The New Blog

Hi Everyone,

Let's start with a project. Emilie Ahern sent me this beautiful layout. I wanted to show it because I read a thread the other day about people hating to use the color yellow. This isn't a strong yellow, or too much of the color, but I love yellow (even bright, loud yellows). I want to paint my whole house yellow, but Eric has different ideas!

The color is so fresh, happy and sunny. It is the opposite of the constantly grey sky outside my window! So, don't be afraid of yellow. Start with subtler tones. Pair it with a nuetral color like grey, black, white or chocolate. You might just be amazed at the results!


On another note, as far as I know there were only two problems with the new blog. Erin Glee cannot leave comments on typepad and so Erin, I will be your personal comment leaver if you wish. Leave a comment here letting me know if that's agreeable to you.

One other person commented on having to enter those funny looking numbers/letters. I will look into that. I want to have the blog as easy to use for as many people as possible. At the same time, I don't want tons of spam comments. So, I'll see what options typepad offers, but I can't make any promises that the funny letters will go away.

To celebrate the new blog, we will have a SPECTACULAR prize offering over there tomorrow. I would have put it up today, but we're in the middle of a snowstorm and some of the things I want on the giveaway are only at the office.......... namely fabric!!! So, be sure to check back tomorrow. You won't want to miss it!

Spring Will Come Eventually

I am downstairs in my office looking out at the dark, grey sky and telling myself that spring will come. There is rain drizzling down the window and it's cold, but spring will come! Last year, our spring was very, very late...... it even snowed in June. One day, my daughter came to me, in tears, worried that we were going to miss all of spring. I told her what I'm telling myself now........ spring will come!

The above layout is of said daughter last year when spring finally came. I have used this photo before, but I just love it! I saw a project in Simply Handmade by Pamella Brown, that I used as inspiration (I love that magazine!).

I've included directions for my layout. You are free to download these and use them for yourself. If you own a store, feel free to make kits and or teach classes with them. The only thing I don't want you to feel free to do is charge anyone just for the instructions! Thanks!

Tim Tam Temptation

We haven't given away a prize for a while, so I think we should do that today. But first, a Five Dollar Diet update.

Lindsay and I were strong all through CHA. We did not order cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory...... although others did. We did not eat any junk at Disneyland...... even as I watched my sister-in-law eating a chocolate-covered, frozen banana. We didn't even eat any of the Tim Tams that Cheryl from Aussie Scrap Source brought for us all the way from Australia (and that is saying something!). The $5 donation jar has only collected the one time donation from Lindsay's slipped profanity.

(Lindsay and I with our Tim Tams. This is the only photo I had, so please don't tease Lindsay too much for being caught in the middle of saying something! Oh and for those who don't know, Tim Tams are these super-yummy, chocolate-covered cookies.)

Eric and Lindsay both say that I am getting skinnier. I am starting to believe them since my pants are looser and I'm fitting into some that didn't fit before. I don't know what I weigh because Lindsay and I agreed not to weigh ourselves until April 1. But, Eric thinks I'm looking so great that he has decided to join us. It's nearly killing him!!! He has been "clean" for two days. GO ERIC!

How are your healthy efforts going? Let us know and you could win:
One package of Tim Tams
A Super Sweet Chemistry Paper Crafting Kit
A Scrumptios Snorkel Sampling
A Tasty Scarlet Blackboard Album

Now to hold you over until we find out the winner, feast your eyes on these fun projects by design team member Yukari.

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.

Japanese Friends & Class Instructions

Here are some of the friends we met in Japan. There were many others including Rei who gave us a lovely gift and Yoko who made this album using photos and entries from our blog.

Sorry about the poor photos. It's very overcast today, and I don't have enough light to shoot these. But, don't you just love this album! I will treasure it. So many great memories! I especially love that she took stills from the videos and placed them in as film strips.

On another note, here are the instructions for the classes I taught in Japan. I wasn't sure how to save these for the blog. Hopefully they work for you (click on them for the full size sheet). If they don't, email us and we'll send them to you. You are free to use these for yourself or for classes or anything else you have in mind. We just ask that you credit Cosmo Cricket. Enjoy!

Get a little Chemistry

PS: We'll be making another stop to Kmart for more photos...... now that I know $2 is such a deal, I think I'll stock up.
PSS: I used nail polish to paint the Blackboard pieces. All letters are from the Get Happy Blackboard Shapes, the numbers are from the Retro Mix Alphabet.
PSS: You could win a Chemistry paper crafting kit. Tell us what you think of the new line to be entered into our drawing.
PSSS: Just if you didn't know...... you can click on the images to see them larger. Have a great day!

Fall! Brrrrrrr!

