Hello Shabby Shoppe readers!  Rosy here, and today I’d like to talk a bit about a scrapbooking theme.

Comparing then & now or before & after photos has long been a favorite theme of scrapbookers, but it’s one that I don’t get tired of seeing  There’s something so interesting (and sometimes funny) about seeing the long ago beside the now and the changes that have taken place.

There are a couple of ways that you can journal about then & now.

1. Focus on the journey and all that has taken place between the then & now photos.

2. Focus on how they are alike.

3. Focus on how they are different.

4. List both similarities and differences.

If you’re needing some inspiration for then & now photos, here are some projects that might spark your creativity:

• Flickr group: Then & Now I love the blending of old and new photos!
• Dear Photograph
• Young Me/Now Me

Then & now comparisons don’t have to span many years either!  It could be comparing your child’s first day of school and last day of school, or a photo of before and after a haircut.

Here’s a then & now page that I’ve done recently comparing a photo of me then (at age 2) and a photo of Audrey now (at age 2).

Here are a few comparison layouts from the gallery for you to check out:

• Ten Years by Kim
• Then and Now by Kylie
• Such a Sweetheart by ktscrapbooklady
• Our Days by lego

If you are inspired to scrap a then & now layout, please upload to the gallery so I can take a peek!

Kylie will be here tomorrow with some exciting Shoppe news for you!

RosyInspiration, Uncategorized 5 Comments

HAPPY MONDAY everyone! ~ Kylie here! :o)  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend…and managed to fit a little scrappin’ time in!  Today I’m here to share the Layout of the Week!…and I’ve got one very cooooool page to share…First Boots by RinRent :o)

Awesome scrapping, RinRent…WOW, your page has everything - technique, FUN details, and most of all, it is seriously cute-to-boot!!  The combination of the blended extraction and the close-up pic of the boots makes a big impact and straight away you know exactly what this layout is all about.  The playful grungitti, swirlie stitching and crossword phrases bring this page to life!  LOVE IT!

There were so many fabulous layouts in the inspiration gallery last week (THANK YOU!)…it was so much FUN to browse through and soak up all the endless scrapping inspiration.  And when it comes to extractions and the like, I’m afraid I’ve become somewhat of a ‘lazy’ scrapper, LOL!…I really can’t remember the last time I applied this technique?  Can you??  And today’s LOTW winner wasn’t the only super-cool page that utilized this fun trick – JoyontheJourney‘s Color My World layout was another amazing example and well worth a look – check it out HERE - it’s incredible!!

Congratulations, RinRent!  Watch your e-mail (and don’t forget to check your SPAM folders if you don’t see it!) for a $10 gift card to the Shabby Shoppe …and enjoy your shoppe-ing!

Well, it’s goodbye from me today…thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to join us again on Wednesday, Rosy has a great inspiration post you won’t want to miss!

KylieLayout of the Week, Uncategorized 4 Comments

Hello to my fellow scrappers!  This is Rosy…here to show you a little hybrid project.

I’ve been wanting to do some preschool work with my 3 year old and decided that I would start by making a little number book for him using some of the cute elements from Shabby Princess’ kits.  The book is made using “ziploc” sandwich bags!  (Using bags to make a book is not an original idea with me, but I have no idea where it came from or who to credit!)

The supply list is short:

• printed pages and spine
• sandwich bags
• stapler

Here’s how to make one:

Measure the baggies and use those measurements to make a new document in Photoshop or your preferred program.

My pages were 5.5 x 6.25 inches, which was perfect to print two on 8.5 x 11 paper, but this will vary according to your bag dimensions.  I also made a 3 inch wide piece to cover the “spine” of my book.

After you have your book designed and printed (I used regular cardstock for mine) you’re ready to cut them out and assemble.

Slide the pages into your bags and zip them shut, making sure to get out all of the air.

Now staple all of them together.   A stack of plastic bags is really slippery and hard to keep in place with one hand!  I found that it works best to put a staple through all the bags first, before you put on the spine piece.  Like this..

Now add the spine to cover the edge and zipper part of the baggies and you have a cute little bag book!

In case you are wondering, I put the black dots on the pictures so that we can place items (like M&Ms or buttons) on top of them as we count.

