SENZ Wednesday Weekly - Edition Five

Apologies - two weeks in a row! This has become the SENZ Thursday Throw Back!

It's because we're working so hard on SENZ that getting to the computer has been tricky. With the Artfull Getaway now over, we've suddenly turned our attention to SENZ. Last week I spoke about the "materials lists". They are all on the website and loaded up for you to check. If you click into the classes that you've booked then click the materials list then you'll have all the info you require to pack your bags.

There are 2 lists on the website. One is the "to bring list" and the other is an "optional list". We will supply items on the optional list - but if you have your own it will save you queuing in the class.

Classes are a heap of fun and we still have spaces available. With 2 weeks to go we thought we'd give an incentive to join in our classes. Anyone who books (or who has already booked in) for 3 or more Artfull Crafts classes will receive a Kaisercraft "Thankyou Goodie Bag". It will include a Beyond the Page project and a variety of Kaiser products worth $20. So don't miss out and get booking! We will have the packs at SENZ for you to pick up.

Most of the stock for the class kits arrived yesterday and the classroom upstairs has been transformed into a busy packing zone. We had lists, lists and more lists (checked, checked and double-checked!) and plenty of bags. In fact we did the maths and by next Thursday we need to have made up 320 class kits and 150 Card Temptations Kits. I think I'd better order some more bags!

Today Lowri and I finalised all the classroom decoration plans - we think you'll love the extra effort we are putting in. Lowri will be busy for the next week or so with all the ideas we came up with!

We also want to introduce you to the Team that is coming with us to Auckland. I'm coming (Liz!) and my lovely husband is taking a week off to join us. He'll be the man wearing the Black Desperate Housewive apron. Vicki and Juanita will be the stall managers and will be ably assisted by Diana Steven and Mary Schwaderer. We'll also be joined by Betsy Clark who will be teaching 2 classes as well.We're also welcoming Al and Mel and Christina from Kaisercraft Australia. I also have a couple of friends in Auckland who are keen to help out. We've got a great team and are looking forward to serving you! If you are at a loose end on the Thursday during the day we do have a huge job to set up the stall and classroom - so we might be keen on extra hands. We'll offer some free classes to people who help :-). Email us if you are interested.

I'd better go now and organise all the specials, pamphlets, instructions and ordering! It's been a huge ordering week and we have some new products that we will be showing at SENZ that we haven't had in the store before. Can't wait for all the fun!

:-) Liz

SENZ Wednesday Weekly - Edition Four

Hi everyone. We're only a day late for this post! We have the Getaway this weekend - and so we're scurrying about decorating the place! What fun...

Because of that this will be a SHORT post (compared to last week's one!)

SENZ class bookings are going well. We do have a great class line up - so be sure to book in soon. We have sold out of the Saturday Timeless Drawers Session - so we've put another session on Friday 12pm.

This week Lowri and Betsy have been busy creating table decorations for the Artfull Classroom and I shopped up a PINK storm at Payless Plastic. It's amazing how many pink items there are on the market...

Next week 's priority for us is letting you know the SENZ "What to bring lists". With only 3 weeks to go it's time to start packing your bags! We will have the Materials lists loaded up on the website and you'll be able to link immediately to products that you need to order. How easy is that?!

So, I'm off now to shop for some summery, tropical holiday bits and pieces...
Enjoy your weekend
:-) Liz

SENZ Wednesday Weekly - Edition Three

What a great week!

We're always a bit nervous when we release a line-up of 8 classes for an event like SENZ. You aren't sure whether you've chosen the right products or prices etc. So we anxiously awaited the release of the SENZ classes to the VIP's and then the public this week.

We have good news! They have been well received and the bookings are still coming in. We do have spaces available for you - so don't delay and book now.


We have had to make one change to the original timetable. The Timeless Chest of Drawers Class was the stand-out winner and it's now completely filled up. So we made the decision early on the pull the pin on the Party Animals Card class and swap it for another Timeless Drawers Session on Friday 12pm - 2pm. Don't miss out on it!

Don't fear though - we are still going to have the Party Animals packs and instructions at SENZ for you to purchase. You could create the cards at the Crop event on the Saturday night. Here's the sneak peek of that fun kit!


We hope you have been to the SENZ website and seen the line up of classes we have for you. We spent weeks preparing them and days and nights loading them online for you. Our classes are going to be fun and we hope you enjoyed the quirky class descriptions. We've always believed that craft businesses should be leading the way in creativity and fun - that's why we spend hours making nice shop window displays, updating the website, and creating fun classes.

We had a heap of fun coming up with the class descriptions and I have to give the credit to the lovely husband for much of the inspiration. I was so tired on the night that we had to load up the classes that I could have fallen asleep at the laptop! So Graham came to the rescue coming up with the great ideas that summed up the vibe of the classes.

Here's the description for the Timeless Drawers:
"Dim lights; musty smells, curiosities left and right. You pull back the dust cover to find what you've been looking for. Antique Dealers Mel and Al will help you create your own timeless masterpiece - a Chest of Drawers for your treasures. You'll learn antiquing and aging techniques, as well as playing with some of the industry's favourite products. If you've always wanted to know how to make beautiful flowers, then book in your time with the experts at the Roadshow..."

We appreciate all the lovely feedback you leave us too. It makes all those late nights worthwhile!! (This is likely to be another late one!)

