Friday, December 12, 2008

PFOP FEATURES ~ SCRAP*PIECES ~



Today, Pocket Full of Papers would like to feature the work of Shelley, aka scrap*pieces.





She will soon be listing a lovely lunchbox and mini-album set. These sets she creates are wonderful and this one is especially "SWEET" ;-).



Please check out Shelley's creations along with the work of all of our designers by typing PFOP in ebay's search.






Wednesday, December 10, 2008

What's New Wednesday for December

We all know that Stickles are a wonderful addition to any scrapper's toolbox. Well, now there are even more reasons to love Stickles! Can you say distress Stickles? That's right, Ranger Industries has added Tim Holtz Distress Stickles to the lineup and let me just say the new colors are yummy!

The new Distress Stickles are a little different than what we're used to. They aren't metallic/glitter, instead Tim was going for a "chunky glass-like texture, and nostalgic shimmer of mica" to quote his blog. He also says that the glitter in distress stickles "has a timeless sparkle of vintage glass glitter without the glass". Sounds cool! Now I just need to get my hands on some of this.

If you'd like to read more about Distess Stickles (and see some photos and samples), visit the Tim Holtz blog here.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Blog RAK winner!

Congrats to Jenna Franklin (An Altered Obsession) for winning a blog RAK by commenting in the previous post. Jenna, pls contact me with your mailing address so I can send your goodies on their way (I posted my email address in a comment at your blog).

And to others who participated - thanks for your comments about your DIY holiday plans this year.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Dreaming of a D-I-Y holiday?

With the economy being what it is, the blog "Lifehacker" recently raised the question: Are you cutting back on your holiday gift buying this year in favor of more DIY style gift giving like baked goods and home made gifts?

The Associated Press reports that consumer spending has fallen to its lowest point in nearly 30 years. How will that affect your holiday purchases and gift-giving plans? What do YOU think? Is it time to try out your own crafty skills?

Share your thoughts with us and you'll be entered in a drawing for a blog RAK at the end of the month.

(You can also view comments from Lifehacker readers by clicking here. )

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Rest in Peace Little Imani

I just want to post this in regards to my photo frame fundraising. The little dog I was trying to raise money for has passed away on October 11th due to multiple organs failure. The money for the surgery was raised and sufficient, however, the vets were unable to perform the surgery due to her state of health. Thank you for all the dog lovers that donated money and those who helped spread the word.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

What's New Wednesday for October '08

Today's post is about a fun new cardstock. It's actually been on the market for a little while, but seems to me that lots of scrappers still haven't heard about it. The product is called "Core'dinations" and it's a color core cardstock.

So, what exactly *is* a color core cardstock? This answer comes directly from the manufacturer's website:


* PREMIUM, HEAVY WEIGHT, 80LB, CANVAS TEXTURED CARDSTOCK
* Every sheet of acid/ligin free cardstock has a core color which "coredinates" with the surface color.
* The four swatches in each color family have a tab underneath labeled "Core Color". This tab represents the interior color of the sheet. You can choose to keep that core color hidden or add your own creative touch by sanding, tearing or antiquing.


One of the funnest uses I've seen for this cardstock is to dry emboss it and then sand away some of the surface color from the embossed areas. Some of the cardstocks are tone-on-tone, but the company also makes a line called "Black Magic" which, as the name implies, is a black cardstock. The papers in this line have different color cores. Check it out here.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Feedback Fun

Yes, feedback fun is a bit of a cheesy title, I'll try to think of something more creative :) I always think of doing the feedback friday posts on a day that is NOT friday, so I'm changing the name! If you have any great suggestions leave it in your comment!! If I choose your name you'll win a free handmade card from me!

For today's "feedback fun" topic I'd like to talk about acid free and lignin free. I remember a few years ago it was Creative Memories' products big selling point- that everything was super archival safe and would last for a very long time. Now there are thousands of products available that are archival safe, and even a spray that can make something into an archival safe material. My question is- how important is af/lf to you?

It has never been a big thing for me- personally I like to create and I will often use whatever I think is the prettiest thing to go with my project- I have no clue if all the metal charms or tassles or other odds and ends are af/lf. In my opinion, if my grandma's photos are still doing fine in her old sticky albums, then my super cute paper bag albums are going to last long enough to be shared with several generations of family, and thats not to mention that the digital copies of my photos will always be there!

So- leave a comment and let us know how important acid and lignin free products are to you!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Pet Photo Frame


I made this photo frame to raise funds for a very very sick dog named Imani. She is only 4 month​s old and is very very sick with a porto​syste​mic shunt​.​ It is a condi​tion where​ toxin​s,​ norma​lly remov​ed by the liver​,​ accum​ulate​ in the blood​ and impai​r the funct​ion of brain​ cells​.​ and if you feel the need to call her vet to confi​rm that she does in fact need this surge​ry pleas​e call:

Dr. Heath​er Hurst (vet)703-​339-​7725.​
Gunst​on Anima​l Hospi​tal
Tell them you are calling to confirm that a dog named Imani needs surgery for a liver shunt (I already did this, and she DOES need the surgery!)

