Win BIG on iNSD!!

Well, here we are!  The day we've all be waiting for for weeks - or even months!  I know you all have a lot of shopping, chatting, scrapping and more to do today, so I'm going to keep this brief..

To celebrate iNSD, I've put together a FANTASTIC grab bag for you - full of the essentials in scrapping - truly a great stash-building bag.. You can find a full reveal in my store, but here's a peeky peek for you..

 

Pretty exciting, no?  I know some of you who filled out my survey will be REALLY happy with this bag, and that just makes me SO excited!  . . . And what's better than a super-fab grab bag?  Why, a chance to win, of course!

Anyone who purchases my grab bag will be entered to win a $10 coupon to my store!

Anyone who spends $10 or more on SMD products will be entered to win a $20 coupon to my store!  

*applies to all purchases April 30th to May 6th*

*winners will be announced May 7th*

---

Now, before I show you all the fabulous CT layouts with the grab bag, I just wanted to put in a quick word for Scrap Matters.. May is a really big and exciting month for us.. Check out everything that's going on...

 

Click HERE to go to the iNSD forum for all the fun and games.. 

Now check out this awesome deal..

 

There will also be a phenomenal blog train with over 50 stops starting up Saturday, May 1st using pieces of this gorgeous kit!   You can hop on board, here, at my blog, or head to the front of the line on the Scrap Matters blog.

And last but certainly not least..

 

The Queen of Scrap contest is returning to Scrap Matters! .. Sign-ups begin today, and the contest begins tomorrow.. If you're not familiar with this, it's something you definitely don't want to miss out on!  There are so many fantastic prizes to be had, and it's such a great opportunity to get a whole slew of pages done for yourself.. Check out the forum for more details..

---

Now - how about some eye candy for you.... Here are some totally awesome pages from my CT and the SM team using my grab bag... I'm telling you, you don't want to miss it!

---

That's it for me this week.. Have a wonderful, safe, and entirely enjoyable iNSD!

Happy Scrapping!

Very Special Sneak Peek

I have a very special sneak peek for you this week...

Anyone up for a grab bag?  ;)

This is what I have coming out to celebrate iNSD, and trust me, you'll definitely want to pick it up!  There are so many awesome things in here - so be sure to put it on your list.. I also have a few great chances for you to win over iNSD..

And just a tip to save you some time on the big day.. Go fill up your wish list now, so all you have to do is add everything to your cart, instead of searching through the whole store and fighting all the traffic.. Just an idea...  :)  See you soon!  :D

Just Letting You Know...

http://scrapmatters.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=270

Play All Day for 50% off!

I just wanted to let you know that my Play All Day collab with Scraps by Jenn - now Girl Boy Girl Designs - is 50% off today only as part of Scrap Matters' Manic Monday sale.. Grab it at a great discount while you can!

 

{All my newsletter subscribers also got an exclusive freebie this morning, so if you think you'd like to get in on that, too, be sure to sign up via the form in my sidebar..}  :D

In the Mood for Something Sweet?

Before I get to my release this week, I wanted to thank everyone who took some time to fill out my survey.  It turned into quite an interesting read - very uplifting in some ways, and also very humbling in others.  I so appreciate hearing your comments, and learned so much - quite a few interesting and surprising things, too.. Like, most of you prefer not to have pre-shadowed elements included in kits.  So maybe I can use the time I normally spend on those to create more special and unique elements, which quite a few of you did ask for.  I also learned that my kits are too "themey" for a large number of you - a total surprise to me - so stepping back and focusing on the everyday might be in order.. I will say, though, that I was very pleased to see that some of the things I have planned in the upcoming weeks will fit in quite nicely with your requests, so keep an eye out for that.. If you haven't taken the survey yet and would like to - still available until Wednesday the 28th - you can do so HERE.

