Stolen Moments

Spotlighting Sara

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hey all, Jewelle here again with a CTM spotlight! I'm excited to spotlight one of our CTM who has been creating layouts for Amber for quite some time. Let's learn more about...

Sara

{aka misfitinmn}

My name is Sara and I am a 29 year old mom of 2 handsome little men - Benjamin (3) and Matthew (6 months). My husband Jon & I will celebrate our 6 year wedding anniversary in October, we will have been together for 10 years this May! Crazy how fast that time goes. I have been scrapping since I found out I was pregnant with Ben, my plan was to make a book for my mother-in-law and I did...kind of! I got hooked and now I get so into making pages for myself that I forget to make some for her. So her book is rather....incomplete. Digiscrapping is the only way really that I am "crafty" though I wish that were not the case!

How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? I started digiscrapping in November of 2007. I haven't ever paper scrapped, BUT when I started in November 2007, it was because I had bought a bunch of paper supplies to start the book for my mother-in-law, looked at them for awhile and decided I just couldn't be crafty like that. Did a little googling and discovered digiscrapping, never touched the paper supplies!
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Your weakest? Taking photographs is my strongest skill! Or journaling. My weakest skill is building a page from scratch. I just cannot design a page layout for the life of me!
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Just scrap for you, and your memories. I spent way too much time for awhile comparing myself to the amazing talent out in digiland before I decided that my pages are my memories and I just need to scrap them however I feel is best for me. If that means using a template on every page, well...so be it! It's not a competition! Just have fun and keep trying new things!
Describe your scrapping "system"... What program do you use? Where doyou start first - photos, papers, elements, journaling? Do you alwayshave something in mind when you start, or do you let your creativityguide you? How long does it take you to complete a layout? I scrap using Photoshop CS5. I am really motivated by CT work - it's much easier for me to put a page together when I "have" to use a kit than to try and think of something from scratch. But generally I jot down ideas for pages as they randomly pop into my head and let that guide me. My first step is to always match the kit I am working with to photos...if the colors in the photos don't match, I go black & white. I'm really weird about things matching! I almost always use a template and put in papers, then photos, then elements, and then journal. It usually takes me at least 1-2 hours per page. Much, much longer if I don't start with a template!
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? Every minute I can! I probably get maybe like...2ish hours per day. It sounds like so much time when I put it "on paper"!
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? Sometimes I have Pandora on, sometimes just silence (with the 2 boys, I crave silence sometimes!). Sometimes I snack, and sometimes I just get really into it. I don't really have any kind of routine.
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? Reading!
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? I am so excited to do a Disney trip so we I can scrap it!
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? I am amazed by template designers - all of them, really! My favorites are probably Sara Gleason & Cindy Schneider and yes, they have two totally DIFFERENT styles! I just am awestruck at their ability to consistently put together page layouts that are unique and amazing. This probably stems from my own inability to design a page on my own!
If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? I would LOVE to see Amber's take on a camping kit! We are a huge camping family and that's one theme that I just cannot get enough of!

Oldest Layout

I have no idea what I was thinking here...definitely doesn't match my current style of cleaner lines and more clustering!

Favorite Layouts

This one I just love because of how everyone is gazing at the baby, so loved, it's just so special to see all of the most important people in my life loving on my baby!

This is just still just a dead-on description of my older boy, and I love how those photos capture his silly side - and his killer blue eyes!

Recent Layouts

I really cannot believe my boy is already 3 years old...this layout was fun to make AND made me a little sad, too!

The little lady in most of my girly layouts is my niece, we don't see her a WHOLE lot, but she's a sassy little thing and I enjoy being able to scrap memories of her as well!

To see more of Sara's amazing work be sure and stop by her GALLERY.

Just Call Me...

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

I know, I know.. new releases two weeks in a row.. don't pass out.. ;) I'm super excited to be releasing this CT-inspired template pack, though! It's the second set inspired by Amanda, aka panders77. You can find the first set HERE.

I also have a freebie on my blog that Amanda was so courteous to let me share with you. It can be found at the bottom of this post.

And now a few quick pages for inspiration from the rest of my CT...

by Cheryl

by Niki

by Sara

by Tanya

As always, new releases are 20% off thru Sunday.

Until next time... Happy Scrapping!

What's in Your Cup?

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Okay - I'm not going to lie... I don't drink coffee (although I sure love the smell of it!).. But one night as I was watching a little Netflix with the DH, someone spilled coffee all over their morning paper.. **LIGHTBULB!** How fun would it be to have an alpha that was a blurred, warped and otherwise distressed newsprint with coffee stains and beans to boot... and the rest is history...

This alpha is perfect for everyday layouts, layouts about your favorite morning pick-me-up, and I've even seen a few winter wonderland pages using it - hot cocoa, anyone? In fact, if you grab the alpha AND my Chocolate Frosted Snowflakes kit, you'll save 15% on both! Of course, new releases are 20% thru Sunday, as always...

Until next time... Happy Scrapping!

The Sweetest Season of All!

2011-12-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

How are your holidays shaping up? Is your to-do list getting shorter or (like mine) longer? We've finally gotten around to doing some shopping for the bug, but now it's on to the hand-made gifts for the exchange with the in-laws.. Then we're off to my parents' for a week, followed by time in Arizona with DH's family. I'm so excited for the time away.. I love this season! It's the sweetest season of all.. *wink, wink*

I'm thrilled to finally be releasing a kit, and I'm hoping that it captures everything wonderful about this time of year.. and I'm not talking about the gifts and the decorations and the lights. I'm talking about the magic of newly fallen snow, quality time with loved ones, and the way my little one's eyes light up with a million stars at the very mention of Christmastime.

Here are a few CT pages to get your creative juices flowing..

by Andrea

by Cheryl

by Sara

by Leandi

by MiMontiero

by Jordan

As always, new releases are 20% thru Sunday, and if you use the code Sweetest-blogFB you'll get an extra 10% off - expires Dec. 18.

Happy Holidays and until next time... Happy Scrapping!

Spotlighting Juli

2011-12-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hey all, Jewelle here popping in with a guest spotlight! I'm super excited about introducing you to this lady because I know her personally. We are friends in real life, and it is always fun to be on a team with someone you know. Let me introduce you to...

Juli
(aka julijewelz)

My name is Juli and I am 27 years old. I have been married to my best friend for almost 5 years now and we have a 9 month old baby boy named Joshua. This is my 5th year teaching science in a middle school. I am struggling to find a balance between being a teacher and a mom this year, but I do love my job. Hobbies other than scrapping include reading, hiking, white water rafting, playing games like Pinochle, Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, etc.

How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? I have been scrapping since October of 2008. So 3 years. I paper scrapped for several years. I made the switch to digi because I like that there is no mess, I don't have to print out pictures, I can redo things, and I can share the pages with people.
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Your weakest? Strongest scrapping skill? Yikes, I have no idea! I know that my weakest is clustering by far! I also could work on making my pictures look better. I am still not familiar enough with all that photoshop can do. There is SOOOO much to learn!
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? My advice is to read about organizing your materials and start off with a good system. You will soon have so many supplies that making it better will be daunting. Also, read tutorials and don't be afraid to try new techniques. Learn from criticism!
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? I use Photoshop to scrap. I start with the photos first and usually get them all situated on my page. I will look at frames in the kit first to see if I want to use them. Then I go with papers and get them all situated. Elements come next and then title and journaling. I usually have some kind of idea how I want the LO to look. If I don't, they usually don't turn out as well. I have definitely started over many times because I didn't have a clear vision to begin with. It usually takes me about 2-3 hours to complete a LO.
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? I used to spend about 9 hours a week scrapping, but since I had my baby that has changed dramatically. I am lucky if I get to spend 2-4 hours a week.
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? I sit on the couch. Usually my husband has something on the TV, but I don't pay attention. When I am alone, I will sometimes play music, but not often. I get into the zone and don't really pay attention to anything around me. I am loving scrapping to the Christmas tree lights right now :)
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? Favorite thing to do besides scrapping is play with my baby boy! Besides that, play Pinochle.
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? One thing I would love to do just so I can scrap it....put my baby in a big pile of leaves! I haven't done that yet because it has been too cold, or rainy, or I am too tired! There is always next year right? I am also regretting not getting newborn professional pictures done, so I am excited to have another one to do that with.
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? I don't have one particular person I follow in the scrapping community. There are SO many talented scrappers out there! I usually look in the Scrap Orchard or Scrap Matters galleries for inspiration. Those are both great communities and have some fabulous scrappers.
If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? Wow, hard question. I think she already created my kit! For the Love of Boys. I just love that color combo and the theme is perfect for me. I've had other designers ask this question and I can never come up with a good answer. I just don't think like that I guess!

First Layout

Celebrate Life's Moments.

It was fun to find this LO. It definitely needs some help! It only has like 10 layers total! Maybe I will redo it sometime. Anyway, I remember deciding I was going to try out this digi scrapping stuff after seeing some digi layouts on a friends blog. I opened up Photoshop and couldn't figure out how to do anything! I couldn't even move the photo around. I think I actually cried for a bit before enlisting my sister's help. After that frustration, I knew I needed some more help. So I decided to take some lessons. I took 3 or so classes from Jessica Sprague and learned TONS! She really helped me learn the program and some of the basics of digi scrapping. I am thankful I spent the money on the classes as it is a hobby that I still love to this day.

Favorite LO

SOOO hard to choose!! I think this one is it for now. Probably because it represents the last hurrah of ours before our lives changed forever with the birth of our beautiful baby boy. The pictures were taken on our 4th wedding anniversary.

Most Recent Layout

My most recent LO is this one that I created with one of Amber's products I have been eyeing for awhile. It is also a favorite LO for me now. I would have chosen it for my favorite except it fit this category too! :) I am doing much better with layers and clustering. I feel that I did a pretty good job adding the fabulous elements to this LO.

To catch more of Juli's amazing and inspiring layouts be sure and stop by her GALLERY

December Mix a Kit!

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

We've only had one real snow storm this season, and it's all melted since (and now I know I'm jinxing things) but the December Mix a Kit has been unveiled at ScrapMatters, and the color palette is just so crisp and cool, it immediately made me think of the bone-chilling winds and icicles and flurries of snow that make winter so magical to me... So here is my own little take on it...

Contains 7 delicate and delightful "snow flurries" to help accentuate all your winter pages.. In a cool and crisp color palette, it coordinates perfectly with the December '11 Mix A Kit, but also with so many other winter kits, you're sure to go back to it time and time again!

As always, the entire December Mix a Kit category is 20% off the full first week of release.

Oh! And how could I forget??! The new ScrapMatters challenge system is being revealed today, so don't forget to hop on over to the forum and take a peek - I'm sure you'll just love it! :)

Until next time... Happy Scrapping!

Nightfall Collab Grab Bag

2011-08-12T10:24:00.000-06:00

Okay - this release has been so long in coming, and I couldn't be more thrilled with it! A few months ago, Andrea (from my CT) asked if I'd be interested in doing a collab grab bag with her.. You see, she is an incredibly talented template designer and sells under the name Little Green Frog Designs. Of course I couldn't turn that down, and she's waited ever so patiently while my real life kept getting in the way of our little project.. But it's finally here and I think you're going to just LOVE it! :) Okay - enough gushing already - on to the goods... ;)

Inside the Nightfall Collab Grab Bag, you'll find a full kit, 2 incredible template packs and a handwritten font. There's a full reveal in the store, so for now, I'll just leave you with pages from our amazing teams..

Happy Scrapping!

August Guests!

2011-08-06T20:40:00.000-06:00

It's that time again! Two wonderful scrappers will be guesting this month for Stolen Moments. Let's all give a hearty welcome to...

Christine

and

Trish

Keep an eye out for their layouts with Amber's new releases!

Someone's Turning 4....

2011-08-06T08:56:00.001-06:00

... and it's not me or my DS.. It's ScrapMatters, of course! :) And to celebrate, we've got a rocking sale going on - 30% off PU and 20% off CU, plus the forum is just hopping with all kinds of games, contests and other good fun.. And what would a birthday be without a blog train, of course?! And this time we've got almost 50 people who've put together some gorgeous goodies for you using the latest SM collab, Garden Party.

Stunning, no? And what's even better, it's FREE with a $20 purchase clear up until August 11th! So go empty your wish lists and get scrapping! :)

Now - you should have just come from Jennifer Labre's blog, and next up is Angie aka Down This Road Designs. Before you move on, though, go ahead and grab this sweet little page border I've put together for you..

As you're riding the rails, if you ever lose your way, head over to the ScrapMatters blog for a full listing of all the stops.. Oh! And as an extra bonus, some of the downloads along the way include a piece of a photo puzzle. Once you collect all ten pieces, put them together, upload to your favorite photo hosting site and post a link to the image in THIS thread of the SM forum for a chance to win some extra goodies! The pieces are scattered randomly throughout the train, so be sure you collect everything to ensure you get all the pieces..

