Stamptember #SMBiGbloghop

Sorry for the delay in my post, I had NO idea until really late last night that for some reason my post didn't go up! Suz pointed it out to me, so I rushed home this morning to fix it! Hopefully you'll get the chance to check it out, I LOVE what the other girls have done this month!

How was your Stamptember?? Hopefully full of stamping, and we're hoping to help you finish it off with a little bit more stamping inspiration! The paper-crafting industry is widely known for celebrating stamps in the month of September, and this month there was definitely NO shortage of cute new sets being released! [have you SEEN the new Kelly Purkey Simon Says Stamp exclusives???!!! If not, go, no RUN to check them out & order them while you can!] Plus all the CHA summer lines are slowly but surely showing up at stores, I myself am addicted to the new Studio Calico stamp sets, and impatiently waiting for them to come in!

See? We go crazy over stamps! Which brings us to today's blog hop topic, stamps of course!
I challenged the girls this month to think out of the box for their stamping assignment, and really wanted to be able to show different ways to use them! For my layout, I chose to emboss one of my favorite stamps sets EVER, this Basic Grey/ Hero Arts Zig Zag & More Background:

I HAD to have this stamp, and I have realllllly been digging Basic Grey the past few releases! This page is made from the Paper Cottage collection, funny stuff-- that's where I work! :] Here's my LO & a few detail shots:

[notice the hand stitching to go along with the BG papers = LOVE]

The colors were perfect for a sepia photo, and there's hidden journaling behind the photo about our friendship-- secrets, faves, girly stuff! LOVE my Sar :]  Next up, you'll loop back around to Jenny!  If you get lost along the hop, make sure you return back to our new Social [Media] Butterflies blog home here. Want to join in on our fun? Email me at sbookinshay29@aol.com if you would like to become a butterfly, we are always looking for more paper-crafters who LOVE to inspire! Thanks for joining us for another fun month!

a crafty celebration.

I was lucky enough to spend this weekend getting crafty & celebrating, and I am SO excited for my classes at the Paper Cottage in October! Fall is just incredible, and I really wanted to mix together all of my favorite parts of the seasons into my Trendy Tuesday classes! Here's a few sneak peeks of the classes that I've shared on instagram:

[[All About Arrows]]
Paper, stamps, cuts-- we'll use a little bit of it all in this My Minds Eye class! Where will arrows take you? To this fun class of course! Join me next Tuesday, October 2nd from 6-8pm.



[[Lovely Leaves]] October 9th
Have plenty of scraps after cutting the base of your fall pages? Why not add a little [autumn] spice to your projects with these handmade embellies?! Get the pattern I use, and try your hand at making your own leaves in this fall themed Bella Blvd class!

<<<
[[Neon in the Night]] October 23rd
Doodlebugs Haunted Manor, pretty pearls, twine && bright neon make this class an adorable take on the trend & how to include it into your holiday!

&& coming soon I'll be able to show you the class on the 16th, Perfect Polaroids-- you WON'T want to miss out on this one!

Visit the Paper Cottage facebook page here to see all of our class offerings and details! We have some exciting events coming up as well, like our Fall Festival and Holiday Open House! Just a reminder that tomorrow's class is Washi Wonder, and there are still a few spots available! Call the store to sign up 937-912-5324. If you can't make the class, and would still like a kit with all the materials we use in class, just let me know, I will gladly get it to you, with no additional charge for shipping ;]

happy birthday

to ME!

Normally I would not celebrate myself, but this year, I was SOOOO excited to get picures of myself done, and to make a 26 before I turn 27 list! I cannot wait to use this list & the pics my friend Julie took, to make a LO later today! Here's a few things on my list---


visit New York City during Christmastime

learn more about my DSLR

do things for MYSELF & less about others

go to a Cubs game

get crafty everyday

eat at a rooftop restaurant



&& you'll see the completed page after I finish it later this week! I'm definitely excited about this, as a list lover I knew I would do it, and thought it'd be the perfect way to celebrate my birthday! My big plans for the day?? getting crafty, of course!


Thank you all for the birthday wishes, I had a scrappy wonderful day && feel very loved :)

trendy.tuesday [Wonderful Washi]

Hello there!
Back again with a view of this coming week's edition of Trendy Tuesday, the Wonderful Washi class! I have a lot of students who see these little rolls of tape all over blogs, on DIY items & at the store, but don't really know how to use it on their own projects! So this coming Tuesday, I'll be teaching you all about WASHI :]

If you yourself haven't gotten into the washi craze, or if you've already started your collection, this is the perfect class for you! Come on by & make this layout:

If you would like to sign up for the next Trendy Tuesday class, Wonderful Washi, call the Paper Cottage at 937-912-5324 This series of unique technique classes are only $15, which includes the supplies [and some extras!] to finish a 12x12 layout and you also get to play with additional products in the class! Not in the area? You can still sign up, and I will send you the kit for the class, complete with instructions!

devastated.

After a not so wonderful couple of days, I am very ready to hold my chin up and move on, no more sadness here.

I cannot believe I missed such a big event, and it broke my heart when I could finally log on and see what fun all the girls were having. I looked forward to it ALL year long, and am genuinely bummed at missing the opportunities I had to work for three amazing companies, and hope that they understand. Missing out on meeting some of my amazing scrappy online friends, going to Typo, this event is my happy birthday to myself, and would have been SUCH a great pick me up. For those of you I am close with, thank you for being there for me, and all of those I let down in any way, I apologize. Somethings in life you just cannot do anything to change, no matter what the situation is like. It was hard to come back home and NOT participate   in Scrapfest, but I absolutely guarantee I will be there next year.

To those of you who were expecting emails or calls, I'm sorry for being so out of touch, and I am plowing through them right now as I write this, I apologize if I let you down AT ALL.

In the meantime, back to classes, butterflies & trying to pretend I don't know that I just missed out on the best event EVER. Ladies who are there right now, I'll love seeing your photos and projects, and it's with a very heavy heart that I regret not being there.

xoxo