from all of us at Melissa Frances!
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October 2010
October 31, 2010
October 30, 2010
Remembering...
As we draw to the end of October, which is breast cancer awareness month, we at Melissa Frances want to thank our customers for their continued support of "Thankful" (our product line with part proceeds donated to breascancer.org) and for the many, many positive messages we have received from you when Melissa shares about her breast cancer journey. This is a cause which remains close to her heart and we can promise that we will continue to use the platform we have to raise awareness and funds to fight this devastating disease.
We also wanted to take a brief moment to send a special thank you to our friend Becky Fleck. Becky was a member of the Melissa Frances design team for a season as well as the graphic designer for the Melissa Frances newsletters several years ago. Proving once again how many of us have been impacted by breast cancer, Becky lost one of her best friends, Pamela, to Breast Cancer in 2006. Ever since then, she has worked diligently to raise money and awareness for the cause. As she does each year, Becky participated in the 2010 Yellowstone County Relay for Life where she and the PageMaps team raised $28,800. One of the more brilliant parts of the day is when the teams light luminaries for friends who have been affected by breast cancer. Each year Becky lights one for Melissa...and so, to Becky, and those who have offered support and encouragement to Melissa, we say "Thank You". Melissa appreciates it more than you will ever know.
Remember: Monthly self-breast examinations are one of the most beautiful gifts you can give yourself. Early detection is key. You're worth it.
October 29, 2010
Workshops in Colombia
We are pleased to share that Carolyn Peeler, Sr. Creative Director at Melissa Frances will be teaching 4 paper arts classes in Colombia Nov 5-9. This will be our first time bringing Melissa Frances workshops to South America, and we are so excited to bring the Vintage-Shabby Melissa Frances style, and a super-cool Collage class featuring Ranger Ink products to Scrappers Colombia. (Please click on the link for class descriptions.) For more information and to register, please contact our host, Maria X. Sanchez - Phone: 57 1 612 1715
October 26, 2010
Meet our October Guest Artist, Ingvild Bolme, from Norway...
Name: Ingvild Bolme
Blog Address: www.ingvildbolme.com
Where were you born, and where do you currently live? I was born in Stavanger on the west coats of Norway and have grown up and lived my whole life in a place called Madla just outside of the city. This is where I have my heart and all my childhood memories, and I really wish my daughter to grow up here too. It’s a beautiful place with amazing nature and the ocean near by, and it’s not too far from Stavanger, which is Norway’s 4th largest city (only 10 minutes drive away).
Tell us about your family: I live together with my dear Esben, and together we have our amazing little daughter Iselina that is 4 years old next month. Esben is a very loving and caring man, a man who beside taking care of his family also loves to take care of his house, his cars and motorcycles. I myself are a student at the moment, study graphic design besides being a busy mum who scrapbook a lot ;o) Iselina is our treasure in life, our sunshine. She wakes up happy early in the morning, is happy and active through all the day, and makes sure we all are busy and happy trough the day too. She is able to make us smile even on the worst days, and she put a whole new meaning into our life. She already loves to scrapbook too, and has lots of the same interests as her parents. Love animals, love to draw, love nature walks and so on. We all spend a lot of time together, and miss each other just after one day apart from each other. I have a beautiful family, and I tell them every day how much I love them and appreciate them for who they are.
Pets: I really love animals, all kinds of, and have done so all my life and always had dogs. But right now we have a cat called Spooky (he got his name because we asked for a girl cat but we were spooked later when we found out he was a boy…)
Favorite Magazines: I really don’t read many magazines, but if I do, I love all kind of scrapbooking and interior decor magazines.
Favorite Smells: I love the smell of newborn babies, even newborn puppies ;o) Love the smell of a fresh and clean house newly washed, and the smell of vanilla or strawberry candles burning. I also really love the smell of nature, especially after a rainy day.
Favorite Movies or Books: Because of my ADD, reading books are pretty heavy stuff for me, so I don’t really read books. But I like to watch a great movie, and I love thrillers like Seven or action/drama movies like Braveheart and Gladiator, everything with actors like Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Russell Crowe and so on…
What time do you wake up in the morning? I’m really a person who loves to sleep and probably needs much sleep too. So if I have the opportunity, I would love to sleep until 11-12, but that don’t happen often. But usual I get up with my daughter around 7 in the morning to get her to kindergarten before I go to school which starts 8.30.
Favorite TV shows: Love to watch Idol and other talent programs, especially in the start when it’s actually funny too. Or else I just love to watch CSI, Cold Case and other series like that.
Favorite Season: Since I don’t like it too hot or too cold, both spring and autumn are my favorites seasons. I like the temperature then, and the great outdoor light and the nature gives so many beautiful moments, especially for photographing.
Do you collect anything? I collect scrapbooking supplies and embellishments. Actually there is nothing else but that I collect, but I am a real collector on that part! ;o) There is always something I “need”, and I can never get rid of the old stuff that I have “just in case I need it one day”.
When and how did you get into scrapbooking/papercrafting? I discovered scrapbooking by an accident in 2006. I Googled the word scrapbooking and found out that this had to be something for me who had loved photography, design and drawings all my life. So I went to the LSS and bought a plastic bag full of embellish and papers, and went home and made my two very first layouts that weekend. I knew right away that I had found the craft for my life, and it has been like that since. Totally addicted.
