gettin' ready for halloween?

it sure is creeping up on us! just one month away!
i know my kids can't stop talking about what they want to
dress up as. so my question to you is do you have any
halloween traditions? please share them with us!
we really dont have any---other than the kids make
some handmade decorations each year. last year we made
lollipop ghosts. not sure what we will do this year...any suggestions?

so to get you in the hallows day mood here are a couple of cards
i made with the october project kit. have you made any halloween cards
yet this year? share them with us!

Quick and easy Halloween favors

I love making favors for the kids whenever possible and that's why I love my stamp club that I attend once a month. It's a fun night to spend with friends learning new ideas for cards, scrapbooking and my favorite, favors. This past meeting we made these adorable gum wrappers, and they only take a few minutes to make.

To make them cut a square piece of patterned paper 2 7/8 X 2 7/8 then score at 2 1/2 on both sides, 1 5/8 and 1 2/8 and wrap around your 5 stick pack of gum

Another fun favor that I made quite frequently for the kids was spray painting and decorating a can. I would spend the year collecting cans and then during Halloween I would be spray painting 50+ cans to have one for each of the kids classrooms and the teacher and office help. After spray painting just apply vines and a pumpkin face with puffy paints. Once everything was dry I would add tissue paper and fill with treats.

a peek of green

Happy Saturday!

Colleen here and I'm back for more green scrapbooking and a little peek of my DT projects using the October kit.

Do you sometimes forget to take pictures because you are ooohing and aaaahing over the sites? I do. I took a vacation over Labor Day and hardly took a picture. But, that doesn't mean that the memory is lost. Nope! Cause I've got a plan...a green one.

Why toss those postcards that you didn't mail, or those ticket stubs that you have in your pockets? Don't throw away those brochures that the tour guides give you...no way! Scrap them! This is an easy way to scrap green.

Check this out:

I lived in Jamaica for a year while I was doing my dissertation research, and over that time I visited just about every place I could on that island. I attended a Burns Supper that the Jamaican Scottish Society held. I saw the Jamaican Folk Singers perform. I bought post card after post card of the sites, because you can't always take your camera with you into these places. Plus, I just forgot half the time. Some scrapbooker I am...

A few years after I moved back to the states, I came across a shoebox filled with all of the stuff I had collected from Jamaica, and I decided to put it into a mini-album along with some of the pictures I took.I didn't realize that I was being green at the time...I just wanted to preserve as many memories as I could from that wonderful, life changing experience .

Since then, I've made it a point to save all of these things and use them in my pages. In fact, just last week we saw Jim Gaffigan Live at the Cobb Energy Center . They didn't allow photographs of the performance, so I scrapped my ticket and a picture from the program using the goodies from WIPs October kit.
Memories preserved and less waste to boot!
Try it!

where you create.

well, after an emotional night of t.v. (e.r. fans anyone? and jim FINALLY proposed!) i had lots of fun looking at the places where you create! thanks for leaving me those links ladies! hope these areas inspire you too--enjoy!

here is the lovely miss jana's b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l room.

look at all that lovely black...and what really caught my eye in this room was the inspirational board. i love those words on there!

and i LOVED sweet laura's desk in her room...it's from IKEA as well....ahhh, i think i might have a love affair with IKEA. anyways, that desk is great, cause it's right snuggled up with her shelves...and we all know it's nice to be right next to the things you need, when you're creating. thanks laura!

erica's room was so organized and pretty...i loved ALL the pictures, but in particular, i really liked this shelf...talk about organization! thanks for sharing erica!

the midnite scrapper gets crafty in her cool colored room...i adore the brown...and this couch??!! i would love to have that, so i can lay there while i let the mojo return to the body. love that shelf on the wall too!

what i love about lizzie's room is that it incorporates something that she loves...hello kitty! she made her space into a cute and crafty area combined! and i LOVE how she has her thickers hanging on the walls...we don't know what we have if we don't see it, right ladies?

ahhh, friends...thanks so much for sharing! have a great night!!

Letters Looking Sparse?

If you are a scrapper, you most likely have an obsession with all kinds of letters. I know I do! I love them so much that I often find it hard to throw them out. Even when my sticker sheet or my chipboard letters start looking sparse, and it becomes hard to spell the words I want to, I still can't seem to get rid of them! I thought that today I would share a few tried-and-true tips to help you get more mileage out of those letter sheets!