Isn't she just adorable? The photo frame is perfect for your spoiled cat or dog. The photo in the photo frame is my spoiled dog, but don't worry, this frame is brand new and her mug will be removed before I ship. To see this auction, please Click Here. Any bid is appreciated. Also, if possible, please link it to your blog is you have one. Thank you!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Berry Sweet Gift Bag Album Artwork

So if you've all been wondering where PFOP is- we were busy with summer! And now we are BAAAAACK and ready to rock your fall with some great ideas, a charity auction, and even some blog challenges- with prizes!

We are starting something new here on the blog- for this being a blog about SCRAPBOOKING there is simply not enough scrapbook pages and albums on this blog, so we are going to start sharing our own personal work with you! We want to inspire you and also give you a chance to get to know each of us better!

Here is an album I made recently, it's the first time I've actually made one of my designer albums for myself, believe it or not! I have been selling them on ebay for so long now, and yet haven't taken to the time to make one of my own! There is an album similar to this one in the works, so keep an eye out on PFOP listings if you'd like a chance to own it :)






Wednesday, August 20, 2008

What's New Wednesday (Pt. 1)

This "industry news" post is really just a teaser, because the news I want to share hasn't been announced yet...

Mysterious enough for you? Are you on the edge of your seat? Dying of curiosity? Okay, I'll share the part that is public knowledge: this week Memory Makers Magazine will announce the ten winners of their annual "Masters" contest. According to the rules, that announcement will be made by Friday but could happen even sooner.

I've been following this story a bit more closely than I might otherwise have, because this year I entered the contest myself! It was something of a last minute decision to enter and I'm not really holding out much hope of winning myself at this point. But I'm excited to know who the 2009 Masters will be.

Stay tuned for a "Part 2" update to this teaser!

***UPDATE!!! (aka "part 2")***
I was browsing old blog posts and realized that I never updated the blog with the list of masters (ooops!) So, this is old news now but thought it would be nice to include it anyway. Big congrats to the new Masters team as well as runners-up:

2009 Memory Makers Masters are:

Melissa Blair (Dover, AR)
Christine Drumheller (Zeeland, MI)
Kim Frantz (Oxford, PA)
Summer Fullerton (Tigard, OR)
Veronica Jennings (Waldorf, MD)
Amy Martin (Colorado Springs, CO)
Gretchen McElveen (Helena, AL)
Anabelle O’Malley (Hockessin, DE)
Ronda Palazzari (Thornton, CO)
Jaime Warren (Rentz, GA)

Runners up:

Lisa Andrews (Chandler, AZ)
Rebekah Compton (Ft. Walton Beach, FL)
Lesley Cooper (Waitakere, New Zealand)
Joscelyne Cutchens (Honolulu, HI)
Anne Jo Lexander (Kleppesto, Norway)
Jing-Jing Nickel (Roseville, MN)
Emeline Seet (Singapore)
Revlie Schuit (The Netherlands)
Kayleigh Wiles (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada)
Jacqueline Yeo (Singapore)

Thursday, August 14, 2008

This month Tuesday's tip is a Thursday tip!

Well, thankfully Thursday also starts with the letter "T" and today's tip is about getting your titles to line up to a "T" so we are looking good...

Thursday's Tip

Have you ever been frustrated by not being able to get sticker title letters to line up right? If so, try this: use a clear grid ruler. First draw a very soft pencil line where you want to line the title up. Next, adhere your letters to the ruler affixing only the base of the letters to the base of one of the grid lines in your ruler. (You'll probably want to choose a line that is 1/4" or so down from the upper edge of the ruler.) Adjust the stickers as necessary until they are straight and spaced to your liking. Once you have them straight and ready to go, place the ruler onto your page lining up the grid line you've used on the ruler with the one you traced onto your page and press down the tops of the letters and carefully peel the letters off the ruler to adhere the bottoms of letters to the page. Carefully erase the penciled line.

A couple of other good title tips:
  • Lay your title letters out first for spacing. Measure the length of all your letters and determine the center point. Then determine the center of the space available on your page for the title. Add the center letter and work out from there. (For rub-on or sticker title, cut your letters WITH their backing before arranging and measuring letters.)
  • If available title "real estate" on your page is tight, be sure to start your title from the right edge of paper and work backwards. This will keep you from running out of room before you run out of title.
Happy titling!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Feedback Friday July

Hello everyone! After a short break from posting feedback fridays I am back!

This month I'd like to chat about all those projects we have on the "back burner". What things do you really want to scrapbook but have never taken the time to sit down and do?

For some time now I have really wanted to make a book that is a "mommy journal" about my thoughts and feelings of being a mom from day to day- and my fears too- like my phobia of leaving my children at a daycare or how difficult it was during my son's first year of life when he had a colostomy and mulitple surgeries. I think it would be something great to look back on years later and cherish the memories of my children when they were so young and sweet! I hope to do this album sometime this year! Perhaps I could use some of the pages to enter into a contest- that would be motivation!

Soooo- what do you want to do but never have time to get done? Share your story here and you could win a Random Act of Kindness from a PFOP Designer!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Happy Anniversary, Pocket Full of Papers!



Congratulations to us! Today marks the two year anniversary since our inception and things are really hopping here at PFOP. Not only do we have several great new members, we are averaging more listings per week than we've ever done in the past.

