Rachel Carlson

Friday Feature: STASH

 

Happy Friday!

in the spirit of today's feature, i have been sewing ALL week, no really.  i even started my first ever quilt - GULP.  scary, i know.  we shall see how many things i can do today and through the weekend.  my goal was to sew for one week straight, so far so good...

i'm excited to introduce you to crystal, owner of STASH in castle rock.  in fact, a few blocks down the road from the barn where she originally began. 

  

crystal is living her dream.  she owns and operates a cute boutique filled with yummy fabric, yarn and craft goods as well as some other artisan works, go crystal.  i keep forgetting to bring a bib each time i visit because the fabric alone is to DROOL for.  this is where i got my 'stag bag' fabric by joel dewberry.  she is also the one that taught me and kelly our first bag class - the ruthie clutch.  thanks crystal!

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

check out her calendar for upcoming classes.  plenty of classes to take for upcoming holiday gifting.  or for a treat for yourself.  i have a good friend that has been spending some time over there (*wink*cough*LC*cough) recently.  my master-enabler skills 'are' working.  don't worry LC, i won't tell.

crystal's business site:  STASH

crystal's blog site:  STASH

here is a recent interview with crystal.  AHEM, i think they were more for me than they were for her?  OK, maybe ONE of the questions was more for me, can you guess which one?

what was THE defining moment behind your decision to open your own store?
I have always wanted to have my own yarn and fabric store, the moment I knew it could be a reality was with the encouragement and support from my wonderful husband, Jon.  I also couldn't have done any of this without Carol, my partner in The Barn.  She has been a huge support and always very encouraging.

where did you get your start?
Stash first opened it’s “doors” at The Barn in a little space no bigger then most closets.  From there we moved to a bigger space, then to the wonderful little cottage where it is today

tell us the name behind 'STASH'?
Stash is defined as something put away or hidden.  We all have our secret stash, wether it is fabric, yarn, paper, clothes.  My hope is that at Stash you feel comfortabel enough to know that you are not alone, we all have the fiber addition, and it is OK.  You don't have to keep it a secret, I understand.  I hope you feel you can come on in and look, feel, covet, and maybe walk away with a little something that makes you HAPPY!

do you prefer to knit or sew?
I go back and forth on this one.  I mostly knit, because it’s easier to take with you.  Then there are times when all I do is sew two or three things at once.  I’m never without my knitting or sewing.    

what compels you to buy certain prints for fabrics?
Nostalgia, if a certain print brings on a good memory, I just have to have it.  If I see a print and cannot stop thinking about it, and sometimes customers ask for a certain print that I overlooked and that one becomes a favorite.

what compels you to buy certain types of yarn?
If I love to knit with it, it’ll be at Stash.  I tend to gravitate toward natural yarns and yarns with a story behind it, for example if it supports samll communites and Indie companies.  If a certain pattern catches my eye and uses a particular yarn.  Or if I come across a yarn I have not heard of before, I research it and try to get my hands on some.

who is your favorite designer fabric/yarn/etc?
I have to admit Manos is my favorite to knit with.  The fiber is amazing and the colors are to “dye” for.  (There is a great story behind this fiber as well: Manos is a true co-op that has been self sufficient for over 40 years and just this year received its World Free Trade Certificate.)

As for fabric designers, that is difficult to choose just one.  Of course Amy Butler is on top of the list, her prints just make you want to sew up something fun and they inspire you to be creative.  Then there is Anna Maria Horner, and Joel Dewberry, and just recently Valorie Wells.

is it hard for you to put scissors to your favorite fabric?  if so, how do you overcome that?
It was REALLY hard at first to put a sharp object to something so beautiful.  It seemed so finite, so wrong, and what if I messed it up?!?  After you cut fabric all day long and realize it really is OK and your projects really do turn out, it does get easier.  I actually enjoy the cutting part of sewing now, it is almost therapeutic.

how many unfinished knitting/sewing projects to you have going at one time?
This varies, but right now I have three projects on needles, two projects in the works ( I have the pattern and yarn, just not the time), one sewing project, and one needlework project.  I guess this is pretty typical. 

what do you like best about having your own business?
Knowing everyday is truly a dream come true.

what is the best part of your day when you are at your store?
I love the excitement of customers when they come in the door and see all the worderful fabrics and yarn, and being surrounded by all that wonderfulness all day every day;
and when someone comes in with a problem to be solved, and we solve it!

do you feel that this is a good business to be in?
I think crafting is a good business to be in.  I have a passion for crafting as well as many others.  I'm gald to be able to provide a place for everyone to be inspired and find a creative outlet

how do you feel the economy has affected this type of business?
I don't think I have been in business long enough to know.  I do believe that people are more inclined to spend money on a hobby in this day and age, especially if it is a gift for someone else.  It makes it more justified. 

