Soft Scrap® ... and more

Fall 2010

2010-10-28T13:08:00.002-05:00

This fall has been busy but fun. We had a great show in Kansas City. Met alot of people who were really interested in Soft Scrap®. After Kansas City we drove to Dallas, where Vicki spent a week with our oldest daughter and the grandkids. (I had to go back to work).

Next week it's on to Houston. Look us up we have two kits and will soon have a design booklet that will talk about Pieced Scrap™ and unit piecing.

See you in Houston

mike

Houston

2009-10-12T21:25:00.002-05:00

Arrived in Houston after a fun visit with Kris (our daughter) and her husband and the 3 Munchkins in Dallas. We took everyone to Medieval Times and had a ball.

Weather driving from Wisconsin was miserable - torrential rain and high winds. We hit rain and flooding just outside of Houston. It's in the 80s with 90% humidity, but hear they are getting snow in Wisconsin.

Tomorrow we unpack and set up the booth. (Keep your fingers crossed that the rain holds off!)Be sure to stop by if you are at Festival and say hello.

Tip: For Color Plus inkjet printable fabrics store the sheets flat and in a dry enviornment. If the fabric curls or separates at the edges, iron on the backside (the paper side) with a medium heat setting.

On the Road

2009-10-06T06:18:00.003-05:00

We're off to Houston today, with a stop in Dallas. It's cold and rainy in Wisconsin today (at least it's not snow!) - looking forward to warm sunshine.

Just finished the posterization project. Stop by the booth and see it, if you are at Quilt Festival. It's a neat technique and I learned a lot! I'm anxious to explore more possibilities.

I did discover that there are differences in temporary spray adhesives for quilting. Some I used left a sticky residue on my needle. I found for me, that the 505 Spray Adhesive by Sulky and the KK200 worked the best and did not leave a residue.

Got a great show special at Festival. Stop by and see us.

Vicki

Spray adhesives

2009-09-28T21:58:00.003-05:00

We're busy getting ready for Houston. We're stopping on the way in Dallas to see our daughter and son in law and the 3 munchkins. Hope to see some of you at the International Quilt Festival. We're in booth 437-439.

A recent Photos on Fabric project uses a technique called tiling or posterization. The silks really give the photos a punch. But silk is very unforgiving when it comes to pin holes. I have always used spray adhesives but really have come to appreciate them when working with the silks. It made quilting on the photo easy. It held it secure and completely eliminated the need for pinning.

Stop at our booth for information on posterizing or tiling. This is a new technique for us and we're really excited about it.

Joan's Quilt

2009-09-21T19:32:00.003-05:00

A very dear friend of mine just completed her first photo transfer quilt. We had an opportunity to visit Joan and Bob at their home in Las Vegas on our trip to Long Beach in July. They're old friends you just keep in touch with. Joan had collected photos depicting places and sights in the state of Nevada.

This September Joan presented her quilt to the National Federated Republican Women's Convention in Orlando, Florida. Quilts from some 20 states were on display. Her quilt was recieved with all kinds of accolades (I felt like a proud parent!!!) It will next be presented at the State Convention and will then be given to a Korean War Veteran from Nevada.

I'd like to share her quilt with you.

Vicki

Home Again

2009-09-14T20:54:00.003-05:00

We had a great show in Madison. Met lots of fun, new people and saw some old friends.

People shared their stories with us. Our products are being used to transfer photos for quilts for Hospice. One gentleman told us of his travels during the summer to take photos of motorcylces. His wife then uses these photos to make quilts and they then auction the quilts to raise money for hospice. We have photo transfer pillows and quilts that have been sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. We are constantly amazed at the ideas and creativity of our customers.

Our daughter and niece helped us work the booth. It's fun to see the "young uns" get involved.
They've got lots of enthusiasm and fresh energy and ideas.

This Saturday I will be giving a Trunk show and class in De Pere at Life's a Stitch.

The middle of October we are off to Houston. Hope to see some of you at the International Quilt Festival.

*Tip of the week If your fabric does not feed easily into your printer, iron the back (paper side) at a medium heat setting. This will flatten the edges so it will easily feed into the rollers. Mike says this is especially true with HP printers.

