Hello, fellow scrapbooking friends!  Lego here, with a blog post for the DIY fans.  You might have noticed that I’m rather keen on adjusting material according to my layout needs.  And today I’m gonna share another one of my all-time faves with you: paper strips.

Of course, we are lucky to be able to lay our hands on the ones already made.  Let’s be honest, these are unbeatable for they are an artist’s job: SP at her best!

But you might want something personalized from time to time.  You can then create your own individual word strips.  They are oh-so versatile.  Especially if you just want to add a few keywords in place of extensive journaling or you need cool captions for your photos.

Today I’m going to show you two possibilities: the BASIC ones and the FANCY ones aka PIMPED BASIC ONES.

Here is my version of making basic word strips.

1. Mark, copy and insert a rectangle (“cmd+j” or “ctrl + j”) from any paper layer you have on your layout, approximately the size you want your word strip to be like.  No need for accuracy here.

2. Activate it, by holding “cmd” and clicking the icon in the layer panel.  Then press “cmd” + “u” and make it white.

3. Then put a text layer on top and start typing.  Adjust font and font size according to your liking.

4. If your strip is too short or too long, too narrow or too wide: no problem!  Just pull the strip layer into the shape you want it (“cmd” + “t” is the shortest way for me ;-).  Leave the text layer as it is.

5. Add a shadow.  You are almost finished!

6. Now save it as a PSD-file.  You’ve just created your strip template that is to be used again and again!  Open it whenever you want to add one or more strips to your layout.

 SECOND

The fancy ones (= altering the basic strip files):

•  Colour it if you don’t want a white strip: in your layer styles, choose “colour overlay” and the colour you want it to be.

•  Take a paper instead of the colour overlay: open a paper file and place this layer between the strip and the text layers.  Next move your little arrow exactly between these two layers, press the “alt”-key and click.  You’ve just married them off – how sweet is that =) – and you got yourself a nice little papered word strip.

• Frame it!  Want a white frame around your strip?  That’s easy!  Look:

1. First duplicate your white strip layer:

2. Change the colour of the upper layer.  (e.g. colour overlay or paper overlay)

3. Make the lower layer a little bit bigger.  (use transformation tool or “cmd”+ “t”)

4. Add a shadow to the lower strip layer.

5.  And you’re done!

 And to finish it off, a few more tips:

• Combine all layers involved, or group them.  Then drag them on the layout you are working on.  (By combining the layers you can move them around, resize them etc. and the proportions will not go woozy.)  You may also merge them on one layer, but then you cannot change anything any longer!  So for that, you gotta be sure, sure, sure ;-)

• You can duplicate/triplicate… your strip layer groups/combinations, adding more strips to your page.  And of course they can then easily being altered: change font, change colour, change text, change shadow, change background…  as you wish!

 When you have done this a couple of times, you might just get your rectangle from the layout you’re presently working on.  No need to open an extra file.  But then again, if you want to do more than one, the strip template does come in handy.

• And you can combine your strips with SP’s gorgeous word art, of course!

I’ve just completed my december daily book where I used them on every single page ;-))  You might have noticed … I’ve uploaded quite a few lately.  Here is the last one: the cover of the book.

The next layout makes use of the word strips with a brainstorming kind of journalling.  I just typed all the words that came to my mind when thinking of this fun weekend with friends and used the photo colours for the strip colours and text colors.  The little ones had hummus for the first time in their lives and just loved it!

I hope you liked this little post of mine.  It is my last one.  I really enjoyed working on SP’s blog.  It has been a thoroughly pleasant and wonderful experience being in this with these super-special teammates.  Now I can’t wait to see what the others will come up with!  Don’t forget to come round here again tomorrow for Shabby Princess herself will be back with the Project Scrap December edition.  Don’t miss it!

legoTips and Tricks, Uncategorized 7 Comments

Hello everyone, Casharina here with a Product Spotlight post.  These are some of my most favorite posts to work on because they allow me the opportunity to work with kits I’ve used before & love, or ones that are brand new to me and become some of my favorites! ;o)  This week I chose a brand new kit to me, Winter Wonderland.

For a limited time, Winter Wonderland will be on SALE at the Shabby Shoppe for ONLY $5.95!

This is a beautiful kit that can be used for all sorts of layouts.  It’s a winter themed kit, with charming little snowmen, and snowflakes galore, but it also includes many shades of pastel colors which could be used for spring and Easter layouts.  Here’s the first layout I created using this kit.  I used a template from the Easy-As-Pie Rise and Shine collection to create my layout, and I love how it allowed me to really show off the various papers throughout the kit.  I chose to not focus on the snowmen and let the photo and the snowflakes take center stage on this layout.  I love how the snowflake collage turned out, and the shiny green paper was perfect for the leaves, I just clipped it right to the leaf shape!