 

---

 

Now - on to my latest and greatest.. I've teamed up with another fabulous designer to bring you a collab that's oh-so-different than anything I've ever done before.. {Remember, all you moms of boys - you had your turn a few weeks ago, lol.}

 

{20% off Fri-Sat}

 

Melissa is guesting at Scrap Matters for the month of April, and I had actually been planning on asking her to collab with me before, so this seemed like the perfect time to do it!   My inspiration for this kit came as I was folding my laundry - yes, I have the wardrobe of a 6 year old girl, apparently - and these colors just popped out at me.. I'm so glad she was willing to play along, because I think it turned out just beautifully..  :)  Check out all these gorgeous CT pages...

 

 

 

 

As per the usual, the kit is 20% off Friday and Saturday, so if you're looking for a good deal, now's the time to act.. I also have a freebie for you, but first, let's pick a winner from Kate's sneak peek contest... 

La'Shawn!

email me at the address in my sidebar to get your prize :D

Now - on to your freebie.. Melissa and I did a combined mini add-on for you this time around {those appear to be the faves, according to the survey} so you only need to stop by one blog or the other this week.. 

 

 DOWNLOAD

That's it for now, but I'll definitely be here next week to help you celebrate iNSD.. Happy scrapping!  :D

Survey Time...

Hey all - I've put together a little survey that I would love your help with.  I want my products to be as awesome and great and USEFUL for you as they possibly can be.  If you could spare 5 minutes or so from your busy schedule to fill it out, I would really appreciate it.. :D

TAKE SURVEY HERE

Don't forget to check out Kate's sneak peek in the post below for a chance to win my latest kit.. See you on Friday!  :D

Sneak Peek 4/21

Hi!! This week I'm here to bring you another sneak peek of the kit that Amber is releasing this week. Amber teamed up with another fantastic designer to bring you this week's super sweet kit. If you have been looking for something sweet to scrap your girl or spring pages, this is definitely a kit you should check out!


Isn't it just so pink and girlie? I LOVE the colors in this kit, so pretty! How about a chance to win this kit?? Oh okay.. you've twisted my arm - well not really lol! To be entered into the drawing for this kit, just leave a comment to this post telling me one thing you like about spring. That's it! good luck & Amber will be here on Friday with the kit reveal and the winner!

Take care
~Kate

Spotligting Yolanda

I love doing these spotlights every month.  It is so fun to find out more about all the CT members I interact with on a daily basis.  Today's person that I want to help you all get to know is....

Yolanda

{aka y_baros}

1. How long have you been scrapping?  Have you ever paper scrapped?  When did you make the switch to digi and why?  I've been scrapping in some capacity since I was young, and with the birth of my oldest son, I really wanted to get serious about it.  I used to paper scrap, but it seemed to always take too much time and I could never keep my stuff organized so I shelved it pretty quickly, unfortunately.  I switched to digi almost 2 years ago and I absolutely love it!  I used to make signature tags and some of the girls I made them with had started doing it, so I thought I would check it out too and was hooked from GO.  There is so much less mess than paper scrapping and you don't have to truly commit to your LO until YOU decide, not when your adhesive decides *LOL*  Go digi! 
2. What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill?  I really like to cluster elements together and have gotten a lot of compliments on that, as well as my photo editing/blending, so I'll go with that...  Your weakest?  Probably my shadowing.  I don't spend a whole bunch of time on trying to make it realistic-looking.  I will always add a shadow but it's pretty basic stuff to just give a little bit of depth. 
3. What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping?  Edit your photos.  Even if you only add a little bit of contrast or adjust the curves a smidge, it will go a long way towards making your pages just that much better; Invest in an EHD and back up your files regularly; Have fun! 
4. Describe your scrapping "system"... What program do you use?  I use PSP XI.  Where do you start first - photos, papers, elements, journaling?  Sometimes I will start with the photo and then find a kit to scrap it with, other times I will start with a certain kit I want to use and find a photo that's suitable for it.  Do you always have something in mind when you start, or do you let your creativity guide you?  Sometimes I will have an idea in mind, but I mostly fly by the seat of my pants and see where it leads me :o)  How long does it take you to complete a layout?  It usually takes a couple of hours for me to finish a layout.  I usually scrap during naptime or when the boys are in bed for the night, so it works out perfectly....usually! 
5. On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week?  I try to scrap a little each day.  Some days are easier than others but I would say I average about 7-10 hours a week. 
6. Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda?  music?  snacks?  I always need a drink and some music while I scrap.  Always!  Occasionally, something chocolate helps boost my creativity as well.... 
7. What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping?  Playing with my boys and doing things together as a family.  My boys love going to Wal-Mart for some reason, so we go there a lot and just let them take us where they will.  We also love going on drives around town and seeing where we end up.  It doesn't matter what we're doing because just being with them is the best! 
8. What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it?  I'm a really big fan of rock music and love to go to concerts with my hubby, so if I were ever able to get a picture with my favorite band, Papa Roach, after a show and scrap about the experience, I'd absolutely love it! 
9. Who inspires you in the scrapping community?  Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration?  If I'm browsing a gallery and a particular page catches my eye for one reason or another, I add it to my faves.  If I've got a block going on, I'll look through those pages and try to get my creativity flowing again.  I guess I gain inspiration from a whole bunch of people, but ever since being at Scrap Matters, jennamy82's pages have really caught my eye.  She knows I love her stuff and I think anyone could be inspired by her gallery.
10. If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why?  An ALL BOY kit.  Nothing cutesy but a real rough and tumble kind of kit.  It would need to be full of dark, rich colors (with maybe some lighter accent colors) - blue, green, brown, maroon - dump trucks, cars, sports, airplanes, trucks, trains, etc.    I'm a mom of 3 boys and there are some pretty good boy kits out there, but nothing that really encompasses the things my boys are into.  Or maybe a little rockstar kit!  Rock Princess for girls, and King of Rock for boys...?!

