Registrations- The Ultimate Crafter's Workshop

1- Saman A
2- Zehra J S
3- Fatima Y
4- Ayesha
5- Zaira A
6- Munazza S
7- Anaum G
8- Aisha A*
9- Fatima A
10- Samrah N
11- Tooba A
12- Maheen P
13- Mehak
14- Zuraida
15- Najiah
16- Tasneem
17- Rabia A
18- Sana Z
19- Sana Z friend
20- Zara S
21- Umtus Sanna
22- Ruhaifa
23- Nida S
24- Soveyba
25- Mehreen B
26- Ayesha F
27- __
28- __
29- Zara
30- Zaira A firend
31- Mehak I K

The Crafter's Workshop and other updates!

Sorry for the lack of fun updates from my end. We have Hayaati's open day and I get to have a field day with arts and crafts :D wohoo. To top it, we were working on a prop for this cultural thing they have. The school needed a Santa. And here's what I made...

He has a felt belt, a wooly coat, and of course.. his glasses. :P Alhamdulilah, success. :D what do you guys think of Santa here? :)

Ha

Apart from Santa, we're part of the arts and crafts booth, so we've been assembling little things kids can use to make their own bookmarks, create their first photo book *bragbook*, and decorate their own little post cards. Cute right? :D Firefly's also gifting some cool looking school souvenir keychains :D photos of that comin soon. We're putting out some bookmarks too. :)

This is what my sister sat and did all day...

looooove the colors <3


In other news, I have some gifts to give away. :) I know that some of you are psyched about finally having the workshop with me.. and I also know that most of your are coming with an incentive, to learn and to take something back with you. I thought, why not gift something and have a little fun with freebies. Yes? :D

There are going to be 5 giveaways, which will be via a random selection. There's one 'woahmygoodness' kinda gift. And there are 4 smaller ones :) I hope those of you who take these with you remember me, and always live for your passion and do what it is that makes you happy :D and from what I think it is, that's crafting :D To read about the workshop, what you'll be learning and other details.. visit

http://www.firefly-girl.blogspot.com/2012/02/ultimate-crafters-workshop.html

The registration form is at the end of the page. Confirmations and details will be sent out as soon as we get a response on dates from all those who register :)

This one's the mother of them all. This'll go out to one lucky person :)

It includes, a Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, 3 embellishment packs. A stamp set. The paper pad is a beautiful one from My Mind's Eye.. the Lost and Found. Uff. Too pretty! they're dual sided by the way :)

You also get these prettiful tags for your projects :D

A second look?

Gift two. We had some of these in our craft bin, and woah. They're perfect for the pretty pretty design projects :)

Basic Grey has an amazing product line, and they do great coordinating embellishments and things. These are cardstock, ornamented and die cut, AND they have colorful layered acetate. Pretty right? And they're pretty big in size too.. so you get to play around there :)

simple.. beautiful flowers :)

Tattered Angels again, but this time complimented with a clear stamp and an acrylic block :D

I've had very inspiring messages in the registration forms, and I am very very excited to be doing this inshaAllah. I feel it's a blessing to be given an opportunity to help others learn or benefit. :) There are some of you who wish to attend from out of town, and then there are some of you that want me to come to your city. I will inshaAllah :) let's see how this first workshop goes. Would love to hold more :D

Registrations are filling in MashaAllah. 20 so far.  I'm not having a cut off number yet, we will have more confirmations after payments, and of course date selection. If we get enough people, I may break down the workshop on two separate weekends, to accommodate those who can't make it for the other date :) I'm also getting requests for any other day but Saturday. Weekdays are super busy for everyone. Friday is not doable as Juma takes our day to 3 pm, and well, it gets dark early.. and I don't want to take the workshop into the night. Sunday I'm avoiding because at our place, that's like a family day. Baba's home, so I avoid work or going out for things. I'm sure it's a family day for most of you too :)

I am also working on the Scrapbooking 101 layout kit. Trying to get material together for the page :) Will tell all the successful registered students what they need to bring :) I'm providing the glue and scissors, as well as the paper and a few layering materials. Details coming up Tuesday inshaAllah :) Is that neat or what?

Now tell me this isn't the most awesome workshop ever? inshaAllah it'll rock and I am totally excited to have all of you :D yeaay!

Again, do register :)
http://www.firefly-girl.blogspot.com/2012/02/ultimate-crafters-workshop.html

see you soon.

Scrapbooking Supplies in Karachi?

Given the idea of scrapbooking is borrowed from the west, we do not have materials readily available to access. Imagine, this is an industry by itself across the globe! I get asked this a lot about where to find crafting/scrapbooking supplies here locally. 