And with that, I'm out.... but have a great weekend, enjoy all the goodies, and most of all - happy scrapping! :)

Something for the Girls...

2011-07-15T08:59:00.000-06:00

I am SO excited about my releases for this week! I got to work with two amazing ladies, and I just couldn't be happier about the result! First up, is a super fun collab with the incredibly talented Jennifer Barrette. We nailed colors and a theme quite quickly then everything else just fell into place.. The result: a perfectly pink and moderately muddy kit made to scrap all the adventures of your tomboy princess.

Sometimes girls can be just as rough and tumble as the boys! Playing in the dirt, climbing trees, and just having fun. Just One of the Boys reminds us that girls like things other than pink and dolls - sometimes they just wanna play in the dirt!

In conjunction with this kit, I also worked with Emma, from my CT, to create a font out of her 8yo DD's handwriting.. Now tell me - is this not just the cutest!?!

Perfectly imperfect, containing all the charm, sass, spirit and complexity of a young girl, this font is the ideal match for this kit, and any others you may be using to scrap the youngsters in your life. Let them tell the story from their point of view for a change! This True Type font contains a full upper and lower case alphabet, as well as all the numbers and symbols shown in the preview.

I also have a special offer for these two releases.. If you purchase them both together, you'll get an additional 30% off the font - how sweet is that?!? There are no codes to enter, just be sure you've selected the kit from MY store at ScrapMatters and not Jenn's guest store at SM, otherwise the discount won't work - and don't forget, new releases are always 20% off thru Sunday.. Now, I'll leave you with some inspiration from my team, Jenn's team, and the girls at SM...

Have a great weekend, and for those of you enjoying a little Harry Potter - like myself - don't cry too hard.. ;) Happy scrapping! :)

keep your eyes out...

2011-07-14T15:29:00.000-06:00

I've got a new kit coming out tomorrow, and I think I also heard rumblings of a sale.. Just to let you know.. ;)

A New Font, Courtesy of Kim!

2011-07-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

I've got a short and sweet post for you this week, as I'm actually headed to a family reunion on the lake this weekend, and I couldn't be more excited! Good food [the main attraction, really], good company, and lots of GREAT opportunities for snapping some pics to scrap later.. What could be better? :) Anyway, on to the goods...

SMD Kim is a true type font with full alphabet, numbers and symbols. As always, all of my fonts are CU OK, and new releases are 20% off thru Sunday!

Happy Scrapping!

A Day to Play and MORE!

2011-07-07T22:08:00.000-06:00

So, apparently this failed to post as scheduled and I'm just now noticing - yes, I'm just that cool.. ;) Anywhoooo... here's my release from last week, and I'll be back tomorrow (scheduling cooperation provided) with my newest release for this week.

Happy July, all! Hard to believe the year is more than half over, but I suppose time does march on, so what can you do? Scrap about it, of course! ;) Today I have 2 fantabulous new products to show you, but first I wanted to officially announce my new CT...

Now, on to the goods... I had the wonderful chance this week to work with one of my longest-standing collab partners re-vamping one of our very first kits.. Those of you who have been with me for a while may remember Play All Day with Jen Balding from about 2 years ago.. Well, we've decided to revisit the concept, update the palette and put together an entirely new and improved kit - perfect for any kind of "play" you're in need of scrapping.. As always, new releases are 20% off thru Sunday.

It's also the 1st of the month again, so it's time for the Mix A Kit - where all the ScrapMatters designers put together small packs using the same color palette that you can mix and match to create just the perfect kit for you! And this month you're in for a real treat, as we were all super inspired by this fun color combo.. Take a peek..

Inspired by vintage candy striper uniforms, and that hard candy your grandma always has in a bowl on her table, these alphas are bringing a modern twist to a classic favorite. With a fun shape and versatile patterns you'll find so many great uses for them.. and they mix and match like a dream, too! As always, all MAK items are 20% off the entire first week of release!

And here is some stellar CT inspiration using both of my newest products..

by Alli

by Cara

by Andrea

by Jordan

by Fiona

by navaja77

by Emma

Have a great weekend, and a wonderful and safe 4th of July to all my American friends, and most of all... Happy Scrapping!

Calling ALL Scrappers!

2011-06-17T02:12:00.002-06:00

It's about that time again... My current CT has been with me for just about a year.. we've seen several faces come and go, and now I'm ready to add a few more talented scrappers to the mix...

And here's another quick reminder - if you haven't already, mark your calendar for Monday the 20th to come chat with me at DST. The fun and games start at 9:30 p.m. eastern.

Happy Scrapping!

Another Handwritten Font!

2011-06-10T10:03:00.000-06:00

Congratulations - you've made it to another weekend! :) I hope you've been able to enjoy at least a little bit of warm weather and fun summer time activities. This past week we've been lucky to have a single day higher than 70 degrees and there hasn't been a day without rain in quite some time. Living in a "desert" we're grateful for the moisture, but it sure would be nice to not have to bundle up in June! ;) In spite of it all, we've been enjoying a lot of family time these days, so my designing has taken a back seat a bit.. I do still have another wonderful handwritten font for you, though... Take a peek..

This is a very grown-up sort of font - not quite a script, but not really straight print, either - and I love that about it! :) It includes a full alphabet, numbers and symbols - French characters ARE included!

In another bit of exciting news - for those of you who weren't aware - I'm the featured designer at DigiShopTalk this month and couldn't be more thrilled! I've created this exclusive DST Gold Member Kit as part of the feature.

Check out my interview HERE, and mark your calendars for a chat with me on the 20th of this month. You can also be entered to win $25 to my store just by entering the Gold Member Challenge. Simply scrap a page with the DST Gold Member kit and post it to the Gold Member Layouts Gallery by the 21st. (Don't have it yet? Find out how to get it HERE.)

And now I'll leave you with some CT pages using the new font, and be back with more goodies next week..

by Amanda

by calliclaire

by Jordan

by snowdrop

by Kim

by Alli

Happy Scrapping!

June Mix-a-Kit is Here!

2011-06-01T10:41:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been a while, but I'm still here.. :) And on a very special day, too ... It's the first of the month, so that means a new Mix-a-Kit is available at ScrapMatters! In case you haven't heard, the Mix-a-Kit is your opportunity to snag coordinating bits and pieces from your favorite ScrapMatters designers to create your very own custom kit.. and the best part - it's all 20% off for a whole week! So without further adieu, here are my contributions..

A fun and funky font from one of ScrapMatters' very own creative team members - you'll love the element of whimsy this cute handwriting will add to your pages!

A fun and colorful way to add those vital details, these journal starters will have you recording your memories in no time - perfect for P365 pages and so much more!

Now I'll leave you with a few pages of inspiration from my CT and the ScrapMatters CT.. but don't worry, I'll be back again real soon.. ;)

by fonetta

by Jordan

by Tanya

by Alli

by Niki

by scrappymelly

by zachandavasmom

Until next time... Happy Scrapping! :D

ScrapMatters Blog Train!

2011-05-07T08:00:00.005-06:00

Who doesn't love a good blog train? And believe me, this one is going to be rocking! :) Almost 50 people from the awesome SM staff have come together to give you all kinds of goodies using pieces of the Timeless collab. Here's another look at it in all it's beauty...

This gorgeous kit is FREE with any $20 purchase through May 12th, but you can also get it on it's own at the regular sale price

So, you should have just come from Chelle's Creations - http://chelles-creations.blogspot.com/ - and picked up a beautiful border cluster.. Now I have a fun little journal cluster to add to your collection..

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Now you can head on over to Heather's blog: http://www.haynay.blogspot.com/. If you get lost along the way, you can always go back to the ScrapMatters blog to get back on track..

Don't forget - when you're done riding the rails, there are still lots and lots of games and fun going on at the SM forum.. just check out this jam-packed schedule!

Have wonderful rest of the weekend, do lots of scrapping, lots of shopping, and of course, make lots of memories! :)

It's iNSD!!!

2011-05-06T06:00:00.001-06:00

Oh my goodness.. are we finally here? Have we finally made it? I know so many of my designer friends {and I} are just about to pass out from all the work this past week or so.. Not to mention all the amazing creative team members scrapping their little fingers off to get sample pages ready. And what's all the fuss about, you ask? Well, unless you live under a rock - like I sometimes do - you've heard that {inter}National Scrapbooking Day is here, and with it come some of the best sales of the year.. Of course ScrapMatters is in on the fun as well.. Be sure to check out the forum for al the details.

Check out this beautiful kit you'll get FREE with any $20 purchase this week...

Now on to the really good stuff.. I have a FABULOUS grab bag to offer as part of the festivities.. Seriously had SO much fun putting this together! :)

{check out the detailed images for the full reveal}

And now.. a little bit of eye candy to sign off with.. But be sure to keep an eye on my FB page and the SM forum for lots of great chances to win this weekend..

Amanda

Andrea

Kim

CamiJo

JennV

Jordan

Kimbytx

LeeAndra

lionsimba

Sasha

Tanya

Yolanda

Now - as promised - one of you awesome blog readers has one the bag! Louise come on down! You're the next.. well.. you won! :) Email me and I'll send you a code..

Until next time... Happy Scrapping! :D

iNSD at ScrapMatters!

2011-05-04T23:28:00.000-06:00

Yay! It's that crazybusycan'ttakeabreaktoeatorsleep time of year, and I'm SO excited! :) Of course ScrapMatters is celebrating in style with the awesomest possumest sale, games, chats and more.. Start stalking the iNSD forum now, because the festivities are just around the corner...

And, while I've got you here.. a peek at what I have coming your way this weekend..

Want a chance to win? Go like it on FB then come back here letting me know you did it.. I'll choose one random winner at 12:01 EST on Friday morning.. Until then...

Rubba Dub Re-Release

2011-04-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

Just a quick one for you this go around.. I'm re-releasing my Rubba Dub Scrub collab with Re Kneipp this week! You'll be able to get the kit and extras for 20% off thru Sunday, or grab the bundle for 29% savings any time!

And remember when I released this last time, I showed you that awesome photo of my bug lining up his rubber duckies? Well, I finally took a minute to scrap that pic with this kit, and I LOVE how it turned out.. So, I'm going to have a little show and tell while I've got you.. ;)

This is also my page for the Roadmap to Scrap challenge I'm hosting this week at ScrapMatters.. Be sure to come play along to earn points toward SM coupons and gift certificates! {They really are the best challenges in all of scrapland..}

Until next time... Happy Scrapping! :D

Re-Releases and a NEW Font!

2011-04-08T00:40:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday, all! So remember last week how I gushed and went on and on about all the glorious spring weather we've been having?
Well, guess what's been outside my window since yesterday?

Yeah - pretty awesome, right? Uuuughhh... Oh well, what can you do?
...Stay inside and get scrappy? ;)

Today I'm re-releasing 2 products from my guest spot at 9th & Bloom..

And, of course, a fabulous new font for you...

I had the extreme pleasure of working with my CT member Niki on this little beauty, and seriously, it's my new fave! I always wanted to write like this in high school.. needless to say, I've since given up, but at least now I can fake it.. ;)

Here are some pages showing it off from my CT and the ScrapMatters CT. As always - all new releases are 20% off Friday thru Sunday.. So go get scrapping! :)

by Kim

by Jordan

by Niki

by scrappurple

by Amanda

by ktanker

Until next time... Happy Scrapping! :)

Spring Has SPRUNG!

2011-04-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness! Can I even tell you how excited I am that spring finally seems to have arrived in northern Utah?!? DS and I were out playing last night until well past dinner time with only a light jacket - did my heart and soul good to see some sunshine and feel a warm breeze.. Makes me think wishful thinking has finally paid off.. How so, you ask? Well, here's what I've been working on this past week.. I think Mother Nature finally took the hint!

ScrapMatters is starting a fabulous new promotion this week called Mix a Kit.. All of the designers got together with a single palette and have created over 30 coordinating products that you can mix and match to create a kit just perfect for your individual tastes and needs. And the best part - they're all 20% off for a WHOLE WEEK! But guess what - it gets even better than that.. If you purchase any of my pieces in combination, you'll get a 25% discount instead of 20%. Check out these scrumptious pages from my CT (some of them use pieces from other SM designers)..

In other exciting news this week, I'm also releasing my very own custom font service!

This is only for PRINTED handwriting, and it's available with Exclusive and Non-Exclusive licenses. What's the difference, you ask?.. Exclusive means you retain sole ownership of the font and I will not redistribute it or use it for any of my own promotional purposes. Non-Exclusive means I keep ownership of the font and can restribute it as I see fit. Included in your download are instructions for completing your order as well as tips and tricks to achieve the best result. A scanner capable of scanning at 300 dpi is required to submit your handwriting samples. Please allow 3-5 days from the time you submit your samples to the time you recieve the finished product.