Thanks Yolanda!  There are so many things about Yolanda's layouts that I love that I can't even begin to list them.  You just have to see them to understand what I mean. 

First Layout

I'm pretty sure this was my first LO. I really had no idea what I was doing when I made this one!

Favorite Layouts

This is one of my favorite LO's. I chose this one because I think it captures the emotion we were feeling at that exact moment. My son's sad expression, the black and white photo with all of the gray - it was definitely an upsetting experience for us both.

Another favorite LO. I love the whole composition of this one. The colors, the framed paper blocks, the way I labeled the different aspects of myself, the small little extras and the way it sort of falls off the page. Just love it.

A Stolen Moments Layout

I chose this one because I was just really happy with the way it all came together. The photo of my husband and youngest son is a sweet one and the journaling really comes from my heart. I like the blocks of paper and the way the stitches are held down with bows and buttons.

Most Current Layout

Totally inspiring right?!  Now to find more inspiring layouts check out Yolanda's BLOG and GALLERY.

Opening Night!

Here we are again.. another Friday, and I'm so glad!   Do you look forward to them as much as I do?  {And I don't even work during the week!}  Anyway, my release this week is a LONG time coming, and I am SO incredibly excited about it!  :D

 

As Kate told you on Wednesday, my background is in theatre.  I got my BFA in stage management, but have actually done more professional acting than stage managing.. I also worked in arts admin for two years after I graduated, as well as running the box office for a small summer theatre company for two years, and it goes on and on.. . Anyway, now that you have my life story... did you know there's another designer out there in digi-land with a background in theatre?  Well, there is, and when I found out, I knew we HAD to do a kit together!  That was in December, and this is the first chance we've both been available... and boy, the wait was worth it! "Who is it," you may ask?  None other than the ever-talented Britt-ish Designs..  Wanna' see what we did???

 

 

 

Totally fabu, right?!?  Perfect for scrapping your kiddos' onstage adventures - or even your own..  And hey - what about a page commemorating everybody's favorite glee club?  {wink, wink}  But we couldn't stop there, so we have a coordinating word art pack, as well...

 

 

And as a special offer for this weekend only, you get the word art FREE WITH PURCHASE of the kit!  

{Automatically included in your downloads.}

 

 

 

Now take a look at some eye candy from my CT, as well as Britt's and SM's...

 

 

 

Now - before we get to your freebie, I believe I need to choose a winner from the comment contest Kate posted a few days ago.. {Have you all been doing those?  You really should!}... And the lucky lady is... 

 

Monique!

