Summer Sale

20% off all regular priced items (excludes the July kits)

Also, receive a free gift with purchases over $25 (while supplies last).

Enjoy.

today's challenge

this week i'd like to see a memorable hairstyle..
did you rock the mushroom cap?
had a haircut gone wrong?
a priceless school photo?

let's see your layout.
here's mine.

Sketch #30

Here's the sketch for this week...


I turned it into a card...

I hope you have a bit of creative time this weekend!

as promised..
this one won't be in a protector..
i'm just gonna poke holes along the side.

c-ya next monday!!!

Jen

wouldn't you know???

i have my next challenge ready to go
and both of my cameras are dead...
guess you'll have to wait till
tomorrow for a photo..

anyways, the monday challenge is
to scrap a photo of you and your
mom..guess i'm feeling nostalgic
since fathers' day just past.

and if you're really stuck, you
can switch up the challenge and
scrap an old photo of yourself..
so there you go!!! your choice of
2...bonus points go to those who
take the challenge to do both!!!

ps....anyone keeping score?? ;)

Summer Hours

Mon - Thurs 10-9
Fri and Sat 10-9:30
Sunday noon-9:30

* I will be in the shoppe on Tuesdays (during the day) and Thursdays (afternoon and most evenings)

mix it up

so i said my BOM is in an 8.5x11 binder..
but what i didn't say is that the size of my los
will vary...
i had these old baby pix of myself in my wallet,
my mom gave them to me...
so i decided to throw them on a layout.
(this layout is 8x8)
i thought if i made the size of the lo smaller,
then the photos would seem bigger..
makes sense???



so consider this an bonus round in our
BOM game..
scrap something about yourself, on a size different
than your title page...
if you are going 8x8 or smaller..
then yout challenge will be to use tiny pix of yourself...

c'mon scrappers....
i wanna see some layouts!!!

Later!!!
jen

Sketch #29

I've got an 8.5x11 sketch for you today...

and I've made it into a card!

I'll add a thread to the forum for you to link up anything you might create using the sketch... can't wait to see it!

why bother??

why bother doing a Book about Me?
well...why not?
my reasons are...

1. when my kids are older, it would be fun to look back at what mommy was like, not just the girls.

2.its an excuse to be completely carefree with my supplies. There's no pressure to impress anyone in particular, just yourself..

3. there should be more photos and layouts of the scrapboooker in albums.

...well that's actually about all i can think of,
but still..its just fun to do something different..
i get stuck doing "moment" los alot, i love them, but BOM challenges throw
something different in the mix.

here is the title page i did the last time around...
maybe this will inspire you a little bit?



if there is a challenge you'd like to do, then PM me...
and i can post it on the site...
a couple maybe we could do again..............

like, what did you want to be when you grew up?


also, just because these are pages about you, doesn't mean your photo has to be on it. shoot, it sometimes doesn't need a photo at all!


how about scrapbooking a xmas memory?


so these are just a couple of ideas...
i have a bunch more up my sleeve..
if i see some title pages posted in the gallery i may post another
challenge this weekend.

later!
Jen

New

Making Memories Great Escape collection
K & Company Actopus to Zelephant (super cute!)

FYI....

watch the blog every
monday for a new challenge
to tackle during your
week...

.............now back
to your regular scheduled
blogging..............

book of "ME"!!!

did you think i forgot about you??
i didn't.
so let's play a game.
its called the book of me.
here's how we play.
i give you a challenge, and
you create a layout! then you
post the layout in the gallery for
everyone to ooh, and ahh..
easy right?

so this week we will start with
an easy one.

"create your title page!"
i told you it would be easy this week.

and on the title page, i'd love to see
your very most favourite patterned paper,
i know you have an extra piece you are
hoarding, and saving for that special
layout. SO NOWS THE TIME!!!!your
title page should also include a photo
of your beautiful self.



Also, what are you going to store
all these layouts in?
i got a 8x11 binder from walmart,
its chipboard so i
cut out some scallops..
hope this works!!



okay, so i'll leave you with
this first challenge...i'll be
back to share some more ideas with you.
can't wait to see your pages!!!

later, Jen

oh PS...i am doing something new this time
around...i am scrapping in 8.5x11...i've
never done that before. now would be a fun
time to try a new size of layout!! 8x8 is
fun too.

Heidi Swapp Invisibles Tutorial

I've had a lot of people come in and take a look at the Heidi Swapp Invisibles paper and then look at me and say "What do you do with that?".
I'm not a "technique" person AT ALL, but Leigh suggested I do a little tutorial. So here it is.

