This is My Happy Place
- posted by: Wendy Jo
- posted in: Uncategorized, Inspiration
- on: July 3, 2008
How many of you have a happy place? Come on and admit it, we all have one. It might be under a shaddy tree in your back yard sipping a tall, cold glass of lemonade. Or perhaps on a lazyboy chair in the corner of your living room reading the most recent issue of your favorite crafting magazine. Or perhaps it’s late at night tucking your children in at bed at night and you hear those three little words…“I love you.”
Being Fiskateer #99 (the last of the double digits), I’ve been hanging around this community for quite sometime. Matter of fact, I still have a copy of the email that I received back on July 10th, 2006 informing me that I was Fiskateer #99. It’s hard to believe that a week from today, I’ll be celebrating my 3rd Anniversay as an official crafting ambassador for Fiskars. To be honest with you, it just seems like yesterday I found this loving and supportive community.
Now I know that like any other community, we are bound to have some changes and frustrations every now and then because we are only human. I believe that Fiskars Legend May said it best earlier today on the message board. “I’d like to remind you all that this is a positive crafting forum…If you have a problem or need help - by all means, speak up. But first perhaps consider if it would be more appropriate to email someone privately.”
I love this place. This is the place where I can go and see a gallery of creative crafting projects from around the world and be inspired to create something of my own. This is the place where I discovered that I wasn’t crafting alone in my one bedroom apartment anymore…it’s comforting to know that just a quick key stroke away there are fiska-friends who are right there crafting along with me, sharing words of love and encouragement along the way. I love how we work together to keep things positive here, just like May did eariler today on the message board. And I love how this community isn’t just on-line anymore…this community is growing beyond our wildest dreams with passionate crafters “spreading the love” in their hometown communities at local stores, crops, conventions, and charity events just to name a few.
These are just some reasons why THIS is my happy place. But most of all…it’s my happy place becasue of each and everyone of YOU!
From 0 to 4800 - how do they do it?
- posted by: Rebecca
- posted in: Uncategorized
- on: July 3, 2008
Can you imagine having over 4800 kids in two years?
Yikes! I was tired (and still am) after having two kids in two years (well, technically fifteen and a half months)! Yes, it was a little tough when they were both running around in diapers at the same time, but as they grew, things got easier. Imagine what it must be like for Fiskars-they are thrilled that our little family has grown beyond their wildest dreams, but there are, of course, going to be some growing pains along the way. Just like family, we need to be patient with each other and get through the rough spots. They have all worked so hard to make sure the site was only down for a little while because they know that we all need our daily fix (me included), so of course there are going to be a few glitches here and there. If you have an issue or glitch to report, please send an email to webmaster1@fiskateers.com. They are working very hard to resolve everything and address everyone’s concerns.
I loved this site from the minute I joined two years ago, even though I belonged to several others. Why? Because it is a positive, sharing, caring, creative community- a “big little family”, so to speak. It’s a sense of real community that I’ve never gotten anywhere else. So please, remember why we all love this community so much and be patient with us while we get through these growing pains (and just be glad that you don’t have to change 4800 diapers)!
******************STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!!!*****************
According to the Diaper Calculator, I have changed over 10,000 diapers! Wow, that calls for a celebration! So, I will draw a random name from anyone that leaves a comment here for some Fiskars goodies. However, there’s a catch-you’ll have to be PATIENT because I want to include some fun things from the new CHA releases and they’re not quite ready yet!
More Sneak Peeks
- posted by: Cheryl
- posted in: Uncategorized, Scrap Life, Inspiration
- on: July 3, 2008
CHA is so near. CHA . . . some of you may or may not know what CHA is but I thought I’d share. CHA stands for Craft and Hobby Association. CHA is the bi-annual crafting tradeshow where all the new products are released. Simply put, it is specifically for manufacturers to showcase their new releases to store owners.
While I was back in Madison we had some sneak peeks of product and one of my favorites was Steph’s new INK line. It has a ‘Californian flavor’ and even Californian names. I collect photos of inspiration in my Idea Book and I sketch ideas as well. In this book I collected some photos of koi fish . . . well . . . look what we have here. I can’t wait for you to see the rich colors. Here are a few photos of some of the new line. You’re going to love it!
