hey guys…SP here this morning!  today was supposed to be the KICKOFF of project SCRAP 2012…but due to circumstances beyond my control (seriously…WHY can I not control everything?  lolol) – it has to be postponed until SATURDAY :o)  no big deal, right?  only two days later :o)  so – i’ll make this one short and sweet so i can get back to work on that post for you guys!  again, SOOOOOO excited and looking forward to scrapping 2012 with all of YOU :o)  see ya on Saturday….XOXO – SP!

Shabby PrincessShoppe News, Uncategorized, project Scrap 2011 15 Comments

Alrighty girls (and any guys that might have joined in)…we are ‘officially’ wrapping up project SCRAP 2011 - woohoo :o)  Yep…that’s right…Shabby Princess here today and I’m so excited to share our final templates (ALBUM COVERS)  for project SCRAP 2011…and photos of my finished album (along with a few tips and ideas…and lessons learned along the way, lol)!

So to start…how about the ALBUM COVER TEMPLATES?!  Kylie and I designed these sets for you guys and I love how they came out!  The first set…I selfishly designed, as I knew I did not want a photo on my cover, lol!  I know that might sound odd…as it is a scrapbooking album…and what is it all about, if not photos?  I know, I know – trust me – I get it!  HOWEVER, I personally find it VERY difficult and well, stressful (lol) to try and narrow the entire year down to one (or a few) photos!  I take SO  many throughout the year, and to try and choose just seems overwhelming!  So, I prefer to opt for a photo-free cover for my albums (unless it is a themed album – like a birthday – then I am fine putting a special pic or two on the front)!  Anyhoo – so this first set is what I went with for my personal album, and I love how it turned out – YAY!  But, no worries – IF you do prefer to have one awesome photo on the front…we have you covered there, too!  At the same time – if you like LOTS of little pics…we have that for you as well :o)  Of course, on option 3…you could also just use bunches of little paper squares and NO photos (or a mix of photos and papers, like Kylie did) - totally your choice!  And, if none of our cover options are what you are looking for…just create your own custom version – and that way you end up with exactly what you want or need (you could even re-purpose one of the monthly templates for your cover…or use one of our free temlate challenge templates)!  Just remember that scrapping an album cover is really no different than scrapping a layout…only the dimensions are different!  Alrighty…so here are our three options…all free and ready for you to download: 

 You have FOUR different DOWNLOAD options (clickable links below)!  You may download the ALL-IN-ONE, which includes all six templates (it’s about 135 megs).  OR, you may download each ’set’ individually (three in total).  If you are on dial-up, or have an unreliable connection – I’d recommend downloading the individual sets :o)  No matter which download option you choose…we include each template in both a .psd and .tif (layered).

CLICK HERE to download the ALL-IN-ONE

CLICK HERE to download OPTION ONE

CLICK HERE to download OPTION TWO

CLICK HERE to download OPTION THREE

So, there you have the FINAL downloads for project SCRAP 2011 – we truly hope you enjoy the cover options we designed for you!  Again, remember that you can always modify, customize and tweak…to meet your specific needs – that is the beauty of LAYERED TEMPLATES :o)

So…a few words about FORMATTING your album covers…and, PRINTING your albums/books/layouts!

As far as FORMATTING your covers…it really all depends on the SIZE of your final book/album, and, WHERE you plan to have it printed.  Each printing lab will have different specifications for printing – when it comes to both size and bleed areas (cropping and safe zones).  So, you’ll want to find out WHERE you plan to print…and then decide on the final size.  For me…I had my album printed with WHCC and went with 10×10 book (the size I generally prefer for my albums).  WHCC offers great sizing templates (go to resources and then click on product templates…from there, select free sizing templates)…so formatting was pretty simple for me.  Basically, when you download their sizing templates – they are simple files with only GUIDES (if you do not see the guides, you will need to turn them on (in PS, view>show> guides) to show the bleeds/safe areas.  These are very helpful…and you can see what my final digital file looked like (of course I removed the GUIDES before submitting for printing).  Everything within the blue guidelines is SAFE…anything outside COULD be printed…but probably won’t :o) 

I love looking at the digital version of my cover, and then the ‘real’, printed version, lol!  I think it is a great illustration of how everything comes together!  I truly love my final album…and much of that comes from all of the time and energy spent on formatting :o)  It can be a tedious process, but well worth it in the end! 