*i have to agree with crystal on the above as i am making all handmade/homemade for holiday gift-giving.  it feels great and i know people will love and appreciate it!

if you could knit a hat/scarf/sweater for a famous person who would it be?
Martha Stewart, because I consider her a mentor in business and creativity

what advice do you offer to those wanting to start their own business?
Follow your passion, you have to love what you are doing in order to make it happen.

cheers to that crystal and thank you again for indulging me and my readers! 

back to the threads for me...

happy weekend!

♥ rachel

the weekend in photos...

because i took over 500 photos this weekend and will not edit them right away.  i will share some of my favorites though from a busy weekend - these are all non-edited photos.  not much to blog about, a busy week ahead and i might not be back here until friday for friday feature.  stay tuned....

saturday:

 
went to visit the barn in castle rock to attend the open house for the scrap-a-teeny-girls (click for full report) - they had a great turnout.  it was SO good to see the girls again, it's been way too long.  i wish them well, they have a great thing going - cheers to all of you!

 

  

 

 

the barn is really great - it was my first time going.  i visited the many booths that people have in there and came across one common thing:

  

 

you might say the common thing is MIRRORS but i might say that i canNOT for the life of me take a good mirror photo.  i like the one with the chopped off head best. 

 
i spotted this cool burlap banner.  it was GIANT in size.  i'm going to copy it.  i ♥ burlap as of late thanks to my recent burlap bag sewing.  i'm just not sure how i will do the printed letters.  thoughts?  i don't have stamps this size.

sunday:

 
it was a PERFECT day for henry's 3rd bday party at the colorado train musuem in golden.  thanks to the schell family for inviting us to be part of henry's day.  i took a LOT of photos but again, i'm only posting my non-edited favorites from the day as i work to edit all other photos...

  

  

 

 

 
it is so exciting to see things through a little boy's eyes.  so innocent.  so carefree.  thanks henry!!!

and do you see that CUTE treeling that henry's daddy is holding in the 2nd to last photo there.  of course henry had already opened all the COOL boy toys, trains, trucks, a soccer ball that was much more interesting than my handmade treeling - ha - the expression says it all.

i am however very proud of this treeling.  i used the book that i have on loan from kelly to sew it.  the book is called softies:

 

see how cute that tree is there.  CUTE.  i think i'll work on the whale next....

SO i had to try my hand at it too of course.  my very first stuffed 'softie' - AND i used stuffing from an old throw pillow that i was too lazy to sew back together, PLUS i just needed stuffing, great way to repurpose.  i did not name the treeling OTHERWISE i would have kept it.  it was very hard to give it away but i know that henry will come to enjoy it over time.

  

 

what i learned:

• how to do a whipstitch
• how to do a backstitch - yet i feel like i'm already doing this?
• that i like using floss to sew details

thanks for letting me share.

have a great week!

♥ rachel

Friday Feature: CONTEMPORARY EXPRESSIONS

 

*site logo for contemporary expressions - tanja melone

 

introducing tanja melone.

i was thrilled to do this friday feature about local denver photographer tanja melone.  it's obvious i love photography and work to get better and better at it.  but when you meet someone as awesome as tanja, it makes you (me at least) want to be a better photographer.  i just want to follow her around one day and hang out, maybe some of her genius will make it to MY core.  i mean heck, check out her digs:

  

*studio photo - tanja melone

i know you're drooling.  i could easily 'live' here too.

i will never be able to say enough GOOD/KIND things about this lovely artist!  photography genius.  super sweet, generous and an incredible eye for capturing such incredible moments.  tanja is the reason i have such a great lens to shoot with right now - love ya cutie and thank you so much!

i choked up while reading her interview questions. you can never tell or feel the deepest core of a person until you put them on the spot with tough questions. if i were to answer my own questions we'd be here forever (ahem - thanks 5 readers - tee, hee).

before i get to her interview, check out her business website for all the details and her blog, she has a promotions page too.  time to get ready for the holidays and what better way to do it with a denver area photographer.  keep it local, keep it real. 

contemporary expressions - the business

contemporary expressions - the blog

the interview:

What does photography mean to you?
wow...what a deep question and one that can be answered on so many levels.  Simply put, though, photography means that I can wake up every morning and know that I'm going to spend the day doing what I LOVE.  I can't think of a career that is more rewarding than helping people remember the best times of thier lives.  My favorite quote, and one that you see on the wall in our hallway is "we do not remember days, we remember moments" - and it is my job to capture those moments and make them memories.  How cool is that!!!!!!!!

