or hole punch (I'll have one which you can borrow on the night too)
Distress Ink (Walnut Stain or Antique Linen works best - these are available in the shop on the night)
Glue for sticking paper
Two 5" x 7" photographs - 1 should be portrait format and 1 should be landscape format - printed with a white border. I've used Holy Communion photos (modern, colour) on the sample layouts but the papers would also be suitable for black & white, sepia, wedding, kids, vintage photos.

Workshop places cost €25.00 and include Workshop Kit, tuition and refreshments. This is what's included in the Kit:

6 sheets of 12" x 12" double-sided patterned paper from the new Crate Restoration Collection
1 12" x 12" pack of adhesive Chipboard Stickers from the Restoration Collection
1 6" x 12" pack of Border Stickers

The Workshop is suitable for beginners or advanced papercrafters and if you have any questions please email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephone 086-2065346 and we'll get back to you.

Guarantee your place by BOOKING ONLINE!

Hope to see you there!

October Scrapbooking Workshop - Thursday 21st

2010-10-19T18:28:00.002Z

Counting down to this Thursday's Scrapbooking Workshop in Whitehall Parish Centre at 7pm. Here are the layouts:

This month we're using the new My Minds Eye, Union Square Collection. We'll be creating two layouts as follows:

Layout 1

Titled "Love". You could add another word to make the title "Brotherly Love", "Forever Love" etc. For this layout you'll need to bring:

A sharp scissors
Paper Trimmer
Glue
1" circle punch and 2.5"/3" circle punch (if you have them, I'll have the Slice machine on the night so you can use it to cut these circles)
Pinking scissors (again, if you have one, otherwise you can cut the edge with a sharp plain scissors)

Two photos measuring 4" x 6" (no border necessary), portrait format, black & white preferably as they'll suit the papers better.

Layout 2

Titled "Simply Perfect in every way". For this layout you'll need to bring:

A sharp scissors
Paper Trimmer
Glue

4/5 small photos measuring approx. 4" x 2.5" or smaller. If you don't have small photos you could substitute them with one 4" x 6" or 5" x 7" landscape format photo. All photos to be black and white.

The papers are gorgeous and embellished with red glitter so if you have a thing for bling, then bring along some red stickles or similar. The layouts would look great with wedding photos so blow the dust off those photos and bring them along. As always, you don't have to bring photos on the night as they can be added later.

Some places are still available and you can book your place online here. Workshop places cost €25.00 and include a full kit, tuition and refreshments. If you fancy coming along to crop, Crop Spaces are available at a cost of €10.00 including refreshments.

Hope to see you there,

Announcing our October Workshops in Dublin & Athlone!

2010-10-05T20:05:00.001Z

Athlone Workshop

We're really looking forward to our first Workshop in Athlone on Sunday 10th October 2010 from 12pm to 5pm at Coosan Eco Cottage just outside Athlone Town. We'll be creating a two page layout using the new Cosmo Cricket Togetherness Collection. The first layout is open themed and the 2nd has the title "I love you ... to the moon ... and back". For full details of what you'll need to bring and what's included in the kit, please see our previous post!

Here's a few sneak peeks:

Workshop places cost €25.00 including kit, tuition and refreshments. After the class you'll have plenty of time for cropping and shopping too!

If you'd like to attend the Workshop you can BOOK ONLINE NOW. The Workshop is suitable for intermediate/advanced papercrafters. If you have any queries please email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephone/text Annamarie on 086-2065346.

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Dublin Workshop

Our very popular Dublin Workshop at Whitehall Parish Centre, Dublin 9 takes place on Thursday 21st October 2010 from 7pm to 10pm. This month we're using the new My Minds Eye Union Square range of papers and embellishments. Workshop places cost €25.00 and include kit, tuition and refreshments. If you'd like to attend you can BOOK ONLINE NOW and if you've any queries please email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephone/text Annamarie on 086-2065346.

Here's a sneak peek of the Workshop kit, and more details of the class will be available later in the month!

Hope to see you there,

Whitehall Crop & Workshop - This Thursday 16th - Sneak Peeks!

2010-09-13T14:28:00.001Z

If you haven't booked your place at this Thursday's Workshop in Whitehall Parish Centre, there are a few places left. Just email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie to make a reservation or buy your ticket online!

When: Thursday 16th September 2010

Time: 7pm to 10pm

Where: Whitehall Parish Centre, The Thatch Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9. The Centre is fully wheelchair accessible and has ample free parking. It is five minutes from the M1 exit off the M50 and is served by a number of bus routes including the 16/16A.

How much? Workshop places cost €25.00 including tuition, kit materials and tea/coffee homebaking. If you don't wish to take part in the workshop but would like to attend to work on your own projects, chat and have a cuppa, crafting places cost €10.00 for the whole evening including refreshments.

This month's kit includes:

5 sheets of Cosmo Cricket Togetherness Double Sided Paper (Birds of a feather, All a Flutter, Kites Strings, Making Plans & Pinwheels)
1 sheet of Cosmo Cricket Togetherness Double Sided Borders
Co-ordinating Cosmo Cricket Chipboard Pieces
Half a yard of Divine Twine

You will also need to bring with you:

A paper trimmer or guillotine or craft knife & craft mat
Sharp Scissors
Black felt tip (fine nib)
Acid Free Glue for sticking paper or double sided sticky tape (also on sale in the shop)
Small sticky foam pads (we have plenty of these for sale in the shop)
Distress Ink & applicator sponge (we used Antique Linen)
Small piece of sandpaper or sanding tool
A corner rounder (if you don't have one we'll have one to borrow on the night)

Photos needed:

Two 5" x 7" landscape format photographs with colours to match the papers (or black & white photos if you prefer)
One 4" x 6" portrait format photograph (with white border)
One 3" x 3.5" portrait format photograph (with or without white border)

I just wanted to share a few sneak peeks of this month's layout. The papers and chipboard are very colourful but they all have an old fashioned cream colour running through them so they would be suitable for black and white photos if you can't find colour photos to match!

Contact me at workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephone/text me on 086-2065346 if you have any queries!

Hope to see you Thursday,

New Beginners Cardmaking & Scrapbooking Classes!

2010-09-01T16:06:00.001Z

Well, we've finally found a great venue in the North East to commence our Beginners/Improvers Cardmaking & Scrapbooking Classes.

The Barbican is a new centre at the side of the Laurence Town Centre Shopping Mall in Drogheda town. It's bright and airy, fully wheelchair accessible and there's ample free parking (after 6pm) on William Street and Fair Street in the vicinity of the Barbican.

Course Details:

When: September 15th 2010, each Wednesday for 6 weeks

Where: The Barbican, St. Peters Parish Centre, William Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth

Time: from 7pm to 9pm

Cost: €90 including all materials

The course is suitable for: anyone who'd like to make their own handmade cards, scrapbook pages, memory books or mini books. You will learn about the tools, materials and techniques necessary to achieve really professional looking projects and each night we'll be completing a different project including cards, a scrapbook layout and a mini book.

You don't need any artistic skills as anyone can learn papercrafting skills over time and with practice.

Here's just a selection of what you will be learning over the six weeks?

Paper & Card: Identifying the different types and weights of paper and card. Matting, tearing, inking, sanding, chalking and embossing paper. How to choose papers to match your photos or embellishments and how to use plain and patterned papers.

Embellishments: You'll learn all about the different materials you can use to enhance your cards and scrapbook pages e.g. chipboard, buttons, eyelets, brads, ribbons, metal, string, charms, glitter, thread etc.

Tools & Inks: Identifying all the different tools, glues, diecutters, inks, paints, punches and more and how to use them.

Identifying themes: How to identify and create themes for your cards and scrapbook layouts and how to create imaginative journalling for your memory books and scrapbook layouts.

and more!

How do I book my place? You can book your place online here or by telephone on 086-2065346. The course fee of €90.00 is payable in advance by cash, cheque, postal order, Mastercard, Visa and Laser. If you have any queries about the course you can of course contact us by telephone or email at workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie

A couple of cards!

2010-08-28T14:04:00.002Z

Thanks to a crafty evening invite, I got a rare chance to make a couple of A5 cards, plus I was handed a cup of tea and a homemade chocolate chip cookie for good measure!

The first one was made using one of my favourite paper ranges, Cosmo Cricket Earth Love. The background card is Colorcore Rustic Cardstock, on top of that is a piece of Cosmo Cricket Earth Love Paper. The centre of the card is made up of a Bazzill Bracket Cardstock Diecut. Simply place the diecut onto a piece of Bazzill Java cardstock and then cut around the edges. Using Ranger Distress Antique Linen Ink and a piece of sponge, rub some ink around the edges of the diecut to give some nice shading. Next, tie a piece of string around the centre of the card. Mount the diecut on foam pads and stick down as shown. Finish off the centre of the card with an Earth Love Chipboard icon from the Ready Set Chipboard Pack. The "congrats" word is from a stamp I had in my own stash.

The second card is a lift of a scrapbook layout I saw on Keisha's blog. The background of the card is an A5 piece of Bazzill Thunder Cardstock, a smaller piece of Bazzill Raven Cardstock and a smaller piece of Bazzill White Textured cardstock stuck down onto an A5 card blank. The butterflies are cut using the Making Memories Slice Machine with the Vintage Findings card. I cut two 2" butterflies from Bazzill Vellum and then two 2.5" ones from Bazzill Black Smooth Cardstock. First I stamped the vellum butterflies with black ink, you could use any type of pattern you have in your stamp collection e.g. dots, script etc. I joined them to the black butterflies with a single stitch of white thread. The smaller butterflies were stamped from an Inkadinkado stamp I had in my stash. Finally I finished the card using the "Thinking of You" sentiment from the Hero Arts Message Bubbles Stamp pack.

TFL

August Workshop - Thursday 19th August 2010 - Sneak Peeks

2010-08-16T14:12:00.001Z

Hi everyone,

Our August Workshop is this Thursday 19th August 2010 from 7pm to 10pm. This month it's all about the photos! You'll need to bring along a selection with you on the night, because you can't assemble the layouts without them.

We'll be creating a double 12" x 12" layout, each page will have a collage of photos and we'll also be using a diecut title plus we'll be finishing the layout with some hand stitching.

Here's a few sneak peeks to give you some idea of what we'll be doing and there's a list of what you'll need to bring below:

Photographs!! Very important!! You won't be able to complete the layouts without them The photos should all be part of the same theme. I used photos from a family holiday but you could use any occasion e.g. holiday, wedding, birthday etc. or you could choose a related theme e.g. family, brothers, sisters etc. The photos should all have a connection to the title. The cardstock colours (and we're only using cardstock!) are kraft, black and red so they'd suit either colour or black and white photos.
For each double layout you'll need to bring -
Three 4" x 6" (10cm x 15cm) photos (1 landscape format and 2 portrait format) - no white borders this time!
Two 7.5cm x 10cm portrait format photos
One 10cm x 5cm landscape format photo.
For the small sizes, you can either print them this size or cut down some 4" x 6" photos. I cut down some 4" x 6" ones which were pretty rubbish but had some detail in them which added to the story e.g. a landmark in the background.
Basic Tools: You'll also need to bring:
A cutting knife and mat
Scissors and paper trimmer
Corner Rounder
Distress Ink
The layout is hand-stitched. If you'd like to do some hand-stitching you'll need to bring:
a paper piercer, a sturdy sewing needle and a few yards of thread. I'll supply red thread on the night but you might like to use a different colour so bring along a selection of whatever you have.
If you'd rather have teeth pulled than hand-stitch then just bring along a bright red gel pen
For the title: you'll be cutting letters with the Slice but if you prefer you can bring along some alphabet stickers (preferably red) to use or alternatively bring along a Slice/Cuttlebug/Big Shot machine to cut your letters. Letters should be between 1" and 2" high.

Some places are still available if you'd like to come along. Just email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephone/text 086-2065346 to book your place. The Workshop is suitable for beginners or advanced scrapbookers.

