Spellbinders CHA-W Sneak Peak!! Xcalibur!!!

I am so excited to share the Latest News!! Spellbinders Paper Arts is going to ROCK the paper crafting industry at CHA-W!! I was given authorization to be able to share this with you today!

Let me introduce you to the first motorized die cutting and embossing machine, Xcalibur(tm)!
Spellbinders Paper Arts, continuing in their tradition of innovation, introduces the first motorized die cutting and embossing system. A touch of the button gently feeds and slowly releases mats for cutting and embossing. The mats used in Xcalibur will be the same mats currently used in the Wizard, Universal Craft Tool. Xcalibur will cut, emboss and texturize virtually every consumer die from leading manufacturers making it the universal system of choice. Xcalibur will revolutionize the die cutting world...

Please be assured that this is not a replacement for the Wizard. The machines can share the same mats, pads and dies but Xcalibur's main features are to cut and emboss. The Wizard, Universal Craft Tool, continues to provide many additional functions such as cutting chipboard, replicating charms and transferring images, just to name a few.

"Be the Ruler of your Creative Kingdom!!"


Does this sound exciting to you and don't you just love the color RED!! Spellbinders and all of us on the Design Team are very excited!! Spellbinders will be having more details on the website so be sure to check it out. If you will be in Anaheim, California for the CHA-W show Feb 10-13 please be sure to be stop by the Spellbinders booth #5071 to check out this new machine!! The price of the Xcalibur will be announced at CHA-W and the machines will be available in May 2008. I will be in Anaheim for CHA-W and I would love it if you would stop by & say Hello!!! We will also be having demonstrations and make-n-takes!!! If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I will do my best to get them answered for you.

I am sorry I haven't been able to post any new art for sometime, I have been very busy creating designs for CHA-W but I hope to share some new art soon!! Thanks so much for stopping by & I hope you are having a great week!! At the moment we are in the middle of a blizzard--gotta love a MN winter!!

Smiles!
Heidi

Blog Candy Giveaway!!

Check it out! Ema is giving away some blog candy!! Go visit her blog & leave a comment about your favorite stamp company for a chance to win!! While you are there take a look around, Ema has some really great design work!! Just click on her blog-----> Ema-gination

Good Luck!!!
Smiles!
Heidi

Spellbinders 2008 Design Team Retreat-Part 3

Ok are you ready to hear about the HUGE surprise the DT had when we were on our retreat?? I'm sure by now most of you have heard about Copic markers, they are one of the hottest things on the market right now for paper crafting. As part of our training we were lucky to have been given the opportunity for a spectacular training session with Marianne Walker!! Marianne is a wonderful graphic artist and product specialist for Copic. She spent Friday and Saturday training us on the Copic markers and airbrush system. It was so fantastic and she showed a variety of techniques that can be achieved with the Copic markers. Marianne was so wonderful and had such patience with all of us and our questions!! Copic and Marianne were extremely generous with the products that the Design Team was given!! Copic markers and Spellbinders are the perfect combination since the Spellbinders dies can also be used as stencils they work great with the Copic markers & Airbrush System! Also a HUGE THANKS to Marianne for our training!! I am now a Copic Certified Designer!!

I have received several emails over the past few days requesting to see more pictures of all the new and fun goodies we were given so I made a slide show if you would like to see more.

One of the best parts about this whole adventure, besides all the sweet goodies, it getting to meet so many wonderful and very talented people!! Here are some more pictures from our retreat if you would like to take a closer look. Thanks again to Stacey & Jeff Caron for such an extraordinary time!!!

Thank you so much for stopping by!! I promise--very soon to have some art to share!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!! Woo-hoo it's Friday!!
Smiles!
Heidi

One other thing I forgot to mention is that I will be going to CHA in Anaheim, CA with Spellbinders. I am sooooo excited I can hardly wait!! We leave the 8th of February and come back on Valentine's Day. I promise to take tons of pictures to share!!

