Write On!!!

Journaling..is it something you enjoy, or do you find it hard to put your ideas down on paper? A large part of what we do as scrapbookers is suspend moments, preserving snippets of today for future generations. Sometimes we know the feeling around what we want to say but actually saying it seems daunting.

Think about this..When your albums are opened half a century or more from now, what story do you want to have told? When your grandchildren's children read your words, what do you want to have said to them? What do you want them to know about your life, about who you are? Half a century from now as they look at the layout you created of your firstborn child, maybe for you time stood still . When they see the layout about your best friends battle with cancer, do you want them to know you were terrified for her as well as yourself? If that's the case, say exactly that!

Years from now, these things will matter. The little things, the big things, the secret things, the pains of the heart, the quiet longings. Here is a list of journaling prompts to help get you started or even give the seasoned journaler new ideas.

I want you to know...
I wish I could tell someone...
I have always been grateful for...
I want you to remember...
I have never forgotten...
I could never have imagined...
I never expected...
I am amazed...
I never took the time to tell you...
I never had the opportunity to tell you...
If I never have the opportunity to let you know...
If I never teach you anything else...
If I die tomorrow...
If I had another chance...
If I had ten minutes...
If I could tell you just one thing...
When I look at you...
When you look at me...
You have given me...
You surprise me...
You have taught me...
You are...
You remind me...
My only wish...
My only regret...
My heart swells when...
My heart breaks when...
My life is richer...
Thank you...

May your journaling time be productive, inspired and revealing. Enjoy the process!!


Taken in part from Canadian Scrapbooker Spring 2009 issue by Mylene English

Wonderful Wednesday Special!!!

This week we have slashed the price on the April Card Kit- Imaginisce Lucy Bird. For today only save 50% off the original price! Check it out!

http://scraptures.ca/store/index.php?ma ... cts_id=121

This kit contains the very cheerfull Lucy Bird line along with a Smoch Spritz spray! If you have ever wanted to try this stuff, now is your chance!

Don't forget there are only a few days left of our store wide sale, so go have a look!

Featured Scrapper Tuesdays!!

Hello Scrap~tures Peeps

How is everyone today? It's Featured Scrapper Tuesday and you know what that means...

Today we are going to put the spotlight on Shannon-VaryScrappy

I just love the film strip..what a creative way to use multiple photo's~

You can see more of Shannon's amazing work right here

http://www.scraptures.ca/gallery/index.php?cat=10046

Be sure to stop by and let her know what you love about her work~~ We all love positive feedback.

Have a great day~

Stamp Pads , Stamp Pad, Stamp Pads...

There are so many options, do you know which one is best for the project you are working on? I am not really new to the stamping scene, but I have to admit I don't do a lot of it. I find it tough to get my image to look even and maybe that's because of the ink i'm using..who knows. I think if I'd put my mind too it, and practiced more...I'd become so much better at it. So lets discuss inks..

Dye-based Ink--> Some dye based inks can be used on multi-surfaces and will dry quickly on most paper and some are waterproof and acid free. They are not meant of heat embossing because of their quick drying time. When watercolour, non smear, dye-based inks are dry they are permanent on absorbent surfaces, such as paper. If you stamp your image using this type of ink on matte or glossy paper, you can add colour almost immediately which water-based markers, such as Tombow or Stampin' up. with fear of smudging or smearing. This ink can also be used to alter metal embellishments such as eyelets or brads. Once you've applied your ink to your metal object, you will need to heat set the ink using a heat gun to speed up drying time.

Pigment Ink--> Pigment ink is water-based, acid -free and has a generous drying time. It will air dry when used with matte paper or by sandwiching your project between two pieces of clean newsprint and heat set with a dry iron. This slow drying ink is not only for heat embossing but also for blending. You can use a foam tip or stylus to create amazing effects blending inks onto your projects. When using this ink on glossy paper, you'll need to add some embossing powders and heat set with your heat gun or dry iron or it may stay wet forever!!!. Because this ink is so stable (it will set the same vibrant colour as when you stamped it wet) you are able to stamp lighter colours over darker colours making this the ink of choice for stamping on dark colours of cardstock or paper.

Clear Embossing Ink--> An embossing pad is made for just that, heat embossing. It stays wet for a very long time and soaks up embossing powder beautifully making heat embossing fool proof! Embossing inks are water-based and leave no sticky residue on your stamps after clean up. Because it's water based clean up is a snap, you use only water! This ink allows you to emboss any colour of embossing powder with it.