July Scrapbooking Workshop - Thursday 22nd at 7pm

2010-07-20T12:13:00.001Z

We're looking forward to our next Scrapbooking Workshop this Thursday 22nd July at 7pm in Whitehall Parish Centre, Dublin 9 and thought you might like to see a couple of sneak peeks (I am soooo loving those Cuttlebug Cut & Emboss Butterfly dies):

At this month's class we're using the new Cosmo Cricket Delovely Collection to create a gorgeous scrapbook layout perfect for black and white or colour photos. We used photos of a child for our layout but as the theme is open you can use whatever photos you think suit the colours.

The Workshop is suitable for all levels of papercrafter and you'll need to bring:

a sharp scissors
a paper trimmer
acid free glue (for paper)
a white gel pen and a black felt tip pen (we have them on sale in the shop too)

We used three 4" x 6" portrait format photos (the size includes a white border) but you could just use two if you prefer.

For anyone who's never been to a Workshop before, we'll explain the format:

7.00pm - 7.15pm Registration/Shopping

7.15pm - 8.15pm Workshop Part 1

8.15pm - 8.30pm Break for tea/coffee and home-baking

8.30pm - 9.30pm Workshop Part 2

9.30pm - 9.45pm Time to tidy up your crop space, Workshop complete!

During both parts of the Workshop, Annamarie will give you step by step instructions and one-to-one guidance through the techniques involved in creating the layouts. You don't need to bring photos with you as these can be added at a later stage but if you think you have suitable photos then of course bring them with you.

The Workshop costs €25.00 and includes 1.5 hours tuition, a kit containing all the papers and cardstock embellishments, refreshments and home baking.

Places can be booked by emailing workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephoning/texting 086-2065346.

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Finished Layouts from June Workshop!

2010-06-11T12:35:00.002Z

Thanks so much to everyone who came to last night's Workshop in Whitehall Parish Centre. It was a packed house and I hope you all enjoyed the layouts.

We used the new Pink Paislee 365 Collection to create two layouts and the bright reds, greens and blues were perfect for holidays photos! We completely sold out of all the kits but you could use the layouts as a template to complete your own Summer layouts. The gorgeous "FRANCE" chipboard letters are available in four different patterns and they would look good on any project!

The scalloped edge at the top of the layout above was created using four 2" punched circles cut in half and then overlapped across the top of the layout. We also created an accordian flower by cutting a 1" x 12" strip of paper and creating tiny accordian folds along the full length of it before gluing it to a diecut shape with a cork button on top.

Layout 2 featured a crepe paper flower, created by twisting a length of crepe paper into a rose shape before gluing down onto the layout.

Our next Crop is July 22nd 2010 at 7pm in Whitehall Parish Centre and full details will be posted on the blog and forum www.scrapbooking.ie nearer to the time.

TFL

June Scrapbook Workshop - Thursday 10th 2010 at 7pm

2010-06-04T18:34:00.002Z

We're getting set for all those Summer holiday photos with our June Workshop which will be held next Thursday June 10th 2010 in Whitehall Parish Centre, The Thatch Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9.

This month we're using the gorgeous new 365 Degrees Collection from Pink Paislee to create two bright and colourful layouts, great for scrapping those photos you took at the beach or by the pool. The papers and embellishments are packed with reds, blues and greens so if you've holidayed in France or Italy or are planning to this Summer, then these layouts will be perfect for you.

The Workshop costs €25.00 and includes a kit (worth €12.50) containing:

1 sheet of diecut paper - 365 Degrees Believe
5 sheets of patterned paper - 365 Degrees Dream Big, Imagine, Be Free, Daydream and Think Big
1 pack of 365 Degrees diecut Punch Out Tags
1 pack of 365 Degrees Ribbon Pleats
1 Bazzill Basics Mini Bracket diecut shape
Crepe Paper and a Cork Button

The Workshop is suitable for beginners or experienced papercrafters but as we're going to be completing two layouts you will need to be familiar with using a paper trimmer to get both finished. We'll also be making crepe paper and accordian flowers which are great techniques you'll love!

For anyone who's never been to a Workshop before, we'll explain the format:

7.00pm - 7.15pm Registration/Shopping

7.15pm - 8.15pm Workshop Part 1

8.15pm - 8.30pm Break for tea/coffee and home-baking

8.30pm - 9.30pm Workshop Part 2

9.30pm - 9.45pm Time to tidy up your crop space, Workshop complete!

Here's a couple of sneak peeks of the layouts:

To complete the layouts you'll also need the following (Note: We have all of these items (except the punch) for sale in the shop online or on the night)

A paper trimmer and scissors
Adhesive suitable for gluing paper to paper
Adhesive suitable for gluing fabric to paper e.g. Scrappy Glue or Aleenes Tacky Glue
Small foam pads e.g. 5mm x 5mm
A 1.5" or 2" circle punch or circle cutter (we will have one that you can borrow too)
Ranger Distress Ink (we used Antique Linen) - we can lend you one!
If you wish to bring photos, we used one 4" x 6" and one 5.5" x 3.5" portrait style photo in the first layout and one 4" x 6" and one 4.5" x 4" landscape format photo in the 2nd layout. All photo measurements include a white border.

Bookings:

We hope you'll be able to join us and if you'd like to book a place please email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephone/text 086-2065346.

May Scrapbook Workshop - Thursday 20th - 7pm to 10pm

2010-05-18T14:06:00.003Z

We're back in Whitehall on Thursday 20th May 2010 at 7pm for our monthly workshop. This month the layout has an open theme and we'll be using the new Crate Paper Brook Collection and chipboard embellishments.

The colours of the papers would suit a black and white photo perfectly or if you're lucky enough to have colour photos to match then bring them along. As always, the layout can be completed and the photos added later so don't worry if you can't find anything suitable for the night.

The Workshop costs €25.00 and that includes a full kit containing papers, chipboard embellishments and stickers plus to keep the energy levels up, tea, coffee and home baking. All you'll need to bring with you are a scissors, paper trimmer, paper glue, liquid glue e.g. Aleenes, Scrappy Glue, a pencil and a border punch if you have one (we used the MS Loops border punch) and bring along an ink (either one to match the papers or a Tim Holtz Distress, we used Antique Linen). If you don't have the ink or punch then you can borrow ours on the night and we have plenty of glues to buy in the shop!

Places are still available and can be booked by emailing workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephoning/texting 086-2065346.

If you are a crafter and would like to come along to Crop and Shop then crop spaces are also available at €10.00.

Hope to see you there!

Looking forward to Mina's Painting With Distress Workshop this Thursday!

2010-04-20T16:35:00.006Z

I hope you're all looking forward to Mina's 2nd Painting with Distress Inks Workshop this Thursday 22nd April 2010 in Whitehall Parish Centre. The class is now fully booked and apologies to anyone who put their name on the waiting list, but there were NO DROPOUTS! Now that's no surprise! We do have some crop spaces still available for anyone who wants to come along to crop, shop, chat and eat cake. Not bad for 10 euro! Email us at workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie if you'd like to book a crop space.

Mina sent me a few sneak peeks of her class and here they are:

Gorgeous! I'm hoping to get a chance to take part myself this time as I love the distress painting technique.

We're bringing the full shop with us on Thursday night too for those of you who like to indulge in a little shopping! The brand new Pink Paislee Collections have just arrived. The full Queen Bee Collection is in store and we're using the 365 Collection in our May Workshop but we do have the 6" x 6" pads, brads and Cork Buttons on sale in the store (we're saving the papers for the class!). Plus we have new Stampendous Stuftainers and the gorgeous new Tim Holtz Paper Stacks. If you'd like to have your order ready for collection on Thursday night, you can shop online and put the code COLLECT in at the checkout and you won't be charged postage. Then we'll have your order all packed up and ready for you to pick up on Thursday night.

Hope to see you there,

Girly Layouts, a mini book and some cards! Thanks Sandie!

2010-04-16T20:24:00.002Z

Need to create a layout for a little girl, or a mini book for a proud Grandma or Auntie then get your hands on the new Crate Paper Doll Collection Pack and take a look at Sandie's fab layouts, cards and mini book, all made from half of one pack! Each Collection Pack contains 16 double-sided papers, 18 title stickers, 22 journal stickers, 6 border stickers and 22 journal stickers.

On the 1st layout Sandie used strips of Paper Doll Papers, with two Designer Diecuts (Sweetie word and flower) and a journalling sticker. On the 2nd layout she used Paper Doll Papers, together with Prima flowers, one Title Sticker (All Dolled Up) and ribbons/lace from her own stash.

These three gorgeous cards were made from Papers and Designer Diecuts from the Paper Doll Collection with lace and pearls added. If you like adding pearls and gemstones to your cards and layouts, check out our new range of both from Kaisercraft and we also have beautiful new lace from Prima now in stock.

I think my absolute favourite has to be the mini book, titled "Little Girls are a gift" and packed with papers, photos, Prima flowers, lace, ribbon and pearls. Mini Books are a great way to pack lots of photos into one project and they're ideal for giving as gifts. Sandie used a Mini Book from her own stash but we have a beautiful 6" x 6" Scalloped Chipboard Book in stock (Irish-made) which would look just as good!

As if all that wasn't enough, to finish off, she created this great tag:

and just to prove that crafters hate to waste anything, she sent me a photo of all that was left! Not bad eh?

Thanks again Sandie for sharing your gorgeous projects with us :-)

TFL

Create the card with Cosmo Cricket Earth Love!

2010-03-30T19:13:00.000Z

If you haven't gotten your hands on the March 2010 issue of Card Trends, it's now on sale and packed with some great card inspiration.

One of my favourite lines in recent months has been the Cosmo Cricket Earth Love Collection and it's been a winner with cardmakers.

In the March 2010 Card Trends magazine, Laura Craigie has created a beautiful card using Earth Love papers, Earth Love Ready-Set Chipboard and Earth Love Ribbons. Check out Laura's blog http://evidenceofagoodlife.blogspot.com/ to view her amazing cards!

The Earth Love Mini Deck which contains 36 Earth Love papers (2 of each of 18 styles) in 6" x 6" (a perfect size for cardmaking) is in stock, and together with the Earth Love 12" x 12" Ready-Set Chipboard and the Earth Love Ribbons you'll have plenty to create this card and more. Check out the full range here!

Cupcakes at TheScrapbookStore.ie

2010-03-26T19:20:00.008Z

As it's nearly Easter and it's practically the law to indulge in sweet things around this time, I've decided to devote this post to cupcakes!

I know lots of you are fans of these small cakes, so how about creating some to give as Easter gifts for friends and family? Right now we have in stock the cutest cupcake cases and presentation gift boxes! The boxes come in packs of three and are available to hold 1 or 4 cupcakes.

Now all you need is the cupcakes! I found a really good recipe recently in, of all places, the Aldi catalogue (you know, the free one that comes in the door every couple of weeks). Here it is:

For cupcakes:

175g butter, at room temperature

175 caster sugar

3 large eggs

250g self raising flour

3 tablespoons milk

1 lemon, zested finely chopped

half a vanilla pod, seeds only

Method:

1. Line the cupcake paper cases into a cake tin. Pre-heat oven to 170c.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale in colour.

3. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mixing well between each stage.

4. Gentle fold in the flour a little bit at a time.

5. Add the milk to loosen the mixture up slightly.

6. Split the mix in two and add zest to one half and vanilla seeds to the other half.

7. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before decorating.

For really scrummy toppings, you can't beat Martha Stewart's recipe for Mix and Match Cupcakes.

You make a basic Vanilla Buttercream by beating 4oz of unsalted butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Then, putting the mixer on medium speed, beat in 12oz of icing sugar, 4oz at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in half a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

To create a Raspberry Buttercream, use the recipe above and at the end beat in 3 or 4 teaspoons of seedless raspberry jam.

To create a Chocolate Buttercream, use the recipe for Vanilla Buttercream. Then melt 4 ounces of dark chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until smooth. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then beat the cooled chocolate into the buttercream.

Spread the frosting on top of the cupcakes with the back of a spoon or a butterknife and finish with a swirl.

