Introducing... My Newest Love.

**Long post, giveaway at the bottom!** :)

I have been waiting for what seems like a very long time to tell you about something that I have been working on, and today's the day!

Many of you know about my current site, Stash to Treasure. Well, Stash to Treasure was a good start, but I wanted to create something even better, something more fun, with more classes, and more options. I'd like to introduce you to Miss Art:

Miss Art's Papercrafting School is my new site, and it will launch on May 1st! During the month of April, the Miss Art's Staff and some of our fabulous teachers will be taking you on a Blog Celebration tour, and giving away LOTS of stuff... subscriptions, prize packs, and more! We will also be bringing you sample classes, video sneak peeks, and all sort of other info about Miss Art's Papercrafting School (including the names of a few upcoming teachers!).

When you are blog hopping, keep your eyes peeled for this blinkie:

If you see it, you'll know that you've found one of our upcoming teachers! Hint: you might find one HERE or HERE or even HERE. (hint: next week I'll be adding even more names to this list!)

Here's a little description of Miss Arts Papercrafting School:

Have you ever wished there was a school which only taught your favorite classes, that had the best teachers and where tuition was so affordable it left you plenty to buy the most stylish school supplies? Miss Art's Papercrafting School is a virtual academy for every student who wants to learn the latest techniques from the paper crafting industry's leading experts and it is opening its doors for the first time in 30 days.

Subscriptions to our monthly classes start at $5.00 and include live online chats and personal email responses from your favorite designers. Consisting of 2 - 12 videos with unlimited monthly access each class is the perfect blend of individualized crafting and supportive learning.  You may purchase our reasonable kits to compliment your course or pull items from your own stash using our detailed supply lists.  

To countdown to our grand opening select teachers and staff will be participating in a month long blog celebration. Be sure to check back each Friday as I will be sharing information about Miss Art’s classes with you.

Here are the stops on our Blog Tour:

Monday: Bethany Kartchner

Bethany is the current teacher at Stash to Treasure, and her class (and your subscription if you are already an STT subscriber) will transfer to Miss Arts, so you'll be able to continue viewing her class after Miss Art's opens!)

Tuesday: Heidi Kelley

Heidi is our Program Director and is also one of our talented teachers. One of her classes is available at Stash to Treasure and will continue to be available at Miss Arts.

Wednesday:  CarrieAnne Deloach

CarrieAnne is the Miss Art's Marketing Director.  She is a fantastic addition to the team, and we are thrilled to have her on board.

Thursday: Stacy Cohen

Stacy will be teaching a class in May at Miss Art's. It's called "The Secret Garden" and is a gorgeous layout class. Keep your eye on her blog every Thursday in April for sneaks!
Friday: Come back to my blog for more fun!


Ok, now here's the best part of this post:

Each week day (Monday-Friday) in the month of April we will be giving away one free monthly all access Extra Credit (we'll be explaining what that means soon!) subscription to a lucky winner who leaves a comment on the staff member of the day’s post and posts our count down blinkie in their sidebar! The winner will have access to Bethany Kartchner's class NOW at Stash to Treasure, and ALL 6 of the classes coming to Miss Art's in May!

Here's the code for the countdown. (Please make sure you copy it all, and email me at alyssa.mcgrew@gmail.com if you need help installing it.)

