Seriously, I don't know why you people put up with me......

Need a reason?  How about the fact that I haven't sent out the gift tags for the Spring into Action Giveaway..... I sent the earrings last week.  I just got an email from Natalie at Kandeland telling me that I won a giveaway over there. She was right on top of everything......gift was wrapped and ready to go.....postage was paid.....she was practically at my door handing it to me personally.....this was all within minutes of my saying "WOW!  I won!"    All the while, I have gift tags under various piles of papers just begging me to just send them out the door to their intended owners..... I'm so lame..... I made all the tags.......  And, then, they promptly got lost under a pile of stuff during the past month of my crazy crafting days.   Don't believe me?  Well, I present to you, Exhibit A:   

Have you ever run into a situation where you accumulated so much crafting materials around you that you effectively cut yourself off from your craft table?   Need a ribbon hanging on the wall in the back?  Tough luck.... it's in exile.  Need a paint brush?  Too bad....no way to get there.  AND, even if I could get to the table, it's not like I can work on it.  Do you see more than 2 inches of space?  No.  So, guess who's going to be spending the next 2 days cleaning......then I get to do the fun "Look at my cool craft space" post.  But, it's not all just for looks.  I have four crowns to do for Teacher Appreciation Week, a Lego Crown to do for Carlo's "real" Birthday Day, a bunch of jewelry and art piece for our school's Silent Auction, and I would really love to get some items in my Etsy shop.  So it's mandatory cleaning time. 

On to bigger and and much tidier things.........

As much as I would love tell you that this is my "after" shot of my nice new clean studio.....I can't.   But, it is the next best thing.....It's A NEW Scrapbook Boutique in my neck of the woods.  For the love of paper and glitter, someone pinch me and tell me this isn't just a dream.   I was in complete heaven today wandering the aisles of this fabulous new store that is run by Michelle White and Helle Greer called PaperTales.   I heard about it while blog hopping (it's kind of like bar hopping but with out the hang-over and regrets)  Anyway, I went from Joy's blog to Michelle's blog and almost had a heart attack when I saw that they were opening the new store on May 1st.  I thought maybe I could camp out in front of the store the week before they opened.....you know,  just to stare at all the new merchandise coming in and to guarantee the first spot on opening day.  But, then I thought....maybe I might scare them a bit and get arrested for loitering.... so I decided to just hang back and play it cool.  Although, I'm not sure if Michelle was put off by my screams of excitement when I walked through the door, she didn't show it as she walked me around the store while pointing out all the amazing lines they carried.  She is so sweet and so nice.......and we had so much fun talking about blogs and craft and how this crazy crafty world of ours is brought closer by cyberspace. 

I managed to remember my camera so I have a bunch of great pics....Take a look for yourself.....

 

 

Now, of course, you have to understand that I HAD to bring the "CEO of Tomfoolery" of Chaos Industries with me to this event.  As you can see, he immediately made himself at home.........

Whereby, making the immediate decision (based on a Hot Wheels coloring book, crayons, a kalidescope and child-size table and chairs) that we were moving the Chaos Headquarters to PaperTales. 

I told him it wasn't practical and I hardly thought that they would allow Thomas the Train decor alongside the Glittered Chipboard.  But, he insisted, and told me to draft the contract........And then, of course, just as I had Michelle convinced that Bob the Builder is the next new thing to hit the Scrap Industry, I turn around, and what do I find......him lounging on the couch with grandma.....

 

That's it.......

I'm asking for a raise!   And trust me........ I'm going to need it for all my trips to my newfound Scrap Boutique.  This is what I ended up getting.......