So, when it comes to printing…again – I generally go with WHCC (White House Custom Colour).   It might partly be from habit, lol…I’ve been a customer for quite some time – but I also truly love their quality and service.  They are not the most inexpensive when it comes to printing…but at the same time, they are very competitive when it comes to pricing among the ‘pro photographer’ labs :o)  There are definitely less expensive options out there…and I welcome you to research all of them!  In the end, you will have to find what works for YOU and your budget!  In the past few years…sooooooo many printing companies have joined the market for printing scrapbooks…and a quick Google search will definitely turn up lots of options.  I do not want to recommend (or not recommend, lol) any specifically because I have not tried them.  I generally stick to pro (NOT that I’m a pro, lol…but I like the QUALITY and level of SERVICE that I receive with these labs/companies) printing labs like WHCC and MPIX.  One thing to keep in mind about these companies is that you generally have to ‘apply’ in order to become a customer.  Some of the pro labs are stricter than others when it comes to requirements (some require that you have a photography business).  This is completely understandable as they must be fair to their professional photographer customers, and keep their pricing confidential.  Anyway, that is probably way more information than you needed, lol – but I wanted to explain labs like WHCC a little more in the event you wish to print with one of them!

Again, there are many options…many times, including local companies.  Many local printing companies, photo labs and office supply stores now offer album/book options – so be sure to check them out!  More than likely though…most of us will have our albums printed via online labs.  Do your research, look for reviews and compare pricing :o)  Printing albums is an investment…you have to find the best quality that will fit in your budget and remember that the hope is that our albums are forever :o)  This is one reason that quality is so key to me…I want my albums to last, and hopefully be passed down throughout the years!  I’m definitely not saying that you have to pay crazy prices for that to be…just do your homework before you make the investment :o)

There is always the option of just having your layouts printed individually – and placing them in a traditional scrapbook album (found online or at local scrapbook/craft stores)!  You do not HAVE to have a bound book/album printed…it’s just your preference in the end!  I have lots of scrapbook pages in regular albums and love them all!  And, there are so many cute and fun album options, in lots of sizes…something for everyone and every budget!  Personally, I do prefer the bound books – but that is mostly just because of the ‘neato’ factor, lolol!  There is something so polished and professional about the books – BUT, you have a lot more flexibility when just printing pages and adding to an album!  You do not have to be so careful with page ordering…as there is no ‘finality’ to it!  Printing bound books and albums can be a little stressful – just because you do feel the pressure of getting everything ‘just perfect’ :o)  With individual page printing…you can change the order of the pages in your scrapbook album – and best of all…if you find a mistake or typo – you can just reprint that ONE page!  Generally, if I find a typo in my bound books (it happens – even though I proof several times…and even copy/paste my journaling into word for spell check lol) - I just leave it, as it is too expensive to reprint :o)  I just tell our little man…MORE proof that I am not perfect, ROFL (as if he didn’t already know, ha!)!

There are also options that you might wish to look for when it comes to printing :o)  For me…a lay-flat or hinged album is a must!  This just means that when you open your book/album – all of the pages lay perfectly flat, instead of having that ‘bump’ at the binding.  It doesn’t seem like such a big deal, lol…but I’ve had both and if possible – I always go with hinged!  I’m not sure which labs offer this option, and which do not – but it’s something to consider!