That’s not all; I’ve also asked the girls to help me out with a few of their very own creations using the Winter Wonderland kit.  And wouldn’t you know, being as awesome as they are they’ve shared some delightful layouts themselves!

Kylie’s layout shows just how versatile this kit truly is.  The papers and elements within this kit allow her to focus on the gorgeous hydrangeas.  I must say I really love the way she has used the swirly from the kit to tie in each of the flower clusters, what a perfect use of that element.  This layout also shows how easily Winter Wonderland coordinates with the Sugarplum Additions, the use of the flowers is flawless!

I love how Aubrey was able to focus on the “snow” in this photo.  She explained that they where she lives they do not get any snow, well at least not in the last 35-40 years, :o) but she did have a vacation photo of her little one playing in the snow!  Cute photo huh!  I love her title; it’s a perfect way to use the snow word art. The falling snowflakes are also a beautiful addition to this layout!

Next up, we have Kim’s Texas Christmas layout.  It’s in a beauty!  The way she used the snowflakes on the outer edges of the papers is perfect for that 3D look.  I love the cluster of paper pieces too, it allows for us to see the many beautiful papers in the kit.  The glitter word art just finishes the whole page!  I love it all!

Amber was able to mute the colors and a pop of orange to really help the elements stand out in her layout.  I love how she’s tacked on the snowflake and tag to create a beautiful cluster using bits and pieces from the Winter Wonderland kit and a few other kits!

Next up we have, Rosy‘s beautiful creation.  I absolutely love the way she has used the word art to help fill in the blanks on the journaling, what a great idea!  This page is so fun and full of brightness, it’s beautiful!

Lindsay has shared with us another piece of eye candy.  The soft colors of this kit are perfect to show off her little angel.  The colored snowflakes are beautiful on this background and the frame along with the paper clusters are a great way to show off the many elements in this kit.

Last but certainly not least, we have another stunning layout from lego.  This page was done using the kit to focus on photos that had nothing to do with snow or winter.  The way she was able to alter the wordart was perfect!

If you love this set, you’ll also love the little Winter Wonderland Brag Book.  It’s one of the Shoppe‘s beautiful “Piece-A-Cake” products.  Create a gorgeous little 6×4 inch album from a set of 10 quick pages - share it with others, or print two and keep one at home on the coffee table!

The brag book is also on SALE for ONLY $2.95…and don’t forget about the very sweet BLOGwear for ONLY $1.50 if you are looking for a banner update!

Thanks for stopping by – lego will here tomorrow with another awesome Tips & Tricks post!

CasharinaProduct Spotlight, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Hello one and ALL!!! :o)  Kylie here…and although it’s a lil’ tough to follow SP’s big announcement yesterday, it’s SOOOooo LOVELY to be back with you after our little blog vacation.  And it’s even lovelier to announce not one but FOUR Layout of the Week winners from our inspiration gallery!  YES that’s right - one for each week that we were on our break, as well as today’s LOTW.  I think everyone has waited long enough (and ever-so patiently!)…so I won’t keep you in suspense any longer! LOL!

First up – kris_t with Snow Much Fun!

Soooo much FUN, yes indeedy!!  How cool is this page?!  Love the movement created by the awesome design and all those big snowflakes…and of course, the action-packed and super-cute photos.  The perfect shade of icy aqua and the pops of bright red are fantastic.  And the clever title work really rounds off the FUN!!  Another amazing page from kris_t!!

Next up – Sahndra with her layout Val

In contrast to kris_t‘s brilliantly-busy multi photo-multi layered page, Sahndra has inspired us with a strikingly ‘simple’ design.  What an impact this very special page makes!  I’m loving the richly-embossed neutral paper with the bright nutcracker patterns clipped over a mass of hexagons and gorgeously outlined in white.  Delicate stamping and a few well-placed elements enhance the page perfectly.  And best of all…the sweet, sweet photo that just draws you in and makes your heart smile!

Here is – kirplnk and her Interview with Levi

Interview layouts are always FUN!  And this one is an absolute winner!!  Using a combination of different handwriting fonts, alphas and elements for each question, as well as the sweet little bookplates for every precious answer, shows awesome creativity and it’s a joy to read through – a feast for the eyes really!!!  I love the balance of this page and how it’s divided into three so perfectly.  LOVE the title – again the different fonts work perfectly together!  LOVE the cute photo – so cheeky!