And last but not least, I'm bringing Heartbreaker back over from my guest gig..

Grab it for 20% off now thru Sunday!

Until next time.. Happy Scrapping!

Spotlighting Cheryl

2011-03-29T09:25:00.000-06:00

Hey all, Jewelle here again with a CTM spotlight! I'm excited to introduce you to one of our CTM who has been producing layouts for Amber for quite some time. Let's learn more about...

Cheryl

{aka gonewiththewind}

I am currently a stay-at-home mom with a previous career as a certified legal assistant. I’m married and have two children. I have always been interested in crafts, but as a new mother, that translated into traditional paper scrapbooking. I was a paper scrapbooker for 10 years, and have been designing digital layouts since August 2007. In addition to digital scrapbooking, I also enjoy reading, cross stitching, sketching and decorating my home.

How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? I started paper scrapping in 1996 when I was pregnant with my daughter. I’ve been digi scrapping since 8/07. I switched to digi after I followed a Jessica Sprague tutorial in PSE for making photo collages. I then found digital supplies online and I was hooked!

What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Your weakest? I think my strongest scrapping skill is that I’m open to trying new things. My weakest is that sometimes I forget about my strength and get stuck doing the same type of layout for a while.

What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? I would advise anyone who wanted to start digi scrapping to set aside time to learn. Find tutorials that are easy to read and follow and invest time in getting to know your program. Get involved in a digi community by posting in their forum and sharing your layouts in their gallery. Make friends. Don’t be afraid to ask those friends questions. The digi community is so friendly and there are lots of scrappers with great skills that are willing to share and help you out. Then never ever ever ever compare yourself to another scrapper. You are you, and you will be showing up in your scrapbook layouts, so those pages are going to be unique. Sure, you can copy trends or a favorite scrapper, but ultimately you need to know that your skills and heart are going onto each page.

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? I use PSE 5.0, the same editing software I started with ~ and I’m STILL learning how to use it. LOL Most often I start with a kit and then I pick the photo. But there are times when I’ve taken a photo I really love and I’ll start with it. If I’m inspired, a layout (without any extractions) takes about 30 minutes. If I’m working on a digi art journal page, then those take me much longer, mostly because I’m layering paint, doodles, and a variety of other elements and the page won’t get finished until it feels right. Those are the pages that I actually leave and come back to. If a layout isn’t working for me, it’s trashed and I start from the beginning as I don’t like to force things.

On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? I’m not admitting to anything! **giggle** I’d say maybe 20 hours scattered throughout the week?

Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? Quiet. And then some more quiet. Occasionally I’ll play solo piano music or Big Band music on Pandora or I’ll listen to the playlist on my blog. Most often I listen to music when I’m surfing the Internet or posting in forums. When I’m actually scrapping, I like quiet. And an ice cold Diet Pepsi over ice.

What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? My next fave thing besides scrapping is reading. I read every day, and read about one book per week. I just recently rediscovered a love of sketching, but I tend to get lost for hours doing that.

What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? Ride in a hot air balloon.

Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? Honestly, at this particular time, I’m really inspired by paper scrappers. I like to go over to Two Peas and gaze at the gallery, paying close attention to shadows that are on a paper scrapped page to give me an idea about dimension on my digi scrapping papes. I have my paper scrapping background, and I really love to see how paper scrappers use paper. As a digi scrapper, I tend to pick one paper and load on the elements, but going through the galleries pushes me to try different things with paper. I have so many digi scrapping buddies that I look to continuously for inspiration, and I love looking at the Gallery Standouts Blog as well.

If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? Given my recent journey into sketching again, I would love a B&W kit with various textures of white paper, pens with nibs, more modern sketching pens, clear rulers with black guides, twine and you gotta add some natural elements in there for me, too, ‘cause I gotta have flowers and leaves. LOL!

First Layout

The first layout I posted in an online gallery. I used a freebie from Krystal Hartley. I remember being particularly proud of my ability to recolor the word art. LOL

Most Recent Layout

Favorite Layouts

To catch more of Cheryl's amazing and inspiring layouts be sure and stop by her GALLERY and BLOG.

Introducing FONTS from Stolen Moments

2011-03-25T08:00:00.007-06:00

Okay - so maybe not "fonts" with an s... yet.. But I'm so excited to get this new product line off the ground.. It's something I've been wanting to do for almost a year now, and am so thrilled to be able to finally offer my first font for purchase!

Perfect for SO many kinds of pages, the text is easily legible - like every good teacher's should be - but there are still enough imperfections to give it a little interest and personality. Several of my CT have even said this is going to be their go-to font.. until, of course, I give them another equally fabulous one... ;) Check it out in action..

Jordan

Niki

LaShawn

As always - 20% off thru Saturday.. Until next time.. Happy Scrapping!

CU Color Palettes and a SALE!

2011-03-18T10:00:00.000-06:00

I've just got a quickie for you today.. First up, some brand new CU color palettes - and believe me, these are DELISH! Lots of vintage-inspired goodness here, with a healthy dose of spring! There is a great mix of swatches suitable for kits about boys, girls, and events the year round..

Available at ScrapMatters and 9th & Bloom..

And also, a sale.. wheeeee!!

Everything in both of my stores is 27% off thru Sunday.. How fun is that!??

Until next time - happy scrapping.. I'm off to eat some cupcakes! :)

Spotlighting Jordan

2011-03-15T09:00:00.004-06:00

Hey all! It is Jewelle here again to bring you a CT spotlight! I'm super excited to highlight this lady today, so let's get straight to it!

Jordan

{aka mommy2boyz}

I'm the daughter of a Heavenly King, proud Army wife and stay at home mom to two mischievous little boys, Brady, 3 and Noah, 1. I started out as a high school science teacher, then taught 2nd grade, then changed career paths and was a Realtor and fitness instructor. To be honest, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up! LOL! But, for now, I'm content being Mom! I grew up in Louisiana and have, in the last 6 years, lived in Tennessee, Kentucky, Germany (where the boys were born) and now back in Louisiana. Gotta love the Army life! I'm thankful for the grace of a Savior and the friends and family He's placed in my life to lift me up and make me laugh!

How long have you been scrapping? Digi-Scrapping for about a year and a half. Have you ever paper scrapped? Yeah. The first album I did was of my husband's first deployment.
When did you make the switch to digi and why? I switched to digi while on bed rest with Noah. A friend showed me her albums and I was like, "What?! You can do that digitally?? Without all that mess?!" I was hooked. Moving every few years (or sometimes months) made it really difficult to lug around all of those paper supplies. Every move I was left unpacking boxes and boxes and then trying to find a place to organize it all.
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Gosh, I don't know! Your weakest? Multi-photo LO's!! I always struggle with them! And titles...I struggle a lot with the wording of my titles.
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Just be true to you. Remember, that it's about telling your story...who you are, where you've been, who and what you love. Don't stress. It doesn't have to be perfect! Just enjoy the process of creating something beautiful that will become a part of your legacy.
Describe your scrapping "system"... What program do you use? I use PSE 7 and dream of one day having "big photoshop". It's just hard to justify the expense with two little one who out grow every thing in their closets on what seems like a monthly basis! Where do you start first - photos, papers, elements, journaling? Who knows! LOL! I may be inspired by a photo, a kit, a story, a font, sometimes just a single element! Do you always have something in mind when you start, or do you let your creativity guide you? Oh no! I never know where I'm going or where I'll end up! LOL! How long does it take you to complete a layout? On average 1-2 hours.
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? I usually do one or two LO's a day. That's how I spend nap times!
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? I'm not a big snacker, but I am a java junkie, so a hot cupa joe is usually by my side and I always listen to The Message, a christian music channel on digital cable while I'm scrapping.
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? Travel. I loved living in Europe, because any weekend could turn into a mini-vacay!
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? Spend a month in Santorini, Greece!! My husband and I were going to go while we lived in Germany, but it's not the most kid friendly place seeing it's perched on top of an ocean filled crater! But, one day...one day!
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? I seem to find inspiration lurks in just about every gallery I visit! There are so many talented scrapers and designers out there!
If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? Why, she already did! haha She created Heartbreaker for me for Noah's 1st birthday. He was born on Valentine's Day and I wanted to do a Valentine theme for his 1st party, but I couldn't find a kit that didn't look like Pepto was smeared all over the papers. Pink and red would NOT work for my boy, so she amped up the grunge and Heartbreaker was born! It was perfect!

First Layout

OH-EM-GEE!! I cringe looking at this now! I think this was the second or third LO I ever did. I replaced the first two already! The *only* reason this one is still on my hard-drive is to remind me that I desperately need to re-do it!! Man...I've come a long way, yeah?

Favorite Layouts

Ahhh...I love this LO! The photo is of my baby, Noah. It's probably my favorite photo of him. I love the pops of color against the black and white and I LOVE the grunge! I'm all about the grunge!! These days I rarely do a LO without it.

This is one of my favorite LO's for a few reasons. I love the bright pops of color against the dark background and I love that photo of B. You can just see the mischief. Can't you? :) What I really love about it though, is the memory it captures. These days he says so many cute little things. I love that I have this outlet to capture them all.

There I go with the grunge again! LOL! I love the colors here. This is one of my all time favorite kits too (and it's by Amber...For The Love Of collabs.) I love the photo of Brady and my hubby. I love the memories of laughter it evokes.

Using Stolen Moments Products

This is the first LO I did with one of Amber's kits. I used Into The Night. It's still one of my all time fav's! Looking at it now, I realize that now-a-days, I don't usually have this much negative space on my LO's. Hmmm...maybe I should incorporate it more often!

Most Recent Layout

This is my most recent LO and also one of my favorites. I just love the soft, vintage feel to it. Plus, it has photos of both of my monkeys! They're not perfect photos, but they're real and they show them as they are...busy and often uncooperative! LOL! :)

Thanks for sharing with Jordan! I'm always so inspired when I see Jordan's work! Want to see more of her wonderful work? Be sure and check out her GALLERY!

Peek-a-Boos & NEW Designer Service!

2011-03-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I've released anything - hope you haven't missed me too much - but I do have two fun new products for you that are ripe for the picking..

My guest stay at 9th & Bloom has been extended, and I'm super excited about that.. So, my first release for the new month is this awesome set of Peek-a-Boos.. I created these metal frames with the idea that they could be placed on your page with a different paper clipped to the mask (included) so it would seem as though you're "peeking" through one paper into the next.. You can also leave the papers out entirely and use it as a fun and unique mat, or use the mask and clip a photo to it for a versatile frame as well.. Don't forget, all 9&B releases are 20% off thru Saturday!

Check out how my CT put them to work..

Andrea

Sara

Jordan

Kim

Niki

And now - a little something for all my designer-y friends out there..

All designers know that the first step to selling a great product is drawing people in with a great preview, but sometimes due to time constraints or interests, you'd rather be doing something else. So let me take some of the pressure off you by creating a beautiful custom preview worthy of your beautifully designed kit.

Upon ordering, you will receive a download of instructions to complete the order. All I need is your kit, your logo and your packaging, and in 48 hours or less, you'll receive a 600px preview of your full kit, just the papers and just the elements custom made for you.

If you have any questions about the service or the process or whatever, please feel free to email me before purchasing.. This is something I really want you to love and feel confident about, so whatever I can do to help with that, I'm more than happy to.. :)

Until next time - happy scrapping! :)

March Guest

2011-03-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

We are excited to have Ju Kneipp as guest here at Stolen Moments this month! Be sure and keep an eye out for her creations, they are fabulous!

Rubba Dub Scrub @ 9th & Bloom

2011-02-25T08:00:00.001-07:00

I have a great new kit out this week at 9th & Bloom, and treat of all treats - it's a collab! I crossed paths with the uber-talented Re Kneipp during my guest gig at SBG, and as fate would have it, we're guesting simultaneously at 9th & Bloom this month, so we thought it would be fun to do a kit together.. And here you have it..

My little boy LOVES taking baths, and I have oodles and oodles of pictures to scrap, but no kit to scrap them with.. and while I didn't have time to play with it yet, this is the first photo I plan on using...

... haven't decided on color or black/white yet - but I think either would be fab with those fun colors.. no?

Each of us also did a little add-on for you, as well..

And of course a bundle for extra savings..

All new releases at 9&B are 20% off thru Saturday - bundle excluded - so grab them at a discount while you can!

Until next time - happy scrapping! :)

Spotlighting Tanya

2011-02-22T09:00:00.003-07:00

Well, it has been a bit since we had a CT spotlight, so how about I introduce you to February's guest CTM?

