Wednesday 28 April 2010 1 comments
iNSD & Free Templates

Ok, ok, I know I said I'd stop making templates. But I really do like making them. Especially when I've run out of photos to scrap!

As a treat for International Scrapbooking Day on May 1, one of the designers I create for, Jennifer Fox, is having a MEGA giveaway of about 15 layered templates. I have contributed to the mix with this design:


You can pick it up from May 1, along with a plethora of other templates from some of our top CT team, by visiting her blog here. Enjoy.

Another of my designers, Danielle Young, is having a MASSIVE sale on her products at Oscraps - she is doing a 30 per cent off sale, PLUS a freebie mini kit giveaway on her blog, PLUS a challenge to get a further 10% off her shop on Sunday/Monday (our time) - We've all told her she's WAY TOO GENEROUS, but she won't listen and is giving it all away anyway!



Charlize Creations is having a big sale too 40-50% off, at her shops Scrapable, Scrapbook Bytes and Elemental Scraps. Worth checking out, hey? Her blog is here.

There are heaps and heaps of other sales on around the digi world, and most of them spread from Thursday, April 29 - Monday, 3 May - just so all the different time zones are included in all the goodies.

Happy shopping everyone!



Monday 26 April 2010 0 comments
Layouts to Share

Here's what's been keeping me busy this past two weeks. I apologise if you've already seen some of these already - I've been posting to so many different galleries it's hard to keep up here.

Stacey Children: Charlize Creations "Be Enchanted" kit


Pick Together, Stick Together: Charlize Creations "Baby I Love You" kit. I don't think this is exactly the page Winnie, the designer, had in mind when she created this kit, but there's not a lot of room left for romance in a family of five ... (poor me...!) 


Not Finished Yet: SAS Designs "Tweet Times" kit.


Baby No 3: Danielle Young Designs "52 Inspirations" as part of Oscraps weekly kit.


Almost 7: Scrapbook Bytes Collaboration kit "Through Your Eyes".


Fisherman Daddy: Jennifer Fox Designs: "Raining On Sunday" kit.


Slow Down: Charlize Creations Collaboration "Sweet Memories"


Father & Daughter: Color With Caryn @ Digiridoo "Earthy Crunchy" kit.


Blessed Life: Danielle Young "Blessed Blooms" kit.


Come Hither Eyes: Danielle Young "Blessed Blooms" kit.



Arty Farty Art Journal: Hazel Olive Designs "Moody" collaboration.


3 Blessings: SAS Designs "Blooming Blossoms" kit.


Lucky? You Bet: Danielle Young's contribution to a massive collaboration only to be released on Ali Edwards' blog with her "Week in the Life" project.



Fisher Boy: Same as above :) Very. Very. Very. Exciting. Oh, and my own freebie template!


Man-Craft: SAS Designs "For You" kit, and my own template. Wooden Paper from my stash.


One Day I Fell In Love: Charlize Creations "Touch of Morning" kit.


Groove, We Still Got It: Jennifer Fox Designs "Bubblegum Beauty" kit.

Birthday Surprise: Jennifer Fox Designs "Bubblegum Beauty" kit.


Fisherman: Kaisercraft "Friday Night Jive" kit.


Suzy and Kathy: SAS Designs "365" kit


Patience: Charlize Creations "Let's Talk About Love" kit.


Easter Egg Hunt: Jennifer Fox Designs "CuppyCakes" kit


Whoa. That's way to many layouts for two weeks - no wonder I've dissolved into my office chair ...
If you'd like to see any of them up close, click on my "2010 Layouts" album (flashing in a slideshow up top right).

'Night.
Friday 23 April 2010 0 comments
Freebie Tutorial: How To Create A Forum Signature

Have you ever visited an online forum (about scrapping, of course!) and spied a stunning, personalised signature by one of the other posters? Maybe it includes a small mugshot of them, or lists the creative teams they are on, or simply shows their favourite embellishment clusters.

Forum signatures, or "siggies" as they are known, can speak volumes about the person they are attached to. It lets other forum users get an idea of who they are talking to, and it can effectively let you "leave your creative mark" on various scrapping sites you visit. A good siggie can prompt viewers to go check out your blog or online galleries too.

Well, now you can make your own. I've made up a tutorial, complete with lots of screen shots, to help you through the steps. I've used Kaisercraft's Bloom kit and an alpha from my stash.