How do you think photography has changed over the years?
I think in many respects, photography has become "easier", for lack of a better word.  Technology keeps advancing, it seems, on an exponential curve making it easy and affordable for everyone to have a camera and get good images.  Photography has also become more a part of our daily lives ---- camera phones, cameras the size of credit cards, social networking and the ability to share images online ---- there is simpy much more opportunity to capture and share life as it happens, which I personally love.  The downside to the advancement into the digital age (and the age of instant photographic gratification...LOL), in my opinion is that people arent PRINTING their photos -- they live on a harddrive (backup, backup, backup everyone!!!!).  I'm old fashioned, I guess.  I want to see, touch, feel and display images.  I guess that's why we focus on wall portraits so much at the studio.  We want our clients to enjoy big, gorgeous portraits of their kiddos/family/wedding every day without having to pull them up on the computer screen.
 
What inspires you to take photos?  Influences?
LIFE!  Literally. 
 
What is your favorite type of photography (i.e. family, kids, couples, maternity)?
Jeez...you are making it hard to give a straight answer aren't you!  I can't say that I have an absolute favorite honestly. 
 
I love the chaos and spontenaeity of wedding photography - the way it pushes me moment by moment to think creatively in an ever-changing environment filled with raw emotion.  I love the sheer joy of photographing newborns - trying to capture with my camera the wonder and innocence of those first days - how impossibly tiny and perfect they are!  I love both the giggles and scowls of toddlers.  They aren't worried about how they are going to look in the photos so they are free to just be themselves - and I'm there to capture that.  AND.....I love the creative freedom and  challenge of capturing High School Senior Photos that are both artistic and unique to each of the kids that I'm given the honor of photogaphing. 
 
Can you remember the very first photo you captured that made you think - WOW.?
Absolutely - it was a photo of an 8 year old girl (the daughter of my Grandmother's boss to be exact), back in the days of (((gasp))) film.  I was shooting a fairly traditional session - look at the camera, smile - and we were taking a short break for me to reload color film into one of my cameras.  Sable was just sitting there on a rock wall across from me looking out at the train tracks, head in her hands, elbows on her knees and I quickly snapped a shot with my black and white camera.  That image changed the way I thought about portrait photography.  I knew then that I wanted to capture more candid/photojournalistic images of my clients - more emotion.  I still have a 5x7 of that very image tacked to my bulletin board at the studio.
 
What is your most favorite photo throughout your career?
I honestly don't have a single favorite....or to be more honest, my favorite keeps changing as I keep shooting.  If I had to choose a single image, it would be a simple snapshot that I took of my hubby holding our son minutes after he was born.
 
Describe your style?
Casual, artistic, refreshingly unique........how's that for working my tag line in.  My goal with each and every session I shoot is to capture images that tell a story, that show personality, and that become a unique piece of personal artwork for my clients. 
 
What is the FIRST thing you think of when you look through the lens?
Lenscap...LOL.   

What was your very FIRST camera choice?  Gift, hand-me-down, etc.
My first camera of choice was a Minolta XTi that I bought at a garage sale!  I knew nothing about 35mm photography and set out to learn EVERYTHING with that camera.  We were inseparable for MANY years. 
 
If you could do a shoot for a famous person, who would it be?
Goodness...I'm kind of drawing a blank.  I wouldn't be opposed, though, to photographing Johnny Depp!

(pssst tanja: i am more than happy to assist with this shoot *wink*)

Has a photo ever made you cry, when, where, why?
Would I be exposing myself as a blubbering fool if I say that I cry weekly at photos.  When my clients cry, I cry!  Knowing that I have evoked that type of emotion with the images I've captured is a very humbling and exhilarating feeling all at the same time and it often brings me to tears.  It is the greatest compliment I can receive.

