Down to the Wire!

Are you all ready for CHA? I am so super busy with the final preparations, that this is just a short and simple entry. I will announce the Cosmo Cricket Dinner Winner tomorrow morning. If you have not had a chance to get entered into this contest, read this entry for all the info.

Check back here for updates from CHA. I'll be posting everday on the road.

One more thing. we have our first $5.00 charity contribution on our Health Nut contest (if you don't know about this contest, get filled in here). It seems that on Lindsay's and Eric's trip, Lindsay used a taboo word. Although I'm holding him to his $5 donation, I will say that what we are referring to as the $5.00 diet, has not been cheated on....... we are almost 4 weeks free from all junk food. That's 4 weeks with absolutely no chocolate of any kind! Somehow I have not died yet.

Paper Flower Tutorial

First let me say, that the Dinner with Cosmo Cricket contest is still open. Read my previous post for your chance to win.

Now, onto today's business. Natasja Verbeek, one of our design team members, makes these absolutely beautiful paper flowers. I asked her if she could teach me how to make them...... I need all the scrappy help I can get..... she told me she learned it on the internet and that she would find me the link. Well, she couldn't find the link. Instead, she went above and beyond the call of duty and made me a personal youtube tutorial. I am so in love with these flowers, that I thought you might like to learn to make them too. So, I asked Natasja if I could post her video. It took a fair bit of coercion (she did not intend for it to be public) but she is a really good sport and agreed. And, I am so glad she did...... I just love her!

Now I have started making my own flowers. Here is a layout I am working on with my first paper flower. I wanted my flower to be made from our printed cardstock, but the paper seemed a bit thick so I peeled the top layer away from the bottom layer. I love this look. It makes very delicate looking petals.

111 Layouts and 1 Free Meal

If you do anything less than 25 layouts in a day you are a complete slacker! OK, I'm just kidding, but Krista, Kristen, Kathy and I started making layouts at 11:00 on Friday and by 5:00 we had completed 111 layouts. Why would we be so obsessed you ask? Well, sometimes we do a "make and take" at our booth sometimes we kit product together and do a "take and make", but this year we are just doing a "take".

You see, I wanted customers that place orders with us to have a layout to help merchandise the product in their stores. Our booth really isn't big enough to allow several people to be making layouts and if I give a kit, the store owner still has to take her time or pay someone else their time to put the layout together....... as a small business owner myself, I know there is never enough help or enough time. So, right now we have a free layout for the first 111 stores that place their order (I said right now, because we might find time to complete even more).

I was going to photograph some of them to show you all, but my sweet hubby boxed them up and put them in the crate before I got a chance! I guess you'll just have to get over to Booth 1345 to see them in person.

On another note, if there's no such thing as a free lunch....... maybe there is such a thing as a free dinner. That's right, we want to take you and your friend to dinner with us the first night of the show. What will this cost you? First you need to leave a comment telling us why you want to come to dinner with us and why we should pick you. Then, you have to get yourself to CHA. Finally, you have to be willing to endure an evening with the infamous Lindsay Moore...... the man with the cute shirt, Julie Comstock..... that's me, the girl with the whitest skin, Eric Comstock...... the luckiest man on earth, Kristen........ the smartest blonde at the office and hopefully Maren Benedict and Debbie Olsen..... two of thee most talented designers. If you won't be at CHA, but you know people who will, let them know about this contest. We'll leave it open until Wednesday @ midnight and announce the winner Thursday morning.

One last thing, congratulations Angela @ 10:02, you are today's winner. Send your address to kristen@cosmocricket.com and she'll get you your prize.

Congratulations and More Prizes

Isn't this just a lovely card by Krista! It's so beautiful and simple to make.

Now, I have to apologize that I don't have a free download for you today. But, you know, if I give you one everyday you might become spoiled and demanding. We wouldn't want that to happen now, would we? Of course not..... I am glad you agree. :)

However, I do have some potentially exciting news for anyone who's going to be at CHA. Whether you are a fan, product designer, paper artist, store owner, design team hopeful, whatever...... if you are going to be at CHA, you could win dinner for you and a friend with Cosmo Cricket (I told you it was only "potentially" exciting). If you are not going to be at CHA, let your local store know about this opportunity and have them come to our blog next week for their chance to win.

But wait........ there's more......... You could win today!!! Tell us your favorite thing about your special someone and be entered into a drawing to win the Element Cards and Borders from all four of the new lines.

Congrats Tigger and Scrapaddict21! You both have won the Lil' Man Paper Crafting Kit. Send us your address and we'll send you your prize.

All Stars, Happy Days & A Lucky Girl

Another project by the talented Krista. Can I tell you I love the plaids and stripes in this line. They remind me of vintage shirting or quilting fabric. So nostalgic!

For today's game we will be giving away a Little Man Paper Crafting Kit, but we're going to be a little tricky. You can enter your name into a drawing by leaving a comment, but you can increase your odds of winning by having your friends come to our blog and leave a comment. Tell them to say who sent them and if they win, the friend who sent them will win also.

Here's another download for you. After reading the wishes yesterday, I thought of the song "Happy Days are Here Again." I hope all of you looking for jobs (or having husbands looking for jobs) find them. And, like so many of you, I also wish for warm sunny weather. I hate winter. I miss the sunshine. Hopefully, it won't be too long until we get to use this happy little sunshine on our layouts! The same rules apply. Please use it as much as you like, as long as you're not selling it or using it for commercial purposes.


Oh, and today's winner is delaina@teleclipse.net. Delaina send us your address so we can get you your prize.

A Winner, A Freebie, Another Prize

For today's game, tell us a wish and be entered into a drawing to win the Snorkel Ready Set Chipboard (which won't be in stores until mid February) and stickers (shipping Jan 26).

I noticed yesterday that several people thought the title of "Me, Myself and I" would be fun for their layout. So, I made this printable download (click on it to make it larger) that you are welcome to have. Please do not sell it in anyway and we will still be good friends.

Congratulations Fourguysandagirl you are the lucky winner of yesterday's Spinner Card prize. Send your address to kristen@cosmocricket.com.

Spinner Card Layout

The full sneak peek is in the post below.

Look how fun these can be on your layouts! I sparkled the spinner on the card and left it free (so it can spin still). I have found that being in my mid-thirties, some days I feel like a completely different girl and other days I still feel like an 18 year old. I did this layout to try and show that. Maybe when my girls hit thirty they'll look back at this and relate.

You could win a set of spinner cards. Tell us a title for a layout all about you and we'll enter you into a drawing to win the new spinner cards..... they won't even ship until February 10th.