What you'll need...
- Heidi Swapp Invisibles paper (I just wanted to use a small piece, but you could just as easily use a whole sheet as a background)
- paint or ink
- foam brush and water (if using paint)
- all your other usual scrapbooking supplies

Now, the way the paper works is that there is a resist pattern already on the paper. I'm using the polka dot paper. So, basically, you'll be making your own patterned paper. The part that is the resist (where it's glossy... on mine it's the polka dots) won't take the color. Now, sure, I could've just used yellow polka dot patterned paper, but the fun comes in when you want to blend colors or have a deeper shade on certain areas.

So, I started by dipping my foam brush in a cup of water and then dipping it in my yellow paint. I just brushed it around. Where I wanted it lighter (in the center) I added more water. Where I wanted it darker (the edges) I added more paint.

It wasn't getting dark enough around the edges so I added a darker shade of yellow on the outsides. Then it was just all too much one color, so I took a wet kleenex and actually wiped away some of the middle.
And, what I ended up with was this...

I also thought about getting a little spritz bottle and watering down paint and spritzing it on, but this worked out well enough for me.

And, here's the layout it went on.

supplies:

paper - Heidi swapp, Hambly, October Afternoon. ribbon - American Crafts. Letter stickers - October Afternoon. Scallop and Flower Trim - Doodlebug. Flowers - 3 Bugs in a Rug, American Crafts. Brads. Button.

So, yah. I'm NOT a technique person... and even this was doable for me.

Note: I made sure to journal on the paper with a slick writer. I figured if the dots resisted paint and ink it would resist a regular journaling pen as well.

Sketch #28

Here's the sketch for this week... one photo/one page 8.5x11.



and my slightly modified layout using the June Kit:


I'll add a thread in the forum and you can link up your layouts inspired by the sketch!

More new stuff...

New Jenni Bowlin, Doodlebug Spot Glitter cardstock and My Mind's Eye today.
Enjoy.

More new stuff...

Little Yellow Bicycle's Traveler line is now here.
Get it while you can. There are no reorders from this company! When it's gone, it's gone!

Fruits of the online crop

I love when the online crop comes around. Because, no matter what... the gallery is bursting with gorgeous layouts and creative ideas that next day!

Here are some of my favs from the June online crop...

designed by Leigh

designed by our newest member, Sherri

designed by Susi


designed by Nicole, who also co-hosted and is our guest designer this month

designed by Errlee

designed by Tanya

designed by Laurie

designed by Tammy

If you haven't checked out the gallery yet, make sure you do!!

Early Bird Challenge #5 (aka Sketch # 27)

A two-page (8.5x11) multi photo sketch to hopefully inspire you during the crop weekend!

and here's my layout using the June kit:

Link up your layout using the sketch here or in the Crop Forum!

Online Crop this weekend!

Starting....
now!

Join in on the fun here.
Challenges will be going up throughout the day and will remain open till the end of the weekend!

New October Afternoon paper pictures

I got some new pictures of the October Afternoon papers on the site. Now they show both sides of the paper.

Also, new Thickers are now instore as well as the new Making Memories "I Do" collection.

Featuring June Kit Layouts!

Rise and Shine... the June kit is here, and the June gallery is filling up with layouts! I thought I'd feature a few of my favourites this month... but make sure you check them all out in the June Kit Gallery!


Nicole is the Guest Designer this month, and I love what she did with the kit. I love the stitching she uses on her layouts, and the way she uses patterned papers as the background. This one caught my eye because of the title placement and layering.



Jen always uses the kits in ways that don't even occur to me, but inspire me when I see them. I absolutely love the way she used the paper as inspiration to make her own stem with leaves as an accent. And the photos... she's so lucky to have them!

I love the topic of this layout Leigh did... I thought of a similar idea when I saw this paper in the kit, but I couldn't make it come together. Leigh's journaling always inspires me... love the font, love the way she justified it, and I love the way she did the title.

I love the way Marcy uses blocks of paper on her layouts, and this one jumped out to me in the gallery thumbnails. I love the way she used the edge of the Sassafrass paper along the top, and that crumpled bit of paper with the stitching at the side adds so much detail!

When I saw all the buttons included in this kit, it made me remember how much I like using them on layouts... I used them as accents on the polka dot paper and for my flower centres. I always look forward to seeing the stamp with the kit each month, and I try to use it a couple different ways. The one in the June kit is perfect for putting dates in, using behind a title (like Leigh did on her Hike No. 2 layout) or making a border like I did on this layout.

I hope some of these layouts inspire you to use your June kit... I know I have lots of ideas after browsing the gallery!