What's Your Confession?

I have a confession to make... I am a complete and total sucker for 4th of July kits!  Like - it's awful!  I probably only have 20-30 photos from past 4th of July celebrations - not all of which are even scrapable - but I still feel the urge to purchase nearly every FOJ kit I see!  I don't even know why that is, lol.. So whether or not I ever get those photos scrapped, I made it a goal of mine to at least contribute to the selection of kits available.. and better yet - I've done it collab style!



Jenn is one of my very favorite designers - I love her vintage/ecletic style, *sigh* - so I was thrilled to do this little project together.. I hope you love it as much as I do!  :)  Here are some fab CT pages for you to ooh and aahh over.. (and notice how versatile it is - if you don't have 4th of July photos in your stash, there are still plenty of fun ways you can use it!)

by Debby


by Sara


by Kayla


by JoAnna


by Carolyn


by Madja


by Happy Now


by Stefanie


by Tara


As always, it's 20% off thru Sunday.. Have a great weekend, and Happy Scrapping!  :)

Sneak Peek for YOU

I've got a STUNNING new collab coming out this week.. I hope you're as excited about it as I am.. ;)  Check out this post in the SM forum for your chance to win a copy of your very own.. :D

Spotlighting Marlen

One thing I love about being on a CT is that I get to "meet" people from all over the world.  In a way I get to see the world through them.  There are a few members on the Stolen Moments team who are not from the US.  Today I get to introduce you to one of these members.  Sit back and enjoy a different part of the world as I introduce you to...

Marlen

My name is Marlen, I`m 34 year old and live with my partner and our 2 sons (7 and 1 1/2) in Berlin, Germany. I just started working again after my parental leave, I`m working as sales assistant. Besides scrapping I LOVE to read, music (I`m always singing around even though I`m not the best singer). I also LOVE meeting my girls... it`s just not so easy to find enough time to meet as often as we`d like to. I also love movies and tv-series like Grey`s Anatomy, Vampire Diaries, and Desperate Housewives.

1. How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why?  I started digi-scrapping in 2006. I saw a few layouts around on the web and I liked what I saw, so I just tried it by myself  :) I never was a paper scrapper.  I think I´m not patient enough to do this.
2. What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Your weakest?  I think I`m good in a clean and straight scrapping-style. My blendings also are not too bad.  I`m not so good in making FULL pages.  I always LOVE to look at pages that are full of elements, pictures, layerings and clusterings - but I never made it to perfection on my own pages.
3. What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping?  Look for some inspiration and find out what you like, then just start trying.  Learning by doing, practice is everything.
4. Describe your scrapping "system"... What program do you use? 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?  The program I use is a very simple one, it`s called PhotoImpact. Most of the time I have pictures on my mind and a basic idea how my page should look like. Since I work on photobooks it`s easier for me to scrap.I just want to tell the story of my pictures, saving the memories. For my "work" as CTM I see a kit and think about pictures I may have, most of the time I find something in my files and if not I think about a photoless-page or I do a RAK for people I like. I also love to browse to galleries and let all the talented scrappers out there inspire me. To complete a layout I need 2-3 hours, sometimes more. Actually I just scrap one layout a day, when I`m ready I look at it, think about how I like it and change something here and there.
5. On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week?  That`s very different.  I it`s a matter how often I have to work and how my mojo flows. But I try to scrap a lot, I want to finish my photobooks and there`s still a lot of work to do :)
6. Describe your perfect scrapping - coffee? soda? music? snacks? I love to have coffee on my desk and listenig to radio in the background, and the web. No snacks.
7. What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? Spending time with my family is the most important thing.  Making pictures, reading books, music, meeting friends.
8. Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration?  There are a few scrappers I like, but actually I just LOVE browsing through galleries and letting them inspire me. I love the galleries at DST, SM & TLP to do that - so much creative stuff to find there, wow!
9. If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why?  Today I`d say a summer kit, with bright colors, FUN and colorful elements, just to feel the summer warmth. I also had ideas for a darker vampire-themed kit, since I love Twilight and Vampire Diaries.
    

 Oldest Layout

I did this layout for a dear web-friend, it`s her little dd on the picture.

 Favorite Layouts

This page is about my two sons and their newest nicknames.

This is the story of doing a little at home-excavation to have our own dino-skeleton.

Most Recent Layout

These are two pictures of my grandparents. Unfortunately I don`t know much about it, just that they were in Mongolia.

Stolen Moment's Layout

This is about a date with the doctor.

I could spend all day looking at Marlen's wonderful layouts.  To see more of her amazing work, be sure and pop over to her GALLERY and stay a spell!

A Refreshing Summer Sip..

Hello, and happy Friday!  I'm so glad the weekend is here, and with weather report looks just delightful - perfect for some fun outdoor activities!  To keep cool, though, we may need to break out the juicer and enjoy some fresh squeezed lemonade.. While I can't share the yummy beverage with you, I can share some digital lemonade (and the cleanup is definitely easier!)  ;)



Fresh Squeezed is the kit I made for my DST feature last year [check your files before purchasing], and I had great plans to make a coordinating add-on that was a bit more boy-friendly, but life just got in the way and neither of them made it to my shop last season.  I'm so glad to be releasing them now..  :)



They are both 20% off thru Sunday, but you can save 30% all the time when you purchase the bundle:



Check out these amazing CT pages (you may need a napkin on hand for drool clean-up)..

by Cheryl


by Niki


by Sara


by Tanya


by Yolanda


by Sara


by Kim


by Chel


by Amanda


by Jenn


by Jordan


Before I leave, I'll give you my single pearl of wisdom regarding homemade lemonade: start with equal parts lemon juice, sugar and water.  Then all you have to do is keep adding water (usually 3 or 4 more cups) until it reaches the desired flavor.

Have a great weekend, and Happy Scrapping!  :)

Squeezing in a sneak peek this week...

I don't know about everyone else, but summertime with the kids out of school can get crazy!  I barely remembered to "squeeze" in this sneak peek!  Amber has a very refreshing kit and a add-on hitting her store on Friday.  You can buy these kits separate or snag them bundled together!  Today I have a peek at the bundle for you.  If you would like a chance to win this {and who wouldn't huh?!} be sure and hop over to ScrapMatters and check out THIS THREAD!

Take a Journey with Me..

While I was guesting at The Digichick last month, I fell in love with ForeverJoy Designs.. So I pulled on my big girl undies and asked her to collab.  We wanted to do a graduation-themed kit, but with a bit of a twist.  Like it's been said in commencement speeches the world over, graduation is not the end - only the beginning of the next wonderful phase of your life.  So wherever that next adventure takes you - be it land or sea or sky - this kit has everything you need to document this all-important time in your life.

Check out these amazing CT pages... they really show the versatility of the kit SO well!

by Niki


by Cheryl


by rxdawg97


by Yolanda


by Kim


by Debby


by Amanda


by Mavee

 

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Also, stop by my Facebook page for a coordinating freebie!

Until next time... Happy Scrapping!  :)