1) Use other letters as a substitute to the letter you need.
We all know this trick, right? Flip the letter "u" over to use as an "n". Cut the second hump off of the letter "m" or cut the "h" down to use as an "n" or "u". It comes in quite handy when you are trying to spell a word, but you are running out of those popular consonants and vowels. How about flipping an "h" over to use as a "y"? Each font is a little different . . . look for the possibilities. For the layout below, I cut the letter "w" down to use as the letter "e". With this particular font, you could also cut down the letter "k" to use as the letter "e".

2) Don't be afraid to mix fonts/colors/sizes of letters.
Mixing letter types can produce a really fun affect. This is an older layout of mine, but it's a good example of this concept. :)

3) Use a letter stamp in place of the letter you are missing.

Want to use up those chipboard letters, but you ran out of vowels? Try using letter stamps to replace your missing letters. On this layout I stamped the letter "e" in between the chipboard letters of the word "when". You could also hand draw or stitch a replacement letter. Wouldn't that be cute!

4) Finally, use an online anagram tool to help you spell out words with the remaining letters in your set.

Online Anagram Tool

Type in the letters leftover in your set and see if you can find a word to incorporate into your title. Try it it's fun!

If you have any more tips for using up your letters, share them with us in the comment section! I would love to hear your ideas!

Enjoy your weekend!

Jana

Fall is in the air...

...and at my house, that means a lot of baking, gardening and Halloween decorations. Here is a sample of my new favorite this year...

Terrific Toffee

• 2 cups butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• Chopped toffee bits to garnish (or nuts)

In a large saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F. Stir consistently throughout. While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess. Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

Enjoy your day!!

where i create.

hi all!

it's emily here.

i always love seeing where other people create...so, today i thought i would post pictures of where i create!

i am so fortunate to have a little nook in the corner of our bedroom.

i love my space...it's very practical for me...and when the kids want to color or make their own pages :) they have a little table they can sit at as well!

so, here are some pictures of the space.

i got this wooden cake stand at a thrift store for like .20 cents!

i store all my odds and ends that i end up using a lot on there.

here it is again...along with some other thrift store finds...the yummy dishes that hold some miscellaneous items.

my punches are stored right above it on an IKEA kitchen bar rack...it's a perfect fit...and was super cheap!

i've recycled old baby food jars and used them to house my letters that i have lying around, or that have fallen off my letter sheets.

i store them alphabetically so, the first jar holds "A-D" and so on.

here's my pretty white basket that use to hold diapers, but now it holds all of my letter sheets, and/or rub-ons...pretty much anything i would put on a clip-it-up would go in here.

i'm too cheap to buy a clip-it-up.

here's a view of my tall desk and shelves.

everything pretty much is from either garage sales/thrift stores or IKEA.

love these bowls.

they warm my heart.

another view of my shelf with the baby food jars and also ribbon and flower jars.

my button vase!

a close-up shot of my pretty dishes.

i love these.

NOW, i want YOU to link me up to the place where you create. it can be a rolling tote and your kitchen table or some extravagant scrap room.

i just like to see it.

i'm going to pick a few people who's areas are inspiring (for whatever reason) and post those pictures and a link to those ladies blogs on THIS blog on friday!

so, link me up to your space...or go take pictures of your space and link me up.

and like i said, even if it's a rolling tote or an armoire that opens up...anything, we want to see it.

you don't need a huge, amazing space to create beautiful art.

have a fabulous tuesday!

em

Monday Updates...

It was a whirlwind weekend here, and I have a lot to share...
We made these fun Halloween projects at the crop this weekend, based on the ones I saw at Laura Vegas' blog. It took a lot of searching to find the houses, but thanks to a few friends, I managed to snag what I could. I have a few left for sale over at the website if you'd like to order one for yourself! I'll also send an email with more detailed photos for those who purchase the project. You can check it out here.

I opted to make more of the October Main kits because the wait list I had for them was long enough to warrant a re-order. So if you were on the wait list and did not receive your invoice yet, please notify me and I'll make sure you get it. I also listed whatever I have left on the website too. They sold out in less than 24 hours--so act quickly if you want one!

Special thanks to those of you who attended the crop here on Saturday. I had a really nice time with you--it was good to get back into the swing of things again! I have a few openings for the crop on October 11th, and yes, Jen will be making her infamous Dinner in a Pumpkin...
The winner of the October Project Kit for registering early over at Get it Scrapped is Kim Smith! Congrats, Kim! Please email me at Turay413@gmail.com and I'll be sure you get your kit in the mail... If you haven't registered for the Sweet Treats for Fall class yet, there is still plenty of time! Be sure to check out the freebie class I posted regarding the candy containers here.