Tanya

{aka tanya.72}

Hi! I am Tanya (tanya.72). I am 27 years old and live in Southern Utah. I have been married to DH for 8 years and we have one son who is 3 years old. We love to do anything outside! We love camping, snowmobiling, and ANYTHING to do with horses! I am currently finishing up my degree in Dental Hygiene and will be taking my board exams in the next month. So, right now my life pretty much consists of school and scrapping when I get a chance. I have currently found a love for photography and when I am done with school plan to work on perfecting my skills a little more.

How long have you been scrapping? About 2.5 years Have you ever paper scrapped? Yes! When I was 8 I asked for scrapping supplies for my birthday and scrapped until I had my first child. When did you make the switch to digi and why? Right after I had my first child. I knew I wanted to scrap his life but I just couldn't find the time and had a hard time keeping him out of all of the mess.
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? I have no clue ha ha! Maybe my ability to use every element in a kit on one LO (then again...not sure if this is a skill or an obsession) Your weakest? Simplicity. I really love the look of the simplistic LOs but have a really hard time achieving that look.
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Head to the forums! There is so much to learn when going digi and sometimes it can be frustrating but there are so many nice and friendly people in the digi community that are more than willing to help.
Describe your scrapping "system"... What program do you use? CS4 Where do you start first - photos, papers, elements, journaling? I always start with papers. Do you always have something in mind when you start, or do you let your creativity guide you? I usually always have an idea before I start. How long does it take you to complete a layout? Usually about 1.5-2 hrs. I am kind of a slow scrapper.
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? I would say between 3-5 hours.
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? A lot of times I scrap when everyone else is asleep so I have my Itunes playing quietly and usually a glass of ice water. If I scrap during the day I am more likely to snack!
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? Spend time with my boys!
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? Walk on the beach holding hands with my boys.
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? Oh gosh...there are so many! I would say designers are probably my biggest inspiration. If I see a kit that I just LOVE then I will find a picture to scrap with. There are also so many scrappers out there that I love to drool over their work. I would say the SM CT team is so inspirational. I love all of the different "styles" this team has!

If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? A Cowboy kit! I have so many horse/rodeo pictures that I need to scrap and can't find the kind of kit I want to scrap all of my pictures. A lot of the cowboy kits have an "Old West" feel to them and are usually red and navy so they all look a lot the same. I would like a kit with some brighter colors and some fun patterned prints. For example: cowhide paper, big buckles and spurs and leather strips etc...

First Layout

This was my first digi LO ever! There is not much to say about it besides...I hope I have improved ha ha! ;)

Favorite Layouts

I don't know why but I really like how this LO turned out. It came together really quick and easy and I just love that pic of my little boy!

I also love this LO. This is a picture I took of my son on his first day of preschool. I just love his little feet. The colors are also very fun an boyish.

Using Stolen Moments Products

I love the kit Lakeside that is a Stolen Moments and WM [Squared] Collab. The bright colors really make this LO!

Most Recent Layout

The most recent LO I completed was actually a LO about me. When I went back through all of the LOs I completed in 2010 I was only in a few. I just felt like I would make a LO about me so when my kids look back they at least know what I looked like.

Doesn't Tanya do fabulous work?! She has actually been guesting for since January and have enjoyed having her working with us. To see more of her stunning work check out her BLOG and her GALLERY.

ScrapMatters CT Call!

2011-02-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

Act fast, it's only open for a day - and trust me - this is one team you NEED to be on!!

TWO New Products!

2011-02-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing the momentum with my guest spot at 9th & Bloom..

This week I have two great products out..

A fun and whimsical alpha that gives you both clean lines AND artistic flair - now that ain't half bad! Recolors in a snap, or use the masks that are included to clip your favorite papers to for an alpha that coordinates perfectly with any kit! Includes upper and lower cases as well as numbers and the symbols ! & ?

Contains 4 12x12 layouts based on pages by none other than . . . yours truly.. :D Templates come in PSD, TIFF and PNG formats. These are also available at ScrapMatters if you prefer to do your shopping there.

I'm also releasing the first set of Yours Truly templates to 9th & Bloom this week..

I'll leave you with some CT layouts for a little inspiration...

by Andrea using Fill in the Blank and Capture a Memory

by Niki using Fill in the Blank, Yours Truly V.2 and Heartbreaker

by Jordan using Fill in the Blank and Capture a Memory

by Andrea using Yours Truly V.2, Alphlets, and For the Love of Boys

Don't forget, all new releases on 20% off thru Saturday.. Enjoy and happy scrapping!

Heartbreaker at 9th & Bloom

2011-02-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to finally be getting back into the design groove lately.. and what better way to "make a comeback" than to do a guest spot, right? So, for the next month, you'll be able to find some of my designs exclusively at 9th & Bloom! Exciting, no? Here's your first peek...

http://ninthandbloom.com/shop/product.php?productid=1279

My CT member Jordan requested this kit a few months ago {thanks for the long lead time}, and I'm so glad she did! It's a bit different than what I normally do, but what mom of boys doesn't need a Valentine's kit that's not all pink and hearts and mushy love stuff?. And besides that, there's quite a lot of non-themed elements, as well, making this a great go-to kit for pages of your little heartbreaker any time of year!

The kit is 20% off Friday-Saturday, so grab it quick.. But Wonder of my heart, you don't need to worry about purchasing, as you're the winner of my sneak peek contest! Email me to receive your prize!

That's it for me this week, but I'll be back same time next week with another fun release..

Until then, happy scrapping! :)

Sneak Peek & Win!

2011-02-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a peek at what I have coming out tomorrow.. and at a guest store, no less! Leave a comment with where you think I'll be, and I'll draw one random winner tomorrow evening..

January Guest CTM!

2011-01-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hey all Jewelle here! We have the opportunity to have a guest with us this month creating for Amber. I've known her from around digiland so I'm super excited to work with her. Take some time to say hello to our January guest.....

Tanya

{aka tanya.72}

Be on the look out for her spotlight later on in the month. I'm thrilled that I get to show off her talent to you all!

Cleaning out the Clutter...

2010-12-31T06:00:00.002-07:00

Nothing new for you this week, but I wanted to let you know about the awesome sale I have going on right now.. I've decided to clean out the clutter a bit, and have over 20 products headed to the vault next week.

Save up to 50% on selected items now thru Thursday, January 6th. Grab these babies before they're gone...

Here are just a few of the pretties I'm saying goodbye to...

Have a great weekend, and happy scrapping! :D

NEW: A La Mode

2010-12-17T06:00:00.002-07:00

It's been a whirlwind of a week for me, and I'm sure it's been the same for you, so I'll keep this short and sweet.. About a year and a half ago, DH and I ventured into a charming little cupcake boutique downtown. I was blown away by the glamorous and feminine decor: black and white damask, hot pink tutus, and lots of bling. Ever since then, I've been wanting to do a kit inspired by the little shoppe. And the time has finally come.. So I bring you A La Mode:

Break out the boas, the heels, your sparkliest sparkles, and all things girly! This kit, full of super feminine details and LOTS of bling, is an absolute must-have for your little princesses - great for grown-up princesses, too! Available at ScrapMatters & MScraps.

I also wanted to highlight an older product that coordinates perfectly with A La Mode...

These were originally released back in May, but with a versatile and classic design, Alpha Snips will soon become one of your faves. Stitch it down, scatter it across your page, the possibilities are endless! Comes in both black and white - LC, #s and a few symbols. Grab them from ScrapMatters & MScraps.

And now some absolutely indulgent pages from my CT, the girls at ScrapMatters and the MScraps team...

Just a final reminder that all of my new releases are 20% off now thru Sunday.

Have a great weekend, and happy scrapping!

Sneak a Peek at THIS!

2010-12-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

I finally have a new kit coming out tomorrow - to both my MScraps & ScrapMatters stores!

Hop on over to either forum for your chance to win!

ScrapMatters * MScraps

Spotlighting Melanie

2010-12-14T08:16:00.001-07:00

Jewelle here and I get to share with you another guest spotlight today! I've known this lady for quite some time now and we've worked together in the scrapping community as well. Because of that I'm super excited to spotlight....

Melanie

{aka scrappymelly}

I'm married and a SAHM with two children [almost 9 years old and 20 months old] and a third on the way! I was born and raised in Georgia, but moved to California in 2001. Since then I've lived in Oregon, Las Vegas, and now Arizona. We're currently making plans to make another move, hopefully the last, to Reno. We're definitely not fans of the desert and the 110+ days we get here in the summer. When I'm not scrapping I like to read, play games, watch movies with the family and spend time in the kitchen baking. Before becoming a SAHM, I took care of other people's children as a childcare provider.

How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? I first started scrapping right after I graduated high school in 1999. I went to a Creative Memories party and fell in love. I did paper scrapping from then on, until 2007 when I read one of my sisters in law’s blog and she mentioned something about digi-scrapping. I googled it and never looked back, except to do an occasional hybrid project. I love digi because there’s no mess, no waste and in the end I save a lot of money!
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Your weakest? I guess using white space. I don’t know if I would say it’s my strongest skill, but I definitely feel it’s one that I’ve improved greatly on since I started scrapping. My weakest is definitely clustering. I keep working at it though, and I think I’m starting to get better at it.
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? To not be afraid to play around and experiment with techniques. And always save and backup as often as you can!
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? I learned on, and still use, PhotoShop CS3 extended. My hubby had it already from school, so I got lucky there. I usually start out by picking a template. I’m definitely a template kind of girl. From there I either jump right in with the kit I’m using, or if I’m positive about the photos I want to use, I’ll start with them. For the most part, I just kind of go with where the page takes me from there. I usually spend about an hour on a layout.
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? Usually at least 2 or 3 hours a day, usually at night after my little man has gone to bed.
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? I have to have music playing. And I usually have something to drink – either water or Coke Zero.
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? I love cuddling up on the couch, or in bed, and watch movies with either just my hubby or the family.
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? Go to Disney Land. Okay, I really just want to go there, but I really do get quite jealous of all the fabulous Disney themed layouts I see so much in the gallery.
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? I don’t think I could pick just one person. Being a ScrapMatters Girl, I’m always looking through the gallery and I get so inspired by all the members of the community.
If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? I have a few old photos from high school, including ones from marching band, that I would love to have a kit to scrap with. I’d love lots of elements themed towards all the fun high school has to offer. Colors would have to cover all the most popular high school colors – for me it would be purple, gold, white and gray.

First Layout

This is the first layout I ever uploaded to my gallery. My first layouts were lost when my HD crashed, but this was one of the first ones I did after a two year break from scrapping. When Mason was put in the hospital, it was totally unexpected and this photo was one of the only ones we got right after surgery.

Favorite Layouts

This layout was done during a speed scrap and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to like it. But by the time I finished it, I knew it would always be one of my favorites. I think most of it is the photo of Tori. It was taken on a car trip and I caught her completely off guard. You can't see it, but her hair is a mess - I think she looks beautiful!

When I was working in childcare, our center always did a pumpkin contest. Each class made one [no carving] and all the kids in the center voted on their favorite. This particular year I got the idea for our class to make Mike from Monsters Inc. It was quite a project, but it turned out so awesome. Oh, and we won!

Using Stolen Moments Products

I made this during Queen of Scrap using Amber's kit Makin' Me Happy. It's probably one of my favorites because it took so much time to pick the photos, arrange them and then get the page how I wanted it. I love that kit!

Most Recent Layout

I did this layout about a week ago and I love the way it turned out. Uncle Monty is my mother and father in law's dog and we always call him my hubby's brother. Not many of the grandkids like him because he's such a big dog, but Mason absolutely loves him.

Lovely layouts aren't they?! Head on over to Melanie's BLOG and GALLERY to view more of her fabulous layouts!

Just Call Me Sasha - New for 12/10

2010-12-10T06:00:00.002-07:00

Hey all... :) How are you holding up this holiday season? Are your cards made and ready to be mailed? How about those shopping lists? Have you made any headway on them? I know I've been super busy this past week - starting a new full-time job at this busy time of year is definitely going to require some serious time management.. And where do I turn when I'm in a scrappy mood and don't have all day and all night to spend in Photoshop? Why templates, of course! And I've got another fantastic set of CT-inspired goodies for you..

I love having Sasha on my CT! Her pages are always so different and creative - I'm never quite sure what she'll come up with, but I know I always love it! And with these easy-to-use templates {available in PSD, TIFF and PNG formats} you, too, can be scrapping like Sasha in no time! They are available at ScrapMatters and MScraps, so feel free to shop at your store of choice.. Oh - and they're 20% off both places through Sunday, as well! :)

Here are some totally awesome CT pages to inspire you, as well...

That's it for this week, but here's a little sneaky-sneak at my release for next week..

Spotlighting Christy

2010-12-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, is today really the 7th of December?! Time is moving so fast this year! I think if I blink tomorrow will be Christmas! With time moving so fast it feels like I just introduced you to the December guests too. I better get to introducing our first guest for the month or the time will slip away for me to do that! Without further ado....

