New Scrapbook Night

In case you didn't know, there is a new monthly scrapbook night starting November 14. I will be rotating with 2 other Stampin' Up! demonstrators so we will fun a variety of fun, fresh designs for you each month.

This is a sample of what you can create with your kit! Of course, these were created with My Digital Designer for my ease of getting them posted, but we will be be using real paper, punches and stamps at the scrapbook night.

Each month will consist of supplies and designs for 2, 2-page layouts which can be done in 12x12 or smaller. Cost is only $15! Plus, the 3 hour time frame will be enough for you to complete your layouts and even get the pictures and journaling on--or work on another project!

Email me for more information, sign up ends Nov. 10.

Have a great day!

Tasha

• Just need supplies? Click here to place a Stampin' Up! order online.

A Sketch Two Ways

This sketch is simply wonderful. There are many ways it could be used, but of course I chose the quick and simple route! This first one is a card for a teenage boy that we know. He was in the paper for playing the Star Spangled Banner before a parade.

The stamp sets are the new Jumble alphabet, Just Jawing, and an old background called Basic Backgrounds. Colors are bravo burgundy, whisper white, and summer sun.

Now, don't fall off your chair...the second project is a s-c-r-a-p-b-o-o-k page. I know, I haven't been getting many of these done lately but this layout just screamed scrapbook to me!

As you can see, it lends itself quite nicely to a scrapbook page.

All I used for this one is almost amethyst, so saffron, and teaparty designer series paper. A little paper piercing on the left side adds interest. I used the edge of a topnote as a guide.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Tasha

In Case You Need a Reason

Hi Stampers! If you accepted my challenge to do 15 scrapbook pages this month, how are you coming? I hope you have at least started!

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If you aren't "into" scrapbooking, here's an article I found that might help you understand those who have fallen under the spell.

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Many Benefits of Scrapbooking
by Carole DeJarnatt
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The scrapbooking hobby has been around for a long time and people do it for a variety of reasons. If you are an outsider to the world of scrapbooking, then you will not understand until you experience the craft the many reasons a person invests so much time and energy into a scrapbook page.

When I was first introduced to scrapbooking via my church family, I told them I had neither time nor energy to invest in creating pages of photos matched up with paper and cute little embellishments. I thought those people were crazy staying up all hours of the evening, dragging around tons of supplies, just to sit and create scrapbook pages.

One evening I was invited to a scrapbook night and I agreed to come with the intent of visiting and watching. No scrapbooking for me. I was a business professional who could not imagine investing time or energy into something I felt was for stay-at-home moms or those who had nothing better to do.

Little did I know I was about to change my mind and attitude…during the evening of socializing and viewing all the pages of creation, something changed in me. One person in particular needed help with color coordinating and matting her photos. I started working with her and ended up finishing her page for her. The scrapbooking bug bit me and it bit hard! The very next day I was out buying all the essential tools to create my very own pages of photos.

What is it about scrapbooking that captures so many people's devotion and attention?

-Focus--You lose your focus on everything except for the scrapbook page you are working on. You forget the world exist for a few moments and you focus on nothing but what is in front of you.
-Creativity--All it takes is a sheet of paper and a few ideas to get your creative juices going. Whether the ideas are from a magazine, your surroundings, or the scrapbook paper held in your hand; the end result is pure enjoyment.
-History--When I think of a scrapbook, to me it is the history of the day, moment, or event. The page was created for future generations to learn of their family.
-Expressing myself--The scrapbook is made by someone and that in itself is a source of pride and joy. The feeling you get from completing, giving, or sharing your scrapbooks is indescribable.
-Giving--When working on a scrapbook layout, you are giving your thoughts, feelings, and memories to an event to share with others. The joy you feel when others express pleasure and enjoyment from your work is worth all the time and energy.

. Scrapbooking has become so sophisticated you do not even need to leave the comfort of your home to get started. If you are experienced with computer programs such as Photoshop Elements, your tools are at the tips of your hands. If you prefer traditional scrapbooking, you still have the ability to order supplies and tools at the comfort of your home and within days you will be completing your own scrapbook.