 This is something you will want to know before formatting your pages for print.  I know that with WHCC…the formatting is a bit different if you choose a hinged album or book  (on both the pages and the cover).  Another ‘must’ for me, is the ability to design my own custom album cover.  While most companies offer this (for an additional fee)…some only allow you to choose from their premade options.  Again, each and every company will have different specifications for their cover formatting…so you will have to decide on the company, and then work on formatting!  Here are a few more pics of my printed album (sorry for the icky pictures, lol):

  Something else to consider when formatting your pages for printing – DROP SHADOWS and DETAILS!  As silly and insignificant as they sound, drop shadows really do make all the difference in the end!  Realistic drop shadows can make your pages come to life…and literally have people touching the layouts to see if the elements and papers are ‘real’, lol!  It happens all the time!  When formatting…I go back through all of my pages and tweak drop shadows until I find what I like!  Unfortunately…drop shadows are quite subjective.  There is no ‘magic’ setting that will work for everything, lol!  For example…papers should have a smaller drop shadow than a flower (naturally, a flower is thicker and heavier than a paper…and will produce a larger shadow)…and stitching will have it’s own look, too!  Trust your eyes – you know your own preference for shadows…so just go with it – but try to be consistent throughout your album!  Another way to add realism is with stitching…I love to work with stitching and it always add such depth and dimension to my pages!  Here are some details so you can see the results:

Now, if you are NOT going for a ’scrappy’ look…then shadows are not really an issue…but since most of us have ’scrapbooked’ our pages for this album – I wanted to mention it!

Another thing I wanted to show…one of my ‘extra’ pages!  You guys often ‘hear’ me saying that I have too many photos in one month – so I need to scrap extra pages!  Well, I try to keep those pages simple (since I’ve already journaled on my regular monthly pages)…and all about the pics!  Here’s an example of one of my (many, lol) extra pages:

Another thing to keep in mind…most albums need a ‘first page’!  Meaning that when you open your book/album – there will be a single page (actually the back of your ‘left side’ January page) on the right – and most printing labs allow you to customize that page.  In my books – that is generally a letter to our little man…or just a summary of the year (or if it is a birthday album – a bunch of info about the birthday, etc.) – but it can be whatever you want it to be – extra photos, one large photo, kid stats (age, weight, height, school info, etc.)!  That’s the beauty of it…you can make it whatever you like!  Here is mine:

 And finally…just a few more pics of my final album – I believe these are the spreads for November, January and September :o)

 Alright, I can’t think of much else when it comes to formatting and printing your albums!  Again – there are just too many variables for us to be able to give specific information – it ALL depends on the lab you choose for printing – and their specifications for the final album size that you choose!  If you have questions – just contact your lab’s customer service and they should be able to help and answer any questions.  I hope that you all LOOOOOOVE your final albums – and I truly hope you will share photos of them with us in the GALLERY!  You will be an inspiration to all of us :o)  The more participation…the more motivated we ALL become!  We’re int his together!  And, I know that printing this first album will be a learning experience for many…especially those who have never had an album printed before!  So, remember to enjoy the process and try not to get overwhelmed!  When you see your final, printed book – I can assure you – it will all be worth it :o) 

With project SCRAP 2011 being our first year…we were bound to learn some valuable lessons along the way :o)  And, when I say ‘we’…I really mean ‘me’ lol!  I can really only share the things which *I* learned while completing my own album…but hopefully, these tips will help you guys as well :o)

