road trip

back in may, christy & i took a little road trip, thru corn fields & cattle and found a couple cool stores to visit and learn. We met two great ladies along the way and ate some yummy ribs.

here is susie kreais

she owns SCRAP HAPPY in New Riegel, Ohio.

Isnt this just the cutest building ever? Susie has the cutest store, jam packed full of the latest & greatest paper goodies and tools. She showed us her big accu-cut and while we drooled over the crown books she was making, she filled us in a lots of little tips and was generous with advice and even hooked us up with Debbie Zegarra...Debbie came to visit us a couple weeks ago all the way from Kentucky and helped us get some great product for the store.

Debbie knows Yvonne. Who is my Worldwin Papers Design Team Manager - what a small world!

This is where we ate ribs - the New Riegel Cafe - its right across the street from Susie. She's Lucky!

After lunch, we're off to Columbus...

but not before we passed thru SOUTH PARK---LOL

this is Tonya - and she owns RED LETTER JOURNALS. Tonya is a CRICUT expert and we may just have to have her visit for a workshop! Thanks Tonya, for sharing your awesome store with us! What an inspiring place to hang out.

Red Letter Journals is located in trendy GROVE CITY, OHIO.

And guess what Steph / Angela / Yvonne...THERE IS A TIM HORTONS THERE!

family photos

i'm the picture taker in house. i rarely ever jump in and try to be in the picture. i hate that i often dont photograph as well i used to. but it really sucks that down the road, in the future, my kids and their kids and their kids, are not going to have many pictures of me to look at.

I hate that thought.

that they wont know who i am.

pictures tell stories. everyday moments.

as i look through the pictures of my youth, my parents and my ancestors, even without any scrapbooks around, i am able to put myself inside the photograph and imagine what was happening at that single moment when the flash blub went off.

so - lesson for the day.

dont be a camera hog.

let someone else take the pictures. do it often. even if you arent at your best. even if you are feeling ugly.

thanks denise. for taking my camera away from me. for this picture. i love this.

well shut my mouth!

i go from saying N O T H I N G to saying all kinds of stuff...but let me tell you this week was interesting...here are some pics of it so far :-)


matt gets into his first scrap. with another kid. his age. who has a stick



yesterday & the day before. hail storms - wicked!


yesterday. at dusk. after hail storm move on.

visions for tomorrow

you all know i'm a sci-fi buff

sci-fi channel recently started airing commercial for http://www.visionsfortomorrow.net/

so i clicked.

new arrivals daily!

yum - i forgot how much i loved getting new shipments - its like christmas here e v e r y d a y!

just an up date on what's arrived:

artsy.licious/unity stamp/tinkering ink/melissa frances/tim holtz/teresa collins/pinecone press/crate paper/art institute/ranger/tsukineko/zsiage/tonic/clearsnap/judikins/kokuyo/zettiology/paper artsy/

oh i'm sorry christy! lying around on some beach = you get to miss out on all this fun...

the artsy.licious line by Melody Ross is T.O. D.I.E. F.O.R. love it so much we ordered more of it today. this stuff is so hot.

we have a few plans in the works: like happy hours, treasure hunts and more contests.

If you are local to the wooster area - keep an eye out for coupon savings in flyers & publications around town...there is a 25% to be had if you can find one!

See you REAL soon!

calling all crafters! contest! contest! contest!

ok- so we're having a little contest of our own.

1. make a project ... anything goes! mix it up - be creative!
2. using any one (or more) of the manufacturers listed over there at the sidebar
(please use currently available product, old product that is hard to find will be automatic disqualification)
3. send a good nice bright photo of it (outdoors if you can-best light) to:
create@thepinktomato.com
4. see if you can win!

25 prize boxes of crafty goodness will be given away :
20 - $20.00 retail value goodie boxes for top 20 projects.
5 - $50.00 retail value for the top 5 projects that we use for feature workshops!

DEADLINES: email your submission by 7/4/08
CONTEST RESULTS will be posted on 7/25/08 here on the PT blog and on the PT website, http://www.thepinktomato.com/

winners will be notified by email with further instructions on how to send in your original projects.

please note, however, by sending your winning submission to us, means you understand that the projects become the property of Crafty Girls LLC for its use in store displays, advertising and/or workshops. Full credit for your design will be given to you on all in-store & print & web advertising.

Paper Crazy Summer Challenge #1

dont be lame.

enter the challenge!