Autumn Leaves, Lil Davis update

I'm very sorry that I have not uploaded these products to the site yet. I know that I said I had hoped to do it a week ago. I was unable to find any images and I have had to take photos or scan each product. Again I'm sorry about the delay. I do hope to begin to add some of them tonight.

Memorial Day Sale

wants to help you celebrate Memorial Day. Enter code MD08 and receive 30% off of your entire order.

I hope that everyone has a great and safe holiday weekend. Be sure to thank someone who has served or is serving our country.

Scrapbooking is a Stress Buster

Scrapbooking Is a Stress-Buster
Press Release

Take heart—memory crafting soothes the soul with tangible results.

People around the globe are saying “no” to stress while preserving precious memories. Scrapbooking, a popular craft based on creating albums with photos, decorative papers and embellishments, provides a relaxing and creative outlet for people of all ages. Scrapbooking is the fastest-growing craft in the United States, with $2.6 billion in annual sales, according to the Craft and Hobby Association.

“Studies and anecdotal information indicate that crafting is a soothing activity, possibly because when you focus on the project at hand, your mind moves away from stress-causing thoughts,” says Beth Mauro, executive editor of Scrapbook Retailer magazine, a national trade publication for the scrapbooking and papercrafts industry. “Scrapbooking is tremendously engaging and there are many entry points, so you don’t have to be an expert to give it a try. Kits and papers designed to look like finished layouts allow a novice to sit down and with little or no instruction and create a great-looking page.”

“People tell us all the time that scrapbooking is cheaper than therapy,” says Heather Turner of Everything Scrapp'n in Warner Robins. “We’ve seen scrapbooking used in a variety of therapeutic settings. People participate to relax, some find it helpful in the grieving process, and others participate as a low-impact activity while undergoing treatment.”

Heather adds, “People scrapbook for many reasons. Initially people turn to scrapbooking to preserve milestones such as a birth or wedding. But, lately, people are just as interested in recording ordinary moments like a toddler with a face covered with spaghetti sauce, or a daily walk on the beach. Most recently we are seeing a lot of interest in creating mini-albums and other projects that are quick and easy to make. Another hot trend is making scrapbooks to save family recipes. You can also scrap your home décor. Pages can be turned into shadowboxes or framed art.”

Scrapbooking inspiration can be found at local retailers and online; memorymakersmagazine.com offers a special section for new scrapbookers looking to give the craft a try. Mauro reports, “People can also find scrapbooking vacations: scrapbooking weekends at a nearby hotel; scrapbooking cruises in the Caribbean; and even papercrafting vacations in Italy!”

Mrs. Turner says anyone interested in scrapbooking can visit www.everythingscrappn.com to find great products. They can send questions to info@everythingscrappn.com and she will be happy to answer any questions that she can. She also says to check her blog www.everythingscrappn.blogspot.com for layout ideas and techniques that come not only from her but from some great friends that post on her blog as well.

Check out the numerous blogs and message boards on scrapbooking Web sites, and you’ll be regaled with stories of how scrapbooking offers a creative respite in a stressful world. And, for everyone out there who feels guilty about all those family vacation photos stored away in boxes, scrapbooking is an activity that soothes the guilt as well as the soul.

Learn more about scrapbooking at www.everythingscrappn.com . The store is located on the web. Store hours are what ever time is best for you!

Back

I wanted to let you all know that I made it back safely. It has been a crazy few day but now maybe I can start to get things back in order. I've just about got all the laundry caught up and should have some time to work on the boxes I received while gone.

Some of you may know that Fiskar bought out or into several companies. I don't know what the correct terminology would be here. Anyway One of those companies was Lil Davis. I love their chipboard so at CHA I bought a ton of it. That box is sitting here near my feet and I can't wait to collect the images and get them uploaded to the store. There are some great shapes and some cool alpha's (like the circus? I got their circus letters chipboard and is bare!).

Also my Autumn Leaves order came in. They have some great guy stuff and really cute little girl and boy along with a cool teen girl type line. Love it! Can't wait to get them loaded so be on the look out at the store.

Have a great one

Heather

Starfish Touching...

Wanted to share my most recent layout that I did for Challenge #15 over at Scrap Mojo. I had so much fun with Heidi Swapp's new paper. It was just perfect for this fashion challenge!


Patterned Paper: Love Elsie Claire Prom Dress, Heidi Swapp Runway Trench Coat (both Houndstooth & Pink paper).
Cardstock: Bazzil
Rub ons: Hambly Black frame, Cosmo Cricket Cogsmo Elementary alphas
Distressing: Jet Black Staz On, Making Memories paper edge distresser
Stickers: Making memories mini alphas, mixed ledger, avery Bonjour name tag, green paint tape
other embellishments: vintage button & playing card, measuring tape ribbon, plastic sword, adore journaling spot.