Chalk Finish Ink--> This style of ink dries with a chalk line or powder finish. Once again there are a number of varieties on the market. An excellent example of a great chalk ink is Fluid Chalk by ColorBox. This chalk style ink combines the resilience of pinkment inks with the fast drying characteristics of dye based inks. Although chalk inks are not formulated for heat embossing you can heat emboss on vellum. This ink can also be blended using a stylus and a foam tip.When buffed with a foam tip or soft cloth, chalk ink will give you a beautiful shiny finish.

Solvent Inks--> StazOn is an excellent example of solvent-based ink. It's ideal for non porous surfaces such as metal, glass, shrink plastics, transparencies. It's is fast drying and permanent so be careful. It will stain both your rubber and your clothes. Solvent-based inks require special stamp cleaners as water will not work. StazOn is true to it's name...IT STAYS ON!!

So there you have it. We'd love to know which type of ink you use and which ones you recommend as being great ones to work with~~

Enjoy your Saturday

It's Finally Friday's Sketch of the Week~~

Is this sketch not absolutely wonderful~ We'd love to see what you create using this sketch. Please pop on over to the forums and gallery and upload your wonderful layouts~

Magic Mesh

Have you ever used Magic Mesh on your projects? I have to admit, I haven't. I do have some...but never seem to remember it when I'm creating but I am hoping to change that very soon~

Magic Mesh has come a long way since it first appeared on the paper-crafting scene. There are now several different designs in a lot of different colours. It remains self-adhesive which makes it convenient to add to just about any project.

Here are some things you can do with Magic Mesh.....
*Treat the mesh as if it's another patterned paper that you are working with on your layout or card.
*Try weaving embroidery thread, yarn or narrow strips of paper through the holes in the Magic Mesh.
*Give chipboard letters and shapes a new look by covering them with Magic Mesh. Simply apply Magic Mesh to shapes and trim the excess with fine tipped scissors or an X-acto knife. (I am definitely trying this one~)
*Use Magic Mesh with die cut machine or punches providing the shape is small enough go fit the height of your Magic Mesh. Apply the mesh to cardstock, then use your die cut punch or machine to cut out the shape.
*If you love the look of layering on your layouts, add big punch without adding bulk.
*Try using Magic Mesh as a masking tool. Gently apply mesh to your layout without pressing too firmly so that the seal doesn't not become permanent. Lightly spray cardstock with spray paint, then remove the mesh to reveal the masked design.

If you have used Magic Mesh and would like to show us your designs , we would sure love to see them~~

Have a wonderful day!

Wonderful Wednesday Special!

Stop by the store for our Wonderfull Wednesday special- Sign up for a card kit subscription (6 months or 12 months) and receive 25% off of your first kit! Please use coupon code s25.

www.scraptures.ca/store

Our new card kits have been a huge hit, so don't miss out!!

Featured Scrapper Tuesdays!!

Good Morning Scrap~tures fans :)

Today's Featured Scrapper is Wendy-Wendance!!! She's an avid card maker and scrapbooker and has been keeping us inspired as Scrap~tures first guest DT. This is just one of the amazing cards she has created. Check out the rest of her gallery over at Scrap~tures by clicking on this link

http://www.scraptures.ca/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=20

congrats Wendy!!!

Shutterbug Monday

It's time for another shuttberg challenge...

Wonder on over to Scrap~tures http://www.scraptures.ca/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1300 to see what this weeks challenge is.

Hope to see you there

Hot Glue Embellishments..

I would never have thought of using hot glue to make elements for my pages..but what a concept!!

It's not just an adhesive..it's an inexpensive versatile and fun way to add design elements to any craft project. You can get coloured glue sticks to create your design or use clear then add inks or beads or even pearlized powders to give it a shimmer.

Lay a transparency over the design you want to trace. When your glue gun is hot and ready to use, trace over the design with the glue gun. Place the transparency into the freezer for several minutes to get it very cold. Pop the shape off the transparency and trim away any access strings of glue and voila...

To create a hot glue seal, squeeze a circle of glue onto a non-stick craft sheet or transparency. While the glue is still hot, press an inked stamp into the glue. Wait for it to cool then peel it off the sheet.

A few tips when using hot glue:

1.When the ink is tacky, pour on microbeads
2.If the surface of your design contains fingerprints or is rough, reheat with a heat gun to smooth out any imperfections
3. To adhere a glue embellishment to a project, place the embellishment on a layout and reheat with a heat gun. The glue will melt slightly and adhere itself to the layout.

What a cool way to make unique elements~!~!


Have you checked out Scrap~tures lately? There is currently a sign up happening for a Secret Sister swap..check out this link http://http://www.scraptures.ca/forums/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=1290 so you don't miss out on the fun!

