You and Me

I truly enjoyed working the the February Design Team kit. 

Black and pink is one of my favorite color combinations.  The black cardstock really makes the photos and patterned papers pop!  I like to work with circles and decided to place a giant circle in the middle of the page.  The placement of the circle really ties the pages together. 

I decided to add a bit of sparkle to the layout by using Stickles and sequined flower centers to variety of elements on the page. 
Thanks so much for joining me today. 

Robin

Sakura

The colors and patterns in this month's kit reminded me of a recent outing to Sakura, a Japanese steak house in Fairfax. I used the Cheval pink polka dot paper as my background. I cut circles from Linda's Homage. I used my Cricut to cut blossoms from the Juliette paper. I put a few drops of Stickles in Diamond, available at Scrapbooksplus, on each blossom. The paper behind my pictures is the darker side of the Juliette paper. The chopsticks and rice bowl were also cut using my Cricut.

Cards by Esther

The cards I created from the Design Team Tryouts were simple. This allowed me to use some of the scraps from making my layouts. The first one was made on gray cardstock cut to 6"x12" folded in half to form a 6" square card. I placed a pink square that was border punched over a white piece to show the lacy effect. A white heart was layered with gray and pink print hearts on top of a gray strip. "I Love You" was printed on photo paper. Silver heart brads were attached at the top. Then the entire decorative square was glued with adhesives.

The second card was on gray cardstock in a rectangular shape. The cardstock was folded off-center to let the gray show on the right. Layers of cardstock from the SEI Julliet line in pinks, grays and creams were cut and torn. The brads are pink with hearts, a lace heart, buttons and circles add the decorative touches.

Miracle

I loved using my black and white photos with the Juliette SEI paper. The colors of the papers are just beautiful. I generally work with 12 x 12 layouts but wanting to do something different, I made this one an 8 x 8. If you every create a 6 x 6 or an 8 x 8 layout, and want to put it in your 12 x 12 album, just add it to a matching 12 x 12 background sheet.

Instead of using ribbon on this page, I folded a strip of pattern paper and sewed right over it. I love this affect. I punched out the flowers from pattern paper and sewed the stems to create a bouquet. I sanded the paper to distress it and make it pop.

Anytime you don't have room on your layout for journaling, just write around your photo as I did here. I didn't feel there was much to say. To me just looking at the photo said it all. What a miracle!!

Peace

Making cards is not my forte but I had fun with this one. The stamped image is embossed with a metallic powder to give a nice shine. Remember those crazy edged scissors? Well I pulled them out to make the edges of the stamp piece, & used a sponge to distress the edges to give a soft look. Punching the bottom with a border punch added the finishing touch. The SEI striped paper is a glitter paper so it is much prettier on the design wall at ScrapbooksPlus. Visit the store & check it out!

Sleeping Beauty

When we got our Design Team tryout kits they included a beautiful piece of wide, chunky lace. This is the kind of lace that is so pretty and has such a nice presence on the page, that you really don't need a lot of additional embellishment.



I used my lace on this one-photo, one-page layout. The lace draws your gaze from left to right and sort of "underlines" the single 4x6 photo and title. The weight of the wide lace combined with a small mat of patterned paper keeps the smaller elements from looking overwhelmed by the size of the page. A simple folded flower and a few buttons are all that's needed to finish it off.

thanks for stopping by!
erin

Completely Distressed... and lovin' it

I was so inspired by Jen Starr's Completely Distressed class at the store last weekend. I learned so much about distress inks and other ranger products. I had no idea how versatile these inks really are. Jen was a great instructor, showing us how to use the inks to create different effects. For example, this little birdy was simple to create using a stamp and distress inks. I just inked the bird's body with the color ~worn lipstick~ and inked the feet with ~brushed corduroy~ them simply sprayed it with water and stamped. It was that simple to get this great water color effect.


On this page the green strip in the center is actually just a piece of water color paper that I crumpled up then inked with ~shabby shutters~ and sprayed with water. I used a paper towel to pull up any excess water then dried the paper with my heat gun. It was simple to make this embellishment and I love the element of texture it adds to the page.