I will be sending out emails regarding the final payment for the Fall Retreat at the Bertram Inn and classes next week. The event is less than 2 months away now, and I'm preparing for it already!! So exciting!! We now have over 50 participants, and it promises to be a fun fall weekend for all!!

Have a wonderful day...

coloring book

When I was little, I would love to color in coloring books. I would start a book and color from begining to end. Every page had to be complete and had to be filled with as much color as possible. Now that I'm a Scrapbooker I can continue my love of coloring in the lines thanks to some cool new papers.

Popstar from Rusty Pickle:



















Color Me from Luxe Designs:



















a cool one from KI Memories




















You can also find some others at Doodlebug and Prima.
Here's what I made using the Rusty Pickle Papers.




















Make sure to use all of your favorite "coloring" materials! I used Watercolor pencils, Glaze pens, Stickles, Glossy Accents and Gems.

Sweet Treats for Fall

For the past 2 years, I've opened my home up during this time of year to my local customers for a class that has been pretty popular called "Sweet Treats." It is a different class than I normally teach, and I set up "stations" where people create a treat and move on to the next one. The gals who have taken this always love it and want me to do more of them, and so I thought it would be perfect as my next online class...

I will be teaching Sweet Treats for Fall over at Get it Scrapped. You can read all about it and register for the class here. I am absolutely THRILLED with the projects (all brand new), and I can't wait to show them to you!! If you're looking for the perfect hostess gift, need to make multiple treats for your child's classroom or want to adorn your home with crafty goodness, please check it out!! The marriage of scrapbook supplies and food is always a good thing...

And as an added bonus, if you register between now and Sunday night (midnight) you will be eligible to win a free WIP October Project Kit!! Whee!!

I'm packing up for the big crop at the Waterbury Clubhouse tomorrow, and I look forward to seeing each one of you gals--it will be a fun day as always...

Enjoy your weekend!!

Do you Wordle?

I love anything to do with text and type, so I was excited to come across the Wordle website. According to the site:

Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.

You can create a word cloud by typing in random words, sentences, even a favourite poem. The site allows you to select a variety of orientations, as well as fonts and colours. Another option is to enter the url of your blog or website, and Wordle uses the text that is shown on the front page.

Here's a word cloud I created by tying in the URL of my personal blog.Currently the site doesn't allow you to save the image to your hard drive; but you can print it out. If you do want to save the file there is a work around. What I did was to do a Print Screen and paste that image into Photoshop. Then I cropped just the portion with the Wordle image and saved that file. I was then able to manipulate it to use on a scrapbook page. I rotated the image 90 degrees and printed it out onto a letter sized piece of cardstock as a background for a page about blogging.


There's so much you can do with this new toy! You can use it as I did for traditional scrapbooking, but also for digi-scrapping. Try it; and show us what you did!

I'm batty about Halloween!!!

I just love the fall!! Football, the crisp air, and of course, the CANDY that comes with my fav holiday, Halloween! Nothing makes me happier. I also love doing some special Halloween crafts with my kids to celebrate. Here are some of my favs:


You can find instructions for the origami bats here. Think how cute they'd be made from some of the fun papers in the October project kit!!! There a few of these kits left, but you need to act fast if you want to get your hands on them.



The directions for these cute bat pumpkins can be found here.



You can find the directions for this mobile here.

All of these ideas came from Family Fun, which is one of my fav websites for craft ideas. Happy crafting!

The Work in Progress October kits...

...sold out a lot faster than I anticipated!! The Main kit, Add-on and the Cardstock options all went very quickly. There are a few of the Halloween kits (shown below) still available here.I know you can't see it very well in the above photo, but the kit does come with 2 yards of the black fringed crepe paper and one yard of the purple.

And for the locals who are attending the crop with me this weekend, you are going to just FREAK when you see the Halloween project we're doing in the break out class! I made a few extra in case you want multiples! And I'll also have a couple of the October WIP Project kits in case you wanted to work on the projects at the crop...I've already started baking...SO FUN!!

Have a wonderful day!!

A winner.........

Thanks to everyone who left me a storage suggestion. I really loved them all, but I could only pick one. :(

The winner is JENN Z!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much for your suggestions. I especially loved this one:


Jenn, I'll be contacting you for your address so I can send you your goodies. Thanks to everyone for playing along!