Have a great Monday everyone~

Masking ..is this something you like to do?

Masking is the opposite of a stencil-- instead of being a negative image, it is the positive image or a solid image. A mask is a shape placed onto your project then using a colour medium..you apply it to the outside area and the edges (and inside area's if the mask has some) . Once you remove the mask, the colour or pattern underneath the mask remains in the shape of the mask while the outer edges are coloured.

A number of manufactures produce masks in cool designs, but you can make your own as well. If you have a die cut machine you could punch out a shape and then mask it onto your projects. Once you've used the mask, it'll be covered in cool colours that you could then in turn use on a different project.

You could spray over the mask with something like Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist or use a small sponge and sponge paint over the mask. Other mediums you could use are inks, watercolours, spray paint, acrylic paint, walnut ink, bleach mist or even VersaMark to ink the eges then heat emboss.

I have to admit, I have only ever masked I think once since I started scrappin and until I read an article, I never once thought about using punches as masks. I have quite a few punches and most of the time they stay in the drawer under used...so I'm going to give this a shot and see what I come up with!

Why not give it a try too :)

It's Finally Friday Again!!

It's Scrapfest in Kitchener Ontario this weekend so I am sure there are A LOT of scrappers who will be enjoying the shopping, classes and all that the event has to offer but for for the rest of us who are not attending, maybe we can get in some scrappy time right in the comfort of our own homes. Here is a great sketch from Pagemaps to inspire you!

~Happy Scrappin'~

Sketchabilities Sketch #14 Reveal

Well today is the day for the Sketchabilities #14 sketch reveal. Here is my layout I created for this sketch using the April Kit- LYB Fresh Print Clothesline. You can view the rest of the Sketchabilities sketch reveal here..

http://sketchabilities.blogspot.com/ or follow the link on the sidebar.

Let's have some fun today......

You Know You're Addicted To Scrapbooking When.......

1. Scrapbooking fills your days-not to mention your living room, bedroom and closets

2. You see something metal in a parking lot or on the floor and you go back to pick it up. It turns out to be some sort of buckle/pop tab type thing , so you pop it in your pocket , and think --yeah, I can put some ribbon through that.

3. You dream about layouts or crops

4. You reach into your purse, and your family scatters--they think you are reaching for that dreaded camera

5. You spend all day at work/school sketching layouts instead of working/studying

6. You find an awesome piece of paper and actually dress your child up for pictures in clothes to match the paper

7. Your husband runs into the local eatery yelling "I need water, my truck's on fire" and your first response is "Wait, I have the camera"

8. You rush your husband to the emergency room, then borrow the hospital's digital camera to take pictures so you can scrap the event later.

9. You find yourself taking 28 pictures of the same flower because "it might make a good background for journalling.

10. You are putting away your newly purchased supplies and find that you already had a least half of what you just bought.

11. Your children become enablers, bringing you interesting pieces of paper and cool looking tags from their new clothes and so on.

12. Your stack of cardstock is as tall as your four-year-old.

(As seen in the Summer 2007 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker)



Have a great day :)

Stamping Can Be Fun~~~

Most of us have at least one stamp in our collection of supplies...but are they being used to their potential? For me, my answer is no. I have every set of Making Memories foam alpha stamps and haven't used them in at least 3 years. I have numerous sets of CTMH stamps...and while they look pretty sitting in my wicker basket in my scrap room ...they aren't making their way onto my pages.

Today I'm going to talk about two different stamping techniques that will work for both scrapbookers and card makers.

The first technique is 'Two Step Stamping'. This is a very simple method but produces a great looking image. As it's name implies..you stamp the image once..let it dry then stamp right over top of it with another image. For example..you could stamp a flower with a solid colour then stamp over top of it with lines or words...then cut around the image and add it to your page. The possibilities are endless!

The second technique is 'Stamping with Bleach' Yep, you saw right...bleach.
1. You fold a few sheets of paper towels to serve as the stamp pad and place in the bottom of a flat container.
2. Pour enough bleach into the container to make the paper towels moist but not saturated.
3. Gently tap tap the stamp into the bleach stamp pad.
4. Stamp the image onto the coloured cardstock
5. It can take a few moments for the full bleaching effect to appear.

You can also paint with bleach. Stamp and image onto cardstock. Then using a paint brush, paint the petals with bleachwhich will turn them white while leaving the rest of the stamp just the way it is. With painting with bleach, then number of coats you apply will vary the effect.

You can also mist with bleach. Fill a misting bottle with bleach. Spray the bleach over your paper either before you begin the project or after you have stamped an image..depending on the effect you are going for.

