Scrapbook & Cards Today Blog

We interviewed Stacey, owner of Spellbinders! ...and a giveaway!

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Stacey Caron, owner and founders of Spellbinders Paper Arts, LLC...or more affectionately known as Stacey from Spellbinders!  As a leader in the industry with many innovation awards under her belt, she can best be described as a ball of energy that enjoys the product that results from collaborative efforts both within her team but also with many industry partners.  Having met Stacey way back in 2007 as she was demontrating the original Wizard machine and some new dies, I knew there would be a great future for Spellbinders.  Stacey is uplifiting, proud and full of enthusiasm for the crafting market.  So let's get to know a bit more about Stacey...

What colour best represents your personality and why?
Black because it is timeless, classic and dresses up any color.  For complementing black, I like earth tones, gold, copper and burgundy.
  
If you could go back in history and have lunch with anyone, who would it be and why?
Coco Chanel for her iconic style, grace, elegance and innovation.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
A dentist.  I was always fascinated with the tooth fairy and wanted to see where she built her tooth castle.

As a woman, what are some of the challenges being the president of such a successful company in our industry?
Balancing building a business, travel requirements and family.  Always put your children first and be in the present.

What do you feel makes Spellbinders so successful?
Innovation, quality and the determination to be the best in the industry.

We love the Spellbinders videos that you create with Kim. How do you decide what dies to feature when there are so many to choose from?
The newest releases and innovations so our fans can fully understand and be educated in the use of our products.

What are the first three things you do when you get to the office in the morning?
Put my make-up on in the Director of Marketing’s office, have my morning chat with her and then visit with and check with everyone to see what the day may hold (especially product development).

Fast 5:
Big Mac or Whopper?  Big Mac
Buttons or brads?  Buttons
Dogs or cats?  Both
Ribbon or twine?  Ribbon
Decaf or regular?  Regular 

We loved having a chance to get an inside view from Stacey.  Of course we asked the final question "what is your favourite product right now?" and she shared this with us...

Don't you love this die set from the Majestic Elements collection?  Stacey knew you would and of course has offered to give it away to one lucky SCT reader!  AMAZING!  Just leave a comment below by Thursday, December 6th for your chance to win it!  Good luck!

Have you heard about the biggest giveaway in the history of Spellbinders?  In their Explore Beyond: Craft to Win contest you can win a $5,000 prize package!  Check out all the details here.  We would also love it if you would send Stacey a note of thanks for offering the above great prize on the Spellbinders Facebook page here.  I know Stacey would appreciate hearing from our fabulous SCT readers!  They are a generous company and have been a great supporter of Scrapbook & Cards Today for years and I think everyone has loved the prizes they have offered our Crop & Create events too.   I just saw the prize they are giving away during our "12 days of holiday giving" starting December 10th and you don't want to miss it!

Thank you again to Stacey for taking the time to answer some questions during an incredibly busy time.  I will look forward to seeing her again at our CHA trade show in January!  One can only imagine the new and innovative products they will launch.

~ Catherine

Look what Vicki created...from her scraps!

Well I'm back!  Did you take me up on my challenge to use all those left over bits and make something out of them.  That's right...it's time to repurpose!  This is the pile I started with...
 


I had lots of goodies to play with.  Some I used, some I didn't.  I also added a few new ones like rhinestones and eyelets to the mix.  My goal was to make a few tags.  The result was 8 tags completed!!  And it only took me about one hour to finish them.  Take a look...
 

 
I really like how these turned out and to think I was just about to throw most of this "stuff" in the garbage!  Here are a bunch of "closer-look" photos.
 


 


 


 


I hope this post convinces you to keep a "REPURPOSE" box.  Fill it with the left over bits from stamping and techniques and with all of those straggler stickers, papers and embellishments.  Now go and make some tags for all of those gifts you will be giving next month!!

~  Vicki Boutin 

Kitchen Crafting with Sarah Hodgkinson!

It’s hard to believe it’s less than one month until Christmas! 2012 has just flown by. It’s been a busy year in the Hodgkinson home with me working full-time as an elementary teacher and I wanted to share a craft project that has made our lives much more efficient, healthy and delicious!

Several of you know that my daughter, Ema, was born with a rare skin disorder called Ichthyosis. Her body makes too many skin cells and her skin is very dry, itchy and red. We have known since she was a baby that good nutrition is just one of the many components of how to care for her skin. We make a very conscious effort to eat well balanced meals but it’s sometimes hard to convince a child to eat healthy (heck, adults in this household struggle with this as well!)

This past summer Ema and I spent some time leafing through some recipe magazines. You could also use recipe books and recipe cards. She then flagged all her favourite recipes – ones that were tried and true and we weren’t going to fight over. She then wrote out (in her very neatest printing) all the details to track down those recipes onto brightly coloured cardstock (recipe name, page number, issue/book).

Each Sunday afternoon, just before grocery shopping, Ema gets to pull out five to six recipe cards from the recipe box. The recipe box was made by painting a plain cardboard box (We R’ Memory Keepers), covering it with patterned paper (Jillibean Soup) and adorning it with felt flowers (Jillibean Soup).

In order to keep track of the recipes for the week, we then mark each page with daily bookmarks. For complete instructions on how to make these bookmarks and a magnetic grocery list for your fridge (using JillibeanSoup supplies), see this link from the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog.

In order to organize all my Clean Eating magazines (where I get all my recipes lately), I place them all in binders according to the seasons. For complete instructions on how to make these organizational binders (using Jillibean Soup supplies), see this link from the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog.

I hope this kitchen crafting project can trick your kids into eating healthy. When children feel that they are a part of the planning process for meals the success rate of them actually eating what it cooked is much greater. By the way, the same is true for adults. Happy craftin’ and cookin’!

