:PHOTOS: In the leaves...

:REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Holidays Idea Book by Scrapbook Trends

I've been a fan of Scrapbook Trends for quite some time now. I LOVE their high-quality magazine - both in terms of the projects they choose for publication and their layout and design as well. The layout and project photos are always amazing!

While I don't buy every ST special issue (depends on the topic), I was excited to receive this year's Holidays Idea Book. There were a couple projects I wanted try and I knew this issue would inspire.

While the cover might lead you to believe that the issue focuses only on Christmas, it does also offer some really great ideas for Halloween and Thanksgiving as well.

Here's a sneak peak at what's included in the issue:

Halloween

• 5 layouts
• 3 cards & tags
• 3 altered items

Thanksgiving

• 4 layouts
• 2 cards
• 1 altered item

Deck Your Halls

• This section includes everything you need to throw a perfect holiday party - scrap-style - from invitations, decorations, favors and thank-you's. There are even ideas for party activities and gift-wrapping tips!

Advent Calendars

• 5 unique designs
• My favorite idea: You'll be seeing it soon!! Watch for an upcoming post highlighting the project this section inspired!

Christmas Cards & Tags

• 12 designs

Neighbor Gifts

• 7 designs
• My favorite idea: a cozy hot cocoa kit

Holiday Home Decor

• 8 designs
• My favorite idea: styrofoam cones decorated with patterned paper strips, ribbon, and buttons - STUNNING!

Christmas Mini Album

• 3 album
• My favorite idea: a creative way to save holiday cards

Christmas Day

• 7 layouts

Christmas Traditions

• 7 layouts

Favorite Christmas Memories

• 7 layouts

All in all, there are over SIX DOZEN amazing ideas to inspire your holidays!!

GIVEAWAY:
Would you like a copy in time for the holidays?

Simply leave a comment to this post telling me your favorite holiday tradition (Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas) and you'll be entered for a chance to win!!

Leave you're comment by Wednesday, December 2nd, 11:59 p.m. to be eligible. I will determine and announce the random number winner on Thursday!

GOOD LUCK!!

-------------------------------------------------------------

Discover a lot more scrapbook making materials to choose from.

:QUOTES: on GRATITUDE according to Cameron, Gaertner, & Schweitzer

W.J. CAMERON:
"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action."

JOHANNES A. GAERTNER (1912-1996):

“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.”

ALBERT SCHWEITZER (1875-1965; theologian, philosopher, physician):

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

Wishing you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving!!

:LINKS: A couple fun, free printables perfect for Thanksgiving...

Just wanted to share a couple free printables that I ran across recently on Up Up, The Blog that I thought might be perfect for Thanksgiving.

The first is a super cute memo card on which to record the things that you (and others in your family) are thankful for this season.

The second are equally cute recipe cards that match the memos.

After all, isn't a big part of Thanksgiving all about the food? Why not record some of those yummy family recipes that has you looking forward to this special day every year?

Just with these two simple printables, you have the start of a really great layout or mini-book to preserve your Thanksgiving memories this year!

:PHOTOS: A 'cooler' take on fall...

Here's a few more pics from the same shoot as those in this post - this time with a little different post-processing effect.

:LAYOUT: {adore}

Just a fun photo from a chilly day...luckily she was in the mood to give me a good smile that day!

The strip of patterned paper creates the perfect ground for the photo and is also the perfect place for a large title.

By lifting the final three letters, I made room for the final part of my title which I created in Word and printed off.

Journaling:
Sure, it’s a little cheesy and your nose is all scrunched up, but I still love this silly smile. Keep on smiling!

Supplies:
Adhesive: Duck
Cardstock: Paperbilities
Chipboard Alpha: Making Memories
Chipboard Shapes: My Mind’s Eye
Die Cuts: October Afternoon
Font: Ali’s Writing
Ink: Colorbox
Journaling Block: October Afternoon
Patterned Paper: October Afternoon, Pink Paislee
Pen: Sharpie
Rub ons: Basic Grey
Scallop Trimmer: Fiskars

:GIVEAWAY WINNER: 100,000 Visitors Giveaway Winner...

