Only 7 more weeks to go until NZ’s Papercraft Expo! I can’t quite believe how close it’s getting…

Classes

This is one of the more exciting weeks. You get to see all the classes that are on offer – starting from Tuesday. There are some great tutors coming to SENZ (including the special guests for Artfull Crafts – Melissa Kennedy and Al Hannah from Kaisercraft Australia).

The full class timetable (72 available classes!) will appear on the www.senz.co.nz website. You’ll need a password to access the Classes page. That password will be emailed to you during the week.

Here’s how the mail-outs will occur: Tuesday 1st June for VIP 3-Day pass holders Wednesday 2nd June for 2-Day pass holders Thursday 3rd June for 1-Day pass holders Friday 4th June for the public

If you purchased your tickets through Artfull Crafts, we will be sending you the Password on each of the applicable mornings. If you purchased your tickets from other outlets then your email will come from someone else.

Competition Corner

We’re going to offer a $20 Kaisercraft goodie bag to anyone who books in for THREE or more Artfull Crafts classes by Wednesday 9^th June. We’ll post this goodie bag out as soon as the class payment has been made.

Another Free SENZ class is up for grabs… ends tonight. Artfull Crafts has been working hard to bring you a new website Gallery. If you comment on any of the layouts before midnight tonight you’ll go in the draw to win a FREE SENZ class (worth $50)

Tickets

You can still purchase SENZ entry tickets from Artfull Crafts.

Design Team

Just a quick note (unrelated to SENZ!). We’ve announced our desire for a larger Design Team. Check out our ads in the Up 2 Scrap magazine and the upcoming Scrapbooking Memories magazine, or head to our Gallery to read all about it. Aussie entries also accepted!

That’s it for today! We’ve got some more exciting news next week - but you’ll just have to wait for that…

Until next week,

Happy crafting!

Yes the exciting day has come. Check out our new gallery.

There is a HIDDEN gallery giveaway in the hallway... I'll say no more...but it will disappear at the end of the weekend...

We're also on the hunt for a Design Team. Head to the Gallery and "Apply Within". Here you'll find out everything you need to know.

While you're at the website check out the new Cuttlebug Folders that are arriving tomorrow. We've been excited about the new 12" plates and the long embossing folders and quilling kits. It should be fun unpacking those boxes...



We're also offering some HOT specials (in this VERY cold snap) including $12.99 B Plates for your cuttlebug (rrp $39.99). Strictly limited stocks and free to people who order all 3 new 12" sets of A, B and C plates.

Better go and do a Facebook comment now...

Only 8 more weeks to go until NZ’s Papercraft Expo!

And the Class Winner is…
Many thanks to all of you who purchased SENZ tickets from us! We’re pleased to announce the winner of the free SENZ class is Shirley Anderson – a local crafter! She gets to choose any class (worth $50) at SENZ.

Keep watching for more competitions and another opportunity to win a class at SENZ.

Tickets
Tickets for this 3-day event are still available for purchase through Artfull Crafts. If you want to be on the mailing list to get the classes ahead of the general public you will have to purchase your tickets before the 1st of June.

The classes are being finalised as we speak. They will be going up on the Artfull Crafts and SENZ websites next week. On the 1st of June the timetable will be emailed to the 3-day pass holders, 2nd June for 2-day pass holders, 3rd June for 1-day pass holders and on the 4th of June for the public.

Tutor Details
We know you’re curious, so we’ll give you some hints. There will be 6 classes run by the Kaisercraft girls from Aussie - including a range of projects, cards and a layout class. We are also thrilled that Betsy Clark from Geraldine will be running an advanced card-making class. Her designs are always stunning and are completed with a great deal of care and detail. She’ll be using some vintage style papers for this class. And I will be running one class – an original concept using acrylic album pages and Websters die cuts to create wall hangers.

I’d better not say too much more… but here are some sneaky peeks of the card classes…




Until next week,
Happy crafting!