Spellbinders 2008 Design Team Retreat-Part 2

Pictures from the airplane~
Some of the ladies from the Spellbinders 2008 Design Team~
Ok I'm going to back track here just a little bit. Last Wednesday was the beginning of the retreat in Phoenix, Arizona. Donya (she is one of the DT ladies) and I flew out to Phoenix together. It was really nice to have someone to travel with especially since I hadn't been on a airplane since I was like 19 and trust me that was a loooong time ago! lol! Plus it was a great chance for us to talk and get to know each other. Donya is so much fun!! She is very talented and does some amazing design work and she always has a smile!!

Donya, Sharon (in the back), Sally Lynn~
When we arrived in Phoenix we met up with some of the other ladies from the DT. Once we got our luggage then we headed for the Caron's. When all of the talk about the retreat had started the DT was invited to stay at the Caron's during the retreat or if we would rather we could stay at the hotel. Ten of us stayed at the Caron's and four at the hotel. The first night we had a meet and greet. It was a really nice and relaxing way for all of us to meet and start getting to know each other. They had tons of yummy food, drinks and snacks. The house was full with ladies!! The poor boys! LOL!!! Stacey and Jeff have the cutest little boys and they were so great with all of these women coming in and taking over their home for the week!! Stacey, Jeff and the boys all made us feel so very welcome to be in their home and a part of their fabulous company!!

Stacey & Me~
That night I was so tired but yet so wide awake! I think my head was just spinning thinking about the retreat and trying to take it all in. Wendy and I had beds by each other and we stayed up talking getting to know each other, but it was late and she hadn't had much sleep the night before. I laid there still awake...I heard some of the ladies still up talking in one of the rooms so I went and peaked in and they said come on in. We were all sitting on the bed talking just like one big slumber party.

Theresa, Holly, Sharon, Stacey~
The next morning we were all up early, out the door and to the office by about 8:30. With that many women in the house you have to get up kind of early to all be ready in time to leave. One of the best parts about our day (besides all the fun new goodies) was the food-yummy yummy food!! We were soooooo spoiled!!! You know when your a mom a larger part of your time is spent cooking and cleaning and doing things for your family so to take such a wonderful trip like this and then be so completely spoiled on top of it-it is just pure heaven I tell ya!! *wink* I'll have to share some pictures of the food with you! Besides the terrific meals there was always a ton of goodies to snack on too! After breakfast we started the day. Let the fun and creativity begin!!

Linda & Me~
This was a typical day for us:
Start getting up and getting ready between 5:30-7 am
Leave for the office at 7:45
Get to the office about 8:30 and have breakfast
Start our creative day about 9:00
From then on out the rest of the day was learning new techniques, play time to create, company time (business stuff), the GOODIES giving out all of the products (gotta love that!!!), having some breaks with treats and more yummy food. Every couple of hours or so they would switch it up and do something new and fun. The GOODIES were given out the WHOLE time we were there!!!! OMGosh I can't even begin to tell you how the creativity and excitement flowed through the air!!! Most of are meals were at the office (everything was catered in) and we spent most of our time at the office, from early morning until late into the evening. After we would come back from the office we would all hang out at the house, talking, laughing, having some chocolate and wine and a great time!

Wendy & Me~
While we were there we also had our pictures taken for the DT and our group picture too. We also did some other really fun things while were were there that I hope to be able to share with you all very soon!!

Linda, Jennifer & Wendy~
Our last night that we were all there Stacey and Jeff had a big Luau party with (you guessed it) more wonderful food!! Jeff even made his famous green beans!! They were soooooo yummy!!! They had a wonderful cookout and some of their close friend were also there sharing the evening with all of us. Some of the ladies even enjoyed a little time in the hot tub.

I think the week was enjoyed by all!! What a wonderful group of ladies!! Everyone seemed to get along and mesh really well together, sharing all kinds of creative ideas. Very soon I am going to add links to the ladies on the DT that have blogs so you can all see their amazing design work.

From the window of the airplane~
I hope you have enjoyed the pictures that I have shared! But keep checking back because there is more to come!! I have a lot more pictures to share and something that was a HUGE HUGE SURPRISE for the DT!! I mean really HUGE!!!

