Monday, October 31, 2011

November 2011 Promotions

Kaszazz have some wonderful promotions available for November. Check them out now to see what you can take advantage of!

Customer Bonus 1
Customer Bonus 2
Customer Bonus 3
Host Promotions

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Christmas Card Workshop

My local Neighbourhood Centre has asked me to run a two week Christmas Card Workshop, and you're invited!

The workshop cost is $20, and will be running on Thursday 10th and 17th November, from 1pm to 3pm, at the Endeavour Hills UnitingCare Neighbourhood Centre.

If you'd like to join us, please phone the Centre on 9700 3789. Places are limited, and are filling fast, so get in quick!



Saturday, October 29, 2011

Kaszazz's Angel Policy

Did you know that Kaszazz have an 'Angel Policy' regarding their stamps?
If you sell your cards and other creations that have Kaszazz stamps on them, then you need to know this important information.


Have you heard about 'Angel Policies'...and that there are copyright laws when using rubber stamps to create cards (& other items) that you then sell to other people?

An Angel Policy is a form of limited license that specifies how a rubber stamped image can be used and any specific requirements of the manufacturer or artist. Typically this outlines under what circumstances, if any, a stamper can make and sell items created using a manufacturer's rubber stamps.

Kaszazz has a very simple Angel Policy:
All rubber stamps supplied by Kaszazz (including the Lucy’s Stamps range) have a very simple
“Angel Policy”. You and your customers can make hand-made cards with the stamps and sell them
provided you acknowledge copyright on the card somewhere by writing “Images © Kaszazz”.

Or, you could simply stamp our gorgeous 4268KC Stamp - Kaszazz Copyright - Love Birds on the
back with your favourite coloured ink.

If you do not sell your cards, you do not need to write anything on them.

This policy also applies to our Quick Kits...if you want to sell your project, simply make sure that you have "© Kaszazz" written somewhere on the finished product.

If you have any questions, please let me know.
Happy Stamping!!

Thanks to fellow consultant, Jo Brosnan for letting me use her blurb.
The Kaszazz Copyright - Love Birds stamp is on page 118 of the current catalogue.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Save some money, share the fun! (Pt. 2)

Following on from yesterday's post, here are a few more money saving ideas!

  • Use your wishlist!
    Kaszazz provide a great little Wishlist which I highly recommend using! I encourage all my customers to fill out their wishlist and bring it with them to my workshops. It helps with ordering from our extensive (and always growing) Catalogue, especially when we're constantly mentally adding to our wishlists! Having a list written down not only helps with ordering, but is handy when someone asks what you want! ;) Just hand them your wishlist and let them pick a gift for you that you'll really love!
  • Have a (birthday) party!
    I know several people who have had a FREE Make and Take around the time of their birthdays, and as a result, have had their guests order them their birthday presents from their wishlists! At one party, the host's wishlist got sent round the table, and people just marked off what they would buy. When the list returned to the host, she was able to order any remaining items direct from her wishlist, because she knew what others were buying her and didn't need to double up! As the host, you could benefit in more ways than one by celebrating your birthday this way! Not only will your guests buy your presents, but if your sales total over $150, 10% of those orders will be yours to spend on whatever you like from the catalogue! Collect orders over $350, and you'll also be able to choose a Hostess gift! Add this to any birthday money you get, and suddenly your wishlist will be looking pretty empty, and you've spent very little of your own money!
  • Buy 're-usable' itemsInstead of buying stickers or rub-ons, buy stamps. Instead of buying new ink pads, buy ink refills in the colours you need. With ink refills, a little goes a long way!

  • Stay organised!
    Keeping everything you need well organised and in a place you can easily see and reach will help you from buying items you already have!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Save some money, share the fun! (Pt. 1)

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that crafting together and sharing supplies is a good way to save some money and enjoy some crafting time with friends.

The more I thought about this, the more I realised that this same thought could be used for other things too, so here are some ideas to help save you some money, without limiting your creative process!