Enjoy!

Take a look at what we made at our March Workshop!

2010-03-26T11:58:00.007Z

Many thanks to everyone for coming along to our March Workshop last week in Whitehall. It was a great night with plenty of laughs and I think everyone was very happy with their layout(s) and card(s)!

Here's a look at what we did. During the first half of the evening we made this 12" x 12" layout using the new Quite Contrary range from My Minds Eye. These papers are so colourful and would suit lots of different types of photos. The diecut title was "you are sooo cute" and some of you used the diecut as a template to create your own original title to suit your photos.

We have couple of paper sets from the Workshop available in the shop if you fancy making the layout and cards. Click here to see the set.

We made an Easter card from the scraps of the Kit at the Workshop but you have enough leftovers to make all three cards shown here and more.

The font is called Curlz and I printed it onto White textured Bazzill cardstock and cut it to size. I inked the edges of the card with Ranger Distress Ink in Antique Linen and I think it really suits the papers.

Our next Workshop is in Whitehall Parish Centre on April 22nd when Mina will be teaching her Painting with Distress Inks technique. There is a waiting list for class places and if you'd like to be added to the list or if you'd like to come along to crop please email us at workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie
TFL

Sneak Peeks of March 18th Workshop!

2010-03-17T18:59:00.001Z

I hope you all enjoyed and are still enjoying the St. Patrick's Day festivities. Wasn't it great to get the good weather too!

We're looking forward to tomorrow night's Crop and Workshop and thought we'd share a couple of sneak peeks:

If you're interested in coming along to the Workshop, there are two places left! Email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie to make a booking or text 086-2065346.

You'll need to bring along four or five 2.5" x 3.5" portrait format photos with a white border or you could use two 4" x 6" ones instead. You'll also need a cutting mat, ruler and craft knife, paper trimmer, glue, foam pads and a scissors. If you don't want to use the title "you are sooo Cute" on your layout just bring along a piece of cream or white cardstock and use the diecut title as a template to create your own title.

The Workshop costs €25.00 and includes a full kit, tuition, refreshments and a cropping space. The Workshop normally takes about 2 hours and starts at 7pm and then you're free to crop for an hour. If you'd like to come along and Crop only then the cost of a crop space from 7pm to 10pm is €10.00.

Check out this month's Newsletter!

2010-03-15T21:02:00.001Z

Our March Newsletter is out now! Packed with all the news, including new products and Workshops

New Primas now in stock! Crate arriving this week!

2010-03-09T23:13:00.001Z

I've just finished unpacking the new Primas and they are beautiful. And at prices from €3.75 to €4.95 they won't break the bank either! They're in stock and shipping now so get your hands on some before they're gone!

Starting with the biggest blooms you have the Dianthe Lulu and Dianthe Mercado. They measure approx. 3" in diameter, are made from lovely thick fabric and have beautiful frosted detail on the ends of the petals. They also have a carnation type centre to give them a beautiful finish.

They've released tons of new roses too and we've got Cameo Roses, Lilliput Roses and Tea Roses all in stock.

Finally there's the Innoscence Collection with beautiful daisies and pearl centred flowers

All of the Prima flowers can be found here! Enjoy browsing!

Watch out for the new Collections from Crate Paper arriving this week! Brooke, Pink Plum and Paper Doll in fab colours and designs, there's sure to be one (or more!) to suit you!

Some Card Ideas for the new Spring Flutter Kit!

2010-02-15T13:43:00.003Z

I finally got a chance to play with the new Spring Flutter Kit and it is scrummy. It's packed with papers, stickers, buttons, ribbons and loads more, costs €19.00 and if you mix it with some coordinating cardstock it'll be enough to create loads of cards and layouts.

I teamed it with some Colorcore Cardstock in Love Potion and Sugar-n-Spice and the papers and embellishments matched perfectly. Here's a few cards which were very quickly made:

The first card is a 135mm x 135mm white base covered with a 135mm x 135mm piece of Love Potion Cardstock, sanded around the edges. Then stick a 125mm x 125mm piece of ladybird paper down onto the cardstock and a strip of the Umbrella Thermo paper about quarter of the way up from the bottom. The letters of the word "LOVE" are cut with the Vintage Findings card for the Making Memories Slice and again I sanded the edges. The tiny cute butterfly is from the Flutter Kit of Design Shop Stickers.

The Umbrella Card was made using a 135mm x 135mm white card blank. To that, stick a 135mm x 135mm piece of Sugar-n-Spice Colorcore Cardstock. On top of that stick a 130mm x 130mm piece of green paper, it's called Butterfly Flutter and it's in the kit. Next cut a 125mm x 125mm piece of Umbrella Thermo paper and stick that down. After that all you need to do is take 3 assorted buttons from the kit and stick them in the top left hand corner. Thread one of them with string (it's in the kit too!) and finally finish it off with a tiny flower sticker from the Design Shop Stickers. If you think that the centre of the card is a little bare, well I've left it blank so you could add a sentiment or coloured stamped image.

Kits are still available and you can purchase online here! There's also a matching 3 ring binder Flutter Album in 12" x 12" in the range here!

TFL

Annamarie

February 18th Crop Night - Meet our Guest Tutor, Mina

2010-02-09T19:13:00.006Z

If you're looking for a range of papers and embellishments to get you crafting this Spring then look no further than our Spring Flutter Kit packed with papers, stickers, ribbons, trims, brads, blossoms and buttons from the brand new Making Memories Flutter Collection 2010.

Priced at €19.00 it includes 3 sheets of patterned paper, 1 sheet of diecut paper, 1 sheet of Thermography paper, 1 sheet of Foil printed paper, 1 sheet of Design Shop Stickers, 3 yards of assorted Ribbons and Trims, 10 felt stickers (not shown), 12 assorted themed brads (not shown), 12 buttons, 5 blossoms, and 2 felt flowers. Kits are shipping on Friday but you can preorder yours now.

February 18th Crop - 2 Workshops to choose from!

Workshop 1 - Introduction to Scrapbooking with Annamarie

If you've ever wanted to try scrapbooking this Workshop is for you. It brings you through the basics of scrapbooking, including materials used, layout options, basic techniques and finishes off with you creating your first 12" x 12" scrapbook layout.

Cost: €25.00 including all materials (just bring a scissors, pencil, ruler, acid-free glue and a selection of photographs)

Workshop 2 - Painting with Distress Inks with Mina

If you're a fan of rubber stamping and would like to learn the techniques for colouring in your stamped images with Distress Inks to achieve beautiful shaded effects then our Workshop with Mina on Thursday 18th February 2010 in Whitehall Parish Centre is for you. Learn the techniques and create a card with Mina Hartley, a talented card maker and papercrafter who specialises in teaching her techniques throughout Northern Ireland. Check out her blog to see some of her beautiful cards and altered projects.

Here's a sneak peek of her Workshop project:

Cost: €25.00 including all materials (just bring a paintbrush)

Both Workshop will take place from 7pm to 9pm in Whitehall Parish Centre, The Thatch Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9 on Thursday 18th February, 2010.

Places at both workshops are limited and tickets must be purchased online in advance for Mina's Workshop. Workshop places for the Introduction to Scrapbooking can be reserved by emailing workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie.

Looking forward to seeing you there,

For those in need of inspiration - January Crop Night

2010-01-20T22:31:00.005Z

It seems like ages since our Christmas Crop so I'm really looking forward to our first crop of 2010 tomorrow night, Thursday 21st January from 7pm in Whitehall Parish Centre, The Thatch Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9.

Just bring along your crafty stash and we'll try to inspire you, plus we'll give you a cup of tea/coffee and some home baking and all for a bargain €10.00.

No need to reserve a place, just come along on the night or email me on workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie for directions and further details.

If you can't make it tomorrow night and inspiration is something you really need, then check out the new Scrapbook Trends Idea Books for January. They're in store and shipping now and cost €8.75 each.

I'm a big fan of these monthly publications but I have to say that this month's issues are really extra special. They have a brand new cover design and they're just jam-packed with some of the best looking layouts I've seen for a long time. Check them out here!

Christmas Party Crop 2009

2009-12-09T13:39:00.003Z

Well, we had a great day at last Saturday's Christmas Party Crop in Donnycarney, Dublin. It was a really festive day and totally kicked off the Christmas season for me. We had Christmas Carols playing in the background, mince pies and goodies to eat, a fantastic Secret Santa where everyone got some beautiful pressies and to finish it all off a Christmas Prize Draw ... not to mention a few layouts and Workshops along the way!

I used the new Jolly by Golly Collection from Cosmo Cricket in my class to create two Christmas/Winter themed layouts. The sparkly snowflake is from Basic Grey, Bling It! I used two 5" x 7" portrait style photos in the first layout and a selection of smaller photos in the second layout.

Thanks to everyone who came along to shop, chat and take part in the classes. We really appreciate your loyal support throughout the year and look forward to seeing you all again in 2010.

Zoo and Kid Layout Ideas with K & Company Actopus to Zelephant!

2009-11-18T14:30:00.003Z

I've been looking forward to using the new K & Company Actopus to Zelephant range for ages and last weekend I finally got to work with them using some holiday photos from a few years ago and some more recent photos from a trip to Dublin Zoo.

I called the first layout "No fun in the sun" and used some Bazzill Java cardstock, Actopus to Zelephant Train Paper and chipboard animals from the A to Z range (you get them free when you buy all the papers in the Collection). The title is made from a mixture of Pink Paislee Fetching and Captivating Chipboard Alphabet letters and the smaller letters are Pink Paislee Chocolate Whimsies Alphabet Stickers. The photos were three 4" x 6" photos with a white border.

I called the second layout "Pals at the Zoo" again using a sheet of Bazzill Java cardstock as the background and a sheet of Colorcore Grassroots Green cardstock on top of that. I also used a strip of K & Company Actopus to Zelephant Words Paper some Pink Paislee Captivating Chipboard letters, Chocolate Whimsies Stickers and a couple of K & Company Actopus to Zelephant Animal Alpha Diecut Stickers in each corner of the layout. The photos were two 5" x 7" with a white border.

Now only another 9,999 kids photos left to scrapbook :-)

TFL!

Autumn Layouts & Christmas Cards!

2009-11-11T15:42:00.004Z

I am loving the new Pink Paislee Amber Road Collection! I used them in my Workshop at the Halloween MegaScrap and as I had loads more Autumn and Halloween photos left to scrap I kept going with the Amber Road papers, they are so easy to work with! I made these two from the scraps from the kit (which is now available in the store) plus some new full sheets for the backgrounds, Amber Road brads and Amber Road Borderlines Stickers:

I made these from the scraps:

and I even dug deep into my stash and found some gorgeous glittery letters and buttons I've been looking to find a home for and made these Christmas cards:

The Snowman and Snowflake chipboard diecuts are from the Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly Chipboard Ready Set Chipboard pack and the cardstock is Bazzill Kraft.

TFL :-)

Halloween MegaScrap - Sneak Peeks & Class Lists

2009-10-21T19:27:00.003Z

Well, we're counting down to the Halloween MegaScrap in just over a weeks time at Le Cheile Community Centre, Clanranald Road, Donnycarney, Dublin 5 on Saturday 31st October 2009. The kits are almost packed and we thought we'd share with you a few sneak peeks from the classes.

Tickets for the full day (10am to 4pm) cost €60.00 and include:

2 Scrapbooking Workshops with full kits
1 Candle Painting Workshop with Jackie Campbell
Tea, coffee and goodies
Entry to the prize draw
A fun day out!

If you just fancy coming along to enjoy the craic and finish some of your own projects, a crop space for the full day, 1 Candle Painting Workshop with Jackie and entry to the prize draw costs €25.00.

Tickets are now on sale at TheScrapbookStore.ie or you can also email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie with any questions.