•  If, like ME, you plan to have extra pages some months (i.e. there was an event or vacation or birthday or Christmas and you need MORE pages to fit all of your photos and/or journaling) – DO NOT put it off, lol!  Do the EXTRA pages at the same time that you do your monthly template pages!  I KNEW that I had lots of extra pages to scrap…and while I did scrap some along the way – I saved way too many until the end and found myself in a rush and trying to catch up!  And well, that is the whole IDEA behind project SCRAP…to scrap as we go so we never get behind!  Granted…I was still better off than any other year…but I wish I had kept up with my ‘extras’!
• If you know what size and where you are going to have your album printed…FORMAT your pages for printing EACH MONTH!  I really should have done this!  It’s pretty easy for me as I almost always have my albums printed at WHCC…and I almost always go with a 10×10 size!  But…still, I just scrapped my pages at 12×12 each month (which I always do anyway, in the event I ever want to go back and have them printed at full size…or if my mom wants a 12×12 album, etc.) and left it at that!  And, well, that WOULD have been fine!  However, in my rush to complete my album (so I could share pics of it with you guys today, lol)…it was a PAIN trying to prepare SO many pages for printing at once!  Ya see…with WHCC – when I format my pages for a 10×10 album…the final pages/sides are not true squares…so each page takes a little tweaking…especially if the design is square (like a square border, etc.).  I found that this took me a LONG time and I really, really wished I had done this each month (and I WILL this year, NO questions, lol)!  Now, the only way I would advise against this…is if you do not know what size you plan to print…or where!  Each printer/lab will have different specifications…so I would not put the time and effort into doing this in advance…unless you are certain as to these two decisions!
• If…like ME, you change information, substitute photos, or leave out personal journaling for the page you upload to the gallery – make sure to finish the REAL/FINAL version at the same time, lol!  As many of you know (and like many of you do as well), I keep many personal details private…so most of my pages do not have names, locations, etc. on them – or if they do, they are ‘faux’ :o)  I also do not post photos of our little man’s friends…or certain members of my family (at their request).  So, often – I will substitute other photos in my layouts for the blog and gallery!  No problem at all, right?  Well…no problem except for that I am often in a huge hurry trying to get a post finished…and I think I will just go back in a few days and finalize my ‘real’ layouts!  But, i’m sure you know what happens…YEP – I just get busy again and forget!  Yeah…so when finalizing my album for printing…it was a bit of a pain, lol!  I had to go through all of my layouts and put the ‘real’ info back in…find the photos I really wanted to have printed, etc.  I could have saved myself SO much time and stress by doing this monthly (are you seeing a ‘theme’ here…MONTHLY – just finish each month, monthly, lol)!  Not only the time…but everything was ‘fresh’ on my mind then.  But, when going back to LAST February…I really had to try to remember details, etc.  This year – I will be sure to save out my final version each and every month!  And, while I know this tip will not apply to many of you who do not change out personal info/photos/etc…I also know MANY of you do…so maybe this will help :o)
• In a nutshell…the point of project SCRAP is to stay up-do-date on our photos and scrapbooking…without ever having that overwhelmed feeling of being behind!  Well, in the end – I still felt that (my own fault, of course, lol) – but, I must say, to a MUCH lesser extent, without question!  These are just a few things I can (and will) do differently this year :o)  The object is to stay current – at least monthly…and put NOTHING off.  This means that by the 1st or 2nd week of each month…you have the PREVIOUS month COMPLETELY finished (pages complete…including extras and ready for final printing)!  Lesson learned, lol :o)
• If you learned any lessons…or have any helpful tips to share – we’d LOVE to see them in the COMMENTS section – thanks :o)

 Before I leave you – I had to share Kylie’s album cover pages – aren’t they so SWEET?  Just a little inspiration if you are planning to work with Album Cover Option 3 :o)

 Well, I think that does it!  And, as sad as I am to say GOODBYE to project SCRAP 2011…I am equally as happy to begin project SCRAP 2012 with you guys :o)  So…get ready, as we will be launching the 2012 project NEXT THURSDAY – WOOHOO! 

 Be sure to stop back by the blog tomorrow as Rosy shares a super fun hybrid project with us!  THANKS AGAIN – have a wonderful weekend…XOXO – SP :o)

Shabby PrincessFree (not desktops), Uncategorized, project Scrap 2011 67 Comments

hey guys…and a HAPPY new year to all!  SP here…still getting back into the swing of things…after a wonderful and blessed holiday vacation!  I truly hope that you all enjoyed your time with family and friends…and were able to relax and take it all in!  We had a bit of both…total stress and chaos and busy-ness…but THANK GOODNESS it was balanced with a decent bit of ‘down time’ and taking it easy (yay!)!  We did the ‘usual stuff’ – lots of presents and celebrating and visiting with family and friends (and let’s not forget the EATING, lol)…but we also tried some new ’stuff’ – like ZIPLINING, lol!  oh my – what a rush…so happy I did it – though I doubt I will do it again (never say never).  And, after that, I’m pretty sure that the itch I have been having to go skydiving…is GONE, lolol!  We’ll see :o)