Thanks for all the entries everyone!!

100,000 visitors is a pretty exciting thing for me and it was great to read all your comments and well-wishes. I hope you'll keep coming back (and invite a few friends) for more.

I've got many great reviews, giveaways and more coming up!

I deferred to the ever trusty Random.org to choose the winner, so.......

...lucky number 40 is the winner this time!!

Congrats, Colleen! Watch your email for details on how to claim your prize!

:BE INSPIRED: Creativity Prompts Snippet

Here's the :Design Inspired: prompt which I included in the November 2009 edition of :Be Inspired: Creativity Prompts that I think you might enjoy.

As I was paging through a recent issue of House Beautiful, I came across this Everwhere We Look and it instantly caught my eye.

Can you tell why??

(click for larger view)

The colors stood out to me, of course, but it's more than that. House Beautiful decided to highlight the trend they’ve spotted for ‘pieced’ design. How beautiful...and inspiring.

As scrappers, I know that many of us HATE to toss our little bits and pieces leftover after a project.
NO NEED! According to HB:

“In the right hands, a collection of bits and pieces, scraps even, can be turned into a masterpiece. Think of the classic American patchwork quilt, of marquetry furniture with its intricate inlay of cut veneer. And don’t forget decoupage—colorful snippets of paper fit together to create pictures that look like paintings. No matter the medium, it’s the hand-crafted look that captivates us today.”

Whose hands could be more 'right' than an inspired scrapper!?

Use your bits and pieces to create a hand-crafted (and stunningly trendy) layout during your next scrap session!

If you'd like this and other great scrapbooking inspiration free for the taking, download the FREE November 2009 :Be Inspired: Creativity Prompts now and start scrapping!!

REMINDER:
Don't forget to enter for your chance to win a great scrappy prize through my 100,000 Visitors Giveaway!

:GIVEAWAY: 100,000 Visitors!

Wow! Thanks to all of you, my blog has hit the mark of 100,000 visitors!

I think that deserves a giveaway!

All you have to do is leave a comment to this post by Thursday, November 19th, 2009, 11:59 p.m. and you'll be entered to win TWO Complete Crafting Kits from Cosmo Cricket - Get Happy & Chemistry!!

I'll do a random draw and announce the winner on Friday, November 20th!

GOOD LUCK!!

FINE PRINT: US resident entries only please due to shipping costs.

:FIVE FAVES: Giving thanks...

This time of year always has me looking forward to a little extra time off work, quality time spent with family and, of course, some really great home-cooked meals!

I've realized that in all the years I've been scrapping, I've never really done a 'Thanksgiving' layout, so I certainly have hopes of rectifying this creative omission this year and there are certainly plenty of cozy family and food inspired products out there right now to act as inspiration!

#1 - Bo Bunny Press - Kitchen Spice Collection - 12 x 12 Double Sided Paper - Kitchen Spice Cloves

I love all the rich colors in the Bo Bunny Kitchen Spice collection! The turquoise is the perfect unexpected, yet beautiful, twist to the color scheme. While the 12x12 sheet of patterned paper above is my favorite, I really do love the entire collection!

#2 - BasicGrey - Nook and Pantry Collection - Rub Ons - What's Cookin' - Brown
While most of the colors from BG's Nook and Pantry collections might be a little too bright and summery for a traditional Thanksgiving layout, the sentiments and shapes on this set of rub ons in brown are perfect for any layout featuring a festive feast!

#3 - Little Yellow Bicycle - Autumn Bliss Collection - Cardstock Stickers - Fresh Verse

If you remember, I featured one of the 12x12 transparencies from this same line in my :FIVE FAVES: Fabulous fall finds not so long ago. The collection would work equally as well for Thankgiving-themed layouts! These word and phrase cardstock stickers are a great way to add a little extra.

 

#4 - Little Yellow Bicycle - Say What Collection - Journal Tablet - Gratitude
Journaling is often the hardest part of a layout for many scrappers. Use these journal starters (also by LYB) to get you going on documenting what you are grateful for this year.