Hope you have a great day!!
Smiles!
Heidi

Spellbinders 2008 Design Team Retreat-Part 1

OMGosh what an absolutely amazing & memorable time in Phoenix, Arizona!!

Stacey & Jeff Caron (Owners of Spellbinders-makers of the Wizard, Universal Die Cutting & Embossing Tool) had a retreat in sunny Phoenix, Arizona this past week for all of the members of the 2008 Design Team. What a BLAST!!! Words can't even begin to express what a wonderful time we all had meeting and getting to know each other!! What a wonderful and very talented group of ladies!! I am truly honored to be a part of the Spellbinders DT!!!! Stacey & Jeff gave us all such a warm welcome into their home, company and the Spellbinders family.

I am still trying to get everything unpacked & in its place. We were given soooooo many goodies!!! I have so many things about the weekend to share with all of you and lots of fun pictures to show too!! I will try and post more as soon as I can (tonight or tomorrow) so be checking back to get all the great details about the retreat!! *wink* But for now I will just give you a little tease (don't hate me-lol!). This is my dinning room table filled will a whole lot of goodies from this weekend!! This isn't including all of the paper-I had to ship that home because I was afraid my luggage would go over the weight limit!! Just my paper alone was almost 25 pounds!!
Thanks so much for stopping by!! I will be posting more about the retreat very soon! I will also have some creative inspiration to share with you all very soon. Hope you are having a great week!!
Smiles!
Heidi

Copic Markers

I have been having so much fun with my new Copic markers!! I LOVE them!! Oh the possibilities!! This is my first finished piece that I have to share with you. I am working on a few other things but they but they are still in pieces. I hope to get them completed & share them soon. *wink* This is a post it note holder that I made for my Grandma. Her kitchen is decorated with grapes and I thought this would be a nice little added touch.

For the post it note holder i used a 4 x 6 acrylic photo frame turned upside down. These are so fun and quick to make & they make a nice little gift for someone. I haven't used this grape image for some time but after coloring it with the Copic marker I think I might be using it a little more often. I just love how the grapes turned out! I know I have only used my markers a few times & I still have a lot to learn with all of the blending techniques but the markers really are so fun to work with. They are unlike any other marker I have used & I love being able to blend the colors.

Click to enlarge image~
I also used the Copic glitter pens to add touches of sparkle. I was kind of in a hurry when I took the pictures so the glitter didn't show up the best, but IRL it is all sparkles!

Click to enlarge image~
The letters that spell out notes are stone stickers and they are on the outside of the frame. I also used the Copic markers in the letters and added a little purple.
Supplies~
Paper~SU-Whisper White, Almost Amethyst, Always Artichoke, Lovely Lilac
Stamps~Grapes (unknown), Autumn Leaves-flourishes
Ink~SU-Lovely Lilac, Color Box-Black Craft,
Other~Copic Markers, Glitter Pens, 4 x 6 Acrylic Frame, Stone Letter Stickers, SU-Clear EP, Ribbon & Post It Notes

I am leaving on Wednesday to go to Phoenix, AZ for the big Spellbinders Design Team Retreat!! I am soooooo excited--I can hardly wait!!! I will try to get a few more things posted before I leave. Thank you so much for stopping by & I hope you have a GREAT DAY!!!
Smiles!
Heidi

New Year & New Look

2008 ~ Happy New Year!! I want to wish you all the best in the coming year! May all of your hopes & dreams come true and your creative muse be by your side!

With the beginning of a New Year I thought it would be a good time for a New Look. I am not a computer person by any means so I had TONS of help from Eric (my DH) and mean TONS!! Basically I told him I wanted a new look, gave him a few ideas and he did all of the magic! He did everything from the template, HTML codes, colors and my new banner!! For the banner he used a picture I had taken from our first snowfall of the year. I LOVE how it turned out!! Thank you sweetie!! xoxo

I hope to have some new art posted for you very soon! We have been fighting a nasty flu/cold bug for several days here at our house so I haven't had much time or energy to be very creative. But I think I am on the upside of things. *wink*

Thank you all so much for your continued support over the last year and wonderful friendships! Thanks for stopping by!!
Smiles!
Heidi