Just have some fun (and totally random) links for you…

• Remember THIS card? That great stamp set is now available outside of the card kit HERE. Love this set.
• Looking for a baby name? (Ha – I AM!) I love THIS site. Type in a name and it shows it’s popularity over the years. Pretty cool.
• Are you a Hero Arts fan? They just announced a new My Monthly Hero program HERE. I love THIS new birthday set from it. Fun.
• If you are on Facebook, I would love to have your vote for a belly photo contest. Each vote they get gives a dollar to the March of Dimes – awesome. If you are interested, click HERE.
• One of my new favorite cardmakers, Danielle Walls, has a new video series called “Shhh… Mommy’s Hiding.” So cute. Check it out HERE.
• Wanna see one of the best design teams ever? Truly. This is a strong group of artists. Go HERE – it is the A Blog Name Hero design team. Wow.
• I have gotten a few emails asking about our die cutting class, A Cut Above. The first half was traditional die cutting (Big Shot, Cuttlebug, etc.) and the second half is the Silhouette. Lots of fun techniques, a ton of videos and great prizes. You can still sign up HERE. Class is underway but you can catch up anytime as the content never goes away.
• Are you a mom? Proud of your kids? Wanna have a good cry? Go watch THIS.

I think that was enough random for tonight. On to the giveaway…

I have a great giveaway! THREE lucky winners will get a spot in my friend Julie Ebersole‘s upcoming class, Fold It Pop It Flip It Zip It. (If you have taken any Online Card Classes, you will be familiar with her work. She also does classes with Ellen Hutson… and they are fab!) Here is more info and it looks like fun…

Ready to take your standard card to a whole new level?  Learn how to incorporate specialty folds, shadow boxes, pop-ups and other fun interactive elements into your greetings!  Join long-time instructor Julie Ebersole for Fold It, Pop It, Flip It, Zip It! and learn more than a dozen different ways to add an extra element of fun and surprise to your card designs!

The two week course features video tutorials, complete step-by-step instructions, diagrams & patterns, along with project photos in downloadable PDF format.  Also included in the class are: A gallery, private forum, additional projects contributed by special guest designers, exclusive shopping discounts and prize drawings!

Come and go to the classroom on your own schedule, and, as always, enjoy lifetime access to all class materials! Class begins May 7-18! For more information, head HERE.

So here is your chance to win one of three spots. Just leave a comment here by Friday at 11:59pmEST. Oh, and if you have any baby name ideas, I would love to hear them. Good luck!

See you soon.

Here’s the info…

Are you a die cutting expert or do you consider yourself a novice? Do you prefer a traditional die cutting machine or would you rather use your computer to design what you’ll be cutting? Or maybe you’re just not sure! Never fear, we’re here to help! Join Kristina Werner, Jennifer McGuire, guest instructor Nichol Magouirk and many great guests for A Cut Above, as they show you the ins and outs and everything you need to know about the various die cutting systems.

You’ll leave class with the knowledge of numerous tips and creative techniques for using the Big Shot, Vagabond, Cuttlebug and Grand Calibur with various types of dies and embossing folders, as well as the Silhouette Cameo. The first half of class will be devoted to traditional die cutting methods and the second half will be focused on the increasingly popular Silhouette (Cameo, SD, and original Silhouette). Simple to complex, beginning to advanced – we’ll cover it all!

This three-week interactive class includes free downloads (including from guest artist Ali Edwards), BIG prizes, galleries, a Q&A forum and lifetime access! Class runs April 16 to May 7, but content will be available for a lifetime.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO & TO REGISTER!

If you’re interested in only the traditional die cutting portion of the class, or maybe in just the Silhouette portion, we will be offering A Cut Above in two separate parts on May 15. You can find more info on that HERE.

Giveaway time! I have three spots to give away in the A Cut Above class. Leave a comment here telling me your favorite die cutting machine or if you are dreaming of having one. I will pick 3three winners on Wednesday 11:59pmEST. If you have already registered for the class and win, we will give you a refund.

