A New Favorite.

Aren't they all? Here is a huge sneak at the September Main kit for Work in Progress...Yes, that would be two alphabets in the kit. There is also a wonderful set of rub-ons that are completely divine. And would you get a load of that incredible stamp?
The emails will go out this afternoon...

Have a splendid day...

simple

Is everyone as busy as I am in these wonderful summer months? I love that summer is full of so many wonderful events and family gatherings. I take more photos in summer than the rest of the year combined. The problem? I am so busy enjoying the outdoors and have so little time to scrap! This summer, I am giving myself a "break" and finding ways to get more done when I actually find time to sit down at my scrapbook table.

One of my favorite scrapbookers is Ali Edwards. My work ends up looking nothing like hers but I take every article, every blog post and find some way of incorporating her ideas into my work. A few months ago she wrote an article in CK telling us to stop putting so much pressure on ourselves to come up with new page layouts each and every time. Sure, it's important to some to always play, design and explore but why not take it easy some days too? If you have a particular layout that worked for you in the past why not bring it back using different photos and paper?

I tried ths approach and she was right! The page didn't look like a copy of the previous page because when I actually put my "touches" on it, it looked much different.

Another great idea that Ali has helped make popular is using divided page protectors in your scrapbook albums. (See CK March 2008) Many of us can get bogged down with the number of photos we feel the need to scrapbook. I love the idea of making a main page that showcases the best photo of the moment and journaling to explain the moment. Using photo sleeves to hold the rest of the photos allows you to put all those supporting images in the page that follows.

I was able to make this page about my son's Kindergarten graduation using this idea. The photos of that day weren't the greatest and I wasn't exactly excited to scrapbook them even though I loved what the images were sharing. Sliding them into the page protectors freed up my time and a lot of guilt. June 2nd photos done. Now off to finish the rest of the month...

Unpacking...and Packing...

Hey Friends!It's Trish here, back from a much-needed vacation and ready to hit the ground running. Been busy unpacking from our trip and now...packing kits for September!! How do you like the sneak peek above? A little sample of something from all the kits thrown in this photo to tease you a bit. I'm wicked aren't I?

The email notice will go out on Wednesday, August 13th to subscribers, and they will begin shipping by this weekend! And you want to know the best part? ALL of the stuff in all three kits is NEW from CHA Summer (with the exception of a few pieces parts)!! So excited to bring it to you...

Enjoy your day!

You spin me right round baby right round...

just a quick shout-out to my 80's days.:) This entry is not about 80's music, which is a post all in itself. Actually this post is about circle journals.

For those of you that haven't been introduced to circle journals before, they are the coolest thing ever! Basically, a circle journal is a theme album in which a group of scrappers contribute a page. The themes are endless, but you can check out a list of some HERE. There are 10 of us in my group, and each month we ship out the journal that we were working on to the next gal on the list. The theme that I picked for my journal is 'simple pleasures' and I can't wait to see the amazing creations that are in store for me when I receive my journal back.

I wanted to share with you the entry I created for my friend's journal. The theme for her journal was 'what would you do' and I had a ball thinking about my dreams.



Now, there is a *rumor* that some of the WIP designers are going to be doing a circle journal together, so stay tuned for that. ;)

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

For the love of mini books...

They have become my obsession! Hi everyone Tina here to share a couple mini's I put together recently while playing with my August kit. The thing I love about mini books is they can be completed in an afternoon or evening. They are a fun and easy way to tell a story and they make great gifts.

In using the kit for these projects not only do you have all your coordinating elements together, but you can also use up those scraps that you didn't use on layouts to really get the most out of your kit.

With my daughter Chelsea getting ready to head off to college soon I wanted to make her something in case she gets homesick that is from her family. For this mini I used the 7 Gypsies portfolio, Heather Bailey papers and labels and the remarks from American Crafts. I then made cards to fill it with which included a picture and a personal note we each wrote to Chelsea.


The other mini I made was from my supply of to do projects. It is a Maya Road card box that I thought would be perfect to hold the collection of senior pictures that Chelsea has gotten and will get over the years. On the backs we wrote the name and year they graduated.