Christy

{aka ChristyVW}

I live in West Michigan with my wonderful husband, two beautiful daughters and a small farm of animals! In my life before children and scrapping, I was a mechanical engineer and database developer.

How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? I have been scrapping for about 10 years. I paper scrapped a mission trip to India and my oldest daughter's first year album. I switched to digi in the summer of 2007 when I needed to quickly make some pages for an exchange student that was living with us.
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Your weakest? I think my strongest scrapping skill is journaling. I love to tell a story on the page and for the most part don't feel a page is complete without journaling. My weakest skill? I would have to say I am patterned paper challenged!
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Just do it! Dive in. Ask questions. Push buttons (in your software). There is always 'un-do'!!
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? I scrap in Photoshop CS5. I almost always start my layouts with photos, then title and journaling. If I am doing CT work, the photos are selected based on the product. I usually have something in mind when I start. But, that doesn't mean I always end up where I began! Typical layouts take me anywhere from 1-3 hours.
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? On average, I spend about 5-10 hours a week creating layouts.
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? My perfect scrapping environment would be total silence! Home alone, no music, no tv, no kids calling 'MOmMy?!!'. LOL! With a nice cup of hot coffee and some calorie free chocolate!! (well, you said describe perfect, right?)
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? Listen to my girls laughter and do things that bring them joy.
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? Go skydiving.
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? I actually find my best inspiration by looking outside the scrapping community. When I look through magazines or layout galleries for inspiration, I end up struggling to create a layout afterwards, out of fear that I will inadvertently copy something I saw!
If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? I think it would be great to make an album about my faith journey and would love a kit containing scripture verses, journaling prompts and other elements relating to my Christian beliefs.

Check out these fun layouts Christy has graciously agreed to share with us shared with us!

First Layout

This is one of my first digital layouts. I made it for my youngest daughters first year album. It is one of the only layouts that I went back and redid later after learning some new composition skills!

Favorite Layouts

One of my favorite layouts - This is actually a very simple layout, but one of my favorites because it reminds me of a great time together as a family and also showcases how far my photography skills have come - something I have worked hard on!

This layout just makes me smile. I had so much fun creating it and it tells the story of some great family memories!!

Layout Using Stolen Moments Products

Just love Amber's Second Spring collection! These pictures aren't from fall, but I thought the collection colors still worked perfectly!

Most Recent Layout

Christy has such wonderful layouts! If you would like to see more of her layouts please visit her BLOG or her GALLERY!

Welcome December Guests

2010-12-04T09:00:00.002-07:00

Hey all Jewelle here with some exciting Stolen Moments news! First off it has been quite some time since I've had the opportunity to introduce our guest CTM's before I spotlight them. This month though I am on top of things and ask that you give a warm welcome to our December guests.....

Melanie

{aka scrappymelly}

Christy

{aka ChristyVW}

In other exciting news we have a NEW member of the Stolen Moments team. Drum roll please!!!

Sya {aka syapotter}

Sya will be joining us permanently {you may remember her as a guest in November}. We are excited to have all three of these ladies with us and I know you will enjoy seeing their layouts here on the blog!

Lots of News!

2010-12-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, everyone! I have a bit of news for you this week - although you likely already know it - I'm running a bit behind on the blog front lately, lol.. Anyhow.. I will be guesting at MScraps for the month of December! I'm super excited about it, and hope to have oodles of goodies for you over there.. But, we're starting off slowly.. with this incredible alpha you can't not have in your collection!

A delicate metal alpha that will bring an air of class and whimsy to any page! The clean lines and understated sophistication give it the versatility that will have you coming back to it again and again... Consider it the "little black dress" of alphas.. Includes upper case and numbers only.

And some inspiration to tickle your fancy, courtesy of my CT and the MScraps girls...

I'm also releasing this little element pack that will soon become a staple in your stash..

Add a touch of timeless elegance to your pages with these beautifully textured and detailed embossed bits.. Contains 3 frames, 3 tags and 3 journaling blocks. These are available at ScrapMatters and MScraps, so you are free to shop at your store of choice.. ;)

And finally, I'm putting the Imagination Creation Collection into my store at ScrapMatters now that Megs' guest stint is over *sob* .. ;)

That's it for this week, but I'll see you again next Friday with 2 more fantastic new products! Oh - and don't forget.. all of my new releases {bundles excluded} are 20% off now thru Sunday! Happy Scrapping! :D

Spotlighting Sya

2010-11-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

The end of the month has crept to an end. With the end of the month comes our last guest spotlight. She has been working hard all month for Amber. I think she definitely deserves some attention! Let me introduce you to...

Sya

{aka syapotter}

I'm 25 years old, from Malaysia, a small country in South East Asia and currently teaching at a local private university, mostly teaching English Language. I'm doing my Master's in Education (TESL) and hopefully will graduate next year. I am not yet married but am blessed with 3 nieces and a nephew, so my layouts are mostly about them.

1. How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? I started scrapping back in June 2007. Earlier that year, I discovered paper scrapbooking and started getting hooked to it but because it has yet to become well-known in Malaysia, I started to search for other alternatives and came upon digiscrapping. It was like love at first sight and I have never looked back since.

2. What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Your weakest? My strongest would definitely be my layering and clustering and weakest would definitely be the fact that I sometimes seem to stick to only one style instead of branching out to other styles of scrapping. I try to do that once in a while but I always go back to my comfort zone and what I know I am able to do well.

3. What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping?

I would tell them to just go out there and play with whatever is available. I was self-taught in PS and I find that the best way to learn to do something is just by trying.

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? I am currently using PS CS3 and hopes to upgrade to CS5 someday. As for starting a layout, it all depends on the mojo really. Sometimes I would see the photos and knew immediately what I wanted to do for the layout but more often than not, what I ended up with was usually different from what I envisioned at first. Sometimes it would take me hours just to complete a layout but when the mojo is flowing, the shortest time it would take me to complete a layout is 30 minutes.

5. On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? I'm not really sure about this, but probably about 15 hours more or less.

6. Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? I definitely have to have music. Sometimes I would get inspiration from the music that I listened to. I love listening to most Top 40 songs but I draw the line at Hard Core Rock. Definitely NOT my type of music!

7. What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? Spare time is really hard to come by these days but I do love to read. I recently bought a Barnes & Nobles Nook and am so in love with it and it goes with me wherever I go.

8. What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? Visit all the Disneyland parks in the world, which is really ironic because I recently visited Disneyland Hong Kong and I was kinda afraid to start scrapping photos from that visit because it felt kinda sacred to me somehow.

9. Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? A lot of scrappers inspire me in the community but if I have to name one person, it would have to be Cindy Schneider. I just love her style of scrapping.. As for inspiration, I found that just browsing around the galleries help. Sometimes I would stumble upon some scrappers that I have not yet discovered.

10. If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why?

I like all things girly and definitely have a crush on anything pink, white and brown. And oh, I recently fell in love with the English style type of decorating so it would be great if there's a kit like that.

Oldest Layout

This is not my first LO but the oldest one that I still have. It's of my nephew. I cringe when I look at this because of the lack of shadows and the use of the different colored alphas.

Favorite Layouts

This one was of my college friends taken 2 years before we graduated. It was really crazy that most of us are on different life path and scattered all over the place now.

This one was a remake from a horrible layout that I did in 2008. Loved it so, so much better.

Using Stolen Moments Products

I used Into the Night for this one. Awesome, awesome kit.

Most Recent Layout

I've always wanted to experience snow, hence this page. The photos were taken from Google..

Aren't her layouts wonderful?! I know I am always inspired by them! Be sure and check out more of Sya's stunning layouts in her GALLERY!

Cyber Monday Coupon Blog Hop!

2010-11-28T23:31:00.000-07:00

I'm making this quick... For those of you who don't know, Cyber Monday is the Monday after Black Friday when you can find all kinds of yummy sales online.. Well, since ScrapMatters already {and is still} having an awesome Black Friday sale, some of the designers wanted to supplement those sale prices with additional discounts... in the form of a blog train, of course.. ;)

You should have just come from Jen Graham's blog - http://gltcblog.wyldgrahamcrackers.com/ - and here's what I have to offer...

Use the code smd_cyber_15 to get 15% off anything in my store.. CU & Custom Services included!

Next up, stop by Val's blog - http://geniabeanascraps.com- to see what awesome deals she has cooked up for you... Happy hopping! :D

New BLACK FRIDAY Goodies!

2010-11-26T06:00:00.001-07:00

Well happy Black Friday, everyone! If you're just getting back from braving the crowds in the wee morning hours, congratulations! For those of you still heading out - best of luck! I've never done the crazy sale hunting myself, but I think I'd like to at least once in my life.. This year, though, just a quiet morning at home with the family.. :)

Anyhow, I have 3 fantastic new releases to show you this week, but first, a message from our sponsor.. ;)

You can find out more details and schedules for the chats and speed scraps HERE.

With sale prices this low, if you've been holding out on purchasing one of your favorite kits, now is the time to do it.. Perhaps one of these is getting a little too comfy in the warm confines of your wish list..

Now - you may recall the Boxed Up Advent Calendar I released last week.. Well, I'm also offering the templates for the boxes in 3 sizes - perfect for gift-giving, creating your own custom advent project, and so many other fun uses, as well! I, personally, am looking forward to handing out matching hand-made necklaces to the girls/women in our family in their own personalized gift boxes.. What can YOU think of to use them for?

I've also teamed up this week with an old ScrapMatters alum - By Becca - to create this absolutely stunning holiday kit!

A beautifully traditional Christmas kit with subtle vintage undertones, plenty of gold accents, and just the right amount of sparkle - perfect for adding a bit of class and elegance to your holiday pages. We never even talked about the kit having any sort of vintage feel to it, but we both managed to put just the right combination of things together to give it a classic, turn-of-the-century feel.. I'm really SO pleased with how it came out! :D

I also have this coordinating alpha, but it's SO timeless and wonderful, it can work with pretty much any kit you choose...

A classic vellum alpha with a subtle damask pattern, edged in a delicate glitter detail - perfect for winter, holidays, weddings, special occasions, and so much more! Comes pre-shadowed in 5 colors: red, green, gold, blue & pink. Upper & lower cases, numbers and some symbols.

Now check out these killer CT pages.. There were so many I couldn't include them all, but definitely keep an eye on the galleries this weekend - there is some serious talent out there, kids... ;)

My newsletter subscribers got this matching freebie.. If you're not already subscribed, you should be.. ;)

And now - the winner of this week's sneak peek contest is.... jovita! Email me for your coupon..

And of course, be sure to check back here on Monday for a coupon blog hop - special coupons to supplement the Cyber Monday sale from select ScrapMatters designers.. Until then.... Happy Scrapping! :D

It's almost here.....

2010-11-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

Great big sale time is coming.. are you as excited as I am....?? See you tomorrow... :D

It's Sneak Peek Time!

2010-11-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! It's been a while since I've posted a sneak peek - I've been hiding in my text books and trying to finish up this semester - I can't wait to start scrapping again, because I've missed it so much!

This week Amber has teamed up with another fantastic designer to bring you a gorgeous Christmas/holiday kit. it's stunning and my sneak peek doesn't do it justice - I wish I could just post the full thing but Amber may not like that - wouldn't be much of a sneak peek now would it?

I just love the non-traditional colors in this kit and I can't wait for you all to see it in it's full splendor!

So, what about my normal giveaway.. Of course there's a giveaway, it wouldn't be sneak peek Wednesday without one! Just answer my question (I'll start posting the random questions again in December, so bare with the "boring" ones for now.. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the U.S. which according to Food Network, it's the biggest food day of the year! What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish? For those not in the U.S. just tell me your favorite dish for any time of the year :) Just comment here and one lucky person will be drawn to win the new release for Friday. Amber will be back on Friday with the kit reveal and the name of the winner.

Have a great Thanksgiving & I'll "talk" to you all soon!

~Kate

Spotlighting Ruth Ann

2010-11-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit late today with our guest spotlight. I better get straight to our fabulous guest then huh?! Introducing...

Ruth Ann

{aka corsicar}

I'm 24, born and raised in California. Sunshine makes me happy, and anytime the temperature drops below 50 degrees F, I'm freezing. Music is a huge part of my life - I teach piano lessons, and play piano for local choirs and theater groups. It's so much fun!! Sometimes I can't believe that I get paid to "play." Also I'm a huge Disney fan and love traveling.

