Photo Expressions

Blog Contest - What do you want?

It is time now to make this blog a little more "interactive". We'd like to have your comments and suggestions on a regular basis here.

So starting Wed April 1st (actually starting now as soon as I post this) , until Tues April 7th at 12pm, we are running a "blog post" contest.  Leave a comment on one of the posts and you will be automatically entered to win 100 FREE 4x6 prints from our Foto Depot.  Woohoo! That will help you start to get through your backlog of photos that need to be printed.

I'll start this contest off by making it easy to respond to this post:

What would you like to see on the PE blog?

What are your favourite types of entries?

What kind of information is helpful for you to have here?

How can we make this a "go to resource" for you?

What should we not put on the blog?

etc etc.  Any information you can share to help us make the PE blog better for you, is very helpful.

Thanks!
Michele

Copic Marker Tutorial

For a great intro video, check this one out.

For something more advanced, take a look at this faux fur technique!

QuicKutz March '09 New Release

Look at this fabulous new release from QuicKutz - Fresh & Funky!

new 4x8 alphabet - Rainbow



border dies



cookie cutter shapes



2x2 Double Dies

            

    
2x2 Single Dies
                 
    
Revolution Dies
          
                  
         
    

Here are some fabulous samples from the QuicKutz website - they have an amazing design team! If you click on the individual images, it will take you to the QK website with a larger image, a product list and a basic description for that project.

                                    

Please visit our website to purchase these items online!

Easy as 1-2-3!

Looking for an easy yet impressive project? Check out this mini album designed by Renée! Using a 6x6 album by American Crafts, a few sheets of 12x12 paper and a few embellishments, this album went together in a matter of minutes.

A 12x12 sheet yields four 6x6 pages, so this entire album takes only 3 sheets of paper plus whatever you need for matting your pictures. And if you use the quadrant paper from We R Memory Keepers....

  

...then you end up with colour coordinated, but unique designs on each page! There is no simpler way to put together a mini album - you'll love it! Come on in and we'll be happy to show you where you can find this quadrant paper.

Here are some of the designs available for the 6x6 American Crafts album ...

 
 
 

...and the very best part is that they're only $5.99 each (members pay $5.39!)!

The Power of the Print

With the "instant gratification" of digital photos these days, we tend to forget the effect we can have by handing someone a memorable print.  This past week we hosted 2 Japanese students (Natsumi and Tomomi, pictured above).  We took photos on the first day and 2nd last day with the family.  Then we made a little collage, uploaded it to Foto Depot and ordered three 5x7 prints (1 for each girl, one for our wall of fame).  We picked them up next day and snuck them into simple black frames.

At dinner on our last evening together, we presented the photo gifts to the girls.  The Japanese culture is a little more reserved than ours, and at first they just stared at the photos while Elaine and I looked at each other.  Then a tear appeared in the corner of Natsumi's eye.  Before long, the 2 girls and Elaine were all weeping and hugging.

We didn't see this side of Tomomi and Natsumi all week until we gave them the printed photos.  Now of course we miss them even more but we are glad we were able to make that emotional connection with them, all through a simple printed photo.  If you are wondering how to impact someone's life, one of the simplest ways is to show you care by giving them a special photo!

Trust us with your memories,
Ron C

Mirror It! Card Ideas

Cristina has been playing around with the 'Mirror It!' tool from Cornish Heritage Farms and is lovin' the results! These rubber pads allow you to stamp reverse images of any of your stamps.

Here's an example of how she made two different cards with mirror images:

 

Or, perhaps even more fun, put the mirror image and original image on the same card!...

Here's how it's done:

• Ink the stamp to be mirrored. 
• Press the stamp against the MirrorIt! Pad.
• Press the MirrorIt! pad against the paper (or whatever else you may be stamping on!)
• Presto! You have the image you always wanted reversed!
• Clean the pad after each use.

These Mirror It! stamps are available in 3 sizes - Small, Medium & Large

New! Clearsnap® Smooch™

Clearsnap® Smooch™ Pearlized Accent Ink is a pigmented pearlized paint that is great for enhancing your paper projects. It can also be used on fabric, wood, acrylics, cardstock, clay, glass and much more. It is great for detail accents and layering. It comes in packaging that resembles nail polish. The super fine tip allows you great control when applying and the pearlized finish leaves your images looking yummy. Each bottle has approximately .33 ounce and it is acid free, archival and fast drying.