REMEMBER--> You must clean your stamps thoroughly after using them with bleach. Bleach can damage your stamps if left exposed for long periods of time. You can ink the stamp first with VersaMark or embossing ink to protect the rubber from the bleach, but it is still recommended that you clean the stamps after each use for the best protection.

Happy Stamping!!

Featured Scrapper Tuesdays!!

Helloooooo peeps~~~

Are you excited...you should be...it's Featured Scrapper Tuesday. Today I chose our very own Scrap~tures team member ELLEN-ELCRAFTY. She's a card maker extraordinaire and provides so much inspiration. Here is one of her amazing card using the April card kit.

Check out the card kit reveal gallery over at Scrap~tures for more of Ellen's gorgeous cards~~

http://www.scraptures.ca/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=41

Shutterbug Monday

It's that time again...time for another shutterbug challenge.

This weeks challenge is to take a pictures of things that 'Aren't Quite Right'

Think outside the box...here's one example...bark off a tree...that's the only example I'm going to give you though...I'd like to see where this takes everyone.

If you aren't a member of the forums, please pop on over and join us. There are some great challenges and to be honest, we are just a great bunch of gals :)

Happy picture snapping~~~

Let's talk Chipboard today...

Don't you just love chipboard? Chipboard seems to under used on my layouts which is something I'm hoping to change. Do you dress up your chipboard or use it 'naked'?

I have a bunch of chipboard letters and sometimes I get so frustrated that I can't find letters to match...then it dawned on me one day...why not cover all the letters to match....Voila~~I'm sure like me we all have odd letters in our scrapping stash that we avoid using because they don't match the project we are working on , well now there is a solution.

Here are some ways of 'dressing up ' your chipboard......

adhere flowers
apply glitter
cover with pattern paper
cover with cardstock
apply rub-ons
cover with fabric
cover with decorative tape
paint
sand
rubbed on ink
heat emboss
stamp it
stickers
magic mesh (remember this stuff?)
wrap with ribbon

Now go forth and create an amazing layout using some of that chipboard in your stash~~

April Kit Reveal..

Have you been waiting? Are you excited? Head on over to the forums and check out what these talented ladies have done with this kit...absolutely stunning~~

http://www.scraptures.ca/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1211

Let's talk about sketches...

First question..do you use them? I love sketches...sometimes it's nice to not have to 'think'. Sketches can be so versatile...use them as they are, flip them 3 other different ways or even just use a couple of elements from the sketch~

Do you have a favorite sketch site? Here are the links to a few of mine

http://52sketches52weeks.ning.com/

http://gotsketch.blogspot.com/

http://pinksketches.typepad.com/

http://2sketches4you.blogspot.com/

and of course Sketchabilites..check the blinkie to the right.

One thing everyone must remember, when you use a sketch and post your layout online, you must always give credit to the sketch artist or site. It's common courtesy and most sketch artists love knowing you have used something they spent time creating.

If you have any other favorites you would like to let us know about...feel free~~

Have a great weekend

Finally Friday Sketch Challenge

It is Friday again!! This week's sketch is for a card. The sketch is from the Card Patterns Blog...

http://cardpatterns.blogspot.com/.

There is some fabulous inspiration there for card makers, check it out!

I made my card using this sketch for a birthday party my daughter is going to on Saturday.

Do you Scrap Yourself?

I think this is one subject we put on the back burner. I know for me...it's easier to scrap my kids, my husband or just everyday events then it is to sit down and scrap me. I've maybe done a handful of layouts with me as the sole subject. I discovered this blog http://scrap-yourself.blogspot.com/ and there is so much inspiration to do more layouts about ourselves. I know it's important for me to be 'in front' of the camera but it so easy to overlook it. I just don't think of 'down the road' when others will be looking at my albums..and wondering about me.

We would love to see layouts about 'YOU' so if you have some to share, please feel free to share a link with us or better yet..join our forums and upload your layouts to our gallery~ We'd love to have you a part of our wonderful little community.

Have a wonderful day

Are you a distresser?

There are so many ways to distress a layout or card...I for one am a huge fan of inking the edges. It seems to just tie everything together. I do have to admit though, inking is pretty much all I do. I forget about all the other ways to 'distress' a layout. Here's a list of distress techniques that can alter the entire look of your project

Sanding
chalking
embossing
painting
stained
crumpled and
inked

I never think of painting the paper or chalking it to distress it. I seem to always reach for my inks so I'm going to try and use a different medium to see what kind of results I can get. I did try to sand my paper once but it just didn't seem to look right. If any of you have some tips on how to accomplish this...please share.