#5 - Making Memories - Tiny Alphabet Stickers - Brown Ledger
I can't tell you how many times these little mini-alphas have saved the day for me! They are equally fun when used in titles, journaling, labels or captions - play around! The brown ledger shade is the perfect shade for this time of year!

For more favorites, see the :: THANKSGIVING PICKS :: list in the right sidebar!

READER RESPONSE:
What Thanksgiving-themed product has you swooning with gratitude?

:PHOTOS: Warm fall colors...

Some favorite fall pictures...

I spent WAY too much on this scarf and hat, but they look just lovely on my 'model', don't they?

:PUBBED: How cool is this??

I am totally honored to have the following layout published in the December issue of Creating Keepsakes:

My stomach still does a little flip every time I get to see one of my layouts 'in print'.

Then, how excited was I to find this post as I went through my Google Reader blog posts this morning!!

Pretty cool!!

Make sure you read through as they also have an awesome giveaway of some sweet Christmas-themed scrap goodness just by voting for your favorite in the comments!

Vote for me!! But only if you want to. I voted for Ali myself - LOVE her scrap style!!

:BE INSPIRED: Creativity Prompts - November 2009

Here it is...

The November 2009 edition of the :Be Inspired: Creativity Prompts is now ready for free download!

:BE INSPIRED: Creativity Prompts - November 2009

PLEASE SHARE:

If you like what you see, please share!! I have also created a couple banners for the :Be Inspired: Creativity Prompts, so if you'd be willing to share on your own blog or forum signature, I greatly appreciate it! Go here to download a banner!

Download the FREE November 2009 :Be Inspired: Creativity Prompts now and start scrapping!!

:QUOTES: A little inspiration...

ROSALIA DE CASTRO:
“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.”

MARY KAY ASH:

“Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn’t know that so it goes on flying anyway.”

UNKNOWN:

“Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain.”

:LAYOUT: Alley Cat

Hard to believe that Halloween was a week ago already...

I haven't had a chance to scrap this year's pics yet, but here's a favorite from last year.

I didn’t have enough of either type of chip letters to complete to whole title, so used two different types to add more visual interest to the title block.

The three black elements (title letters, bat/journaling strips, house/journaling strips) create a visual triangle.

Journaling:

Kaitlin decided she wanted to be a BLACK CAT for Halloween this year and we found the perfect costume. There is just no way that something this cute could bring bad luck!

Supplies:
Adhesive: Duck
Cardstock: Georgia-Pacific
Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee, My Mind’s Eye
Chipboard Letters: My Mind’s Eye, Making Memories
Chipboard Shapes: My Mind’s Eye
Ink: Colorbox
Font: Bleeding Cowboys

:PHOTOS: Downtown graffiti...

Yup...you can even find graffiti in little old Yankton, SD!

:REVIEW: The Scrapbook Embellishment Handbook

I think every scrapper would agree that there is no lack of product out there for us to engage in our beloved hobby.

Gone are the days of using standard construction paper and regular scissors and glue. (I actually still remember the days when Hobby Lobby only had ONE AISLE of scrapbooking supplies! How about you?)

Despite the wonder of all our choices, Sherry Steveson recognizes a real downfall to our current state of product overload in the introduction of her new book - The Scrapbook Embellishment Handbook. "Oodles of supplies can leave us overwhelmed and frustrated over what to do with it all," she writes.

However, she doesn't simply recognize this issue, but helps to solve it throughout her book.

The Scrapbook Embellishment Handbook is divided into 17 sections covering numerous types of scrapbooking embellishments including old stand bys like eyelets and stickers to mediums that are fairly new to the scrapbooking world like digital elements and acrylic.

The full list follows:

1. Acrylic
2. Brads
3. Buttons
4. Chipboard
5. Die-cuts
6. Digital
7. Eyelets
8. Fabric
9. Fibers
10. Flowers
11. Letters & Numbers
12. Metal
13. Ribbon
14. Rub-ons
15. Stamps
16. Stickers
17. Tags

Each section includes three different techniques for using the featured product.

1. Simply Create - Shows the product used in a simple (often more traditional) way.
2. Kick It Up - Shows the product used in a more creative way.
3. Think Outside the Box - Shows you how to stretch your supplies by using them in ways you may have never considered before.

