DESIGNER OF THE MONTH

 This is the kit that our Designer of the Month entrants purchased to make a two-page layout and two cards for their submissions.  When all of the votes were cast and counted, Shaunery Wharton was our new Designer of the Month.  Congratulations to Shaunery!  

This is the two page layout that Shaunery created using the products provided  So many wonderful features on this layout!

Check out this jack-o-lantern.  Love the mottled orange color and he is covered with crackle accents for even more fun.

Love those orange pearl swirls!  And the paint splats were made using the new Tim Holtz stencils--you know you want some of those so you can do this!

These are Shaunery's card entries.  The witch on the card on the left is covered with glossy accents.

As you can see from these projects, Shaunery is a very artistic lady and loves all things Tim Holtz...including Tim!  I asked Shaunery to share some information about herself so everyone could get to know her better.

I am a stay-at-home-mom of three "kids" who are now  college, high school and intermediate students now!  I've been scrap booking for 20 years. For 13+ years I've been married to my best friend & husband.  Between his military career and the kids, there's no shortage of photo's or occasions to scrap.

My favorite scrapbook "theme" is vintage, grunge, dated, antiqued and old.  So Tim Holtz & Ranger are my "go to" products.  Single page and two page layouts are always something I've done, but lately my interests are drifting to "little" projects" and even mini albums.  This is surprising, considering the stack of unfinished albums there are in the cupboard!  

Challenges are also a new interest.  They keep me on my toes and push me to try new things.  The ladies who join along, also provide enormous inspiration as well.  Cat's gals are all so talented and and it always gets my creative juices flowing when I get to hang out at the store for crops or classes.  

Shaunery is on the design team for CSI, Color, Stories, Inspiration, a group that has a challenge every week.  I've played along on a couple of their challenges and they are a lot of fun and very challenging.  Lots of creative talent over there.

Congratulations to Shaunery for being our second Designer of the Month!

SUNDAY INSPIRATION

Inspiration abounds at Cat's!  We are so blessed to have some very talented designers teaching classes at the store.

Cat owns the store and is CRAZY talented.  This is the Cruising album she taught at the NSD retreat and just ONE of the amazing things she has dreamed up!  We are so blessed to have such a talented store owner as well as Ray and his handy dandy laser to cut out those creations she dreams up!

Nanci teaches a tag class every month and teaches us so many techniques.  These classes are so much fun and we learn how to use all of those Tim Holtz products we own!

Sandy's classes are over the top intricate and involved!  This is the boxed album class that she taught yesterday at the store and will teach at the November retreat.  It is simply AMAZING! Sandy's classes are very popular and if you take one make sure you bring your score pal and score tape--you will need it!  LOL!

Sandy was our first guest designer of the month.  This is one of the amazing projects she submitted.  It is a treasure box and had several mini albums inside.  Sandy is also on and has been on several other design teams. 

Shaunery Wharton is our October Designer of the Month and this is one of her submissions.  Shaunery is very much a mixed media artist and is on the design team of Color, Stories, Inspiration.  Shaunery will be featured on the blog later this week with the rest of her winning submissions.  

We are very blessed to have such talented artists around us at Cat's.  In addition to those mentioned above, the customers are also extremely talented.  One of the wonderful things about coming to crops and retreats is the inspiration you get from those around you.  There is a crop this Saturday - come join us and be inspired! 

DESIGNER OF THE MONTH SUBMISSIONS

Grab a cup of coffee (or two) and be prepared to be WOWED by some amazing projects!

It is time to vote on our next Designer of the Month. We have 3 applicants this month.  Please email Cat at catbeaty@sbcglobal.net by October 24th with either Applicant A, B or C and your vote will count. The winner will be announced on Saturday, October 26th. Requirements for this month were a 2 page layout and a card using the items that were provided in the kit. Only ribbon and bling could be added. Let's show these talented ladies some LOVE!

APPLICANT A

Wonderful layout by Applicant "A" - love that witch on the side!