. People today have a variety of reasons for making their own scrapbooks and/or creating creations of beauty with their supplies. The majority of my experience has been to create something to share with future generations. People want to be remembered and through a scrapbook their lives are shared.

About the Author: Carole DeJarnatt began her love with paper but now also designs digitally for the future generations of her family. Visit Bestscrapbookingresources.com for ideas, supplies, and learning guides. From beginner to expert, traditional scrapbooker to digital, the resources are available at http://www.bestscrapbookingresources.com to find what you need to create your own scrapbook or gifts for your friends and family.

So are you ready to get started? Let's finish the month strong and roll into June with that great feeling of accomplishment after completing 15 (or more!) pages.

And remember, check your pattern paper supply before the end of the month. Stampin' Up! is offering Buy 3, get 1 FREE on all designer series paper packs. You can order directly from my business website or by emailing me.

Enjoy your holiday tomorrow! Tasha

A Scrapbook Page!

Hi Stampers! There is a great sketch to check out today over at http://www.unscriptedsketches.com/ . I had to do a quick one since my Open House starts in just a few minutes. Be sure to check out the next post about today's events, there is blog candy that runs until next Saturday.

I have the Stampin' Up! Just Football set, but I think it might be at my neighbors or still packed up from a workshop we did. Anyway, the Sporting set worked fine.

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Have a great day and thanks for stopping by! Tasha

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It's Time Again!

Hi Stampers! Saturday morning is time for the Unscripted Sketch so...here's my take! This 4-1/4"x5-1/2" card features a message from the Stampin' Up! set Refuge and Strength. Certain colors don't photograph well and rose red is one for me. In person, the colors are much nicer!

If you would like to play along, here's the sketch. I think it would make a great scrapbook page as well. If I have time today, I'll get one posted later. I am busy getting samples ready for next Saturday's Open House. I did complete 2 8x8" scrapbooks to display for the 2-hr. scrapbook class--woohoo things are falling into place.

Stampin' Up! supplies I used:

stamps: Refuge and Strength

cardstock: whisper white, certainly celery, pink pirouette, raspberry tart designer series paper (my new favorite)

ink: certainly celery, regal rose

accessories: rose red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

tools: eyelet border punch

Needing supplies? You can order 24/7 by clicking my business site or email me at tasha@thestampinglady.com .

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend! Tasha

Make It Count!

Hi Stampers! Today I want to share an article about scrapbooking that I wrote. When I take the time to get out my pictures and focus on getting them in an album, I am a woman possessed. And it took me a while to realize not everyone does it like me. Case in point: the first time I went to a "crop", we all shared our progress at the end (of 4 hours). Most had done 1-5 pages. I did 22! Having 2 small children at home, I was not about to waste a minute of my time!!
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So how did I do it? I have gone through my process and hope my steps will help you as well.
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Getting The Most Out of Your Scrapbooking Time

As with anything, organization is key. And you have to plan ahead. Scrapbooking can be such a fun and fulfilling hobby or it can be frustrating, expensive, and messy. If you are way behind, or just starting from lots of pictures I recommend picking a year. It doesn't really matter which year you do first, you're going to get them all done eventually.

Well before your scrapbooking time, you need to get your pictures ready. For many of us, that means getting them printed. I know lots of families that take lots of pictures that never make it out of the camera/computer. If time is an issue, consider looking through them quickly and simply removing the definitely bad ones. Don't get bogged down, cropping, editing, and deciding which one is "the best" because they will look different in real life--trust me. Then get them printed!

Now that you have pictures printed or gathered up you have another prep session which involves sorting your pictures. This is the first of:

5 Steps To Dominate Scrapbooking

1. Sort your pictures by month. Have a folder or page protecter or envelope for each month--labeled. That way if you have to put everything way, it's easy to start right where you left off. Still best if you can do this before your scrapbooking session.


2. Using the pictures from just one month, sort them into events or categories: Bob's birthday party, swim lessons, picnic day. Evaluate the pictures in each category and choose which to use. Guess what? If you have kids at home, they will like to have those leftover pictures.


3. Get out your sketches or scrap maps. Working with one event, choose colors and lay out your cardstock. It is so much quicker to have a sketch available to get going. For even faster results you can use a Simply Scrappin' kit which has coordinating cardstock and embellishments all ready to go.