Hope you have a blessed and happy Easter, filled with the peace of knowing He has Risen. Take care!

I bet most of you saw this video that Tim Holtz posted on his blog today… but I thought I would share here just in case. It shows a peek into his Creative Chemistry 101 online class. A lot of people were asking – It isn’t too late to sign up. If you sign up before the 9th, you can ask questions of Tim in the forum, share in the student gallery and use shopping discounts. After the 9th, you can still sign up, but just won’t have those live aspects I just mentioned. Regardless, you will have lifetime access to content. To sign up, go HERE.

Yes, you read it right. Over 5 hours of video with Tim. As my friend would say, “isn’t that every girl’s dream?” Hahaha.

Also, for those of you who are subscribers to the Online Card Classes newsletter, you should have received today information on signing up for the our next class. We will announce it to everyone soon!

Next up? A card share. I did this one awhile back. But I don’t *think* I have shared it here yet. So here it is…

Used lots of Studio Calico chipboard butterflies here… wrapping thin string around them several times and tying in a knot at the top for antennae. After finishing it, I felt it was too much brown, so I added one small Glossy Accent covered heart.

See you tomorrow.

“Join Kelly Purkey in another installment of her popular Sketchbook class! Sketchbook 4 is a four week class filled with fresh sketches, easy instructions, beautiful examples, and lots of fun. This class is designed to be used at any time and over + over again when you need inspiration.

Sketchbook is different from any other sketch class out there because Kelly and the contributors offer design tips and detailed explanation of what makes a page work. It’s more than sketches – they’ll deliver valuable pointers for creating great layouts.

By the end of the class, you’ll have a complete sketchbook of 12 original sketches, 38 layouts, and an ADDITIONAL 38 sketches based on those creative pages. All the examples are brand new layouts, exclusive to this class… you won’t see them anywhere else! You will be receiving an example layout from Kelly for each of the sketches, along with two example layouts from a Studio Calico Design Team member and some of your favorite SC Guest Designers.”

Hope to see you there. Interested in winning a spot? Just leave a comment here by Thursday night for your chance.

Here are a few things I have found that you may want to check out…

• The folks at Lawn Fawn are having a great inspiration week with lots of card ideas. Adorable stuff HERE.
• I have loved seeing Heather’s tag creations based on the Tim Holtz Creative Chemistry 101 class. Gorgeous work.
• I am really impressed by the new A Blog Named Hero site. Good stuff.

See you soon.

I have noticed there are a lot of great online classes going on right now. Lots! So I thought I would pull together a list of several I have found that I think you all may like. And for a couple of them, I have some spots to give away!

Let’s get started…

Creative Chemistry 101 from Tim Holtz starts on Monday the 19th! If you have taken any of the Online Card Classes from me along with Kristina Werner, you will feel right at home with this class. We are thrilled to have Tim doing this awesome class – there will be so much to learn. If you are new to Distress Inks, etc – this class is for you. If you are a Distress Ink pro – this class is for you, too! It is about understanding the science behind why these products are great and why they work the way they do. Amazing stuff. Here is a video he did… so cool…

To sign up for this class, visit HERE.  (And for a chance to win a spot or get a refund if you have already signed up, leave a comment here. More on that below.)

I also wanted to share a new video I created that explains how the Online Card Classes work. First, I talk about the interactive classes (which Tim’s class will be) and then independent classes (which you can take anytime – there are four classes now which all have very different content). Here is a peek inside how it all works…

To sign up for any Online Card Classes, go HERE. The four independent classes include Clean and Simple Card Making, Holiday Card Boot Camp (which is full of techniques, even if the holidays have past), Inspiration Showcase and Summer Card Camp.

My friend Kerri Bradford has a new online class at jessicasprague.com called Getting To Know You. This self-paced class includes 5 lessons that leads you through the ins and outs of using the Silhouette digital die cut machine. It includes some exclusive goodies and lessons from the Silhouette pro! It is normally $24 but now has an introductory price of $19.

To sign up for this class, go HERE. (And for a chance to win a spot, leave a comment here. More on that below.)

