Go mini-mad in March!

Go mini-mad in March! We will be making 'bitty' versions of traditional Appalachian baskets. Workshops will be held on Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12, from 10:30am - 4:00pm. 

Friday, March 11, we will start out with a mini version of a laundry basket. Just big enough to hold business cards or sugar packets, this is a quick and easy basket. With choice of colors for the weaving, it carries a big punch for such a little basket. In the afternoon, we will make another mini; this time it is a traditional Appalachian Berry Basket. Just big enough to hold a couple of Plant City Strawberries or your watch and rings on a bedside overnight, this basket has all the details of the larger size. 

The cost of the Friday workshop is $40.00 for two baskets. The class fee includes all the materials needed, instruction and use of the instructor's tools. Class starts at 10:30am and goes until everyone is done - about 3:30pm or 4:00pm. Boxed lunches are available for $10.00. Please let Sharon know if you wish to order a lunch.

Saturday, March 12, the morning starts with an itty bitty version of a bushel basket. This time, the weavers are plain and the stakes have the optional color. Instructions will be given for adding the pin cushion if desired. The afternoon holds a little bit of a challenge - another mini version of a traditional basket! This time it isa a Shaker style, Cathead Spoon Basket. Named for its shape, this bitty version is actually about the right size to hold dessert spoons or even crochet hooks. This is the most challenging basket of the weekend, with shaping the base and rounded body, but results in a beautiful basket.
The cost of Saturday's class is $45.00 for the two baskets. The class fee includes all the materials needed, instruction and use of the instructor's tools. Class starts at 10:30am and goes until everyone is done - about 3:30pm or 4:00pm. Boxed lunches are available for $10.00. Please let Sharon know if you wish to order a lunch.

Save $5.00 on the total fee by signing up for BOTH days - only $80.00 for all FOUR March Mini Madness baskets.

Drawing Faces Boot Camp

"Drawing Faces Boot Camp" with Terry is taking The Coo by storm! Originally scheduled for Sunday, February 28, from 1:00pm - 5:00pm, it is now being offered on Sunday, March 6, from 1:00pm - 5:00pm as well. These are Terry's words: " We will be drawing but NO drawing experience is needed! If you can write your name, you have sufficient hand/eye coordination to learn to draw faces. The focus will not be on a finished product but on deconstructing facial features and practicing drawing and shading their shapes. A fun Powerpoint presentation will give us some good inspiration and ideas. You will go home with some face templates, head shape patterns, shadow/highlight and proportion "maps", and more.
We will learn proper proportion and placement of features on the face and some nifty tools and tricks to help you achieve a pretty symmetrical face. We'll practice shading and highlighting using only a pencil, blending stump and eraser and also a fun technique using Stabilo pencils and gesso.

We will also go over efficient ways to use and reuse your drawn faces and some timesaving tricks for using your art in finished pieces, cards and art journals. We'll play a bit with some of the face stencils that are now available. They can be wonderful tools as you continue to practice shading, painting and drawing.

In addition, we will let go and have some fun with whimsical faces. After learning proportions and placement, we get to break all the rules to create whimsical girls!

The final portion of the class is devoted to different ways to color your faces. We can experiment with various mixed media combinations (time permitting - maybe we need a 3-day class???), but at least there will be examples and demonstrations of a number of ways to use whatever materials you like to work with. The skill you have in using the various art materials is what really makes your art look more sophisticated, not necessarily the appearance of the face you draw."
Class fee: $30.00

Monday's Crazy Bird Class

Lorie Weinman, Kathy Lastas,
Sharon Sowa and Carol Desautels enjoy making some
Crazy Bird cards at The Coo

Sharon Sowa is new at card-making, 

but I think The Coo is getting her 

hooked with the Crazy Bird cards

Carol takes a minute to pose
for a picture as she works
on her Crazy Bird birthday card

Lorie is having a ball coloring her
crazy birds and turning them
into fantastic cards - you go, Lorie! 

Kathy Lastas shows off her
"you are my sunshine"
crazy bird card - what a cutie!

Altered Journal Cover with Terry

Larie shows off the great journal
covers she has completed in Terry's class

Meredith and her heat gun are working hard to
get this journal cover perfect! Please notice that Meredith's
journal cover matches what she is wearing - whoop whoop!
Amazing things keep happening at The Coo!

Linda is quite pleased with
the outcome of her altered journal.
You rock, Linda!

Meredith, Linda and Larie show off
their fabulous journal covers.
They are soooooo very beautiful!

Bird Crazy!

OMG!!!! Look how cute these sample cards are for the upcoming BIRD CRAZY card class. These are just four of the samples, but there will be EIGHT cards, from which participants can choose FOUR to make - whoop whoop! If these cards don't tickle your fancy, nothing will - yippee!

Chance Drawing -- Don't Miss Out on Your Chance to Win!

Fundraising for our May 13, 2016, Relay for Life event in now in full swing. Team Cootie Coo Creations has numerous items that have been donated for chance drawings. Each item is a separate drawing and tickets are purchased for each item separately. ALL money received from the chance drawings for these new items will be donated to Relay for Life as part of Team Cootie Coo Creations' fundraising. 

Stop by the shop and check them out or simply live on the wild side and buy tickets for ALL of them - ha! 

There is still the ongoing 50/50 chance drawing, where the single winner will win a $50 gift card to The Coo in addition to 50% of the money generated by the sale of tickets for that drawing. OMG, what are you waiting for...purchase some tickets...you will be helping a great cause as well as making it possible for you to win a great prize or two!!