  • Join a group
    There are plenty of online and 'real-life' groups you can join. Connecting with a group of like-minded people is a great way to get some new ideas and make new friends. Some groups participate in swaps which can be a great way to get different products without having to buy them first. This is a great way to 'try before you buy'!
  • Swap with friends
    You don't need to join a group to participate in swaps! Organise your own swap with a group of crafty friends! Decide on a theme, and then go for it! Or, have an 'open house' - decide on what you really don't need, or won't use, and ask your friends to do the same. When you get together, layout what you've collected and then 'shop' for free! You'll be helping each other as well as yourselves!
  • Don't double up, unless you need to!Borrowing is just as good as swapping! Especially for things you can use again, like stamps, ink and tools. Papercrafting, like most other hobbies can get very expensive, especially if you want to buy one of something for just one project. If you know a friend has the same product, ask if you can borrow it. Be careful to treat their product better than you would your own - you want them to lend to you again! Distress-D (being so clever and brilliant) has made up two little 6x4 photo albums in which she's placed paper that's been stamped with all the stamps she owns. She keeps one album with her (it's small enough to fit in her handbag, so she can take it shopping with her), and the other one she's given to me. Looking through the album is just as good as going shopping - I look through it before I start a project to see if there's something I could borrow from her, rather than buying it myself. Whenever she buys a new set of stamps, Distress-D stamps two sets of papers for the album - one for her, and one for me. This way, the albums are always kept up to date!
  • Use Colour Charts
    Colour Charts are little grids designed for you to stamp your ink colours into. These are really handy when colour matching your projects, but can also double as a way to remember which ink colours you have. I have all my colour charts in a folder I can grab when placing an order. It makes ordering easy as I can see at a glance what colours are missing from my chart. I can also mark on the chart any colours I want to buy next time round!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Don't forget.. Buy one, get one FREE

Just a little reminder that Kaszazz have a special on until the end of the month - buy one, get one FREE! There's only a few days left to order these products, so get in quick! One item has already sold out, so don't miss out on the rest! Stock up now for your Christmas projects!

Buy one, get one FREE list

Christmas Cards - Share the fun!

Last week we started talking about Christmas cards. Now is the perfect time to start creating your Christmas cards, if you haven't done so already, especially if you have lots of cards to give out!

Before you start, take a look at what others are making online. Inspiration can come from anywhere, but if you're feeling particularly uninspired, looking at what others are doing can often give you a great idea!


It's also a good idea to have a plan, and then to create a sketch so you have a clear indication of what you're going to do. Christmas cards can be a big project, and the more organised you are, the easier it will be to meet your goal of hand making your cards this year.

Another way to help meet your goal, and have fun at the same time, is to invite a friend or two to either help you make your cards, or to create your cards together. If you've been following the steps so far, and are well organised, creating the cards will be a breeze, and with a friend helping you, the process will not only be quicker, but also heaps more fun!

To help keep your costs down, consider splitting the purchase price between the two of you for stamp sets, and other tools. If you both like a particular stamp in a set, by buying the set together, you can each use the stamp you like without having to buy two sets. For next years cards, just pick a different stamp from the set, or swap stamps! You'll be amazed at how differently each person looks at the same stamp, and how different your designs will look! The same can be said for tools, especially the more expensive ones like the Ezy-Press. Why not buy one together to take your crafting to the next level, at half the price!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Christmas Cards - Creating a Sketch!


So, you have your plan, an idea of what you'd like to do, but no idea how to design it or put it together? Put the Christmas music back on, and get out a piece of paper and a pencil. Cardmakers and scrapbookers sometimes work from a sketch. A sketch takes out some of the guesswork as it shows you exactly where the elements on your project need to go. Sometimes people will follow a sketch as part of a challenge. Other sketches are provided as a means of inspiration. If you have a picture in your mind of how you want your card (or cards) to look, draw it out on your bit of paper, highlighting all the elements you want to use. If you know the colour combinations you're going to use, make a note of them on the side of your sketch.