How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? I never paper scrapped, but I started digiscrapping in July 2009 after I took my first trip to Disney World. I wanted to do something with all the photos to help me remember the trip, and I discovered digiscrapping thanks to a Disney forum. I never thought I was a "creative type" but scrapping has really inspired me.
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Your weakest? I'm still learning! Hahaha! But I think my shadows have really improved thanks to tutorials and just trying different things. My weak point is probably composition. I have a REALLY hard time starting with a blank page, so I usually use a template.
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Learning a graphics program can be overwhelming, so have a friend help you learn your program, if you don't know already. Freebies are great to start with, and do challenges or tutorials just to get used to scrapping.
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? I use GIMP. Usually I start with the photos I want to scrap and choose a kit that matches the color or theme. Sometimes I'll have a really clear idea of how I want the page to look, but usually I make it up as I go along. After I've got the photos, I choose the papers, and finally the elements. Journaling is usually last.
How long does it take you to complete a layout? Usually a few hours. If I'm not feeling inspired or somethings not working, I set it aside and come back to the page in a few days.
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? Recently, not as much as I'd like to. Maybe about 6 hours working on pages, but then there's always more time spent organizing my stash and browsing my favorite sites.
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? Lounging on the couch with my laptop, and I usually have the TV going. If not, then just some music probably.
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? I love playing the piano, and in the last year I've started to really enjoy running.
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? Hmmm... I've always wanted to go skydiving. Can I take pictures on the way down? :D
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? Since I'm still working on scrapping my Disney World trip (and all the Disneyland trips), I love Britt-ish Designs because of all her Disney-inspired kits. Some of my favorite scrappers are Britt, Cheryl (gonewiththewind), Tanya (TanyaH666) and Brenda (Brenda Smith Designs). Clustery and white space LOs both appeal to me, although I don't make white space LOs very often.
If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? Hmm this is tough. I love bright colors or colors that remind me of my favorite foods - orange (sherbet), (mint) green, rich (chocolate) brown, purple...maybe not all at once though. Hahaha! And I know I have a bad habit of buying kits based on the color scheme, even though I have no photos to go with the kit! I love glitzy kits too (which is why Into the Night is one of my absolute faves). So maybe a fancy-ish kit, with some glitz and elegance, but bright, energetic colors.

Oldest Layout

My first LO ever, and the reason I wanted to learn how to digiscrap - an awesome first trip to Disney World!

Favorite Layouts

This is "THE Castle Shot" and as soon as I saw this template, I KNEW I had to use it for this photo. Then I found the perfect word art, and this page practically created itself. (Although, I spent hours brightening and adjusting the photo.)

Yet another Disney World LO! This is one of my few pages that I created without using a template. I had collected all sorts of different fishy & ocean elements and I knew I wanted to create an ocean scene to go with these pics.

Layout Using Stolen Moments Products

This is a scraplift of a page I saw as a newbie scrapper. This uses my favorite Stolen Moments kit - Into the Night. Totally gorgeous colors, and plenty of glitz and elegance. It was fun coming up with 100 different things and activities to include. The hardest thing was sizing all the different fonts to fit.

Most Recent Layout

I LOVE the colors in Amber' collab kit Better Days Ahead. Sooo rich and gorgeous.

Thank you Ruth Ann for sharing your wonderful layouts with us! To see more terrific work by Ruth Ann check out her GALLERY!

ACK! We need a winner!

2010-11-20T20:43:00.001-07:00

In all the excitement of my releases yesterday, I totally forgot to pick a winner of my collab with Flergs! Soooo... without further ado, the lucky lady is...

The Myers AKA Diana

Congratulations! Email me for your coupon.. :D

To everyone else holding out to see if they won, you still have a few hours to grab the kit or any other new goodies at the 20% off sale price.. And also, thank you for all of the fun ideas for a Christmas/winter kit.. I'll do some brainstorming, and hopefully have something to show you before too long.. ;)

{{hugs}}

Collab w/ Flergs, Hybrid Goodness, and MORE!

2010-11-19T01:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday once again! As time keeps moving forward into the holiday season, there's a hustle and bustle about like no other time of year.. and while I do love it, it has me kind of exhausted all.the.time. This week, though, I have a fun new project to help get you in the holiday mood, and hopefully it's early enough that you still have time to do it.. ;)

Included are:

25 uniquely pre-designed box templates with and without digital embellishments . Boxes measure approx. 1.75" x 1.75" x 1" - perfect for bite sized candy bars or other small trinkets.
1 matching header - 10" x 3"
step-by-step instructions with photos
JPEG & PDF formats provided

Project length: 2 to 2-1/2 hours plus physical embellishment time

I'm also re-releasing the final pieces from my guest spot at Scrapbookgraphics..

And finally, my collab with the incredibly talented, sweet {and patient to deal with a certain someone who is constantly behind, lately} Flergs...

Our goal was to create the ultimate boy toy kit - and what boy doesn't love to play with blocks?!? Of course, with an incredible palette in primary colors, it's perfect for so much more than that! You can scrap pages of all kinds - be it a favorite set of blocks, the wonderment of discovering the teeniest blade of grass, or even a trip to your local children's museum. This is sure to be a standout in your collection, and one you will turn to time and time again!

We both had so much fun playing with this one, that we just had to do a few extras.. here are my bits..

And Meg's...

And what would an awesome collection like this be without a bundle.. or TWO?!?

Get the bonus alphas and clusters in this one...

Or add the glitters and extras as well!

And now some FABULOUS CT PAGES to help inspire you to get your imagination going...

Thanks for hanging with me through this marathon newsletter, so of course, a freebie! But first - a quick reminder that all my new releases - bundles excluded - are 20% off thru Saturday! Now.. Stop by Meg's blog to grab this...

And grab this from me right down below... :)

DOWNLOAD

I'll see you again next week, but until then, happy scrapping! :)

Sneak Peek for 11/19 Releases

2010-11-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

Just a little peek at what I have for you on Friday.. This has also been posted before by someone you may know.. To those of you who haven't seen it already, you'll just have to wait to find out... ;)

For your chance to win, leave a comment telling me what kind of winter/Christmas/holiday kit you'd love to see from me.. color choices, theme, style - have at it.. If I choose your inspiration, you'll get a free copy of the kit I create.. :D

Also - check out my Facebook page for a peek at something else I have coming out this weekend..

Spotlighting Amanda S.

2010-11-16T09:00:00.007-07:00

We are halfway through November so it is high time that I introduce you to one of the guests who has been working diligently for Amber. Sit back and enjoy!

Amanda

{aka dznyscrapper}

I've been married to my wonderful husband for eleven years and we have 3 great kids, Michealla (10), Hunter (7) and Kailee (22 months). We also have a 3 yr old black & white Shih Tzu named Tinkerbell. I am a SAHM the majority of the time, but I also substitute teach at the local elementary school and teach classes at my local scrapbook store.

How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? I started digital scrapping about 4 years ago. At first I just started so I could do photobooks for my kids' grandparents for Christmas. I started paper scrapping in 1995. I still do a little bit of paper scrapping but it has been very limited for the last 2 years. Just before I had my youngest in December 2008, I switched to digital almost exclusively. Her crib took over my scraproom, so going digital was so much easier. I had planned on only having her in there for the first few month, but here we are almost 2 years later and she is still in there. lol.
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Your weakest? I think one of my strongest scrapping skills is choosing the colors for my layout and then being able to mix and match kits to get just what I want. Along with that would be my ability to recolor items to get them to match my pages. My weakest is probably my journaling. I have never been much of a journaler, so that carries over into my pages, too. Though I have gotten a lot better since I first started scrapping.
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Get to know your program by reading tutorials and asking questions, but also don't be afraid of it. Just get in there and start playing around with it.
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? I currently use Photoshop Elements 5.0. I would like to upgrade to a Photoshop Creative Suite someday, but for now PSE lets me do most of what I want. For my layouts I usually start by picking my pictures and then checking if I have a template I want to use with them. Then I go through my kits to see if any kits I have will go with my pictures. If not then I either go shopping or start mixing and matching. Once I get everything open in PSE and start working on my page opening more things up as I need them. My journaling and title are usually the last thing I put on my page. It usually takes me quite a while to work on a page but on average I can get a page done in about 3-4 hours if I don't have a lot of interruptions.
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? On average I probably spend about 12-15 hours scrapping though I also spend quite a bit of time checking out the latest happenings at ScrapMatters on top of that. I usually scrap for a couple hours after my kids go to bed each night or while my youngest takes her afternoon nap.
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? I do most of my scrapping while sitting on my couch with my laptop. I have one of my favorite shows or movies on the television for background noise. I almost always have a can of Mountain Dew next to me, too. I usually don't snack while I'm scrapping.
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? My favorite thing to do besides scrapping is traveling and camping with my family. Since my husband drives truck long distance and is gone for a week or two at a time, we all look forward to when we get to spend that time together as a family without all the interruptions. I also love taking pictures of all the great memories that we make together.
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? I would love to travel somewhere tropical just so I can finally use all the great tropical kits I have been hording. lol. I have a weakness when it comes to those kinds of kits.
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? There is so much great inspiration to be found in the scrapping community. I don't know if I have any one person that I go to for inspiration. If I'm feeling like I have lost my creativity I will usually peruse the gallery at ScrapMatters. There are so many awesome scrappers there that it doesn't take too long and I feel inspired. :)
If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? Right now I would have to say I would love to see her create a nature/explorer kit with a more girly feel to it. There are a lot of cute kits like this out there but they are all very boyish. I would love to see one with pinks, oranges and greens. My youngest is such a little tomboy. She's the little girl you will find sitting in a mud puddle with a dress on and a frog in her pocket.

Oldest Layout
This is one of the first digital pages I did with Photoshop Elements. It was before I was buying all the great kits that are out now.

Favorite Layouts
This is one of my favorite pages because of the picture. It's from this summer during one of our visits to the park. It was time to go and both kids grabbed one of Kailee's hands to take her back to the car. My kids have such a close relationship and my youngest looks up to her big brother and sister so much.

These pictures are from our vacation to Yellowstone National Park in 2008. We happened to find these elk just sitting there under the tree.

I just love how this page came together. It's one of my many pages that has a very long credits list. lol. The pictures are from when we went to the butterfly house at a zoo we visited this summer.

Layout using Stolen Moments Products

One of my pages using one of Amber's kits & template packs. Love how the colors of it go with my kids coats. It was so much fun to work with. :)

Most Recent Layout

These pictures are from when we had breakfast in the castle at Walt Disney World in 2005.

Thank you Amanda for sharing this all with us! To see more of Amanda's inspiring layouts head over to her GALLERY or her BLOG and take a look around.

I've been scrapping!

2010-11-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Somehow amidst all of the designing I've been doing lately, I've allowed myself the time to scrap - finally! In September, I only did one page, and in October, I did a whopping {for me} 9 pages, and I already have 5 done for November! Maybe DS's first year book {he's almost three} will finally get finished! LOL .. Part of what's helped me get more of my scrap on, is that I'm now on Jenn Barrette's CT - so excited about that! So a lot of the pages I'm going to show you feature her kits... I won't bore you with all 14 of the new layouts, but I will show a few of my faves.. :) You can click on each one for full credits..

Every Little Bit Counts - A Unique Twist on a Charity Collab

2010-11-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

The season of giving, gratitude and joy upon us. It is also often a very busy and hectic time of the year, creating a challenge for those of us with lengthy to-do lists. However, no matter how busy we all get, it really is important to remember that when it comes to charity, Every Little Bit Counts.

To demonstrate this simple truth, a call went out across the digital community to designers everywhere inviting them each to contribute only one element to a charity collaboration for the Sick Kids Foundation.

The end result is an eclectic collection of unique elements, ranging from classic to quirky and everything in between.

The Every Little Bit Counts collection will only be available until the last week of December. 100% of the profits will then be donated to the Sick Kids Hospital Foundation.

Find out how you can receive this very special collection for only $5 and let your little bit count towards this very worthy cause.

Better Days Ahead and Just Call Me Bree

2010-11-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! Has it only been a week since the last time? It seems like SO long ago we were all celebrating the wonderment known as DSD, and I'm pooped! Since then, I've moved, put together 1 new collab for release this week and most of another for release next week! Wow! So, do you wanna' see the new goodies?

First up, I have these delicious templates inspired by another one of my CT girls - Bree.

Her incredible attention to detail and wonderful ability to fill a page have always been something I wish I could do myself.. So if you're in the same boat, you'll definitely want to snag these up! They come in PSD, TIFF and PNG format for ultimate user-friendliness {yes, that's a word}.

I'm also re-releasing my Here & Now collab with Studio Rosey Posey this week. If you missed it when I was guesting at Scrapbookgraphics, now's the time to get it, as it's 20% off Friday and Saturday.

And last, but certainly not least, another collab - this time with the wonderfully talented Yari of Jady Day Studio. When we first talked about doing something together, we had intended on releasing in October with a kit to acknowledge Mental Awareness Week which falls during that month, but one thing after another kept us pushing it back.. We both still feel really strongly about the importance of accepting and dealing with these issues, so we went forward with our original plan, and came up with this..