Graphic45 Card Class

I don't know what has happened to me, but I have been forgetting to take pictures during my classes. Today's G45 class was a busy time for me because it was full but oh so much fun! Here are the card choices and some of the participants...half of them had left before I remembered about pictures...so sorry, ladies! I'll try to be better next time!

Gathering Basket Class

On February 19 and February 20, Katie Avrim will be conducting her monthly basket class, this month featuring the "Gathering Basket". Get ready for spring and Easter a little early this year with a gathering basket that is finished with tulips. The square-based basket has a swing handle and features embellished tulip flowers added after the basket is finished. Don't like the tulips? Leave it plain or with lots of color accents, or it can be whitewashed and flowers can be painted on. The choice is yours! Class fee is $45.00, to make the basket, including the embellished tulip weaving. All materials, use of tools and instruction is included in the price. Just wear comfortable clothes, bring or borrow an apron, bring a lunch and beverage and plan on having lots of laughs while you make a basket that is great all year long. Class starts at 10:30am and will most likely run until approximately 4:30pm. Each class is limited to 6 students.

Crazy Socks Fundraiser

Just a quick reminder about the fundraiser for Relay for Life at The Coo this Saturday, January 16, from 5:00pm - 8:00pm. There will be a pot lunch/covered dish dinner with some fun activities. If you would like to attend, you need to pre-register (so we can accommodate everyone). Here is what you must bring with you: a covered dish to share, $5.00 donation to Relay, and a pair of wild/crazy socks (new not used, please) for a fun game. We will be eating, playing a few games and making two cards...come have some fun while helping to fund a cure! Call or email to reserve your spot! There will also be a couple of FREE chance drawings (hint...SweetBerries has donated a couple of gift certificates...and so has The Coo - whoop whoop).

Waterfall Scrapbook

Alexandra Huertas will be teaching her waterfall scrapbook workshop on Saturday, January 16, from 10:30am - 1:30pm and/or on Monday, January 18, from 10:30am - 1:30pm. The cost is $30 and everything needed for the project will be provided. 

The sample here is from the holidays, but that will NOT be the project for the upcoming sessions. Alexandra will have a variety of colors and papers to choose from for this project.

Mini-Madness Availability

There has just been a cancellation in the "Happy Houses" workshop if anyone would like to attend. It is Sunday morning from 9:00am - 1:00pm. Cost is $45. Also openings in the Saturday all day "Angels" class (9:00am - 6:00pm) $100 with boxed lunch and Sunday afternoon "Face Drawing Skills" 2:00pm - 6:00pm. Cost is $45. The Madness is about to begin so hold on to your hats and get ready for a wild ride!

Bird Crazy

Bird Crazy Card Class, using Crazy Bird stamps by Tim Holtz and other bird images, is being offered on Monday, January 25, 10:30am - 1:30pm and/or Sunday, January 31, 2:00pm - 5:00pm. Just wait until you see the complete collection of cards to choose from - whoop whoop - these cards are a hoot - ha ha!

The Coo's FIRST ever Mini Madness weekend,

It is almost here...The Coo's FIRST ever Mini Madness weekend, featuringSue Monaghan - whoop whoop! Fifteen people are registered for the workshops and it is going to be such a glorious, creative time! Here is a list of what participants need to bring with them for the workshops (participants may use the shop's supply of these items as long as they don't mind sharing; if participants prefer not to share these items, please bring (or purchase at the shop) the following:

BLACK Stabilo pencil
BLACK gel pen (Signo UM153 is great)
WHITE opaque/gel pen (Signo UM 153 is the BEST)
Assorted brushes (if you want; otherwise, use what is at the shop)
Apron (the shop has 10 aprons but Sunday morning's class has more than 10 in it)

We will also be using Caran d'Ache neocolor II water-soluble crayons. At the start of the workshop, everyone will be given a NEW set of 10 crayons to USE (NOTE: it is NOT a gift) during the workshop. At the conclusion of the workshop, participants are able to buy the set they have been using at a 10+% discount. The set retails for $22.99; but the slightly used set can be purchased for $20.00. Sets not purchased will become part of the shop's stash for future workshops, so there is no pressure to buy. If you have your own Neocolor crayons and wish to bring them, feel free to do so.

There are still a couple of openings (but NOT Sunday morning) in two of the workshops if you have been "on the fence" about registering.

It is not too late to order a boxed lunch if you have yet to do so...it is just $10 and includes a sandwich, beverage, chips and dessert.

The Coo is going to be rocking this weekend!!!

January Basketmaking Class: Super Bowl Basket

The super bowl basket celebrates the very first Super Bowl on January 15, 1967! Made with an oval, wooden base and a braided rim, this bowl shaped basket is perfect to collect small stuff on a desk, dresser or dressing table or even to hold a collection of pretty rocks or seashells! The use of a wooden base and braided rim are techniques that have not yet been demonstrated in the basket making classes at The Coo. The Super Bowl Basket class can be taken on either Friday, January 15, or Saturday, January 16, 2016. The class fee is $35.00 and includes all materials, instruction and use of tools. Participants should dress comfortably, bring a towel or apron to protect clothing from dampness and bring a bag lunch. 

Smash Book Jam

Celeste Beck has a small but mighty Smash Book Jam going on at The Coo. The class meets the third Wednesday of the month and it is a GREAT opportunity to create a fun, fast memory book. Lots of great ideas and instruction, so those who can, should think about giving it a try.