But enough about all of that…I really just want to quickly move through this FINAL ‘monthly’ check-in of project SCRAP 2011!  Why, you ask?  Well, because I am rushing around to finish my album so I can have it printed and back in time for the FINAL FINAL 2011 check-in, scheduled for next Thursday, lol!  That is when we will be sharing the templates for the album cover and ‘officially’ saying GOODBYE to project SCRAP 2011 :o)  Then…the following Thursday (January 26th, in the event I’m losing you here, with all these Thursdays, lol) – we will be kicking off project SCRAP 2012 – woohoo!  Sooooo…spend this next week finishing up ALL of your 2011 album pages (don’t forget any ‘extra’ pages for birthdays, vacations, holidays, events, etc.)…and that way – when we share the cover…you’ll be READY TO GO!  I wish I had done that myself, lol!  Right now – I keep adding page after page after page as I go through all of my photos (this year…I will do that monthly…lesson learned…well, I kinda DID do that last year, but I still keep finding more to add lol!).  Why oh why do I take so many pics?  lol!  Anyhoo – I hope to finish my album up asap, so I can take pics to share with you next week!  Very excited to wrap it up and see the final product!  Alright – more on that NEXT WEEK!  For now…let’s finish with our December check-in (you can find the December templates HERE) :o)

As I mentioned – it was a crazy, beautiful month for us…and these pages barely even scratch the surface, lol…but they are my December pages (my albumwill have another spread with more…big surprise, lol)! 

 Next up…Kylie (who I am missing like crazy as she has been away for the holidays, lol)!  I loved checking out her holiday photos…looks like so much (summer) fun :o)

 Kim always makes me happy with her pages…can’t you just SEE what a wonderful December they had? 

 Amber ‘got me’ with the gingerbread houses – LOOOOOVE them…and such sweet photos for the entire month!!

 Rosy’s pages are absolutely beautiful and inspiring…and I really love how she included a ‘mini’ image of their Christmas card – GENIUS!

 Finally, jltanner’s pages, so full of family and fun – really spoke to me!  Especially love the PERFECT family photo :o)

Girls, thanks so much for sharing these with us!  And, as per always – be sure to check out the rest of the project SCRAP gallery for more inspiration!  And…of course, do not forget to upload YOUR pages for all of us to see!  That’s what project SCRAP is all about…inspiring and motivating each other to get the year SCRAPPED!

Alrighty – I better wrap it up…so I can get back to scrapping!  Remember – let’s FINISH UP OUR 2011 albums so that we can move on to TWENTY TWELVE :o)  I can’t wait to check back in with you next week and share my album!  But more than that…I can’t wait to see ALL of YOURS!  I am hoping the gallery will be filled with photos of 2011 albums :o)  Until then – have a GREAT week/weekend!  xoxo – SP :o)

Shabby PrincessUncategorized, project Scrap 2011 8 Comments

Hey Guys…SP here (and Kylie, too – just below my check-in, lol…BUSY week!)  I’ll try to keep it short-and-sweet today…since Kylie and I are combining the check-in post with the DECEMBER TEMPLATES ’share’!  But, even with the holidays upon us and all of the busy-ness we are all dealing with…we still must keep scrapping and not get behind on our project SCRAP pages!  We are ALMOST ALMOST there…so stick with it and before you know it, we’ll all be admiring our final, printed, 2011 albums - YAY!

I’ll admit…I did not have the ‘extra’ time (seriously, WHAT is THAT?  lol) to work on my November layouts…but I went ahead and ‘made’ time because I really, really want to stay up-to-date…and I know that December will only get busier and busier, lol!  So, I tried not to ‘fuss’ over my pages too much…and just got them done!  Boy, did that feel good, too :o)  Of course, being in the States…many of my pics for November were about Thanksgiving and the holiday season!  I have a feeling many of yours will be, too!  We also did a bunch of fun baking and candy-making…so I had to include pics of those, as the little man was a huge help with everything – and I hope he will one day enjoy looking back on the memories of time spent in the kitchen with mommy :o)  So…without any more rambling…here are my pages…