Have a good week!!!

Vicki

Off to Madison

2009-09-07T17:39:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow we're off to the Alliant Center for Wisconsin Quilt Expo. It's a 3 day show Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We had such great response last year and we're looking forward to another great show.

I'm presenting a stage seminar Saturday at 5:00 with a brief introcudtion to Soft Scrap and a Trunk Show.

We're excited about our new booth design.

Mike is trying to bring me into the techno generation. (I'm great with a sewing machine but really challenged with the computer). I hope to pass on some tips and techniques that I learn along the way to make Soft Scrap fun and easy.

*Tip - Take a photo of your layout once you've got everyhting the way you want it (I use to draw pictures - digital photography makes it so much easier). I can refer back to it for placement and fabrics - also if something doesn't look right, it will stand out.

Hope you had a great Labor Day! ...Vicki

Madison Is Next

2009-09-07T16:56:00.002-05:00

It's 4:45 on Memorial Day and we're packed for Madison. (That's about 12 hours ahead of our normal schedule). Madison was a great show last year and we're looking forward to seeing everyone there. We're in booth 210, 211. Stop Buy and find out about our internet special (or you can read the blog it's there too)
-- mike

Long Beach

2009-07-21T20:18:00.003-05:00

Well we're in Long Beach after 4 long days of driving. (We did stop and spend a day with some old friends in Los Vegas so that broke it up a bit.) Tomorrow morning we start set-up and then the preview night is Thrusday night with the show running through Sunday.

Stop by and say HI!!!

I'll keep posting a pictorial history of this trek on www.twitter.com/mikeshetter. You can see our trip and I'll get some shots of the show.

Mention the BLOG site at the booth and I'll give you 10% off your purchase.

See you there.
mike

Fourth of July Weekend

2009-06-30T08:54:00.002-05:00

Well the long weekend is coming and we are planning to do some "re-design". After playing around on the computer we've come up with a new layout for our booth. The weekend we're going to set it up in the garage and see if it works.
If it does, we'll try it out in Long Beach.

Vicki is working on a Long Beach layout that should be posted on the web site in a couple of weeks ... AND ... anyone who purchases something at Long Beach, Madison, or Houston will get a code for 10% off any internet purchase through the end of the year.

IN FACT -- if you send me an email at mike@softscrap.com and mention DISCOUNT CODE in the subject line I'll send you the code ... see it pays to read the BLOG.

After this weekend I'll give you an update on our new design experiment. Until then have a happy and safe week end.

mike

Twitter

2009-06-16T14:01:00.002-05:00

How about that ... two posts in one day. On our trip to Long Beach I'm going to try twitter. To follow our progress go to http://twitter.com/mikeshetter.

See you there starting mid July.

-- mike

Summer 2009

2009-06-16T13:44:00.002-05:00

Sorry it's been a long time between posts. We had a good Chicago Show, the crow appeared to be smaller, but the interest in Soft Scrap® remains high.
Out next show is Long Beach and we're looking forward to the drive across the western states. We were planning to also show at the Reno NV show the following week but we were just notified the show has been canceled........ bummer.........
Vicki is taking a week off to spend with #4 grandchild in Pennsylvania, while I slave at home with work and the business (at least that's what I'm telling her.)
We're working on some more heritage patterns and hopefully we'll have some samples at Long Beach. Look for us there.
mike

Happy Holiday

2008-12-10T09:44:00.002-06:00

Houston was a great show for us. We got to see a lot of old friends and got to introduce new people to Soft Scrap®. Probably the most rewarding part of show is having people come up to us and tell us how much fun they are having transfering their prictures to fabric then using that fabric in a Soft Scrap®.
Also at Houston we got some great feedback on the silks we have. For the show we made up some silk samples and they are fantastic. As I tell people, transfering to poplin is like printing on plain paper, transfering to silk is like printing on photo paper.
Our show plans for next year are taking shape. We will do the SEW EXPO put on the the Fox Valley Tech in Oshkosh in March. In April we'll again be in Chicago. During the summer we will do the Quilts Inc. show in Long Beach CA and on the way back we'll do a show in Reno. In the fall we be at the Nancy's Notions show in Madison and of course Houston. This year we are looking at re-designing our booth so there is more space to display samples ... stay tuned to see if we succeed.
Our holiday plans call for a trip to Dallas to see our oldest daughter and her family. Our middle daughter and her family will also join us. You've seen all the grand kids in our Design Booklets.
That's if for now. Vicki and I wish you all a very Happy Holiday Season and a GREAT NEW YEAR.