We also worked with crackle medium, embossing powders, and masks learning so much more than just these 2 techniques. The class had a good pace with a high energy, creative atmosphere that kept me buzzing with ideas for days. I can't wait until Jen comes back to the store. I will be the first to sign up for her class! Until then I'll just have to keep myself busy with my new stash:)

You Rock

I wanted to capture my daughters quirky fashion sense with these pictures. This page is fairly simple using the SEI Juliette Collection from the monthly design kit at ScrapbooksPlus. The plaid paper matched her outfit well so I cut circles to add that bit of color. Some rub-ons were added at the side & on the tags. I love this cute owl stamp & even though it had nothing to do with the overall theme, I added it -creative freedom ya! The tag attached with the cute heart brads is actually a clothing tag from a t-shirt. This page is 8x8 which gave me limited room, so I added the journaling under the tag.

Is there something you want to remember about the special people in your life? Grab your camera & freeze that moment so years from now you will be able to look back & remember.

Gallon, Quart & Ounce

So you've got your photos and picked out the paper you'd like to use. But how do you put it all together? There are some good rule of thumbs out there to help you.

I'm going to focus on the "gallon, quart, ounce" rule. This rule refers to mixing colors in a layout. What it means is that your primary color -- the "gallon" -- should be around 70% of your layout; your secondary color should be around 20% -- the quart; and your accent color -- the ounce -- should be around 10%.

Now this can be in any combination of cardstock, patterned paper, or embellishments and none of them have to be solid colors. For example, in my layout gray is the dominant color -- or the "gallon." My background is grey and the patterned paper has lots of grey in it. Even my photos are black and white (but that doesn't usually count). My "quart" color is the pink color in the flowers, the ribbon, the patterned paper mat, and the tag. Finally, I have a smidgen of black as my accent -- the "ounce."




If you'd like to read a bit more on color theory, check out this color theory tutorial by Color Worqz. It goes

Thelma

The pinks and florals in this kit inspired me to create a layout that I have been wanting to do for a long time about my grandmother. I was surprised at how quickly it all came together. I love the classic combination of pink and grey together. The background paper I choose from this month's kit is "First Kiss". I added a stripe of "Sweet Perfume" down the center with a ribbon addition, from the kit. I cut "Thelma" in pink and grey cardstock using my Cricut. On the flowers around the layout I sprayed Glimmer Mist and added Stickles, both which are available at ScrapbooksPlus. I stamped "count your blessing" with a Teresa Collins stamps
(available at ScrapbooksPlus on pink cardstock and then cut it into a circle. The hardest part was the journaling. I had so much I wanted to say. I think my Grandmother would be pleased with this layout about her.

Such an Angel

What could be more precious than a sleeping baby?  When I saw the beautiful papers from SEI's Juliette Collection, I could not wait to create a layout with this photo. 

I chose to journal on the photo using image editing software. I love this technique and use it quite often to allow more room for embellishments on my finished page. I hand cut the large flower on the bottom left of the photo and added a button to the middle of the flower for interest.  I folded the top right corner of the patterned paper and placed a flower behind the fold. 

The white pom pom trim gives a bit of softness to the bottom edge of the photo. I used a large circle to showcase the photo.  The edges of the circle are inked with Distress Ink in Tattered Rose.  A few small flowers to the right corner of the photo add just the right touch. 

Thanks for joining me today.  

Robin

So Cute - So Fun!

When I was given the cute challenge kit to try out for the ScrapbooksPlus 2010 Design Team, I loved the paper, the lace and cute embellishments. I immediately thought I could use the black and white photos of my cute granddaughter and knew how much fun it will be to scrap them.

You may immediately think of doing heritage pages when you see lace and pattern paper, but I wanted to try another look. I think the black and white photos work well with the gray and pink papers. Black and white photos are fun to use for a different look.

I sewed around the edge of the gray paper. It gives it a nice frame look. I think it breaks up the solid color and looks cute.

To follow the pagemap that came in the kit, I used my circle punch on one of the pattern papers to make circles for the upper right corner. To give it some dimension I sanded the paper and used pop dots to adhere the circles. I love to play with punches and use them somewhere on my pages. I think the circle punch worked well with this layout. It's a very cute and simple layout, but I had fun creating it.

