Hey guys :o)  SP here today…for our MAY project SCRAP check-in!  So, May is always a huge month for us…we have birthdays and anniversaries and events and more!  There are never enough hours during this month and everything seems chaotic!  BUT, it is one of the FUNNEST months for us – and even with all of the busy days and nights – we enjoy it sooooo much :o)  This year…the month of May was made all-the-more crazy as we had a huge vacation in April…which also spilled into May!  So, we had an even later start on all of our planning, etc.!  It all worked out wonderfully though, as it always seems to, in the end :o)  I took over 1500 photos in May…so as you can imagine – there was NO WAY to even get a small sampling of everything on my pages…so i just tried to focus on a few (and will add more pages later, if not an entire album).  I journaled quite a bit and just worked it in around the ‘stuff’ on my ‘main’ page :o)  I really enjoyed working with the templates…the strips of paper allowed me to have fun with patterns and color, which I always love (especially since my photos were so full of color, too!)!  I mixed and matched papers from the Darling Paper Collection with elements and flowers from quite a few kits (most of which I recolored a bit to match the papers).  Anyhoo – these pages just make me happy…and I’m sure yours will do the same for you :o)  So…if you haven’t already – GET SCRAPPIN’!

And, if you missed the templates for MAY - be sure to download them HERE!  You’ll LOVE them!

Now, how about some BEAUTIFUL and FANTABULOUS inspiration from the team and some of our super talented gallery members?  As always, I enjoyed browsing through the project SCRAP 2012 gallery to find all of these inspiring layouts!  We each approach our layouts in a different way…some starting a layout with the journaling, others with the photos, and many with a kit or papers in mind.  I think for me, it’s a mixture of all three, lol!  Well, with project SCRAP…the pages are somewhat predetermined by the photos that we have taken for the month…that offers a great starting point :o)  But beyond that…we each get to have fun and flex our creative muscles with our monthly pages!  I love how…even though we all start with the same templates – all of our layouts end up so unique and personal :o)  LOVE!

OK, so how about we get started with Rosy’s pages?!  Again, she does not disappoint :o)  The GORGEOUS photo she used for one of the ‘papers’ is just breathtaking…and then the focus on the stunning main photo?!  BRAVO :o)  The way she moved the photo and readjusted things is also genius!  Just great, great inspiring :o)

 Next, we have my sweet friend Lu’s layouts!  Seriously – can you just feel the happiness in their family via that main photo?  Such a real and candid moment, full of love :o)  Happy 10th, Little Bug!  As per usual – Lu’s pages are full of fun moments and precious memories…and beautiful scrapping!  Totally love how she did the MAY title on the heart!  I was just so happy to see these pages in the gallery…and I know you’ll pull great inspiration from them as well!

We also have Kylie’s totally gorgeous layouts!  It’s funny, it looks like May is a big month for quite a few of us…with lots of birthday celebrations :o)  I love the richness to these pages…and, of course, the beautiful fall photos!  Thanks, Kylie!

Finally, we have these super cool pages from sdclifford…a new Shabby Shoppe gallery member (WELCOME!) :o)  The patriotic color scheme is so perfect with the CUTE and FUN photos…and the title – WOW :o)  Love it all – thanks for sharing with us, sdclifford!

 As always, there is MORE inspiration in our special, project SCRAP 2012 gallery!  You’ll find many more layouts there – so be sure to check it out…and most importantly – UPLOAD YOUR LAYOUTS!!!!!  We love sharing in everyone’s 2012…and love that you guys are joining us for project SCRAP 2012 - THANK YOU :o)

Since I shared a little ‘sneak peek’ of the May pages during the last ‘check-in’…I felt obligated to do the same this time, LOL!  So…below, you will see just a little image of the templates to come for June :o)  I won’t always be able to share the little teaser…but IF  we have them ready in time – I will always try, from here on out :o)  These will be shared with everyone next Thursday – here at the BLOG :o)  I KNOW we will have have fun scrapping with them!  We are already off to a BUSY START in June here at our house…and no doubt, will have PLENTY of photos to fill the layouts, lol!