If you need embellishments, paper market has some. I don't use anything but rosettes and organza ribbon. The other items do not appeal to me.. but once you go there, you'll find a range of butterflies, flowers, teddies and other pieces. They're all from China, easy labor.. and well pretty inexpensive. You have to bargain though. Don't go by the price they tell you. You will find similar items at Paras, in Khadda Market. But beware, items you buy 60 Rs a pack.. will cost you Rs 2 per piece. :p

If you need paper, some pretty gift wrap makes its way to stores now and then. Billboard at Shaheen Center is one of em...Paras again has lovely stuff. Other wise check out Kaghaz Kay Karnamay.  They make beautiful paper by hand.. and they experiment too! I've yet to try them but just looking at their work makes me go wow. 

For lace and trims, we are a lucky people. I'm serious! Yards and yards of it is available at as low as Rs 5 per yard! If you purchase from lace houses your project will be expensive... Opt for Sunday Bazaar. They have that open stall near the front of the bazaar that sells 'rejected' factory material.. MOST of it is pretty perfect! Go shop it out there. :) These same trims cost 4.99 a yd if you purchase from leading scrapbooking companies. Trust me, seen it at craft stores myself :)

You can find some mini punches at Billboard, at Clifton. I'm not sure how durable and sturdy they are as I've not used em. They're around Rs 450 I think.

The glue runners you see in craft videos are the 'Gluey' Tape you get at stationery shops. Billboard sells it at 65. Paras had it for Rs 50 last I checked. 

I have been in touch with some scrapbook suppliers and product manufacturers... They love the idea of bringing stuff to Pakistan, but we have to expand a bit before we can get items here via wholesale. It gets really expensive bringing all this in travel luggage. I wish to have a Firefly outlet one day, that way I'll get to stock all these awesome craft supplies for you all :D and make scrapbookin easier... inshaAllah! The manufacturers have noticed the increasing trend in this craft revolution in the middle east.. I just need to get me a shop to stock at :P

Hope this helped.. a little. :)

The Ultimate Crafter's Workshop

Hey there everybody!

With so much inspiration in the air and the perfect time of the year to sit down and just learn something new, I’ve decided to finally hold a workshop. I had so many of you request the online classes, but a proper workshop was due… so Yeay :D *throws confetti* Everytime I scheduled one of these, things kept coming up and well… inshaAllah, I am hopeful you all will go home with a thing or two and will definitely be hooked on this whole idea of scrapbooking if not crafting full time. Warning you, it’s addictive. Those of you who’ve already had doses of it sure know what it’s like :D

PS: this workshop is in Karachi.

 

Here’s the plan…

• -          Registrations are open for the 5 hour workshop. Trust me, the five hours will swoosh by…
• -          When filling out the form, please mention which date is suitable for you: 17^th, 24^th, 31^st March. Please opt for the one most preferable and whether any 3 Saturdays are okay for you. The timings will be 2-7.
• -          The cost of the workshop is Rs 3500, and Rs 3000 for those who purchased Scrapper Session Kits from me last summer. :D
• -          Venue, my garden, Defence / Seaview :) address specifics and directions provided to those who successfully register.
• -          There is no age limit, but I do request our guests be over the age of 12 :)
• -          Not trying to be biased, but this workshop is for ladies and young women only.

Change in Plan, and surely for the better :D inshaALLAH!

• registrations will close on Sunday, 4th March. 
• Please select which workshop you would like to attend, the 18th or the 24th. Both workshops are the same. :) We have broken it down into two groups to make attendance easier for our crafting friends :D
• the cost is Rs 3500 per registration, Rs 3000 for those who purchased Scrapper Session kits last summer.
• No age limit, but I request our guests and workshop attendees be over the age of 12. 
• Not trying to be biased but, this workshop is for ladies and young women only. :)

                                                                           

What’s included in the package?