After the Fog by Esther

I actually saved this paper until I had finished creating with the others. Somehow it was hard to cut it because of the pretty silver swirls. The gray paper in the SEI group reminded me of a foggy day on the west coast. I remembered these photos taken in Los Angeles and how I had to wait until fog began to lift and the sun came out to see the views.

By shaping and layering over the light blue, it gave the illusion of the fog lifting and a blue sky appearing. That also allowed me to keep the pretty swirls. The clear sparkles give a bit of glitz. The photos were mounted on orange paper to give color throughout. The base for the layout is Bazzill gray cardstock.

The birds of paradise gave a splash of color to the neutral colored layout. Since I really wanted a big accent, I cut and painted chipboard to make the accent. Copic markers were great for the blending. ScrapbooksPlus has all of the colors in stock. Try them for a colorful project.

Using Lots of Paper

The Juliette line by SEI has lots and lots of patterns in it - plaid, floral, some shimmery and some with glitter. You know they'll all work together - hey, they're in the same line. But with all those different patterns it can sometimes be confusing to try and put them together.

Sometimes a little moderation works --

Here I took four of the papers and cut equal squares. I used a KI Memories die cut paper behind the block of paper, then layered my photos, ribbon and title on top. Changing my photos to black and white helped keep extra colors at bay - Rachel's recital costume had a bright lime green in it and the school lockers weren't very pretty. I used the two more muted papers under my photo as well and placed a wide crochet ribbon under them.

For this two-page layout I chose to use long strips of paper and run my photos horizontally across the page. I filled in the extra spaces with Maya Road journaling spots, a Jenni Bowlin card, and assorted flowers & heart. I kept my strong patterns at each end and not right next to one another.

Dimension Without Bulk

One of my favorite things to do on my layouts is to sew. Whether it is on the sewing machine or by hand, I will find a place to sew somewhere. On this two page layout, using SEI Juliette paper, from ScrapbooksPlus, I sewed the sketch lines from flower to flower.

As you can see, I love to have dimension on my pages. But if the paper is too busy you only need to add a little. For this layout I used threaded buttons for flower centers and clear bling for the bubble bees eyes.

To add a little more dimension but with no bulk, you can trim around the flowers as I did next to the photos of my son and granddaughter. Sewing, adding buttons and/or bling, just makes the page pop. I hope you will use some of my favorite ideas on your layouts.

Use Your Rejects!

The great part about digital cameras is being able to pick out the best shots for printing. Sometimes, though, it's more interesting to use those less than stellar shots! This layout was just that. I pulled out a few of the funniest "reject" photos from our Christmas card photo shoot and immortalized them on this layout. It's a great way to showcase my daughter's personality.



Once I got the photo arrangement set, the layout needed something. So I cut a large circle from the plaid patterned paper to anchor the photos. Then I punched small circles from a different patterned paper and tucked them under the edge to give it a finished and soft edge.

thanks for stopping by!
erin

F*R*I*E*N*D*S

F*R*I*E*N*D*S

My younger 2 children can be best friends or not. I decided to create a page based on the electric nature of their relationship. I started with the photos placing them in opposite directions to highlight their contradictions. They had a fun time in the photo shoot & that showed up in the pictures. I did dress them in red to represent fire, the blue of their eyes helped to represent ice.

I started by putting the bird stencil down & inking over it. Then I blasted my page with glimmer mist (be sure to dry between colors so they don't get muddy). I also misted the cricut die cut swirls I made. Stamping swirls in the corner helped to add a layered look. The chipboard swirls were covered with Ranger crackle paint, allowed to dry & inked with the matching distress ink (peeled paint). Using Ranger alcohol inks from Scrapbooksplus on acrylic letters for the word "fire" & adhered using glossy accents. The word ice was made with metal, cut & embossed, inked with alcohol ink. Yes this page was heavy on technique but it represented the theme well & let me control the colors of my embellishments. The heart is chipboard covered with model paste, dried & painted. I love the extra dimension this gives! To see the other aspects of this page, check out the Design Team Wall at the store. Remember the sky is the limit when it comes to designing!!!