I used left over pieces of the KI Memories bloom, Heather Bailey papers and both thickers and American crafts remarks.
Both these projects were completed in an evening and I plan to add to the card box as she collects more pictures from friends.

Camping Projects

Hello, Everyone! This is Jana. Today we are leaving to go camping for the weekend in our R.V. I can't wait! I grew up travelling the country in trailers and motorhomes, so it is very nostalgic for me to take my family in our trailer.


I thought I would share with you a few camping projects I created a few years back (thus the paper piecing, LOL!) that I LOVE having in our trailer. They are oldies, but goodies. :D

The first one is a Camp Journal. Growing up, my mom kept a journal of all the places we visited . . . campgrounds, restaurants, National Parks, etc. Then if we passed through that way again, my mom would know the places we would want to revisit. When we bought our trailer I decided to do the same thing.

On the first few pages, I decided to write the story of acquiring our R.V. and all the preparations and fun behind it. My husband DID NOT want a trailer. So the fact that I had finally convinced him to get us one, was a HUGE accomplishment! Hehehe!
Every time we take our trailer out I take the time to write a few pages about what we did. The kids love to read back on the places we went and reminisce about each trip. It also helps me when I go to create scrapbook pages later on! The journalling is all ready to go!

The second project I want to share with you is a little recipe book I made just for the R.V. These are the recipes I ONLY use when camping, you know, the Dutch Oven recipes and the quick-and-easy, throw-together stuff. I made it from a cheap 4 X 6 plastic photo album I found at Big Lots. I cut a slit on the backside of the cover so that I could remove the cardboard insert and create my own cover.
Inside I have made 4 X 6 "pages" to hold my recipes and meal plans. I usually make the same meals everytime for tradition's sake, but it's a nice place to keep potential recipes, just in case we ever feel like trying something new. Last, but not least, I'd like to share a few tips to keeping the kids busy at the campground.

1) Take old scrap paper and stickers for the kids to play with in the car or when they get bored.

2) Don't take crayons, they melt in the heat. Take markers and watercolor paints for making pet rocks and pictures. We like to hang up the paintings on a clothesline between the trees to dry. It's an instant art gallery in the wilderness!

3) Stock up on Paint with Water books if you ever find them! They are perfect for camping because all you need is water!

4) Find a fun book on wildflowers at the bookstore beforehand. Make sure it has LOTS of pictures. :D The kids can collect different types of flowers on naturewalks and then come back to your campsite and look up which ones they found! My mom did this for us when I was little and I LOVED it! You could also buy books on birds, animals, etc.!

5) The dollar store has lots of fun items to keep kids busy at the campsite. For each of my kids I purchased them their own mini flashlight, magnifying glass and craft organizer. They call these their Nature Kits. They love to collect leaves, rocks, flowers, etc. to stash in all the little compartments of the organizer. Bug collecting kits can be found at the dollar store in the summertime and are a lot of fun to explore with, as well.

These are just a few tips that came to my mind. But I would LOVE to hear yours! If you have a tip for keeping kids busy at the campground/in the car or a favorite camping recipe, please share it with us in the comment box below!

Have a great weekend!
Jana

birthday hat (and boy!)

hi ya'll! it's emily...my youngest son, milo, turned 1 this past week...for his birthday party, i decided to make him a birthday hat, with remnants of the kit that i had left!

it turned out so cute...here's a picture of the hat...

and of course, a couple pictures of the birthday boy in the hat!

he loved his cake :)

anyways...this hat was super easy to make...

here's a few easy directions so you can make your own!

take a 12 x 12 piece of paper and roll it into a cone...you can make it as skinny or round as you'd like.

adhere the cone together (i just used scotch tape, and made that the back of the hat--since nobody would see it)

then cut around the bottom of the hat and make it straight all the way around. this is where you can determine the height of the hat.

for the top, i jut cut strips of paper and glued them to the inside at the tip. after the glue dried, i took a pencil and rolled the paper around it, so that it curled.

then just embellish as desired!

i found some stretchy string to use to hold it around his head...you could use ribbon as well.

have fun!