To complete the Scrapbooking classes you'll need to bring along:

a craft knife and craft mat
a paper trimmer
acid free adhesive
black ink
a scissors
black felt tip pen
black, red or clear Ranger Stickles
a scalloped edge punch
a corner rounder punch

to complete Jackie's Candle Painting Workshop you'll need to bring:

acrylic paint (you must bring white but all other colours can be your choice)
a square candle
a flat paintbrush
baby wipes

Lainey's Workshop

Kit includes:

5 sheets of Basic Grey Indian Summer paper

1 sheet of Basic Grey Indian Summer Element Stickers and

1 pack of Basic Grey Indian Summer Woolies.

It's an interactive double page layout and you'll need one 5" x 7" portrait photo with a white border (can be Autumn or Halloween themed). The 2nd page of the layout uses an 8" x 6" collage of photos which you can create on Photoshop or alternatively you can make your own using 5 portrait photos cropped to size.

Annamarie's Workshop

Kit includes:

1 sheet of Pink Paislee Amber Road die cut paper

1 sheet of Pink Paislee Amber Road Postcards

4 sheets of Pink Paislee Amber Road patterned paper

1 pack of Pink Paislee Amber Road punchouts and

1 pack of Pink Paislee Expressions Licorice Glitter Alphabets

It's a double page layout with more than a hint of sparkle! You'll need to bring along a minimum of three portrait format 5" x 7" photos printed with a white border (my photos measure 5" x 7" including the border), but bring along as many as you have. They can be Autumn or Halloween themed as the papers and diecuts would suit either.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Have a fun crafty day out and help a worthy cause too!

2009-09-30T23:03:00.005Z

This Sunday 4th October, TheScrapbookStore.ie is delighted to be attending the SuperCrop & Craft Fair fundraiser for the Petra's Trust Charity.

We're bringing the shop, doing makes & takes and hoping to help raise funds for this very worthy Charity.

To see what Petra's Trust is all about take a look at the website here!

If you're a cardmaker, scrapbooker or crafter of any kind, why not join us in Dunshaughlin Community Centre, County Meath from 2pm to 6pm for a fun crafty day out.

For the bargain price of €20.00 you'll get:

Entry to the event with a dedicated crafting space just for you!

Access to a range of stalls selling a variety of craft and non-craft items!

A chance to learn new skills like: how to create an icing rose, quilting skills from the Trim Quilt Group, papercrafting make & takes from Jackie Mooney, Lainey from Happy Day Memories and myself!

Tea, coffee and biccies all day!

There'll also be a bumper raffle held on the day with tons and tons of fantastic crafty prizes to be won! (Tickets for the raffle cost €10.00 and can be bought on the day).

So whether you're an experienced crafter or new to crafting and would like to find out what it's all about why not come along! If you have any craft materials you'd like to work with or if you have any crafty tools bring them along with you too because you'll be assured of inspiration!

Directions to the Centre are here

September Workshop Sneak Peeks & Supply Lists

2009-09-14T12:33:00.007Z

Our September Workshops are:

Thursday September 17th in Whitehall Parish Centre, The Thatch Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9 from 7.00pm to 10.00pm

and

Saturday September 26th in the Quaker Meeting House, Lower Churchtown Road, Dublin 6 from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

For both Workshops we'll be using the gorgeous new Lemonade Collection from Basic Grey. The Workshop costs €25.00 and that includes a full kit containing 8 sheets of Basic Grey patterned paper from the Lemonade range and some Lemonade Felties ....

.... plus tea, coffee and goodies (homebaking at the Whitehall Workshop!)

Here's a couple of sneak peeks of the Workshop layout:

To take part in a Workshop you'll need to bring:

A paper trimmer (or craft mat, ruler and craft knife) and scissors,
Acid free Glue (if you don't have any we'll have some for sale in the shop)
Crop-a-Dile (if you don't have one you can borrow one of ours at the Workshop)
Distress Ink (we used Walnut Stain)
One 5" x 7" photograph in either portrait or landscape format and two 4" x 6" portrait format photos (black & white or if they're colour try to pick ones with colours that match the papers). Please print all photos with white borders or matt them on white cardstock.
A black fine tip felt pen and a white Gel pen (we have these in the shop too).

Crop spaces are also available in Whitehall at a cost of €10.00 and limited crop spaces are available in Churchtown, also €10.00.

If you'd like to join us just email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or telephone/text 086-2065346

New Cosmo Cricket - Boyfriend, Earth Love & Jolly by Golly NOW IN STOCK!

2009-09-09T17:56:00.001Z

The new Cosmo Cricket Boyfriend, Earth Love and Jolly by Golly lines has just arrived in store.

Earth Love is definately our favourite and we've got papers, rubons, two types of chipboard and 6" x 6" Mini Decks all in stock and shipping now.

The Boyfriend line is really trendy and designed with an 80's flair. According to Cosmo it's for "that, mysterious, misunderstood, slightly moody male that wanders back and forth from the fridge to the couch. The Boyfriend™ celebrates his world with sports, school, music and soda pop." You'll find the papers really versatile and suitable for boy and male themed layouts and cards and at this time of the year they're absolutely perfect for Back to School/College layouts and teacher's cards.

Jolly by Golly is Cosmo's line for Christmas 2009 and it's loads of fun. It's got the traditional colours of Red and Green in it's colour palette but also loads of pinks and blues too.

If you're stuck for ideas on how to use all of the latest Cosmo Collections, why not take a look at Debbie Olson's blog. Debbie is one of the Cosmo Cricket Design Team and her cards are some of the best I've ever seen. She's brilliant with Copic Markers too and shares loads of ideas on her blog which you might enjoy and find useful. Here are some of Debbie's designs:

New Prima Goodies just arrived in the shop and shipping NOW!

2009-09-04T20:13:00.001Z

A few crates full of gorgeous Prima goodies from CHA Summer 2009 just arrived today and they're all on the site and ready to ship!

Click here to see the full range!

Brand new is their range of recession busting E-Line Flowers! The very same top quality Prima Flowers in plain packaging, but at a very special price of €1.95 a pack. Here's a taste of what's in stock:

Gorgeous Confetti Cake - €1.95 for a pack of 24!

Embossed Celebrations - €1.95 for a pack of 30!

Embossed Chelsea - €1.95 for a pack of 30!

and finally, Daisies - €1.95 for a pack of 30!

All brilliant value for money!

Plus, we've plenty for those of you with more luxurious tastes with the kind of rich colours and designs you've come to expect from Prima. Here's a selection of more of what's in the shop:

Painterly Petals - Hydrangeas in Olive, Blue, Coffee, Violet and Rose - €5.95 per pack of 72!:

and for those of you who love bling, we've got the Say it in Pearls (SiiP) and Say it in Studs ranges:

and if that wasn't enough ... there's the new Animal Bash double sided paper range:

All of the new products can be viewed HERE!

Party Invitations using Free Vintage Images & Fonts!

2009-09-01T19:23:00.002Z

Spent a day putting together some party invitations for a special lady who's 70 tomorrow. She's having her party at the weekend and I thought she really deserved something special!

I used some C5 white cards, Colorcore Cardstock, white Bazzill and the last of the beautiful Prima Morning Song, Happy Go Lucky paper which I had in the shop.

The vintage image on the front is from a great website called Sensibility.com and the Vogue vintage patterns from the 1950's are here.

Inside the card I printed the details of the party with a brilliant quote I got free from Quote Garden:

" The man who doesn't relax and hoot a few hoots voluntarily, now and then,

is in great danger of hooting hoots and standing on his head

for the edification of the pathologist and trained nurse, a little later on." ~ Elbert Hubbard

The font is called Harlow Solid Italic and it's available from some of the free and commercial font sites although you might already have it on your computer.

Here's a close up:

TheScrapbookStore.ie on Tour ... a busy few days!

2009-08-24T22:19:00.002Z

Whew! It's been busy, busy, busy here at TheScrapbookStore.ie over the past few days as we've been to Dublin and Wexford with the shop. Now that we're back, I'm busy updating the website and getting orders in the post and hoping to do some crafting and maybe a bit of blog surfing!

Last Thursday we had our monthly Workshop in Whitehall Parish Centre and what a huge turnout! We had 27 croppers who came along to do a double layout class using the gorgeous Industrial Park Collection. Thanks to everyone who came along, it was a fun night and the layouts created were amazing!

Anyone who comes to the Whitehall Workshops knows that Ann always does a fantastic job providing us with home baking and she was justly rewarded on Thursday when she was presented with an early birthday pressie of a beautiful bouquet of flowers and gorgeous handmade cards. Thanks to you all for being so thoughtful. Ann was completely surprised and speechless (something that doesn't happen very often!)

On Saturday, we travelled to Dublin's Southside where I taught the Industrial Park Workshop in the Quaker Meeting House in Churchtown and as always the sun shone for us on the day.

We launched our Queen of the Crop Competition at both Workshops and you've been uploading your finished layouts daily to the Gallery. Remember if you haven't uploaded yours the closing date for entries is Saturday 29th August and the prize is a free Workshop place at either of our September Workshops .... and ... you get the privilege of having your photo taken wearing our Queen of the Crop tiara (although this is optional as I don't want to put anyone off entering).

If you missed out on the Workshop, don't worry because we have a few spare kits and they'll be in the shop over the next few days. They cost €25.00 and include 5 sheets of double sided printed paper, 1 diecut paper, 1 sheet of rubons, 1 sheet of chipboard alphabet stickers, 1 sheet of Bazzill cardstock and full instructions to complete this double page layout. In the meantime if you'd like us to reserve one for you just email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie and we'll put your name on one.

On Sunday we travelled to St. Aidans Hall in Bunclody on the Wexford/Carlow border bringing the shop to the Paper Addicts Craft Club. It's only Mandy's second Workshop but she's already got a great number of croppers signed up and it's no wonder. The day was packed with three beautiful paper crafting projects including a bird house, baby tag and greeting card in Mandy's unique style.

Thanks to Mandy and Susanne for looking after us so well on the day and thanks to everyone for shopping with TheScrapbookStore.ie. We hope to bring the shop there again over the coming months. If you'd like to book your place at Mandy's next Workshop you can contact her by email through the Paper Addicts Craft Club Blog.

August Workshop Sneak Peeks & Free Workshop Places!

2009-08-16T21:00:00.006Z

Hi everyone,

We're getting set for our August Workshops in Whitehall this Thursday 20th August from 7pm to 10pm and Churchtown on Saturday 22nd August from 9.30am to 12.30pm and thought we'd share a couple of sneak peeks with you. There are a small number of Workshop places left so if you'd like to join us for a few hours of crafting email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or phone/text us on 086-2065346.

For this month's Workshops we're using the Industrial Park Collection from Scrap Within Reach. Perfect for boy/man themed layouts the colours are cool denim blue, browns, grey and mustard yellow. We'll be giving you a bumper kit this month with double sided papers, a diecut paper, a pack of rubons and a pack of chipboard letters.

We're chosen the title "This Boy" for our Workshop layout, but as you'll have a sheet of alphabet stickers all to yourself, you can choose whatever title you wish.

To complete the Workshop you'll need to bring along:

a scissors, ruler, glue and a paper trimmer plus a few extras, sticky foam pads, distress ink (we used Walnut Stain) and an edger punch if you have one (we used a Fiskars Scalloped Edge Eyelet Punch).

The photos you'll need are:

for Layout 1 - two 4" x 6" photographs (landscape format) preferably from the same series of photos - PRINT THEM WITH A WHITE BORDER or matt them on white cardstock and

for Layout 2 - one 4" x 6" photo and two credit card sized photos in either landscape or portrait format (we used all landscape) preferably from the same series of photos - AGAIN PRINT THEM WITH A WHITE BORDER or matt them on white cardstock.

We'll be doing some embossing using embossing folders and a Big Shot so if you have any embossing folders please your favourites along.

And now for some really exciting news:

We're delighted to announce a new Queen of the Crop Award where you could be the lucky winner of a free Workshop place. We'll be crowning a new Queen of the Crop each month and all you have to do is attend one of our Workshops, then upload your completed Workshop layout to your personal online album at TheScrapbookStore.ie Gallery (within 7 days). We'll then pick a random uploaded entry and if it's you, you'll be crowned Queen of the Crop and enjoy a free place at the following months' Workshop and enjoy a fantastic crafty day (or night) out, on us! It's as simple as that.