Liz
Artfull Crafts

With 9 weeks to go we’re into serious SENZ mode around here. My pink laptop just arrived, along with the new pink sleeve (with a white flourish and butterflies on it). Can you get any more girly than that?! So now I’ll be spending more time in the evenings organising things for SENZ (along with blog-hopping and checking out the current craft trends).

Uniforms
We’re in the middle of designing some fun uniforms for the Artfull Crafts Team to wear. We’re fortunate to have designer Tony Zwies from Yellow Design on board to help us. The brief: Hot Pink and black with some bling thrown in...Soon we’ll be sourcing the clothing and aprons and then getting the printing sorted. Very exciting!

Lists
We’re also writing lists (and more lists and more lists!). It’s going to be a big job preparing for this event and so we’re planning it well in advance. I’ve been off sourcing display stands for the event. Since the stalls can be really busy I know that we’ll have to carefully plan how we display stock to make the best use of the space. And there is a best-looking stall competition...

Correspondence
If you have purchased your SENZ tickets you will soon start receiving email updates from the SENZ Team. Here’s some information I got from them this week:

Craft and Crop Sessions during SENZ
The SENZ organisers will be setting up an all day Craft ’n Crop area near the cafe (for ticketholders only) so you can come and go as you please and have an area to finish off your class projects, socialise, swap pins and have your lunch etc.
On the Saturday night they have organised a social Craft ‘n Crop night from 6.30pm – 10pm in the Phar Lap room upstairs. At this event there will be a few demos, a group challenge, and you’ll have time to finish off some class projects as well. There will be prizes to win and generally it’s a fun night out and great way to meet people.

Volunteering and Tutor Assistant Helpers
It’s a SENZ tradition that they have volunteers helping out with visitor info, handing out coupon books, supervising the crop areas, helping to set up and break down, and helping out the tutors in their classes. So if you want to join the team let Fiona know at fiona@senz.co.nz. They do reward their helpers - the more hours you do the more thanks you! It could be a free ticket to the crop, a thank you voucher, or a free class with Trina or Ngaire!

Talking about Helpers...
Artfull Crafts will also be looking for some willing hands during our busy weekend. We’ll chat about that later though!

Competition Corner
You’ve still got another week to go in the draw to win a class with Melissa Kennedy and Al Hannah. Just buy your SENZ ticket from Artfull Crafts by Sunday 23rd May, You’ve got to be in to win!

Storage Idea
I’ve always loved cubes for storing things in. I’ve got my scrapbook albums, Bazzill Cardstock and magazines stored upright in cubes. Then I found this great picture of a homeware shop showing off their product (okay the hot pink made me look twice). So I went off to Plastic Box today and found some amazing fabric boxes – and they fit inside these cubes! They come in all colours – including pink and black and they can be folded up and down for easy transport. Even I can’t use them at SENZ I’ve found a place for them here...They fit perfectly on the bookcase shelves and will hide a whole lot of crafty mess! So with that in mind, I’d better go and start tidying my craft area. Maybe next week I’ll have a photo of where I spend my evenings.

Until next week, keep warm...

My lovely husband is busy preparing my new HOT PINK laptop for me... I'm so excited. I'll probably need lessons on how to use all the new software...

Anyway, tomorrow we've got a Craftathon. It will be a lot of fun I am sure. It's from 10am - 10pm and we're having a quilling party as part of the event. Quilling is the new rage and the cuttlebug folders and dies that are about to be released from Cuttlebug will certainly be useful. I don't have the patience to cut all those slits...

Here's a few layouts I did last weekend with the new Prima papers, flowers and Zva crystals:

And here's a sneak peek of the May Scrappin' Sensations Kit. This is a corner of the Websters Lullaby Lane Layout. Get yours now. The May kit includes a double Peachy Keen Kaisercraft layout, a Websters Lullaby Lane and a Bo Bunny Sophie Layout.

Haev a great weekend.