Thanks so much for stopping by today…and for continuing the project SCRAP journey with us :o)  And, you won’t want to miss tomorrow as Casharina shares some hybrid inspiration!  ENJOY your day/night!  XOXO — SP

Shabby Princessproject Scrap 2012, Uncategorized 3 Comments

Hello everyone!  Rosy here to bring you some inspiration in your use of alphas!  Most of the Shabby Shoppe‘s kits include a complete set of alphabets.  My favorite method for making titles is combining one alpha with one font, but I decided that it was time to get out of my box and mix up my alphas a bit!  Using a different alpha for every letter in a word gives a happy, playful feel to your layout.

…and if you’re going for a more funky look, try mixing up design and color too!

Kylie’s page is a perfect example of how versatile alphas really can be.  Not only did she use various alphas in one word, she also layered them on top of each other!  How creative is that?!

Using a different alpha for each word in a longer title gives you a nice scrappy, layered look…and on a page where a stamped alpha would get lost, I’ve made it into a sticker by adding a stroke and shadow.  Using one letter as a monogram element is also a nice touch.

In Kylie’s “Life is a Beautiful Ride” she made her own alpha by clipping some pretty papers to a font.  Using brackets to frame her photos gives visual interest to her page.  I also love her idea of using a circular alpha as a monogram element in the center of a flower!

Some other creative uses would be to use the openings in alphabet letters like o, a, p, d as a frame for a small photo, or mixing a capital letter alpha with a lowercase alpha for proper nouns.

I hope these examples have gotten your creative juices going and I’d love to hear your ideas on more uses for alphas in the comments!

Thanks for stopping in!  SP will be here tomorrow with a Project Scrap check-in.

RosyInspiration, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Happy Tuesday everyone!  It’s Jenelle here with our latest Product Spotlight.  A favourite kit of mine, I have to say and one that is so versatile – I just love it!  It’s the divine Gabby Collection and it is ON SALE now in the Shoppe for a limited time only, at just $5.15.  If you don’t already have this kit in your stash, I’m pretty sure you’ll be feeling inspired to add it to your wishlist by the end of this post!  LOL!!!  It really is gorgeous and I’m pretty sure you’re going to love the new layouts the team have come up with using Gabby.  So let’s take a look at this beautiful collection shall we?

I’m certainly going to re-iterate SP’s words when I say that this kit is super fun, quirky and a little whimsical.  Perfect for all types of layouts and themes ~ baby, family, indoor, outdoor, boy, girl – you name it!  It works for everything.  Such rich, vibrant colourings and those chic little birdies are definitely my favourite element from the collection.  Have you seen them popping up on pages in the gallery – they are just too cute aren’t they?

I often reach for this kit (well, click for it really!) as I find I am really drawn to the colours.  I am also a big fan of those leaves and branches.  They come in very handy when decorating a page and I love the effects they give when you add some shadow work to them.  From the folded and creased papers to the gorgeous ‘fairy wing stamps’, there really is so much in this collection to keep you scrapping year after year (I know I have!)

Here’s a baby layout I created using the Gabby collection – my little Nick when he was a wee 6 months old – where have those 7 years gone?

And here are two masterpieces from Kylie (well, would you expect anything less?!?!?) using this wonderful kit.  I am in LOVE with the word art on Kylie’s ‘Together’ page…it is one of the pre-made clustered titles from the FAMILY word whimsy collection.

Rosy has created two beautiful layouts with a real tropical theme (Gabby is perfect for this as well!)…  It’s funny – I always think of Rosy when I use this kit.  Those little birds always look so gorgeous on her pages and she always uses them to perfection in my opinion!

Kim and Casharina have also showcased the collection beautifully with their latest layouts.  I adore the pink grid paper Kim has used as her backing paper – it looks so effective!  Casharina’s title work is amazing using the brilliant alpha from Gabby.  Stunning work ladies!

You can have a closer look at these layouts in the gallery as we upload them throughout the day/night.

Want more Gabby?  Then check out these gorgeous coordinating products when you stop by the Shoppe.  First up, we have the Gabby 12 x 12 Album – a stunning piece-a-cake album complete with ten 12 x 12 pages, a cover and a bonus printable card and envelope.  Perfect and EVER so easy!  In addition, we also have the Gabby Badge Album and the Gabby Blogwear.

Here is a layout I created in a flash using one of the pages from the Gabby 12×12 Album.  It was as simple as adding a photo and some text.  Imagine how quickly you could put a book together using this piece-a-cake album?  Perfect for Mother’s Day photos over the years, as I discovered…

Well I think that wraps up the spotlight for you today – I do hope you are feeling inspired by all this Gabby-goodness!!