Great work, team!

You can check out all the current PFOP listings by clicking here.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Just Around the Corner - CHA Summer '08

The summer CHA trade show* is held in Chicago, IL and is just a few short weeks away - July 18-20. While I won't be able to attend the show, you can bet I'll be watching for manufacturer sneaks of all the new lines and products that will be released.
(*CHA is the Crafts and Hobby Association and they put on two large industry trade shows every year where new products are released.)

Here's one that sounds tantalising (I'm pasting their press release):

New Mrs. Grossman's "Take the Cake"

Outrageous creations from CHARM CITY CAKES inspire tasty sticker collection from MRS. GROSSMAN’S

PETALUMA, CA. June 2008 - Mrs. Grossman’s, the oldest and largest decorative sticker company in the country, and Charm City Cakes, the Baltimore bakery that turned cake decorating into a hit show, have teamed up to launch Mrs. Grossman’s Charm City Cake Sticker Collection.

The unique line of stickers was inspired by the imaginative custom cake creations of bakery owner and celebrity chef, Duff Goldman. Star of Food Network’s hit reality show, Ace of Cakes. Goldman and his like-minded design team, are legendary for their colorful, made to order cakes which have included everything from classic, one-of-a-kind wedding and birthday creations to a massive, edible Hogwart’s castle for the premiere of Warner Bros, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

“I think these stickers really capture the spirit, fun and diversity of Charm City Cakes,” says Chef Goldman, whose baking tools include everything from blowtorches to power saws. Andrea Grossman, president and founder of Mrs. Grossman’s agrees, saying, “we think this collection is a good mix of elegance and wackiness and will appeal to everyone from fans of the show to home bakers and craft enthusiasts.”

Goldman selected twelve of his favorite cake designs to be illustrated and represented in Mrs. Grossman’s new collection. Each one of the distinctive decorated cake stickers are surrounded by a variety of coordinating decorative embellishments. Ideal for decorating everything from cards, envelopes and gift bags to recipe binders and scrapbook pages, each package includes a bonus - Duff’s favorite recipe for French Buttercream.

Each 4” x 5” package features one sticker sheet – suggested retail $1.99. For more information go to mrsgrossmans.com. Mrs. Grossman’s Charm City Cake Sticker Collection will launch at the CHA (Craft Hobby Association) trade show at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Chicago, July 18 – 20.
###


Here's one of the new cake stickers (click on the image to see all of them). A big thanks to Lara Starr, Marketing Director at Mrs. Grossman's for the link.



Thursday, June 26, 2008

Friends Challenge is LIVE!


PFOP is having a fun FRIENDS challenge this week!

Just a reminder that our "Friends Challenge" is now live at eBay. PFOP designers have paired up to bring you fantastic designs June 24th-30th in our "Friends Challenge". Each pair will be incorporating the same embellishment into their project, and showing off fantastic signature work.

Check out all our auctions to see how we teamed up by clicking here.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Tuesday's Tip

First Tuesday of June ~ yeah summer is almost here!!
Hope you're all having a happy spring!

I've really been enjoying stamping, still feel like a novice, but having lots of fun.
I have noticed that I don't always get it perfect with stamping or inking. But I do remind myself that that is part of the charm with stamping and inking ~ right??

Something helpful, if I do smudge a little or get a finger print (I know, UNTHINKABLE, but I've done it)....I use an eraser. It cleans it up quite nice. As long as it's a good eraser, nice soft one. Don't rub too hard, especially on colour paper, it can rub the colour off. That's my little secret.

I'd love to hear what you all do....

happy scrapping,
Tammy

Feedback Friday (On Tuesday?)

Ok so last month I apologized for being late with posting my feedback friday post- and here I am late again this month!!! Summer is just catching up with me and I find myself being away from the computer more and more! I hope you can all forgive me one more time!

Soooo the winner of the FREE box of Prima Belle Fleur Daisies is:

Comment #7 (chosen via random.org!)

Nan Paturzo please send me an email at adonia@cox.net so I can send you your prize!


For this week's Feedback Friday I was thinking it would be fun to discuss WHERE we scrapbook! Everyone has different places- whether it's a converted closet or in the backroom at your local scrapbook store- one thing is for sure- we almost always need more space LOL!

I have a finished attic room in my house that I have claimed for my own. It is small and sometimes I bump my head on the ceiling, but it's my space! It was decorated with ugly sunflowers when we bought the house and I haven't been bold enough to take down the wallpaper and paint up there yet!

Tell us about your space, or do you scrap outside of the home? What would you change about your scrap space if money didn't matter?

One lucky commenter will recieve a RAK from one of the PFOP gals, winner will be drawn next month!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

What's New Wednesday for May

This month's "news" falls under a category that isn't exactly all that new - sketches for scrapbooking. They're called by different names -- blueprints, floorplans, grids, page recipes, page maps-- and they are a scrapper's best friend!

If you're stuck, they can provide you with a starting point for your layout or give you the inspiration to spin off your own creation. Using a pre-designed layout grid can also save a scrapper lots of time, so that instead of using precious minutes to decide on page arrangement, valuable time instead is used for creating the page.

