Work is progressing on the studio RETREAT

Earl is busy installing lighting and power switches and outlets where they are needed in the building. I have spent numerous hours setting up my diecut center. I have a large abundence of Accucut and Ellison dies and the Accucut Grande Mark machine. I have all the dies numbered and a master list to locate any one of them at a moments notice. There is also designated space for the many other dies, racks of Sizzix, all the cuttlebug dies and embossing folders and a special workstation for the Cricut Expression.
I kept getting emails from Vista Print for business cards so finally took a look and was amazed to actually find a business card which contained two black cats on it. Well that is perfect for the studio Retreat which has my two black cats in residence. The cards are ordered and have been shipped and will arrive in about a week, as I chose snail mail rather than EXPENSIVE shipping......The kittens would be so proud to know they will be the stars of the business cards. too cute for words, and what are the chances of just happening to find black cats on cards right when I first started looking.
I have been busy creating Halloween cards using the Accucut A2 cris-cross card diecut. It is ever so cute and has so many possibilities. I showed my samples at work and immediately got orders, to make some for others.
Next weekend I travel to Creston Iowa to a big Scrapbook all day event to demo the Cricut Expression........What fun that will be but still have to get my samples display board done and fix up some make and take cards that people can do there as well. Hope you are embracing this early crisp fall air and using it as inspiration for fun holiday cards and page layouts..........sharan, emma & tippy.

Two little fur babies have a new home

We have adopted a kitten, and hubby named her Tippy, as she is all black and has white on the very tip of her tail like she dipped it in paint. She was a twin, the only two born in the litter, and after two days I went back and adopted her sister as well. After several days of pondering over a name I chose Emma, named after my grandmother. The name fits her and she responds to it now. They love chasing each other and playing together constantly. I have my fun fur yarn tower in PaperKrafters Retreat already and they are often times found playing with a ball of yarn from the very bottom shelf. We have already fixed up a kitchen area in the Retreat and will have a bedroom as well. I plan on having two extra beds so we can have guests or Craft Retreat Slumber Parties. I guess I never grew up!! Our town had a freecycle Saturday last week. The way it worked, people brought USEABLE things they wanted to get rid of on Fri. pm and we volunteers sorted items by catagory and on Sat. from 8-noon people could come and take anything they could USE for free. It was amazing and a fun time for everyone. There was very little stuff left and it was donated to a thrift shop. I got a good solid desk, and while waiting for a friend to come with his truck to haul it for me someone dropped off a kitchen table and four chairs and it is now in our kitchen area at the Retreat. I also got a red checked gingham table cloth.......so I now have a very retro kitchen set at the retreat. The Freecycle Saturday could be held in any town, or even by a church congregation. Plans are in the works to do it again next year. Enjoy this Labor Day weekend.

REASON for opening my studio workshop

The journey to this dream began when we moved to NW Iowa and I started a small stamping group that met at my house. I invited a lady that was dealing with a life threating issue and had never stamped before. I thought she might enjoy it. She LOVED it and it kept her focused and occupied until the very end. Her husband shared with me how much she enjoyed the stamping and thanked me for bringing it into her life. I vowed then that if I ever could open a workshop space where people could come and learn their hidden creativity, I would do this.....It is about to become a reality.........we were lucky enough to hear of a small store front that would be available in July 09 and jumped at the chance to obtain it. I am richly blessed in that my husband can do remodeling, and fixing the place the way we want it. Many thanks to Joe who so kindly donated some left over slat wall and wire shelving for it for me to use in the workshop, which my husband named PaperKrafters Retreat. It will not be a store but a place where people can come stamp, scrap and do crafts. I have numerous diecut machines and many many dies will be available to obtain just the diecut or wording people need for their projects. The hammering goes on working toward my dream.

Getting the Retreat Ready

Anticipation is center stage, we are about ready for the new flooring, then I can move in my supplies and set up my Studio and Workshop Space. My Accucut Grande Mark and cardmaking and scrapbooking dies are in place and have been used alot already. Just today I received window decals from Accucut that denote the Retreat as an Accucut Die Cutting Center..........