Describe THE perfect photo shoot?
Warning......sappy answer ahead.....the perfect shoot for me would be following my son around for an entire day without him knowing I was there and capturing him being him!  He has typical "photographer's child syndrome" and does not cooperate for photos.  I'd love to just be able to chronicle a day in his life without the cheesy faces I get whenever he sees my camera!

What is the hardest part of the job when shooting for a client?
The pressure that I put on myself to capture images that my client will love.  I'm my own worst critic. 

What is your favorite light/time of day to shoot in?
Because I work both in studio and on location, I have to adapt to any lighting condition but I love natural light.  I'm blessed to have a studio with amazing natural light but I also love moulding and shaping light to get the exact look I'm going for.

What would you have done differently in your career and would it be good advice for others?
I would have learned to be a business person first, artist second.  I've learned a lot of rough lessons the hard way.  If you are truly seeking a carreer as a photographer, learn the business aspect inside and out.

thank you so much for letting me introduce you to tanja!  HUGE thanks tanja for indulging me, a photography enthusiast and a huge fan of your work.

WARM hugs everyone and happy weekend!

♥ rachel

we've been WALLOPED? AND free chicken?

 
*photo courtesy of associated press - check out all the photos here:

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Snow-falls-Colo/ss/events/us/092209coloradosnow

Slang Dictionary

wallop [ˈwɑləp]

1. n.
   a hard blow. : She planted a hard wallop on his right shoulder.
2. tv.
   to strike someone or something hard. : The door swung open and walloped me in the back.
3. n.
   influence; pull; clout. : I don't have enough wallop to make that kind of demand.

it tickles me to think that a 'big snowstorm wallops colorado' - hence the slang interpretation that i have provided for you.  why can't we just say: we got DUMPED on. we got a lot of FREAKIN' snow. hey man, the WHITE FLUFFY MOUNDS have arrived. oops, perhaps the latter is a bit much hey?! 3 a.m. humor is not advised.

in all seriousness: WELCOME, MY NAME IS 'SNOW'-MISER, HOW MAY I HELP YOU. gee, i think that my pre-mature scrooge banter has arrived.  OY. tomorrow is halloween. we get snow on halloween. if only it had waited a few days. just a few. ready for the meltdown. hey SNOW, don't let the shovel hit you on the way out.

but WAIT, that didn't stop brave patrons in ft. collins that 'waited in line at a Chick-fil-A for a chance to win a year's worth of free chicken meals' - GULP. did i REALLY miss this memo. my peeps are falling behind. i always get a text when 'free' is involved. and now i'm off to pout about free chicken and warm my toes up.

happy weekend!

we interrupt this broadcast...

 

for cute photos? not really. just a VERY happy dog that prefers the snow. seriously. he could stay out all day in this if we let him. but that would make us bad furry parents. you can tell how deep the snow is right now towards the bottom. he comes in with snow balls between his nails that we have to clean out. i love the sprinkles of snow on his nose.

 

 

yeah right. he hates water but LOVES the snow. whatever!

 
no swinging on this porch today. it has been falling since tuesday(?) and continues to fall with more on the way. HUGE warm hugs to my hubby who has been out in this to help plow streets, parking lots, driveways or the like to keep people safe on the road.

SERIOUSLY people, stay home where it's warm and safe.

♥ rachel

p.s. um YEAH, my sidebars have mysteriously disappeared, OH WAIT, that sounds like i have sideburns huh. the fancy links to the left and right of my bloggy (as i motion like an airline stewardess) are GONE. gulp. the peeps at typepad are working on it - thanks for your patience.  HA.  who the heck do i think i am, like i have a million readers coming to see what i'm up to. i DO love the readers (all 5 of them?) that i have, that leave me nice warm comments so thank YOU! *wink*

snow day

it fell all day today.  and according to weather underground it will continue to fall:

Winter Storm Warning in effect until 6 PM MDT Thursday...
	Tonight Snow. Areas of blowing snow. Snow accumulation of 5 to 10 inches. Lows in the lower 20s. North winds 10 to 20 mph.
	Thursday Snow in the morning...then snow likely in the afternoon. Areas of blowing snow through the day. Snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches. Highs in the upper 20s to lower 30s. North winds 15 to 30 mph.
	Thursday Night Mostly cloudy. A 30 percent chance of snow in the evening. Lows around 19. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph after midnight.