To quote lyrics from my favorite New Years song by Murray McLaughin ....
"Let the bells all ring
Better time begin.
Bring us all good luck
Let the GOOD GUYS WIN!"

2008-10-21T14:04:00.002-05:00

We're packing the trailer and getting ready to head to Houston for the International Quilt Festival October 29 - November 2. Last year it was a lot of fun and we got to meet a lot of new Soft Scrap® enthusiasts.

We're in booth 1145,47 right off the main aisle on the way to the food. By the way the food at this convention is good ... Texas Bar-B-Q with all the fix'ins.

We also trying something new. At the show and on our web site we're offering a free Design Layout and some hints on working with Old Jeans. Let us know what you think. If this is a popular feature we'll try to repeat it for shows next year.

Speaking of next year's shows. So far we're planning on Sew Expo in Oshkosh in March, Chicago in April, then possibly Long Beach or Duluth during the summer. In the fall we again be in Madison and of course back in Houston next October.

If there are shows in your area where you think Soft Scrap® might be a hit, email us and we'll see if we can fit them into the schedule.

That's it for now. We'll have a full report after Houston.

Bye "Y'All" (see I'm already in the mood).

mike

End of Summer

2008-08-28T14:20:00.002-05:00

Well summer is almost over and we are getting ready for the fall show season. This year there will be a Soft Scrap® booth at the Nancy's Notions show in Madison, September 11-13, at the AQS show in Des Moines October 8-12, and at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, October 30 - November 2. The Madison and the Des Moines shows are new for us and we're really looking forward to bring Soft Scrap® to new people. PLEASE STOP BY AND TALK.

Also this fall we will be bringing at least 2 (and HOPEFULLY 4) new Design Booklets.

Baby OH Baby is just about ready to go to press. It features projects focused on new additions. One of the special things we've added to this Design Booklet are Double Sided Soft Scrap® projects. This includes a door hanging "Night Night ... Good Morning" and a gift tag for the 1st Christmas wall hanging.

The second one is based on Trick or Treat and Fall themes. Vicki is finishing up the designs and I've just started working on the Design Booklet but we are going to try to get it ready for Madison, it will definitely will be done for Des Moines.

The next two on our list is another Heritage Soft Scrap® that will create a Family Tree. And a booklet version of our popular DVD "So Much Chocolate ... So Little Time".

That's it for now, come see us and come back to the Blog for more Soft Scrap® updates.

-- mike

Back From Chicago

2008-04-16T14:58:00.003-05:00

Chicago was great. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth. Grandma's Attic was a big hit, in fact we sold out, so I'm busy filling new orders. There was a great deal of interest in HERITAGE SOFT SCRAP® and we will be doing more design booklets that deal with heritage subjects.

The "Retouching" Techniques Booklet also went over well. It talks about how to use PhotoShop or PhotoShop Elements to get the most out of your heritage photos. As an additional resource, Lynda.com is an excellent source for PhotoShop training.

We are currently planning to be at the AQS show in Des Moines, the Nancy's Notions show in Madison and of course Houston. We also going to try for a Scrap Booking show this summer. Stay tuned.

Also by fall we want to do a Design Booklet that focus on babies and one on sports!

Again the show was a great succuss and it was super to have Soft Scrapbooker® come to the booth and tell us about their successes.