4. The fun part! Put your pages together, get your pictures on, and embellish to your heart's content.


5. Journal it. Do not skip this step! I know you may not be in the mood to reminisce and find the right words, etc. That's ok but make sure you get the date, the subject, and the place. The sappy stuff can be added later. :)

After you complete one event, you just repeat steps 3-5 until the month is done. That is the best feeling! Then grab the next month and start over at step 2. Repeat this process until you are all caught up.

That's really all there is to it. You can break it into bits and do a month at a time or several months at once. Try it, I think you'll be happy with the results.

Author Tasha Hickert owns a rubber stamping and scrapbooking business. She started scrapbooking before the word existed and has been stamping for 11 years. For more tips or supplies, contact her at tasha@thestampinglady.com or visit her blog http://tashasdesignworld.blogspot.com .

I'll be back tomorrow for show and tell. Have a Fabulous Friday and thanks for stopping by! Tasha

Picture the Possiblities

Hi Stampers! As promised, I have Stampin' Up!'s May special to show you. With May being National Scrapbooking Month, this special will help you to get your scrappin' groove on!

The highlights are:

• Buy 3 designer series paper packs, get 1 free
• Buy 3 textured cardstock packs, get 1 free
• Order the not-yet-in-the-catalog Jumble alphabet stamp set at 20% off

And the craziest thing:

• Join my team, the Stamping Circle, for only $75! It's true Stampin' Up! has arranged a scrapbook starter kit option that gets you all the business supplies plus some scrapbooking supplies to get started. Contact me if you are interested by email tasha@thestampinglady.com or 620-960-8490.

I think the Jumble alphabet is genius. Casual, whimsical, fun all in one alphabet at a great price!

You can order this starting tomorrow, May 1, by clicking on My Stampin' Up! website. The alphabet is number 115199 and, for a limited time, the price is $35.16.

Have you gotten out your pictures and started to organize? Are you up for a challenge?

I challenge you to create 15 pages this month--with pictures.

What good are the layouts if they don't have pictures? Yes, this is the challenge I have set for myself as well. And busy as May is, it will not be easy but I know that I will be happy to look at them when they are done. So let's get going!

Thanks for stopping by and have a GREAT day! Tasha

It's Cheaper Than Therapy!

Hi Stampers! I just saw this article from scrapbook.com and thought I would share it with you. Many of us crafters joke that stamping is "cheaper than therapy" and now I have a little evidence that it truly is beneficial!!

Companies Focus On Therapeutic Effects of Scrapbooking

As the economic recession leads to a rise in depression (or at least has many people feeling "down"), some scrapbook companies are choosing to focus their marketing efforts on highlighting the therapeutic effects of scrapbooking.

Big Picture Scrapbooking, the site started by Simple Scrapbooks magazine founding editor Stacy Julian which offers online education to scrapbookers, did a survey of their students about how scrapbooking affected them and promoted the results to media outlets. They shared what students said about the positive effect scrapbooking - and BPS classes - had on them:

• Where else are you going to find, tucked into scrapbook design medium, a class on choosing joy and gratitude in your life instead of dwelling on the negative things that surround us every day?
• Where else will you learn secrets that will change the way you view life from top photographers and artists in simple, do-able steps?

Big Picture Scrapbooking has changed my philosophy in life. I am learning from amazing women to savor life a little more and capture that in a form that my friends and family can enjoy and learn from for years to come. Big Picture is also highlighting quotes from student reviews on the front page of their website that reflect the same marketing philosophy - their classes are not only about how to scrapbook, but are uplifting as well.

Stampin' Up! is also focusing marketing effort on the positive effects of scrapbooking. During the month of April, the stamping and scrapbooking direct sales company has been trying to encourage people who are stressed by the recession to relieve stress by adopting a new hobby.

The company says that it believes that the "scenario of friends crafting together and enjoying a fun hobby may just be the ticket to relieving stress and helping people 'get connected' during these tough economic times."