So, if you are in the San Diego area, this is going to be the place to be!  Now as much as I want to dig into my new paper, I have a Lego Crown that is awaiting my attention......Talk to you soon!!  Karin 

 

Comments

[Alison Gibbs]

Karin what a great shop that Michelle and Helle have. Looks wonderful.
Alison

[Alisa]

HaHa! That's what my desk looks like... so I moved to the kitchen table. I just try to ignore the grumbles from my Farmboy. Love the scrap shop. Almost all of ours have closed here in the North Dallas area :(
Alisa

[sonia audelo]

THAT'S WHAT MY CRAFT AREA LOOKS LIKE. HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO CLEAN UP. DON'T WORRY WE STILL LOVE YOU. LUCKY YOU TO HAVE SUCH A NEAT STORE NEARBY. HAVE A GREAT DAY!!
SONIA

[Michelle M White]

Thanks for visiting! You are too much fun...and I think your "boss" is welcome to work in our store anytime!!! (He was soooo good!)

[Lori]

oh you lucky girl:) all of the paper stores that were in my area closed...i think i may have been the only patron...there is a framing shop in town that carries a limited supply of paper craft items that unfortunately cater to the cutesy scrapbooker...i usually have to buy online which is not really optimal as the colors are hard to determine...did i tell you how lucky you are???

[Jessi Nagy]

Hahaha,
i think all of out rooms have looked like that at one time or always.
teehee.
There store looks just darling.
next time im in Cali, i have ti hit it. it's on a list of many to visit.
have a great week,
oxoox,
jessi

[Helle Greer]

Hi Karin,
I am so sorry I missed you at the store. I am slowly recovering from my surgery, but hope to be in next time you come to visit.
Thanks for your sweet words.
Smiles,
helle

[Denise Elizabeth]

Hi
Your craft room looks way more organized than mine. I get the garage. :( Can't wait to see that crown! Denise

[Betty @ She's Sew Pretty]

oh!! That looks like a fun place. As for your studio, I'd give anything to just have one instead of boxes of stuff in every room of the house. Except for the boy's rooms...I would never go in there!

[Jeanne]

Karin, I thought that maybe you had come to MY house and taken a picture of MY studio because the condition of mine is quite similar to yours. You described it to a "T" (why do people say that - what does "describing to a "T" actually mean anyway?) I digress ~ I can't wait to see what your studio looks like after you are finished with your cleaning. Just think, afterwards you'll be able to go to Paper Tales and buy MORE stuff - Yippee!!!
xo
jeanne

[linda and laura Lilly cottage]

Hi Karin, oh that isn't messy...its creative and there is way more room for more in there, lots of cotton reels on the floor, beads etc, you can still see your carpet and that is always a bonus! Thanks for sharing your new discovery too! I love their rosey lounge/sofa/couch it looks as inviting as the rest of the shop. Have fun creating, kiss noises Linda Lilly Cottage.

[Tiffani]

Ok, first of all, I don't know you but "we" put up with you beacuase you're funnier than crap! I just LOVE reading your blog...it cracks me up daly :)
Second, don't feel bad (just scroll down): http://ricracsally.blogspot.com/2008/04/where-do-i-start-no-reallywhere.html
And third, I would travel all the way to San Diego just to go to that scrapbook store to buy GREEN tinsel garland (well, that and say HI to my home state)!! (I've gotta get to my local shop to see if it even exists east of the Rockies!) weeee!

[Pam]

Oh, you are so fun. Linking you now. I love San Diego. I was only there for a week. I had done some inking on a comic book so was at the artist part of the Comic Con. After the 3 days of artists (the Simpsons artist did a drawing of Homer and Maggie for my sons birthday)then the crazy (I mean this in a good way) were allowed in. A few artists stayed but these were the people trying to buy our passes everyday and dressed up like their favorite super hero because they kinda think and hope you think they are the REAL super hero. Yikes. What a group. But we all make the world go round and round :) Loved your Avacados. We get little hard, green, poisonious ones sent to our groceries in Wisconsin. I would love to see San Diego again and again and again. Wish I could move there. I get invites to the Comic Con each year, but have not been back. Do you go?

[Jaime Compton]

Your blog is just beautiful and fun too! I really enjoyed all your pretty pics!

[Cindy]

LOVE the desk...can so relate! LOL. And the shop is so cute...I caught it "blog hopping" (LOL) as well. Your posts are alwasy too much fun.

c