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

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 Shabby Shoppe readers…Rosy here!  Can you believe that it’s Monday already?!  The weeks seem to be flying by, and before we know it the holidays will be here!

This week the gallery was again full of beautiful layouts, but the layout of the week is… “tobogan” by Sahndra.

I love the adorable photo that shines on this page with a simple color scheme and design.  The little birdie embellishments are so cute!  Looking at this page with it’s wonderful use of white space, just makes me happy!

Congratulations, Sahndra!  Look for your $10 gift card in an e-mail soon and have fun shoppe-ing!

Check back tomorrow as Casharina will bring us a product spotlight with some “chic” inspiration!

RosyLayout of the Week, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Hello Shabby Shoppe readers!  Rosy here, to bring you a product spotlight featuring one of SP’s fun and versatile kits named “Smarshmallows”!  Isn’t the name so fun!

Smarshmallows has a beautifully versatile color palette and lots of fun embellishments including stars, felt circles and leaves, ribbons, frames, painted swirls, buttons, and more.  If you like to embellish with ribbons or buttons then you’ll love Smarshmallows, because it has lots of them!

There is also an element pack of Round Labels – A Child’s World that matches this kit and fits in perfectly with all the other circles in the kit!

These are great to use on children’s pages, but I often use them as a base for a cluster of embellishments on any theme page.  On my “This Tricycle’s Life” page I’ve used the labels under the felt circles with buttons to create a stacked cluster.  Notice that the striped paper in Smarshmallows makes a beautiful plaid and I’ve softlight blended the star pattern into the solid neutral background.

On “Lilies” circles take center stage with circle stamps, circle photos and button flowers!  The stitching in Smarshmallows also worked perfectly as journaling lines in this layout.

Casharina has done a beautiful job of showing the girlie side of Smarshmallows and she’s also made great use of the cardboard journaler!

Kylie’s cute page is circle heaven!  I love her use of the fun alpha in the kit and the ribbons layered among the elements.

Beckie’s page is a wonderful example of the versatile nature of Smarshmallows!  With a few additions from sandbox and summer cottage, it makes an adorable beach page. I love how she’s used the swirls to mimic waves here!

Kim’s fun page makes great use of the visual triangle design principle using three felt circle embellishments.  I love how she has highlighted the” winner” photo with the circle stamp and a frame!

The Smarshmallows kit and Round Labels – A Child’s World are ON SALE for a limited time, so now is your chance to snatch them up!  Smarshmallows is only $4.50 and the coordinating Round Labels just $1.05!

Want the smarshmallows look but don’t have time to scrap…then check out the 12×12 Piece-a-Cake Album and the cute little Tin Album Project.  These fabulous timesavers are also ON SALE for a limited time!

Thanks for stopping in and be sure to check in on Thursday when Kylie brings us the next template challenge!

RosyProduct Spotlight, Uncategorized 4 Comments

Hello Shabby Shoppe readers, Rosy here, and welcome to Food Friday!  Are you wanting to hang on to these warm, sunshiny days for just a little bit longer?  Here’s a recipe that will give you another little taste of summer!  Awhile back I was looking for an orange recipe and couldn’t seem to find what I was looking for, so I decided to go the simple route of adding my own flavor to a boxed mix.  You could add any flavor that you like, really!  Here’s what I did…

Gather your ingredients, just to make sure you have everything before you start.

For the cupcakes I used:

• 1 yellow cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• zest and juice from 2 oranges (divided)
• water

First I carefully cleaned my oranges and then extracted the juice and zest from them.  I tried a few different ways of zesting an orange, but found that using the fine setting on my grater worked the best for me.

Press lightly, making sure to get only the orange colored peeling and not the bitter white underneath.  I used all the juice and half of the zest for the cupcakes, setting aside the rest of the zest for the icing.  You could adjust the amount of zest according to your taste, but a little does go a long way and this was more than enough orange flavor for me.

Add water to the juice to make 1 and 1/3 cup.  Pour all of the cupcake ingredients into a bowl and beat well.  Fill your cupcake liners and bake at 350F (180C) until nicely browned (about 15 -20 minutes).

Now it’s time to make your icing.

• ½ cup solid vegetable shortening
• ½ cup butter or margarine
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tbsp. milk
• zest of one orange
• food coloring (optional)

Cream together the butter, shortening and vanilla.  Gradually add the sugar and the remaining orange zest.  Add the milk and beat it at a high speed until it’s nice and fluffy, adding food coloring if desired.  I added a tiny bit of red and yellow to mine.  Pipe the icing onto your cooled cupcakes using any method that you prefer.

I also made some pretty cupcake wrappers using papers from SP’s Sandbox kit and summer additions.

 And here is your FREE 4×6 recipe card.  You can CLICK HERE to download the card…or simply click the image below! Enjoy!

Thanks for checking in with the Blog today…we’ll see you all on Monday for the Layout of the Week!  Have a very special weekend!

…and, P.S. Just a quick reminder that the Easy-As-Pie Template Challenge 26 deadline is SUNDAY night (12 midnight US EDT), for all those still wishing to join in the FUN and have the chance to win a $25 gift card to the Shabby Shoppe!  Don’t forget to add your comment/link to the original blog post after you upload your layout to the Gallery!

RosyFood Stuff, Free (not desktops), Uncategorized 5 Comments