To see it, visit here.
Don't forget to leave some love! Can't wait to see all the new creative siggies popping up in the forums!
0 comments
My Freebie Template is Up at Jen's Tomorrow

I've created a Friday Freebie template and it is up on Jennifer Fox Designs' blog tomorrow. They are a day behind us, so that's why their Friday freebie is on our Saturday.

Here's a preview of the template, and what I made with it, using This Woman's Work. Go check out Jen's blog tomorrow to grab it.

I've also raved a bit about "Scrap Like Nobody's Watching" - using templates v's not. Happy Reading :)



2 comments
Hello Girls!

Katharyn here. I'm one of the {lucky} new chicks at Jennifer Fox Designs and I've gotta say, I'm thoroughly stoked to be here.

Just a heads-up, I'm an Aussie, so any slang or spelling oddities you may come across here today are perfectly justified. ;)

I've got this layered template for you and I'm soooo hoping you'll have fun using it. I am an unashamed user of templates. I know there are some of you out there who consider it "cheating" unless you create something totally from scratch. I'm not one of them.

Why not use them? If you need a no-stress layout that records a story and illustrates it with a photo or two, then what's wrong with taking this easier, quicker approach to get it done? I'm all for learning new photoshop techniques and sometimes attempting to create absolute masterpieces that would make even Martha Stewart blush (or Ali Edwards, or Cathy Zielske, or whomever it is who's your scrapbooking goddess).

But between you and me, there are times that I just want to scrap like nobody's going to be looking at it. It's just for me. It just needs to make me happy. Not every page needs to be perfect, gorgeous, or even created from scratch. In the same way that not every cake you make needs to be made from scratch - I sometimes use a packet mix - Eeeekkk!!!! Does that make me less of a mum? Do the kids say it tastes different? Nah. It's all good.

I'm not saying cut all your corners. But just don't make it harder than it has to be. There is a time and a place to focus on all aspects of your scrapping - from developing your photography skills, to learning how to fix them up digitally. From focussing on your titling work, to working on your drop shadows. And there is a time to painstakingly 'umm and ahh' about where to place all your elements and photos about the page, and a time to say "You know what? I'm going to concentrate on the story / photo/ kit this time around." Using someone else's sketch, and crediting them for it, is ok.

As busy mums, or working career women, or volunteers, or whatever - our scrapping time is finite, so we need to use it wisely.

And just so you know, we who make layered templates, enjoy doing so. And we enjoy it all the more if it makes your life easier too.

Happy weekend scrappers!




Download this template from here.
And here's what I made with it.


My layout uses Jennifer's "This Woman's Work", available at The Digi Chick here.
0 comments
New template to give away

I've got a new free template to give away as part of my guest post on Jennifer Fox's blog here on April 23. Go check it out, download it and leave some love (for me or the template - you choose, LOL!)

Here's a peek. Professional looking, hey?? Big Smiles from me!

And here's what I made with it, using Jennifer Fox's "A Woman's Work" kit.


Tuesday 20 April 2010 2 comments
Scrap Room Makeover: The Before

Ok. This was the mess before. Totally honest photos. No photoshopping ;p

Ok. Just before I completely bare my soul here ... promise you'll not snicker. At least not where I can hear you. And remember, it's the BEFORE room. The after is much, much better.

Here goes nothing ...


The writing in the images has not translated into web size, so I've re-typed them beneath.

General Overview:


CONS: Wrong colour (to dark and uninspiriing for me - for this purpose.
             Busy flooring
             Ugly printer and technoarti is the first thing you see when you enter.
             Prime space dedicated to my traditional scrapbooking supplies, which are now rarely used.

CONS: Lots of space
            Central to family room, therefore easily accessible for quick posts (like this?? NOT!! lol)
            I like my 12 x 12 wooden frames to house recent layouts
            Like the idea of all the open shelving, especially right behind where I sit. But do I even
            use any of this stuff any more?


I’ve got lots of shelving, which is great. It took a lot of hunting to find this stuff at online auctions. I also like how my ribbons are sorted by colour in K-Mart shoe tidies, and likewise with my paints. Behind the cupboard doors is more shelving housing Bazzill cardstock and patterned papers sorted into manufacturers. In the foreground is my A3 printer, which was expensive, but very worthwhile. Especially when I was doing a lot more hybrid. I got it because it has 6 or 8 separate ink tanks (forgotton now) and Ali Edwards also had one and recommended it because it doesn’t dry up and seize when you fail to use it for 3 weeks (suited my erratic hybrid style). I figured it was my equivalent to a die-cutting machine (which I would never invest in!) To the left is a bag full of unfinished pages. Awaiting journalling, or glue, or just waiting to be resurrected.