What do you think? There are more sneak peeks coming soon.
sshhh… part 2
- posted by: Legends
- posted in: Uncategorized, Scrap Life
- on: July 2, 2008
(this is Stephenie)
hehehehehe…
The Exciting Journey Continues
- posted by: Cheryl
- posted in: Uncategorized, My Life
- on: July 2, 2008
I can’t believe that I am here two and a half years later and seeing all of you together as a Fiskateer Family just warms my heart. My journey began with the Fiskateers in 2006 when Brains on Fire and Holly (Fiskateer legend #001) interviewed me for the Fiskateer position. I didn’t know what the position was really about but after receiving the call I was so excited to be a part of this groundbreaking movement. The last two years I have had the blessing of working along side Holly, May and Stephenie (love my legend sisters) to begin this Fiskateer movement. I did a lot of teaching in stores all over California, Arizona and other places. I have had the blessing of meeting so many Fiskateers and friend. I have learned an incredible amount and been blessed by the friends and family (seriously consider the community that) that I have met here. The stories, encouragement, love, support has really changed my life for the better. The last two years have not been without challenges however . . . sickness, surgery and even having my home threatened but I had the support of 4,500 fiskateers to see me through. Oh my . . . my blessings are abundant! I see these last two years as one of building a foundation as a community and becoming even stronger . . . friends, crafters, Fiskateers and so much more.
First trip to Fiskars Headquarters
These next two years as a lead are already playing out to be super exciting. I have some new close friends who I will be working along side . . . Kelly Jo, Wendy Jo, Rebecca and Angela. These gals are thoughtful, beautiful, talented, gifted and I’m so excited for them to share all they have for you. I am looking forward to these next two years as ones that will nuture the community . . . fun events, activities, inspiration and more. I’m looking forward to utilizing new technology as well. Looking back I had no idea I would be here . . . in the midst of a loving, passionate, wonderful, warm community that shares my love for crafting and life!!! I’m excited to continue to share ‘life’ together and to continue to ’spread the Fiskars love’ together.
Most recent trip to Fiskars headquarters
sshh…
- posted by: Legends
- posted in: Uncategorized, Scrap Life, Inspiration
- on: July 2, 2008
(this is Stephenie)
don’t tell anyone…
My Wildest Dream
- posted by: Wendy Jo
- posted in: Uncategorized, My Life
- on: July 1, 2008
“She’s a fiska-freak, a fiska-freak, she’s fiska-freaky, yow” (everybody sing) “fiska-freak, fiska-freak.”
I had a wild dream last night. There I was, standing on the stage in some kooky karaoke bar singing my own personal remake the Rick James song “Superfreak”. Well, at least I think it was a dream. Oh my. It was a dream, wasn’t it? Oh my. Now I’m begining to wonder. But, one thing I do know for sure…today my wildest dreams did come true. Today is my first official day as YOUR Lead Fiskateer.
I’m guessing you want to know a little about me. In short, I am a Store Manager for a major outdoor clothing and hardlines company based out of Freeport, Maine. I share my home with my four legged kid, my cat Mordecai. I really don’t have a specific style preference for scrapbooking. However, since I live the single life, the subjects I scrap are usually the foods I eat, the sites I see and the people I meet outside of my home. I have dabbled in many crafts like jewelery making and soap making, but scrapbooking and cardmaking…that’s my passion.
I hope that in the next two years I can inspire you to share your passion for crafting in ways that only you have dreamed in doing. And while we are sharing our talents, lives and dreams with each other, this I promise, there will be surprises around every corner.
So, let the dream reality begin.
Happy July 1st!!!
- posted by: Kelly Jo
- posted in: My Life
- on: July 1, 2008
I have been waiting for this day and now that it’s here, I’m not sure exactly what to say. Should I talk about how I got here? My goals for the next two years? Should I talk about crafting? Or give you a little bit of info about myself? I drafted my 1st blog post a few days ago and have re-read it 100 times. But something happened tonight…I had Chinese for dinner. My fortune cookie said, “Keep it Simple. The more you say, the less people remember.” I took this as a sign and here I am, back at a blank screen.