All About Kim

My name is Kim Ferrari and I am a stay at home mom of three very active boys. I have been married to my biggest supporter for almost 14 years. We live in a veritable zoo - we have 2 very big dogs, a cat, hamsters, fish, chickens, hermit crabs and anything else that moves that my boys bring home! Our black lab Bear is my constant companion. He will wedge himself into the smallest places to stay with me.

My favorite scrapbooking item is my Cricut Gypsy. I love it. Since I only have boys I also love to use flowers and bling on anything I can get my hands on.

I am a very eclectic scrapper. I love to try new things and learn new techniques.

My favorite things to make are mini books. When I make a mini book they are usually about only one subject. I love the feeling of

accomplishment when I finish one. When my boys are a little older and less rough and tumble, I plan on keeping the mini books in a big basket for everyone to enjoy.

I think my biggest challenge in scrapbooking is remaining organized. I start off good and then disorganization gets the best of me!

My favorite colors are purple and teal together. I find this combination very calming.

I am a non-snacker scrapper. I only keep water in my scrapbook room - I am paranoid about spilling anything on one of my "creations".

I prefer to scrapbook at home. When I scrapbook in a group I wind up with scrapper's ADD - I am so busy looking at what my fellow scrappers are creating that I don't accomplish a thing!

On my scrapper's wish list would be a MAC computer and a personal tutor to teach me the ins and outs of using one. I love what the MACs can create.

As a very non-computer literate person, I would love to try my hand at digital or hybrid scrapbooking.

The music I listen to when I scrapbook is also very eclectic - I listen to anything from Motown, old rock & anything Bon Jovi!

Picture Perfect Punches

...because HOME is where your story begins

As I thought of the design for this page I knew I wanted to place a large photograph of our home in the center of the layout and photos of our family surrounding it. I decided to use a solid color as the background so it wouldn't be too busy with all of the pictures, it also gave me the opportunity to make some really fun embellishments using different patterned papers and some edge punches. These plaid, striped and floral papers from SEI's Juliette line worked beautifully since they are so homey and warm.

I used the EK Success Fleur de Lis punch on the plaid paper and stacked it on top of the floral paper mostly just to make the effect of the punch stand out. If you have never used one of these punches they are fabulous. They have a guide on them that makes it nearly impossible to end up with anything other than a perfectly punched edge.

I cut several small rectangles of the different papers and manipulated them until I was happy with their placement and I added a small distressed piece of manila paper with the date {hand written} on it. I used the Fiskars Upper Crest edge punch and trimmed it down so that only one {bracket} was on the edge. It was the little something I needed to complete this tab.

These edge punches are a great tool to have in your stash. They are a bit of an investment but they are worth it. Unlike consumable products like paper, inks, paints, buttons and brads that can be used up PUNCHES can be used over and over again. They aren't usually theme specific either. For example this Fleur de Lis will work just as well on an Easter layout as it will on Christmas layout. They make it so easy to create your own embellishments, the possibilities are endless.

Journaling

I love to use hidden journaling on my pages. It is a constant theme throughout my albums. I used the Fiskars Fleur de Lis edge punch again here on the edge of this manila card. I distressed the card with ink and the picture with sand paper around the edges. I added this little "door pull" metal accent to let the viewer know that there was something behind this "door." Once opened it reveals the journal:

I want our home to be peaceful
~so I count to ten {or 100} before losing it.
I want our home to be beautiful
~so I pick out just the right color for the walls.
I want our home to be organized
~so I find just the right spot for everything- and label it.
I want our home to be fun
~so I turn up the music and dance.
I want our home to be welcoming
~so I try to always have enough for guests.
I want our home to be relaxing
~so I picked a comfy sofa.
I want our home to be magical
~so I bring out Dexter, the Elf, every Christmas.
I want our home to reflect who we are
~so I display photographs that do just that.

I want our home to be all of these things because my children mean everything to me and...

their story begins at home.