The October WIP Kits...

...are available here!I made this banner using the October Project Kit and the alphas from an older WIP kit, and hung it up on my fireplace this weekend. I'm in full swing for the Fall and plan on decorating all week long! The photos of this banner come in the newsletter to customers who purchase the kit, and will be emailed out on October 1st. This is one of the projects from this kit--the other is an adorable haunted house mini book that you'll LOVE...

Have a super day!

challenge blogs.

there are sooo many out there---heck i run four YES FOUR of them, i know
i am a bit crazy---but hey it helps me scrap what can i say? LOL
do you need some inspiration?
some prompts? something to help you
get that mojo flowing? there are TONS of blogs that help you do JUST that!
here are a few of them, go out there and play along!
happy scrappin'!

the story maters.
one little word.
sketch this.
how much is too much.
random chaos.
color combos galore.
mini mania.
cardalicious.
scrapstars.
creative therapy.
the design experiment.
scrapping the music.
scrapjacked.

here's just a *few*
go have some scrappin' fun!

It's raining, it's pouring...

you know the rest, right? It's Amy here, a little late, but here none-the-less (thanks Trish). I've been so busy with back to school stuff, that I am just feeling like my to-do list is swallowing me up. What do I do when it gets to be too much??? Scrapbook, of course. :) I got my hands on the new Oct. kit, and it is just yummmmmmmmmmy!

I am a super SUPER messy scrapper. Since I've been scrapping away with the new kit, and I feel like my supplies are swallowing me up, I've been focusing on doing a reorg of my supplies. Here are a few of my fav organization tools. This is an ongoing task for me, and I am constantly trying to find new ways to organize all my stuff.

Up first, is the cart that houses my kits. I have found it's easier to keep all the kits together until there is virtually nothing left. These drawers are perfect since they hold the 12x12 paper, and they are CHEAP, which I love!



For me, these work perfect for my ribbons. And they look pretty, too!


And here are some of my fav rooms on 2 peas...be prepared to drool!

Gemm's room
Samantha Walker's room
Seriously, this is a gorgeous room!!!

I'm pretty sure this is my fav room ever!

I know I've linked Stephanie Howell before, but her scraproom deserves a look-see. The way she organizes is magnificent!!!

Do you have any organizing tips? I'd love to hear about them, or better yet, see them. Link them here and I'll send you a RAK for my fav tip ever!! You have until Sun. night.

Have a great weekend!!!

wish list

If you ever meet me in person you'll be sure to see that I'm a total nut about this hobby. I scrapbook almost every day of the week. Some days it may only be for a few minutes, others for hours if I'm lucky. After 2 1/2 years, I'm still as addicted as ever.

I love to try new tools and techniques. Working at a store gives me the privilege of seeing and trying new things on a weekly basis. Here are some of the things I'm excited to try. (and probably buy!)

Versamark Dazzle - Just like the regular Versamark watermark ink but now with either a Pearl (champagne) or Sparkle (frost) finish. Think Holiday card beauty.












GlitzDesigns RollerDoodles - they look so fun and easy. Ali Edwards uses one on her layout pg. 60 Oct 08 CK. (which by the way I'll be scraplifting - love this page so much)




















Zutter Corner Rounder - you can corner round chipboard and acrylic in 2 different sizes. This may be an early Christmas present to myself.















Ranger White Ink Pen - will it work better than the Uniball Signo White? This question MUST be answered in my head. I will need to try one for myself.
















Stampin Up Scallop Punch - I already have the Threading Water punch from Fiskars but being the addict that I am I'll need this one too. Seriously, everyone should have scallop options, right?
(have you ever been to a Stampin Up party? Go - skip the stamps, go straight to the back of the catalog where they sell AWESOME EK Success Punches that you can't buy in stores!)(note: see next obsession below)















and we will conclude will my final obsession...EK Success Whale Punches. I collect these things like candy. Love them so much. They always work and never seem to break unlike stinky McGill punches. I have 8 different EK circle punches and can honestly say that I use them all the time.

I have a Cricut, but hardly use it. Punches are so much easier and faster to use. EK recently came out with new designs and extra large shapes. Some are actually 3" in diameter. I got to try the 3" circle and it works fantastic! No problem punching through at all.

First on my list is the Arrow punch and then comes this cute little flourish. Go to their website to see all the latest designs.