Even those among us who are devoted scrapbookers and have known the help that scrapbooking was getting us through a hard time in the past (the loss of a loved one, for instance) can get pulled away from scrapbooking when we are stressed and other things seem more important. Scrapbooking businesses can do their industry and their customers - and their own individual business - a service by reminding people about the intangible benefits of their hobby.

It's value-added marketing: We're not just selling paper and stickers. We're selling relaxation and comfort, too.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by! Tasha

Busting Three Myths About Scrapbooking

Hi Stampers! With National Scrapbooking Month just around the corner, I've been thinking about some of the things people say to me about scrapbooking. And then I found this great article so instead of reinventing the wheel I will let you read what Karen Siegel Fitting has to say.
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Busting Three Myths About Scrapbooking
-by Karen Siegel Fitting
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When I tell people about what I do, I often hear things like; "I am not creative at all", "I just don't have the time" , "I would love to be able to scrapbook". If you have the desire to scrapbook, you can make to happen.
Read on... three common scrapbooking myths are about to be BUSTED!
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Scrapbooking Myth #1: There's no time to scrapbook. Scrapping doesn't require more time than you are willing to give to yourself for other activities (like exercise or the spa), it just requires scheduling. Most retail stores post their scrapbooking times 2 to 3 months in advance. Independent consultants offer workshops as well and will likely have their schedules prepared 4 to 6 months in advance. My friend, Jackie, only scrapbooks twice a year - at weekend retreat events an independent consultant runs. Jackie knows 6 months in advance when the next retreat will happen and works her family calendar around it. She is able to remain up to date with her photo projects by simply making the most of these two opportunities. In my experience, busy people get things done - because of planning.
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Scrapbooking Myth #2: You have to be creative to make a scrapbook style photo album. Putting photos into safe albums is mostly about preserving the memories & stories that the photos represent. Some of my favorite album pages are 'naked'. They lack any stickers or embellishments whatsoever. I love pages like this because they celebrate the memories. Digital scrapbooking and pre-designed layouts make things easier. Just add pictures and your words and you have a beautiful page!
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Scrapbooking Myth #3: Scrapbooks are for families with kids. As long as you are taking pictures, kids or no kids, there's plenty to work on! Look at your pictures, aren't they worthy of celebration? It's time to show off your exciting life! Celebrate your everyday, your family and friends. Your story is worth telling and sharing, putting these stories and memories into a safe album is a great way to do this!
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Now that you know how to bust these myths, it is time to get started. Find a few pictures, find some friends or some help from a store or consultant and celebrate your memories.
To request your free digital scrapbooking software, go to http://karenfitting.wordpress.com/ Karen Siegel Fitting has been helping her clients keep up-to-date with their photos for over 5 years. Since January, 2009 her clients have completed over 10 albums, hundreds of pages, and have maintained sanity in the effort of keeping their photos managed.
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So now that you have no excuses, why don't you spend some time in the next few weeks finding and organizing some pictures. Then you can scrapbook with me next month! Let's see if we can make this the most productive May ever!!
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Thanks for stopping by, Tasha

PS--Not sure where to start? Stampin' Up!'s Simply Scrappin' kits are a great way to get started. I can get a whole album out of one kit--that's pretty cost (and time) effective! These kits are listed in the catalog on pages 163-165.

And don't forget, you can still sign up for May's COTM club here.

1-Hour Simply Scrappin' Album

I have to share my first Simply Scrappin' album. Now I will say it took me two hours since I had to lay out the pages from scratch. But now I can put it together in 1 hour. Super for a gift. This one is for my cousin who got married recently and the colors are just perfect. I haven't fixed up the cover yet but it will be a "First Year of Marriage" album. Best part is you can get 2 albums out of 1 kit!

This page is pretty much a CASE of the sample that comes with the scrappin' kit. The pages are 8x8. These pictures are when I had it in an 8.5x8.5 book but I went to Hobby Lobby and got a nice 8x8 album for $12.99 that is post bound--made it look much better.

Both of these are red pages! Sorry the one looks so orange.

This gives you the basic idea. I will get better pictures and maybe even figure out how to do a sketch of it. But I know some of you were waiting to see the layout so I am posting it "as is".

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Thanks for stopping by!

Till next time, Tasha