Playing with Paper - All About Robin

Hello everyone.  My name is Robin Shakoor and I am so excited to be a member of the 2010 Scrapbooks Plus Design Team.  I am a native of Arlington, VA and I now reside in Fredericksburg, VA with my family.  I am a commuter and there are days when the traffic is a nightmare!  Scrapbooking has become an escape for me.  I live for weekends when I spend all of my free time in my craft room.  Now you can see where all of the goodies I buy from the Scrapbooks Plus is stored. (My husband always says that I need a guest chair for him.......I will think about it)

I have been scrapbooking since February, 2008 and I love it!  I like all styles of scrapbooking but vintage/heritage layouts have beome my favorite.  Once my mother shared my grandmother's photos with me, I was hooked!  The subjects in the photographs have a life of their own and that is where I draw my inspiration. 

I enjoy working with rich beautiful colors and embellishments.  My drug of choice?  Flowers!  They give an elegant look to any project.  It is very rare that you will see a layout from me without some sort of floral touch.  Flowers, flowers everywhere! lol.

Now for the fun stuff!

The layout below is based off of Erin's sketch and was part of the 2010 Design Team tryout. 

Below, I chose to hand stitch the beautiful lace to form a circle.  I glued a flower to the middle and added decorative straight pins.  I finished the layout with touches of ribbon, buttons and Anna Griffin flower stickers which I purchased during one of my many visits to the store.

I am truly looking forward to sharing ideas with you and I also hope to learn a thing or two along the way.

Robin

Lace, Flowers & Pearls by Esther

This vintage photo called for lace, flowers and pearls. The accent frame of chipboard was hand cut and covered with a slightly larger piece of floral cardstock. The off-white paper flower just needed a little sparkle. Pearls gave just the touch. I strung the beads onto cotton covered wire in 4" lengths and made five loops. The loops were twisted & adhered behind the flower center. This is a technique used in making flowers (one of my past endeavors).

Chipboard scrolls, on either side of the printed title, were painted brown. The two lengths of pink rickrack were woven to make the strip on the left. A doily was place on the cardstock as a base for the other accents. Lace with ribbon, flowers and pearl accents, a few buttons made a feminine layout for this photo of Garthenia. The photography does not show the colors used as well as the one shown on the DT Wall or at ScrapbooksPlus.

All About Kathy

My name is Kathy Young and I am a new member of the 2010 ScrapbooksPlus Design Team. I am excited about all the new designs, layouts and new techiniques we have for you. Please be sure to visit our blog often for great inspiration. Here are a few facts to get to know me.

I’ve been a crafter for years. I’ve done many types of crafts from ceramics, quilting, building doll houses, crocheting, knitting, sewing and scrapbooking. Even when I was a teenager I scrapbooked; you know, anything my boyfriend gave me, movie tickets, concert tickets, etc. But in 1999 I started the “new” scrapbooking when my oldest son graduated from college. I haven’t stopped since and it is now a passion of mine. I have attended three Creating Keepsakes University workshops and Heidi Swapp’s Creative Escapes in Arizona. I’m blessed to have a husband, 3 boys (men), a daughter-in-law (and did I mention a new “Granddaughter”) so I will never run out of photos. It’s important to me to keep our memories alive.

What is your favorite scrapbook item?

I’ve always found my tweezers to be one of my “go to” tools. I also love using the Cricut Expression and QuicKutz. The cartridges and dies have many alphabets and die cuts for all your needs.

What type of designer are you (traditional, vintage, or funky)?

I am probably more traditional, but can be funky and add vintage at any given time. I use distressing techniques (ink, tearing, sanding, or chalks) on most of my pages. I guess whatever my mood is that day and what I believe will work on the layout.

What is you favorite thing to make?

When my friends or family have a new baby, I love to make them a small baby album. Whether I make an 8” x 8” album or a “B A B Y” chipboard album, it’s great for their first year or as a brag book. I’ve also been having fun making our Christmas cards the last 6 years.

Your biggest challenge in scrapbooking (one page LO, projects, 2 page LO)?

Since I love to scrapbook, I probably would have to say projects. I feel more creative and enjoy doing 2 page layouts more.

If you wrote a book about scrapbooking what would the title be?

“A Fun Way to Keep Your Memories Alive”

What is your favorite color?

