Thursday General

So i have been learning digital...definitely a learning curve. Now i understand when new people to scrapbooking say they are overwhelmed. Don't misunderstand, i am definitely not leaving my traditional scrapbooking. There is something to be said for tactile pages that move and feel with your emotions. The digital however, is much less fussy ~ especially when you want a blue ribbon black....and voila; all in the touch of a key! I am learning digital to enhance my brain, but also because i have to create a program for a dinner theatre i am dancing in next weekend. It is a fundraiser for the upcoming tour to eastern Europe.
So i will post my shortcomings of digital shortly, just like anything...have to start somewhere.

Ohhhh and really great new resource books in the store. This too i will post shortly!

Last week is a sketch; this week is a Layout

A layout is completed so much faster when a sketch is made first. I swear this layout has taken me longer to upload than to create! My brother-in-law, is going to start getting upset with me, as i am always using him in my layout posts.

Royal Blue

Last week, I posted about the colour blue. This week is my 'royal blue' layout. A great colour for family history layouts.

Week 4 - Deck of Me

This week's Deck of Me prompt is JOY. Where do you find it? When do you have it? Is it a part of your daily life? Who or what makes you happy?

Scenic Route paper is currently one of my favourites because of their graphic, clean look so I trimmed down a scrap to fit my card and adhered it - with Scotch spray (lately I've been just loving this 'easy' way of gluing stuff down!!). Then I wrapped the bottom in Making Memories ribbon and placed a little Tim Holtz grungeboard key - white inked and pink flocked - beside a Making Memories flower and brads.

New Product

We received some more new product in the store. Popular items are replenished, while other items are new and enticing. We received some great organizational items in the store (perfect to organize-especially on these cold cold wintery days upon us). There are also templates for different types of doodling. These are great to work with felt markers, stamp ink, acrylic paint or really anything..you can think of.
I have attached a layout showing how i implemented the templates, using stamp ink.

101 Things...

A friend of mine and i were chatting recently, discussing a list we had to make some time ago..in college. The list entailed 100 things we wanted to do before we died. Yes, this list was going to be marked for school grades. Needless, to say, my friend still has hers and checks hers' off, seemingly...frequent.
Me, I cannot find mine any longer. I may have placed it somewhere's, but still have to look. So, I have started a new one. Not just, 100, but 101 things i want to still do. I promise, this time around to keep it...and i promise to scrabook that list. A constant daily reminder of things i still want to do. I wonder if, many of the items listed now were on the list from 10 years ago? And i wonder if my values have changed too?! Definitely something, this time around, that i will scrapbook.
And so, i challenge you to write down your goals yet to do, scrapbook them and keep them in a special place as a continual reminder of who you are and who you are yet to be...

Wednesday and a Sketch

This week's sketch. I would love to see what your layout looks like. Send me a link.

Blue

This week is blue. Blue can affect mood on a layout in many different ways.
Blue can be 'ice blue' inspiring thoughts of winter, ice, and cold - somewhat cold and depressing. Yet, blue can run thoughts of sky and ocean - warm and welcoming, peaceful and tranquil. Blue tends to be a colour of productivity and royal blue denotes loyalty. What will your blue layout look like?

Week 3

What do you know for sure? Maybe its your mini mantra or an A-HA moment that happened recently. Start with the prompt "I know..." and create your card for week three!

For my card, I adhered a piece of green Bazzill cardstock to my card. Then I took a foam brush and lightly painted across the surface of the cardstock, enough to show the texture of the cardstock but without covering up all the green. Next, I used a mini circle punch to clip two half-moons from the card, and lines the edges of the card with a pink pen. I wrote out my "I know this..." phrase which I came across this week - love it! I created block letters so that I could shade the inside of the letters. I used a retro sequin and a tiny bead as an "o" on the page for a tiny touch of sparkle.

Have fun playing this week!

New'er' Idea

I apologize for not blogging yesterday, however I was reading. Reading about what kind new idea I could place in the entry. I notice the new Creating Keepsakes Magazine is much more lifestyle based vs. layout based, which is okay. Everything changes and changes for a reason - they are taking a new'er' direction and hoping it will be a success in inspiring scrappers, paper crafters and 'life artists' alike to take on a new direction and 'mantra.' And so, this article spoke to me - not necessarily so much as to write one, but i definitely think about one and try to live not only my scrapbooking by one, but my life by one - a mantra!