I live up in the very most northern part of Utah, in the mouth of a canyon, on a mountain. It gets really cold here. It snowed all day yesterday! I was soooooooo not ready for that. We had some flurries on Saturday, but yesterday we actually had a winter storm warning and SNOW. It wasn't so much snow that it really stuck, but when I woke up this morning the trampoline and grass were covered with white. I'm telling you this so that if I go into a deep depression, quit making happy posts to the blog, gain about 30 pounds and refuse to get dressed anymore you'll know why. Those of you that are loyal blog followers, might remember my "crisis" entry last April, when I was in my 7th month of snow falling (it also snowed in May and June). Why do I live here? I'm really not asking you all, I'm asking Lindsay Moore!!!

OK, enough ranting about things I can't control. Here is a layout I lifted from my sister in law Amy Combs. I thought I had a photo of her's, but I can't find it currently. Suffice it to say, they are about the same, but she used Skipping Stones (the polka dot paper) as her background and her title was handwritten (mine was made from the Holiday Just Your Type sticker book). Also, she took the time to cut out her leaves from the Nature Walk paper. I took the lazy route and used the adhesive die-cut leaves. It's so fast and easy!

This is my nine year old Kate and her best friend Kalle.

Products Used:

This Week's Winner

Congratulations Cass! Send us your address and we'll send you a prize!

Below is a photo of one of the layouts I'll be teaching in Japan. If this November you will be in the Tokyo area and would like to take this or another fabulous class, click here...... they are updating the images as we speak!

PS: Sorry for the horrible photo. I shot this outside on my deck and the shadows are a bit heavy!

Goodbye little Pound, Hello Design Team!

I have lost one more pound, how did you do?

On another note, my design team has been posting some AWESOME stuff lately and I wanted to share!
From Debbie Olson, some cute birthday cards. The dump truck lifts up to reveal the message underneath! She has lots more fabulous ideas on her blog!

Over in Holland, Natasha has been creating super fun Blackboard boxes! Open this one up to find a scary surprise!



I always love Danielle's layouts. Her style is so clean and simple, yet always fresh!

Even while pregnant and completely sick, Leah has created some really beautiful projects. This one is my favorite of her recent work. She has a fun online tutorial for a similar layout on her blog.

Maren creates more cards than anyone I know. Look for a bunch of her work in Stamp It Cards volume 3 (by Paper Crafts). It comes out in February.

Yukari has such a fun, free-spirited style. I saw this first on Two Peas and I knew it was her work, just from the style! I have no idea what she talks about on her blog (it's in Japanese), but the layouts are inspiring!!

What Were We Thinking?!?

Sometimes I submit our work to a potential buyer to have them say that they don't think it's right for them. Then I see what they choose to bring into their stores and I think to myself, "What were they thinking?!?" The problem with art is that it's completely subjective!

Here's what we were thinking when we choose the top 12.

Danielle Layton, www.vtpuggirl.blogspot.com
We loved her clean, simple, editorial style. The design is really strong, with nice photos and we like how she handles her typography.


Similar in style to Danielle is Kathy Thompson, www.kathythompsonlaffoley.typepad.com
Again, a nice, editorial style and we love that her layouts feature teenagers. I know that might seem unfair, and it's not nearly the only reason we like her, but even something that simple, can make you different and make your work stand out.



Leah Killian, http://lifeaslou.blogsome.com
You'll notice Leah is more crafty in her style....... more what I tend to think of as traditional scrapbooking. The design and photos are lovely and she has some really creative ideas on her blog.

Natasja Verbeek, catsies on the web
Natasja is very artsy using found objects like cardboard and creating a very collag-ey feel. We think she could appeal to younger artists.


Anthea Peterson, www.our-life-story.blogspot.com
Anthea just has this fun, carefree feel to her layouts. They seem very fresh.

Davinie Fiero, http://davinie.blogspot.com
I have to confess, I have been following Davinie for quite some time. My favorite thing about her is that she seems to really push herself and I see her getting better all the time.


Debbie Olson, http://debbiedesigns.typepad.com
Debbie Olson is a card making master! She has a very classic style and everything she does is amazing.

Yukari Takanashi, http://enjoycrop.blogzine.jp/blog/2008/06/i_love_cosmo_cr.html
Yukari's style is similar to Anthea's. We like the carefree feel and a bit of collage-iness.

Danielle Quarmby, http://daniellejq.blogspot.com/2008/06/cosmo-cricket-faves.html
Danielle seems to be the "artsiest" of everyone that applied. We love this piece!

Laura Craigie, www.evidenceofagoodlife.blogspot.com
Laura has awesome photography skills! This is my favorite of her layouts, even though it doesn't have any Cosmo Cricket on it. I love the placement of the heart! I am a sucker for little unexpected details.

Katja Lampert, http://heynoonoo.blogspot.com
Katja is artsy and creative. I love her newspaper flowers! She shows how to make them on her blog. I thought they would be great made out of yellow pages too.

Maren Benedict, http://zanynotcrazy.com
Maren is another fabulous card maker! We think she's amazingly talented.