Happenings...an update of the latest and greatest!

Good Morning! Just a quick post to bring you the latest and greatest in China Phoenix 2 news...

Don't forget to sign up for Teresa Stoa's, Alice's Game Board Class, this Saturday (April 3rd) from 10:00am to 4:00pm. The class fee is $50.00 and Teresa has added even more fabulous details to this enchanting project. She also says that this is a playable game, which makes it even more incredible! Don't miss it!

Speaking of classes, it's perfectly acceptable to pay Nancy for the class or to pay the teacher directly. If you decide to pay the teacher directly, just be sure and let Nancy know so that she can keep her records organized. Thanks so much in advance :D

ATC Group Meeting Update - The ATC Group will meet in April on the 17th rather than the 24th. Judy Duke is coming to town and will be teaching a couple of classes on the 24th. More details to come!

Later this week watch for new pictures and details regarding upcoming classes and a few photos of a new shop patron...he's a cutie;D

In the meantime...make some art! See you soon!

Class: Alice's Game Board with Teresa Stoa

Enter the enchanting world of Alice in Wonderland with Maria Teresa Stoa. She will instruct you on the creation of a fabulous game board featuring Alice and her quirky friends. No detail is overlooked in this fabulous project. Prepare to enter Wonderland where every turn is an adventure.

April 3rd, Saturday: 10:00am-4:00pm (class fee $50.00)

Class: Stamping 201 with Sue LaMeer

This Saturday Sue LaMeer is teaching a class featuring some wonderful techniques that will appeal to seasoned stampers as well as new stampers, alike. She will show you how to create an artistic landscape with masking, achieve dramatic imagery using double stamping, and attain beautiful color through brayering. Sue shares these skills and more with you to create the three fabulous card samples above. Sign up now to add these versatile techniques to your cardmaking arsenal.

March 27th, Saturday: 1:00pm-3:00pm (class fee $25.00)

They're Back! NEW Tim Holtz Distress Inks!

When the new colors in the TIm Holtz Distress Inks arrived a few weeks ago, they literally flew off the shelves! It's no wonder, with names like Spun Sugar, Tumbled Glass, and Rusty Hinge, these are MUST HAVE items for every paper artist' tool box. Don't walk...RUN to CP2 tomorrow to stock up on your favorites! ...AND don't forget the re-inkers!

Check back in a little bit and I will have some fabulous photos and details of Sue LaMeer's Stamping 201 class taking place this Saturday from 1:00pm-3:00pm. This is a continuation of her Stamping 101 class and you won't want to miss it!

Class: Muertos with Cheryl Valadez

I am teaching a second class in the afternoon featuring the beautiful Muertos images by Bombshell Stamps. These images color up beautifully with the help of Copic Markers. Harkens back to the days when we were kids and spent hours coloring in our coloring books with our Crayolas ;D So, if you miss those days, sign up and let's color!

March 20th, Saturday - 1:00pm-4:00pm (class fee $25.00)

Class: "Cheerleaders" with Cheryl Valadez

Saturday morning I am teaching a class featuring some fun and funky images by Stampotique. These images have been paired with a few snarky sentiments pulled from my carefully acquired personal collection of snarky sentiments. By the way, the word "snarky" was used in a comment by my blog friend Alyssa when I featured these cards on my other blog and I thought that was a perfect one-word description...now I can't get enough of it...lol!

These quirky ladies have been dubbed "The Cheerleaders" because they are anything but "cheery".

March 20th, Saturday - 10:00am-12:00pm (class fee $25.00)

Class: Paper Pins with Anne Engelhardt

Anne is known for creating projects that focus on giving paper a personality beyond its typical uses. In this class Anne shares her secret for creating these imaginative, multi-layer pins. She combines two of our favorite passions, paper and jewelry to craft these miniature, one of a kind, art pieces.

March 13th, Saturday: 1:30pm-3:30pm+ (class fee $28.00)

Class: Stencils with Kathi Anderson

Kathi is back on Saturday with a class featuring some beautiful stencils by DreamWeaver. She will combine the stencils with various mediums to create stunning cards with lots of detail and a high "wow" factor.

March 13, Saturday: 10:00am-12:00pm (class fee $25.00)

Class: Metal Art with Kathi Anderson

Everyone gets excited when Kathi Anderson comes to town, because she always comes bearing a wealth of knowledge regarding cool techniques and products. This visit is no different, as Kathi has trained with Magdalena Muldoon, owner of Merc Arts, to learn the details of fine surface metal work. The class fee of $50.00 includes a set of metalwork tools, however, if you have all your own tools and use them, the class fee will be $40.00.

This class received such enormous interest that an extra class has been added:

March 11th, Thursday: 10:00am - 4:00pm (class fee $50.00 includes metalwork tools)

March 12th, Friday: 10:00am - 4:00pm (class fee $50.00 includes metalwork tools)

A class in progress...

Hello, again! If this is your first visit...welcome! And if it's not, thanks for coming back ;D Today we're going to take a little peek into a class in progress at CP2. CP2 is short for China Phoenix 2. Kathy Rosecrans very generously allowed me to take pics of a recent class she held at the shop. In these photos you will see Margot and Sue, talented regulars who frequent the store. Sue, by the way, also teaches a series of beginner stamping workshops that are full of useful tips and guidelines for new and seasoned crafters looking to expand their stamping horizons.

Kathy Rosecrans is a wonderful teacher and comes up with super projects for her classes. On this particular day she had 2 students in class, but it is not uncommon for her to have a dozen folks in attendance. She is a wizard of stitchery and you can see her trusted sewing machine make an appearance in this class, along with Copic markers and several lovely trims that she artfully applied to her class samples.

Classes at CP2 always have an air of camaraderie and most importantly...FUN! Want to see what classes are coming up? Click the class calendar link in the sidebar and take a look. Also, visit this blog often and see up close photos and get detailed descriptions of the classes scheduled that week. You'll be glad you did :D

A look inside...

Good Morning! Today let's take a quick tour inside China Phoenix 2. It's a great store with lots to see and buy, and it's also a fantastic environment in which to teach a class. When you walk in, you're always greeted with a big "hello" and an award winning smile from Nancy. Invariably you will find even more friendly faces hanging out in the classroom, either sharing inspirational projects, or creating something special in one of the many classes that take place there. Too shy to take a peek? Don't worry about it! Visiting is always encouraged and you're bound to make a new friend before you leave ;D

Maiden Voyage

Hello and welcome to the maiden voyage of the China Phoenix 2 blog. Everything you will find here is dedicated to China Phoenix 2, a fabulous rubber stamp and art supply store located in warm and sunny Albuquerque, New Mexico.

First order of business is to introduce you to the fabulously creative proprietress that brings this store to life each day...Nancy Yoshimoto. Nancy has a background in floral design and devoted many years to running the design room of a flower shop owned and operated by her and her husband. Nancy soon discovered rubber stamping and was especially drawn to the magic of embossing on paper. She even started to carry stamps and offer classes in the flower shop. Then, the stars aligned and she received word that a local stamp store was shutting its doors. Her intent during that fateful visit to the store was to acquire some additional inventory, but instead, she ended up with a bit more and bought the store. Now that's a shopping trip!

Today, Nancy's store offers a wealth of rubber stamp images from an eclectic mix of companies, a variety of crafting tools, and a diverse selection of classes. China Phoenix 2 is a hub for sharing ideas and inspiration. A visit to this paper crafting oasis always proves to be full of surprises and friendly faces...an artistic voyage where everyone is welcome.