<div style="line-height:0"><table style="display: inline-table; border-spacing:0px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="200"><!-- fwtable fwsrc="Untitled" fwpage="Page 1" fwbase="countdown.gif" fwstyle="Dreamweaver" fwdocid = "689645207" fwnested="0" --> <tr> <td><img src="http://missartspapercrafting.com/images/spacer.gif" width="7" height="1" border="0" alt="" /></td> <td><img src="http://missartspapercrafting.com/images/spacer.gif" width="185" height="1" border="0" alt="" /></td> <td><img src="http://missartspapercrafting.com/images/spacer.gif" width="8" height="1" border="0" alt="" /></td> <td><img src="http://missartspapercrafting.com/images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><a href="http://missartspapercrafting.com"><img name="countdown_r1_c1" src="http://missartspapercrafting.com/images/countdown_r1_c1.gif" width="200" height="215" border="0" id="countdown_r1_c1" alt="" /></a></td> <td><img src="http://missartspapercrafting.com/images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="215" border="0" alt="" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td rowspan="2"><img name="countdown_r2_c1" src="http://missartspapercrafting.com/images/countdown_r2_c1.gif" width="7" height="85" border="0" id="countdown_r2_c1" alt="" /></td> <td valign="top"><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/files/countdown/countdown.swf?co=321806&bgcolor=FEDB56&date_month=05&date_day=01&date_year=0&un=OPENING DAY&size=normal&mo=05&da=01&yr=2011" width="185" height="77"><param name="movie" value="http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/files/countdown/countdown.swf?co=321806&bgcolor=FEDB56&date_month=05&date_day=01&date_year=0&un=OPENING DAY&size=normal&mo=05&da=01&yr=2011" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FEDB56" /><embed src="http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/files/countdown/countdown.swf?co=321806&bgcolor=FEDB56&date_month=05&date_day=01&date_year=0&un=OPENING DAY&size=normal&mo=05&da=01&yr=2011" width="185" height="77" bgcolor="#FEDB56"></embed> </object></td> <td rowspan="2"><img name="countdown_r2_c3" src="http://missartspapercrafting.com/images/countdown_r2_c3.gif" width="8" height="85" border="0" id="countdown_r2_c3" alt="" /></td> <td><img src="http://missartspapercrafting.com/images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="77" border="0" alt="" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img name="countdown_r3_c2" src="http://missartspapercrafting.com/images/countdown_r3_c2.gif" width="185" height="8" border="0" id="countdown_r3_c2" alt="" /></td> <td><img src="http://missartspapercrafting.com/images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="8" border="0" alt="" /></td> </tr> </table></div>


Add the countdown clock to your blog, then leave me a comment and you'll be entered to win! I will announce the winner on Monday morning. :)

Thanks for stopping by and celebrating with Miss Art’s as we count down to the best first day of school ever! I'll be back next Friday with lots more info. Visit Bethany on Monday for more about her class and Miss Art's Papercrafting School! This is the class she is teaching- it's amazing, and it's starting today HERE!

~Alyssa~
P.S. Please come join us on Facebook for a more info about Miss Art's Papercrafting School and a chance to win this:

All About Me: Bethany Kartchner

I have recently had the privilege of getting to know this fantastic lady:

Through our many recent conversations and emails, I have learned first hand that Bethany Kartchner is both a pleasure to work with and a super talented instructor.  This coming month at Stash to Treasure, you can take a class from Bethany!

Here's a bit more about All About Me:

Have you ever tenderly fingered remnants of a loved one’s past in the hope of finding out who they really were?  Were the faded newspaper articles and tattered photos enough or did you yearn to know more about them, to truly understand their personality, their hopes, their dreams, their conquests and their losses?

We all want to be remembered for the vivid and complex lives we have lived.  In the “All About Me”l class we will go beyond everyday journaling to convey our emotions and personality, while we create an album that will project who we are to those who will wonder years from now who we were. From selecting the perfect embellishments to learning customizable mixed media techniques, Bethany will guide you via more then 10 videos on a voyage of self-discovery, teaching you the fun and crafty secrets of leaving an honest and truthful legacy all along the way.

And here's a video from Bethany about the class:

Oh, and remember this class?

This is, of course, a sneak of Heidi Kelley's B. You! Class.  If you subscribe this month, you will be able to view both classes, for just $5!  You can't beat that bargain, anywhere!

See you at Stash to Treasure! (You'll find me in one of these two classes!)

~Alyssa~

Whitewashed!

This weekend I had my first chance to participate in one of the new whitewashed challenges from The Color Room.  This is the palette:

My style is evolving a little again, as happens every six months or so.  And here is my layout for the palette:

Lots of misting on this one.  It looks like a lot of blue, and it is, but there are 8 or 9 different mists all mixed together to rock out this palette.  Monochromatic color schemes are a challenge I find I quite enjoy!

The title "Perspective Makes all the Difference" talks about one of my recent ponderings.  I think it's quite true that your perspective the things that happen to you makes all the difference.  I also believe that knowing that God is in control, and seeing Him as "the pilot of your plane" makes the turbulence much less frightening.  It's all about perspective.  I used these photos of my son, looking down his body to his little toes, way in the distance, to visually remind me of this.  After all, in the photo he looks 6 feet tall, but that's not quite the case!

You can visit The Color Room and play along HERE.

~Alyssa~

Shimmerz Video Fun!

I am thrilled to be the Guest Designer today on the Shimmerz Vlog!  I had a blast creating with these high-quality paints and mists, and I encourage you to check them out!

