Inspired by...Paper Crafting

"Plan out your life on paper but live your life by your heart."
~Warren DeMike

I love paper.

It is a fascination that I have had my entire life.

I love origami papers, intricate wallpapers, scraps of wrapping paper, brand new spiral bound notebooks, the smallest sticky note pads you can buy and especially hand made paper. I am the reason that the Kindle will never replace traditional reading materials in my house. I love the feel of the paper in books. Especially the really old ones with the deckle edges.

Although I love all things paper, I am a scrapbooker-wannabe. I have all the implements, tools, dohickees and tchotchkes. I buy albums, page protectors, brads, chipboard and stickers. But I do not have one completed album of anything. There was the time when I set out to make an ABC-123 book for my son using stickers, writing, artfully torn papers and pictures of our many trips to the Milwaukee Zoo. But I think there might be only a 1/3 of the alphabet in there. And he is 12 now. He knows his ABCs. So I don't think that one will ever get done {but maybe if I start now I might be finished by the time I have grandchildren!}

But my good friend is a paper diva. No, really. She is. And I want you to meet her.

Say hello to Lisa Falduto. {Hello, Lisa!}

Lisa has been crafting her entire life. She has done it all...from candle-making to counted cross stitch and sewing to rubber stamping there isn't a craft that Lisa has met that she didn't like {does she sound familiar to anyone? Maybe you are like Lisa?}. It wasn't until she discovered the art of paper-crafting that her world opened up. Lisa Falduto has been a big part of the paper-crafting world, working for companies from Fiskars and Wausau Paper to design teams like Cosmo Cricket. Lisa has had many pieces published in trade magazines and books. She is a craftonista if I ever met one!

Since we both have a love of paper, and a passion for sharing stories and memories, we make an oddball but perfect fit sort of local crafting community. We share ideas about blooming our businesses and cheer each other on, without any feelings of competition. Lisa is the best kind of people and the sort that you wouldn't mind spending an afternoon with by pulling up a chair and sharing a cup of tea. Once you get the two of us together it is hard to stop us from talking.

I am so excited for Lisa {who, incidentally, was the entire reason that I got published the first time in Bead Trends November 2008. She believed in me and encouraged me to try. For that, I am grateful}. June 1st marked the opening of her newest venture: Paper Fashions Boutique.

Here is a little bit about it in her own words:

At Paper Fashions Boutique we offer two distinctive scrapbooking kits each month! I personally design and carefully package each kit before sending it off to be delivered to your front door. Monthly offerings will be a rotating mix of mini albums, home decor, card, and layout kits designed with you in mind!

Each unique scrapbook kit contains full step by step instructions with color photos along with the supplies needed to create the project as shown.

Paper Fashions Boutique is not a subscription based site. At the beginning of each month two new paper crafting kits will be released on the site in a limited quantity. You simply add the kits you want to purchase to your shopping cart and check out. Just remember, when they're gone, they're gone! After kits sell out each month the full set of instructions will be available for purchase separately.

I invite you to come in and browse around Paper Fashions Boutique. Glad to have you here!

I am sure that if you are at all a typical creative you rarely cover just one medium. I am told that Bead Trends came about because the researchers at the parent company Scrapbook Trends found that those who dabbled in paper-crafting also dabbled in jewelry making. And for some of you it might be the other way around. Or, if you are like me, you love all things scrapbook but find another use for the myriad of products targeted to the scrapbooking industry.

I love a good scrapbooking store just as much as I love a good hardware store. There is a certain fascination that I have for all things related to paper-crafting. And with good reason. There is a lot for a jewelry designer to love. There are metal pieces by the thousands. Stickers that look like jewels. Snaps and buttons and all sorts of embellishments that lend themselves perfectly to punctuating jewelry designs with flair. I have discovered companies like 7 Gypsies have a beautiful, timeless look and vintage looking hardware and dangles. And you would have to be living in a crafting vacuum to not hear of Tim Holtz and his highly inventive line of materials that makes a crossover from scrapping to jewelry quite easy.

Lisa came over on Monday and we had a bit of a play date. While our children played badminton and Wii, Lisa and I experimented with the Cuttlebug and Vintaj metal pieces. This is so stinkin' cool! You can run these little metal pieces through this toaster-looking green machine and get really cool results! And you can then jazz them up with inks and paint and pens that make it look enameled. I will share my experiments with you soon when I have time to make something. In the meantime, click the link above to take you to the Vintaj blog where Jess shares all the fun. {This Cuttlebug thing is definitely going on my 'must-have' list.}

So, your challenge this month is to be Inspired by...Paper Crafting. And to make it interesting to both scrappers who like jewelry and jewelry designers who like scrapping, I am going to open this one wide to encourage as many people to play as possible. Pay attention...there are many ways to enter and win!

How it works:

• You may enter up to two different items this month (one from each category):
1: Jewelry using scrapbook materials {think brads, chipboard, stickers, embellishments, and of course paper, etc.} or using jewelry tools {like embossing metal with the Cuttlebug}.
2: Altered art object using scrapbook materials but must contain traditional jewelry materials {think chain, beads, etc.}.

• Post your pictures to the Flickr account here.

• If you are so inspired {and I hope you will be!}, feel free to create as many pieces as you like for the challenge and post to the Flickr account, and this month your name will be entered for each piece (up to two per person). {For extra BONUS ENTRY opportunities, see below}. You have until 11:59 pm CST on Wednesday, June 30th to post to the Flickr account.

In the description of your picture be sure to add the following:

•Title of the piece
•Short description of your inspiration {be sure to tell what crossover pieces you used!}
•Your Name
•Your email address
•Your blog or website

BONUS ENTRY OPPORTUNITIES:

• If you use an art bead in your piece {art bead is defined as a bead or component created by yourself or another artisan}, be sure to point that out in your description {with a link to the appropriate artisan’s website, shop or blog} and you will have TWO extra entries.

• If you blog, Facebook, Twitter, sky write or take out a billboard to publicize each week’s challenge, be sure to let me know {leave a comment here} and your name will be in for ONE extra entry.

• NEW! Be a FOLLOWER of Treasures Found for ONE extra entry. (Be sure to post another comment for this to count!)

• NEW! Become a FOLLOWER of Paper Fashions Boutique and sign up for Lisa's newsletter for ONE extra entry! (Be sure to post another comment for this to count! I will double check with Lisa!)

•That's a total of SEVEN ENTRIES!

And for the winner... Lisa has graciously offered one of her first kits, this cheery Birdhouse, to the winner. All the materials are provided along with the instructions for this limited edition kit perfect for summer crafting! And I will provide the winner with one of my custom W.O.W. (Words of Wisdom) Pendants created using pretty papers, glass, solder and resin with the winner's choice of color, and word or letter.

So, what are you waiting for? Go out and get inspired!

So, tell me...Are you are scrapbooker who dabbles in jewelry? or a jewelry fanatic that dabbles in scrapbooking? Or maybe you have other crafts you like to do? Do you love paper as much as I do and hoard it every chance you get? Does your head spin in the sticker aisle at Michaels from the wealth of choices? Do tell!

Check It Out::Paper Fashions Blog Where Paper Gets It's Style On

Enjoy the day!