What's new in the "sketches" world are two terrific books:

The first is "Page Maps" by Becky Fleck. Here's a review from Amazon.com:

Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Scrapbook Page Maps takes the guesswork out of where to begin by giving plenty of design ideas for their scrapbook layouts!

By referring to the sketches in the book, readers can select photos, papers and embellishments and then bring the page together quickly and easily. Helpful resource information such as a supply list and photo sizes are included on each card, along with page information cross-referencing the sketch back to the book. Scrapbook Page Maps is the essential book for beginning scrapbookers as well as those short on time.

And you get more than just an inspiring, design-filled idea book!
Also included is a deck of laminated cards that includes a thumbnail of many of the sketches in the book along with corresponding finished layouts.



The second of the new "sketch" books I want to share with you is "Layout Blueprints 2" - the eagerly awaited sequel to Amy Elkins "Layout Blueprints":

I haven't seen any reviews of the book yet, but I know it is due to hit stores very soon. I loved the first book and have been anxiously anticipating the arrival of the second one!


You can check out the Layout Blueprints blog here.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Feedback Friday

Ok, so I am a week late posting this, I am sooo sorry!!! I will plan on being on time next month :).

Feedback Friday is a new thing we are going to be doing on the PFOP Blog to get YOU (our friends and customers) involved!!! We'll post questions and topics here for you to reply to, and sometimes there will even be prizes randomly drawn, and all you have to do to enter is reply to the feedback friday post!

This week I have been thinking about flowers a lot! Not just Primas, but real ones for my house too. My favorite flower of all is the Hydrangea and I was so excited to see that wal- mart has them for sale this year for a Mother's Day type of gift- so of course I bought myself one :)

When it comes to scrapbooking my newest favorite flower is the Prima Belle Fleur Daisy- they are SO pretty as ithey come with layers and a premade center. Here's a peek at the green apple ones:

What is your favorite type of flower embellishent to use on your scrapbook artwork? Is it a Prima, Bazzil, or Making Memories flower? Or is it something you make yourself?

Reply to this post with your answer and you'll be entered in a drawing to win a FREE box of Belle Fleur Daisies from me!!! The drawing will be held on Friday May 30th and the winner will be announced in that day's feedback friday post! So be sure to get your replies in before then!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

EARTH DAY...

It's earth day today and it's the perfect day to enjoy it here in Toronto Canada. We did some planting on the weekend and cleaned up around our yard.
I even got some scrapping done today (and was sure to put my scraps in for recycling) ;-).

Hope you are all enjoying earth day wherever you are!!!

Tammy

Sunday, April 20, 2008

New Colors! New Challenge!

I would like to say a big thank you to Amber who has done a fabulous job of making our blog colors brighter! Fabulous spring colors, Thank You!

Also I would like to announce our 3DT Challenge is coming up this week!

We are throwing a "Baby Shower"

The ladies of MBDT and PFOP Design Teams are throwing a baby shower for YOU! Search 3DT to find the ultimate unique baby themed projects for you or that special person in your life who is expecting a bundle of joy- or recently had a baby!

And here if the fabulous tag made by Melissa of MBDT. Thank you Melissa.



Each member of both teams can only list one item each for this challenge, so let the challenge begin!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Hall of Fame

Today was an exciting day for ten scrapbookers. Why? you may wonder. Well, because ten talented ladies were announced today as the 2008 Creating Keepsakes Hall of Famers. You'll see their work featured in the CK magazine in coming months.

Here's the roster:

* Amy Martin
* Andrea Chamberlain
* Cindy Tobey
* Denine Zielinski
* Irma Peredne
* Kelly Noel
* Linda Rodriguez
* Lisa Habisreutinger
* Melissa Deakin
* Suzy Plantamura

Congrats to the new HOF as well as to everyone who entered for consideration. Putting together a submission package is quite an undertaking and I'm impressed by anyone who can accomplish it.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

The new PFOP

Tuesday's Tips

Tuesday's Tips will now be the first Tuesday of the month (and I kinda missed the boat this month!).

Today's tip is a great one ~ thanks Cindy!!!

"How to get four 5x7 mats from one 12x12 sheet of paper:
First, place your 12x12 paper into your paper trimmer and line it up to the 5" horizontal guide. Cut down to the 7" mark. You'll need to move the blade carefully watching the vertical blade as you cut. If your trimmer doesn't have a ruler on the vertical guide, just use a ruler to note where the 7" point is --place a post-it note at the correct spot. Be sure to stop cutting precisely at the 7" mark. Next, lift your blade off of the paper and rotate it 1/4 turn to the left (counter-clockwise). Place the paper again at the 5" horizontal guide and cut down again to the 7" mark. This time, your blade will intersect with your first cut. Move slowly enough that you do not go past the original cut. Remove your first 5" x 7" mat. Next, left the blade again and rotate the paper once more 1/4 turn counter clockwise. Place the paper once again at the 5" guide and cut down. This time you can run the blade as fast as you want as the first mat has been removed and there is no paper past the 7" mark. Lastly, lift the blade one last time, rotating the paper to the left again and align at 5" horizontal guide. Cut downward for one last time. You will now have four 5" x 7" mats and one small 2" x 2" square scrap from your original peice of paper.
Pretty nifty, huh?"