In the scrapbooking world it would have to be pink and green. But for years my favorite color has been red. Even my kitchen walls are red.

What type of snack do you eat when you scrapbook?

You will probably find a diet coke on my table for sure. If I’m scrapping with my friends I will munch on pretzels for crunchy and M & M’s for sweet.

Where do you prefer scrapbooking at home or at a crop? Why?

Both actually, I love to scrap with my friends. We have a group of 12 that have been scrapping together for years. We even travel to crops, classes and events in other states. We have so much fun laughing, eating, drinking, shopping, and oh yeah, scrapping too. But since I am retired I scrap a lot at home. I then can see all my supplies and use them.

What is on your scrapbook wish list?

Since I am very spoiled (I have a generous husband) there really isn’t anything I want at the moment. I guess I would have to say whatever “New” item comes out.

What is something that you always wanted to try?

As far as scrapbooking, I would like to see what Glimmer Mist is all about. I have heard about it and read about it a lot lately. I need to take a class at ScrapbooksPlus to find out.

What do you listen to when you are scrapbooking?

If I am scrapping at home, definitely a chick flick will be on the TV. If I am cropping with my friends, most likely one of our IPods is playing.

What blogs/magazines do you like?

I do read scrapbook magazines and books. I love to see the different layouts or sketches for ideas. I usually have Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbooks, Etc., and Scrapbook Trends on my coffee table. Since I have been lucky enough to have taken classes from Heidi Swapp, Ali Edwards, Donna Downey, Becky Higgins, and many more; I will periodically visit Heidi Swapp, Ali Edwards, Donna Downey and of course ScrapbooksPlus Design Team’s blog. Lots of good ideas to scrap lift.

Welcome to DT 2010 by Esther

Welcome to the new members of DT 2010. I look forward to my second year on the team. I am Esther McCullough. I like to create the layout starting with the pictures; secondly, select a solid color cardstock; then embellish. My favorite tool is a good paper trimmer. The Chomper is a close second. Lately, I have begun to learn more about the diecutting implements. The noise of tv is usually enough, but at times, I listen to smooth jazz or oldies while cropping. My work area is not as organized as most, but I find what is needed. Collecting paper, tools and bling rate high on my list of supplies. I think, each person has to envision their own layout. Ask for assistance in accomplishing that goal. Each has to create what pleases them.

My challenges come in taking the kits assigned and making them work with my pictures and ideas for creating. Well, I also can learn better blogging skills. This month we are showing the SEI papers used for the DT tryouts.

For the pagemap I used "Flamingos" to go with the pinks for this layout. There were two pictures from Florida and one from California. The journaling block on right was done on the computer in Publisher using Afternoon Delight font. I placed a pink circle on an empty sheet and laid a text block over it. To get the rounded text shape, the lines of text were staggered to fit the pink circle. Half of the circle was not used. The cut half circle was adhered to the layout on the right to balance the pictures that are slightly left of center. The flowers were hancut and attached with eyelets in the center.

The word flamingo was set as a vertical text in the Harlow Solid font. The other embellishments are curved - circles from the SEI Julliet line in pinks. A better picture can be viewed on the ScrapbooksPlus Design Team Wall. I hope this sparked some ideas for creating. Come back to view again.

Hi from Deborah

I'm Deborah and, like Erin, I'm back for my third year on the ScrapbooksPlus design team. I've really enjoyed working with (and laughing with) the 2009 team, and I'm looking forward to getting to know all our new gals!

About me ... I've been scrapbooking since 2005, and like most years, you're likely to see one of my two kids in most of my layouts. When you're the primary photographer it's not as easy to get yourself in the photos and, well, they're much cuter anyhow. We've been in Springfield for almost six years now, but have spent most of our "grown up" lives in various parts of the DC area. My answers haven't changed much since last year - you can see them here - so I'm going to use Erin's idea and give you my top ten scrappy things I can't do without.

My Favorite Scrappy Things

1. Cutterbee scissors. I use these on everything. I've been coveting a pink pair ever since they came out with them.

2. Tim Holtz's Distress Ink -- who am I kidding, really anything Tim Holtz comes up with. His inks are so versatile - you can blend them, emboss with them, easily ink edges... And don't get me started on the distress stickles and the distress crackle paint. Thanks to Jen Starr's class I've really gotten into playing with his alcohol inks, too. I'll be sitting front and center next Saturday for both her classes.