What music/food/drinks/television do you like when you’re creating?I love to listen to the radio to hear different kinds of music, or I just put on one of my mix CD’s with lots of favorite music on that I have listen to for years now. If I don’t feel inspired or creative, it often helps to just put that CD on. I also love to have a cold Red Bull by my side when I scrap.
How would you describe your scrapbooking style? I really don’t like to put my style into a special category, because I like to vary my style a bit after what I scrap for or pictures I’m going to scrap, and I try to let that lead my to choose style. But I am addicted to embellishments and different techniques, and lots of details. So no matter style, you will probably never see anything “clean and simple” from me. So I like to call my style “maximalist” and detailed, and if the opportunity allows me to, I love to scrap vintage and romantic.
Where do you find inspiration? In everyday life, ideas in my head when I wake up in the middle of the night or in the morning, from the pictures I’m going to scrap or the products I’m going to use, but mostly from my beautiful little daughter and to watch her grow up and experience life.
Do you like to crop with others or scrap alone? I get really easily distracted, so even though its social and very nice to scrap with others, I like to scrap alone so I can really relax and focus on what I’m doing. Scrapbooking is my “escape” from busy days, so I enjoy having that time for my own and just enjoy staying in my “creative bobble”.
What do you prefer to create (cards, scrapbook layouts, altered projects)? I like it all, but prefer scrapbook layouts simply because of the time I use on this craft and because I have too many family pictures waiting and there is never enough time to scrap enough of them. When I scrapbook layouts I put all the time I use on this craft into something special for my family, treasured family pictures and memories, and the layouts will stay in our family albums for all time. But I also love to create cards and altered projects in between.
What is one scrapbooking tool, you can't live without? My vintage edge rasp. I can never scrap anything without it. I’m also addicted to craft knife and inks.
October 20, 2010
Upcoming Class...
Melissa Frances Design Team member, Danielle Flanders, will be teaching a class featuring Melissa Frances products on November 20, 2010 at Home Scrapbooking in North Attleboro, MA. You can read more about it here. She will also be selling kits for those unable to attend the class!
October 18, 2010
Melissa Frances Special Event
We are happy to share that Melissa Frances will be teaching 3 workshops at the Scrapbox in Ottawa, Ont. Canada on Nov 5-6, 2010.
Due to Melissa's crazy schedule, she makes only a few special appearances each calendar year, so whether you're local, or have to make travel arrangements to be there, this is an event you will not want to miss!
For those of you unfamiliar with Melissa, here is a brief look at her impressive resume:
In 1996, Melissa launched Heart & Home Collectables, a giftware company specializing in vintage-shabby knick-knacks and home decor. In 2004, she added Melissa Frances, a scrapbooking division, to the company. During her time owning the two companies Melissa wrote a book " Heart & Home's Charming Paint & Decoupage Projects", made television appearances on QVC (a home shopping channel) and the DIY network, traveled the world to source, purchase and sell her products, and participated in charity events (most notably designing the pants worn by Ben Mulroney for a Toronto Sick Kids auction). In 2007, Melissa faced the battle of her life when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. It has been a very difficult journey, but today Melissa is cancer-free and continues to raise awareness and money for the breast cancer cause through "Thankful" a Melissa Frances product line which has part proceeds donated to breastcancer.org.
We invite you to join Melissa in this rare workshop experience. She promises to be generous with the kit contents, assuring us that students will have lots of 'left-over' supplies, and is happy to share her life experiences with students. You will leave your time with her feeling creatively re-charged and motivated to live each day to its fullest!
Get a sneak peek at the workshops here on the Scrapbox blog.
October 16, 2010
October 14, 2010
Fun Flower Tutorial...
A while back, we featured a project on our blog created by our design team member, Johanna Tonnessen. Johanna created these adorable 3-dimensional flowers, and she was kind enough to share step by step instructions on how she created these flowers...
Step 1: You need a flower retro punch from EK Success (or you could really try any flower punch), paper and something to add in the middle - pearl, button, brad etc... :)
Step 2: Punch out three flowers
Step 3:Leave the first flowers as it is. On the second you remove one petal, and on the third you cut of two petals.
Add some ink on the edges. (I have used ColorBox Fluid Chalk inkpad - Creamy Brown)
Step 4: Glue together the first and the last petal on flower no. 2 and 3.
Step 5:
Add the flowers together using gluedots, and slightly curl the petals with your fingers.
Add something in the middle, and your flower is ready to be used on a project :)
October 12, 2010
Our Little Girl Card
Melissa Frances Products: Madeline Paper (PA335), Stella Paper (PA341), Maxine Paper(PA334), Cream Pearl Embellishments (GN297), Her Majesty Resin Appliques (CX820), Baby Girl Transfers (FW046)
October 11, 2010
Home is Where You Hang Your Heart...
Melissa Frances supplies I have used:
PA197 Alma paper
GN297 Cream Pearls
GN274 Attic Treasures Cardstock Die Cuts
GN320 Vintage Posey Label Die Cuts
GN329 Chandelier Drops Diamond Shape
GN302 Beige Ribbon
GN34 Pink Glitter Hearts
GN15 White Glitter Hearts
CX705 Garnish Applique
CX648W Notting Hill Keyhole
FW033 Heart&Home rub-ons