Welcome to Edition One of the SENZ Sunday Times! It’s 10 weeks until the great New Zealand Papercraft Expo in Christchurch on the 16 – 18th July. Now’s the time to decide whether you want to go on a weekend getaway with your crafty friends.

What is SENZ?
SENZ (Scrapbooking and Stamping Expo of NZ) is the only National Papercraft Expo. It’s held annually and this year it’s being hosted at the Riccarton Park Events Centre, Christchurch. Artfull Crafts will be attending this event with a huge stall and exciting classes.

What should you expect?
Expect some of NZ’s major Scrapbooking, Cardmaking and Stamping businesses to have stalls brimmed to overflowing with stock, free make-and-takes, a demo theatre, classes running constantly, prizes, competition and a whole lot of fun!!

I’ve been to one of these events before (as a customer) and it was a lot of fun! We spent the weekend in Wellington and took the opportunity to do some classes with quality tutors and then the rest of the time was easily taken up looking around the stalls. Even if you only come for a day you’ll still get a lot out of it.

There’s a Saturday Night Charity Crop and plenty of inspiration for people of all ages. This photo shows me at the 2008 Wellinton SENZ Convention. I'm wearing normal clothes (but really we were supposed to wear our pyjamas...!). I'm not sure what this year's theme will be...

Who else will be Exhibiting?
You’ll see Artfull Crafts, Hastings Rubber Stamps, Create, Scrapbook Outlet , Stampin’ Up Independent, NZ Scrapbook Company, Creative Memories, The Paper Peacock, Fix Design , Tinkering Tools, Stamp Zone, Montarga , KCC, Rubbaddubbadoo plus many more!

How do I buy Tickets?
Tickets can be purchased at the door for $10 (from 9:30am each day), or buy them from our website and get earlier entry and some benefits. Buy any SENZ tickets by midnight Sunday 23rd May and go in the draw to win a FREE class with Melissa Kennedy and Al Hannah!

How do I become a VIP?
Simply buy any of the VIP tickets on the website. Be one of the first 200 people to buy a 3-day VIP pass and you’ll also get a coupon book with discount vouchers and freebies.

Random Information
We have secured a stall 9m long and 2.4m deep. Yip, it’s a big one! And we plan of having the hottest products available for you. We’ve also booked a classroom that can seat upwards of 30 people. Artfull Crafts will be bringing out popular Kaisercraft Designers Melissa Kennedy and Al Hannah and they are currently designing a great range of classes for you. Classes will be available to VIP’s on the 1st of June and on the 4th of June for the general public. It’s not uncommon for classes to sell out.

Here's a sneak peak of the Melissa Kennedy Layout Class... Go in the draw to win this class (or any others by Melissa and Al) if you buy your SENZ tickets before Sunday the 23rd of May.

SENZ organisers have said the interest has been strong and ticket sales are up from the last time it was held in Christchurch. People are coming from all over NZ and Australia. Will you join us? Consider grabbing a cheap $69 Jet Star flight!

Here's the link to an article about what I was up last weekend.

Strangley enough I actually retired from the Barbershop chorus last Wednesday night. I've had a great 5 and a half years singing in the chorus, but the 4 hours of travel each week to rehearsal is just not that appealing anymore! So the win was great, but I won't actually be going to Texas as the article suggests. That means more time for crafting, growing the business and settling in Timaru. About time - we've been here 2 and a half years now.



I've got a few more freaky looking photos to put up too. We really do wear false eyelashes and wear a LOT of make-up for these events!

So to fill up all my spare time I've taken up golf and maybe I'll find a brass band to join...!

Anyway, I'll get on and do some crafting this weekend (if the weather is bad...)! I really MUST play with all the new Prima, Tim Holtz, My Mind's Eye and Cosmo Cricket goodies that just arrived....

Enjoy your weekend!

Artfull Crafts opened our shop 6 months ago! It's certainly flown by. Happy Birthday to us!

I'm going to be missing in action for the next few days. I'm in a BIG Sweet Adelines Barbershop chorus in Christchurch. 3 of us travel from Timaru to Christchurch every week for rehearsals and this weekend it's the National Champs in Wellington where we will qualify for the Houston, Texas International Champs in 2010.