NICE huh. depending on how you look at it.  it's typical that we get our 1st snow on halloween. this is our 3RD snow. no, not complaining. just wasn't ready. where are my snow pants. where are my warm clothes. time to get ready.  REALLY?

warm hugs!

♥rachel

fallen leaves...

 

'me' or the 'leaves' - i feel fallen either way these days.  maybe it's the weather.  it's COLD here today.  39 degrees - snowing ever so gently.  forecast to low 25.  i'm wearing a sweater, knit hat, scarf, monkey slippers WITH socks - yes, i'm indoors.  NO, i'm not complaining, just setting the mood.  i'm about to eat a yummy soup prepared by my awesome hubby made with the yummy veggies that friends recently dropped off for us - thank you rick and anisa!

i like this time of year.  yet i'm sure i will soon lament over these kind of days when the ground is soon to be covered in that 'other' stuff - WHITE in color.  i still like to have my pumpkins/fall decor out through end of november but our weird weather pattern has made that hard for me to enjoy too. 

 

 

 

even some of the birds have retreated to warmer climates. see you next year feathered friends.

 

inspired by kelly's fall leaf garland, i had to make my own. and YES, i hand-stitched each of those leaves. thanks for the share kelly!

OH. i keep forgetting, we DID go to the pumpkin patch last weekend with our peeps. it's an annual tradition.  took a LOT of photos but i'll only share a few OR it would be a share overload and i know you don't want to see ALL of them!

 

there were 15 of us total. our biggest group so far. anisa came later with the boys so we waited behind to see them.  don't mind the rounded edges above, just trying that on for size.

 

my sweet friend michelle looking back for me. i seem to take this perspective of a photo every year.

 

  

the pumpkin mound that the boy built. he likes to build rock cairns so pumpkins should be no different. it was great. it was a perfect backdrop for folks to take photos in front of because they started showing up and then a line started forming - HA. no, REALLY.

 

 
so off he went to build somewhere else.

  

then we had our turn in front of the pumpkin cairn.

and how CUTE are these boys and girls:

  

 

 

um YEAH, thanks to the boy for taking a shot of my backside - EEEEK. 

  

 

 

here's my boy helping anisa's boy find a pumpkin.

 

and he found one.  the perfect one!

and that's all from the patch!

we then headed to our house, a smaller group of us for the carving after party. made some chili again, enjoyed disa's cornbread - thank you disa! and cupcakes from my (said like 'me' - yes, that is his name), a friend of the hubster's and my new bff because he brought cupcakes from HAPPY CAKES - *sigh* - thank you SO much mr. my!

  

 

  

 

it was a great day thanks to awesome temps!

i've been busy with other things too. especially sewing! i am prepping for the holidays after all.  which as always will be homemade/handmade. that is all we can do and that is fine with me. i probably will not post a lot of the projects i'm working on because some of my blog readers are also recipients of said projects. i WILL show you the bag i did recently which i'm VERY proud of, i know you're tired of hearing about it - ha.

  

 

 

i gave myself a lot of grief over this one. first i wanted a messenger bag. then i wanted the magnetic snap closure from the 'stag bag' i recently did - i've decided i don't like magnetic closures after all. then i wanted a zipper. zippers are over-rated. 

i pushed that all aside and fussed with TWO online tutorials but changed a lot of the dimensions. did one handle instead of two. oh heck, i just made it up as i went - OY. AND i learned how to do a boxy bottom aka 'gussets' FINALLY - the idea was to carry my camera in it too so it had to have a boxy bottom. sewing stabilizer to the box bottom was fun - NOT. sewing with burlap WAS a challenge - always sew on top of 1st stitch for double reinforcement. seam ripping 'burlap' NOT advised. i added one pocket (with 3 compartments) on inside (with fabric lining to protect contents) to tuck a phone, ipod or small notebook. you can see in some photos that the bag can accommodate at least 6 books, makes for a great book bag and/or market bag.

i have been intrigued by burlap for some time. i had bookmarked a burlap 'clutch' of sorts back in 2006 that i wanted to emulate, still sketching out that design but here was the idea:

 
so stay tuned for peeks of something like these at some point.  that's IF i can find more SOFT burlap soon.  thanks to kelly for dropping some in my lap a few months back.

i have managed to sew a total of 3 burlap bags, two just this weekend, just peeks of course:

 

WOW. if you read this far, THANKS. it's tough to blog daily when you are under the weather. good thing i'm feeling on the up and up these days because i have to keep going. it has taken me half the day just to get this posted. i even took a break so the hubster and i could go to the library.

