Hi all, SP here :o)  Monday’s are generally reserved for some kind of beauty/fashion inspiration…so I thought I’d go along those lines, with a new ad inspiration challenge!!  We’ve had one of these before…and I enjoyed it so much!  I love taking inspiration from the beauty and fashion world…and well, i guess the pickle world, too, lol!  I’m sure many of you have seen (or participated in) AD INSPIRATION scraps before!  They used to be a favorite of mine…I loved having that little bit of a jump start to a layout…and I really enjoyed interpreting an ad in my own way.  Not to mention, it sure was fun to see how everyone else ’saw’ it, too :o)  I find it difficult anymore to look through a magazine without seeing all of the similarities with scrapbooking, lol!  Fonts, page design, colors – they all catch my eye and bring my brain right back to scrapping and how well they would translate to a scrapbook page lol!

The first thing that caught my eye with this ad…was the rounded corners and super cool (and huge) shape of the graphic!  I am a sucker for rounded corners, lol!  I thought it might be a challenge to scrap with this shape (and it was, at first, lol)…but also love a challenge and decided to go with it.  I always appreciate having dedicated spaces for journaling…and the little pickle jar and plate of pickles lend themselves so well to a small clustering of elements.  So anyway – this is the one I went with and I hope you enjoy it!

Of course, I had to create a template to share with you guys (see below for download link), lol!  When working with the template (or any inspiration, for that matter) – keep in mind that you do not have to be ‘literal’ with your interpretation!  Perhaps you are inspired by the colors – or maybe the ad makes you want to journal on top of your photo – or, you could just like the idea of the rounded corner squares :o)  Be creative and have fun!

First – let’s get to the template…CLICK HERE to download it (or you can click the graphic below)…

And, here’s a better look at the ad…

And, while I have had this ad saved for a while…I haven’t had time to work on the template…until the last minute!  As a result, the team didn’t get this in advance (they are seeing it at the same time you are, lol)…so you are stuck with two layouts of mine, lol!  I went in totally different directions!  Here’s the first (I worked with the Darling Paper Collection, Giggle Box, Hopscotch, An Affair to Remember and Sprout…I think that’s it, lol)…

and the other (I worked with An Affair to Remember, Clementine, Sprout and Giggle Box)…

Whew, I think that’s it :o)  I hope that you guys have fun working with the template…and that you post your layouts in the Shoppe’s gallery for all of us to see!

I also wanted to mention that the BLOG will be taking a TWO WEEK VACATION for back-to-school from August 30th through September 12th :o)  That’s a couple of weeks away…but I wanted to go ahead and let ya know!  I know that school starts at different times all over the country and world…and I’m sorry if we didn’t get yours in the two week window…we really tried :o)

THANKS AGAIN – have a great week!

Shabby PrincessBeauty & Fashion, Free (not desktops), Other Challenges, Uncategorized 12 Comments

What are you doing this summer? I know it isn’t summer everywhere in the world but in my neck of the woods it is HOT! 

Hi this is Anna and this is my first post on The Shabby Shoppe Blog. 

I love the lazy days of summer and one of my favorite things to do is to sit by the pool reading a magazine (it just doesn’t happen often enough.) In fact, my heart flutters a bit when I open my mailbox and see a crisp new magazine ready to be read at the pool.  I am a magazine junkie! 

I love flipping through the pages and being inspired.  Since Mondays are generally reserved for some sort of beauty/fashion inspiration, I thought I would share a magazine I was browsing over recently and what it inspired me to create. 

When I looked at this cover,  I loved it!   I asked myself, “Why do I love it so much?”  I started listing the reasons. 

1 – I loved the pattern of the model’s blouse. It reminded me of a paper in The Shabby Shoppe’s Blossom Collection 

2 -I loved the color palette.  The fuchsia and the blues and yellows were so striking. 

3 – The pops of yellow were a favorite.  I’ve always loved flowers so the brushed yellow flower in the corner immediately caught my eye. I noticed that the yellow followed a triangular pattern which really leads the eye around the page. 

Guess what? All of these observations inspired me to scrap!!! Yeah – I love it when that happens! 

I started with a flower in one corner, added that fun “Blossom”  paper and followed  inspiration from a  layout on Ali Edwards blog. All of the supplies on this layout came from The Shabby Shoppe’s Blossom Collection 

That’s how I came up with my “Party Til You Prune” layout! 

Here’s a little extra from our day at the pool. 

