Crafting in Paradise

Looking outside today, it's hard to believe that just a week or so ago it was snowy and cold here in the Dallas area.  Having just come back from a cruise with the Denton County Aggie Moms, I was not happy to be stuck indoors wearing layer upon layer of clothes to keep warm.  Now it is warm, and I want to be outside, soaking up some sun!  So for all of you who are still deep in the throes of winter, who are aching for some sun and tired of all the snow, here's a little something to help take your mind off needing another layer of socks....

Picture this, a warm Caribbean breeze is gently blowing through your hair, the warm sun kisses your skin while the tide licks your toes and keeps you cool.  A fruity drink with a pretty little umbrella is in your right hand, and your left hand just found your favorite song on your iPod.  

Hours later, after a delicious meal, you head to the Conference Center, where you and your friends can while away the hours working on your scrapbooks, cards, or other crafty projects.  Everyone is having a great time, learning new skills, creating beautiful things, and enjoying each other's company.

You get to do this for SEVEN DAYS.  No dishes, no laundry, no work...just you, your crafts, your friends, some fun workshops, and a cruise ship full of more fun and activities that you could ever imagine -- and it's all included in one very low price! 

Sounds like heaven, right?  Well it can all be yours for the very low starting rate of just $741, which includes 7 nights accommodations, meals, workshops, 24-hour access to our crop room, plus lots of goodies, gifts, prizes, and more.  Payment plans are available, and your deposit of $250 will hold your spot. 

But hurry!  These rates are only available through May 29, 2015, and once our allotment of cabins is filled, new bookings will be at the current market rate.

 

Today's card is a fun one I made a while back when I hosted a "Cruise Week" open house.  I listed the supplies used below.  This was a really simple card, and I had a lot of fun making it.  It features several layers, with the stamp and "You're Invited" popped up over the embossed piece.  Here is a picture of the card face before I embossed the background and added the stamp and sentiment:

It looks a little plain without the embossing, don't you think?

Supplies:  Stampin' Up Very Vanilla card stock, "Oh, Hello" stamp set, "Square Lattice" embossing folder, Baked Brown Sugar, Costal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding and Strawberry Slush inks.  Close to My Heart "Post Card - Travel Series" stamp set.

 

Crafting on the Go!

Do you ever wonder where all your time goes?  I do!  With two companies to run (Crafty Neighbor and my travel agency, Crafty Neighbor Travel), I am constantly busy running here, running there, finishing this, working on that.  A lot of time gets wasted driving in traffic (especially construction!) and waiting for web pages and computer applications to load, process, or do whatever it is that makes everything seem so S-L-O-W.  And I feel like I never have any time to scrapbook or craft.  One way that I remedy that is to take a little bit of crafting with me wherever I go, and it’s a lot easier than it sounds.

Since I seldom have large chunks of time to work on my favorite projects, I have to make use of the little bits of time I do have…the little bits that seem to always get wasted here and there…for instance, sitting at the doctor’s office or car wash.  By keeping a small project in my car, (usually something that I can carry in my purse or a small tote bag), I can make use of all that idle time.  My favorite projects to carry around these days are knitting and crochet, especially scarves because they are repetitive and I don’t have to read the pattern once I get it started.  I’ve also brought along a notebook for journaling, a sketchbook for drawing, and even my Zentangle supplies.  Photos can be cropped on the go with a small paper trimmer, and Provocraft’s Gypsy is great for portable die cutting projects.

As a travel agent, I also spend a lot of nights in hotels on business-related trips, and rather than while away the hours watching free HBO, I frequently bring some crafty materials with me to work on.  My favorite things to work on are my smash book and my art journal, but I have also worked on 12x12 page layouts during Layout a Day, and I’m getting ready to start on a mini-album to document all the scrapbook stores I’ve visited over the years.  I like projects like these because I can usually get away with bringing only a small paper trimmer and a few embellishments or supplies (think shoe box, etc.).  Just this weekend, I was traveling with my daughter Christen and we both brought our art journals to work on.  The bed makes a great workspace; just make sure you bring a mat to protect the bedding.

Here’s some of what I worked on. 

These are just the beginnings of pages in my journal.  The loose paper will be a Zentangle when I’m done with it.  They are both projects in my 365 Challenge. 

And this is my little travel kit of supplies.  I actually took more than this box on this trip, but I can usually manage with just this box.  It contains my Copic markers, an assortment of pens and pencils, a few small stamps, ink, and washi tape.  I even threw a few small stencils in just for grins.

Speaking of traveling…the reason for our journey to the Houston area was two-fold.  The main purpose was for me to inspect the Carnival Magic cruise ship as a requirement for my CLIA Accredited Cruise Counselor certification.  (It’s a fabulous ship, by the way!)  The other purpose was to visit those three scrapbook stores in the Houston area (because who can pass up an opportunity to shop at a new scrapbooking store?), and the third reason was to promote our 2015 Crafty Neighbor Scrapbooking Cruise! 