If you love to distress and have some techniques you'd like to share, please do!
If you would like to share a link to a project you've done that you've distressed...please do that too...we'd love to see it!

Have a great day!!

Featured Scrapper Tuesdays!!

Today's Featured Scrapper is Sassette-Lisa!!!

The layout below is just one of the amazing creative projects you'll find

in Lisa's gallery over at Scrap~tures!

Follow this link to see the rest of Lisa's great gallery

http://www.scraptures.ca/gallery/index.php?cat=10051

Congrats Lisa!!

Shutterbug Monday

It's Shutterbug Monday...which means there is a new challenge this week~

Check it out here http://www.scraptures.ca/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1172

With all the amazing weather we've been having , it's easy to get out and start snapping some beautiful pictures. I have to admit, I find it tough to come up with pictures to take. Sometimes I need a few ideas to get my creative juices flowing. It's easy to take pictures at 'events' but everyday moments sometimes get away without me turning my camera on.

Here is a list of 10 Can't Miss Photo's to take each month. There are some really great ideas and even a blank check list that you can customize~http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/articles/10_Cant_Miss_Photos_to_Take

Happy picture taking!!

Happy Easter!!!!

Good Morning to everyone!
I hope all of you have a special Easter and enjoy the beautiful weather.
Perhaps you will find some time to scrap - either today or tomorrow.  Make sure you check out all the new challenges for April!!!
Have fun!

5 Creative Strategies ...

to help you scrap fast!! Sometimes we feel overwhelmed with how many pictures we think we need to scrap. Some people don't even want to start scrapping because they don't think they'll ever be caught up....Hopefully there is something in these 5 tips (taken from an article by Suzy Plantamura in Creating Keepsakes, April 2009 issue) to help us all!

1. Scrap only a few photo's from each event. I'm sure most of us have went somewhere and taken 100's of pictures...but who could scrap them all? It's not realistic to think so. Take a few that depict the fun that was had and let the journalling tell the story~If you want to include more pictures , put them in a pocket behind the page~

2. Keep your pages simple. What will matter in years to come is the photo's you scrapped, not all the pretty fancy embellishments you used. It's ok every now and then to do 'fancier' layouts, but if you do it all the time...it's very time consuming

3. Don't worry about being behind. There shouldn't be any state of being 'behind' ..it's just someday...it'll happen. I used to think I wanted to be all caught up...but then what would I do? This way I always have photo's to choose from

4. Don't worry about scrapping chronologically. Remember scrapping is supposed to be fun, not a chore. Eventually when all the pages are done, they can be put into order but until then...scrap what you want , when you want. If you use D-ring albums, you can add layouts where ever you like.

5. Don't feel you need to scrap everything that happens in each child's life. Your child may be involved in 20 different functions during a school year and these can add up! Instead, scrap many of these events on a two page spread , journalling to include the details.

So there you have it...I hope these pointers can help you have more fun scrapping and maybe even help someone you know get started!

Have a wonderful Saturday

Keep Smilin'

Finally Friday!!!

And a "Good" Friday it will be!! Here is a nice spring (Easter) themed sketch for you! Let's hope everyone finds time to create with this sketch today!

This sketch is from the Scrapbooks Etc. website.

http://www.scrapbooksetc.com/printables ... 90/?page=3

Do you recycle???

Do you compost? Do you recycle your cans, plastics, cardboard? I'm sure in today's day and age we all pretty much recycle anything and everything possible. I for one can't stand taking something to the local landfill..so if it can be re-used...we do our best~

What about in your scrapbooking & card making...do you use recycled products? Here are a few ideas...

Bottle caps--> These can be heat embossed or covered in pattern paper. You can use a rubber mallet to flatten them so they aren't so bulky

Lonely earings and broken jewelry--> wouldn't these make amazing embellishments...and maybe even add some bling :)

Negatives from die cuts--> These can be saved and used as stencils for other projects like school projects. Trace the lines, then you can colour them, ink them , chalk them...ohhhh the possibilities are endless

What about empty coffee cans? These could be altered and a Crop-A-Dile Big Bite used to turn a coffee can into a ribbon holder. Punch the holes, add big eyelets and voila...You could even alter a few in the same colour scheme then put them on a shelf to hold other supplies~

Chipboard--> Save chipboard from everything...You could make mini books, or just cut out any shape imaginable.

Empty cereal boxes-->Once cut and altered can make awesome magazine holders.

What ideas do you have? What recycled items have you used in your projects?

Recycling and reusing household items is cost effective and environmentally friendly...who doesn't love that idea?