Guest Blogger at Scraps of Mind

While teaching my IRL (in real life) digital scrapbooking class the other night, I noticed that some of my students seemed a little overwhelmed at the various layouts I was showing them. To soothe and encourage them, I used an analogy to show them that it was definitely possible for them to create layouts like the ones they were seeing. The analogy proved to be an apt one, and one that was easily understood. Because of this, when I was asked, by Karen Karooch from the Scraps of Mind blog, to be a guest blogger, I enlarged the analogy to a complete article, complete with layouts to illustrate it. I hope that you will check out my article on her blog. It will be published on Tuesday, April 29. While you are there, be sure to explore Karen's blog. She has a vast collection of articles, tutorials, and all round great information on digital scrapbooking.

Also for today, my CT member, Kayre, has created some layouts using my Prairie Sunset Bracket Album pages as embellishments to give you an idea for what you can do with these other than to build a hybrid album. Thanks, Kayre!

Click photo for full credits

Click photo for full credits

Hope these give you some ideas for using the Prairie Sunset Bracket Album!

Prairie Sunset Bracket Album

Just released is my new Bracket Album that features my page kit, Prairie Sunset. I hope you'll check it out!

The “Prairie Sunset” Bracket Album is designed for use with the Basic Grey Chipboard Bracket album available online and at local scrapbooking stores. This album was designed with the luscious papers and elements from the Prairie Sunset page kit and features the shades of gold, tangerine, crimson and amethyst. There are 12 pre-made pages, an unique glass-windowed front cover and matching back cover, and 4 solid pages with stitching to be used for journaling or additional pages that you create utilizing elements from the Prairie Sunset page kit. In addition, Photoshop and Photoshop Elements users will be able to use the 6 text paths that coordinate with 6 of the album pages. Think outside the box to use these pages as embellishments on a full-sized layout or placed on a 6 or 8-inch page to make a square album page. All pages are created at 300ppi and saved as .png files to preserve transparency. Included with this album are directions for using the text paths and a tips sheet for completing the album. Thank you to Tandika Star and DigiScrapDesigner for items used in the creation of this product. Special thanks to Atomic Cupcake and Monica Larsen.

National Scrapbooking Day Layout Competition

National Scrapbooking Day is fast approaching! Be sure to mark your calendars for the weekend of May 3 so that you can get in on the many sales, contests, and other promotions. A good thread to bookmark is this one at Digishoptalk which details all of the sales: NSD Sales Master List.

What will be going on at DreamScrapper you ask? A sale will definitely be taking place so be sure your Paypal card is dusted off, fired up and ready to go! More details on the sale will be provided closer to National Scrapbooking Day!

Rules:

1. Create a layout using primarily products found at DreamScrapper.com. You may enter more than once, but each layout must be created primarily using DreamScrapper products.
2. Post the layout in the online gallery of your choice and email the link to me at dreamscrapper@gmail.com. In the email, include your name, email address at which you wish to be contacted, and the link to your layout.
3. Entries must be received no later than Sunday, May 4, 2008 at midnight, CST, to be considered.
4. As links are received, images will be posted here on my blog.
5. The winners of the competition will be announced on my blog Monday, May 5, 2008 and the winner will be notified via email.
6. Winners will be drawn randomly so EVERYONE has a chance of winning!

So, get scrapping . . . you can start entering NOW!

I'm On a Roll!

I guess that going to an all-day scrapping crop gets the creative juices flowing because I got another layout done today. This one celebrates my daughter's very first job - at 13! She has been working at the Half Moon Drive Inn since April 10, 2008. On Friday night, my husband and I went there for dinner. It was so crowded we almost couldn't stay because there was nowhere to park! Luckily, we managed to squeeze in. Inside, it was a zoo! While waiting to place our own orders, we watched our daughter filling orders behind the counter. She was moving VERY quickly to complete each order and then announcing the order number over the intercom. She was totally oblivious to us, being as it was so busy, and it gave us a good chance to see her in action without making her self conscious. We were very proud of her!

Anyway, this layout uses both pieces from my new kit, PRAIRIE SUNSET, and doodles from Kate Hadfield. I also wanted to use some acrylic letters (they are all the rage right now) by Emily Powers. Somehow, they didn't look quite right in their natural, clear state so I tinted them to match the layout. So, what do you think?

Digital Gal at a Paper Crop

On Saturday, I had the extreme pleasure of scrapbooking all day long! I attended an all-day crop put on by our local scrapbooking store. I had attended a previous crop by this store last year. This year the store has new owners and I found the crop to be a little less organized than before but still enjoyable!

As before, I was the only digital gal in attendance, complete with my laptop, EHD, and LCD monitor! My best friend, Charlene, attended the crop with me.



Last year I had finally convinced her to give scrapbooking a try. She had never scrapbooked before nor shown any real interest in it, though she is very creative herself and even teaches card making! You would think that scrapbooking would be a natural for her, considering that she has a number of the required tools already - paper cutter, inks, stamps, paper, embellishments, embossing powders . . . you name it!

At the last crop, she came because she wanted to create an album of her family's trip to Disneyworld and she made a good start on her album. At this crop, she continued working on this album and created two absolutely lovely pages!


Check out the glitter on her title!


Anyway, we are already planning to attend another crop in the fall and I can hardly wait!

I was pleased to complete two layouts at the crop . . . you would think that I would have accomplished more than that during the hours of 10 AM and 11 PM! However, I was not the only one in this position! I mean, you had to take time out to eat and walk back and forth to the store about 5 times and just TALK!

Anyway, here are the two layouts I created. Let me know what you think!

Click for larger version and full credits

Click for larger version and full credits

Somewhat maddening was that the layout I intended to scrap at this crop did not come to be! I had wanted to do a page about my daughter's first job at a local historic burger joint. Kate Hadfield created the most gorgeous fast food doodles, at my request, but the page just hadn't "gelled" yet in my mind for me to scrap it. I will be sure to post it here when it is completed. For now, check out these doodles by Kate: