Brave Girl Camp Update ~ Dressed for the Event
- posted by: Cheryl
- posted in: Uncategorized
- on: February 6, 2010
Hello all,
Again, I’m so eager to share with you the part we play as a community and company but also the experience at Brave Girl Camp. Some of you even shared in your comments and emails that you have been pondering going. I highly encourage you to do so . . . you will come back refreshed, changed and inspired. I can’t wait to share more.
So, yesterday I’m driving home from work and I get a text from a friend and a fiskateer sharing with me to check out another fiskateer friends Facebook post. So I did and it said . . . “This is for you . . . for all you do”. There was a photo of a beautiful knitted orange and green scraft for Brave Girl Camp.
I began to cry as I’m going down the road. It was raining hard and with the tears in my eyes, I couldn’t see the road very well so I had to pull over. This special fiskateer used her beautiful crafty skills and gifted me with something very dear. Incredible! It means so much and my heart is so touched! So touched by both of these women. One was the messenger and the other the gifter. I love that it is handcrafted and that I will have a piece of this beautiful gal with me. I was so surprised! It warmed my heart so much!
I love when I receive cards, gifts and handmade items, even food from you fiskateers. There is nothing like it! So I wanted to share with you. Isn’t this absolutely too sweet? It’s beautiful! I’m now properly fisk-a-dressed for the occasion and will carry the thoughts of fiskateers and these two women close to my heart.
I did tell her that if I shared with the community about this that she’d have 6,900 fiskateers banging down her door for one.
So I want to say a big shout out and a big thank you! Thank you Sonja and Sylvia! I love you both. I love all you fiskateers!
Hey, Mother Nature!
- posted by: Wendy Jo
- posted in: Uncategorized, Scrap Life, Projects
- on: February 6, 2010
Hey, Mother Nature!… ENOUGH ALREADY !
How many of you have watched the Weather Channel in the last couple of days? Has the weather been the top story in your local news? When you look out your window, do you see any signs of life or does it look like a ghost town?
Most of you know I live in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. The sky is nothing but shades of white. My area has received more snow in the last 24 hours then it’s received in the last the ten years. Well, that might not be the most accurate fact, but it sure seems like it to me. So, today I’m taking advantage of the situation and I’m staying in doors. I think I’ve slept longer than my cat today. (Is that really possible?) It’s coming up on 5:00 pm, and I’m still walking around my house in my pajamas and big fuzzy slippers. So, since I was dressed to kill, I thought I’d hit a stamp pad or two.
I flipped through my stack of some of the new Fiskars items that were recently introduced at CHA. I grabbed the two new color shades of Fiskars Stamp pads, Copper Kettle and Navy Blues as well as a package of new clear stamps, Winter Wonderland, a set that is designed to fit several Fiskars squeeze punches. Along with those new tools, I grabbed a few other favorites, my Fiskars rotary trimmer, several squeeze punches and the Snowbubbles border corner punch.
And with those, I got a little creative and here’s just one example…
But I couldn’t stop there and I decided to create a scrapbook page layout. Now perhaps someone out there can help me with my next task…
Dude, where’s my car?!
Superbowl Tips from an Expert
- posted by: Kelly Jo
- posted in: My Life
- on: February 6, 2010
I am a Buffalo Bills fan. As you may remember, the Bills went to the Superbowl 4 years in a row. (They lost all 4 times but that’s not the important part of my story.) A few years later, I won a trip to Superbowl XXXV where I saw the Baltimore Ravens beat up on the New York Giants. Since the Bills 1st Superbowl loss was to the Giants with the infamous ‘wide-right’ missed kick by Norwood (a.k.a. him who we do not speak of), it was slightly satisfying to be there when the Giants lost. That, and winning a FREE Superbowl trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I highly recommend it!
So with all this Superbowl experience, I have attended and thrown many parties on Super Sunday and I consider myself somewhat of an expert. Since the Bills aren’t playing this year and I’ll be spending Sunday in Connecticut, not Miami, barring a surprise visit from Jim Kelly, the highlight of our party this year will be the food. Here’s a peek at our menu for tomorrow.
- Main course: Pulled pork sandwiches. The pork will start out in the crockpot early tomorrow and will slow cook all day. By halftime, it will be melt in your mouth delicious.
- Buffalo Chicken Wings with an authentic Buffalo honey/hot sauce. No Superbowl party is complete without Buffalo wings!
- Hot artichoke dip with tortilla chips. There is so much cheese in this dip it should be called hot cheese dip with artichokes.
- Spinach lasagna for the vegetarians.
I consider cooking to be kind of like crafting. You start with your basic ingredients and combine them in just the right way to make something beautiful or scrumptious to share with those you love. What are Your ideas to make Super Sunday crafty?
I’d Like to Round Up a Few Fiskateers
- posted by: Angela
- posted in: Uncategorized
- on: February 5, 2010
It’s official. I will be in Houston, participating in the Houston Area Scrapbook Roundup organized by Scrapbooking Roads ( more details here: http://scrapbookingroads.com/- stop by or call a participating store to see about picking up a passport for this event). I will be traveling to stores starting the morning of March 4th and continuing through March 6th. I have contacted the stores participating in the shop hop and I’ve asked if they would like to let me host a bigger Fiskateer event on Saturday afternoon. I’ll continue to update as my schedule gets fleshed out.
I’m also working on organizing a Fiskateer event in Austin, Texas the evening of March 7th or 8th. There are so many amazing crafters in the area, surely we can pull together something really fun. Any suggestions? So that’s my plan. I want to meet as many Fiskateers in the Houston, Austin area as I can. If you’re there, come hang out with me. If you have friends in the area who are crafty, I want to meet them too. If they’re not Fiskateers already, all they have to do is email me and say they want to join. I want to paint this state ORANGE. Who’s with me (and yes, you know I’ll be bringing my hat!)
A Very Special Experience
- posted by: Cheryl
- posted in: Uncategorized, My Life, Scrap Life, Inspiration
- on: February 5, 2010
So many exciting adventures taking place in and around the ‘fiskaworld’. I too wanted to share some exciting opportunities and news. In less than two weeks I’ll be heading to Idaho for a very incredible experience for all.
As I’ve shared in the past, I’ve had the incredible blessing of befriending Gail Lopez and Melody Ross from GCD Studios. We have a professional working relationship but more than that an understanding as women, artists, and individuals. I have been so touched by their friendship.
So when we started talking about cross promoting and working together, both Gail and Melody also shared about a very special event that takes place about four times a year. It’s called Brave Girl Camp. While the theme ties in with some of Melody’s lines (see here . . . i.e. ‘Brave Girl’), it is an incredible experience and opportunity for all involved.
Gail shared from her heart what it meant to be a part of Brave Girl Camp in the past and Melody shared about the vision and heart of the event. I knew it would be an incredible experience to be involved with . . . such a life changing, artistic, life enriching and wonderful event. So I’ll be heading to Brave Girl Camp in less than two weeks which is held in the beautiful state of Idaho. I’ll be ’sharing some Fiskars love’ and know that the relationships that will be made and the experience will be unforgettable. I can already see it taking place as the participants are getting to know one another. Melody and her family are the hosts of this incredible art and life retreat. It’s so much about art, life, bravery, sharing, being, expressing yourself through your art, relationship and so much more. Every detail is thought through with love and care . . . incredible food, details, goodies, artistic experiences, reflection and more.
Here are some photos of Brave Girl Camp 2009 . . . see here. While this particular date in February is already full, I highly encourage you that if you have the opportunity it will be an incredible treat to attend. It’s an investment in life, you as an individual, a woman, an artist (we all have some way we express ourselves) and so much more. This will be a life impacting event. I am so grateful to be a part to share some Fiskars love but also as an artist and individual. It’s wonderful as a company and community that we can be involved in such a life impacting event. You can check out more great details here . . .
While there is no ‘internet’ or connection in this part of the beautiful Idaho mountains, I am eager to share about the event when I return. I’m excited to share the experience, the incredible participants, hosts, speakers, relationships, connections, and more. The expectation is great with art, life, incredible women involved . . . life impacting.
Stay tuned as well, I’ve been working in the weeks past on firming up some make and take opportunities all throughout Southern California at local scrapbook stores involving Fiskars and GCD Studios. I’ll be sharing soon and I’ll be adding them to the calendar.
One last bit of exciting news . . . 125 comments . . . to the Dear CHA Memories post . . . I loved hearing what those of you who were present enjoyed as well as those that were there in spirit but looking from a far. Thanks for sharing these memories with me. Our random winner of the ‘new goodies’ is Patty Fiskateer #2832.
Chat for Lead Fiskateer Applicants (Tuesday, Feb 9th- 5:30 pm PST)
- posted by: the leads
- posted in: Uncategorized
- on: February 4, 2010
We Leads have been eagerly watching the comments on Shannon’s blog post to see who might be thinking about applying to be the new Lead Fiskateers. We are excited to see what the next 2 years brings this wonderful community and we want to encourage anyone who thinks this might be their dream job to apply. To help you in your decision making process, we are scheduling a live, online chat so anyone interested in applying for the Lead Fiskateers positions can ask questions. So start jotting down your questions- are you wondering how many hours we really work? How much extra travel we may have experienced in the past year and a half? What do our families think about living with Lead Fiskateers? Where we find all that orange clothing? Do we love being Leads (that’s an easy one- YES)? If you have a question, chances are at least one of us will have a candid answer to share with you.
So mark your calendars for Tuesday Feb 9th at 5:30 pm PST (that’s 6:30 mountain, 7:30 central and 8:30pm EST). If you’re not applying but you’re planning on joining the chat, we’d love to have you but to make things less hectic for those applying, if you could hold your comments until the end of the hour, that would be awesome- you know many of us will be up for chatting longer. You can access the chatroom by clicking here: http://www.fiskateers.com/chat/index.html. (Please log in with your Fiskateer name and number).
Everywhere I go…
- posted by: Kelly Jo
- posted in: crops
- on: February 3, 2010
Isn’t there a cheer that goes…
Everywhere we go
people want to know
who we are
so we tell them
we are the Fiskateers, the mighty mighty Fiskateers (I added the last part, but it fits)
I spent Saturday at Cool Crops with Cris and Cara, both Fiskateers.
I knew Laura and Annie Lou were going to be there. And Linda came out to play. What I didn’t know was that there were several more Fisk-a-friends scrappin’ on Saturday, and I made friends with several more crafters who have become Fiskateers since Saturday. Welcome! I love that I can go just about anywhere and run into another Fiskateer. (It is making it increasingly harder to find stuff in orange, though.)
I had my traveling tool kit and we showed everyone how much fun Fiskars tools can be. Between demoing Fiskars’ punches, everyone wanting to have their photo taken with Laura’s giant FOY scissors, and orange buttons fresh from CHA, we were sharing the Fisk-a-Love.
Speaking of Fisk-a-Love, Linda brought me some chocolate Flips and look what Laura had made for me:
Personalized paper, I Love it!!!
Tracie from Scrap It Simple was there making customized cardstock. Mine is the horizontal design with the colors pumpkin and moss. I’m definitely Not going to cut it, but I may frame it and hang it on the wall.
Lonely Fed Ex Man Challenges!
- posted by: Rebecca
- posted in: Uncategorized
- on: February 3, 2010
Yes, it’s true, my Fed Ex man was lonely while I was at CHA, so we’re going to cheer him up and send out some boxes, WAHOO! Based on you feedback from the message board, it seems like we need more than one challenge, so here goes:
Challenge #1 - Cards - Make three cards. They could be Thank You cards, Valentine’s Day cards, whatever! Just make sure that you use some sort of Fiskars tool on them. Take a pic, post it in your gallery with the tool name in the description, and leave a link here!
Challenge #2 - Gifts - Make a gift - big, small, round, square - anything goes! Again, make sure that you use at least one Fiskars tool. Take a pic, post it in your gallery with the tool name in the description, and leave a link here!