I ♥ THE LIBRARY.

i'm off to DEVOUR these books (in no specific order) now:

    

     

              

going to the library is AWESOME and i didn't even spend a dime!

cheers to a great week ahead everyone.

♥ rachel

FRIDAY FEATURE: the papery willow

 

happy friday, happy weekend!

our next friday feature comes from a very sweet friend of mine:

babs cancari - paper crafter queen - adorable and has THE cutest giggle.  she is the owner/designer of the papery willow - cheers to your new name babs!  babs offers handcrafted custom invitations and stationery.

i've known babs for several years now, she's a great gal to know and i'm lucky to call her friend.  she's worked really hard to get where she is today.  and let me tell you, HARD.  she has also done a lot for the community and continues to find ways to make a difference in other people's lives.  she's a local news star too!

 

you can check out her work on her business site:  the papery willow and hear about what she's doing next on her blog:  http://thepaperywillow.blogspot.com/

i interviewed babs recently with the following:

How did you get started? I have been scrapbooking since the birth of my middle daughter now 17 yrs old. Seven years ago I decided to start my business, I did not know how I was going to do it, or exactly what I was going to offer, but I knew I had to do it, and it has evolved from there.

What was your main goal in following your passion? I wanted other people to enjoy the same joy my daughters had when they looked back at their past, and their memories. I started off creating custom scrapbooks and page kits.

Why do you do it? It is just a passion, it is hard to explain, I love, love, love, paper, oh and also when I deliver the final product and see the same glow in my clients eyes as I have, I get all teary eyed every time.

How do you think it will benefit locals? I also promote other locals trying to make it in this industry; I am a firm believer in helping others grow their business. As I get more established and grow I will have a bigger following and this will bring exposure to other locals. We all have to start somewhere and it takes a long time, I think it is important to have a mentor when growing your business, I am not there yet, but I hope to become a mentor to others so they can see their dream come true.

Have you enjoyed the process? Yes, even with the lows I have enjoyed it very much; I have been through name changes, changed the direction of the business and overcame some hurdles. All of that is what makes me the business person that I am today, it will always be a learning process, but I have learned the do’s and don’ts that is for sure.

What do you see for the future? I see a studio full of vendors and customers, in my studio I will carry only local and hand-made products, the vendors will have a place to call theirs, they will be able to set appointments with clients and have a place to call their business, and as I grow I will have a bigger space that they can have their own workspace. I also want them to leave and I mean that in a good way, it is almost like when the bird leaves the nest it means they are growing up, same thing I want them to grow so big that they move on and open their own stores, I am also hoping to have my products in local stationery stores. And of course to continue to pay it forward to our community, when you have good revenue it is good to pass on what you have.

so if you are getting ready for the upcoming holidays and need some help with your gifts, call on babs to get you on your way.  she's already working on her holiday designs!

 

cheers to you babs!

and thanks to everyone for your well wishes.  i'm moving again.  finally.  i have serious cabin fever and need to get outta dodge.  cheers to a great weekend!

♥ rachel

DEATH WARMED OVER!!??

 
*google image

enough said.

i'll be back soon.

at least i think i will.

NEW INSTALLMENT: friday feature

 

as if you haven't heard that lately!

before i go into a HUGE rant/rave about this phenom, let me introduce you to my new installment which will be appearing on my blog weekly:  friday feature

where i will introduce/interview a 'local' artist, artisan, crafter or the like to highlight their dream come true, their dream in the making, the success of aforementioned, etc.  because after all, my goal is to 'keep it local'.  SOMEDAY i will blog about how i REALLY feel about all of this since losing my job to it. 