The tag I made for the wall used lots and lots of Tim Holtz products -- four colors of distress ink, grungeboard, rock candy distres stickles (on the heart), and rock candy distress crackle paint (on the tag).


3. Glimmer Mist. So easy and fun to use. Glimmer Mist is a quick and easy way to make a background, color chipboard and flowers, or change the color of plain alpha stickers. Pair it up with masks and stencils and you can really change the look of your cardstock or patterned paper.

4. Patterned paper. Love it. Must have it. Lots of it. My husband thinks I could open a Springfield branch of ScrapbooksPlus with all the paper I have! I like a lot of variety - stripes, dots, muted, floral. Some of my favorite brands are Jenni Bowlin, Making Memories, and Cosmo Cricket. But, I'm salivating over the new lines just being released from My Mind's Eye, Jillibean Soup and Reminisce.

5. Coordinations cardstock. This cardstock is so versatile. It's double-sided with different colors and made to sand and distress. And even better they've just come out with patterns - look for it in the store this spring.

6. Journaling spots. My current favorite journaling spots are from Maya Road. I've bought several packages. I love the feel of these - and I've used them liberally the past several months in my projects.

7. Tim Holtz's tiny attacher stapler. I love these itsy bitsy staples! It's easy to use and one of the best ways to attach ribbon or fiber to your projects. And did I mention it's from Tim?

8. Snyder's mini pretzels. One of the best snack foods because they're bite-sized, they don't make crumbs, and you don't get your hands all greasy. Great for scrapbooking.

9. Thickers by American Crafts. These are my go-to item for titles. They come in so many colors and textures there's bound to be a set of Thickers just right for your project.

10. Pop dots. Three dimensional items on your page make things interesting. Using pop dots -- or any three-dimensional adhesive - is an easy way to make your embellishments stand out. In the layout below, I used pop dots with the paper-punched snowflakes.

So in honor of the impending storm ... here's my pagemap layout for the month. I cut out several of the shapes from SEI's Linda's Homage Foil paper and added buttons, a bit of pearly bling and some punched snowflakes.

Welcome Snow Day!

Welcome Snow Day!

Hi! my name is Karen Bearse & I am new to the ScrapbooksPlus design team. I am very excited to challenge myself to come up with new ideas & interesting layouts throughout the year. I hope you find something interesting in my layouts that help your creativity.

My style depends on my mood, my energy level & who happens to be inspiring me at the moment. I do love to distress, ink, mist & change up the look & textures of items. I find inspiration in movies, art, magazines & music. Some of the designers who I have been lucky enough to take classes with are, Tim Holtz, Donna Downey & Jen Starr. When I get around artists like these I find my creativity is stretched, & I am excited to try their new techniques, hopefully adding my own spin to their ideas.

This layout was perfect to post today! This is my page map design for the month. I started by digitally enhancing my photo, changing it to B&W to better match the paper. Next I used diffuse glow to make the image softer, added the title & an art stroke border in pale pink. I matted the picture on paper using a border punch on the bottom. The letters & trees were cut using the Cricut cartridge Winter Woodlands. The die cut pieces were Glimmer Misted & allowed to dry, I love me some Glimmer Mist!!! The letters were covered in Glossy Accents & once dry, bling was added. I used different stamps on the trees using techniques learned, courtesy of the Jen Starr class I took. Jen is returning to ScrapbookPlus Feb 13 & 14th -she teaches great classes that will stretch your creativity!

Enjoy your snow day!!!

Hi, Erin Here!

It's Erin... back for another year on the Scrapbooks Plus team. The last 2 years have been a lot of fun and this year will (hopefully) be the best yet!

Since I've done the formal introductions before, I thought I start off this year with my top ten.... my Top Ten scrapbooking necessities. Here goes!

