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.

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. )

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.

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.

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!

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!

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 :)