You know how much I love stamping, right? And stamping + scrapbooking is even better. The uber talented Jen Gallacher has a new class at 2peas called Scrapbook Stamper’s Workshop. This class looks great with a TON of content for a good price. A must for scrapbookers!

To sign up for this class, visit HERE.

My adorable friend Julie Ebersole (who taught with us in Clean and Simple Stamping) also has a class she did for Ellen Hutson (one of my favorite online stores) – The Gifted Stamper. This class has a dozen fabulous handmade gift ideas for all occasions. Brilliant!

To sign up for this class, visit HERE.

Kelly Purkey is one of my favorite people in this world. And so it is natural that her classes are a favorite of mine, too. She is back with another of her popular classes – Sketchbook 4. This class is overflowing with sketches and is perfect for any scrapbooker. (38 layouts total!) There are lots of great guests in this class – and I am tickled to be one of them.

To sign up for this class, visit HERE.

It’s time for another True Scrap – True Scrap 3! I won’t be a part of it this time around (as I don’t want to be in labor during class – ha) but there is a GREAT crew of teachers. (I am going to sign up and take the classes.) If you go HERE and sign up for the info email, you will get a discount for when the class sign ups open.

I hope one or more of these classes inspire you. I am a big believer in all the fun things we can learn from each other in these environments. So fun.

Lots of great classes, huh? For a chance to win a spot in Creative Chemistry 101 from Tim Holtz or Getting To Know You from Kerri Bradford, leave a comment here by Wednesday night at 11:59pmEST. Good luck!

I wanted to pop in with some good news.

Due to the great excitement around Tim’s class, we will be moving open registration up to tomorrow – Saturday the 25th. If you were already an Online Card Classes newsletter subscriber, you should have received a few emails with links to a discounted class price for pre-registration. If you got one of these, be sure to do it right away! When it opens for registration tomorrow, the class with be the normal fee of $35. And no worries, everyone. The class will not fill – so if you can’t sign up right away, you can always sign up next week, next month, next anything. It will be fun! Just go HERE to sign up starting tomorrow.

There is a new product that I wanted to share with you. I love it!

I bet a lot of you out there are as addicted to foam dots as I am. They are a great way to add dimension and interest without a lot of bulk for mailing. And if you are like me, sometimes you find it hard to cut  white foam dots small enough so that the white doesn’t show around the sides of a small piece.

Well, this product solves that. They are Kool Tak Clear Foam Dots and Foam Tape. That’s right – no more seeing the white from the sides. Yay! I really like these. They are super strong and aren’t too bulky, which is nice. (But if you want thicker, you can layer two.) You can cut the pieces in half – the adhesive is so strong you don’t need to use much.

I will still be using my favorite white foam adhesive (EK Success 1/16″ and American Crafts 1/8″) for most of my crafting. But for small pieces or special cards, I will be using this new clear. You can find the Clear Foam Dots HERE and the Clear Foam Tape HERE.

Enjoy!

I have been getting a lot of questions about our next Online Card Class. It is a good one – taught by my friend Tim Holtz.

Currently, it is only open for pre-registration for folks who had signed up for the Online Card Classes newsletter in the past. (You should have received an email this morning.) These folks get the perk of a discounted rate. On March 1, regular registration starts and you will see more information about the class from Tim and Online Card Classes. To be notified when registration is open, please go HERE and click to sign up for the newsletter. (No worries – everyone will be able to get in!) This class will be a great one – good for newbies and pros alike. Like many of you out there, I admire Tim for his amazing talent and ability to share it in an inspiring way. But above this, he is an all around good guy, so we are thrilled to bring you this class.

More soon!

By the way, if you are looking for a badge to add to your blog for Online Card Classes, feel free to use this great one Kristina created. Love it…

I also wanted to let you know that I have emailed the four folks I randomly picked for the craft goodie boxes. But never fear if you still want a chance at one. After reading your kind comments, it inspired me to start putting some more together. (I need to be doing this badly! I have procrastinated because I don’t want to give many of these goodies up. But I also like to share…) So, stayed tuned for more goodie boxes. Thanks for your support.