You might wonder what goes into working out a class for an event - so here's a basic outline for you:
I dream up the project that I think will be interesting (ie Chest of Drawers), think about some papers that would be good to use, email the tutors Mel and Al at Kaiser and throw the ideas around. They chat about products that could go with it and new techniques that we would like to teach. I put a pack together and send bits and pieces to Aussie for the girls. They create the project, send me a document with codes of what is being used in packs and what is being shared. More discussions, any changes made. Completed projects professionally photographed at Kaiser. Emailed to me. I create Collages. Load the class on the website - this involves checking schedules, writing descriptions (30 mins or more on each one!), uploading images, formatting, saving, checking, previewing, saving, checking 5 times for every detail to be accurate - spelling, bolds, underlines, links to websites etc.) An hour or two later final SAVE! Then load up on the Artfull Crafts website (create class category, cut, paste, format, upload photo, check, check etc!). Liven them up and wait for the bookings! Ring ring first thing in the morning. Check emails - on computer all day printing them, taking phone bookings etc.

Kaiser girls create instructions, show me to check we're all on the same page. Then I order the products for the packs and the share goodies (could be 4 or 5 companies to order from). Waits for goodies to arrive. Packs are created at Artfull Crafts by the capable staff. I think about the class and what other projects can be created in that same range (to show it off). Send packs off to the Design Team and staff to create projects (I'm so busy I don't have time to play!). Lowri, myself and the Team think about the table settings and what special little displays could be in the table centres... Organises it all...

Repeat seven more times...

We've got less than 5 weeks to go...

Nighty Night
:-) Liz

SENZ Wednesday Weekly - Edition Two

What a week!! SENZ has consumed our minds this week. I've spent dozens of hours on the SENZ and Artfull Crafts website preparing for the Class Releases to the VIP's Friday at 8:30am!

Yes it's come around that quickly. We hope you will LOVE the classes that we have prepared for you. If you thought the Artfull Crafts stall looked amazing last year, then just wait until you see the 2011 classroom! You deserve to craft in the best environment – so we’re going to surprise you with creative displays, table-settings, spot prizes and the opportunity to pre-order new Kaisercraft Collections. Remember SENZ is not just a shopping trip, it's an experience!

We'll be presenting 8 classes in total. The Kaisercraft girls from Australia (Melissa Kennedy and Al Hannah) will be running 1 card class, 2 double-layout classes and 2 fabulous projects. Betsy Clark will be back with her distinctive style of beautiful, fussy cards, and Liz Gregory and friends will be entertaining you with some make-up and madness! If you don't have a VIP pass you'll have to wait until they go live on Monday morning.

Here are some sneak peeks of Betsy's card classes:
Bo Bunny Gabrielle Cards              Kaisercraft Chanteuse Cards

We've booked the air tickets for our International Tutors and we've found a great place to stay! Stay tuned for more updates on the event of the year.

In the meantime we're busy preparing for the Artfull Getaway event at Queen's Birthday weekend! We sure don't do thinkgs by halves. If you are interested in that event then head to the Getaway link and check out the classes on offer. It's an absolute bargain of a weekend...

Oh and did I forget to add that we also launched our new website look last night! Go and have a look and become a Facebook friend (right hand side of website)! If we get to 500 people by Wednesday midnight 25th May we're going to giveaway a Martha Stewart Edger punch (your choice) to one lucky follower! So send the message out around your friends and help us celebrate!!

SENZ Wednesday Weekly - Edition One

Good evening! This is the first of our SENZ countdown blog posts - so here goes!

SENZ is the Scrapbooking Expo of NZ. In fact it's more than just scrapbooking - it's NZ's only Papercraft expo. You can expect to see retailers from all over NZ bringing their shops to the Telstra Clear Events Centre from Thursday 23rd June - Sunday 26th June. Not only that, many of the retailers bring in popular national and international tutors and offer classes for YOU! Head to the SENZ website for more details. The classes are released to the VIP's on the 20th of May and to the public on the 23rd May.

Artfull Crafts was the winner of the Best Stall Award last year and we had a huge team of hard-workers which led to an excellent stall and fabulous classes from the Kaisercraft Girls. So we're heading to Auckland and we hope to see you! Here's a photo of a few of the Artfull Team at the end of a great weekend!


Talking about winning - don't forget to keep reading below to find out how to win a one-day pass to SENZ for you or a friend.

We're pleased to announce that we will be bringing back the internationally renowned Melissa Kennedy and Al Hannah from Kaisercraft fame to run 5 of our classes this year - a card class, 2 double-layouts and 2 Beyond-the-Page projects. Betsy Clark will be joining us and running two card classes. She's the designer of our ever popular Card Temptations monthly kit (you should see this month's kit due out on the 15th - stunning!). And Liz Gregory (Owner of Artfull Crafts) will be running a very enjoyable class. There will be plenty of laughs, some unusual antics, some make-up and few other tricks up our sleeves. Let's just call it non-PC scrapboooking. Believe it or not you'll leave with a layout we're sure you'll love!!

Head to the the Artfull Crafts website for ticket bookings. The first 5 people who order a 3-day VIP pass (or SuperPass) from Artfull Crafts will receive entry tickets for the 3 days of the Expo, plus closer to the event will be sent a SENZ shopping Bag Voucher Book, make 'n takes and special VIP discounts. You'll also get the opportunity to see and book classes 3 days before the public (this is huge advantage as many of our classes had sold 30 spots by the end of that time). At only $34 you can't go wrong. PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO EARLY BIRD VIP SHOPPING THIS YEAR!

Through the next few weeks we'll be letting you know what stage of preparation we're up to (there's a lot to do!) and we'll give you some insight into the Tutors and what to look forward to.

Here are a few pictures of our stall last year - just to give you something to look forward to!
We effectively had 3 stalls! One for scrapbooking, one for cardmaking and one for Kaisercraft.

Leave a blog or Facebook comment for us before next week's Weekly update and we'll put your name in the draw to win a free Day Pass to SENZ. Keep it yourself or give to a friend. We will be offering give-aways and FREE classes over the next few weeks - so be sure to keep a close eye on this blog...