Paperplay Challenges - Sponsored by TheScrapbookStore.ie

2009-08-13T21:01:00.003Z

We're sponsoring the prize on tonight's challenge on Paperplay Challenges so why not check it out!

Tonight's challenge is "Stepping Out" and all you have to do is create something with the the "Stepping Out" theme and post a link to your blog showing your creation over on the Paperplay blog.

So get all those shoes, slippers, wellies, runners or any footwear out and show them your creations to be in with a chance to win this weeks prize which is a fantastic Invitation Idea Book. Go on, you know you're up for it!!

If you want to see all of the Idea Books available monthly at a great price and full of wonderful crafty ideas to motivate you, check out TheScrapbookStore.ie, in the Idea Books section.

Summer Evening Crop - Thursday 23rd July at 7pm

2009-07-22T17:47:00.003Z

It really seems like ages since we've been in Whitehall so I'm really looking forward to tomorrow evenings Crop.

If you fancy coming along, the cost is €10.00 and that includes a cropping space, a cuppa and home baking. The Crop is being held in Whitehall Parish Centre, The Thatch Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9 and directions are here. The evening kicks off at 7pm and runs until 10pm.

To make things a little more challenging and to get your creative juices flowing, the theme for the evening is "Summer" and everyone who completes a Summer themed project will be put into a draw for a special prize!! Woo hoo!

I'll be bringing along loads of idea books and sketches to give you inspiration so just bring along your stash, unfinished projects and photos and all your usual scrappin' tools and enjoy the evening.

If you haven't already booked in you can book in now by phoning/texting me on 086-2065346 or by emailing workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie
Hope to see you there,

Midsummer MegaScrap 2009 - What a great day!

2009-06-22T00:28:00.003Z

Well, our second Midsummer MegaScrap comes to an end and we'd just like to say thanks to everyone for making this year's event another brilliant day. To everyone who took part in the classes, shopped, chatted, helped out, made food and baked cakes for the picnic, we hope you enjoyed your day and came away inspired!

Huge thanks must go to the lovely Celine Navarro for sharing her talents with us and teaching two amazing classes, packed with techniques and tips. Enjoy the rest of your trip to Dublin Celine and a safe trip home back to France!

It was a great day, kicking off at 10am with Celine's first class, through to lunch (an amazing "picnic" packed with goodies brought along by the MegaScrappers), then Celine's second class and finally the prize draw!

We've uploaded pics from the day to the Gallery here so you can take a look at some of the MegaScrap highlights. We were totally blown away by the amazing canvasses and layouts created on the day, you are such a talented lot!

Here's a sample of the finished works of art created by the MegaScrappers:

Looking forward to seeing you all at our Workshops over the Summer months!

KIT GIVEAWAY! - "Thank You Teacher" Cards

2009-06-08T22:02:00.002Z

I was browsing in Marks & Spencer last week and what did I spy only the cutest pack of wrapping paper for the bargain price of only €1.00. It's printed all over with "Thank You" in a really cool schoolkid-like style so I thought it would make a really nice (and cheap!) backing paper for some Thank You Teacher cards which I was planning on making! Now, I normally buy stuff and then never get around to making anything with it, but this time the paper was just so yummy I couldn't wait to match it with some cardstock and start playing!

The "Thank You's" are printed in a variety of bold colours but the ones that stood out for me were the green, red and orange so I chose cardstock to match those particular colours. I used some 135mm x 135mm blank white cards, cut the cardstock to 135mm x 135mm, cut the backing paper to 130mm x 130mm and then stuck one on top of the other.

The red is Bazzill Red Devil, the green is ColorCore Kelly Green and the orange is Bazzill Orange:

I used some Cuttlebug hearts and tags dies to cut out the embellishments and then printed the teacher and student name on some white cardstock. The hearts are inked with white ink (on the red and green cards) and with light blue (on the orange card) and then given a highlight with a Ranger Inkssentials Opaque White Pen. Finally with a felt tip black pen, draw some double parallel lines around the card, freehand (don't use a ruler - freehand adds to the effect!) and you're done!

The good news is, we have two kits to give away to some lucky winners. HOW TO WIN: Simply become a follower of the blog, post a comment below and we'll pick two random winners from the entries. In the kit you'll get white card blanks and envelopes, enough pre-cut cardstock, backing papers and ready cut embellies to make three cards, plus you'll also get a fabby Ranger Inkssentials Opaque White Pen.

Best of luck!

A birthday layout and a Thank You from Temple Street!

2009-05-26T16:52:00.002Z

I finally finished this layout I started at Crafteire!! I used some of my favourite products and I'm really happy with the results.

The background is two co-ordinating browns of Colorcore Cardstock. I love this stuff. I left the darker brown 12" x 12" and then cut the lighter layer 11.5" x 11.5" and then sanded the edges to get a really soft frame for the patterned papers. Colorcore cardstock has a core which is slightly lighter than the main outside colour and when you sand it the lighter colour shows through. It's perfect for using with Cuttlebug Embossing Folders or Sizzix Texture Plates. Emboss the cardstock and then sand the raised design for a really great look.

The patterned papers are Twitterpated from Imaginisce. I gave them a nice wavy look by cutting them freehand with a craft knife. Then I put a striped piece of paper across the centre of the layout and rubbed on a line of Catch-a-Flutterby Rubons, again from the gorgeous Twitterpated line, to cover the join.

The chipboard butterfly is from Kaiser with a few Hero Arts Gemstones for a nice glittery effect. The journalling card is from Jenni Bowlin and the letters are American Crafts Thickers in black. I finished it all off with a row of buttons from my own craft stash with a piece of string tied through one of them. The photo is 5" x 7".

Here's a closer look:

Also, we got a Thank You postcard from Temple Street Children's University Hospital for our support of their Easter Raffle 2009. TheScrapbookStore.ie donated €2.00 from the Workshop fee of everyone who came to our February and March Workshops to buy tickets for the Raffle. Thanks to everyone for supporting such a worthwhile cause!

Sneak Peeks of tomorrow's Workshop in Whitehall Parish Centre

2009-05-13T19:16:00.002Z

Our May Workshop takes place in Whitehall Parish Centre tomorrow night, Thursday 14th May from 7pm to 10pm.

We'll be creating two 12" x 12" layouts using the latest papers from K & Company, the Que SeraSera Collection. There are still a few kits available if you'd like to come along to the Workshop. Just email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie if you'd like to attend.

Here's a few sneak peeks of the layouts we'll be making tomorrow night:

To take part in the class you'll need to bring a paper trimmer, scissors, ruler, pencil, craft knife and mat and glue. If you have photos which would match the colours of the papers, bring them along (5" x 7" portrait format would work best). And if you have them, bring a corner rounder, hole punch, glue dots, a white ink pad, white gel pen, and a circle cutter/punch (bring as many sizes as you have)!

If you came along to our last two Whitehall Workshops in February or March then you might like to know that €2 from your class fee was donated to the Temple Street Children's University Hospital Easter raffle. The proceeds of the raffle will go towards the purchase of vital paediatric and neonatal equipment for the children of Temple Street. The draw was held on April 30th so just in case you get a letter telling you you've won and wondered when you'd bought a ticket ... that's why!

I've just received a new batch of tickets from Breast Cancer Ireland so don't forget to put your name on one as you arrive tomorrow night as I'll be sending €2 from everyone's Workshop fee to their Spring Draw 2009. First prize is a 10 day holiday to Florida in a 4 star hotel and I don't know about you but I'm certain I could do with one of those!

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow night!

Invitation to the Midsummer MegaScrap 2009 - June 20th

2009-04-27T16:45:00.003Z

Just in case you didn't get our Newsletter inviting you to our Annual Midsummer MegaScrap 2009, here's all the details. This year's event will be held in the Main Hall, Le Cheile Community Centre, Donnycarney, Dublin on Saturday June 20th 2009 from 9am to 5pm.

For this year's event we're so lucky to have Celine Navarro travelling over from France to teach a full day of Scrapbooking Classes for us. As a mixed media and scrapbook artist, Celine travels the world teaching her fun and funky classes (she's just back from a teaching trip to Singapore!) and she is really excited about her trip to Ireland.

Celine is the Founding Editor of the French {entreARTiste} Magazine and she's a Designer for American Crafts, Hambly Studios and Pink Paislee. She's also been Guest Designer for Jenni Bowlin, Studio Calico and Prima to name but a few. These are a sample of Celine's style from her blog:

To check out more of Celine's work take a look at her Green Frog Studio Blog!

Celine will be teaching two 3-hour scrapbooking classes (details of kits/themes will be posted later in the week) packed with inspiration and techniques and aimed at a broad range of abilities. If you've never scrapbooked, made cards or played with paper before, don't feel left out because we're holding a beginners Cardmaking & Scrapbooking Workshop on the same day for all you newbies!

Package	Times	Includes	Price
Full Day	9am - 5pm	Two 3-hour Scrapbooking Classes with Celine Navarro including kits, prize draw & refreshments	€87.50
Half Day	10am - 1pm or 2pm - 5pm	One 3 hour Scrapbooking Class with Celine Navarro including kit, prize draw & refreshments	€50.00
Beginners Class	10am - 12noon	One 2 hour Card Making/Scrapbooking beginners class with kit & refreshments	€25.00

To reserve your space at Celine's Classes simply book online and pay your deposit by Friday May 8th or for further details of the event or to book the Beginners Class please email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie

---------------------------------------------

Some more useful info:

Where's the venue? - To see a map of the area click here

What's the closest DART/Train Station? - Killester (Trains run from Connolly Station)

Which Dublin Bus Routes can I use? - 20B, 27, 27B, 42, 42B,43 from directly opposite Connolly Station

I'd like to make a weekend of it! Closest Hotels - Bewleys Dublin Airport and Crowne Plaza Northwood

Looking forward to seeing you there

Distress Week on the Hero Arts Blog!

2009-04-23T16:47:00.002Z

It's Day 4 of Distress Week over on the Hero Arts Blog and if you're a fan of distress techniques or if you'd like to improve your distressing then you should definately check it out.

All this week, they'll be showcasing layouts and cards using a variety of ways to distress and I promise you'll find something that you like.

Take these cards by Shari Carroll:

Aren't they just gorgeous???

There are also "How to ..." videos and a Challenge ...

"This week’s challenge is to create a project with some sort of distressing. Make it your own style - with as little or as much distressing as you would like. (Think of it as “distress your way.”) All you have to do is use at least one Hero Arts stamp. Easy! Upload your projects to the Hero Arts Flickr Group by Sunday, April 26th at 11:59 PM PST and tag them with the code word “distress“.

We will then award the following prizes:

Fresh Face Winner (someone who has not yet won a contest): $50 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2009 catalog
Scrapbook Page Winner: $50 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2009 catalog
1st Place: $50 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2009 catalog
2nd Place: $25 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2009 catalog
3rd Place: $15 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2009 catalog"

Best of luck,

It's definately Scrapbooking Weather!

2009-04-15T16:29:00.002Z

What a day, cold, windy and raining, but a perfect excuse to do some scrapbooking!

I've been looking forward to getting my hands on the March Kit featuring the gorgeous Making Memories Flower Patch range and over the Easter Weekend I got some fabby Easter photos which match the papers to perfection!

All of the papers used in the card and layout are in the March Kit.

I used a 5" x 7" photo with a white border for this layout and matted it onto the pink check paper from the kit. Then I cut a butterfly from the Glitter Butterfly paper and placed it at the bottom left of the photo and added a rubon from the Flower Patch Easter Rub-on Pack in the top left corner. The large butterfly was cut from the Flower Patch Pattern Stripe paper, using a Jenni Bowlin chipboard butterfly (which I had in my stash) as a template. The title "Spring Chick" was also from Flower Patch Easter Rub-on Pack.