And you know I have to share more inspiration with you!  I won’t bombard you with toooooo many ’spreads’…but must include a few faves from the project SCRAP gallery!  Here goes…first up, we have jltanner’s GORGEOUS pages!  She and I were on similar wavelengths with our kit choices and design, lol!  I think what stood out to me most…was the large pic of the Thanksgiving tree – LOVE it!  Of course, everything else is perfection, too – but that really caught my eye!  Fabulous as usual…and THANK YOU for sharing :o)

 Next, we have Kylie’s FUN and BRIGHT and CHEERY pages!  I love the contrast from the rest of our ’spreads’!  Being in Australia…she is experiencing an entirely different climate and season…and it really shows on her November pages :o)  ALMOST makes me wish for SUMMERtime, lolol…ALMOST!  So many wonderful photos and memories on these pages…love it all – THANKS, Kylie!

 And, finally – we have sweet Kim’s November pages!  Lots of great photos and events and memories took place…and as-per-usual, she scrapped them beautifully!  The large photo of all three kids is just TOOOOO CUTE, Kim – thank you bunches for sharing with us!

 Well, that’s it for me…now going to pass the post on to Kylie…you are going to LOVE the new templates – can’t wait to see your layouts in the gallery! :o)  ENJOY and as always – THANK YOU for joining in the FUN with us…HAPPY SCRAPPING!  XOXO –SP

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THANKS SP for the awesome check-in…as always!! :o)  HELLO all – Kylie here and I thought I’d join in with today’s blog-fun too.  And YES, I am getting in a little earlier than usual with the latest (and last - can you believe it!!) of our monthly 2011 projectSCRAP templates…we only have the cover to go!  It is holiday time and the blog will be taking a short break (more on that at the end of the week!) so today is the perfect day to share the templates alongside SP’s update and some november inspiration!

You can click on the image below…or, CLICK HERE to download the DECEMBER templates!  SUPER-CUTE, even if I do say so myself!

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 2011 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! 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, can’t wait 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!), the album cover to complete your wonderful project, and to announce projectSCRAP 2012!! YAY!  Until then, have fun scrapping the new templates (and photographing, of course – lots of special moments to capture in December, no doubt)!

Tomorrow is going to be another choc-a-block day on the BLOG!!  I (Kylie) will have a yummy food post, complete with a FREE recipe card download…and the lovely Kim has a very merry scrapbooking recipe challenge for you!  Look forward to seeing you then! :o)

Shabby PrincessFree (not desktops), Uncategorized, project Scrap 2011 14 Comments

Hi everyone!!  Kylie here with this month’s exciting new project SCRAP templates (two separate templates to create a ‘spread’ in your project SCRAP 2011 album…which should be well on its way to completion)!! YAY!

But first, on behalf of Shabby Princess and the team, I just want to wish all our beautiful friends in the United States a very Happy Thanksgiving!  We truly hope you have a wonderful and blessed day with family and friends (and lots of YUMMY FOOD and FUN!) :o)

Now, onto the templates. If you are celebrating in November (it’s been a huge month for me so far!) be sure to capture all those special memories and add them to your NEW project SCRAP templates  And don’t forget all those adorable everyday moments as well!  ;o) You’ll find there are loads of photo options between the two pages…you could even make use of all those cute little paper squares.  And all you really need to do is take a couple of photos each week and you will happily fill the template full of treasured moments! :o)

You can click on the image below…or, CLICK HERE to download the NOVEMBER templates!  I hope you LOVE them as much as I do :o)

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 2011 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!  But, as a quick little reminder… here is the project in a nutshell:::

Be sure to post your completed November pages (and any of the other months, if you haven’t already done so) in the project scrap GALLERY!  You know we LOVE to see how you work with our project SCRAP templates and all those gorgeous Shabby Shoppe products! :o)  December is going to be extra-busy here at Blog and SP and I will most likely ‘join forces’ and present the November check-in and the December templates all at the same time…so be on the look out for that!  Until then, have fun scrapping the new templates (and photographing, of course)!

I’ll see you back here either tomorrow or Saturday with December’s FREE DESKTOP :o)

KylieFree (not desktops), Uncategorized, project Scrap 2011 10 Comments