Happy Scrapping!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Member Spotlight: Dee Dee Roe

Our last to be spotlighted is our newest team member. Her creations are so full of energy and enthusiasm. You can't help but smile when you see them. We can't wait to get to know more about her.
Dee Dee Roe
Dee Dee is 27 years old and currently lives in Dallas, Texas Metroplex area. She mostly grew up in Texas but as a former Military brat, she has a hard time labeling anything home. She has been married to an amazing teacher for the last 6 years. Together they have a very spirited two year old daughter that loves to be chased in public. She does not work outside of the home. Some days she really misses the adult conversations and the appreciation for a job well done. Dee Dee has a Bachelors Degree in Secondary English Education and Intercultural Studies. She plans to start working on a Master's in English once she pays off her first school loan.
She has been scrapbooking since June 2007 when her husband took her to the Great American Scrapbook Convention (what a nice husband!). She loved seeing how people were creatively expressing themselves using such simple supplies. Her scrapbooking style is very simple. She loves to focus on blending colors and patterns as her base, and then she leaves room to let the photographs tell the heart of the story. Scrapbooking to her brings her so much pleasure because she felt that she has lived most of her life as uncreative. She loves to take a stack of supplies and create something totally surprising out of them. Dee Dee describes her top five scrapbooking must haves, "Everything starts with patterned paper. I didn’t even use a piece of solid colored cardstock for months after I started scrapbooking. I am also a sucker for ribbon and flowers, all colors and textures. Throw in a decent cutter and reliable adhesive, and I’m a happy girl." She tries not to munch when she scrapbooks because of the inevitable fingerprints, however she will keep peanut M&M's nearby for a quick and colorful pick me up. Dee Dee's journey with Ebay begain when she was looking for an alternative to making money for a trip to Thailand. She was exhausted of cleaning houses and babysitting and figured that there had to be a way to make money while doing something that she enjoyed. She made a paperbag album which sold immediately and now she has stuck with it for 6 months. Dee Dee is typically inspired by color. A certain hue will catch her eye, so she will then try to find paper and embellishments that capture that same excitement.
Dee Dee loves all seasons! She mentions that it one great thing about selling on Ebay, there is always something new to throw herself into. He favorite type of food is snacks. She loves things in small portions so she can snack throughout the day. She does not listen to music at all. She is aware that this is shocking! She is pretty sure that she could find something that she liked if she had unlimited funds to shop around, but she ends up turning the radio on which usually finds its way to talk radio. She has one cat and this is what she had to say about her. I found it pretty funny. "I have a very rascally cat named Mocha. She spends 20 hours a day sleeping, and 4 hours a night running around our house with a bushy tail chasing imaginary foes. She takes special delight in rolling things off my scrap table." Travel for Dee Dee evolves around the idea of making a difference with her time. She would love to go anywhere and work to help children that have been victims of child trafficking. A portion of her Ebay sales every month go into an account for organizations that help children get out of those situations.
Dee Dee's final words are quite funny and I really wish that I was like this. ": I love organizing and reorganizing my stash almost as much as actually creating something. It’s a bit crazy. I will find myself reorganizing ten minutes into a project. I put everything back into place every night even if I am in the middle of something."
We are so lucky to have found such a talented person. Her masterpieces are one of a kind. If you would like to check out her auctions please click here!

Monday, March 17, 2008

PFOP is now making a presence on Etsy

Have you heard of Etsy yet? It is a website for anything and everything handmade. It is just awesome and the talent on there is amazing!

Pocket Full of Papers is now present on Etsy. To search for our members on there, go to community and then teams and search for us there. In turn you will find our members that have Etsy shops.


If anything, check out all of the fantastic artists on Etsy.

Monday, March 10, 2008

March is National Craft Month!

Did you know that March is National Craft Month? Well, it is! So here are some tips on how to be more crafty this month (exerpted from CrafPlace.org)

Get involved - Crafting doesn’t have to be something you do alone. Be part of something:

  • Take a class- try something new or brush up on old skills. Take a friend and share the experience.
  • Volunteer to share your crafting expertise- work with local scouting troops, nursing homes, your local library, after school programs or community centers.
  • Join a crafting club, quilting guild or attend a crop - Can’t find a local group? Start your own! Contact your local craft store if you need help spreading the word and getting started.
  • Connect with kids - Children of all ages love to craft. Use National Craft Month to get in on the fun with your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews!
Happy crafting!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Tuesday's Tips

HANDWRITING...

I'm not so crazy about my handwriting. Yet, I try to write a little something on most of my layouts. One tip I read, was to include your initials and the date (in your handwriting ;-) on each layout. They are works of art afterall, so sign & date them like a true artist! That way anyone who enjoys your work, now and in the future to come, gets an 'authentic' glimpse of your personality through your handwriting.

Happy Scrappin

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

TUESDAY'S TIP

It's Tuesday again ~ so fast!

Today's tip comes from CINDY (again ;-))...
She suggests that we sharpen our punches by punching them thru aluminum foil a few times and then to lubricate punches we can punch them through wax paper. THANKS!

That makes me think of when I worked in retail. When the hangers started to stick to the metal rod, or they would screech when you pulled them, we would rub the rod with waxed paper. It works at home too ;-).