Everybody goes through hard times at one point or another in their life - it's part of the human experience. But whether it's a long-term challenge or a brief trial, there's always hope for a better day. This kit celebrates the light at the end of the tunnel, and the faith that there is sunshine behind the clouds. In beautiful purple and blue tones, with just a splash of sunny yellow, it's the perfect compliment to the emotions so many of us feel as we struggle to carry on. Celebrate your successes in overcoming difficulty, or even a cranky toddler, with this beautiful kit and turn your darkest days into a beautiful memory of triumph.

I'll leave you with some wonderful CT pages - and some of these ladies really poured their hearts out, so be sure to leave them some love as you see them in the galleries. And don't forget, all of these releases will be 20% off Friday and Saturday only!

And before I announce the winner of the sneak peek contest, I wanted to thank everyone who commented for sharing such a personal part of their lives.. I was so inspired to read the struggles and challenges you have gone through - and become better for it! Thank you for that! :D Now, the winner of the kit - by random draw - is... Nikki Martin email me to receive your prize!

I'll see you again next week, but until then, happy scrapping! :)

Sneak Peek 11/11

2010-11-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

Oh my word! It has been a whirlwind of a week! Did you all have fun over DSD? I tried to get in as much scrapping as I could, but with the move, it wasn't as much as I would have liked.. But we're just about settled in - still a few boxes in the kitchen and office, then all the miscellaneous stuff you never know what to do with, but can't get rid of... Anyway.. amidst all of the chaos, I was able to put together a beautiful kit with the wonderfully talented Yari of Jady Day Studio..

For a chance to win, leave a comment here telling me ... about a trial you've had to overcome in life .. There's no messing around in these parts, lol..

I'll be back tomorrow with the full reveal and a winner..

Is that a blog train I hear???

2010-11-06T09:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope you're all doing well and enjoying your DSD activities - whatever they may be.. I'm right smack in the middle of a move, and am most likely packing as you read this, but I am trying to carve out at least a little bit of time for some scrapping fun.. But anyway, that's not why you're here.. You're here for a freebie! :) You most likely came from Wendy's blog, so congratulations for making it to your next stop! ;)

Today, I have a little cluster for you - created using the mega collab, Many Thanks, which you can get FREE with a $20 purchase from ScrapMatters.. But first, I just wanted to share a wee tid-bit with you of something I'm thankful for .. {you may notice a theme as you progress down the train..}

As I mentioned earlier, I'm right in the middle of a move - it's not a "huge" move, as far as I'm concerned.. I've been living with my parents for the past 2.5 months in Utah while DH has been in NYC looking for work.. As things sometimes happen in life, our plans changed, and new and unexpected opportunities came up, and he was offered a job at the school we got our BFAs from, which is just 2 hours away from my family, and 12 from his - opposed to the cross-country journey it would been if we had ended up in NY.. So he's in MO right now, loading our stuff from storage into a truck to drive it home {long story, but we didn't want to make the big NYC move with all our stuff with no guarantee of work, so we left it in MO, where we had most recently been for grad school.} Lucky me, I only have to deal with the 2 months' worth of things to box up, lol..

So what am I thankful for? I'm thankful for family - for my small family of 3, but also for immediate and extended families that will be nearby, for being watched over and guided in the direction we needed to be at this time in our lives, and most especially that within the next 24-48 hours we will be together, as a unit of 3, in our own place, with our own stuff, doing whatever we want, with a wonderful hope for our future..

SO - enough of the mushy stuff.. let's get to your freebie!

{freebie expires Nov. 13th}

The next stop on your travels today is Heather. But if you get lost along the way, you can always check out the master list on the ScrapMatters blog. And of course, if you haven't already, be sure to take a peek at all the awesome activities we have going on throughout the rest of the weekend.. Happy scrapping! :D

Happy Digital Scrapbooking Day!

2010-11-05T05:00:00.001-06:00

Can you believe it's November already? And that the glorious weekend known as DSD is finally here!? I have 2 new grab bags, an older product being moved over from my guest spot at SBG, the winner of my grab bag sneak peek contest, and the chance to win a $50 GC to my store! But I know you all have lots of plans for shopping, chatting and scrapping, so I'm going to keep this quick - or at least as quick as I can..

First up - ScrapMatters is having a KILLER sale! Really the best in the industry, I think - 40% off for a whole week!

We also have SO many incredible games and activities planned, you really need to check them out!

Now - on to the goodies.. I'm so excited to offer my first ever Commercial Use Grab Bag!

I'm offering 4 brand new commercial use products for just $5! That's only $1.25 per piece - you can't get much better than that - especially for CU! Here's the reveal, but check out the images in the store for a better view.. These have all been quality checked for your peace of mind, and no credit is required.

And of course, what's DSD without a personal use grab bag as well?

This fantastic bag of scrapping basics includes 4 brand new products - including a FULL KIT - all for $4! Seriously - $1 for a full kit? When does that happen?!? Never! So grab it before it's gone.. And rather than showing you all the goodies here, I'll just show you the AWESOME pages from my CT, and you can pop on over to the store for the full reveal..

You may have noticed a few familiar pieces on the pages, and that's because I'm bringing my Well Loved Alpha over from my guest gig at Scrapbookgraphics, as it coordinates perfectly with the kit in the grab bag..

Along with all the new goodies, I also have a chance for you to win a $50 GC to my store...

Now finally the winner of my grab bag from the sneak peek contest.. Congratulations to... Lisa & Heather!! With only 2 entrants, I figured I just couldn't say no to one of them.. So go ahead and email me to redeem your prize.. :)

And with that, I'm off... but be sure to check back tomorrow for the ScrapMatters blog train - you won't want to miss it!

Happy scrapping!

Are you ready.....

2010-11-03T15:45:00.000-06:00

DSD is quickly approaching, and with it all kinds of festivities..

First up, I'll have a great opportunity for you to win an awesome prize...

Secondly, here's a look at what we have going on at ScrapMatters..

There's also a Scrap-A-Thon to challenge you to complete 10 layouts over the weekend!

Talk about a scrap high! It's going to be SO great! :D

And finally, peek for you.. with a chance to win, of course! :) I'm offering a PU grab bag, as well as a CU grab bag.. For your chance to win the PU bag, simply post about it on your own blog with a link to mine, then come back here and leave a comment with the link to your post.. It's that simple.. :)

I'll be back on Friday to reveal the bags and announce the winner.. And one last plug for my newsletter contest.. Subscribe via the link at the top of my blog by 10pm EST tomorrow, and you'll be entered to win ALL of my PU new releases for the rest of the year! See you in a few days.. :D

It's that time again...

2010-10-29T23:58:00.001-06:00

Week 3 of BOTCT is over, and once again, my girls have totally rocked their pages! The challenge this week was to create a monochromatic page about themselves - and Amanda was a trooper and scrapped through days of contractions in a row, while Jordan scrapped amidst closing on the house her family just built! Go team! Be sure to leave them some love, then make sure to vote HERE to name them the best CT out there - 'cause they are! :D {They're about 3/4 of the way down the poll. 1 vote per IP address PER WEEK, so if you've voted in weeks past, you need to do it again.. Polls close at 11:59pm EST on Sunday.}

Niki

Sara

Amanda

Jordan

Cheryl

NEW templates inspired by Tiff!

2010-10-29T04:00:00.001-06:00

Well, I took last week off, but I hope you'll forgive me.. I've been designing like a crazy person and have all sorts of yummy new goodies cooked up for you in the next coming weeks.. But aside from my scrapping life, it seems like real life has kicked things up a notch, too... Is it just me, or is the holiday rush that used to start mid-November creeping into mid-October? I can't believe how quickly time is flying and my to-do list certainly isn't getting any shorter! If you're in the same boat, then you're going to love my release this week - some fabulous templates inspired by my CT member, Tiff.. They take the hard part out of creating pages and let you get even more done in the brief amount of time you have to scrap these days..

Tiff always lets her photos shine, leaves room to tell the story, and has excellent title work - the hallmarks of a great layout - and now you can get a leg-up on creating pages equally as fantastic! Each template comes in PSD and TIFF format, and I always include PNGs for those of you who need those.. :) As always, these yummy goodies will be 20% off thru Saturday.

And of course, some super CT pages to show these babies in action....

That's it for me this week, but if you're not already, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter by Nov. 1st.. One lucky subscriber will win ALL of my NEW RELEASES for the REST OF THE YEAR {personal use only}.. Pretty neat, right? ... and with that, I'll sign off, but I'll be right back here next week with lots and lots of yummy new treats.. ahh... I love DSD! :D

Spotlighting Meghann and Dawn

2010-10-26T08:00:00.002-06:00

It is all about business today! We've got not one but TWO wonderful guests I would like to introduce you to today! They have been helping out all month, so lets say hi to...

Meghann

{aka scrapmonster}

I am 28 years old; married to my best friend (I know, sounds cliche, but we were best friends before we started dating); mommy to two, with a new baby due in early January; paralegal by day; exhausted by night; and scrapping in between.

How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? I started with paper scrapping about 15 years ago and switched to digi-scrapping 3 years ago when I realized I hadn't had one photo printed in about 6 months. I figured it was time to get things scrapped without worrying about printing the pictures first.
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Your weakest? My strongest scrapping skill is probably trying new things - I love to attempt new styles and use new techniques. My weakest skill is definitely layering and coming up with titles.
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Start! It's really not a big commitment to try, so just dive in and buy one or two kits that are versatile and work your way up from there.
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? I use Photoshop CS4. My "system" is to just find inspiration from something - a kit, a photo, a specific element - and just get started.
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? I have been known to scrap A LOT, but recently life has taken some interesting turns and I haven't had much time to just sit and scrap. I have loved the opportunity to guest with Stolen Moments because it is getting me back into the grove of scrapping.
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? When I start scrapping, my husband goes to work on his hobbies in the other room. So, scrapping is my time to catch up on girly shows. When I'm not pregnant, soda is a MUST.
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? I love to read blogs.
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? Go to Disneyland again.
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? I wouldn't even want to begin to name names, but Amber (Stolen Moments) leaves such wonderful comments that I always feel inspired to scrap more.
If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? Hmm...probably something Christmas-y because I am so excited for Christmas this year!

First Layout

Favorite Layout

Most Recent Layout

Be sure and check out more of Meghann's amazing GALLERY!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Our next guest is....

Dawn

{aka Aussiegirl}

I'm a Christian SAHM to 4 little girls! My wonderful husband works 2 jobs so I can stay home with the girls! I have been digi scrapping since the summer of 2007, and love every minute of it!

How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? Before digi scrapping, I paper scrapped for probably 15 years! Having 4 girls, it was too hard to paper scrap anymore! I loved the look of the digi layouts, and how easy and mess free they were!
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Clustering or cluttering (sometimes it feels more like the last one). Your weakest? White space and single photo layouts. I take TONS of photos, and it's hard to just pick one layout to put on a page, when I LOVE them all!
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Get involved in a digi scrapping site (I personally think SM is the best!) It's a great way to learn new techniques and make GREAT friends who will become closer than some of your IRL friends!
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? I start each layout with the photos in mind first. I will open up the photos I want (this gives me an idea of how many spaces I need for a template too). Than I open the papers and than the elements. A title and journaling are always last! Some layouts just come together quickly, where others take a lot more time! The longest layout has taken 2 days to finally finish up. Those are usually the ones that I'm just not sure of, and they don't seem to be coming together the way I want.
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? (You won't share this info with my husband will you?) I am probably on the computer about 6 hours a day (depending on the day and how much household chores there are). That's not all scrapping though. That's a lot of looking around SM at all the latest news, chatting with friends and checking in with CT's, along with leaving love in the gallery and downloading new kits to play with.
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? Usually, it's super quiet with nothing but me, the computer and sometimes a glass of water or something to drink. However, I've found I'm more creative when I have music on.
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? I love to travel (my favorite things to do on a trip, are to see waterfalls). I also like to read and do photography.
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? I would love to go zip lining again, on a cruise and to Australia. I went zip lining once, but didn't have my camera! I'd love to do it again, with my camera, so I could scrap the moment! I'd love go on a cruise to use some cute kits and beach elements, and Australia is my DREAM vacation...so that's a given!
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? I love to look at my online Best Friends galleries! My Best Friend in real life, is Neverland Scraps, so I love to look at her gallery to catch up on what's going on with her and her family. I love looking at Amanda (dznyscrappers) layouts too. Also Kellig, whom I met in real life and became good friends with! Even though I'm inspired by their styles of scrap, I really like to read about what's going on in their lives....much more personal than reading a blog!
If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? It would have to be about Australia and travel/ photography! (If it had something to do with waterfalls too, that would be perfect!). It would have to have lots of green in it, since that is my favorite color, and probably include Proverbs 3: 5 & 6 and Jeremiah 29: 11-14 my favorite Bible verses.

First Layout

Favorite Layout

Most Recent Layout

Layout Using Stolen Moments Products

Thanks Dawn! Make sure you visit Dawn's GALLERY to see more fantastic layouts!