• Scrapbooking Layouts 101. We will go over the basics for starting your scrapbook. These techniques and ideas are applicable to other projects such as gift plates, greeting cards and so on. Everyone will be started with a 6x6 piece of scrapbooking paper. The list of supplies will be posted up before hand so you may bring what you need. The scrapbooking paper will be provided to you along with your essentials.. glue, scissors etc. We will go over the idea of embellishments and ornamenting your pages, deciding your theme and so on. 
• The Cuts. You will learn how to use the basic paper cutter as well as learn the concept of ‘scoring’. Whether you have a paper trimming tool or just an everyday paper cutter.
• Stamps and Embossing. You will receive a demonstration and will try the embossing technique via embossing powders and inks for yourself. In the process, you will learn how to use cling stamps, block stamps and clear stamps. After the demo, you will have an understanding of the different types of inks / inkpads available, and what they are used for. It’s a pretty neat thing to learn. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be crafting out your greeting cards and gifts in no time :)
• Learning to use punches, layering, choosing the right punch *yes you get to try mine* this will help you see which styles of punches are easier for you to handle. This will further allow you to gauge which sizes and shapes to opt for when investing in your own. We will craft with the ones you use :)
• Die Cutting and Embossing Systems. These are the newest trend in the market to make crafting and DIY projects for individuals easier. While it is an initial investment, these tools help you work faster, and prepare smashing results. I will go over the basics on how to use the die cutting platform, how to use embossing folders, as well as combining the functions for your projects. These are great for arts and crafts at home as well as schools and teaching tools. So if you’re an art teacher at an elementary school, you need to request your school to invest in one of these :D
•  Wondering how I age my paper?  Distressing technique revealed.
• If there is something you are particularly interested in learning how to do, feel free to write that out at the end of you registration form, I’ll see what I can accommodate into our Workshop :) Your ideas are welcomed.
• I will put together a few gifts for some of you to take home with you at the end of the Workshop. This will include some fun little things to kick start your crafting and to help you scrapbook. You could call it a lucky draw. :) I will also ensure, you get certificates of participation for your time :)
• There will be a question answer session throughout each demo, so you are most welcome to ask away.
• Our evening will conclude with hi tea and snacks :)
• Kaghaz Kay Karnamay is sponsoring their gorgeous handmade paper for our layout kits.
• Kaghaz Kay Karnamay paper packs will be available at special rates for our workshop attendees. Yeay! :D how awesome?

We will close registrations on the 4th of March :) Payments to be received by the 6th.
Are you in for this one of a kind workshop? :)

If you are ready to sign up please fill out the form by clicking the link below:

http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/a9R05b10d6kacCaVM0aW

The Studio... well sort of :)

I had mentioned that I revamped my room.. to get the whole craft room/studio thing happening. I thought I'd share a bit of my everyday work space and well, pretty much what I spend 90% of my day working with. So MashaAllah MashaAllah, I present my whimsical space..

This is only a part of it, I haven't featured my work table or the two supply cabinets that hold my paints and envelopes :) Hope you all enjoy this. :D

Starting with my stackable drawers...

This one holds the inks I use everyday with my stamping and crafting.

Some of these are chalk inks, some are pigment inks. Chalk inks are more opaque and quick to dry. Pigment inks are more 'wet' and take longer to dry.. they're good to blend with and stuff. :)

I use Martha Stewart's as well as the Colorbox Cat eye's.

In this drawer, I basically threw in everything 'metal'

All my little metal embellishments and charms, some eyelets and other pieces reside here. 

You see little vials there that I use in my projects too :)

This is my tool box if you would like to call it that. 

I keep my staples, my blades, my scoring tool, my glue sticks, my gluey tape, sharpener, eraser, etc... my round cutter and cutting board blades also live here.

This is a stack on my shelf for craft bin orders that are all packed up waiting for pick up :)

I had these baskets lying around. I didn't like their bamboo color amidst all the black and brown furniture in my room. So to neaten the space, I spray painted them and added these labels. So once orders are back from the printers, I pack them up, and toss them into these baskets :)

Makes things a little easier.

This one's for all the courier orders.

These are all 12x12 scrapbooks, mine, my sisters, family.. etc. My very first scrapbook, I actually took apart and it's sitting in my closet :P

Albums :)

Still have a whole cabinet full of them.

The strawberry box houses all my pigments used during screen printing, the tubs contain base medium, also used for screen printing. The stacks you see are my notepads, I had bought them with the intent of making cute notepads for my exhibition. The exhibition doesn't seem to be taking form but I will inshaAllah be crafting notepads for you all soon :)

That is one VERY important basket...

It houses ALL my sticker embellishments, they all stand and I go through them like a filing system. The front is florals, then there's everyday, then there's family, followed by baby, then romance/love/wedding, then birthday... 

Holders for pens, pencils, pointers, scissors, cutters...

These are my flowers, buttons and other embellishments. They're used with almost every project so I need them right where I can see them. They're sorted by color.. 

Purples and Pinks, Blues, Greens, Reds, Browns-Rusts, Yellow, Orange... Black and so on. These little jars are yellow, because they're for Firefly ;) these are from the local market. Those Flowers in the back are by Prima :) 

I use these book rings a LOT with my chipboard albums. I had a few packs of them, ended tossing them all in here :) They include Tim Holtz, 7Gypsies as well as some funky colorful ones I picked up at Hobby Lobby.