Here's a link to a scrapper's blog - Tami Sanders - who has played with the new Smooch line and has some pics to share with you!

Smooch is in the house and ready for sale!

New Autumn Leaves

Look at this oh-so-sweet boy/girl line from Autumn Leaves.

  

  
(Love the martian!)

  
(These die cut chipboard pieces are 4 to 6 inches in height! They're FABULOUS!!)

  

  

  

  

Let Us Help You Plan Ahead!

Oops! In the midst of the hectic seasons of Christmas and inventory, we seem to have pulled some product for clearance...and then stashed the boxes and forgot about them! So imagine our surprise when we came across some fabulous Christmas embellishments that were destined for a super sale that never happened!

So here's your chance to get ahead of the game, and get a handle on this year's Christmas cards before time gets away from you once again and you find yourself in the middle of December frantically trying to get them done (no, you're not alone)! We've put oodles of Christmas embellishments in the clearance section at 50% off! And Jo did a fabulous job organizing them so you can shop easily from these deeply discounted goodies! Come check it out!!

 

Fancy Pants - Kraft Kuts

What a FABULOUS line!!! Fancy Pants' Kraft Kuts gets back to the basics in a quick and "krafty" way! Simple and sweet in design, mixed with the stylish and sophisticated look of Kraft paper, you can't go wrong! This series has a variety of die cuts (check out Tanya's cards!!!), die cut papers (on the layout), and 12x12 patterend papers printed on Kraft paper. These designs use easy to coordinate colours and office style graphics that make completing pages quick and easy.

Thanks, Tanya, for the GORGEOUS samples!!

  



Are you on Facebook? Become of fan of Fancy Pants! They have oodles of inspiration and creative ideas for using their fabulous product.

Cornish Stamp of the Month

We have a new program for you! Cornish Heritage Farms is offering a stamp of the month program and we think you're gonna love it!! The stamp(s) come packaged with a card idea and full instructions, and is 25% off (plus club) during that month.

This month you'll receive Tall Toadstools (CDD-1064KUM) plus Rare and Wonderful (CDD-1065DUM), with this card idea and instructions from Cornish' designer, Kristine Reynolds.

This stamp set is regularly priced $18.99, but is 25% off (plus club discount) until March 31st. So club members will pay only $12.34.

We brought in a limited amount, so come by soon to check it out!

A quick reminder...

Easter with Cornish Heritage Farms

Here are some Easter stamps for you, perfect for your cardmaking and papercrafting projects this season. You could make some customized place cards for your Easter dinner, or perhaps some cute treats for the kids. Our newsletter this week linked to an article off the Cornish website on how to make sucker wraps - these stamps would be perfect!! Follow this link to see the instructions.

       

    


   
    
   

 

  

 

If you're new to the wonderful world of unmounted rubber stamps, then take a look at this tutorial on how to get started.

Creating Keepsakes April 2009

The April edition of Creating Keepsakes is in the house, with tons of fabulous articles including:

• 10 Moments to Cherish in Spring
• Less Taxing Layouts: Simplify Your Scrapbooking
• Flights of Fancy: Spring ideas for your layouts
• 5 Creative Approaches to Journaling
• Paint With a Twist
• Hall of Fame Announcement!

Plus tons of online links and how-to's including:

• Becky Higgins free sketch printouts
• Easter egg holder
• birthday crown
• free sweepstakes
• 30 bonus sketches
• A comprehensive how-to on paints
• poetry ideas for journaling
• 10 photo ops for kids this spring

Kate's favourite findings in this issue are:

 a link for a free download on how how to make this ADORABLE birthday crown...

...and some wonderful computer tricks and shortcuts.

Bisous - New to PE!

Oh My Goodness!! We're so excited about this line of product. Bisous is a Canadian company that makes double sided pre-finished layouts that appear 3 dimensional on cardstock weight paper. They are Fabulous!

  

These PDQ papers are ideal for anyone who likes to save time and money creating a beautiful layout or album. There is no paper wastage, cutting, inking or painting - everything is done for you. Professionals enjoy this line of product because it saves them time, and beginners love it because they can create a balanced, well designed, beautiful layout every single time.

    

 

You simply add your photos and journaling to complete a professional layout in minutes or purchase one of their 20 page album kits and complete an entire album in an afternoon!

  

They have a wonderful online photo gallery that will show you a plethora of ideas for using this fabulous product! Come into PE soon and let us show you just how great these papers really are!