Our Monthly Challenge

Good Morning Everyone and Happy Friday!

As you might have noticed, I have now updated the blog background and header so it's coherent with the Live & Love Crafts' store front. I know I have mentioned it before, but I think it's wort mentioning again; the header and the background are custom designs by the lovely Linnea of Vintage Made For You. Linnea creates the most wonderful vintage blog backgrounds and headers and best of all, they're totally free to use! To get one of your own, please pop over to the Vintage Made For You Blog.

Now over to the details of our 1st Challenge.

The DT members are really excited about it; in fact they have been asking me ever since they joined when we will do our 1st challenge. :-)

We're doing a monthly challenge, which always will go live on the 1st of the month, so we're kicking off in only two days time at 10 AM UK Time!!!   

In usual challenge manner there will be inspiring projects by the talented DT members, but for our 1st challenge I've also invited two special guests...and when I say special I mean SPECIAL. These two amazing ladies are a great inspiration to us all and I'm so honoured and proud to have them guest designing for Live & Love Crafts' very first challenge.

If you read my post yesterday, you know it was very difficult for me to make a decision on the two new DT members. There are so many talented crafters out there; if I could have it my way my DT would probably be made up of  at least 100 people. :-) Unfortunately this isn't possible, but what we've decided to do instead is for each challenge to invite two Guest Designers. One will be chosen by the DT out of all the challenge participants; the other GDT will be by invitation; it could be someone who's going through a rough period in their life and needs some encouragement or like in the case with the two ladies joining us for the first challenge, a blogger who is a great inspiration to us all.

The DT will also choose their Top 3 and of course there will be a price for one lucky random winner;

Have a great creative weekend and see ya' all on Sunday!

Hugz,
Sandy

Announcing the new two DT Members

Good Morning Everyone,
It's time to announce the new two Live & Love Crafts' Design Team Members. This is a post I've been dreading to write. On the one hand I'm very excited to have two new creative members on the team, but on the other hand I do know that it is disappointing news for those of you who applied and didn't make it this time. I say this time, because as we all know, Design Team members they come and go; we move around between different challenge, retail- and vendor Design Teams, so there will be more chances opening up in the future.

I want to thank everyone who applied; I was stunned by the great interest and the many talented vintage scrappers that are out there. It's been extremely difficult for me to make a decision as the standard of all the applicants was so high. However; a decision had to be made and I do believe that the following two girls will do a wonderful job of inspiring us all.

Please help me welcome.....

Elin from Norway

 

&

Becky from the UK

Congratulations girls and welcome to the Live & Love Crafts' Design Team! 

Once again; thank you so much to everyone who applied.
I'll be back tomorrow with some news regarding our first challenge.

Take care everyone!

Hugz, Sandy

Reminder DT Call

Good Evening,

Just a quick reminder that the DT Call will be closing in less than 24 hours, so if you haven't gotten  your application in yet, now is the time to do it!
The original post can be found here.

...and while I'm at it; here's a link to the Opening Candy.

Thanks,
Sandy

My Apologies...

Good Morning Everyone,

Sandy here; oh do I feel much better today after a good night's sleep! Yesterday, having worked through the whole night to get everything ready for going live with the website, I was in a zombie state walking around here packing the first orders. :-)

Unfortunately yesterday I had some reports that the site was very slow, and for this I'd like to sincerely apologize. I do take this very seriously; I like to surf the net with speed myself and in my opinion there's nothing worse than a slow website.

I got on the phone to the hosting provider straight away yesterday and we've also done some changes to the website in order to speed things up. We will monitor the situation very closely, and if it continues to be unbearably slow, we will have to switch hosting provider. This would imply though taking the website offline for a few days while we migrate it to the new provider's server, so as you can imagine, this is something I'd really like to avoid, but if it has to be, it has to be.