So i ask you, what is your mantra?

The Creating Keepsakes February article states, "A mantra involves purpose. It involves action. It involves a promise to yourself. ... Your mantra can be a statement of purpose, of strategy, of value or of character (6). ... a constant reminder that grounds you in what you do each day...(www.how-to.com/operations/mission-statement.htm)(What's Your Mantra? p. 87).

Consider your own personal mantra and how it can affect your life day by day - live it freely, with positivity and inspiration.

Thursday's General

Do not forget about our demo days on Saturday, January 19th. We will be demo'ing the foils and stickers, as well the pva glues. Join us from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm.

A Sketch = A Layout

From last week's sketch, comes this week's layout. It was modified slightly, however, that is the great thing with sketches. They provide you with a skeleton to work from.

Based on Red

Last week, we discussed red and the effect it can have on a layout. This week, a "red" layout is posted.
Journalling reads: 'cuddle- you are! When you want to be, but truly, you love to hang out - away from the crowd, generally, off to the side, playing or just hangin'. I hope you always beat your own drum, strum your tune - kiddo! It pays off in the end - it truly does!'

Week Two

This week I've brought together some of my favourite craft elements to create a card about my favourite season - winter! Maybe that's a little trite to document a season, but think about it...what does a seasonal love say about you? For me, I love to hide in fuzzy warm clothes, eat homemade macaroni and cheese and play outside until I can't feel my toes...

I layered Bohemia paper over the card and added a chipboard snowflake with a fuzzy Memory Makers brad; at first I had painted the edges a snowy white, but - as many of my craft projects tend to do - I changed my mind and added a sparkly aqua border of Stickles.

TIm Holtz Grungeboard

New Product

We have recently received many new products, from great papers, rub ons and charms spanning themes of India, China, Japan and Russia as well, the infamous "grungeboard" by Tim Holtz is now in store.

Today's a General...

So i want to show you our class images....
Our card classes are really popular and why wouldn't they be? Making 9 cards and learning great techniques, these classes are a fun getaway from the everyday...in this class, specifically, you are working with acetate, embossing and masking - Tuesday, January 22 from 630 pm - 900 pm
As well, the acrylic album class, Kelly is teaching. This class and what you will make is "downright cute. Clear acrylic albums are the latest and greatest to hit the scrapbooking scene. Join us to create a fun 5x8 clear album project where we’ll use a variety of media from paint and rub-ons to transparencies and patterned paper." - Monday, January 28 from 700 pm - 900 pm

A Sketch

Today is a sketch, next week we will create a layout of the sketch - it will be posted. In the mean time, we would love to see your interpretation of this sketch. Post it to the site!!

How does Colour Affect Your Layout?

Colour has the ability to affect your moods... and these colours directly impact your layout creations.
Depending on what theme you are scrapbooking, it will influence what colours you will choose.
Keep in mind when scrapbooking how colour and each colour will affect what emotion you want to relay.

To start off,
Red: stimulates excitement, particularly at night. In the living room or dining room, red draws people together and stimulates conversation. It creates a strong first impression. Red has been shown to raise blood pressure, speed respiration and heart rate. Darker reds will appear muted, rich, and elegant. Red, the most intense, pumps the adrenaline like no other hue and raises energy. A colour of love, emotion, desire and dedication; celebrations and luck.
(excerpts from freshome.com)

"Deck of Me" by Kelly - Week 1

Ring in the New Year and set your state of mind straight up.

Inspired by Ali Edwards and her 'one little word' I challenge you to reflect and divine that one word that will set the pace for your 2008. What do you want to accomplish? What would you like to see in your life? Take this one word and make it your mantra.

My word is 'focus' - bringing my time and goals together to be effective, creative and pure 'me'!

I started by covering my card with two layers of paint - a gentle shade of peach I copied off my mom's poetry books from the 1960s. I took a bit of white paint and went around the edges of the card - just sporadically for a little flair. Next, I added a journalling box by Hambly, and a label sticker from Daisy D. I cut half a flower from the same Daisy D sticker sheet and adhered it to the middle right side of the card, just to create a balanced visual triangle out of my elements. I used Deluxe Designs alpha stickers to write my word "FOCUS" and just a wee bit of journalling.

Easy peasy! And WEEK ONE is complete!

Let's see what you've done. Post a link in the comments section...