Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Another look inside and chance to win!

As you may or may not know, I once worked for Simple Scrapbooks magazine as a senior editor. I loved my time with that team and that magazine. Sadly, the magazine is no more, but I’m happy to report that its sister magazine (and my current employer), Creating Keepsakes magazine, has just released a Simple Scrapbooks special issue.



Some of the content in the issue is different than the former magazine of the same name, but the idea of creating simple scrapbook pages is absolutely evident. 

Here are a few of the layouts I created for this issue:

I made this page for “Scraplift It,” an article that encourages readers to find different elements from an existing layout and use those to inspire their own pages. 

As seen in Creating Keepsakes' special issue, Simple Scrapbooks. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.


One of the main ideas behind this issue is to show readers how they can get more from their current stash of scrapbooking supplies, so I was asked to alter pre-made scrapbooking products in five ways. Here’s what I came up with: 

As seen in Creating Keepsakes' special issue, Simple Scrapbooks. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.


I’m not going to lie—creating this layout was a challenge. I was allowed only two supplies beyond the scrapbooking basics (pen, adhesive, cardstock, and photos). That’s right, TWO! My choices: cupcake liners and washi tape. 

As seen in Creating Keepsakes' special issue, Simple Scrapbooks. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.

Admittedly, this isn’t my favorite layout, but I’m glad I was able to meet the challenge and show that you really can come up with a lot, using only a little.  

Hop On!
There is SO much more to be found in this issue. See some of what it has in store by participating in our happy little blog hop. Hop on over to the following sites and see what Simple Scrapbooks ideas they have to share:


But wait. Before you hop along your way. I thought you might enjoy a virtual look at some of what you'll find inside this issue.


Did Somebody Order a Chicken Dinner?
And what party would be complete without a party favor? For a chance to win this cool special issue, simply leave me a comment on this post between now and Friday, April 27, and I’ll select a winner at random. Sa-weet!

Thanks for hopping by! 

Cheers!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

A look inside and a chance to win!

It’s no secret that I love creating with cupcake liners. If you follow my creative endeavors at all, you know that I use these treat cups in all sorts of ways, including the way shown here—I put them on a layout. I love the way the liners fill the space and add some movement to this page.

As seen in the May/June 2012 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.


Creating this look is simple. All you have to do is:

1. Spray white cupcake liners with spray ink (or buy ones that are already colored). Note: I used extra large treat cups for this particular project.

2. Remove the centers from the liners, and cut two of the liners down to get three varying sizes.

3. Adhere the liners to you layout by hand stitching around the centers using baker’s twine. Note: I first backed the liners with patterned paper so that it would pop through the centers of the cut liners. 

This page was created for the “Kitchen-Inspired Scrapbooking” article, found in the brand spankin’ new May/June 2012 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Visit creatingkeepsakes.com to see more of what this issue has to offer, including free downloads, videos, and other delights!



Win
Don’t have the May/June issue? No worries. I’m giving away a copy. Simply leave me a comment on this post between now and Friday, April 20 for a chance to win. Good luck!
 
I hope this layout has inspired your creativity. For additional looks inside the magazine, please join us (CK) in today’s blog hop. You’ll find more chances to win a magazine, and you’ll see lots more layout ideas that you can pin, scraplift… you name it! 

Hop On!
Next on the list:
The lovely Erika Hayes
My friends over at The Scrap Review
The talented Laura Vegas

Cheers!

P.S. If you’re in Utah, check out Studio 5 today at 11:00 AM. I’ll be announcing the winner of our big The Amazing Space contest and showing fresh organization ideas with a kitchen twist. Hope you can tune in.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Respect for Regret?

