a few thoughts about teaching scrapbooking

Many moons ago I was a teacher of scrapbooking classes. I'm not really one to enjoy standing in front of an audience of people for any other reason, but I loved teaching scrapbooking. Loved.

Being a good scrapbooking teacher requires more than the ability to say "glue this piece to that piece". That, however, is a topic for another day.

These days I am a taker of classes.

For a good class, I am willing to drive a long way and pay a good amount of money. I enjoy being around creative and crafty co-horts and I like the process of creating while letting someone else do the thinking, the planning and preparing and the clean-up. (I might be a lazy crafter.)

However, I have one rule. This rule came about through great disappointment, on several occasions. When deciding to take a class in scrapbooking or card-making, I have but one rule: I will not sign up for a class without having seen some part of the actual projects being completed in the class.

Will. Not.
Under any circumstances.
Nope.
Not gonna do it.
Ever again.

Why should I make the risky investment of my money and time, when the teacher can't be bothered to invest a photo or three of the project?

There's a rather popular teacher in my area who offers classes on a regular basis at a local church. She sells products from a direct sales organization. She regularly has 45-75 people in attendance at her day-long events, and charges $60-$75 for the day of crafting. (Hello. What a sweet gig.)

I have met a few of the people who attend her events pretty regularly and they rave. "Her stuff is always so cute!" they say with such glee. "You should come!" And their excitement makes me want to attend...but I have this rule.

And when I go to her website, it's out of date. Woefully. Months. Almost a year.
When I email her, I get no response.

When someone on Facebook asks about her next event, she gives them the date. If they ask for pictures, she claims to not be that technologically advanced. But hey, she can use Facebook.

Her newsletter tells you how to sign up for her class and gives a brief description. Something along the lines of "Come have a great time making 16 cards with fun and fresh designs using XYZ product!" Ummm, yeah. That tells me nothing.

Oh wait. It tells me she's not interested in growing her business with new people. Maybe she has enough business. It's like she can't be bothered. And that bothers me. How hard is it to finish your project, take a picture and slap it up on Facebook or your blog?

--Sarah

up up and away

My space is a crazy mess from all the stamping that's been going on lately...it's a nice change of pace.

A few days ago I started stamping and punching cupcakes--and realized that I should devise a way to save the extras that invariably happen.

There's a stack of Becky Higgins' Project Life page protectors sitting on the corner of my desk...hmmm.

That's perfect. I sacrificed one of those lovely sub-divided page protectors and am happy to say that I now have the perfect little storage idea for extra stamped images.

So obviously you can't really see the clear "page protector" that's attached to the left inside of the stamp case...but it's there. I cut a single section of one of the Project Life protectors out and put a strip of adhesive on the back, attaching it to the case (although that's not absolutely necessary). It would work just fine to slip the little section, which is sealed on the sides and the bottom, inside the case without adhesive.

Certainly not rocket science...and I'm probably not the first person to come up with this...but I do enjoy a little happy storage stroke of genius from time to time. :)

Cupcakes and Hot Air Balloons are popping up everywhere lately...I really wanted a blue ribbon on this but, oddly enough, there was no dark blue ribbon in the stash. I know, right. How can that be?

Happy Stamping!

--Sarah

build a better cupcake

It's crazy hot outside today so it's not a difficult task to stay planted inside and stamp!

Stampin' Up! stole my heart when they debuted this delightful set called Build a Cupcake last summer...and of course, a punch designed to work with it called the Cupcake Builder.

I'm drawn to this color scheme right now...

Crumb Cake for the base

Soft Suede for the cupcake wrapper

Baja Breeze for the fluffy frosting part

Island Indigo for the string bow.

I would really love to have cut the "holes" in the string bow out but that's some super difficult fussy-cutting so I opted not to bother.

I truly love the Signo White Ink pen...I've tried them all and it's the best white ink pen I've found.

Stay cool everyone!

--Sarah