Chicago International Quilt Festival

2008-03-27T11:41:00.002-05:00

It's Spring, although in Wisconsin we still have at least a foot of snow in our backyard. But it is getting warmer and we are getting VERY excited about he Chicago International Quilt Festival April 11 - 13.
This is the second year we've shown at the Chicago Festival and are looking forward to seeing Soft Scrapers from around the mid-west.
This year our booth is twice the size of last year plus we have a bunch of new things that we're introducing:

A new Design Booklet "Grandma's Attic". This Design Booklet begins our line of HERITAGE SOFT SCRAP®. In this line we feature projects that highlight your family photos and your family heritage. In this Design Booklet we feature SEVEN layouts including vintage projects that we've shown at other shows.
A new Techniques Booklet "Restoring and Transferring Photos for HERITAGE SOFT SCRAP®. Working with old photos take some unique techniques. This Techniques Booklet talks about how to use photo editing software to get the best out of your photos. We also talk about how to apply a consistent Sepia tone to your pictures as well as giving a step-by-step process for colorizing black and white pictures.
We are now selling a wide range of supplies for Soft Scrap®, including 22 different types of Ink jet Printable fabric, Batting, Fusible web, and invisible thread.
Plus we've added a line of embellishments specially selected to make your Soft Scrap® easy, fun, and interesting. Included in our line of embellishments are laser cut silhouette mattes for your vintage photos, embellishments for both the Merry Christmas and the You DID IT design booklets; AND a special selection of buttons for the Merry Christmas Advent Calendar.

We've greatly expanded our products for you and are looking forward to showing you all the new things in Chicago.

Look for us in booth 1731,1733

Mention this BLOG to Mike and he'll give you $2.00 off any single purchase over $10.00.

THE DVD IS READY

2007-09-21T10:26:00.000-05:00

At last we've finished the DVD, Soft Scrap® Basics, "Too Much Chocolate Too Little Time. We're really pleased with the way it came out.

Vicki and I worked on the script for what seemed months then the actual shoot took three and a half very full days. In fact we shot two days for about 11 hours each day and the third was almost a 16 hour day. BUT it was worth it. On the web site you can preview the finished product and it can be ordered from the Product Tab.

I was very pleased with the quality of the finished product. The internet version is acceptable but the DVD version knocks your eyes out. Also we got some really cool close-ups of the process.

The finished version is well over an hour long but it's broked down into chapters. Each chapter covers an aspect of the Soft Scrap® process.

We're looking for your comments.

-- mike

We Did It

2007-08-05T23:27:00.000-05:00

We'll were a little late by YOU DID IT is done and should be available on the web in a couple of days. We now in the process of packing for Manchester NH for the New England quilt show August 16 - 19. Look for us there.

On the DVD front everything is going well. It is editing right now and what we've seen so far looks REALLY good. The team we put together for this project was made up of all pros and the end results show it.

The DVD should be released mid September depending on the duplication house, we might have a preview in Manchester.

It's late so I'll continue this later.

You Did It!

2007-07-20T12:07:00.000-05:00

The goal this week end is to finish the "You Did It" Design Booklet. This Design Booklet answers that eternal questions .... what do I do with the tassel after graduation day? "You Did It" has three layouts including a pillow and includes a neat trick for making your own fabric.

If we were good marketeers we would have had this out in May for Graduation days, but we didn't. In stead we've spend the last couple of months working on the DVD. Check the web site www.softscrap.com for details on You Did It.

We're also getting ready to go to the New England Quilt festival in New Hampshire in August. This will debut our new booth design which is twice the size that we've had before. In addition we're taking this opportunity to visit our oldest daughter and grandchildren in New Hampshire. Anyone who has visited our web site has seen our grandchildren, they're featured in many Design Booklets. On the way back we're going to visit our middle daughter who is expecting her first in September.

New Design Booklets, New DVDs, and A NEW GRANDCHILD -- this is going to be a busy fall.

Welcome to the new BLOG

2007-07-19T20:42:00.000-05:00

We've decided to move our comments page to this blog. Please feel free to make comments!! This is where we'll give you previews of upcoming events. Hopefully by this week end I'll add information on our show schedule, the new pattern "You Did It" and above all a progress report on our upcoming DVD. We're really excited about the DVD project. It's taken a lot of time but the early results make the effort worth while. Check back for some "making of" pictures and more information on the DVD.