And to finish off (ever-so sweetly!) - pqtn with Hello Winter

Oh my!!  How wonderful is this page?!!  The dusty & rosy pinks with the natural papers and elements showcase this cutie-patootie photograph brilliantly!  Loving that shimmering background paper – just perfect for any winter page!  The pretty ribbons, bows and snowflakes add a delicate girly touch and the swirlie stitching ties the layout together with extra sweetness.  Beautiful work!

A huge and heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS to all FOUR ‘winners’ – enjoy your $10 gift cards to the Shabby Shoppe!  Your emails are on their way – just be sure to check SPAM folders if you don’t see it :o)  Enjoy your Shoppe-ing ladies!

And, as always – THANKS SO MUCH to each and every one of you that posted a layout in the gallery  over the holiday break :o)  Thank you for sharing your creations with us…we enjoy and appreciate every single AMAZING upload!

Thanks for joining me today!  Casharina will be here tomorrow with a WONDER-ful product spotlight you’re gonna seriously luv!

KylieLayout of the Week, Uncategorized 5 Comments

Hello everyone :o)  Shabby Princess here with you to share some big AND bittersweet news about our beloved BLOG here!  I have gone back and forth so many times on just ‘how’ to share this news, as it truly is bittersweet for me – and I think in the end…it’s best to just be honest and open…so here goes :o)

It really is with a great sadness…AND, oddly…at the same time – a wonderful feeling of knowing I am making the right decision…that I tell you that the blog will be undergoing a huge change beginning February 1st.  I have decided (after much thought and consideration and sleepless nights and even a few tears) that it’s time for the BLOG to slow down and go back to a place just for Shoppe/SP announcements and the occasional wordy, rambling SP post :o)  I want to first make it clear that the Shoppe itself (as well as the ShabbyPrincess.com site) is not changing or going away in any way  :o)  This only affects the Blog and daily-ish posts. There are LOTS and LOTS of reasons for this…but foremost is simply scheduling and time…and the ‘wish’ for freedom from the constant need to plan for the next post, challenge, templates, etc.  With the new year, there is always a lot of thought put into how to IMPROVE over the previous year…and one thing that has really JUMPED OUT at me…is the need and want to SIMPLIFY and slow down a bit!  I am sure this is something that we can all understand and embrace :o)  When I think back to my HAPPIEST and most PRODUCTIVE times as Shabby Princess – it’s always when I was just spending all of my available work time DESIGNING and CREATING…and I miss that – a lot :o)  Knowing that I do not have a LOT of design time these days…the best decision was to cut back on all of the ‘extra’ stuff that takes away from design time…and the BLOG was the only real choice for me.

As I said…I KNOW that for me and my family and my schedule and my work…that this is the right decision and I feel a great peace with that (and to be quite honest – am excited at the prospect of getting back to the joy of just designing and being creative)!  However…in making this decision – there were two very difficult components…ONE – the team…and TWO – all of our amazingly wonderful followers, readers and scrappers :o)  Without a blog…there really is no need to have a ‘blog team’ in place…so saying ‘goodbye’ to the girls was not easy or fun (that’s an understatement)!  However, they are an AMAZING group of women (in SO many ways)…talented beyond belief…and most just as busy (and busier) than I am…so thankfully – they understood (though, of course…there was a sadness for ALL of us). While I’ll miss seeing and reading the daily/weekly team emails and seeing all of their amazing inspiration…I have a feeling you’ll still be seeing some of their gorgeous layouts from time to time in upcoming newsletters and my own ‘shabby’ (lol) blog posts :o)  I have to just say it again here…the SHABBY TEAM is truly the best in this industry and I feel blessed beyond belief to have had the opportunity to work with each and every one!  I have really gotten to know some of these girls very well…and they are true friends in my life! On that note…I can’t move on without letting you guys know that our amazing and fearless blog/team leader KYLIE…will still be around (thank GOODNESS) :o)  She has been the most amazing addition to the Shoppe…well…ever, lol – and I am so pleased to say that she will continue working with me, but in the capacity of product development (can you say CALENDARS and TEMPLATES and HYBRID and so on – YAY!!!) :o)  Couldn’t be happier about that!  YES…we are planning to bring calendars back this year…but that means getting started NOW :o)  Anyway, no doubt you will still be inspired by Kylie throughout the year…and thankfully (and selfishly, lol) for ME – I get to be inspired by her almost daily!  She is a true friend and a bright light for me (and everyone that has the opportunity to get to know her)!