Step-by-step instructions are included for completing each technique and most can be achieved in under four steps!!

The book also features 15 Quick Tips for adding ease and/or pizzazz to your crafting and a gallery at the back featuring 6 layouts with 1-3 variations.

In all, there are over 100 layouts included in the book. The talented list of contributors included Nic Howard, Jamie Harper, Cindy Tobey, Kimber McGray, Suzy Plantamura, Melissa Phillips, Judi Van Valkinburgh, Rita Weiss, Janel Ohlson, Katrina Simeck, Stephanie Vetne and the author herself.

Although the idea of this book is to focus on the product, I also gained endless inspiration in terms of color, design and more from these amazing artists.

If you've got stash of scrapbooking supplies and you're just not quite sure what to do with it and/or just need some fresh ideas, The Scrapbook Embellishment Handbook was written just for you!!

READER RESPONSE:
Of the 17 product sections listed above, what are your favorite three to use when you craft?

:PHOTOS: Red wall alley...

Just a couple recent pics...love the color of this brick wall!

:MEMORYWORKS EXPRESS: November 2009 Kit - "Bah Humbug"

It's no surprise that Christmas brings out the inner humbug as surely as it brings out the inner child in all of us!

Even though this seasons' stress can bring out the scrooginess in us, let's look at the bright and merry side of things. Think of all of the wonderful decorative seasonal patterned papers and festive red and green embellishments that can help us to create the most wonderful Christmas project ever!

This amazing kit includes:

Patterned Paper
{1} 12x12 Mistletoe - Pattern Stripe (Making Memories)
{1} 12x12 Mistletoe - Trees (Making Memories)
{1} 12x12 Mistletoe - Argyle (Making Memories)
{1} 12x12 Mistletoe - Big Green Dot (Making Memories)
{1} 12x12 Mistletoe - Advent (Making Memories)
{1} 12x12 Mistletoe - Flocked Snowflake (Making Memories)
{1} 12x12 Barcelona-Manresa (7 Gypsies)

Solid Cardstock
{1} 12x12 Intense Kiwi (Prism)
{1} 12x 12 Sugar Cream (Prism)
{1} 12x12 Blush Red Dark (Prism)
{1} 12x12 Black (Prism)

Embellishments
{1} 5 ½ x 9 ½ Sheet - Mistletoe Word Fetti Stickers (Making Memories)
{1} 5 x 7 Sheet - Mistletoe Chipboard Buttons (Making Memories)
{4} 5x7 Sheets - Retro Mix Blackboard Letters (Cosmo Cricket)
{1} 3" Fascinating Petals Flower - Black or Cream (Pink Paislee)
{1} Believe Frame Clear Stamp and Jewels (Prima)
{4} 2" Journaling Tickets - Assorted Styles (Tim Holtz)
{4} 1" Adage Tickets - Assorted Styles (Tim Holtz)
{3} Small Binder Clips (Shoplet)
{3} Black Mini Keys (7 Gypsies)
{1} Yard ½" Black with Cream Dot and Edge Ribbon (Creative Impressions)
{1} Yard ½" Green with Cream Dot and Edge Ribbon (Creative Impressions)
{1} Yard ½" Red with White Dot and Edge Ribbon (Creative Impressions)

Bonus Cards
{4} 5.5 x 8.5 Intense Kiwi (Prism)
{4} 5.5 x 8.5 Sugar Cream (Prism)
{4} 5.5 x 8.5 Blush Red Dark (Prism)
{4} 5.5 x 8.5 Black (Prism)
{4} 5.5 x 8.5 Panna (Prism)
{5} 5 3/4 x 4 3/8 Natural Envelopes

ALL FOR ONLY $29.95!! (plus $6.50 S&H)

Take a look at the amazing projects the MemoryWorks Design Team created using this yummy kit in this month's free Idea Express download!

If you are interested in this kit or subscribing to the MemoryWorks Express Kit Program, please contact me today for further details!

:PHOTOS: My little vampira...in black & white...

The same pics from yesterday...just in black & white.

Which do you like better??