I Have to Bragg!!!

I Finally Have Some Copic Markers!!!

Ok, I have wanted these ever since they first appeared on cards at SplitCoast Stampers!

I always had problems budgeting such an indulgance in our household budget. So last year when I started writing for Current Magazine I had the thought of my Copics in the back of my mind. The payments I make with Current goes to me. . . and I must admit...mostly to stamping supplies with the occasional dinner out thrown in for good measure.

Yesterday I finally did it! I went and got my Copic Sketch Markers. I am so happy that The Paperie is carrying them now!

The funny thing is, I figured that I would come right home and start coloring! But I am hesitant...I think I wanted them for so long that now I am half afraid that I won't be able to do them justice! Silly hay?!?

Most of last night was spent on You Tube watching every Copic tutorial I could find! So now I will give it a go! Hopefully you will see my first Copic Marker creation here tomorrow!

Add a Personal Touch to Your Wedding

Handmade Invitations and Accessories

By Debby Winters

Spring and summer are the seasons of white taffeta dresses, wedding veils, bouquets and fruitcake covered in fondant!

If you are one of the many brides to be that are planning your very own memorable walk down the aisle, then you are probably in the throes of confused organization as you pull all the integral parts together to create that magical day.

One way to give your wedding a very personal touch is to create your own wedding invitations and wedding favours. It has become a very popular pre-plannng event for the bride and her party to get together and make these all-important components.

Drawing upon books, magazines, the internet, local scrapbooking and card making stores or clubs can all work as resources and inspiration.

You can book the workshop workspace at The Paperie's for your event where you and your team will have access to their tools such as the AccuCut as well as the staff's expertise to help guide you with your creations.

Once you have an idea then you can go about gathering the necessary supplies. You will need cardstock, envelopes, adhesives and any embellishments you may wish to incorporate. You can hand stamp your invitations and accessories or you can print them from a computer. It is advised that you always start with making one invitation first. You may find that you actually make several samples before you decide on the final design that you want to go with. Another thing to keep in mind is the size of the invitation and if you can buy ready made envelopes to fit them.

Meghan from The Paperie created the beautiful invitation set shown. They are very elegant yet clean and uncomplicated to allow for ease of production.

The invitation enclosure was created with an AccuCut template in The Paperie's workshop. The invitation measures 5" x 7" and the RSVP is a 3.5" x 5" card.

The band around the invitation imprinted with the bride and grooms name and wedding date adds a beautiful and sophisticated personal touch.

Other personal touches you may wish to make would be the menus, place cards, table numbers and favour boxes. The favour box shown is also made with an AccuCut template and compliments the flower blossoms on the invitations and other materials.

For that final personal touch you can make your wedding programs and thank you cards. The church programs are made with the same print as the invitations but mounted on brown card stock with an added ribbon. All card stock used is from Bazzill and is available at The Paperie.

If making your own invitations feels like much too daunting a task, you can also have your invitations made for you by the experts at The Paperie and you will be able to maintain creative control.

For more information visit http://www.thepaperie.ca or call The Paperie at 726-5323. For additional content visit http://www.just2crafty.blogspot.com.

Writer's note: Special thanks to Meghan at The Paperie....not only did she make all these beautiful items, she also took the great pictrues!

Make Something For The Mailbox

Handmade Cards Still In Fashion
In the age of electronics, email, Facebook and Twitter the homemade card still has a very special place. Clicking on send and receive will never match the feeling of reaching into your mailbox and pulling out an envelope containing a greeting that was made just for you. It may be a simple card made by a child in kindergarten or an elaborate layered and hand coloured work of art made by a friend or relative. They both mean the same thing, somebody thought enough about you to make you something special and remember you for whatever reason.

There are many websites you can check out to get ideas on cards to make and all sorts of different techniques that can be used but the most important thing is to start small and simple. As you learn more your cards will grow. No matter how fancy you may get with practice there will always be a place for the quick, simple card.