Challenge #3 - Scrapbook page - Make a scrapbook page! It can’t be digital, and you must use at least one Fiskars tool! Take a pic, post it in your gallery with the tool name in the description, and leave a link here!
Deadline: The deadline for all of the challenges is Sunday at 2 pm EST. I’ll be picking the winners late Sunday evening. Good Luck everyone! Can’t wait to see what you make!
Who Wants to be a Lead Fiskateer?
- posted by: Shannon
- posted in: Uncategorized
- on: February 2, 2010
It’s that time again! As you might (or might not) know, the Lead Fiskateers serve two year terms and the hunt is on once again! Can you believe that this movement has been around for 4 years already? We can’t believe it, either. And the phenomenal success of this tight-knit community comes straight from our fantastic leads and from you – the community. So if you’ve been thinking about what it would be like to take the helm and spread your love of crafting – no matter if you’re a Gen X or a Baby Boomer, a crafting diva or a newbie, Fiskateer #001 or #6900 (or anywhere in between!), we want to encourage you to apply to be a Lead for 2010-2012!!
We are making one change. We are going back to having FOUR leads instead of FIVE. This comes after careful consideration on many levels. But don’t worry, the Fab 4 will still be FABULOUS!
If you love to craft and share the passion online and in person and if you have 20 hours per week to dedicate to the cause, it could be you! The most frequently asked question among the Fiskateers is, “How can I be a Lead?” so I am here to tell you!
If you want to be a Lead Fiskateer, please submit the following by March 1:
1) A video of you showing some of your scrapbooking and papercraft work, as well as any other art, craft or hobby you are passionate about! We want to see what makes you the creative person you are! Send your finished video to Brains on Fire. This isn’t about how many Fiskars products you use or even your relationship with the company. This video is about YOU and your passion(s). Show us some of your favorite projects. Tell us about yourself. Videos can be submitted in DVD or VHS format; or Windows Media or Quicktime (under 5 MGS). Please try and keep your submission under 5 minutes. Brains on Fire’s address: 148 River Street, Suite 100, Greenville, SC 29601 ATTN: Fiskateers
2) An online application (these questions will probe online vs. offline strengths, particular craft interests, evangelist tendencies, etc.) (Click Here to Fill Out the Online Application).3) A Resume of work experience (not just craft related! We want to know about the rest of you too!) Don’t be boring – make it an “anti-resume!”
4) References from 3 crafters - they don’t have to be Fiskateers (suggestions: folks to whom you introduced papercrafting, store owners for whom you teach, former students, fellow crafters). These should be folks OTHER than current and past leads (we already know they love you!).
Being a lead Fiskateer is a two-year commitment, which means, sadly, that the current leads are coming to the end of their terms in June 2010. They have each done an outstanding job and have truly defined what being a Fiskateer means! We thank them for their many contributions and hope that they will re-apply. Just to clarify, lead ambassadors are not limited to one term—but every two years, they have the chance to examine their lives and obligations to see if the role is still a fit and then reapply if they choose. We know that a lot can happen in two years—marriages, babies, moves, book deals and countless other new opportunities, and we are thrilled to watch them grow and take on all that life has to offer. Being a Lead Fiskateer is a BIG job!
What does all this mean? It means that there are potentially FOUR opportunities to lead the Fiskateers for the 2010-2012 term! If you are interested and want the details on all the requirements of the position, please contact me - Shannon at shannon@brainsonfire.com - for more info.
We’ll fill you in on all the specifics, but here are some general expectations:
- Part-time hours
- Limited travel (4-6 times per year)
- A strong presence on the Fiskateers blog /messageboards/monthly chats/etc. and other social media outlets
- Visit local stores/Teaching classes
- Spreading the Fiskars love online and offline by maintaining relationships with the community
Here are just a few of the awesome benefits of being a lead Fiskateer:
- Sneak Peaks of Fiskars products before they’re released to the community (and to the general public)!
- The opportunity to work directly with the design and product development team at Fiskars Headquarters!
- Lead training trip to Fiskars’ North American Headquarters
- Product samples and give-aways (aka Fisk-a-Flair) for to use as you evangelize and spread the Fiskars love
What happens next?