We had extra rehearsals last weekend where we worked really hard and then topped it off with a wonderful Friends and Family show. It's a lot of fun with 130 other women. We sing and dance and wear glamourous costumes. We even wear false eye-lashes and nail polish (not my usual!).

We also performed at the International Champs in 2007 in Calgary Canada and we were placed 9th in the world. Such fun! Anyway, we're off to Christchurch tomorrow for a CTV performance and then off to Wellington on Thursday til Monday. I'm running a class tonight too - so it might be a late one packing!

While I'm away I bet the Prima order will arrive! I've been hanging out for it. It's definitely left America. I've also got stacks of Peelcraft and 3-D Decoupage sheets arriving this week (my local ladies just love it!). And if you want a bargain go and have a look at my $1 res auctions on Trade Me ending during the weekend.

Sorry, got no crafting done this week - so pop in next week and I might even have a scrapped up page of our singing competition.

:-) Liz

We've finally given in to the world of Facebook! Lots of people have been trying to convince me to start an account for myself and Artfull Crafts - but I was a bit worried that I might enjoy it too much! I also had the same problem with scrapbooking. I resisted for about 3 years and now I own a scrapbooking store... What a great problem to have!

So head to our Fan page and sign up. We got over 100 people in one day - so there certainly must be some interest out there.

We'll pop interesting bits of crafty info on there. We're celebrating by offering a FREE piece of Bazzill Cardstock with every 12x12 patterned paper sold until midnight tonight for (and Monday for the physical shop). Head to the website to see all the new great papers we've got...

I've been scrapbooking too! Here's a double layout of a friend's 50th Birthday Party. I've used the new Pink Paislee Bayberry Cottage papers (yummy colours!):

I LOVE these papers and especially the cool pleated ribbons (12 inch strip of magenta and lime). I've used Basic Grey Micro Alpha chipboard letters (a hot favourite of mine), and some Prima Crystals (my BIG order is about to leave the USA this week!!).

Head here to see the FULL Bayberry Collection including the journal pad, brads, cork buttons and clear stickers.

I'm going to spend the evening doing some more scrapping for my Heritage Album (playing with the new Shabby Green Door papers). They are so lovely.

Well, where do I start!!

Firstly I've been buried in end-of-year paperwork. I now know why April Fools Day is the day after the 31st of March. I am the fool who put her receipts and invoices in a big pile... and now I have to sort through them all!


I have also been on a tiki-tour around Central Otago. Over Easter we had planned to go to the glaciers - but the forecast looked bad - so at the last minute we changed our plans. We headed to Fairlie for a very enjoyable round of golf and then stayed the night at the Tekapo camping ground. My parents were staying there too - so we enjoyed an evening of Quiz games!



Then we headed off the next day to Mount Cook. I knew the weather was likely to be bad - but I've never been to Mount Cook and decided we were so close it would be silly not to pop in! Sadly we only saw the lower slopes - but we enjoyed the Sir Edmond Hilary Centre and the huge Restaurant! It seemed a bit embarrassing - but I couldn't acutally tell which slope belonged to Mount Cook!



We then headed to our friends in Queenstown and visited Warbirds over Wanaka on the Sunday. What a great event! We couldn't believe the speed and noise of the F18s made!



Here's a nice picture of Mt Aspiring. It makes up for the Mount Cook disappoinment!


Afterwards was made our way to Dunedin for 2 very relaxing days with more friends and their children. What a great weekend! Here we are trying to take Mr 4 for a rollerblade!

And here is Mr 4 trying to take us for a ride!!


Since then I've been buried in paperwork. This coming week I am running 4 classes for the holiday programme... So I can't see myself getting the chance to blog much. Hopefully I'll have more time to do some crafting soon...

We've got some 'hot' new products arriving in store this week too. Check them out at www.artfulcrafts.co.nz

Have a great week!