Now…the second part of that decision – YOU GUYS…that’s even a bit more difficult – as I know without doubt that you will be sad about this decision…not only for the loss of inspiration – but for the loss of our challenges and desktops and so on (and I like to spread HAPPY…not SAD, lol – seriously)! :o(  Trust me when I say that we went over and over and over it all, trying to decide the best way to ‘slow down’ the blog…and in the end – the unanimous decision was that if we are going to DO THIS…we need to just DO IT (or what is the point of it all?  lol)!  So, as a result – there will no longer be any scheduled template challenges, project SCRAP (YES, we are absolutely finishing out 2012…Kylie and I have been working on the covers – you will love them…I’ll share them towards the end of January), free desktops and so on :o(  So, I know that that will feel like a ‘loss’ – and I am genuinely and truly sorry for that…and completely understand the feeling!  However, at the same time, I sooooo hope that you guys will understand what we are trying to accomplish.  And THAT, is to have more time to add fun stuff to the Shoppe and the SP sites…and get back into that creative, designing groove :o)  With time spread so thin – it’s just impossible for me to do both all the time, know what I mean?!  But, I feel a renewed spirit and creativity with this decision…and I think that will show in the Shoppe over the coming months and year!

With that said – we do still PLAN to share fun stuff with you guys both at the BLOG and the SP sites…but what we will not be doing anymore…is the SCHEDULED ‘stuff’ :o) It will be much more casual…without the prospect of ‘deadlines’ always in the back of the mind!  I hope that made sense…but in essence – I would love to continue things like the occasional Fast & Fabulous speed scrap…an inspiration post here and there…some fun food stuff (always my favorite subject, lol)…and even free templates and so on.  It will just be more sporadic and when we have time to enjoy the process and have fun with it :o)

I know this is a lot to read and take in…and probably even feels a bit sudden :o(  Please know that this has been a much-considered and planned decision, that was never ever taken lightly.  I really hope you will stick around for the next couple of weeks and show the girls some LOVE!  We plan to share and inspire through the end of the month…and there are some GREAT posts coming your way!  Of course, Kylie and I will be helping you guys wrap up project SCRAP 2012 and so on…so please enjoy these last wonderful weeks!  I know you will miss these amazing girls (as will I)…and we’ll all miss YOU, TOO!  For me and Kylie though…we’ll still be right here, working away and checking in from time-to-time!  More than anything – we hope to continue seeing YOUR gorgeous pages in the gallery…because as always – we are inspired by YOU, just as much as you are by us :o)

THANK YOU ALL FOR UNDERSTANDING…and for all of the time you have spent with us!  We’re not ‘going’ anywhere, lol – so this really isn’t GOODBYE…more of a casual…see ya soon, he he!  In the meantime – HAPPY SCRAPPING :o)

XOXO — SP

Shabby PrincessShoppe News, Uncategorized 47 Comments

Happy NEW Year! :o)  Kylie here…dropping in (super-quickly…and just in the nick of time too!!) to share our brand new January 2013 desktop calendars!  I had lots of fun designing, not just one, but TWO calendar options for you all this time round.  One is all snuggly and wintery (for all our northern hemisphere friends) and the other is all bright and breezy (for all our southern hemisphere friends)…basically I couldn’t decide on a theme so I did both!! ;o)  Double the fun really - plus I’m sweltering in the summer heat down here in Australia and the cute Winter Wonderland snowman would have melted right off my screen! LOL! :o)

 CLICK HERE to download the 1920 x 1080 versions

CLICK HERE to download the 1280 x 800 versions

Your download includes both winter and summer versions.  Also, the ‘Happy New Year’ and other text in the photo spots are just on my blog post examples – yours will be blank and ready to fill with your gorgeous photographs.

If you are interested in our free desktops, but have no idea how to insert your own photos – please visit our TUTORIALS page and refer to the USING THE PIECE-A-CAKE .PNG FILES TO CREATE AN ALBUM titles :o)  We offer this tutorial in both screen shot and video format, for both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.  And, while the tutorial is not specifically for the desktops – the concepts are very much the same…and should help out a lot!

BTW, we are currently on our BLOG VACATION and will be back on January 14th! (for more details see the below post!)  Thanks for stopping by the Shabby Shoppe blog and we will see you again VERY SOON – can’t wait!  Happy Scrapping! :o)

KylieFree Desktops, Uncategorized 16 Comments