Erin's Top Ten Scrapbooking Must Haves
1. Buttons - I love buttons and they are consistently on my layouts. Buttons are fabulous for adding dimension. They can look homey or sleek depending on their style and how they are attached.
2. Zip Dry - Absolutely the best thing ever for adding bulky embellishments. This stuff stays put... which is always a good thing in scrapbooking! :)
3. Die-cut Paper - Something about paper with a cool, die-cut edge is just irrisistable to me!
4. Edge Punches - When the paper I like doesn't have a die-cut edge, just add one with the cool edge punches that are on the market. I have a few from Fiskars, Martha Stewart, and EK Success and love each of them!
5. Corner Rounder - This tool has been around forever and it's worth its weight in gold. When doing a clean, simple layout sometimes all you need to finish it off is that curved corner. Plus I often use them to make a scalloped edge - just pull off the paper guide and punch away!
6. Ink - Inking the edges of your photos and papers gives everything a visual pop and adds depth. I use Colorbox chalk ink for papers as it dries extra fast. For inking the edges of photos, use Staz-On and set them to the side to dry.
7. Patterned Paper - Who can scrap without patterned paper? Cardstock is a great base, but the patterned paper probably is what hooked us on this hobby to begin with. Favorites are My Mind's Eye and Basic Grey.
8. White Space - Really it's nothing! But having enough nothing on the page makes all of the something's look even better... know what I mean? ;-)
9. Stitching - Whether it's by hand or machine it's a great accent to a page. Or try stitching without thread and use the bare holes as a bulk-free accent.
10. Glimmer Mist - Those of you who know me, know that I'm not one for a lot of glitter - although I do have a stash of Martha Stewart glitter! Glimmer Mist is my usual go-to for subtle sparkle and easy color-changing. I use it on flowers, thickers, ribbon, paper, anything I can spray. Always test it out to make sure it'll work. So far I've been lucky and it's worked on everything I've tried except felt.

thanks for stopping by!
erin

She's Simply Inspired

I am Megan Carey, one of the newest design team members for the ScrapbooksPlus Design Team. I find the design team projects so inspiring and I am very excited to be working with this group of talented women.
I live in Bristow, VA with my husband and 2 children.
I am an avid runner and have been for 17 years. I am currently training for the Shamrock Marathon in March. I am also interested in photography. I took Karen Russell's "Photographer's Workshop" last summer. I learned so much by taking her class and my photography has improved tremendously.
Ever since I was a little girl I have been interested in design in some way, shape or form. I pursued design in college earning my Bachelors Degree in Apparel Design from Virginia Tech. After my daughter was born in 2002 I traded in my dress designing days for scrapbooking. Since then scrapbooking has been my main creative outlet.
My favorite scrapbooking item would have to be paper, that is why I have a few thousand sheets of it and can't help but buy more. What type of designer am I, probably vintage. I like a layout to look like it has been looked at and touched for a hundred years just before I slip it into a page protector {ironic, huh?} My favorite thing to make would have to be a layout telling a story about one of my kids... you know, who they are not just where they have been or what they did. My biggest challenge in scrapbooking would be getting caught up. I love switching from a 12x12 layout to a project to a 2 page layout, whatever. I just want to make sure I'm not missing any great moment in there somewhere. My favorite color is pink, that is why I painted my design studio green... it makes all of the pink accents stand out that much more. As a matter of fact when I ask people what color is on the walls in my studio they always say pink. When I scrapbook, if I'm snacking, it has to be a Cherry Coke Zero and Peanut M&M's. I love to scrapbook at crops because I get so inspired by what everyone else is doing but mostly I scrapbook at home because all of my stuff is there and I get more done. My scrapbook wish list at the moment consists of all 100 plus colors of Glimmer Mist and a Silhouette. What is something I have always wanted to try, maybe buying all 100 plus colors of glimmer mist and a silhouette and seeing what my husband does!?! When I am scrapbooking I listen to the music on my blog {That is exactly why I made that playlist.} It is a mix of songs that really get my creative juices flowing. I follow several blogs; Heidi Swapp, Ali Edwards and Karen Russell to name a few. I find inspiration everywhere but honestly could not do without my Scrapbook Trends magazine. Oh, and if I were to write a book about scrapbooking the title would be "She's Simply Inspired." {of course}