Please join us again tomorrow when Rosy has a little inspiration for you all – a post not to be missed!  Until then, happy scrapping everyone!

JenelleProduct Spotlight, Uncategorized 5 Comments

Hello everyone!  This is Kim here to announce another Layout of the Week.  I’ve especially enjoyed browsing through the gallery over the last few weeks.  There have been new faces that have shared some really great layouts.  And there have been some fun ideas shared that have inspired others to scrap.  I love that!  That is one of the things that drew me to this week’s layout of the week.  Congratulations to pqtn and “The Joy of Sharing” layout!

You may recognize that this layout was inspired by Rosy‘s “This Memory”, which was recently featured in a Thursday Thievery post.  pqtn amazed me with the way she took the inspiration from Rosy’s layout and created this one.  (She actually created two layouts, and you can check out the other one here.)  I think it is a talent to see inspiration and then make it your own, which is definitely the case in this layout.  And it’s dripping with sweetness too.  How cute are the two girls sharing a toy in the picture?  Beautiful layout, beautiful sentiment… I had to choose it as our layout of the week!

Congratualtions, pqtn!  You have been emailed a $10 gift card to the Shabby Shoppe (be sure and check your spam folder if you don’t see it).  Hope you have fun shoppe-ing!  And thank you for being a part of our gallery!

Have a great day everyone, and be sure to stop by tomorrow as Jenelle spotlights a kit that I think is an SP favorite.  You won’t want to miss the inspiration and the sale!  Bye bye!

KimLayout of the Week, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Hi there! :o)  It’s Kylie, here again!…and I have a little something for you to download for free on this gorgeous Friday morning!  I have a lovely 4×6 Piece-A-Cake Card for you to use on FATHER’S DAY…or any day, if you like!  For most of you Father’s Day celebrations are about a week away, so there is plenty of time to put this little card together and customize it!  OR if you are like me and live in a country that doesn’t celebrate for a while (September for me!!) then you’ll be prepared well in advance, won’t you?!! LOL!  Our latest card is perfect for dads, brothers, uncles, grandfathers, sons, friends – you name it!  And…feel free to use this sweet little card for other special occasions ~ a birthday, a thank-you, a simple ‘thinking of you’…or just because :o)  We hope you enjoy using it (whatever the reason)…and that the special person you give it to…loves receiving it!

CLICK HERE for the download (or you can simply click on the image below)!

Your download includes:

• 4×6 ‘front’ in PNG format
• 4×6 ‘back’ in JPEG format
• Wordart: “Happy Father’s Day” in PNG format

We’ve included the 4×6 ‘back’ in the event you wish to print & make a traditional double-sided card (especially great if you wish to add a letter, quote, scripture or poem).  You will notice that on the ‘back’ of the card we have added a spot to place the wordart greeting…or to add your own special message, if you prefer.  The wordart also fits nicely on the ‘front’!  And if you are looking for something simple and photo-less, then why not use the ‘back’ as your ‘front’…always nice to have options! :o)

Of course…these are high resolution and are meant to be customized by adding your photos and text and then printed.  However, they are also wonderful for emailing (a perfect last-minute option!)   The recipient will probably appreciate it if you resize first though (a great size is about 800 pixels wide at 72dpi for email).

Piece-a-cake cards are just that…a piece-a-cake!  But, if you need help figuring out how to add your photos and text (remember, you will need some kind of graphics program to work with these files) – please visit our TUTORIALS page for help!  We have tutorials (both video and screenshot versions) for our piece-a-cake pages/albums for both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.  So, click around on the tutorials page and you should find all the answers you are looking for :o)  But, the good news is that it is SUPER SIMPLE!

Oh and just in case you were wondering I used mainly Gracie and a little Heartfelt to design this card…and the “Happy Father’s Day” wordart uses the font Verner.  Also, if you looking for a little more Father’s Day inspiration, check out this post I shared last year :o)

Enjoy the card…and enjoy celebrating Dad’s Day!!

Wishing everyone a sunshine-y and safe weekend.  We’ll be back on Monday with Layout of the Week…until then, Happy Scrapping!! :o)

KylieFree (not desktops), Uncategorized 6 Comments