A Creatively Enriching...Birthday?

Yup, that's right! Talk, Paper, Scissors offers birthday parties for kids ages 8+. With a wide variety of affordable craft project options to choose from, parties here have really started to catch on!

The child celebrating his/her birthday gets to choose a craft project they'd like to make, and also a couple of color schemes to make the craft even more personal. A few options include a personalized night light, mosaic picture frame (includes a group party photo for each guest), paper beaded keychains, altered book, and many more. All of their guests get to participate in an hour and a half of craft time, with instruction, and then move onto the cake, ice cream and presents!

Some great benefits of parties at Talk, Paper, Scissors...
*Kids get to choose and personalize the craft for their party
*The kids are learning as well as having a fun time
*They each get to take a completed project home with them
*Parents get to sit back and relax while the kids are entertained
*Cake, ice cream (we've got a freezer!), and any decorations are welcomed. We've even had pizza delivered for one child's party!

Click here for complete information on Talk, Paper, Scissors parties.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll let these speak for themselves...

Inside Art Journaling

We realize not everyone is familiar with what art journaling is. It may seem intimidating at first, but it's really the most open, free-form workshop we offer at Talk, Paper, Scissors. People enjoy it so much that they keep coming back for more!

We have asked our facilitator, Kim, to share her experience with you! If after reading you're interested in signing up for our next workshop, click here for more information.



Kim, Art Journal Facilitator
I really love guiding the TPS Art Journal Group each month. I am so excited to see it grow! It is fun for me to come up with new techniques and activities for our monthly themes based on what the participants have expressed interest in. I think what is most special about our group is that it is process oriented rather than focused on an end-product. It isn't about what art journal page or project that you have finished but more about the fact that you took some time out to play!

The participants are very open to sharing bits and pieces about their lives and so encouraging towards one another. Many of them have expressed how our time together is like a bit of "therapy" in our busy, stressful lives. I think we all really appreciate taking a couple of hours to just enjoy being creative in a relaxed social atmosphere. Why don't you come a join us and have fun doing art for art's sake?

August Wine, Cheese & Crafters Event

What a great turn-out! We met a wonderful group of ladies from the Bedford area. Most said they weren’t creative in the least, but the completed home décor projects that they went home with that night proved otherwise!

Night Lights...



And Tissue Boxes...



And Frames, Oh My!



Another friendly group brought in all of their scrapbooking supplies and made it the ultimate “ladies night out.”


This fall, TPS will be offering a monthly Wine, Cheese & Crafters event. Cost is $8 – includes use of studio, tools, computer workstation, creative assistance as well as complimentary wine, cheese & crackers, soda, coffee, tea.

The end of summer draws near...

Wow! How time flies when you're having fun! I've taken a little 'vacation' from the blog, but there has been so much happening at the shop that I thought I'd do an update before all of the holiday hubub begins.

We've hosted various events over the past several months, one of which was very popular - our Wine Charms event featuring a wine tasting with Candia Vineyards.

Participants were treated to several of Candia Vinyard's vintages and some tasty snacks. They also got to try out UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) while creating a set of wine charms. It was amazing to see the various designs people came up with using only some UTEE, stamps and paper!

Three Talented Teens

When Margeaux, Julia and Vicky ("Figgy") came to Talk, Paper, Scissors yesterday, they were all a little timid in regard to their creative abilities.

I gave them a tour of the shop and studio, and then we began the process of selecting a project for them to create. They saw several things they thought were good possibilites, and ultimately decided on picture frames and an unfinished cigar box. (Each of them had a specific purpose for these items in mind.)


They each selected a color scheme for their project and I helped them choose papers, ribbon and other coordinating embellishments. Armed with all of the supplies they needed, they set to work in our studio.

In the studio, I offered some layout "advice" and also some technique demonstrations and tool training.

The girls were bubbling with excitement over their creations. It was satisfying for me to see the pride on their faces when they were done. They were all very happy with the items they had transformed.

Hopefully these three teens have inspired you to try something new today!

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.” - unknown

First Altered Wall Art Class for Kids!

This past Saturday, March 24th, we had our first Kid's Altered Wall Art class. Each student was able to pick the wall shape they wanted to decorate. Their options were a moon, flower and a puzzle piece. These shapes are exclusive Talk, Paper, Scissors designs which were custom cut for us by Say It with Letters!

As usual, we provide samples of finished designs, but the kids were allowed to choose their own color schemes and were encouraged to add their own artistic touches to their project. The results were impressive! We ended up with 2 cheetah-print flowers, 2 striped and stamped moons and 2 bead-i-ful puzzle pieces.

Students Madison, Cameron, Taylor, Evan, Jessica and Nicole all seemed to have fun while making their wall art pieces. Nicole described her finished puzzle piece as, "Simple, yet pretty, with a touch of pizzazz."

Introduction

Hello and welcome to the first post on the Talk, Paper, Scissors blog. Our goal is to eventually have this blog chuck-full of paper craft project samples, links, photos and techniques.

As an introduction, my name is Karen and I am a Co-Owner and the Creative Director of Talk, Paper, Scissors in Manchester, New Hampshire. A few of my responsibilities include managing the product lines in the shop, developing class schedules, creating display samples and merchandising. I also teach several of the classes we offer.

In 2006, my business partner Christine and I conducted market research, formulated a business plan and on September 29th, we opened Talk, Paper, Scissors. We describe Talk, Paper, Scissors as "A social gathering place with a creatively inspiring atmosphere."

Talk, Paper, Scissors is a dream come true for me. I have always wanted to work in an environment that fosters creativity, and that's just what Talk, Paper, Scissors is all about. If you visit our shop, you'll notice that over 50% of the space is dedicated to a bright, cheery and comfortable studio where people can come in anytime to create paper crafts. We also have a paper crafts shop where you can purchase paper, stamps, tools, embellishments and items to alter. For more information on the studio and shop, please visit our official website: www.talkpaperscissors.com.

We hope to continuously share photos, links and information that will serve as fuel for your creative journey.

Thanks for reading!