Hello everyone!  Kim here today to share this month’s extra-large, extra-sweet Product Spotlight post!  We’re wrapping all the spotlight fun into this one post and giving you a bit of an early Christmas present too!  SP is once again putting ALL of her holiday kits and products ON SALE for a limited time!!  That’s right… everything holiday related!

There are several holiday kits in the Shoppe, each unique but also able to mix and match with other kits as well.  The Shabby Team has put together a bunch of new inspiration to show this.  I’ve tried to be helpful and name the main kits used in each layout.  But please keep in mind that the layouts may include items from other kits as well.  These will all be uploaded to the gallery with full credits, so check there for a closer look at each layout!  Here comes the inspiration…

Still a favorite of mine is the Twas the Night kit.  I especially love the blue ornate paper and the sparkly elements (there’s a star and snowflake too that are not shown here).  For this layout, I mixed these with paper and elements from the new Nutcracker kit.

And here are more layouts from the whole team!

And here’s one final layout by Kylie using the Believe kit.  I do love how the “Naughty or Nice” word art from the new Holiday Wordart and More worked so well for Kylie in this layout.  Don’t we all want to be on the nice list?!

Thanks ladies for all that inspiration!  That’s all for today, but tomorrow Casharina will be here with fabulous food post!  Bye!

KimProduct Spotlight, Shoppe News, Uncategorized No Comments

Happy Holidays!  Emily here with our final LOTW post for 2012!  Wow, this year has absolutely whizzed by.  If it weren’t for my scrapbooking layouts, I fear I would not remember half of it!  Memory keeping is essential as our kids seem to grow up faster and faster and time marches forward.  My choice for LOTW is memory keeping at its best!  Fabulous pics, stellar journaling, and sensational scrapping all rolled together.  Give it up for JoyontheJourney and her Sugarplum layout!

I seriously had to take my time as I made my way around this treat-filled layout!  First off, I am so thrilled with the use of the Gracie kit with holiday photographs.  I am always looking for ways to take themed kits and make them look everyday and to also take everyday kits and make them work for themed layouts.  JoyontheJourney has done a beautiful job with this!  On top of her perfect kit use, she has done a stellar job clustering elements to create a gorgeous border along the bottom of her layout.  Finally, her use of the Not So Shabby Penelope template and adding her own artistic style (3 pics instead of 2! LOVE!) to it must be praised!  The hanging frames backed by the classic chevron pattern all make this layout such a treat!

Thanks SO much for sharing this beautiful page with us, JoyontheJourney, and be sure to check your email for your $10 gift certificate to the Shoppe! (Don’t forget to check your spam folder!)

Be sure to check back in tomorrow as Kim shares a product spotlight!

EmilyLayout of the Week, Uncategorized 3 Comments

Hello and happy Saturday everyone!  Aubrey here with an inspiration post!  Hopefully this helps to get you out of scrapbooking ruts…you know, the times you sit down with pictures in front of you on the computer, but you have no idea of how to put it into a layout?  I get those once in a while and it’s usually when it has been a while since I had scrapbooked, but usually I can look around me and formulate a “plan of action” for those pictures!

I am going to warn you here and now: when I show this to people I know, they look at me like I’m nuts (including my loving and supporting husband!) so don’t be surprised if you think this is a little crazy, but this is literally how I think and see things and hopefully will help you in the future!  Ok, so when I look around I see things in lines.  I will look at a city skyline and see the lines that create it and can see a layout.  See!!! I am crazy!!  But by the end of this I hope to have you all “seeing lines” if only to help you to be inspired for your layouts!  I am going to show you a picture of the “inspiration” and then the layout that was inspired from the picture.  Here we go!

This first one is of my kitchen cabinets (please ignore the mess!).  If you look at the lines of the cabinets, countertops, and stove you will see where I got my layout!

And here is the layout:

Looks TOTALLY different, right?  But the layout was in the lines.  If you are not seeing it, here is how it looks to me:

Now does it make sense?  I find layouts in magazines, house walls, stores, and so many places!  I have been in meetings and had to draw out a layout that I see in front of me because I am afraid I will forget it (did I mention I am a bit OCD?), but this helps me out so much when I am struggling to create a layout.  Here are a couple more examples:

This was in a magazine that came to our house and here is the corresponding layout:

I even copied the shape where I put the title!

I have found many great pages on pinterest that inspire me in my scrapbooking, but I also found the layout of the actual sight as great inspiration for a layout itself!

I didn’t put all the blocks in that you see on pinterest, but that is the beauty of it: you can create the layout to be whatever you want!

This is the back of one of our kitchen chairs. Look at the lines and imagine a layout.  Here is my take on it:

I have blocks of paper across the top like the vertical rungs on the back of the chair and the title is where the seat would be.

This was the opening page of a website.  Are you starting to see the lines now?

I even put little pictures across the bottom just like in the website.  There are some really great “layouts” out there just waiting to be discovered!  I have noticed that newspapers, websites, magazines, and ads have the greatest layout ideas because they already are a layout!  They have GREAT lines!  So am I just a little less crazy?  So, I am challenging you all to “see the lines” and create a layout with something you see around you.  I am even giving you an email ad I received, for a start:

Feel free to use the one I included, or come up with one you find.  We would love to see what you come up with in the Gallery!  Trust me, once you get the hang of this, you’ll never go back!  Thanks for joining us here on the blog and I hope this inspired you!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday with Layout of the Week!