We do need your help though; if you're experiencing that the site is very slow, please do let me know so that we can put things right. Likewise if you visited us yesterday and have now noticed an improvement in speed, also please let me know so that I know that we're on the right track!

Thanks & Have a Great Day!

Sandy
E-mail me at: info(at)liveandlovecrafts(dot)com     

We are LIVE!!!

Good Morning;

After a sleepless night and much frustration with our broaband provider, who this morning, when I was about to take the last backup before I was going to switch the store into Live Mode, decided this was a particularly good time to slow down our broaband connection....

 Gosh; I've been sitting in front of the computer staring at the download bar which hardly moved for over an hour, hearing the clocks go tick tock tick tock...
That's technology for ya'...can't live with it, but can't live without it either... :-)

 I'm now very pleased to be able to announce though that:

Live & Love Crafts is LIVE!! !

Welcome to check out your new craft store and celebrate with us. 

There will be a small surprise for the 10 first customers...

Melissa Frances Pom Pom Trims

 In case you haven't already figured it out; our website address is: www.liveandlovecrafts.com

I do hope you'll enjoy the store and I’m looking forward to your feedback. By the way; we now also have a Facebook Page;  and a Twitter Channel.

 

Have a great day!!!

Hugz, Sandy

Sneak Peek #5 PAPERS!!!

Good Eve,
Sandy here popping in quickly to post hopefully the last sneak peek. We've been working hard on the website throughout the whole day, and so far it's looking good, so I do believe we can stick to the deadline and open the virtual doors Monday morning. However; I've worked long enough in the IT Industry to know that things can still go wrong at the last minute, so I'm not taking anything for granted here... I'll give you a final update tomorrow evening.

I should maybe have mentioned this earlier, but I like to Save the Best for Last...
Yup; you all know what I'm talking about; PAPERS!!!

I do confess; I am addicted to paper, but then again I'm not looking for a cure...
Papers were actually the very reason I decided to establish Live & Love Crafts in the first place. I've been using Maja Design's beautiful scrapbooking papers for several years now, and used to get asked all the time where one can buy them.  

Live & Love Crafts will be stocking the following Maja Design Collections (12x12):

As we all know, Maja Design is not the only Swedish company blessing us with stunningly beautiful vintage inspired scrapbooking papers...now there's also Pion Design.

Pion Design has a very special place in my heart; every time I use the gorgeous papers from Pion I get to think about home as Pion is located only 80 km (50 miles) from where I was born and grew up, the land of the Midnight Sun (Norrland/North Sweden).

Live & Love Crafts is stocking Pion Design's papers both in 6x6 and 12x12 size.

Studio of Memories

 From My Heart II

 Fairytale of Spring

For Mother

...and we also have the just released "Grandma's School Book" in stock:

Furthermore; we're also stocking some of Pion's beautiful papers with vintage images from the "Grandma's Attic" Collection. Very soon on this blog, you'll able to admire gorgeous cards like this one, made by our versatile DT member Tina.

Card made with Pion Design's "Forget Me Not" (vintage image not from Pion).

But there's even more; as the only store in the UK, Live & Love Crafts will be stocking papers from Riddersholm Design, a Danish producer of vintage scrapbooking papers. You'll only need to take one look at the papers from the Chantilly Dawn Collection and you'll be in looooooooove!

We also have Ridderholm's latest stunning collections "Fleamarket" and "Huntington Garden" in stock.

To see loads of inspiring paper projects, please visit the vendor's blogs:

Maja Design

Pion Design

Riddersholm Design

Now I better get back to work...

Hugz, Sandy

Sneak Peek #4 Bling It and Pin It!

 Good Evening,

I'd like to start by wishing you all a nice weekend. For me, it's going to be a very busy one. Today I finished uploading the last of the products to the Live & Love Crafts' store. This weekend we're doing the final tweaking and testing of the website, and if Tech Support/Web Development (a.k.a Hubby) :-) is happy with the technical performance of the site, we're opening the doors on Monday morning!!!