Sunday Afternoon

Hello all:

Wow it has been a wirl wind of activity for me. Thur. we found out that my Husbands Grandmother had to be taken to the hospital the night before and was not doing good at all. She really hadn't been sick so this was a surprise to us. She was on breathing assistance and wasn't responding to sound and very little to touch. Friday afternoon she passed and we had to begin immediate preparation to head up to Penn.

This is a twelve hour trip and on that short notice it was crazy Friday night. I had to go and buy my son a new suit and hem it, my daughter had nothing dark to wear either. We almost had to bring our boxers pups with us. That would have been a chore since the weather in Penn. was due to be bad (cold and rainy). Luckily Endless Love worked them in for me. (If you live in the Middle Georgia area look them up for your pet's next kenneling. They are GREAT!)

So I'm here in Penn. checking up on emails and the store and just wanted to give an update. I had hoped to scrap some of the baby album this weekend but that will have to happen after I return home. I hope that my husband brings home some great pictures so that I can make a tribute album to her. I did this for my Grandmother about a year ago and I love it.

Little Yellow Bicycle sneak peek of Vista Bella

The following pictures are from a fold out album. This is a line called Vista Bella that will be coming in to the store in June. After I got this sample and worked on it I had to order this line. I can't wait for it to come in. Anyone who placed and order on National Scrapbooking Day got one of these fold out albums as a free gift. They will be available for purchase when the line comes in.

Your album would not have to look like this. Once you punch out the album you can use the pop out embellishments any way that your creative juices tell you. I also did not add anything at all that was not in the kit. I wanted to show you what it could look like with nothing extra, but you could also glam it up and make it even more personal.

Something to do with Maya Road Chipboard Keychains

This pacifier was made by painting the nipple and the handle and paper was cut to fit the middle. The paint on the nipple was Making Memories Apricot with a dot of orange and blue added in. The handle was just white acrylic paint after it dried I applied a couple of layers of Blushing Rose glimmer mist. I then tied three pieces of ribbon to the handle to give it a little extra. I don't remember the name of the paper I put in the middle, sorry. All the paper on the keychain is scrap.



For this safety pin I dug through my scraps. I was pretty sure that I had bought a shiny silver paper ages ago and I thought I had a little bit left and sure enough I found it. (My theory is to keep any paper that is at least 1". You would be surprised at what you can do with it if you just go back through your scraps.) In looking for the silver I found a nice patterned paper that had pinks on it. I traced the shapes and then cut and glued them on. Pretty simple and straight forward there.



This bottle nipple was used with the same paint that was used on the pacifier. The middle was painted white and then I traced it with Stickles crystal. I also gave it up and down stripes to give it the dimension of a real bottle. The bottom of the bottle I painted with Tim Holtz crackle paint worn lipstick.



Sorry that the picture is bad. I couldn't get a good one. The picture of the whole keychain gives a better look at the colors. This teddy bear was fun. I wanted to give it the patchwork or quilted look. You could easily take several papers and paste them on and add black out line and stitch with a pen. Anyway back to what I did. I had some left over quilted paper and traced out the teddy bear. I added half of a prima flower and a jewel to one ear.



Ok it's been a while since I've had the time to sit down and scrap. What's new right? I finally decided if I didn't start work on my friends baby album, the baby would be here and the point of the album would be mute. I want it to be an album the parents can put some of those first day pictures in. I'm going to use the Rusty Pickle Slim Jim album to make it. On the spiral binding I'm adding the above Maya Roads Baby chipboard keychain. I may also add some ribbon but I thought this would be something different. Decorating this keychain was fun and easy.

Creative Imaginations Busted Papers

I got the shipment in from Creative Imaginations with the Busted paper and the Beach papers. Also in that shipment was Sea World rub-ons. Here is a layout they had at CHA with the busted paper. I think this layout is what sold me on the paper. I know my son is always into something so I am going to make good use out of this line.

Oh as a side note. the busted stickers that I ordered to go with this are on backorder. Sorry about that.

H

National Scrapbooking Day is May 3

To help you my customers celebrate this great holiday I'm offering 45% off your entire order at the store. Enter code NSD at check out to receive this special.

Prima offers a sketch each month. I really liked this month's sketch and wanted to bring it to your attention if you didn't know about their blog. www.prima.typepad.com if you look down their blog and find the May sketch you will see some ideas. The first example is just beautiful.