For the 5.5" x 5.5" card, I used a square of Bazzill Kraft Cardstock as the background and added two pieces of Flower Patch paper (Eggs reserve side and Small Floral) and covered the join with some Making Memories Crochet Yellow Ribbon also from the kit. The "Spring" stamp is from my own stash (its a Pink Paislee Spring Fling Clear Stamp set) and I printed the stamp onto Bazzill White cardstock with Black Stazon ink.

TFL

Easter Party Crop - Annamarie's Class Sneak Peeks

2009-04-10T20:38:00.002Z

Wasn't that spell of good weather an unexpected surprise today! I love this time of year, the evenings getting longer and the promise of long and hopefully sunny Summer days ahead!

I'm really looking forward to next Saturday's Easter Party Crop in Dublin and I've even made a start on packing up the kits for my class. While I was doing them I just remembered I hadn't posted up any sneak peeks yet ... so here they are:

These Pink Paislee Fascinating papers are soooo gorgeous! The colours in them are so vivid. Plus there's lime green, red, blue, black and brown in the papers so you should have no problem getting a photo to match.

The kit includes cardstock, 3 patterned papers, a diecut sheet and a book of stickers. The book of stickers includes loads of alphabet stickers so you can decide on your own title. Just bring along a favourite photo with colours that match the papers. For this layout I used a 5" x 7" portrait format photo and printed it with a white border or alternatively you could mat it onto white cardstock.

To do the class you'll need to bring all the usual tools e.g. Glue, scissors, paper trimmer plus a Crop-a-Dile/Eyelet Setter, a sewing needle, a small black inkpad and some foam dots.

If you've any questions about the class just check out my class thread on the forum or email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie If you haven't booked your place you still have time to grab one of the last remaining places by emailing workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or texting 086-2065346.

Have a very Happy Easter and eat loads of chocolate, it's the one time of year when you have the perfect excuse!

New Products now in stock & Easter Party Crop

2009-04-08T22:04:00.003Z

Our Easter Party Crop is taking place on Saturday 18th April 2009 from 10am in Le Cheile Community Centre, Donnycarney, Dublin 5. It'll be a fun packed day with classes, prizes and craic!

Annamarie from TheScrapbookStore.ie will be teaching a scrapbook class using the new Pink Paislee Winsome Fascinating Collection of papers and stickers.

Lainey from Happy Day Memories will be teaching a scrapbook layout using Jenni Bowlin's Trendy range of papers.

And Caroline Moore will be teaching you how to make a handmade journal. These photos show you a finished journal but the class will involve the making of the journal which you can decorate yourself afterwards. More details of Caroline's class are available on the forum:

There are a few ticket options available:

● Shop & Crop Only Ticket - €15.00
● Crop Day plus 2 Scrapbooking Classes (with Annamarie & Lainey), crop space & entry to prize draw - €50.00
● Crop Day plus 2 Scrapbooking Classes (with Annamarie & Lainey), 1 Handmade Journal Class (with Caroline Moore), crop space & entry to prize draw - €75.00
● Shop & Crop plus Handmade Journal Class (with Caroline Moore) - €35.00

For further details or to book a place at any of the classes just email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie

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I've just finished updating the website with all of the latest new products including 7 Gypsies Gypsy Market:

7 Gypsies Board Kit, Ephemera and Tags:

The new collections from K & Company ... Madeline:

and Que Sera Sera:

and some beautiful new papers and embellishments from Jenni Bowlin:

You're sure to find something that you'll like!

New Pink Paislee just arrived & Churchtown Workshop this weekend!

2009-03-24T20:41:00.002Z

We're drooling over the brand new Collections from Pink Paislee ... well, not exactly over them LOL! They've just arrived and will be available on the site over the next day or two. Gorgeous papers, diecut papers, chipboard, sticker books and brads in amazing colours and designs.

I couldn't resist the new Fetching Collection so I'm really looking forward to this Saturday's Workshop in Churchtown where I'll be using it to create a gorgeous 12" x 12" layout.

The Fetching colours are blues, black and oranges so the layout can be used as a boy, family or heritage themed layout. Here's a couple of sneaky peeks:

There are still a few places left so if you'd like to come along and join the Workshop just email workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or text/telephone 086-2065346.

You'll need to bring a 4" x 6" or 5" x 7" landscape format photo plus a scissors, paper trimmer, hole punch, some glue and a craft knife/cutting mat. Don't worry if you can't choose a photo, you can always complete the layout at the Workshop and then add a suitable photo later.

TFL

New March Kit now in store plus loads more new goodies!

2009-03-11T13:01:00.003Z

Well, finally the new CHA 2009 releases are now arriving by the boxload!

Freshly hatched is the scrummy new Spring/Easter themed kit for March called "March into Spring" .... or is that "Spring into March" ???? Anyway, whatever it's called, it's packed with papers from the new Making Memories Flower Patch Collection plus cute little butterfly clips and 3 yards of gorgeous MM co-ordinating ribbons.

Also just arrived are the fabby new Collections from My Minds Eye. There's something for everyone as their new Collections include the beautiful heritage style BellaBella Bellezo:

and the multi-coloured, multi-themed Penny Lane:

Feeling Groovy and Maggie May ....

and the really pretty Tiny Dancer:

Don't forget to keep checking the "What's New" button for more new stuff arriving later in the week!

Stitches Update and Crafteire 2009!

2009-02-21T18:39:00.002Z

Sorry for not updating sooner. It's been hectic since last weekend, between having my Whitehall Workshop on Thursday and getting ready for Crafteire 2009 this weekend. I'm here in the crop room just chillin' after teaching my two Workshops. I'm delighted that everyone enjoyed them so much. The atmosphere here is really great and I'm looking forward to an evening cropping, having dinner and maybe a cup of tea LOL!

Here's the layout from my "From Me" Workshop using October Afternoon County Fair papers, Bazzill cardstock, a handmade paper flower and a title cut using the "Opposites Attract" font from Cricut:

My second Workshop was "Spring Prairie" using a 6" x 6" chipboard album from Paw-Pear Basics, Basic Grey Urban Prairie papers, chipboard and fibres and a Bazzill blossom:

So the big news from Stitches last weekend is ... I didn't meet Laurence :-( but I did meet Tim Holtz :-) who was soooo charming and talented. He was demonstrating loads of new Ranger products and he even managed to make me a Grunge Paper flower complete with mini brad and safety pin! I was so chuffed. He had three framed layouts on display which were so fab. Unfortunately I couldn't take photos of them for you but they were amazing. Apparently Laurence was scheduled to be there on Monday instead of Sunday so that's why I missed out. His new papers are very floral, very colourful and just what you'd expect from such a flamboyant charachter. They're scheduled for release in April.

I also met Fran from Stampendous and she demonstrated her new acrylic stamps which are a must have:

Saw some beautiful papers and embellishments and have ordered some Bo Bunny, Fancy Pants, K & Company and Crate Paper which will be arriving in store next month.

By far the most impressive stand was Sizzix by Ellison. It was packed with clothing, home decor, cards and layouts decorated with diecuts from their new ranges including Hello Kitty. They had baseball caps and t-shirts decorated with felt diecuts, chests of drawers decorated with chipboard diecuts, frames, babygro's and loads more things I've forgotten but I was blown away by all the creativity. Again, I wasn't allowed to take photos??? but they said they'd email some to me so when they do I'll let you see them.

So, back to the shop at Crafteire I go. Enjoy your weekend!

We're hoping to meet LLB!

2009-02-13T22:15:00.002Z

We're heading to the Stitches show in Birmingham this weekend and can't wait to see all the gorgeous new products from CHA 2009.

Tim Holtz will be there, so will Shari Carroll from Hero Arts plus loads of other papercrafting experts but the one I'm most looking forward to seeing is the one and only LLB ... Laurence Llewelyn Bowen !!!

He's following in Martha Stewart's and Laura Ashley's footsteps and has designed two gorgeous scrapbooking collections called Renaissance and Retro Rose which I've had a sneak peek of but really want to see the whole lot. Most of all I'm hoping to get a photo opportunity with the man himself, so watch this space on Monday to see if I get my wish.

On the subject of new Collections ... arriving next week we have new ranges from My Minds Eye including Penny Lane and Bella Bella "Bellezo". Here's a few from the range. You can view the full collections on the My Minds Eye website.

Crafteire 2009 "Spring Prairie" Workshop - Sneaky Peek

2009-02-11T15:46:00.002Z

As promised here's the first of the sneak peeks from the Spring Prairie Workshop that we're giving at Crafteire 2009 in Tullamore.

We've packed the kit with a beautiful 6" x 6" chipboard album, Basic Grey Urban Prairie Papers, Bazzill Blossoms, Basic Grey Urban Prairie Fibres and Chipboard Shapes and we're going to be creating a fun mini book for you to use for your Spring photos ... or anything else you fancy! In fact this would be perfect for scrappin' those holiday photos or to give as a gift for Mother's Day.

To take this Workshop you'll need to bring along your usual tools e.g. glue, paper trimmer, craft knife, scissors plus:

Some white or black acrylic paint

A white gel pen

Cropadile or hole punch

Distress Ink Pad

Black, white, pink or yellow ink pad for stamping (we'll be using some yummy Basic Grey stamps during the class!)

If you haven't already booked your place at this Workshop there are still places available by logging on to the Crafteire site.

Crafteire 2009 "From me ..." Workshop - Sneaky Peek!

2009-02-10T13:35:00.002Z

The countdown is on for the fab Crafteire Weekend 2009 in the Tullamore Court Hotel from February 20th to February 22nd. If you haven't already booked your ticket, there are limited tickets still available from the Crafteire website.

We're bringing the store and teaching two Workshops and we're looking forward to a brilliant weekend.

To get your crafty mojo up and running we're sharing a couple of sneak peeks from both classes over the next few days.

We love the "From me ..." Workshop. We'll be using the October Afternoon County Fair Collection of papers and diecuts and combining them with some stitching, a little doodling and a grungy handmade flower embellishment. Add a 5" x 7" photo (portrait format) and a 3.5" x 2.5" photo and you're all set to create this thoughtful layout. So get your thinking caps on and get a list together of some good advice or perhaps some quirky things about you that you'd like to share with future generations! We'll be adding these into the layout to create something special for you to add to your scrapbook!

To take part in this class you'll need:

Photos

A sewing needle

A paper Piercer

A white gel pen and a fine/medium tip black felt tip pen.

A pack of baby wipes

White Acrylic Paint

A craft knife, scissors and paper trimmer

Distress ink

Glue (Dry glue runner and wet glue e.g. Scrappy Glue would work best)

Dark Brown Embroidery Thread

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Hope to see you there

Create your own Christmas Card Keepsake Album

2009-01-18T20:28:00.002Z

If you're like us and you hate throwing out cards, especially handmade ones, then you'll love this idea. We've adapted it from a fantastic project in the new Scrapbook Trends Baby Idea Book, which is now in stock and selling fast!

Hope you enjoy this very useful way to store those precious cards.

To make the cover you'll need:

a chipboard sheet or two (leftover from a pack of paper),
Colorcore Cardstock in Poinsettia and Forest,
Basic Grey Wassail paper (Merry Happy and Turtle Doves)
a yard of red Bazzill ribbon
Ranger Inkssentials White Pen for doodling around the edges
Bazzill White cardstock to print the journalling

Cut 2 pieces of chipboard to half an inch bigger than the width and length of your largest card. These will make up the bases for the front and back covers.
Cover one chipboard cover with Colorcore Poinsettia Cardstock - front and back.
Cover the other chipboard cover with Colorcore Forest Cardstock - front and back.
Cut a piece of Merry Happy paper (plain dark brown side) to half an inch smaller than the chipboard/cardstock, centre it and stick to the front of the red cover.
Cut some small parcels from the Merry Happy paper (patterned side) as shown in Diagram 1 below.
Print some journalling on white card. We printed the title "Christmas 2008" using the Scriptina font and the journalling is a quotation from "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Distress the edges of the white cardstock with Ranger Distress Ink (we used Antique Linen).
Stick down the journalling and stick a selection of parcels around it (see Diagram 1 below).
Tear 2 pieces of Basic Grey Turtle Doves paper (Diagram 2 below) and stick to the top left hand edge of the Merry Happy paper.
Doodle just inside the edges of the album as shown with a Ranger Inkssentials White Pen.
Gather up your cards, place a cover front and back and punch a hole in the left hand corner of both the covers and all of the cards and hold them together with either a chain or a large bookring.
Tie everything in place by wrapping a yard of Bazzill ribbon (or whatever type you have) around the whole book and securing in a bow at the front (see Diagram 3 below).