  Email me at the address in the sidebar to claim your prize.. :D

 

And now it's freebie time.. 

DOWNLOAD

Don't forget to stop by Britt's blog, as well!

 

Enjoy.. And until next time - Happy Scrapping!

Sneak Peek 4/14

Hello Everyone! I hope you're all having a fantastic week so far. I'm here this week with another sneak peek of a GORGEOUS new kit that Amber will be releasing on Friday. Amber has teamed up with Britt-ish Designs over at Scrap Matters to bring you this week's theatre themed kit.

Here's a little factoid for you... Both Amber and Britt have a background in the theatre - Amber has done some acting, stage management and box office management and Britt has done some costume designing - pretty neat huh?

This week I want to know what is your favorite play or show that you have seen either on the stage or the movie version. I have several favorites, Cats, Chicago and Phantom of the Opera are just a few. Leave a comment here with your favorite play and one random winner will receive this fantastic kit for FREE!! So come on.. leave a comment!

Amber will be here on Friday with the kit reveal and the winner!

Have a great rest of the week!

~ Kate

Spotlighting Wendy

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Time is flying for me right now, and I can't believe that it has been a week and half since I first introduced you to this months guest CT member.  Let me reintroduce you to her, and delve into some of her awesome layouts!

Wendy

{aka WenRob}

1. How long have you been scrapping? About three years. Have you ever paper scrapped? Three pages in my short paper career. I'm hugely crafty but it wasn't my thing.  When did you make the switch to digi and why? I was doing signatures on my mommy forum and my cousin directed me to digi scrapping. It was love at first page!
   
2. What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? The ability to mix kits or take kits with a particular theme and use them for something totally different.  Your weakest? I can't make patterned papers work to save my life. I tend to be a one paper scrapper most of the time.
   
3. What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Take your time, you'll get it. Study artists that you admire and don't be afraid to ask them to show you how. I haven't met a scrapper yet who wasn't willing to share how they do something.
   
4. Describe your scrapping "system"... What program do you use? I taught myself PSP and even though I have CS4 now I still use PSP for scrapping.  Where do you start first - photos, papers, elements, journaling?  Do you always have something in mind when you start, or do you let your creativity guide you?  How long does it take you to complete a layout? I usually always start with a photo. I'd say 90% of the time I have an idea of what I want to do. 80% of the time my LOs are completely different then what I intended. I've learned it's a lot less frustrating to let the LO take you where it will rather then trying to make it fit where it doesn't want to. A LO takes me 2-4hrs easy even with a template. I tend to put stuff on and take it off, turn it, shrink etc. 100 times before I'm done.
   
5. On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? I average 2 LO's a week sometimes more. So maybe 10-15 hrs a week?
6. Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda?  music?  snacks? Little ones in bed, TV for back ground noise.
7. What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? Take pictures of my kids and learning different ways to make my camera do what I want it to do.
8. What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? Hmmn, I've never thought about this. Get someone to take pics of me taking pics I think. My presence is sorely lacking in our albums and it's because I'm the one behind the camera.
   
9. Who inspires you in the scrapping community? I aspire to layer like Britt and do simple classy like Denise.  Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? The Scrap Matters gallery is so diverse and just bursting at the seems with talent! Any time I get stuck I cruise the gallery and I'm good to go.
   
10. If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? The scrapping community is sorely lacking in boy kits. So a boy kit full of all the things boys like and NO STARS, lol!

Wendy has allowed me to show of some of her terrific work.  Keep your eye out for how she creates multi-photo layouts with ease.  She is such a natural at that!

Oldest Layout

I couldn't find my first layout but this is one of my earliest. I knew next to nothing about scrapping or photo editing. I was pretty proud of my "home" word art.

Favorite Layouts

I just had SO much fun doing this LO. I really let go and piled it on. It totally shows off his personality. One of my all time favs!

This is one of my favorites because I had intended to make it simple and ended up creating this whole scene. No pre-made clusters here I did each little thing piece by piece. I bet there are 25 layers of blending in this! I also like that you can feel me here even though I'm not in the pics.