See you next Tuesday!!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

TUESDAY'S TIPS

A quick thanks to Amber for changing the background ~ it's fantastic!!

Hey ~ Cindy and I were thinking along the same line for today's tip!
We came up with some uses for the plastic backing that stickers or acrylic stamps come on.
First, Cindy suggested using these clear backings when you are contemplating a stamped image on your layout. She suggests that you can stamp onto the transparency and play with it on top of the layout until you find a placement you like. Also, if you have several clear pieces, you can "test drive" different colors of ink or paint.
Second, I have been using the plastic to hold my acrylic stamps for stamping, instead of an acrylic block. I like using my hands to apply pressure as I find it helps to make sure the ink reaches all nooks and crannies without applying too much pressure which then smudges the ink (I seem to do that sometimes with the acrylic block).
Third, I have used this plastic for shaker boxes....

Let us know what you think ~ or what you do with the plastic backings. ;-)

Happy Scrapping

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Some photo collages from CHA

I took nearly 800 photos while I was at CHA. Unfortunately, there are some blurry and poorly lit pics in the lot, so right now I'm busy working my way thru the "pile" and editing those that can be fixed. Here are a few collage "snapshots" of several manufacturer's booths. I'll post some more collages later:









BTW, if you'd like to see full size pics instead of collages, I'll be posting LOTS of them along with my comments & thoughts here.

Tuesday's Tips

It's a little late (just minutes past midnight here), but this week's "Tuesday" tip is... use a "Glue Book".

What exactly *is* a glue book? It's a book you use when you are working with something messy such as adhesive or paint. The book itself is any old magazine or flyer that is destined for the trash can anyway. Start at an early page and do your messy work, then flip forward page by page as each one becomes too messy to work on. When you are done, toss the book.

I've used this technique for ages since reading it in a now forgotten magazine, but it is fresh in my mind after using a glue book during a make-n-take project at CHA. If you're the curious sort, the booth we used this at was B Line Designs a source of wonderful vintage stamps.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Winter CHA 2008 Is Here!

What is CHA? Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) is a business-to-business trade association representing all facets of the craft industry and the hobby industry. CHA holds two large trade shows (Winter and Summer) where manufacturers' introduce and showcase their products. For the Scrapbooking industry (and SB mfrs make up a huge portion of this show), this means *lots* of new products to ogle. Many of the manufacturers also conduct demos and make-n-takes at their booths. Some give out samples. It's an exciting event to attend.

I'm excited to say that I'll be attending this year's show for a few days. I can't wait to come back and tell all. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Tuesday's Tips

Tuesday February 5

I have a few little tips....
1. To use loose sparkles (making memories "scrapbook shimmer" or the generic kind you can get at the dollar store), first spread elmer's glue (the kind you used in school, your kids should have some) where you want and then add the sparkles. It needs to dry thoroughly.

2. The next time you wash your rags try this... before throwing them in the dryer, take a few out to dust with! They are the perfect dampness for dusting and won't streak. Try it on your windows, t.v., monitors, furniture and more. You'll be amazed at how much dusting you can get done in a short time!
3. Use coupons as gift giving! It's a good way to be creative with your paper scraps and loved ones and friends will be thrilled. I received some from my daughters and I just love them. I saw someone had a scrapbook listed on ebay that included coupons for back rubs, dinner out and more. You could offer baby sitting services to a family with a new addition (actually ANY family would appreciate it!!), taking a loved one on a special outing, all sorts of wonderful things. I'm making a couple for my girls right now...

till next Tuesday ~ happy scrapping,
Tammy
ps; please add anything that you would like!!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Tuesday's Tips

Well, I hope this is helpful to some...
Today I read a quote under an ebayer's tag (I'm afraid I forget her user name...). She said "If life hands you lemons, grab the salt and tequila and call me over!" LOL ~ I really liked that one. With scrapbooking I know that for many of us, trying to correct our mistakes has created some wonderful NEW ideas and techniques.

The tip I would like to suggest is for paper bag albums. Many times I work on a cover and it comes out less than fantastic. Often the title is nice enough, just not as great as I would like it to be for a cover. In the past I would often try and work with it and change it and it would never be exactly what I wanted. Now, if I find it's just not working, I will use the piece somewhere else in the album and just start over. Then, I always LOVE my cover and have a really nice page in the album (or sometimes on the back).

So, if life hands you lemons......;-)