I am so excited to announce that the next Crafty Neighbor Scrapbooking Cruise will be:

October 4 - 11, 2015

on a

7-Night Caribbean Cruise

aboard the

Royal Caribbean

Navigator of the Seas

including the ports of

Falmouth, Jamaica

George Town, Grand Cayman

and

Cozumel, Mexico

Starting at just $741* per person!

We have all-new instructors this year bringing a wide variety of projects and styles, and we’ll have an official announcement very soon, but in the mean time, here’s a few hints: 

• We’ll have a store-owner onboard along with a mini-store
• One of the instructors is Copic certified to teach both the Standard and Intermediate Level
• We’ll be focusing on lots of new techniques including more scrapbooking and cardmaking
• Best of all, it’s all included in the cost of your cruise!

Our annual cruise is probably my favorite way to take my crafting with me on the go, and it’s a sure-fire way to get in as much quality time with your craft supplies as you could possibly want!  If you’d like more information about how you could spend 7 blissful days at sea with your scrapbooking pals, just click on the advertisement on the top left of this blog, or visit our website at http://www.craftyneighbor.com

And before I leave…here is the info on the three stores we visited in the Houston area:

• Scrapp’n Savvy; Spring:  http://www.scrappnsavvy.com
• The Scrap Shack; Friendswood: http://www.scrapshacktexas.com
• Croppin’ Bug Scrapbooking; Texas City:  http://www.croppinbug.com

If you’re in the Houston area, try to stop by and visit these 3 stores.  The ladies there were very friendly and they all carry different products.  It will be well worth your trip.

Question of the day:  What kinds of crafty projects have you managed to take with you on the go, and how did that work out?

Big Changes and a Deadline

Big changes are happening with Crafty Neighbor and our 6th Annual Scrapbooking Cruise!

A new date, new cruise line, and a new itinerary!

Come join us for our 6th Annual Scrapbook Cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas, departing Galveston, Texas, December 1-8, 2013 for a 7-night Caribbean cruise including the ports of:

Roatan, Honduras

Belize City, Belize

Cozumel, Mexico

Due to changes to Carnival's policies for groups, it was necessary to move our annual cruise to Royal Caribbean. We think you will be very pleased with this awesome cruise line, and the Navigator of the Seas is a phenomenal ship with a great conference area available for your use throughout the cruise. Our cruises get better and better each year, and this year we have some great stuff in store for you, including: games, prizes, make-n-takes, classes and workshops, goodie bags, fun, food, friends, and 7 (yes, we said seven) days of the most fun you've had on the open seas!

Prices start at $795 including all classes, port fees, and taxes. That's right around $100 per day! But act now, these prices will only be good for a limited time! See our website for details: http://www.craftyneighbor.com/

A fun surprise from one of our cruises

Don't Forget!  Don't Forget!  Don't Forget! 

Saturday, March 23 is the LAST DAY to take advantage of the Early Bird Special for the R. L. Turner Community Crop Party.  Register early to get $10 off registration and a free goodie bag full of gifts and prizes.  See our website for more details!

Let's Crop!

Now that the dust has settled after DFW’s first Scrapbook Expo, why not gather up your new goodies and come crop at one of our upcoming events? 

We’ve got Fabulous Food, Fun, Friends and some Fantastic Prizes, too!

Community Crop Party

Saturday, April 6, 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

$25 meals included

Join us for an all-day crop party sponsored in part by Memory Lane Inn!  Proceeds from this event will benefit the students at R. L. Turner High School, but you do not have to have any connections to the school to attend – ALL CRAFTERS AND SCRAPPERS ARE WELCOME!  Did we mention that we’re sponsored by Memory Lane Inn?  Jereme Downs is a Turner Alumnus and he and Jennifer have VERY GRACIOUSLY donated not one but TWO retreats to Memory Lane Inn – one for Tyler and one for McKinney!  But you can’t win it if you don’t register!  The rate is just $25 with lunch and dinner included.  Registration is now open; just click here.

May the 4^th Be with You, National Scrapbook Day Crop

Friday, May 3^rd through Sunday, May 5^th

$50, lunch and dinner provided on Saturday only.

We’ve teamed up with the Dallas Crafters Marathon to bring you an out-of-this-world National Scrapbook Day crop featuring fun, games, prizes and much, much more!  Register online at Meetup.com/DallasCraftersMarathon

6^th Annual Scrapbooking Cruise

September 22-29,

Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel

Join us for a fun-filled floating vacation and crafting extravaganza departing from Galveston, Texas aboard the Carnival Magic.  We’ll spend 7 days cruising the Caribbean including 3 full days at sea for scrapbooking, card-making, crafting, games, prizes, and lots of fun.  This is NOT the same old cruise you took two years ago!  We’ve added lots of new features, new activities and events, new prizes, new instructors and much, much more!  For more information, check out our FAQ site, or visit www.craftyneighbor.com to register.

For registration or information about these or other events, please visit our website at www.craftyneighbor.com and http://www.meetup.com/craftyneighbor.  You can also email us at mailto:info@craftyneighbor.com