In yesterday's post, I mentioned choosing just one or two designs for your Christmas cards so you save time when creating them. With fewer designs, you can easily set yourself up to work in a process line. Do all your cutting first, then scoring and folding, stamping, etc. By doing one job at a time, you save more time than by creating each card seperately from start to finish. Choose simple and easy to duplicate designs. If you have more than 20 cards to make, you wouldn't want any fussy cutting, or intricate colouring, as this is very time consuming. Make a sample card first, even if you don't have the right papers and cardstock. This way, you'll know what your card will look like once it's done, and you should be able to calculate how much paper, ribbon, adhesive and embellishments you'll need. Keep your sample or sketch handy when you start your process so you have something to follow.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Christmas Cards - Have a Plan!

Yesterday, I shared a post about starting your Christmas cards, with the focus on Getting Inspired. I hope that today you feel inspired, but not overwhelmed, and as a result, excited about starting to create for this special time of the year.

The inspiration is a vital first step, but I believe it's followed closely by having a plan you can follow! Without a plan, all you have is a great idea to this year make your own Christmas cards, and I'd love it if this is the year you can make that goal happen!

Tomorrow I will talk a little bit about planning the design of your card(s), but today I thought it'd be a good idea to think about how many designs you might need or want. If you have a lot of names on your Christmas Card List, then I'd suggest one to three designs (depending on your level of expertise and how much time you have to make the cards). If your list is fairly short, you have the time and are feeling very creative, you may be able to get away with creating individual cards for everyone. A couple of years ago, a friend asked me to do make his Christmas cards for him. I said that I would, and had a design for him, which he liked, but he wanted the name of the person he was giving the card to on the front of the card. Because he had a short list (less than 20ppl), I was able to do this for him. The basic design was the same, so the only element on the card that changed, was the stamped name on the front. This was more time consuming than if I'd just stamped the one Christmas greeting on the front of the card, but it's still do-able. Or, you can choose to create a brand new design for each person you'll be giving a card to. If you choose to do this, make sure you have all the supplies you need first!

With just one design that you love, you simplify the task of creating Christmas cards. When choosing your design, keep in mind how readily you can purchase supplies both in the beginning, and later if you run out and need more. For example, buying patterned paper in a pack is great for colour co-ordinating, but if you use a quarter of a sheet on one card, and the pack only has two pages of that pattern, you'll only be able to make 8 cards.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Christmas Cards - Getting Inspired!

The days are getting longer and warmer. For those of us living in Australia, that means that Christmas is just around the corner! The stores have had their Christmas decorations out since the last week in September, and whether you think it's too early or not, it's definitely not too early to start making your own Christmas cards! The more you need to make, the earlier you need to start!

But, where do you start? If you've never made a card in your adulthood before, then to start making your own Christmas cards, can seem quite a daunting task! To some regular cardmakers, Christmas cards seem too overwhelming! No matter which category you fall into, I have some tips I'd like to share with you over the next few days about making your own Christmas cards!

Get Inspired
Inspiration (often lack thereof) is usually what holds a cardmaker (that's you, even if you've never made a card before!) back from making their own Christmas cards. So, it's time to get inspired! Get into the Christmas spirit! I love Christmas, and everything associated with it, so when it comes time for me to get inspired, I like to put on the Christmas music, and get into the spirit of the season! But, that isn't always enough, so I like to also take a look at some work that others have done. If you have old cardmaking or scrapbooking magazines lying around, take a look through the Christmas editions. Or, go down to your local newsagent, and grab a magazine that you like the look of, if you've never bought one before. No magazines? That's okay, head on over to Google and do a search for handmade Christmas cards.

Kristina Werner  (who I'm a big fan of) is currently in the middle of her Holiday Card Series for 2011. This is the third year she's run this series (see her blog for the past two years). The series includes videos of her making a different card each weekday for 25 days prior to Christmas. It's a huge undertaking, and a great source of inspiration!

At this point, it's important not to get too carried away with the beautiful work that others are doing. We can so easily put ourselves into a little box with a label on the outside that says we can't do [enter complaint in here]. Just keep in mind the kind of card you'd like to create, and take a look at the design of a card, colours used and any new techniques you'd like to try! There may be three or four different cards that you like an element or two from each one. Remember, it's not about re-creating, it's about creating! This will be your piece of handiwork!