Close-up of the witch

Card and a cute treat bag.  Love those dimensional spiders!

Even the inside of the card is cute!

APPLICANT B:

Wonderful layout by Applicant "B".  Love that pumpkin!

...and a close-up of that pumpkin along with other embellishments!

Applicant "B"s card.....

WOW...look at  the card now!  It grows!  SPOOKY!  LOL!

APPLICANT C:

Wonderful layout by Applicant C.  LOVE that jack-o-lantern and ink blots!

Close-up of the pumpkin

and a close-up of one of the ink-blots.

Two cards from Applicant "C"

Close-up of the shiny witch in the middle of the first card.

There you have it!  The entries for the three applicants and it is going to be a really tough choice.  Each one has done an amazing job.  So, click on the images so you can see all of the amazing features, then make the tough choice.  Remember to email your choice to:  catbeaty@sbcglobal.net.

Cast your vote for A, B, or C!

MARVELOUS MONDAY

NINE DAYS LEFT 

until the projects for the October Designer of the Month are due.

There is still time for you to pick up a kit and join in on the fun!

This time you will make a two page layout and a card with the materials provided in the kit. 

Kits are ready for you to purchase now. 

Projects must be turned in by October 16th. 

Winners will be announced the following weekend.

Do any of the descriptions above describe you????  

I definitely identify with several of them.

I just wanted to share this with you to start your week off with a smile :)

I HOPE YOUR

MONDAY IS

MARVELOUS!

DESIGNER OF THE MONTH

Our first Designer of the Month was voted on by the September retreaters.  The winner was Sandy Trefger!  These are the projects she made for the competition:

One of the requirements was to make a project other than a layout or card, so Sandy made a treasure box.  Unfortunately, the projects of the entrants were damaged by a coffee spill, so the coffee stains are not part of the original entry.  Cat provided both of the entrants replacement paper so they could repair their projects.  

This is the inside of the treasure box and the two mini albums inside.

The entrants were required to make a card.  This is the card and envelope that Sandy made for the competition.  Love those pinwheels!

One-half of the two page layout they were required to make.  

Second half of the layout. Again, the coffee stains were not part of the design!

As you can see, Sandy is a very talented lady.  She is a regular teacher at the store and her classes are very popular.  I asked Sandy to share some information about herself:

I've been scrapbooking since 1995 and have all my old photos and my mother's photos safely archived in scrapbook albums.  I still scrapbook now and then but have since moved into creating mini albums for my current photos (though right now not many of them are in the mini albums just yet!)

Since I was no longer scrapbooking on 12x12 layouts because I was "caught up", I started making cards for Operation Write Home in 2011.  That is also when I started my blog:  www.sandyscraftycreations.blogspot.com  to share my cards and to participate in card challenges.  In June, 2012, I ventured into designing.  I guest designed for the We R Memory Keepers Facebook Page in June, 2012 by creating a two page layout. In June of that year I also applied to several Design Teams for challenge blogs.  I am currently designing for the following challenges:

Digi Haven  June 2012 - present
Seems A Little Sketchy June 2012 - present
Cards in Envy  February 2013 - present

In addition, I am the Winner Coordinator for Seems A Little Sketchy and the Hostess for Cards in Envy both on the blog and on their Facebook page.

I am a past designer for the following challenges:
Clear It Out Tuesday August 2012 - January 2013
Stamping Shack November 2012 - April 2013
Christmas Cards All Year Round  January 2013 - June 2013

I love crafting with pretty papers, which means I have a lot in my craft room and I love sharing what I learn with others. I have a Youtube channel where I post how to videos and tutorials.  You can find the links to the videos and tutorials on my blog.

Congratulations, Sandy and thanks for sharing this information with us.

It's DOUBLE PUNCH THURSDAY, so come to the store and pick up some of the AMAZING new products that have arrived at the store.  You get double punches all day long, so it is a great way to fill up your punch card to get $10 off of your next purchase.