> Finalists will be notified on or before March 28
- Finalists will then conduct a phone interview with Fiskars and Brains on Fire
- The 4 Lead Fiskateers for ’10 –’12 will be announced April 22
- Training for the 4 Lead Fiskateers for ’10 – ’12 will be held at Fiskars HQ in Madison, WI, June 24-27
We are confident that 2010 will infuse the Fiskateer program with new energy, and we can’t wait to see what happens!
Winners List from Our BIG On-Line CHA Crop
- posted by: Wendy Jo
- posted in: Uncategorized, Contests
- on: February 1, 2010
Did you participate on our big on-line CHA Crop here on the Fiskateer website? Did you see all the lucky winners we had during this event? Just incase you missed the postings on the message board, here is a list of the official lucky receipients for all the prizes that were given out by our very helpful crop hostesses.
Fingertip Craft Knife: Niki Ray Bass #5479 (phone number needed); 9 x 12 Self Healing Cutting Mat: Paul Loraine Wollman #3700; Tags 1 Shape Template: Mary #5509 (phone number needed); Self Healing Cutting Mat & No. 5 Scissors: Rosalee Maendel (Fiskateer # and phone number needed); With a Flourish Clear Stamps: Linda #6644 (address and phone number needed); Cameo Ovations Clear Stamps: Tina #5736 (address and phone number needed); Squarely Sentimental Clear Stamps: Nancy Riggs #4806; Self Healing Cutting Mat & No. 5 Scissors: Marlene Waldner (Fiskateer # and phone number needed); Wishes All Around Clear Stamps: Patty Beckle #2262; Self Healing Cutting Mat & No. 5 Scissors: Lisa Simpson #5095; Cameo Ovations Clear Stamps: Rosann Hoyle #2933; Squarely Sentimental Clear Stamps: Tracy Moloney (Fiskateer # and phone number needed); Cameo Ovations Clear Stamps: Lesa Livingston #5200; 12″ Trimmer: Gail Hutchinson #6870; Cup Cake Shape Template: Carol Hopkins (Fiskateer #, Address & Phone # needed); Brackets & More Shape Template: Debra #5116 (Fiskateer #, Address & Phone # needed); Fabric Scallop Shears: Kelly Rose #6849; Latice Entertain You Border Punch: Nancy Riggs #4806; American 3-in-1 Corner Punch: Brenda Taylor (Fiskateer # and Phone # needed); I Pine for You Squeeze Punch: Laura Bartram #4961; Night Owl Squeeze Punch: Tona Warner #4437; Sugar & Spice Squeeze Punch: Betsy Burnett; Apron Lace Border Punch: D. Buckland (phone number needed).
Most of you have already emailed your address and phone number as requested to one of our crop hostesses after their challenge winners were announced. However, I am still in need of some of the required mailing information from some of our winners in order to send out your packages via Fed Ex. If behind your name, you see that some of your personal information is still needed, please send that information to wendyjo@fiskateers.com as soon as possible so I can get your packages mailed out this week.
I also had several contests posted on the Fiskateer blog during our on-line crop. So I will need addresses and phone numbers from the following winners from my blog posts direct from CHA too:
Bird the Word Fiskars New 2010 Limited Edition Squeeze Punch: Teresa #6857
Branching Out Fiskars New 2010 Limited Squeeze Punch: Charna #6623
Chris Cozen’s Autographed Mixed Media Book: KellyStar #6446
Flower Power Fiskars New 2010 Limited Edition Squeeze Punch: Stephanie M #3584
Double Stitch Autographed Book: txscrapadict #4014
I also “hid” a contest on the message board here. Did you see that little wink? Well Fiskateer Kim C #5612 did and she is the winner of the Fiskars New 2010 Limited Edition Squeeze Punch!
Oh, and if you missed all the fun, be sure to scroll back and read all the posts from the last week. If you are craving more, I still have stories and things to share from CHA. Be sure to keep reading the blog becasue you won’t want to miss a thing!
I again wanted to say a special thank you to all my helper and all of our participants during this crop. Thanks to each and everyone of you it was a BIG success!