My tins of word stickers, chipboard alphas, cards. In the middle is my pile of “stuff to be sorted” - includes printed layouts to be inserted into albums, material I want to re-cover my chair in (???) Dana’s specially-knitted jumpsuit made by my mum (awaiting scrapping in some kind of special memorabilia frame). Baskets are full of stuff I’ve made but have no use for and want to sell, or foam stamps, or my punches. OH! And that red folder with “supplies” written on it is a catalogue of all the digital supplies I’ve ever bought. I needed to start cataloguing them because I began buying stuff I had already bought a year ago (how embarrassing). When I like something, I usually um and ah, put it on a wishlist. Revisit the wishlist several times, before caving. It’s just that sometimes I don’t remember the caving bit and I cave again. Repeatedly ... Anywhoo ...


Stamps are sorted into text and picture/ image stamps. Rubber are housed in caddies. My clear stamps are housed in an A5 ring-binder from fficeworks. I also keep small items like buttons, borders, brads and inks in these caddies.




Inspiration cork board. Not much inspiration on there atm. It’s a neglected part of my scrap room that I’d like to re-energise.

My chipboard shapes are sorted into arrows, flowers/hearts, frames, scrolls, extra. I don’t know why I keep these, I don’t use them. But my thoughts originally were to keep them visible so I could be inspired to add them as a finishing touch on my hybrids. Next is my junk pile on the floor in the corner. It houses my terribly expensive heat tool 9aka old cruddy toaster). Broken desk light. My school memorabilia. Studff I need to purge (box) and stuff I haven’t unpacked from my last crop outing. Talk about disorganised .... HELP!


Well, here it is. The command centre. Central Station. The hub of it all. My desk. In all it’s embarrassing glory. Often so cluttered I can’t work without scraping something off the side ... Phone book out completing errands. Towel there because I’d been nursing baby guinea pigs on my lap. Goggles because I’d taken the kids swimming ...?? Bills folder on the seat, awaiting urgent attention. I hope you realise I feel like I’m bearing my soul here. This is where I like to spend my time. And it’s go darn messy. Haphazard. Disorganised.


But, hark! I hear change is acomin’ ....


TO BE CONTINUED ...
Thursday 15 April 2010 2 comments
Memory Makers Idea Book

Yes! I've been advised I'll have no less than FIVE layouts published in the American Memory Makers' Big Book of Scrapbook Ideas, to be published May 2011. YIPPEE! Pity I can't show you the ones they chose, but a contracts' a contract, right? I'm so excited. Stay tuned for some scanned pages when it's out.

I've also managed a couple of layouts in the current copies of Scrapbook Creations and Scrapbooking Memories, both of which arrived by post yesterday. Still very exciting also. Especially when I see fellow CTers in there too :) I'm telling you, if you haven't already tried submitting your beautiful creations to magazines, than DO IT NOW! If you've only just joined my blog, then you'll find some tips on how to go about this that I posted a few weeks ago, here.

I've been away for Easter, hence my online abscene. But I've got some great ideas and inspirational tips coming your way soon - am currently working on a few different tutorials to give away on Fridays (were you getting a tad sick of layered templates yet???) so if there's anything you'd like to know how to do, drop me a line (or comment) and I'll do what I can. Just bear in mind, I'm no tech-head or even an expert, so be kind and not too ambitious!

Back soon with my regular posts. Happy Scrapping!
Thursday 1 April 2010 0 comments
Have a happy and safe Easter everyone!

Here are a few I've been working on this week ... (whew!)

Credits for materials used in these layouts will be at my galleries in these stores I mention :)

Charlize Creations Bunny Love



E-scape and scrap: Generations and Sweet Memories kits


Jennifer Fox My Little Garden


SAS Designs Song of Spring



SAS Designs Just Remember



Charlize Creations Bunny Love



SAS Designs Easter Days

One Little Bird by Peppermint

Jennifer Fox Designs Birthday Boy



Hope you get some creative time over the break - even if it just means getting out the camera for some happy snaps of family and loved ones.

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