So I have decided to share a little bit about Me. I have been Scrapbooking since 2000 and the main subject of my pages was my two dogs. I have always collected ephemera; ticket stubs, decorative paper plates and napkins from family parties, Christmas cards, I even collected the covers of TV Guides when I was younger.
I joined Fiskateers in December 2006, just hoping that I would learn a little something about scrapbooking. My daughter had just turned 1 and I was enjoying scrappin’ her 1st year. I scrap because I don’t want to forget anything. That and I really enjoy playing with paper and glue.
After a few short months as a Fiskateer, I had made some wonderful on-line friends and completed a few challenges. I was really enjoying myself.
Then there was a challenge to do an ‘All About Me’ page. I *Never* thought about turning the camera around and focusing on myself. But I decided to accept the ‘challenge’ and created one of my favorite LOs.
Since then, I have accepted many Fiskateer challenges and you can bet I have a few challenges in store. Ok, maybe more than a few. 
“Doesn’t Work Independently”
- posted by: Angela
- posted in: Uncategorized
- on: July 1, 2008
Ever since I was a little girl, my school report cards would include the comment: “Angela has trouble working independently.” My parents would always wonder what that meant exactly but I think I know. I was talking too much in class. If I’m excited about something, I want to SHARE it with other people- I can’t help myself. Not much has changed for me since elementary school. I still don’t like to work independently which is why I have had such great experiences learning and sharing my passion for crafting with other Fisk-a-teers for the past 2 years. I can’t wait to get started on the next 2.
I thought I’d use my first official post to tell you what my personal goals are for our Fiskateer community. First of all, I love having our message board. If I am still awake at 2 am, its great having posts to read to keep me company (and sometimes, impromptu live chats). Still, I can’t emphasize enough the fun of meeting Fisk-a-teers offline. There’s nothing like a live, personal connection. So, while I plan to be on the message board a lot, my personal goal is to encourage each of you to get more active in the crafting going on in your home areas- offline.
If you have ever thought “I wish WE had crops in my hometown,” I want to help you make that happen. Whether it’s 2 neighbors at your kitchen table or a big group of Fisk-a-teers at your local scrapbook store, I will be helping you with ideas, offering encouragement and prizes to make your crafting event (or mini-event) more memorable. In return, I am looking forward to reading posts about your events and parties, seeing your photos and watching as your new connections help our Fisk-a-teer numbers grow. After all, the more Fisk-a-teers you bring to our community, the less likely it becomes that any of us will ever find ourselves having to work independently and while my teachers clearly meant this as a negative, I can’t think of anything more positive than preferring to work and craft with others. Can you?
Could Someone Please Pinch Me?
- posted by: Rebecca
- posted in: Uncategorized, My Life
- on: July 1, 2008
I still can’t believe I’m here! I knew something magical was happening when I joined the Fiskateers almost two years ago, but I never in my wildest dreams imagined it would lead here. It all started when I signed up with Cheryl and got my magic number - 411. My friends laughed for days about that one. They thought that someone at Fiskars knew me and had assigned it to me on purpose. You see, I love to talk about crafts a lot, and I consider it my personal mission to inform all of my friends about the cool things going on in the crafting world. A few weeks later I got my special scissors in the mail, and that was it-I knew that I had found my crafting “home”. There’s no place like it, anywhere. How cool is it that Fiskars lets us get together and talk about what we want to talk about, listens to us when we have something to say, and asks for our opinions? I can tell you, it’s very cool!
So, in that vein, let’s start a conversation! I’m sure a few of you would like to know a little bit about me - what would you like to know? What would you like to see from me as your lead for the next two years? Remember, this is the Fiskateer site, and your input/opinions matter.
OK, let me give you a little “411” on me to get started. I live in a very cute town near Philly with my great husband Harry and our two kids, Hayley and Joel. I love to do all kinds of crafts, obviously I love to talk about crafts, and I like to give away craft-related prizes (hint, hint)! Wow, did I get the perfect job or what? I’m tellin’ ya, someone really needs to pinch me!
So, c’mon all you Fiskateers, let’s talk! What do you want to know/talk about?