This project was super easy and Isaac loves his counting book!  I already have an idea for making another book!

 The spine paper on my book comes from the Hopscotch kit and the pictures are from Things That Go, Bounce, Sandbox Summer Additions, Penelope, and Blossom.  If you’re looking for other preschool products be sure to check out SP’s adorable Fun Flash Cards in the Shoppe!

I hope this project has been an inspiration for you.

Kylie will be back on Monday with the Layout of the Week announcement!

RosyHybrid Projects, Uncategorized 7 Comments

Hello everyone! :o)  It’s Kylie here today and I’m excited (as always!) to share our new project SCRAP templates for OCTOBER.  Hope you LOVE them as much as we do and enjoy making them your own…by adding your precious pics…your all-important story-telling…some Shabby Shoppe goodies: a little paper, a little embellishment here and there…and of course, some L.O.V.E.  All the ingredients to creating an amazing two-page spread!

You can click on the image below…or, CLICK HERE to download your NEW templates!!

Are you new to project SCRAP? …well then, if you are not familiar with our little scrap project (if you ARE familiar with it, skip this paragraph, as always, lol)… THIS POST is a great place to learn more!  Also, if you click on the PROJECT SCRAP 2012 category (on the right side of the blog)…you can ALWAYS easily find ALL posts related to the subject!  It’s your go-to place if you want to keep up with everything in 2012!  But, as a quick little reminder… here is the project in a nutshell:::

I hope you’ve been enjoying taking your pictures each week…looking forward to seeing them all scrapped and gorgeous! :o) (And that reminds me – I haven’t taken any pics yet…oops!…where has the first half of this month gone?!)  Be sure to post your finished October layouts in our special 2012 project scrap GALLERY!  That’s what project SCRAP is all about…inspiring and motivating each other to get our 2012 SCRAPPED!  SP will be posting her October ‘check-in’ in a few weeks time…and will, of course, be sure to include some gorgeous gallery inspiration using the latest templates!

Thanks so much for stopping by today…and for continuing the project SCRAP journey with us.  Tomorrow on the blog, Rosy is sharing a cool hybrid project!  Bye for now :o)

KylieFree (not desktops), project Scrap 2012, Uncategorized 16 Comments

Good morning/afternoon/or evening!  Casharina here…and I’m so excited to be bringing you another Product Spotlight.  Aren’t these posts so fun?!  I know before I became a part of the Shabby Artist Team I loved getting to see the inspiration pages from the kits I had, or was considering purchasing.  It’s fun to see what others can do with the same elements, papers, and flowers but still create pages that are so unique and imaginative.

Today I’m spotlighting Autumn Chic…and this gorgeous kit will be ON SALE at the Shabby Shoppe for only $4.75 (for a limited time)

I know some of you aren’t getting to enjoy the beautiful weather of fall, but we have been and I am definitely trying to soak it all up.  I can’t wait to go camping and sit by the fire without having a heat stroke!  The colors in this beautiful kit are perfect for fall pages, or everyday pages that need the deeper, brighter colors of the season.  As you can see for my inspiration page, I’ve created a layout focusing on my little girl and her “reading habits.”  She’s so funny!  I loved the bright bold colors; they just added the perfect touch to the page!

 Let’s see what kind of inspiration the girls from the creative team can give you today.  First up we have a gorgeous page from Kylie.  Her use of the papers to create the perfect little banner, and all of her ribbons are an excellent way to make use of the beautiful elements included in Autumn Chic.

  Next up we have a beautiful page from Rosy.  I absolutely love the way she’s featured the alpha letter “A” for her little girls name, isn’t it the perfect touch.  Her stitching on the ribbon and paper circles are also a great example of the beautiful papers in the Autumn Chic collection.

Last, but certainly not least, we have a gorgeous layout created by Kim.  I love how she’s included the flower throughout her entire spread.  The tenderness you can feel in this page is portrayed through the photograph as well as the flawless use of flower clusters.  They’re a wonderful addition to the girly-ness of this page.

Thanks for stopping by the blog!  Join Kylie on Thursday for your October projectSCRAP templates.

CasharinaProduct Spotlight, Uncategorized 1 Comment