Diagrams 1, 2 & 3:

You can decorate the inside of the front cover and the inside and outside of the back cover if you wish.

Check out the Scrapbook Trends Baby Idea Book article for further ideas.

Isn't this just the coolest thing???

2009-01-13T17:49:00.013Z

So many of you love making mini books, and since the creation of the Bind it All making your own spiral bound books is even easier!

One thing I often hear is "what do I do with them once they're made?" .... well Chatterbox have come up with what I think is a great solution. You can now turn your mini book into a "home decor masterpiece" with their new Album Stand, just launched for CHA 2009.

What a cool idea!!! I don't know how much it's going to be yet but I'll left you know as soon as I find out. Look out for it in the store anytime soon!

Review of Christmas Class

2009-01-07T19:55:00.001Z

A few of you have asked if I could post photos of the Christmas Class on the blog. So here they are. It's a two page layout with a twist! Literally! Page 2 is the same layout as Page 1 ... but turned on its side. I used the gorgeous Pink Paislee Christmas papers with white Bazzill cardstock.

I printed the journalling on a 6" x 6" sheet of cream cardstock, leaving a double space between the lines, and then cut it into strips.

The paper-pieced Snow Angel is a Tilda's design. It was created to be used with fabric but it works just as well with paper, ribbon and card. The stitching was done with double embroidery floss.

If you'd like me to send you some PDF's of the Snow Angel and other designs just drop me an email to workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie and I'll email them to you.

Get your mitts on some fantastic free Vintage Images!

2008-12-30T23:43:00.006Z

I hope you all had a great Christmas and are still enjoying your holidays. We had a great time here at TheScrapbookStore.ie and have been getting deliveries of new goodies all through the holidays. During January we'll be adding the new Basic Grey Bittersweet to the store and bringing you news of all the new products released at CHA.

If you're a fan of vintage images (and I definately am!) then you'll love the Paper Goods section over at Fairy Davis. It's packed with old images of postcards, children, animals that'll be perfect for cards, scrapbook pages and loads of other crafty projects. And the best news of all is that they're all FREE. Take a look yourself!

Christmas Party Crop - What a fantastic day!!

2008-12-17T00:07:00.013Z

Thanks to everyone who came along and made the Christmas Party Crop such a fantastic day!
It was great to see so many people there and I hope you all enjoyed yourselves as much as I did!

Thanks especially to everyone who gave me such lovely gifts and said some really lovely things about how much you enjoy the crops and classes. Although Lainey and I work hard throughout the year preparing classes and organising events, we know that it all wouldn't be possible with you gang supporting us each month and making everything so enjoyable. It's a privilege to know you all and I feel very lucky to have met such lovely women through this fantastic hobby!

We kicked off the day at 10am and everyone grabbed their seats and did some shopping before the tea and mince pies arrived.

For the next 6 hours we cropped, chatted, laughed, ate lunch, munched on LOADS of goodies and had great fun!

Well done to Isobel for organising the Kris Kindle. All of the gifts were fantastic and there were lots of very happy people by the end of the present giving.

There were quite a few birthdays being celebrated as well as Audrey's forthcoming wedding so Lainey organised a gorgeous chocolate cake. We all sang "Happy Birthday" to Linda, Kiki, Marlen, Anne and Julie M and everyone got a chance to blow out the candles!

Then it was time for Audrey's big surprise ...

Carrie had organised a beautiful art piece made up of decorated paper tiles to celebrate the big day. Lots of Audrey's friends created tiles and Carrie put them all together in this fantastic piece!

Huge congrats and good wishes to Audrey and Joe on their big day next Monday 22nd December!!

Here's Isobel, Denise, Elaine and Val looking very festive:

and Siobhan and Jackie:

Shirley and Ali:

Marian, Tracy and Pam:

Elisa, Kiki and Lynn:

Mary and Carrie:

Fiona pretending to do a bit of work LOL!

Anne getting crafty and enjoying the day:

Lisa and Michelle:

Gertie getting into the Christmas spirit:

We gave out some prizes and well done to Lynn, Adrienne, Jillian for winning the beautiful Christmas table arrangements made by my very talented mum! Well done also to the five lucky ladies who won €20.00 vouchers for TheScrapbookstore.ie

A very Happy Christmas and may 2009 bring you all you wish for!!

How to make a Potplant Snowman!

2008-12-05T10:20:00.010Z

I made some of these for the Castleknock Craft Fair and sold them all :-) I was a little disappointed not to be taking any home with me so I made some more. They look great just peeking out behind the leaves of a Christmas Poinsettia and make a lovely addition to a Christmas gift.

Here's what you need:

3" - 4" Polystyrene Ball
White or cream Tulle
White crepe paper
Silver and crystal/white glitter
Silver, gold or red tinsel (very thin) I got mine in Homebase!
12" x 12" sheet of Christmas patterned paper (I used Basic Grey Wassail, Dasher and Making Memories Fa La La)
Wet Glue (I used Stix2 and Scrappy Glue)
Double sided sticky tape
Wooden BBQ skewer
Foam Brush

Instructions:

Step 1:

Stick your Polystyrene Ball onto the end of a BBQ skewer and cover it with wet glue using a foam brush. Sprinkle with crystal/white glitter and allow to dry.

Step 2: Using a dinner plate as a template cut a circular piece of patterned paper from a 12" x 12" sheet.

Step 3: Cut the circle in half. Each half will make a cone hat i.e. you get two hats from one circle.

Step 4: Wrap the paper around into a cone shape, big enough to sit down a little on the snowmans head but not too far or you won't be able to see his face, and stick with double sided sticky tape.

Step 5: Spread a line of Scrappy Glue/Stix2 PVA along the bottom (wide) end of the cone and attach your tinsel all around.

Step 6: Using Scrappy Glue/Stix2 PVA spread a generous line of glue around the inside (wide) end of the cone and stick firmly to the glittered polystyrene ball.

Step 7: To make the snowman's crepe paper collar. Cut a 12" x 2" strip of white crepe paper and using a needle and white thread (doubled and knotted) make a running stitch along the edge of the strip.

Step 8: When you get to the end of the crepe paper strip cut the thread and make another double knot. Now carefully pull both ends of the thread so that the crepe paper gathers up. Pull it as tight as it can go and tie both ends of the thread to secure and then trim away the excess thread ends. Flatten the collar down with your hands.

This photo shows the different stages of the process.

You should end up with something that looks like this!

Step 9: Now cut a 12" x 3" strip of tulle and do the same thing as you did with the crepe paper and you'll end up with something that looks like this!

Step 10: Spread a thin line of Scrappy Glue along the edge of the crepe paper collar and sprinkle the glue with glitter. You could also use silver Stickles Glue but it takes longer to dry than Scrappy Glue.

Step 11: Thread the crepe collar and then the tulle collar up along the BBQ skewer.

Step 12: Secure the collars with a wrapped around piece of silver tinsel secured with a very generous blob of Scrappy Glue.

Step 13: Finally give your snowman a face! Use brads for the eyes, a piece of gold pipecleaner for the nose (or if you're feeling very creative a nose made from Fimo clay, painted orange) and a black marker to make dots for the mouth.

Then stick your snowman into a pot plant and your gorgeous handmade Christmas gift is all ready!

Christmas with a pink twist with New Pink Paislee Tinsel Town!

2008-11-17T18:47:00.005Z

The gorgeous new Christmas papers, Making Memories Fa La La and Pink Paislee's Tinsel Town have finally arrived!

I just couldn't resist the Pink Paislee and had to play straight away!

This is what I came up with ... two cards and a 4" x 4" Paw-pear Basics Mini Book:

To make the "Believe" card:

Materials used:

A 13.5mm x 13.5mm cream card blank
Pink Paislee Tinsel Town papers (5th Avenue, 34th Street and Nutcracker)
Pink Paislee Tinsel Town Press Ons
Co-ordinating Bazzill Cardstock (Pickle & Sugar Cookie)
Pink Paislee Fashion Script Black Alphabet Stickers
Pink Paislee Tinsel Town Ribbon Set

1. Cut a 13mm x 13mm piece of Bazzill Pickle Cardstock.
2. Cut a 13mm x 9mm strip of 34th Street paper and stick it across the centre of the Pickle cardstock.
3. Cut a 13mm x 7mm strip of 5th Avenue paper and stick it across the centre of the 34th Street paper.
4. (Optional) Using a sewing machine, stitch all around the edge of the cardstock/patterned paper square with cream thread.
5. Trim away any loose threads.
6. Using double sided sticky tape, stick the stitched square onto the card base.
7. Cut a 6.5mm x 6.5mm square of Bazzill Sugar Cookie cardstock.
8. Cut a 6mm x 6mm square of Nutcracker paper and centre and stick it onto the cream card.
9. (Optional) Using a sewing machine, stitch all around the edge of the cardstock/patterned paper square with cream thread.
10. Stick a 13mm length of Pink Paislee ribbon (I used the one with the printed trees) across the centre of your card.
11. Stick the 6mm square centred on top of the ribbon.
12. Rub two snowflakes onto the card as shown from the Pink Paislee Tinsel Town Press Ons.
13. Spell out a word of your choice with Pink Paislee Fashion Script Alphabet Stickers as shown.

To make the "Merry Christmas" card:

Materials used:

13.5mm x 13.5mm cream card blank.
Pink Paislee Tinsel Town papers (34th Street, 5th Avenue and Nutcracker)
Bazzill Cardstock - Pickle and Sugar Cookie
Coredinations Cardstock - Fuschia Fizz
Pink Paislee Tinsel Town Press Ons

1. Cut a 13mm x 13mm piece of Coredinations Fuschia Fizz cardstock, centre it and stick it onto the card blank. Sand the edges of it with a piece of sandpaper to expose the lighter coloured core.
2. Cut a 2.5mm x 13mm piece of Pickle cardstock - but don't stick it onto the card just yet!
3. Cut a 1.5mm x 13mm strip of 5th Avenue paper and stick it centred onto the Pickle cardstock.
4. Cut a .75mm x 13mm strip of 34th Street paper and stick it centred onto the 5th Avenue paper. Leave the whole assembled piece to one side.
5. Using a small piece of Sugar Cookie cardstock and a craft knife, cut a curvy line to look like a hill top as shown.
6. Cut the "Merry Christmas" Press On from the sheet and rub it down onto the bottom right hand corner of the Fuschia Fizz cardstock.
7. Now take the assembled piece that you put aside and stick it about 2.5mm from the bottom of the Fuschia Fizz card (just above the Merry Christmas rubon) with the cream curved piece stuck behind it.
8. Cut out the green tree Press On from the sheet. Leaving the backing paper attached, use it as template to cut a similar, slightly bigger tree shape from the Nutcracker paper. Don't worry about being too exact, they're supposed to be a little wobbly!
9. Using a black felt tip pen, draw a black outline around the cut out tree.
10. Stick the cut out tree on the top of the hill you made from your cream cardstock and rub down the green tree Press On beside it as shown.