Raging Waters 2010

Thanks a bunch for stopping by – check back in tomorrow for a new product spotlight from Kylie :o)

AnnaBeauty & Fashion, Inspiration, Uncategorized 6 Comments

I know I’m not alone when I say that in my past life (before kids…LOL) I had much more time to focus on myself and my appearance.  Now that 3 little sweeties take up so much of my time, there isn’t a whole lot left over to spend on myself.  However, I L-O-V-E make up and beauty products as well as fashion, and feel so much better when I can actually spend those 10 minutes getting ready for the day.

Right after high school, I went to school to become a hair dresser and worked briefly doing hair and make up for photography and weddings.  Shortly after, I went back to university for a degree in Communications, but have spent the years since pursuing the perfect beauty products…and I am excited to share with you a handful of my faves.

Let’s start with a clean slate…or face… and talk about skin care.  I was a looong time Lancome fan, and still love their products, but about 4 years ago, I got hooked on a skin care line called Arbonne.  Their NurtriMin C RE9 anti aging skin care line is amazing, and I was an instant devotee from the first time I tried it.  I love how it leaves my skin feeling, and the clean citrus scent is heavenly.  Their Swiss formulated products are all natural, made from botanicals and have some wonderful and unique anti-aging properties.  You can see the full line of Arbonne products here.

Next up on my top pics list is a line called Make Up Forever, a French company that has been around since 1984, but has only emerged in the main stream in the last several years.  Make Up Forever has been widely used in theatre, film and broadcast and is best known for its use the Cirque de Soliel productions.  I have been cursed with dark circles under my eyes and have tried every concealer known to man.  Their HD Invisible Cover Concealer is hands down the best concealer on the market, in my humble opinion.  It is a full coverage product that is not cakey and does not streak.  The silicone applicator allows a smooth application with a small amount of product. 

Make Up Forever HD Liquid Foundation is another favorite in my arsenal. It is a full coverage light weight foundation designed for use with High Definition cameras, but you don’t have to be behind a camera to reap the benefits of this fabulous product.  I love the flawless appearance this product offers…Lord knows I need it!!!  Lastly, I love the staying power of Make Up Forever’s Aqua Lip Waterproof Lip Liner.  My favorite shade is Nude Beige 1C.  All of the Make Up Forever products are available at Sephora.

It is really important to “set“ a liquid foundation with a translucent powder.  Some powders on the market can be heavy and cause your face to look cakey and too heavy.  I LOVE to pair my foundation with one of 2 light and FUN powders from the Benefit line.  Most often I use the Georgia pressed powder which has a subtle peachy tint AND scent.  I am always impressed with how it alone makes my skin glow, and it doesn’t hurt that it is named for my home state…and that my husband’s nickname for me is “Peach”…LOL!  Alternately, I also really like Benefit’s Dandelion powder which has a pink-ish hue and sweet smell to match.  They are sure to perk up your face and set your foundation like a dream.

I am SO fussy about mascara, because I have the puniest scraggly eyelashes in the world.  Thank heavens that my kids got their Daddy’s gorgeous long lashes.  I have used Lancome’s Definicils mascara for years but recently discovered Benefit’s Badgal mascara which is a drier application and separates my lashes more effectively.  If you have puny lashes like me, give this product a try…I think you’ll like it.  You can also find Benefit products at Sephora or most any department store cosmetics counter.

Last but CERTAINLY not least is my most favorite lip gloss on the planet…Bath and Body Works Liplicious Pink Grapefruit.  I have used it for years and have about 4 tubes on the go at any given time.  I keep one in my make up bag, one in my purse, one in the car, and one on my desk.  I am A-D-D-I-C-T-E-D…seriously.  I’m sure that not every husband knows what lipstick or lip gloss their wife uses,  but ask my husband or my kids, and they can all tell you…I LOVE IT!

I hope you’ve enjoyed a sneak peak into my make up bag…and I hope you’ll go out and try one or all of these awesome products, I think you’ll be just as impressed as I have been.  I have been depending on my “full coverage” products to work over time for me this week (and next) while I’m back home in Georgia for a visit with my family.  Traveling alone with all three monkeys has been interesting to say the least, but thanks to my make-up partners, I’m still fresh faced despite being dog tired…LOL!  Hope you all have a great weekend!!!