Every card, like many projects, starts with a blank sheet of paper which you cut and fold into the desired shape. Most cards are made from a sheet of 8.5” by 11” cardstock, cut in half width-wise producing two pieces that are 8.5” by 5.5” and then folded to create a card measuring 5.5” by 4.25”. Sets of blank cards and envelopes are also available, which help eliminate this step. Now that you have your card ready you can design the front by making a panel that you would adhere to the folded card or just decorate the base layer. It is up to you! If you’re a little unsure how to proceed, The Paperie offers classes each month where you make a couple of cards that you can take home while learning techniques and being introduced to all the materials available for card making. You can also check out their blog at thepaperie.wordpress.com where there’s great inspiration for card making.

The cards shown here are made by the staff at The Paperie (mostly Meghan) and illustrate how beautiful and simple a card can be. The wedding, cupcake and boat card are all made with stamps from Amuse. The wedding card has a white base and then the panel layered with graduated and contrasting coloured squares, making the main image stand out. The bride and groom are stamped on and the dress has glitter added for effect. The Cupcake card has a cut out square in the middle and is stamped with Amuse’s cupcake builder clear stamp set. The cupcake image is coloured and then a smaller stamp from the set is used to make the background. Curling Waves and Sailboat are two the stamps used for the you float my boat card, both images are cut out, then layered directly on the card front.

The other two cards are made with heat embossing techniques, which you would surely learn at The Paperie’s classes. The stamps used are from Hero Arts and are Poppy Background and Silhouette Grass.

All stamps and materials are available at The Paperie. For more information visit http://www.thepaperie.ca or call them at 709-726-5323. For additional content visit

http://www.just2crafty.blogspot.com.

I Have My Own Column!!!!

The following is the article to run in my Craft Column in Current Magazine, a local bi-weekly entertainment and events publication. I have been writing for Current for several months but have just recently started the Craft Column. Read and enjoy!

March 19th - April 2nd, 2010 CURRENT | Page 9
Just2Crafty
Using Die Cuts In Your Projects
Versatile Medium for Pages and Cards
By Debby Winters

Any paper project starts with a blank page whether it is a folded card or a scrapbook page. It’s what you fill that space with that makes it your own and expresses your artistry. One approach is to use die cuts; pieces of designer paper or cardstock cut in shapes that can highlight your
focal point or become your focal point. If creating a scrapbook page then the photos should be the focus.



In a card you can have a stamped image, sentiment or a die cut shape as focal examples.
When adding die cuts to your collection you there are many different machines that you can choose from in a variety of sizes and prices. However, if you want the versatility of die cuts without the expense or taking up valuable craft space local craft stores often have a machine that you can use.The Paperie, 36 Pippy Place has the AccuCut System available in their workshop. It’s an easy way to add variety and spice to layouts. The system consists of the AccuCut machine, dies (which are the medium that cuts the paper into a desired shape) and cutting mats. The machine is extremely easy to use, after picking out the shape and paper, just place it in the machine. First the die, then your paper, covered with the cutting mat which allows easy movement of the die “sandwich” through the machine. Once everything’s in place you crank the handle and the "sandwich” passes under a pressure applying barrel forcing the blades of the die up into the paper and cuts out your shape.


The AccuCut allows you to cut a variety of materials from fabric to chipboard, if it can lay flat you can probably cut a shape out of it. The Paperie has a wide variety of dies, including several alphabets, many basic and dedicated shapes as well as dies for making mini albums and other novelties. With the AccuCut you can also do multiple cuts at once. This is time saving if working on a project like a birthday, anniversary or wedding. The ways to use each die are only limited by your own imagination. For instance, the “tree without leaves” die can be used as part of a layout, or on its own.
You can add anything to its branches using the other dies at The Paperie. Maybe hearts for a wedding or Valentine’s, coloured leaves for fall, Easter eggs in spring, even pictures of your family members.

The benefit of using The Paperie’s AccuCut doesn’t stop with a wide variety of dies to choose from but also you can choose from their wide range of designer papers and card stock.
Their friendly and informed staff is there to assist as well. So, let your imagination be your guide and create “Your Story, Your Way” at The Paperie. For more information visit www.thepaperie.ca