Regret. It should be a four-letter word. Here it is, the wee hours of the morning, and my mind has wandered to regrets. 
I would love to say I’ve lived a regret-free life, but this just isn’t the case. Like so many, I have things I’d change if I could do them over again. Those things include:
I regret...
...working too much. I've allowed my life to be out of balance for years--this is time I won’t get back.
...going years without cleaning/organizing my house on a regular basis. (Weekly? Daily?) No wonder I’m currently in the cluttered state I’m in.
...spending the majority of my life thinking I was F-A-T when I actually had a cute little figure for many years that went unappreciated. 
...not smooching Brent Lingwall that night in the hammock. We were in jr high. I was young and shy, but I still should have planted one on him and let him know how I felt about him at that age. Did he ever know?
...not blogging more. I have so many projects and ideas to share, but I never find the time/energy to share them. Goes back to that work/life balance thing, I suppose. 

...losing track of Brandi Skinner. She was one of my dearest friends growing up. We ended up on different paths in life and I don’t know what happened to her after high school. I miss her and hope she’s well. 
...following all of the rules. Yes, I was and still am an avid rule follower. There are times when this is good, but there are also times when it’s nice to let lose a little. 
...the years I spent allowing doctors to tell me I was fine when I knew I wasn’t. Oh, how the quality of my life could have improved if I had only demanded more answers. 
...checking out for much of my twenties. The later half of this decade proved extra difficult, and I checked out a bit in order to cope. What did I miss out on in that time?
...not sending out birthday cards. So many special days come and go and I don’t get cards made and sent. A text message is NOT equivalent to a card. 
...dating the same boy for almost my entire high school life. Don’t get me wrong; he was a wonderful boy and I’m glad we dated, but no high schooler should limit their full three-year experience in this way. It wasn’t the best thing for either one of us. 
...not spending enough time with my family. Sure, I see them on special occasions, but I want to see them on the not-so-special ones as well. More game nights. More trips for ice cream. That sort of thing. 
...thinking I could tan as a kid. I spent far too many hours laying out, only to burn my whiter-than-white skin to a crisp. Sun spots and wrinkles are starting to appear now. I hope they’re the worst of the damage that will come from this stupidity.

...worrying too much. I spend a great deal of time worrying about things beyond my control. I can't help it and I know it does me no good, but I don't know how to turn it off.  
...being awake and writing this post at 4:00 AM when I should be keeping an appointment with the sandman. I KNOW I’ll regret this in a few hours when I’m struggling to keep my eyes open at work. 
I could go on, but you get the idea. I have regrets. 
What’s my point? Well, I wonder if we shouldn’t learn to respect our regrets. Appreciate what they have to offer us by way of living a better life going forward. I’m 31. If I learn from this list, perhaps my list at 61 will only grow by half. I’m realistic enough to know I’ll never live an entirely regret-free life, but I can minimize the list by paying attention to what’s already on it and working to avoid the same pitfalls in the future.
I’ll conclude this odd rambling session with what led me to this thought process to begin with. I was lying in the dark, a bit uncomfortable and unable to sleep, with one hand wrapped around Cory’s and the other wrapped around my protruding belly. In that quiet moment, I was blissfully happy. The two loves of my life in my hands. That got me to thinking about the things that got me to this point. Naturally, the regrets and poor decisions, both big and small, were part of that journey to this moment. 
I suppose this only further supports my thinking that regrets aren’t all bad. If they helped get me to this quiet, peaceful point of existence, then I’ll take every last one of them. 
Cheers!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Quick Easter Basket Ideas

Need a quick Easter idea. I have two Target finds I just couldn't resist sharing.

1. Target has washi tape (Japanese masking tape)!



And it's only $4 for a set of four. That's $1 per roll! Fantastic. You can find it in the stationery section of the store.
A great big thanks goes out to my CKC students for sharing this tidbit with my while in Louisville last weekend.

2. Target has SMASH books and they're on sale this week!



After teaching rooms full of people all about SMASH Books by K&Company in our CKC No Rules Scrapbooking class (so fun!), I couldn't resist getting my own. This one was only $12, and I've already smashed a few tidbits inside.

I think either of these happy, creative items would make excellent Easter gifts. Or, simply treat yourself to a little something fun. :)

Cheers!