To make the 4" x 4" mini book:

Materials used:

4" x 4" Paw-Pear Basics Mini Book (if you can't get this brand, use 7Gypsies or Maya Road).
Pink Paislee Tinsel Town papers (5th Avenue, Postcards and A Christmas Carol)
Pink Paislee Tinsel Town Ribbon Set
Pink Paislee Tinsel Town Press Ons
Bazzill Basics Sugar Cookie Cardstock

1. Carefully remove the binding from the Mini Book taking great care not to bend it too much as it won't look right when you put it back on.
2. Cover the front cover and back cover OUTSIDES ONLY with 5th Avenue paper. Trim the edges and sand with a piece of sandpaper.
3. Using the A Christmas Carol paper, cover the front cover and back cover INSIDES with paper. Again, trim the edges and sand with a piece of sandpaper.
4. Using a scalloped edge scissors, trim the oval shaped "my holiday wish" from the Pink Paislee Postcards paper as shown.
5. Stick the cut out piece onto Bazzill Sugar Cookie cardstock and, leaving a .5mm border, follow the oval shape and cut with a scalloped edge scissors.
6. Rebind the Mini Book. I didn't use the Bind it all to rebind as it's too difficult to match up the binding holes. I simply trimmed around the holes with a craft knife and reinserted the binding strip carefully by hand.
7. Cut a black bird from the Press On sheet and rub it down onto the oval piece so that the birds claws are resting on the word "my".
8. Using the cream velvet elasticated ribbon from the Ribbon Set, tie a piece just above the 2nd binding ring and around the front cover of the book, finishing it off by making a bow.
9. Stick the oval cardstock/patterned paper piece onto the front cover of the Mini Book, just above the ribbon, using foam pads to give it dimension.
10. Tie two pieces of assorted ribbon to the top two binding rings and you're done.

I hope you enjoyed these projects. I'll be sending the cards to two special people and I'll be using the mini book to record the run up to Christmas and all of the things I did to prepare for Santa's arrival, especially all the things my kids are wishing for!

Free Halloween Project Ideas!

2008-11-14T21:22:00.004Z

I finally got a chance to play with the gorgeous new Cosmo Cricket Haunted Collection papers and various rubons, stickers and chipboard in the range.

It is absolutely scrummy and really easy to work with. The papers are heavyweight and double sided and can be sanded, inked or distressed.

For the 12" x 12" layout I used:

Bazzill Cardstock, Cosmo Cricket Haunted papers, rubons, blackboard, stickers with a few other odds and ends I had in my stash.

For the Mini Book I used:

Cosmo Cricket Haunted papers, rubons, blackboard, stickers, Pink Paislee alphabet stickers and a Ranger White Pen.

I've put together an instruction sheet for both projects and it's free when you order two products from the range.

A brilliant Halloween MegaScrap Weekend!

2008-11-05T23:09:00.001Z

Phew, well we've finally recovered from the fantastic weekend that was the Halloween MegaScrap! I could have slept for the whole week LOL!

Donna and Anita who were teaching at the event arrived last Thursday in plenty of time to get themselves ready for their Workshops on Saturday. Donna even managed to sample a Guinness, having had her first taste of it during her last trip here to teach at the MidSummer MegaScrap in June.

On Friday we took her to the Knitting & Stitching Show in the RDS in Dublin ... not a patch on CHA I'm sure ... but she thoroughly enjoyed it.

On Saturday, everyone had an early start and we headed out to the CityNorth Hotel in County Meath to prepare for the day. We were in the Somerville Suite and it looked fab with all the tables set out and the beautiful chandelier as the centrepiece of the room.

Donna opened the event with her Paint.Watercolor.Doodle Workshop which had a definite WOW factor! During the next three hours she took everyone through some fantastic techniques using chipboard, acrylic paint and the gorgeous Caran D'Ache Neocolor II Watersoluble Crayons.

After a lovely lunch, we were back in the Workshop room for Anita Mundt's, Washday Layout Class.

Anita tested everyone's creative skills by introducing crochet to the class and everyone had a go, although some people (Eva??) didn't quite take to it!!

After a tea and coffee stop everyone was back in their seats for another of Donna's technique filled classes, "100 Eyelets or die trying". Chipboard, paint and eyelets, eyelets, eyelets were all used to turn a 4" x 4" Maya Road binder book into a gorgeous black & red mini album.

We soon found out what the "die trying" part of the Workshop was as Donna challenged everyone to "set those eyelets". Jillian was the first one to finish 100 eyelets and won one of Donna's gorgeous aprons for her efforts. Well done Jillian!

After another pit stop, everyone finally got a chance to sit back and put their Crop-a-Dile's down while they watched Anita's fantastic and informative Photography Workshop. Anita did a brilliant job of taking us through the various angles we could use to improve our photography and backed it up with a Powerpoint presentation packed with examples from her own photo gallery. She is such a talented photographer!

The whole day just flew by and before we knew it we had to pack up and head for home. Before we went there we had a prize giving ceremony and well done to everyone who won.

Well done Julie Frog for winning our MegaScrap Challenge with her gorgeous layout.

Thanks to A-Pak/Herma who were extremely generous as always by sponsoring four gorgeous gift baskets packed with Herma goodies (wrapped by Hilda!) as well as loads of adhesive sheets for everyone to use in their classes.

Thanks also to The Crafteire Shop, Art 'n' Hobby

Inspiring Ideas

ScrapbookMate

and Treasure Bin for sponsoring some lovely prizes.

We held a separate raffle for a Donna Downey original canvas (kindly donated by the lady herself) with the proceeds going to Temple Street Hospital. Congrats to Lorna for winning this brill prize!

Finally, thanks to everyone who attended the event and made it such a success. Again, thanks to our prize sponsors and to all of the retailers who came along and provided some retail therapy, Linda from KellyPaperCrafts, Mireille from The Crafteire Shop and Sheena from Creative Expressions.

Sadly the event took its toll on Annamarie & Elaine, the event organisers and by the end of the day they looked wrecked! LOL!!

Looking forward to seeing you all again at our next event! Roll on MegaScrap 2009!

October Crop Nite!

2008-10-23T21:00:00.007Z

Thanks to everyone who came along to the October Crop Nite in Whitehall Parish Centre last week. It was a great night and everyone got loads of layouts and cards finished. Congratulations to Jackie and Marian who won prizes for their creative efforts and I hope you both enjoyed your prizes.

Here's a few of the cropping ladies, lots of camera shy people that night!

We'll be back in Whitehall again in January so watch out for new dates. If you're not already on our mailing list just send your name to workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie and we'll let you know in advance of the next Crop.

Christmas Party Crop - December 13th, Donnycarney Community Centre ..

If you can't wait until January and would like a crafty day out before Christmas why not join myself and Lainey for our Christmas Party Crop in Donnycarney Community Centre, Dublin 5 on Saturday December 13th. It'll be a full day of crafting, classes, prizes and fun (with a few mince pies and a cuppa to get you in the festive mood! Again places can be booked by emailing workshops@thescrapbookstore.ie or happydaymemories@yahoo.com

Update on the Halloween MegaScrap - Prizes and Shopping

2008-10-15T12:23:00.009Z

If you haven't already booked your ticket for the Halloween MegaScrap, there are only a few places left, so don't be disappointed and book yours today!

The class kits are on their way and we're counting down the last few weeks to the event. It's going to be a brilliant, inspiring day so don't miss out.

We're delighted to be able to offer you a range of shopping options at the event.

As well as TheScrapbookStore.ie we have:

The Crafteire Shop

and Kelly Papercrafts to tempt you.

Everyone who attends will receive a ticket for the MegaScrap Raffle with prizes sponsored by Irish craft shops such as:

Treasure Bin

Inspiring Ideas

Art 'n' Hobby
Scrapbookmate

and Herma/A-Pak

Have you booked your place at the Halloween MegaScrap?

2008-09-12T21:21:00.004Z

We're counting down to the Halloween MegaScrap on Saturday November 1st at the CityNorth Hotel, County Meath and places are getting booked up fast!

Tickets are now available to purchase online and we'll be announcing more news about the event over the next few weeks, so watch the forum for all the details.

If you haven't heard about the Halloween MegaScrap, it's a one day Scrapbooking & Photography Event for papercrafters and scrapbookers, beginners or advanced. Throughout the day you'll get to shop, win prizes, make new friends and take four classes hosted by two of the leading names in crafting, Donna Downey and Anita Mundt. Plus, you'll be supplied with kits worth over €75.00 and packed with goodies from Maya Road, Making Memories, Prima Marketing, Jenni Bowlin and Bazzill and more.

Tickets cost €180.00 and include kits, lunch and tea/coffee throughout the day.

If you love learning new crafting techniques then you won't be disappointed as you'll get expert tuition on using acrylics, wax pastels, crochet, layering and collage. And if you'd like the hottest tips on how to improve your photography then Anita's one hour photography Workshop is a must.

The MegaScrap takes place in the beautiful 4 Star CityNorth Hotel, off the M1 Dublin/Belfast Motorway, County Meath. Too far? Well, why not treat yourself to a night (or two!) away in one of their gorgeous rooms:

We've got special B&B rates for anyone attending the MegaScrap starting at €80.00 for a single room. Full details of the accommodation rates are also on the forum or by contacting the CityNorth Hotel directly.

Hope to see you there!

Congratulations to our August Photo Challenge Winner

2008-09-05T12:55:00.002Z

The August Photo Challenge was called "Up Close & Personal" and just as the title says, the Challenge was to take a close up photo of anything that caught your eye.

The standard was extremely high and everyone who entered had a photo which could have won. There can only be one winner however and that is ......... Lisa H. Lisa's prize of a selection of Stix 2 products from TheScrapbookStore.ie are on their way.

Well done Lisa, your photos were fantastic and you well deserve the prize. These are Lisa's photos:

"Gentle Rain"

"Raindrop Kiss"
"After the Rain"
"Paws for Thought"

"A Screw Loose"

Look out for the September Challenge on the forum soon.

Halloween MegaScrap Event - Tickets now on Sale

2008-08-30T21:52:00.002Z

Tickets are now on sale for the Halloween MegaScrap Event being held in CityNorth Hotel on November 1st 2008. We're delighted to be able to bring you Donna Downey from the US and Anita Mundt from the Netherlands to teach at the event and we know you're gonna love their classes!

Full details of the event are available on the forum but here's a sneak peak of one of the Workshops Donna will be teaching for us in November:

Congratulations to the Winner of our July Photo Challenge!

2008-08-13T20:18:00.005Z

It was a very tough decision but I think you'll agree that we've picked a well-deserving winner of our July Photo Challenge on our forum Scrapbooking.ie.

This month's Challenge was: "Have you been on holidays or are you going soon? From your holiday selection choose 3 - 5 photos which truly capture the essence of the town or country that you've visited. Capture the unusual and unique as well as landmark buildings and scenes which would be familiar to everyone." Entries had to be uploaded to TheScrapbookStore.ie Gallery and thanks to everyone who took up the Challenge. All of the photos were fantastic and of such a high standard that we had to award two runner up prizes too.

So, who's the winner ....... the multi-talented Jackie Mooney. Well done Jackie! Our July Blue Awning Kit is on it's way to you. Jackie took some fantastic photos of Dublin City and here they are:

Runner up prizes were awarded to Tracy K and Kate for their gorgeous photos of the US and Tipperary.

Details of our August Challenge "Up Close & Personal" are now on the forum.

Scrapbook Inspiration from a TV Advert!

2008-08-09T19:15:00.006Z

While doing jigsaws with my kids today I could hear (surprising I could actually hear anything over the thundering rain LOL!) a TV advert running in the background. Maybe it was because I could only hear the words and couldn't see the pictures that it made me think. Just like I find I remember radio programmes for years but forget the content of TV programmes or movies a week after I've seen them. Anyway I thought the sentiment of the advert was really appealing and as a scrapbooker something I'd love to do a layout about.

It's the new Orange advert featuring Mark Beaumont who has just completed a record-breaking round-the-world cycle journey. The theme of the adverts (this is the 2nd one) is "I am" and in this ad he talks about how he has become the person he is because of everyone he's met - good or bad! It made me think ... how much do the people we meet throughout our lives shape who we are?

Take a look at the advert and if you're inspired, make a scrapbook layout titled

"I am ..."

and in it list 10 experiences (good or bad) or 10 people (good or bad!) that you feel have shaped who you are today !