Happy Scrapping!
Tammy

Monday, January 28, 2008

Member Spotlight: Bernadette Winningham

This next member to be spotlighted is a power house. She always has GREAT multiple items listed at once. She is incredibly creative and has the ability to master any theme presented her. We are excited to know more about her.
Bernadette Winningham
Bernadette Winningham is 42 years old and currently living in Florida with her husband of 18 years and beautiful 8 year old daughter Taylor. She is originally from Harrison, New York. She works full time outside of the home as a Manager with a Financial Services Company. She has been with them for 21 years.
She has been scrapbooking for 8 years now. She has never really thought of her scrapbooking style. She loves to play around with the new products that come out and use them on layouts or projects for Ebay. However her personal scrapbooking is more simple. Focusing on getting more photos per page and then wondering why she did not use the new ribbon or embellishment on it. She finds this hobby very relaxing and she loves to see what she is able to create and share with others. Her top five must have scrapbooking items would have to be Ribbons, Fiskars cutter, Prima flowers, jewel embellishments and my ATG gun adhesive. Her favorite scrap snack is Junior Mints (yum!). She started selling on Ebay to support her scrapbooking habit. When asked what inspires her to create she said, "I love creating for others and ensure quality work. When I’m finished with a layout, I share the finished product with my family."
Her favorite holiday is Easter and her favorite food is Seafood. She loves all types of music but what she really enjoys is something with a good beat and a lot of base. She has a house full of pets. She has three dogs (Bubba, Lacy, Max), two cats (Mr. Kitty and Mittens), and one turtle (Rocky). If Bernadette could go anywhere, she would love to go to Fiji and a trip across Europe.
We have really enjoyed Bernadette in PFOP. She adds another dynamic dimension to the group. You can check out her current auctions here!

3 Design Team Challenge

PFOP ~ Pocket Full Of Papers,
OUAT ~ Once Upon A Time Design Team and
MBDT ~ Memories By Design Team are proud to present;

“LOVE IS IN THE AIR”

For the first time on eBay, three of your favorite design teams have come together to bring you a fabulous selection of LOVE theme paper piecings, pre-made page layouts, albums and more. Search "3DT Challenge" from Sunday, January 27th ~ Tuesday, February 5th to find the absolute best in high quality work from this diverse group of talented artists.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=3dt+challenge&category0=

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Tuesday's Tips

Journaling Tips...

Here are a few tips to help, yet again ;-), with journaling:

1. Try getting a different perspective. Ask a family member what they remembered about a shared event. Maybe record an event through a love one's eyes. For example, a wedding day would look very different to a four year old ~ there may be some very interesting details that you never knew...

2. Take a break from journaling! Instead, go through your albums and read your existing journaling. This will help you learn about your style, see what you would like to improve, and appreciate the hard work you've already done. Your focus, on what you want to achieve and how to achieve it, will be sharpened.

Have fun!
Tammy

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Tuesday's Tips

Oops, I did it again.....Tuesday's Tip on Wednesday ;-)

I would like to continue with a couple more tips on photography.

Crop with your camera. Imagine what a cute photo you are getting of your little ballerina dancing her newest routine. Then when you look at it, you realize there's a mound of laundry right beside her, in the shot. Now it is easier to crop our photos with the computer, but consider cropping while taking your pictures. To eliminate items from a photo try a different angle. Try standing on a chair or lying down to get that angle. The effects are fantastic. I try to do this when taking pictures of my albums to sell on ebay. It's good practice too.

Happy Scrapping
Tammy

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

A Word About Stockpiling Scrapbook Supplies

Sorry Tammy, I just had to offer these tips when I saw them. This just motivated me to clean out my scraproom. Something that I have been putting off and dreading...

Did you know that an inch of pattern paper is estimated to be 100 sheets or 75 finished pages?

Did you know that one inch of cardstock is roughly 50 pages finished? How many inches do YOU have? How many pages do you do a year?

Do you have over 12 inches (1 foot) of cardstock or printed paper? Do you realise that is enough paper for 1000 pages? Are you stockpiling for someday when you already own enough paper to do thousands of pages?

Did you know that one tin/set of 100 eyelets makes and average of 20 pages? (And how many sets of 100 do YOU own?)

Did you know that many paper packs and multi sheet slabs usually have 10-20% of their patterns that will not suit you within a pack? (one sheet in 5 may not be to your taste so don't keep it in the stash--share!)

Did you know that each sticker sheet you own will do aproximately a two page layout? If you have binder full of stickers it will equal about 300 pages to use them up?

Did you know that each yard of fiber you own will make 1-2 pages? If you own a skein of knitting yarn, they contain between 100-200 yards of fiber? At that rate it will take you 100-200 pages of JUST THAT SKEIN to use up that yarn ball on layout pages? (SHARE!!)

Did you know that the average gel and writer pen ink longevity INSIDE a pen is one year before it is generally dry or unusable? (Use them up before they DRY up!)

Did you know that playing music when you scrapbook helps your creativity and productivity?

Did you know that starting with a format saves you 20 minutes PER PAGE?

Did you know there are about 500 free sketches online? Watch our links for sites. If you can't find those free ones online to print and refer to, or need ideas for crop parties, get Becky Higgins Creative Sketches book and also her Creative Companion book. Sketches are simply awesome for versatile formats of layouts.

Did you know that shopping once a week at the scrapbook store costs most scrappers an average of $25.00 each trip? (And most of those have enough items at home already to make 1000's of pages.) $25.00 times 52 weeks a year means $ 1300 spent per year.

Did you know that sticker letters cost an average of $3-$5 dollars a sheet now? Buy black so that later you can mix and match later your partial sheets for 'mixed font' titles. It will save you at least a dollar a sheet to BUY BLACK! Why? Because you will eventually get more many titles per sheet that way!

Did you know that one ABC sticker sheet usually makes only two titles before is is 'cast off' by most scrapbookers? Over half the stickers are then wasting away in binders or storage and cloggin up precious storagespace--never to be used again.