Let Them Eat Cake!

Hi everyone! Colleen here! Those of you who know me, know I have this thing for cupcakes. I say "thing." It really is an obsession. Some would say a sickness. I say love. To me, the cupcake is the perfect snack. It's portable, sweet, and it can substitute for a sandwich in a pinch. See!One of my most favorite recipes comes from my mom. It's actually her Sour Cream Poundcake in Cupcake form, but I won't tell if you won't. We have this cake for every celebration, get together, birthday, anniversary, and just because reason we can think of. It really is the perfect cake. So, I thought I'd share it with you. Good things like this shouldn't be a secret...
Laurie's Famous Sour Cream Poundcake

1 box Duncan Hines Butter Recipe yellow cake mix
1 cup all purpose flour
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
8 oz sour cream
1 cup milk
1 stick margarine

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Mix ingredients in mixer and mix until smooth. You will get a pretty heavy batter. Bake in a greased and floured bundt pan (see below for more options) for one hour or until done.

Some tips:

The cake mix must be Butter Recipe cake mix or it won't come out as moist or yummy. You can also mix it up and do chocolate Butter Recipe cake mix. We've done that before and it was amazing. I've heard they also have a lemon Butter Recipe. That would be good too. Just as long as it is Butter Recipe, you are good to go.

You can also lighten this pretty well. I use fat free sour cream, fat free milk, and an egg substitute and it still tastes delicious.

If you don't have a bundt pan, don't worry...You can do this in 2 loaf pans or in cupcake pans. We've even done it as a wedding cake. Just adjust cooking time accordingly. The cake also freezes very well (something we learned when we made it as a wedding cake) and we usually have a loaf of it in the freezer ready and waiting for the day we feel like eating cake.

Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar, or with whipped cream and fruit (Mom likes to add festive seasonal sprinkles.) It frosts very well, but don't use a Whipped frosting. Use a regular frosting due to the density of the cake.

The opportunities are endless.
I hope you enjoy it!

I Don't Like Pink!

Happy Monday everyone! Francine signing in! As my title says I don't like pink. At least that's what I thought until I took a look around the house! It seems like that color has been sneaking in more and more into my life. I totally blame scrapbooking. Before scrapbooking came along my signature colors were black, brown and beige. Exciting huh? Now my life is filled with color, thanks to patterned papers and embellishments. And the spill over is obvious. So what better way to celebrate this than with a scrapbook page?

(click on photo to see it larger)

I used Photoshop to make a photo collage with the photos I wanted to use, then printed out the collage at 5"x7". The die cut paper from the kit went perfectly with my theme. What's your favorite color? Or your least liked color? Scrap a page about it!

New stuff...and a reminder...

I got my hands on a few new items today, and they sent chills up my spine!! You know--all the anticipation of CHA Summer releases bring about a lot of creativity...
(...and nope, none of this stuff will be in any upcoming kit...but when the sneaks are ready, I promise I'll get those to you!)

These beauties are from American Crafts...One of my all-time favorite companies ever is KI Memories. Their new school line is absolutely perfect for any and all who are considering taking my Back to Class online class at www.DebbieHodge.com. I plan on whipping up a few more samples with this new product--and given these papers, it will be a cinch...

And if you register for my class between now and next Sunday (August 10th), you'll also be eligible to win a SUPER door prize...(you all know I love a good give away...). I'll announce the winner here on August 11th...

I got a lot of feedback from friends and customers regarding the gallery and the design team this month, and just wanted to take a moment to say a great big "THANK YOU" for all your support. I'm so happy you all enjoy the versatility of the designers--and I couldn't agree more!!

The emails for the Fall Retreat at the Bertram Inn have gone out for class sign ups today. If you are interested in joining us or didn't get a class schedule for some reason, please email me at Turay413@gmail.com and I'll be sure I forward you a list of the classes available.

And don't forget to check out Laina's blog for a great RAK this weekend too!! Thanks for doing that, girl!!

Have a wonderful weekend everybody!!