Layout using Stolen Moments Products

Loved working with this kit{Summer Sailor}, it fit perfectly with my Mission Beach LOs.

Most Recent Layout

This LO just makes me happy, they are my Sunshine!

Wow!  I am feeling so inspired just looking at these layouts. Thanks Wendy for sharing with us!  If you like to see more of Wendy's work check out her GALLERY

Do You Have Boys in YOUR Backyard?

Hello, hello!  I have another super fantastic kit for you this week - SO fun!  And it's a collab!  YAY!   Stacy - who used to be on my creative team - also designs under the name Stacy's Backdoor Designs.  She asked a while back if I'd be interested, and I gotta' tell you - I'm SO glad I said yes!  Check out the awesomeness we created together...

 

With all the spring and babies and froo I've been doing lately, I thought it was high time for a good old, grungy, messy, yucky BOY kit!  :D  {And I think it's perfect, even if I do say so myself...}  Check out these fabu pages from my team and a few of the Scrap Matters team..

 

So - for all you scrappers of boys {and even girls and cats}, be sure to check it out!  As always, it will be 20% off Friday and Saturday.  

Now to announce the winner of the kit from my commenting contest - which, btw, was SO fun to hear about all your favorite childhood games.. Seriously, don't you just wish you could go back?  Anyway.. by random draw, the winner is:  Gretchen!  Email me at the address in my sidebar to grab your prize :)

And now.. a bit of a freebie..

 DOWNLOAD

And don't forget to stop by Stacy's blog to grab hers as well!  Until next time - Happy Scrapping!

Sneek Peek 4/7

Hi Everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Easter and have enjoyed/enjoying your spring break. This week Amber has teamed up with another super designer to bring you this week's new release.. I can't wait for you to see it! Stacy (Stacy's Backdoor Designs) used to be on our CT and teamed up with Amber again to create this super fun kit! If you're looking for something completely boy-ish, then this is the kit for you! check it out..

Doesn't it look fantastic?? Well, what about a chance to win this kit? Okay, you've twisted my arm, just leave me a comment telling me one of your favorite childhood things you used to play and I'll pick one random winner and post it here on Friday with the kit reveal. It's that easy!

Good luck!

April Guest CT

Join me in welcoming April's guest CT Wendy to Stolen Moments.  

Wendy

{aka WenRob}

I'm a SAHM to 13year old Tiana and twin 4year olds Breelyn and William.  I'm married to David going on 18yrs on the 18th. We have been together 21yrs.  I am born and raised in Las Vegas, NV

Make sure and head over to ScrapMatters and check out her gallery{her name is linked}.   I'll be back later in the month to help you get to know Wendy better.

Go Custom with Stolen Moments!

No new kit this week, but I do have some new and exciting products to share with you.. .. Would you love a custom blog design but don't know where to even begin to create one?  Is there a particular kit of mine you just can't get enough of?  Then this service and you are a match made in heaven!

This service is for a custom blogwear design in the BLOGGER format using any* of my kits.  Please note: This is for PERSONAL blogs only, please contact me regarding blog designs for your business.

Your completed blog design will include:

• 2 backgrounds
• 2 headers
  
• 2 post separators
• up to 8 unique sidebar labels
• detailed instructions - complete with screen shots - that guide you through 10 easy steps to customize your blog in the two-column format in 30 minutes or less

In your download, you will find an easy-to-fill-out form giving me all the details of what you want included in your design -  from the kit you'd like me to use*, right on down to the font for your labels.  Simply return the form to me, and expect a beautiful and unique blog design at your doorstep 7-10 days later!  {I will send you screen shots as I go, and will complete one round of edits for you to make sure the finished product is something you love.}

*Some of my collab kits may not be available for this service.  If you have any questions whether a kit is eligible or not, please email me BEFORE purchasing this service.

---

And for those of you who are worried about the coding and installation of your brand new blogwear, you can let me do the dirty work for you! 

All the benefits of a custom blog design, plus - I do the installation too!  It doesn't get much better than that!

---

That's it for me this week, but be sure to check back next week, as I'll have - you guessed it - another fabulous collab for you - you won't want to miss it!