Did you know that people will pay $1 each for two punched flowers and a brad or pop dot? (Think Jolees, K and Co, and Paper Bliss) Do ityourself for a fraction of that. It takes only pennies to make a stacked flower from your scraps and chalk the outside petals..... I know you have scraps and brads, eyelets or pop dots! LOL Pay yourself about $20 to $40 an hour and make a few dozen sets instead of buying them.

Did you know that stamping your own twill ribbon with phrases saves you $2.00 a yard? How many premade ribbon yards do you have that you need to use up? Wording ribbon usually works out to 1 foot per page. If you have a stockpile of 20 yards of worded ribbons of all kinds, that means you better get cracking and make 60 pages before you buy more!!

Monday, January 7, 2008

Member Spotlight: Kristi Miller

Since the holidays are now over and our members are starting to get back into the swing of things, I figured I will take the opportunity to spotlight myself. It did not require contacting anyone and the information is super easy to write up. So here goes...

Kristi Miller

My name is Kristi Miller and I just turned 27 years old. I currently live in Caldwell Idaho which is a suburb about 25 miles from Boise, the state's capital. I was born in Rexburg Idaho but have lived in the Treasure Valley, as they call it, since I was about 5 years old. I have been for married for 7 years to a great guy named Jeff. We have a 21 month old named Gunnar and hope to have another baby soon. It has been so fun and rewarding to be a mom. It is far better than I had expected it. When I had Gunnar, we made the decision that I will stay at home and that is where I have been ever since. I went to Boise State University and was able to get an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice Administration. I just love the field but never did have a job in it. Jeff has a Bachelors Degree in the same field and actually does work in it. Going to college does pay off.


I have been scrapbooking since I was about 16 years old. My mom started with Creative Memories and then I took over my brother and sister's albums from there. My personal style is very simple with clean lines. I really like the focus to be on the pictures and am striving to do well on journaling the moment. I really enjoy scrapbooking because of the preserving aspect. I love to know that my photos will not be something unidentifiable. That generations down the line will be able to know who the people are, when the moment took place and maybe even where. It makes me sad to run across photo albums where nothing is documented. Scrapbooking is also a fun, rewarding outlet. I would have to say that my top 5 must haves are Fabritac, paper trimmer, cutter bees, lots of paper, and ribbon. I really don't eat when I am scrapping. If I do, it must be easy, messless finger foods. I started selling on Ebay shortly before my son was born. I started with a 12x12 ABC Baby Album that I made. I really had not sold anything prior to that and thought that I would give it a try. It sold and I was thrilled. I then listed an 8x8 version and it did not sell. I was bummed. Very shortly after that, I had Gunnar and used the smaller album for him. Boy was I incredibly happy that did not sell. It was awesome! It was all made up and all that I had to do was add photos and keep up with the journaling and it was already made by me. All finished with photos and journaling, these albums are so cute! I am inspired by all sorts of things. I get inspiration from everything that I see.

My favorite season is Fall and my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I think that is most likely because my birthday is right around and sometimes on the holiday. I just love the leaves, colors, pumpkins and smells of fall. My favorite food is a good Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich from Red Robin. I just love those teamed up with a Strawberry Freckled Lemonade. Yum! My favorite type of music is more alternative and some R&B. I am not picky but those are where my favorite groups reside. We currently have a 7 year old kitty named Sarah and two large mixed breed dogs. 'Kaika'mahine (daughter in Hawaiian) is a bloodhound/lab mix and Rusty is your all around mutt. If I could go anywhere in the world, it would have to be Egypt. The pyramids and things like that there just fascinate me. Second would have to be some place with a nice sandy beach.

I am just thrilled to be part of PFOP. About once a month I just marvel that I made it in when I stack myself up against the other members. They are such talented ladies. I just love being involved and have had such fun putting together these spotlights.

You are more than welcome to check out my auctions by clicking here!




Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Fantastic Art Journal Scrapbook



This journal is absolutely fantastic! I am in love with Wendy's (ragtags) creations. This particular piece is known as an Art Journal Scrapbook. It's intended purpose is to be used as a very intimate, personal journal for the owner. It is a place to record to inner most working of the owner and not a piece to display for all to see.

The colors are bright and fun. It would turn any non-journaler into an avid journaler in no time. Who could resist this everyday!?

Check out the auction here and do check out all of her other fantastic listing too!

Tuesday's Tips

Tips For Taking Photos:

1. Your Creative Eye ~
To love the pictures you've taken, it helps to know what you love. Find pictures you like, in magazines perhaps, and put them where you can observe them for awhile. Then, find what you are drawn to in the picture. Do you prefer black and white photos, or are there particular colour schemes you've chosen? Are you someone who prefers to show the location of a subject, or someone who likes close ups? On a personal note, I realized my husband loves close ups where I prefer to get the whole feeling of the memory I am trying to capture. However, after seeing his photos I realized that some shots are best if they're close up...

Giving this consideration will help you to be prepared to get your perfect photo even before you pick up a camera. Learn what you like and you'll LOVE YOUR PICTURES! (next week I'll have another tip for better photos)

Happy Scrapping
Tammy
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