KathyBeauty & Fashion, Uncategorized 8 Comments

Hey everyone, it’s Lu! On Monday’s we try to bring you something to start off your week from the world of beauty or fashion. This week, I thought we’d get a little personal. Okay, not too personal, lol… but I thought it would be inspirational and fun to create a layout all about our favorite thing(s). I did try to limit myself to just one, but if you’re like me, you’re likely to have many things that would round out a top 100 list! Seriously, I considered all kinds of differents things that I just love… and truly, some of my dearest loved items are my most well~worn (i.e. ratty looking) belongings. However, I decided against scrapping those… wasn’t quite so sure how inspirational they would be to anyone else! But I do have one particular item that I have loved from the moment I saw it. It was one of those spontaneous purchases… and that, these days, is a rare event for me. A few years ago, I was strolling along in a quaint little town, basically just window shopping. I walked into a vintage~style boutique and spotted this adorable little hat. The truth is, when I bought this hat, I had intended it for a gift… but I could just never part with it, as selfish as that may sound (I did find a replacement gift, if that redeems me in any way). I could just visualize myself in this hat on Easter Sundays, tea parties, brunches… and I actually did wear it at a baby shower. It was for my little Chick-to-be & that hat will always be a part of that sweet memory. So, I thought this would be a very special belonging to scrap as a “Favorite Thing”.

If there is that one particular dearly loved item that you feel needs to be documented, why don’t you show us? Think of it as a little “getting to know you” exercise!

Don’t miss SP’s new desktop for AUGUST (below), and tomorrow, Denise will be back with a new product spotlight :o)

LuBeauty & Fashion, Inspiration, Uncategorized 5 Comments

Hey ya’ll, it’s Lu again, and this week I wanted to share some inspiration from interior design. My favorite (residential) design style is a  relaxed eclectic or “collected” look. With interiors, that may mean years of patiently waiting until you come upon the exact piece of whatever (furniture, rugs, accessories, etc.) that you envision to complete a room (who hasn’t done that??).  Although in my personal experience, a space is never complete, lol!  I get a great deal of inspiration from “home” magazine features. The image below particulary caught my attention for a few key reasons, the mix-n-match aspect and the composition. My eye was immediatley drawn to the bold wallcovering as the room’s “theme”, contrasted with the crisp white quilt & accented by the small-scale supporting fabrics. And although it’s a “formula” that I have often practiced, I thought it might be fun to dissect the image & use it for inspiration on a layout!

Thankfully, it takes comparatively little time to pull together a “mix-n-match” layout… just a little imagination to think outside of the “kit” so to speak! You might ask, with beautiful kits already perfectly coordinated, why would you want to mix and match? For me, the answer is two-fold: 1) sometimes, as wonderful as a kit may be, it may not have all the necessary pieces you desire for a layout, and 2) I personally feel that mixing & matching can add depth  and interest to a layout. I know that whenever I look in the gallery & I see how others have used a combination of kits, I am always very inspired by their creativity. So with that in mind, I used the above image for inspiration to create a layout. Although I chose another color palette to work with, I did try to use a few elements from the original photo. I used an allover pattern for my background, layered a paper to mimic the headboard shape, used a solid neutral to create a focal area and added an “accent” paper  (much like you would  throw pillows) to reinforce the color scheme. Then I threw on my “accessories” to complete the look! I challenged myself to use a different kit for every item and I’m sure that I could have done it, with some restraint (I struggle at times with that concept)! But there are just so many wonderful options, I ended up using a few things (okay, several) from quite a variety of different kits. Here is what I came up with:

 Here is my product (credit) list:

• Wild Love- background paper, accent paper behind photo, alpha
• Barefoot- green paper
• Clementine- black button, heart stitch
• Sweetie Pie- heart with safety pin
• Sprout- key, photo ribbon wrap, damask stamp, ivory lace (yeah, I have a hard time saying “no” to Sprout)
• Damask & Dots- aqua flower
• Modish Girl- floral swirl
• Gigglebox- greenery and phrase strip
• Yours Truly- lobster clip
• An Affair to Remember- aqua sequins
• Summer Cottage- red embroidery stitch
• Sandbox- aqua label tab

For me, it’s a bit like a treasure hunt (both for interiors & digi-scrapping). I enjoy the “thrill of the hunt” almost as much as the finished product! Software such a ACDsee can help organize your digi-supplies & make “mix-n-matching” almost effortless! If you’re interested in learning more about that program, here is the webpage focusing just on digital scrappers. Although I personally have not used that program, with a growing digi-stash & an aging recall ability, lol, I might just seriously consider it!

Above all- whether the eclectic style is yours or not- remember that inspiration can come from anywhere! Just a little confession… until SP’s post on Ad Inspiration, I  had not consciously considered ad layouts as a source of inspiration! Now, I truly scrutinize every page, lol! An open mind is the source of creativity, I believe. If I’ve inspired you today, please let us know… better yet, show us a layout with the challenge to use a different kit for every item! (Remember to credit the kits, as you just never know who you’ll inspire)! I think you’ll be pleased with the result… Until next time, Happy Scrappin’!

LuBeauty & Fashion, Inspiration, Uncategorized 5 Comments