Now over to the less good news;

To My Canadian and American Friends,
I'm ever so sorry having to disappoint you, but Live & Love Crafts will initially not be able to ship to your countries. Believe me; there's nothing else that I'd rather do than supplying you with the beautiful and unique Scandinavian scrapbooking papers that I know you all adore and that are so hard to get your hands on over on the other side of the pond. The reason for this are the strict Canadian and American liability laws, which causes the Insurance Premiums to skyrock. I do hope though in the near future, once Live & Love Crafts is established, to ship also to the US and Canada and that you nevertheless will continue to follow this blog and take part in our monthly challenges. Should you be one of the lucky random winners, there's nothing preventing me from sending gifts to US and Canadian friends, right?! :-) Thanks for your understanding.

 Time to Bling It On:

In stock @ Live & Love Crafts; Vintage Buttons from Maya Road:

Melissa Frances Scrapbooking Broaches

 

Maya Road Vintage Trinket Pins

Hope you adore the products as much as I and the Design Team do.

I'll be back with one last sneak peek tomorrow!

Hugz, Sandy

...and finally: Happy Midsummer to all of my fellow Scandinavians!

Sneak Peek #3 Magnolia

Good Evening Everyone,

If you're looking for candy, please see this post.
I hope you haven't missed that we're doing a DT Call - please see this post.

Thanks to the ones who have already applied and apologies that I haven't responded back to you that I have received your application. I have, but at the moment, I'm focusing on entering the last of the products into the store shopping cart software, so that we can open up sooner rather than later. :-) Hope you're ok with this! :-D

Do you ever during your tours of blogland come across a card/project where an older Magnolia sentiment or background stamp that you don't own yourself has been used? It's love at first sight and you spend the next hour searching for it online. Despite having tried every single craft store you know stocks Magnolia and a few more you just discovered along the way, none of them is carrying this particular stamp that you HAVE TO HAVE...

Well; I know exactly how frustrating that can be and that's why I decided to make life a little bit easier for you. I have gone back as far as to collections from 2007, which is like "dinosaur age" in rubber stamp terms :-) to find beautiful Magnolia background stamps and adorable sentiments. Though I can't promise I'll stock the Magnolia stamp from 2009 that you've been longing for ever since you saw it 6 months ago, I can promise you that you'll find many old gems in Live & Love Crafts' collection of Magnolia stamps!

Here are a couple of them; 

Watercan from the 2009 Chasing Butterflies Collection.

“Sea Background" & Sentiment "The Tide Always Turns" from the 2010 Bon Voyage Collection.

Live & Love Crafts will stock over 30 different Magnolia backgrounds and over 15 different sentiments, so I hope you'll find something you need/you've been looking for. That is if you don't already own them all :-)

...and I've got some further good news; you won't have to search for the background stamps amongst the Tildas and the Edwins. Everything will be neatly organized; the background stamps in one folder, the sentiments in another one and of course Tilda and Edwin will also have their own. Saves you valuable time...time that you can spend crafting rather than searching....

 See ya again tomorrow!

 

Hugz, Sandy

Calling All European Based Vintage Scrappers

Hello again;
Hope you've enjoyed what you've seen so far in the sneak peeks. Please stop by tomorrow again for another one!

As you know, I got three amazing girls on the team; Elizabeth, Tina and Karita, and we'd like to get accompanied by two more members.

Let’s start off with the good stuff! :-) (the benefits)

• DT Packages
• Store Discount 
• Fame & Glory (exposure on this blog, at the store website and the store Facebook site) 
• Being part of something new and exciting 
• Being part of a great team of sweet girls

The Requirements - the necessary evil that needs to be stated, I suppose???! :-)

• You should be passionate about the vintage style of crafting and the brands Live & Love Crafts carry. Please see this post for a list of vendors.

• You should be an active blogger and regularly post new inspiring projects to your blog, and be prepared to link back to the Live & Love Crafts'store website for the products used.