CAT-TASTIC CATURDAY!

It's a Cat-tastic Caturday at the store with classes all day long.  This morning we will have Sandy's bitty book class and this afternoon will be Nanci's tag class.  I hope you will join us for one or both of these classes, but if you can't join us for the classes I hope you will visit the store and check out all of the new product that has arrived the past few weeks.

The time is almost up for the September Designer of the Month contest.  Looking forward to seeing everyone's creations!  Of course, Cat already has the kits ready for the October Designer of the Month Contest.

Check out these great kits.  You have some sparkly thickers AND some of Ray's Lazer cuts to work with on your projects. This time you will make a two page layout & a card with the materials provided in the kit. The kits are $18 and they are ready for purchase now. Your projects must be turned in by October 16th and the winner will be announced the following weekend.  I can't wait to see the fabulous creations with this kit. 

 As promised, Ray made a TCU Horned Frogs laser cut layout for us.  Gotta love the Horned Frogs!

This year we get to extend our retreat fun with classes from the "BoBettes" from BoBunny.  On Wednesday, September 25th, they will be teaching two classes beginning at 6:00 p.m.  The first class is a mini album using the "Elf Magic" collection that was so popular at the Birthday Retreat.  Following that class will be a layout featuring "The Avenues" another collection that was extremely popular.  These collections were so popular that Cat has had to reorder them for the store.  I hope you can join us for these fun classes.  

Have a Cat-tastic Caturday!

FABULOUS FRIDAY

FIVE DAYS UNTIL

THE SEPTEMBER RETREAT...YEAH!!!!

AND FIVE DAYS LEFT TO GET YOUR PROJECTS READY FOR THE

DESIGNER OF THE MONTH CONTEST.....

It is time to get INKY at Cat's!

Saturday afternoon we will be getting our fingers all inky while making this beautiful tag in Nanci's tag class.

We will also be making this cool tag.  If you are taking the tag class, I got a supply list from Nanci:

Regular tools

Glossy accents

Paper distressor 

Tiny attacher

Ink tool

Non-stick craft mat

Heat tool

Water color brush or copics

Inks as follows;

Greens

Oranges

Purples

Browns

Reds

Blues

Blacks

Yellows

Stickles...orange, green, purple, icicles, brown

Tuesday we will be getting inky again with Jen Starr.  She will be teaching three classes using all kinds of products from Tim Holtz, Faber Castell, Viva Decor, and other companies. 

Classes like these from Nanci and Jen teach us how to use some of those amazing products that we all own and may not know how to use.  So to get the most out of all of those products we think we have to have, sign up for technique driven classes.  You won't regret it and will learn new ways to use products in your stash.

See you in class!

LABOR DAY SALE

Today is the last day of the end of summer sale.

Patriotic, Summer, Beach, & BBQ Collections, and All Stamps* are

40% off TODAY

*Excludes all of the new product that has just arrived in these categories.

PLUS

Brand new baskets of sale paper & Tschotzkies

are on sale for

 75% off TODAY

It is time to 

RUN, 

not walk

to the store!!!  

Don't miss out 

on this fantastic sale!

Have you purchased your kit for the Designer of the Month competition?   Several people have purchased their's already and it is limited to 12 people. So, don't miss out.  Pick your kit up today. Our first Designer of the Month Kit uses the Bazzill Basics Lucy's Crab Shack.  

These are the rules for participating in the competition:

  1. Purchase the monthly kit at Cat's (Limited to 12 kits)

  2. With each kit you must create the following:

      A. 2-pg Layout

      B. Card

      C. Project of your choice with remaining product

      D. You must use some of all all products from the kit on each project.

      E. Ribbons, buttons, etc are not included in the kit but may be added from your stash.

      F.Each project will be graded for creativity, neatness, & originality. The cumulative score will determine the winner.  Judges for this first one will be the September Retreaters (unless they have submissions) 

Your completed projects must be submitted by September 18th.