AubreyInspiration, Uncategorized 9 Comments

Hello again!  Amber here to share a hybrid project with you!  Do you have kids that ask you, “Is today Christmas?” or “How many days ’till Christmas?”- yet no matter how many times you try to explain to them when it is or how far away it is, they still don’t understand?  I know with my kids, some of them really have no concept of time – except for the time of today or right now! :0)  A couple years ago, I went looking online for a Christmas Countdown idea to help with this issue – hoping to provide my kids with a visual aid to help them to understand – and, I stumbled across a few ideas to use 4 x 4 wood cubes for calendar blocks, or chore blocks and such.  One even suggested using these ideas to use for a Christmas Countdown.  And so, this is what I came up with!

Let’s get started!  I’m so excited to show you how to do this!  You will need:

• (2) Cubes of wood - these ones measure 3 3/8 inches on each side
• (1) 2 x 4 measuring 7 inches long – long enough to fit the two cubes on top
• Sand paper
• Mod Podge
• Paint
• Paint Brushes
• Block Designs measuring 3 inches by 3 inches

First, you need to design your blocks.  I used most of SP’s Holiday-themed kits, and then some from other kits here and there.  You are going to need to design squares for the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 for one block, and the numbers 0, 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 for the other block.  I also made a title block measuring 6 1/2 in x 1 1/4 in – or the size needed to fit on the small side of a 2 x 4.

The number 6 is also used as number 9, so design your block so that it can be flipped over and not look like it’s upside down.

When you are finished with all your number blocks and the title block, arrange them together to be printed.

(Number four is my favorite!  I LOVE the little train!) :0)  So, now that you have your blocks printed, you are ready to cut your wood!  Measure your 4 x 4 and cut your two blocks so they are square.  Then for the base piece,  cut a 2 x 4 so it’s long enough to put the two squares on top.  Sand down the rough edges.  Wipe them clean, and then you are ready to paint!

When your paint is dry, sand the edges again to give it a good “used” look.  After you’ve wiped the blocks off, you are ready to Mod Podge your designs onto the cubes and title block!  (Be sure to remember what numbers go where – 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 for one block, and 0, 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 for the other block.)   And, once they are dry, you are finished!  YAY!  :0)

Super simple, right?  I hope you’ve enjoyed this!  My kids LOVE these!  And, I would LOVE to see what you come up with!  Just post your Christmas Countdown in the Gallery!  Or, you could even use this idea to make countdowns for other holidays – Easter, Halloween, Birthdays… or make one for you parents who are excited when school is about to start for the kids! ;0)  You could even make them into dice for a fun game.  The possibilities are endless! :0)

Be sure and stop by tomorrow, because Aubrey will be here with our next inspiration post!  And, I wish you ALL a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

AmberHybrid Projects, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Hi all!!  Kylie here! :o)  …and with a double-the-fun projectSCRAP post!  Yes, I’m here with a little ‘November check-in‘ scrapping inspiration and to also share the shiny new December templates!  See, double-the-fun…but I’ll try and keep it short and sweet today.  As we all know this time of year gets a little, do I dare say it – hectic!!  But that’s the best thing about projectSCRAP – a set of quick and easy-to-scrap templates to keep you scrapping on track…even when the hustle and bustle of the holiday season surrounds us.  And surely, the fact that we’ve almost completed our 2012 albums is the perfect motivation to keep on keeping-on and not fall behind on the homestretch.

So how are you going with your November pages – have you scrapped them yet?  Here are my pages…following that some gorgeousness from SP and several of the sweet pages that have hit the projectSCRAP 2012 gallery recently.

I always have so much going on in November and scrapping my monthly snap-shot is always so much fun!  ahhh, the memories…

SP’s pages highlight her busy November perfectly.  Everyday pics, special times – special treats, the ups & downs…and a marvellous sunset.  Gorgeous!!

Kim’s fresh fall combination of green and gold, with her sepia-style photos, is stunning!

It’s obvious that Rosy styled her paper choices with all those wonderful family photographs in mind - amazing scrapping!

And Amber’s spread is pure autumnal splendor!  And along with the other ladies’ pages, I’m loving all the creative ‘November’ title work.  So many great ideas!

Extra-gorgeous scrapping huh?!!  I could just pour over & over the details for the longest time!  …but time now to jump into this month’s templates…YAY!!!

I think this template set might be my favourite so far this year and I can’t wait to fill them full of December FUN!!  Hope you enjoy them too! :o)

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:::

Be sure to post your completed December pages (and any earlier months, if you haven’t already done so) in the project SCRAP GALLERY!  As always, exciting to see how you work with these latest project SCRAP templates and all those gorgeous Shabby Shoppe products! :o)  We’ll be back next month with a December check-in (don’t wanna miss that one!) and the album covers to complete your wonderful project!! YAY!  Until then, have fun scrapping the new templates (and photographing, of course – lots of special moments to capture in December – joy!)

The lovely Amber will be joining you tomorrow with a fun holiday hybrid project you won’t wanna miss!!  Bye for now!

KylieFree (not desktops), project Scrap 2012, Uncategorized 13 Comments