• Though you don’t have to be based in the UK, English should be the language you primarily use on your  blog.

• You should live in a European country. 

• You should be able to take good clear shots of your cards/projects.

• Ideally you’re not affiliated with any other craft retail store in the UK, and if you are, it mustn’t be a store that carries the same brands as Live & Love Crafts. Apart from this, you can be on how many different challenge teams/ vendor teams as you like to, just as long as you feel you have the time.

• The Live & Love Crafts Design Team communicate through a Facebook group, so you’ll need to have a Facebook account.

• You should be able to committ to a 6 months term, starting ASAP.

What's Expected of You

• Blog one project/week with mainly products from Live & Love Crafts
• Create one project/ month for the Live & Love Crafts' Challenge
• Leave comments on challenge participants' blogs
• Chat about this and that in the Facebook Group
   

How to apply

• Please drop me a short e-mail and tell me why you would like to join the Live & Love Crafts' DT.
• Please also tell me a little bit about yourself, i.e. what you love about the vintage style, what type of crafting you do, what your favourite brands are, any other DTs you're currently on etc.
• Please include a link to your blog.  
• Please also attach or provide links to your three favourite projects. Don't worry if you can't narrow them down to three, but no more than five please. :-O

I'm looking to put together a versatile team so please don't feel that you can't apply just because you don't do stamping. Wheather you're a rubberstamper, or scrapbooker or you do altered arts, it doesn't matter as long as you like to work with papers. If you have any questions, please do not hestitate to contact me, Sandy via e-mail.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hugz,
Sandy

Oh I almost forgot; this DT Call will close Wednesday June 27th 8 PM (UK Time), so hurry to get your application in!






 

Sneak Peek #2 Ranger

Hello again,
Sandy here with the second sneak peek of some of the products Live & Love Crafts will carry. If you're looking for the Candy Post, you will find it here.

If you're anything like myself and the Design Team members, you love using the innovative products from Ranger Ink. 

As we all know, the distress inks are perfect for achieving that grungy, shabby chic look that we vintage friends all adore so much. Myself hardly make any card these days without distressing the edges and if you ask Karita how many jars of the white crackle paint, "Picket Fence" she uses up every year, she'll without any doubt start blushing. :-)

Live & Love Crafts will stock all 36 colours of the distress ink pads and the distress reinkers. 

We also have got the seasonal distress ink sets and reinkers in stock.

Furthermore; we are also keeping stock of the Distress Stickles (available in 41 colours), as well as several different colours of the fantastic Liquid Pearls and the traditional Stickles Glitter Glues. For me personally, there's a life before "Stardust Stickles" and another one, much more shimmering after the discovery of Stardust. :-)

We also carry the most popular colours of the Distress Crackle Paints...

... as well as the three different Metallic Crackle Paints.

 @Live & Love Crafts you will also find a wide variety of the wonderful Tim Holtz Idea-ology embellishments.

 

Many thanks for looking. See you again tomorrow!

Hugz,

Sandy

Sneak Peek #1 Charms & Maya Road

Good Evening Everyone;

Thank you so very much for your interest in Live & Love Crafts; for becoming a follower of this blog and for all your encouraging comments. I'm working as hard and fast as I can to have the store ready for you as soon as possible. Both myself and the Design Team are very excited to find out what you all will think about the design of the store and its features and functionalities, but even more so what you'll think of the products. As promised yesterday, here are some sneak peeks.

Live & Love Crafts will be stocking a wide variety of metal charms; here are some of my own and the Design Team's favourites:  

The charms are from Bildmalarna and Reprint.

We also have got these adorable "Love Hanger" metal decorations from Maya Road:

...and these gorgeous Vintage Lace and Trims from Maya Road:

Hope you enjoyed this little preview of what Live & Love Crafts will have to offer. I'll be back tomorrow with another one. :-)

Hugz, Sandy