I also mentioned that I would be doing random giveaways here and there. Well I have one today! I picked a winner from my February 15th post - Shannon Ketchum. You will be getting a few of one of my favorite adhesives – Plus Adhesive. I love this adhesive. It puts down tiny dots of adhesive that can be rubbed away if you would like. And it applies the dots in a thin line – something cardmakers can use. (You can find it HERE.)

I will have some more giveaways here soon. Purging reveals great giveaway material that I am dying to share. See you soon!

I am just popping in to give away a spot in the Stretch Your  Kit Class over at Studio Calico. I mentioned it to you all last week… but now I have a spot to give away.

Here is a bit about the class:

Are you ready to jumpstart the way you look at supplies?  Tired of letting your kits pile up month after month without touching them?  Ready to pull out the tools you have on hand and put them to use? Amy Tan is here to help show you how to see the Studio Calico Main kits in new ways and get those supplies onto your pages.  She’s ready to share tips and tricks on making your kit supplies stretch to create beautiful page after page. Known for her playful and innovative pages, Amy is the perfect teacher to help you stretch your kits.  She’ll walk you through ideas for breaking open those brown paper bags and seeing your kits in a fun new way.  Amy and Studio Calico kits… what a great combination! Amy is joined by creative powerhouses Kelly Goree, Celine Navarro, and Jen Jockisch who will all share inspiration for using ONLY the Studio Calico Main kit.  You’ll see their process for getting started on a layout, selecting which supplies to pull from the kits, and tips for using their favorite tools and techniques. Starts 2/1/12 and costs $30.

For more information, click HERE.

Want to win a spot in the Stretch Your Kit class? Just leave a comment here by Wednesday at 11:59pm EST. Good luck!

Ok.. on to the video…

For this month’s technique video with Studio Calico products, I decided to do something a bit different. I am in love with their wood veneer products. They aren’t too bulky and are high quality and come in great shapes. And since first seeing the hearts, I knew I wanted to try making a necklace with them. Oh – and I show in this video a fun use of Mister Huey spray mists…

For more info, visit HERE.

See you soon.

Just wanted to share a few heads up. These are just things I have seen or know of that I thought you all might be interested. A little of this and a little of that – something for everyone.

You gotta move quick on this one! (Sorry – I just found it – the deadline is soon.) Lawn Fawn is having a challenge where the winners will have their cards in their catalog and CHA booth. Fun!

Love this challenge. For more info, go HERE.

Have you been thinking of joining Studio Calico? Now is the time. Enter the code SUBNOW to get 25% your entire order when you subscribe.

This is good through 1/10. Click HERE for more info.

Speaking of Studio Calico, they have a new class called Stretch Your Kit that has caught my eye. I love the idea behind it… and the teacher. Amy Tan is fabulous, and her class talks about making the most of product – making it go further. Love.

Click HERE for more info.

I just noticed that the newest BasicGrey line is now available. So excited! THIS Kissing Booth 6×6 paper pad is fabulous. Love the chevron pink paper in it. Yum…

Check it out HERE.

May Flaum has a great class with Big Picture coming up called Field Guide. I think this one will be fun because it brings together lots of different crafts and shares techniques and ways to get more from your product. (I even pitched in a tiny bit of help, too.) You can see a video about it HERE.

Click HERE for more info.

A few of my friends (including Kim Kesti, Betsy Veldman, Allison Landy and Teri Anderson) have a new card class at Big Picture called Cooking Up Cards. This class looks like fun, with happy card ideas and helpful recipes for success. Click HERE for more info. Here is a fun card from it…

And guess what? I told Kim I wanted to share this on my blog and she said I could give a spot in the Cooking Up Cards class away here! Just leave a comment here by Saturday night for your chance to win. Good luck.

See you soon.

]]> http://www.jennifermcguireink.com/2012/01/some-heads-up-and-a-giveaway.html/feed 252