Grab Your Ballots..

2010-10-23T08:38:00.001-06:00

It's time for another round of voting for the Battle of the Creative Teams.. My girls put together some incredible pages this week - lifting from 2 of their teammates - and would REALLY love your vote! Check out these beauties...

by Cheryl

by Jordan

by Niki

by Amanda

by Sara

And now I'm sure you're DYING to know where to vote! {hehe} Just go to this handy poll, and choose Stolen Moments - we're about 1/3 of the way down the ballot.. Thanks so much for all of your wonderful support.. We were in the top3 last week, and hope to repeat it again this week! :D {Polls close at 11:59pm EST on Sunday and you get one vote per IP address...}

Spotlighting Jamie

2010-10-19T08:00:00.006-06:00

I can't believe the month is half way over! With the month half way over it is about time that I introduce you to one of our wonderful guests for the month. Sit back and enjoy getting to know...

Jamie

{aka jamieh}

My name is Jamie. I am a wife of 4 years, mother of a two year old boy and expecting a girl on 1-11-11 (hoping for that exact date!). I teach PE in elementary school part time. I grew up in Utah, went to BYU, served a mission in Japan and graduated in Elementary Ed. Currently, we live with my parents as my husband is looking for work (he just graduated with an MBA- marketing emphasis). I like to be active, learn new things to cook, read, blog, plan fun activities, and of course scrapbook.

How long have you been scrapping? Have you ever paper scrapped? When did you make the switch to digi and why? I started scrapping with paper in high school, mostly just putting pictures on paper and journaling a bit. The cost of making cute pages was frustrating to me. Plus, the fact that I can't even cut a straight line meant that I was usually disappointed with my layouts in general. In 2009, I heard about digi scrapping from a friend/designer in the MBA wives club and she taught us how to scrap for an evening. I learned enough about photo shop to get started and she was there to answer my questions about uploading to the galleries.
What do you feel is your strongest scrapping skill? Your weakest? I'm not sure I would say I am strong in anything, but I love to do the challenges (thus making alot of my layouts very different). My weakest is that I still don't feel creative on my own. I usually like to use a template or lift someone to get me started. Sitting down with pictures and a kit is overwhelming to me.
What advice would you give someone just starting out digi-scrapping? Don't get overwhelmed. Start with completing a few pages (and be ok with being all the way 'done' with them). Little by little you will learn new tricks and skills and each page will get better.
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? I scrap on a desktop while my hubby is on his laptop doing something. I use PSE5 (time for an upgrade, I know!) I usually like to start with pics first to get the theme of the page (I still want the pictures to be the main focus). I like to stick to a template (with a few minor changes) and don't usually let my creativity guide, but I LOVE if it does! One layout is at LEAST an hour.
On average, how much time do you spend scrapping each week? Lately, only 4-5 hours. I got burned out with QOS in May and it is taking me a REALLY long time to get back into the swing of things.
Describe your perfect scrapping environment - coffee? soda? music? snacks? I don't need much of anything, just a cup of water. I like to focus and get distracted easily, so I sit down with the pure intent of scrapping.
What's your favorite thing to do BESIDES scrapping? Before I was pregnant I loved to workout. Now I love to being with my two year old and my hubby. I enjoy blogging, reading, planning fun events with friends or family and being involved in church activities.
What is one thing you would love to do, just so you could scrap it? This is awful, but the 2 teams I CT for did a collab called bumps and bruises and I have yet to have an injury or for my son to have an injury worthy of a picture. I have kept the kit for weeks thinking surely I'll come up with some picture to use . . . or even a story to journal, but so far . . . nothing! I should be grateful!
Who inspires you in the scrapping community? Any person or site in particular that you look to for inspiration? Amber is incredible. I can't believe how quickly she comes up with new kits and products. I have been struggling to keep up with her and all I am doing is a few layouts! She seems incredible. I also love to peruse the galleries to get ideas and inspiration. Scrap Matters is my number one site of choice.
If you could have Amber create a kit just for you, what colors, theme, etc would it be and why? I like bright colors and kids things. My two year old is bright and happy and I love to portray him that way. Although I really need to get some kits that are more GIRLY since we are having a girl in January. So far I loves blues, greens and oranges, but need to branch out to pinks and purples :)

Since first seeing Jamie's layouts during the Queen of Scrap contest I have been enthralled with her simple yet elegant layouts. Take a peek at some of her layouts!

First Layout
This is my first layout done with my neighbor. She knew a lot about photoshop and I knew a little about scrapbooking and together we created this page.

Favorite Layouts
I really like this layout, mostly because I love the picture. I also scraplifted to create this, but of course, had to have bright colors in it.

This is one of my favorite layouts. I love the bright colors with the black and white picture showing my boy's delighted face.

Most Recent Layout
My most recent layout, with Amber's most recent kit.

Layout Using Stolen Moments Products

Thanks for sharing with us Jaime! Check out Jaime's GALLERY to see more of her work.

COME VOTE!!!

2010-10-15T23:31:00.001-06:00

The Polls for BOTCT are up! Check out my team's AWESOME pages...

Then vote for STOLEN MOMENTS here: http://www.esurveyspro.com/app/polls/DirectPoll.aspx?id=6819

Polls close 11:59pm EST on Oct. 17th.. One vote per IP address..

Aviator - A Collab with JennCk Designs!

2010-10-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to lie - I'm pooped! It's been a whirlwind couple of months, and it's finally catching up to me, lol... And my BOTCT team has been working their little buns off, and it makes me tired just watching them - haha.. So, I'm going to keep things short and sweet this week.. First up, ~~a couple~~ a whole slew of re-releases to both stores.. All images are clickable for more info - and they're all 20% off thru Saturday!

And now my "truly new" product.. I had the great pleasure of working with one of my stellar CT girls who also designs! I've always admired JennCk's templates, but her kits are fantastic as well, and we really had a blast putting this little beauty together... And besides that, she's guesting at ScrapMatters this month - how fun is that?!?!

Aviator

Let your spirit soar as you scrap your aviation lovers young and old. Filled with vintage charm, this collaboration celebrates our fascination with the skies and honors those who serve and protect. And funny story.. I was at my brother's house last night, babysitting, and his little boy just upgraded out of the crib, and his new "big boy" bedding? Airplanes in these exact colors! Cuh-ray-zyyy!!!

Now to get your creative juices flowing, here are some pages from my team, Jenn's team, and the ScrapMatters team.. As you can see, this kits works for SO many types of pages.. not just airplane inspired...

And now our winner from the sneak peek contest... Kelseyll =)

Congratuations! Emai me for your FREE copy of the kit!

That's it for me this week... Have a safe and enjoyably weekend, and of course - Happy Scrapping! :)

Sneak a Peek and WIN!!!

2010-10-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

So, apparently Kate thought she needed to study for tests and write papers and all kinds of boring schtuffs.. so you're stuck with me this week... I have a fantastic kit coming out on Friday that I just love and plan to use as soon as we go to the .... well, I won't spoil it too much for you..

So take a look and for a chance to win, why don't you ... leave a comment telling me what you think it's named.. {Kate has hoarded all the random questions to her deep dark cave of doom, otherwise we'd be doing one of those.. that will pick back up again next week...}

I'll see you on Friday with the reveal and a winner! :D

ScrapMatters is down the for count...

2010-10-12T15:10:00.000-06:00

As many of you are aware, there have been some issues with the forum and gallery at ScrapMatters the last couple of days.. While the problems are being addressed, we felt the safest thing to do was to close down the entire site until the issues can be resolved. We'd rather have you miss out on your favorite goodies for a few hours or days rather than fight your computer and any viruses you may pick up while you're there.. Fair enough? ;) Hope to be back up and running soon... :D

Here & Now with Studio Rosey Posey..

2010-10-08T04:00:00.002-06:00

Hello again and Happy Friday! As per the usual {these days} I have lots to show you, so I'll get right to it.. :) First up - my releases at ScrapMatters...

The Pointed Truth

First released as a participation prize for the speed scrap I hosted last week, you can use these fun little elements to succinctly tell your story, add a bit of humor to your page, or just plain old label your photos. Included are 16 different arrows and 53 phrases - of course you can use your own text as well.. Comes in black, but is a breeze to recolor!

And a couple CT pages for your viewing pleasure... :)

I'm also re-releasing the following items from my guest stay at After 5, as well as making the alpha from my Sweater Weather kit available as a stand-alone product..

And now, a kit that I'm SO excited to show you! I've teamed up with the incredibly sweet Lor of Studio Rosey Posey to put together a standout kit that you'll find yourself going back to again and again...

Here & Now

With rich and vibrant colors, beautiful patterns and impeccable elements, this kit is perfect for "everyday" photos, babies, or special occasions. And you'll even get a special treat, FREE with the purchase of the kit - all month long!

And now some GORGEOUS eye-candy from my incredibly talented creative team - they've really outdone themselves this time!!

And finally, all of the other items I'm adding to my studio at Scrapbookgraphics. All of these pieces {bundles excluded} - as well as everything else highlighted in this newsletter - are 20% off today and tomorrow only.

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So, after all that, you deserve a freebie.. But guess what, you're not getting just ANY freebie, you're getting a freebie with a chance to WIN!

Keep your eye on the SBG forum to learn more about how you can win the collab, or even $10 to both mine and Rosey Posey's studios! But until then, grab the freebie from me, then head on over to Lor's blog to snag hers..

DOWNLOAD

Have You Heard?

2010-10-07T12:07:00.000-06:00

If you subscribe to the SM newsletter and follow scrapmatters on Twitter, you'll receive this entire collab - for FREE! But hurry - downloads are being sent out TOMORROW! Links to both subscriptions are in my right sidebar - please forgive the image being cut off, the links still work.. :)

It's hump day.. and I have something to cheer you up!

2010-10-06T06:57:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure about you, but my week is turning out to be one of THOSE weeks. I'm not sure if it's the cooler weather or what's going on, but I hope next week isn't as crazy as this one!

This week I have a sneek peek of Amber's newest creation that she will be releasing over at Scrapbook Graphics. Unfortunately, I will not be doing a give away this week, but Amber will be back with the kit reveal and an opportunity to win the kit on release day! So there's still a chance to win this gorgeous kit!

So here's a look-sy...

I just LOVE the colors in this one! I can't wait for you to see it! Be on the look out for Amber and the full reveal!

Have a great rest of the week!

~Kate

A Spooky NEW Collab!

2010-10-01T04:00:00.000-06:00

I know I was just here yesterday, so I won't take too much of your time today.. For my SM release this week, I had the absolute joy and pleasure of working with an old friend of mine - Jen Balding of Girl Boy Girl Designs. We've put together a totally spooktacular kit for you, and a few add-on packs as well.. Check out all these awesome goodies...

With 20 papers, 2 alphas and over 70 elements in non-traditional colors, lots of fun patterns and textures, you're sure to have oodles and boodles of fun creating pages of your little {or big} ones scaring it up this year!

Contains 27 pieces with everything from word strips, element scatters, doodles and glitter accents, you're sure to find something to bring your page from "fantastic" to "spook-tastic" in no time!

Who doesn't love a good Halloween party well-executed? And this hybrid printable pack will have you spookin' and a groovin' in no time!

Contains:

2 cupcake stands with matching picks - approx. 1.5" tall x 3" diameter, picks are 1.75" diameter
1 party hat - approx. 6" tall x 4" diameter
1 candy bar wrapper - fits Hershey bars and similar
1 popcorn favor box - approx. 2"x2" and 3" tall

All pieces are provided in JPEG format, sized for A4 paper, and come with complete assembly instructions.

Looking to add an extra spooky touch to your pages? Haven't found just the right alpha for your Halloween scrapping needs? Well with 4 alphas in 1, this is just the pack you need! In a spooky-ooky font style, and 4 different patterns in classic Halloween colors, you can mix and match as much as you like! It will be your go-to alpha for all things scary! Includes lower case, numbers & punctuation.

And now, some incredible inspiration pages from my oh-so-awesome CT!

I'm also releasing another bit of CU goodness for my designer cronies, but I'm sure you non-designers can find some good use out of these handy little candy scatters as well - especially at this time of year.. ;)

Included are 6 scatters, as well as individual PNG files of the various colors for each scatter.

And of course, Beautiful on the Inside is also moving over to ScrapMatters, so if that is your shopping spot of choice, you can grab the entire collection there now, as well..

All of these new products - excluding the already-discounted bundles - are 20% off now thru Saturday.

And after all that, you need a freebie - but first, the winner from Kate's contest.. Congratulations to Andrea! You've just won the Spooky Town kit! Email me to recieve your coupon.

Now on to your freebie...

DOWNLOAD

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Oh yeah - and come speed scrap with me tomorrow to get this awesome participation prize!

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I'll see you again next week, but until then, happy scrapping! :)