April Crafts & Cocktails project revealed!

I just couldn't wait... I am so excited about this project. A number of you on MCAS Iwakuni have requested a Japanese-themed album kit... well, here it is! This is also a larger format album than anything we have done previously, 8x8 inches. Take a look at the cover and a few pages:

Of course, your album won't feature a photo of me in Miyajima with maple leaf cakes, but it'll be better: It will feature pictures of your adventures in Japan! The cost of this kit is $50, because of the increased cost that a larger album size includes, but I'm sure you'll find that it's still a great value! Sign ups begin March 13 and the free Crafts & Cocktails class if you would like assistance is at 7 p.m. April 2. Details and more pictures can be found on the Kits and Classes page.

Boys are ... Outta This World!

I've been busy creating a collection of albums for boys... and I don't know about your boys, but mine love monsters and aliens. These cute, yet very boyish, albums are part of the "Outta This World" collection and are perfect for displaying photos of your favorite monster. And, of course, the front covers can be personalized with your monster's name, free with purchase.

Top row, left to right: 8x8-inch album with red alien, 4 panels and acrylic cover: $40; 8x8-inch album with blue alien, 4 panels, acrylic cover and transparency page: $45. Middle row, left to right: 8x8-inch album with blue alien, 4 panels, acrylic cover and transparency page: $45; 8x8 black and red album, 4 panels and acrylic cover, $40; 8x8-inch album with green alien, 5 panels, acrylic cover and transparency page: $50. Bottom row: 6x6-inch red and black album with 4 panels and acrylic cover: $25.

Want to see more details? No problem! Here are some close-ups of a couple of the front covers of the 8x8 albums:

The 8x8-inch album below is the centerpiece of the "Outta This World" collection, featuring five page panels and a transparency page. The layouts are numbered 1 through 10. These pages can showcase your boy as he grows up, a Top 10 list, such as "The Top 10 Reasons I Love You," or a series of steps or milestones. This album is $50.

The 8x8-inch pages below are featured in the black and red album seen in the center collection photos above. This album includes four page panels, one page being a pocket page with tags and envelopes for journaling or to collect memorabilia. This album is $40.

Crafty Open House

I had a great time making acrylic name tags, drinking tea and munching on cookies! I hope these ladies did, too!

Iwakuni Craft and Info Fair April 20!

Photos from the November 2012 craft fair

Mark your calendars! The MCAS Iwakuni Craft and Info Fair sponsored by the Iwakuni Home-based Business Organization will be Sat., April 20  at Crossroads Mall! Details can be found on the Iwakuni Business Directory: http://www.iwakunibusinessdirectory.blogspot.jp/

Tenaciously Remembered will be there and I hope you will be, too!

Rainy days mean time in the scraproom...

It's been a rainy long weekend in Iwakuni, so I have spent quite a bit of time in the scraproom working on projects I have had on the "back burner." Here are the pieces I have finished that are available:

This album is one of my favorites as I wish for spring to, well, spring. It is an 8x8-inch acrylic album with seven acrylic panels, two chipboard panels and a transparency page and features a unique mason jar theme in soft colors. It is $70.

Then there is a collection of albums featuring scrapbook design manufacturer Basic Grey's "Sultry" line. Pictured below clockwise from top left: 6x6 "Lovely" album, with four panels and an acrylic cover, $30; 8x8 album with four panels, transparency page and acrylic cover, $45; two 4 x4 albums with four panels each and acrylic font covers, $10 each; and 6x6 floral album with five panels, transparency page and acrylic cover, $35.

Below are photos from inside the 8x8 album: 

Signs, signs, everywhere is signs..

I can here the 90's Tesla version of that song in my head as I post this. With my family back in the States after a two-week visit and my husband doing "military exercises" in Thailand (why are these always in tropical locations in the dead of winter... I think the Marines just want getaways, but I digress...) I have found some time to get creative in my scraproom. I've been working on door signs that my fellow Iwakuni residents have requested. Here is a Navy family's sign for their front door:

And a group of them for kids' bedroom doors:

I hope the kids love them!

Crafty Open House Feb. 20

I love getting crafters together, especially here in a country I am not familiar with. I learn so much about new ideas, new projects and where to find supplies. The Holiday Open House in December was a great success, so I'm hosting another open house Wednesday, Feb. 20, at my home. Just stop by anytime between 7-8:30 p.m. Email or message me on Facebook for my on-base address.

The free project we will be creating is an acrylic name tag:

I hope to see you there!

March's Crafts & Cocktails project revealed!

This kit idea started when a couple of fellow military wives saw a similar one I had created in a class taught by famed crafting designer and instructor, Tim Holtz, a few years back. I thought I'd take his inspiration and add in some unique American and Japanese flair to make this a one-of-a-kind home decor piece for the American residents here in Iwakuni. And your project will be truly unique. While everyone will get a compass, domino, key, etc., there will be different numbers, styles and letters in each kit. Plus, for those of you who like to try new things, or hone your crafting skills, we will be working with a lot of different media, from Glossy Accents adhesive and Distress Crackle Paint, to Distress ink and Glimmer Mist. Fun for crafters of all skill levels! Just leave your inner perfectionist at the door... by nature, collage appears haphazard, but still manages to be pleasing to the eye! That's the beauty of collage! For more details and information about the March 12th Crafts & Cocktails class, check out the Kits and Class page.

Look at these finished albums!

Fellow MCAS Iwakuni resident and crafter Sarah Taylor did an amazing job when adding her photos to these two Tenaciously Remembered albums. I thought I would post them here to show off her work, as well as give you some ideas for photo options. Thanks for sharing, Sarah!

Japanese 8x8 Album

The photos in Sarah's album above were taken by fellow Iwakuni resident Danielle Caceres.

U.S. Navy 8x8 Album