These little storage containers, I had bought four of em, thinking I'll organize my photos with em. That didn't happen. Instead I put all my rhinestones and crystals in here :) One in every color :D

This other box holds 'Pieces' by Basic Grey, they're great as paper and card tags to embellish and use with your projects. They're super pretty and have different shapes too. Makes your projects all the more interesting :)

That little paint can was the cutest thing I ever saw. I bought five of em in different colors  to store my little knick knacks... This pink one sits out on the shelf because I need it everyday. It has a whole bunch of brads in it. Due to luggage issues, I opened all my brads and kept em in here for travel... it worked out perfect. There are hundreds of em in here.

From animals, to flowers.. to pearls to gems. The brad bucket :)

This is my newfound best friend.. and we've been together for almost 8 months MashaAllah. 

This is what I use to emboss and die cut at home :) 

You need its cutting pads and multi purpose platform to use it.

Those are my dies stacked up in boxes,

The green box has all my embossing folders and my smaller dies :)

Umm, if you guessed if those are paper stacks you're spot on :)

The left is all 6x6, the middle tower going crooked are the 4.5 by 6.5 stacks. In between are some envelopes.. then embossing powder, my indian ink and my glueeeee. :) You probably don't see UHU here, because it leaves a white crust when it dries, this glue when wet is white, and dries on clear. It's awesome for my projects because everything is SO tiny, it's sometimes hard to be neat. Towards the right are my 8x8 paper stacks.

Some more little containers, holding embellishments, punched paper, the basket you see has all my adhesive.. tapes! of all kinds... the pink polka dots are another lot of inkpads I use, and if I don't, my baby sister finds herself playing around with em :) the two clear packets are my larger punches. The purple thingy is a mini paper trimmer. I don't use this everyday, I use a cricut one. 

This little box here is adorable beyond words. I love Smurfs! :D

This is what it stores inside :) more punches. These I use for different things, some are for decorative corners, some are shapes. The ones I use the most are the round punches and the scalloped ones, they're the ones lying mirror to each other.

The two shapes for these.

I pulled the basket out to show you the glimmer mists... These are dang pricey, but I had that little whim to just have em and try them. Found them on pretty good deals... so went all out. They're all sparkly and can do wonders once you get the hang of them. :)

Moving onto the next set of stacking drawers...

Here's the ribbon. There's spools of plain satin ribbon, it's local. It's great for binding and simple bows. The rest is.. you know. From my trips to craft stores abroad. I used to have these in a smaller drawer all neat but it's not possible when you pull them out and use em like crazy.. hence the mess!

Here's my fabric.. I keep my mesh and net in here along with velvet I use for my notebooks :)

This drawer keeps my organza ribbon as well as pillow boxes ready for emergencies.. we get a lot of those at Firefly by the way. Makes wrapping easy. :) They're sorted  by color... those at the back are my note cards for little notes and thank yous :)

This drawer has some more embellishments, brads, stickers... flowers.

a random shot.

I had this box sitting at home and it was the only thing big enough to keep all my stamps!

These include background stamps, texture stamps, characters, wood blocks.. acrylic blocks, etc...

Adirondack inks.. they're by Ranger. These are dye inks, take a bit to dry so they're great for stamping as well as inking for textures.

You can't really see the colors here, but I've got them in pastels and brights. The white ink pad is my resist ink.. it's basically clear and meant for embossing :)

These inks are called Archival as they're will not fade or cause damage to your projects with time.. I have them in earthy tones. From what I've learnt, they're waterproof.

These, some of you may recognize. These are the metal wordings I use on my tagbooks.

This box here has some of my less used ink pads. :) Some of em are still packed... some I use now and then.

This box has some old stamps that I don't use as much, the box beneath has sketch pencils and coloring pencils :)

Well, that is my 12x12 paper. I haven't gotten to making my stacker shelves yet... because the woodwork guy asks TOO much for it! -_-; so till I craft my own with some hot glue, I've stacked em here. Some are new paper stacks, some I've had for almost 5 years... I use em as I go. It's helpful because you can always pull out things to mix and match.. and piece together.

I have some by DCWV, K&Company, My Mind's Eye among a few... I have a couple of A4 stacks by Prima as well. 90% of my paper is vintage :P Can you guess why?

Alhamdulillah, this is what I've kinda saved up and shopped for over the last few years particularly. All these items are used almost everyday. Note: HUNT out the best bargains you can. If you get deals online, go for them. But be smart at the checkout, sometimes you end up paying the original price with shipping and taxes. :)

PS: this isn't one of those things you do in one trip, it takes you time to understand what you like working with, what you use more, and what your taste is. :)