For more info on my project, check it out here on the Shimmerz Vlog.

Here is the video I created:

And here is a photo of my project:

Thanks for coming by!

It's consignment sale time!

I'm off to the Your Scrap Cash Consignment sale this weekend!  If you are in the Indianapolis area, please come by!  You can find all the info HERE.

More updates and projects coming soon.  Thanks for following my blog!

~Alyssa~

A Haircut Story

Hello, everyone.  I am Alyssa's cutest nephew.  You can call me "K".  I recently had my first haircut, and my daddy took took such irresistible photos of me that Aunt Alyssa thought (rightly so!) that they needed their own book.  She tells me that she had an old book cover that was missing all the pages, so she built my own pages out of cardstock, patterned paper, and a few sheets from an old hymnal (I thought that was pretty ingenious).

My Aunt Alyssa used the  "On the Record" collection from Echo Park, and it's available in the Your Scrapbook Stash store.  Don't forget the sticker sheets when you order.  They make mini books so quick and easy.  They also added lots of the little words that my dear aunt put in my mouth.  She even claims that this counts as one of her monthly Your Scrapbook Stash DT projects, so she's scoring points with me and with YSS!

The Cover:

Aunt Alyssa added brads to reinforce my book and make sure the pages stay put.

Title page reads "Documented by Mommy and Daddy, and Aunt Alyssa.  You deserve a pat on the back.  I couldn't be happier."  She's right, I'm happy.  :)

"It all started one day while I was just sitting there, being good.  (I know, cause I am always good.  Very good.)."

"Then something happened.  It's all a blur, it happened so fast.  Before I knew it, I was wearing this awesome superhero cape."

"I was worried for a while.  What IS that thing?"

(on the small flap page) "But it didn't hurt."

(Back of the small flap) "Don't Laugh at the superhero!  Ever."

"But take note: sitting still is crucial.  With my superhero skills, I was able to do it perfectly."

Hey, my mom uses one of those!  Maybe she's trying to be a superhero too."

"That thing is super cool.  I LOVE IT.  It looks like something every superhero should have.  For real."

"Thanks a bunch.  This place really is full service. This superhero is now back in full repair!" (they even wipe noses!)

"Really?They comb it for you too?  It's too good to be true.  That takes the cake.  P.S. I think even superheros deserve the whole nine yards."

"Is it time to get down now?  Please?  I just want to say: Let's go home."

"For the Record: These photo shoots are exhausting.  Even for superheros."

Thanks for reading my book.

Love,
Baby K

March BAP

Do you like to Build-A-Page?  This newest sketch from Prima makes it easy, and there is a great prize too!

Here's my take on it:

See you there!

Time for a new look.

I've been learning a lot about Photoshop lately.  Trial and error can produce some pretty awesome results, and apparently I am destined to learn Photoshop via this method, as I never seem to find the time to read or watch a tutorial.

Today, I have been home from church with a sick kiddo, so I have been expanding my Photoshop skills while changing the look of my blog and editing a bunch of photos.  I have been overdue for a new photo of myself (I have a new hairdo and color too- updates all around!), and my blog hadn't been touched in about 2-1/2 years, so today, everything got a much needed refresher.

You are already looking at the new blog design.  I'd love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

Here are a few of my new photos.  Maybe I'll get myself on a few more layouts now!

I have a new, rather large project to share- hopefully tomorrow.  I'm out of time for photo taking today.  :)
~Alyssa~

My Friend Heidi

This is my dear friend Heidi Kelley.  We are friends for many reasons, among which are the fact that she is crazy talented, has a wicked awesome sense of humor, and shares my love of mists.

But recently, she has graciously agreed to join me in my business venture, Stash to Treasure.  As our new Program Director, Heidi will be responsible for many aspects of our classes and site offerings.  She is perfect for this position, and I am thrilled to have her on the team, for both personal and professional reasons.

Adding Heidi to the team is a strategic move, designed to free me up to work on all of the new and exciting plans we have for our growing company.  More on that coming soon!  :)

Welcome to the team, Heidi!

Baby "K"

My little nephew is now 6 months old, but I took these photos at his first Christmas a few months ago, and they were screaming to be used with the new Reflections Collection from Prima!

I also used one of the new masks on this layout- LOVE them all!!

Thanks for peeking.  Make sure to "like" the Prima fan page on Facebook for giveaways an contest announcements!