HUGE thanks to those of you that i've 'recently' had this conversation via phone or email.  it takes many people to make changes.  i may not be perfect at it BUT i am trying and that's where it has to begin.

let's begin with: 

TEENY SCRAPS OF US

 

it does help that i call these lovely ladies friends of mine.  a mother-daughters team.  very creative.  very cute.  cheers to all of you.

they recently secured a spot at the barn in castle rock - castle rock local to kim and reba, becky lives in denver and local to colorado for the rest of us.  they make the cutest books for memory keeping.  the work is done for you, all you do is add the photos.  and while they can't afford to go brick/mortar 'yet' - their lovely creations are available to you at the barn.  AND they will be offering classes too.  i'm SO proud of them. 

i interviewed becky/kimmy with the following:

how did you get started?
becky: I have always been interested in art & studied photography in college. But I think my creativity was really set off by the introduction to scrapbooking by my sister in the early 90’s. It has definitely evolved over time & I now find myself exploring more artistic mediums.

kim: My passion for scrapping! since all the local stores closing needed to find new venue, for my hobby and new adventure to keep alive!

what was your main goal in following your passion?
from becky: One of these days I would like to be published in one of the Somerset publications, like Cloth, Paper, Scissors. But for now I am happy to be creating scrapbooks & other art to sell & preserving my own memories in some form or another. It truly is my outlet & I miss it if I am too swamped w/life to find even a minute to do something creative!!  *hopefully she will consider this being published - tee, hee.

from kim: To be able to have a creative outlet. And something fun to do with my mom and sister.Also some mad money too!

why do you do it?
from becky: Mainly, to hold onto memories for generations to come. Secondly, because I love to be creative! I think that if someone would have told me about more artistic outlets when I was younger, my life may have taken a different path!

from kim: It truly is my passion!I love to Scrap!!! And to make things with fun papers and fun embellishments!

how do you think it will benefit locals?
from becky: I hope that people will see that even if they don’t have time to scrapbook themselves, that our albums & products will help them showcase & preserve their memories. I also hope to teach people HOW to preserve their own memories in a scrapbook form or by re-purposing something else in an art from.

from kim: Something new and different, one-of-a-kind creations! Offering some services that no one else has in my neck of the woods.

have you enjoyed the process?
from becky: Yes & no! It can be very stressful to get things rolling! And we only had a few weeks before we were to start paying rent on our space, so we were kind-of scrambling to find display pcs & to make more products to fill in. But now that we are open, have a game plan, things are mellowing out a VERY tiny bit!

from kim:  Very much so! Been trying at times yet love the thrill of trying a new adventure ! Just wish my brain would slow down some at 2 am. 

what do you see for the future?
becky: Of course, having our own little eclectic shop would be ideal & has been a dream of ours for some time, but only if the scrapbook/retail industry turns around. We absolutely love the venue at the Barn & my sister & I really hope that some day we might be able to move to the lower level where we’d have more room to teach more classes & possibly sell more consumable goods for other artists & scrapbookers to use.

from kim: Hopefully huge success in still being at The Barn! And making a name for ourselves. And a profit wouldn't be bad either!

     

such great genes too - *wink* - HUGE hugs to you cute girls and CONGRATS!

come celebrate their OPEN HOUSE on october 31st, here's the scoop:

Open House:
Saturday, 10/31 - Halloween
10am-2pm
Raffle

*Free Make-n-Take*

Goodies*more!

Classes:
All Scrap-a-Teeny Girls' classes will be taught by an experienced scrapbook teacher. No experience is required to be a student, but it is helpful.

"Made from Scratch"
paper bag mini recipe book
$15/pp-limit 4 students per session
Saturday, November 7th @ 11am-1pm &
Saturday, November 21st @ 11am-1pm
(All materials supplied. Tools available for class use or bring your own)

"8x10 Collaged Picture Frame"
One Class Only!
$18/pp-limit 8 students
Saturday, December 12th @ 11am-1pm
(All materials supplied. Tools available for class use or bring your own)

Kits for Sale!
We are very excited to be offering kits for our customers to take home & create their own unique mini-album!

Prices are yet to be determined, but here's a little tid-bit to get you excited too!

October Kit: "Domestic Goddess"
Featuring Graphic 45's Domestic Goddess papers &
a unique stamp from Unity Stamp Company
to make a paper bag album with these great vintage images!

November Kit: "Trendy Family"
Featuring Jenni Bowlin's "Trendy" paper line, a Unity Stamp
& a chipboard mini-album shaped like a house!

Sign up today at:

The Barn
303-814-0066
400 Third St.
Castle Rock, CO

thanks for letting me share with all of you!

we are headed to our 'annual' pumpkin patch outing with our peeps - so excited to see all of you and then enjoy the after party.  cheers to autumn.

happy friday, happy weekend!

♥ rachel