On Friday night I joined my friend (and Creative Memories consultant), Ingrid at her monthly workshop, where we all had a chance to create a Christmas card using some of their Christmas papers and embellishments. Ingrid has showcased the card and matching tag I created on her blog this morning, so I invite you to go over and take a look!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Kaszazz October Specials

Kaszazz have just released a list of 50 products, with a special buy one, get one free offer! That's right, if you buy one of the products listed here, Kaszazz will throw another one in free! Wow, talk about good value! But, this special offer is only available for the last half of October, so get out your wishlist and order form, and start writing!

2567 Brads - Antique Gems (16) - Pearls $4.95
2925 Brads - Mini Round (100) - Pewter $4.95
1099 Card Essentials - Christmas - A5 216gsm (30) - Asst. $12.95
1307 Card Essentials - Primary - A5 216gsm (30) - Asst. $12.95
9407 Chipboard - Hang-it - 6x6 (10) $12.50
6547 Chipboard - Scallop Circle Drilled - 150mm (10) $10.95
71350 ColorBox Fluid Chalk Refill - Blackbird $8.85
71308 ColorBox Fluid Chalk Refill - Blue Lagoon $8.85
10140 Design Adhesive - Butterfly Swirl $8.95
5054 Die - 2-in-1 Cut and Emboss - Romantic Curve $20.00
2916 Die - 2-in-1 Cut and Emboss - Tags # 4 $44.95
5045 Die - Standard Paper - Box #2 $49.95
2904 Die - Thick Paper - Box # 6 $174.95
2903 Die - Thick Paper - Envelope # 1 $174.95
2570 Embellishment - Charms - Baby $5.95
4875 Embellishment - Charms - Girls Things $5.95
2569 Embellishment - Ribbon Charms (4) - Family $3.95
4736 Embellishment Kit - Antique Gold $19.95
2572 Embellishment Kit - Pewter $19.95
4908 Eyelets - 3mm (50) - Pink $3.95
4696 Flowers - Daisies 4cm (100) - Multi $19.95
4843 Punch - Small - Folk Heart $6.95
2506 Ribbon 2m - 1/4" Organdy - Chocolate $1.25
2988 Ribbon 2m 1/4" Sheer Satin Edges - White $1.95
1696 Rub-ons - Adorable $7.50
4426 Rub-ons - Alphabet and Numbers (30) - Black $27.95
2936 Rub-ons - Funky Forest Borders $7.50
2937 Rub-ons - Funky Forest Frames $7.50
2557 Rub-ons - Once Upon a Time $7.50
4880 Rub-ons - World Traveller $6.95
70200 SB Album - Share and Tell - Black $49.95
4460 SB Bazzill Basics 12x12 - Swimming Pool (CC) $1.10
4617 SB Bazzill Basics 12x12 - Whirlpool $1.10
4230 SB Bazzill Basics 12x12 - Yam $1.10
4446 SB Cut Outs - Castaway 12x12 - Tags and Borders $3.95
4762 SB Cut Outs - Gelati 12x12 - Circle-it! $3.95
4761 SB Cut Outs - Gelati A4 - Tags 'n' More $2.20
1051 SB Essentials 12x12 - Cranberry $0.95
1091 SB Essentials 12x12 - Grass $0.95
1339 SB Essentials Bling 12x12 - Aqua $1.10
1348 SB Essentials Bling 12x12 - Black $1.10
1333 SB Essentials Bling 12x12 - Mandarin $1.10
1335 SB Essentials Bling 12x12 - Orchid $1.10
1349 SB Essentials Bling 12x12 - White $1.10
4662 SB Vellum - Mum $1.95
4658 Stickers - Alphamega - Arial $5.95
4657 Stickers - Alphamega - Weird $5.95
4660 Stickers - Alphamidi - Arial $3.95
1368 Sticky Bling Words - Cherish $3.50
4901 Tools - Punch 'n' Set $24.95

For the other October promotions, head on over to the Kaszazz News page.
If you'd like to order something from this list, or our Products Catalogue, you can call me on 0418 48 641, or via email.

Happy shopping!