~  Sarah Hodgkinson

(pssst...last day for our Relay For Life subscription sale!  Imagine "happy mail" four times a year!!!)

Repurpose challenge with Vicki Boutin...and a cyber Monday deal of course!

With the start of December just days away it's all about Christmas in our house.  In preparation for the holidays I have started cleaning.  That includes my work space.  As I was tidying up my desk and getting ready to throw out bits and pieces from projects past I noticed that a lot of the scraps went together.  So instead of throwing them away I got inspired and gathered them up to be repurposed!!
 


Over the past few years I have been too tired after months of travel to get into the "handmade" swing of things.  This year is different!  I have plans for baking, decorating, festive gift wrapping and more. That includes making gift tags.  I think this is an easy undertaking and I am going to kick it off by repurposing my left over scraps and bits into gift tags!!!  Fun, huh?!  Well I am excited and feels good to want to make stuff.  I hope you will join me!
 


Check back on Wednesday to see how I turned trash into treasures! ~~ Vicki

(be sure to check out Vicki's blog for a sweet December mini tutorial!)

It's Cyber Monday so we are extending our subscription sale to midnight tonight -  only $14.95 for Canadian subscriptions and $17.95 for US subscriptions!  That's four times a year you get happy mail right to your door.  The bonus...a portion of the proceeds from the sale of all subscriptions will be donated to Becky Fleck's Relay For Life!  This is very near and dear to Becky and we could not be happier to support her efforts.  Have you seen her Montana Misfits?  The sweetest collections of embellishments!

Lastly, calling all Winnipeg friends!  Registration opened last night for past attendees and we have only 26 spaces remaining for Crop & Create Winnipeg!  General registration opens tonight at 8:00 p.m.  EST.  We can't wait for this exciting education event!

Have a wonderful Monday friends!!!

~ Catherine

 

A giveaway (or three!)...and some winners!!!

It's an exciting day around the SCT offices as we have officially sent the 2013 PageMaps Sketch Calendar and the brand new winter issue off to print!  That is six months of planning, discussing, strategizing, laughing, working and finally letting go of our 28th issue!  And let me tell you we CANNOT WAIT for you to see them both!  That being said, would you like to be the first to get the winter issue in your hands?   Do you often read it online and wish to have one to hold?  We can certainly help with that!  In fact, we can do even better as we have three winter issue and calendar packages to giveaway!

Just leave a comment below before Thursday, November 29th at 6:00 pm EST for your chance to win on of these three packages!  We also have subscriptions on sale to benefit Relay For Life.  More about that in yesterday's post here!  Good luck!

Now, we get to make the day for several people!  We have the winners for some great prizes to announce:

We R Memory Keepers prize package:

Wow, I was fascinated by Andrews story!!! That's what you call true success! My favorite part? When he mentioned his favorite past time is being w/his wife and kids!!! SO beautiful!!! My favorite Crop-a-dile tool is the corner chomper!!! Can't live without it!!! :D   Posted by: Grisel Blanco | November 16, 2012 at 10:41 PM

Echo Park PHoto Freedom winners:

I do Project Life, so this will be a great collection to use for that purpose. I really like the Today's Story. Thanks for sharing the cute cards and tag you made!  Carla from Utah  Posted by: Carla Hundley | November 14, 2012 at 03:35 PM

Seems like a perfect match to me...Stacy, Echo Park, and easy scrapping - and gotta love the Christmas set! Thanks for the chance to win!    Posted by: Heather D | November 21, 2012 at 09:56 AM

Crop & Create Mystery Box:

I've always wanted to attend a Crop & Create and Saskatoon, though 12 hours away, is probably the one I would most likely make it to. Not this year, sigh. The mystery box would be a great consolation prize!    Posted by: Angela Fehr | November 09, 2012 at 12:49 PM

Stampin' Up!  My Digital Studio giveaway

I've not done digital scrapbooking before. This might be a good way to start. Thanks for the chance to win. :)     Posted by: Tammy Lever | November 02, 2012 at 11:26 AM

2013 PageMaps Calendar winner

Excited to try MDS2, and the calendar looks great too!   Posted by: Lorissa C | November 03, 2012 at 01:36 PM

Doodlebug Haunted Manor collection!

Doodlebug designs are sooooo cute! I especially love their use of purple in their Halloween lines (this year and previous years). Yes, this would make a perfect addition to my Halloween scrappin!!! Thanks so much for the chance to win, and happy Friday!  Posted by: Amber M. | October 26, 2012 at 10:08 AM

Ladies, please send your mailing information to ideas@scrapbookandcards.com and put the name of the prize in your reference line! 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!  We have Crop & Create Winnipeg registration opening for past attendees on Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. and general registration starting on Monday at 8:00 p.m.  We can't wait to come back to this great city with a fun-filled event!

~ Catherine

 

Pssst...look what's coming and a sale!!!

As Becky is preparing her Thanksgiving dinner I thought I would share with you what we've been working on!!!

(cover layout by Kimber McGray)

Wait until you see the projects in this issue!  We've got the holidays, winter and Valentine's covered!  And truly one of our best and most beautiful issues ever.  To celebrate the upcoming release of this issue and to show how thankful we are, from now through Sunday midnight you can save $2.00 on a one year subscription (Canada $14.95 and US $17.95)!!!  A portion of the proceeds of this sale will go to Relay For Life, a charity very near and dear to Becky's heart. (psst..she has no idea I've planned this!) Subscribing is quick and easy, just click HERE.

You can also place your preorder for our new 2013 PageMaps Sketch calendar too!  The winter issue and the calendar will ship on November 30th!

(cover layout by Kelly Goree)

For all our US friends, readers and industry partners, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Create some very special memories today!

~  Catherine