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LM Newsletter Archive - 2005
Here's a reference for articles that have appeared in the LM Weekly Newsletter in 2005!
January 2005 Features - "Resolution Solutions"
Introduction by Tamara Morrision
January is a time for renewal, for taking stock and setting resolutions. What are your scrapping objectives for the coming year? What techniques do you resolve to try? How many pages do you hope to complete? How do you plan to establish and maintain a sense of order in your scrap area for maximum productivity? And once you’ve set your objectives, what steps to you plan to take to assure you follow through? As we usher in the New Year, join the LM Design Team in identifying some scrapping goals that will help you stretch your boundaries and tap your creativity to make this your best scrapping year yet.
February 2005 Features - "Page Accents Are Serious Business"
Introduction by Tamara Morrision
Paging all scrappers! The buzz around the water cooler is that savvy page designers are exercising a friendly takeover of office-inspired products to accent scrapbook layouts and paper arts. From shipping tags and paper clips to file folders and transparencies, these former office supply mainstays have made the job transfer to exciting products from some of your favorite scrapbooking companies. The LM Design Team wants you as an apprentice for some corporate raiding (of the supply closet, that is). Clock in to our newsletter throughout the month of February and get down to business with some top drawer ideas for making these fun products work overtime on your next layout.
March 2005 Features - "Spring Colors"
Introduction by Tamara Morrison
Spring is a time when the world comes alive with color, so it seems fitting that so many colorful new paper choices are arriving at the LM store. From ice cream pastels to crayon box primaries, anything but blah is the current trend. The Design Team thought sharing a few of these kaleidoscopic offerings would be a great way to chase away the winter doldrums and welcome a vibrant spring. Color us excited to inspire you with some vivid ideas for these energetic new paper lines.
January 6, 2005
Organizing a Revolution in Your Scraproom
by Miranda Isenberg
Organization...
We all strive for it, but sometimes, no matter what we try, we fall short. Maybe it's just because you haven't found the right combination for you and your specific scrap space. Well look no further, the LM design team has gathered their favorites, their tried and true techniques and tricks for creating and KEEPING a well organized scrap space.
Your work space
It's the most important part of everyone's scrap area. If you don't have a good work space it will be remarkably harder to complete your projects. My first step when reorganizing was to create a large work space. Originally I had a standard sized computer desk. ( My before picture) It could have been fine, until you factor in the magazine holders, the large container for eyelets and mini brads, ink pads, idea books and more! I was left with a work space that I couldn't work in. My desk became just a place to store things and I had to "travel" to other parts of the house when I actually wanted to scrap. To change that I first decided to purchase a table. For a very reasonable price I purchased a 5 foot table with folding legs. The visible change after only this one item was amazing and incredibly encouraging. I became genuinely excited to complete the space so I could start scrapping. I now had plenty of room to spread out and actually work in the area where all my supplies were stored instead of having to walk back and forth whenever I needed something else
. My Table
Storage-
A large work surface won't do anyone much good if you don't have adequate storage. It's important to make good use of whatever storage space you have available to you. The first thing I do when organizing a new space is figure out which products I use most often. Those are the things that need to be most accessible from where I work. Shelves, drawers, bins and racks. Whatever you choose to hold your scrap supplies it has to work for you and your space. The second feature in my redesigned area was the shelves. I hung them directly above my work table to make them easily accessible. On the shelf closest to me I lined up 12 plastic paper trays that I found on clearance to sort my 8.5x11 cardstock. Additional items were placed on the higher shelves in order of importance. My Shelves
For additional storage I purchased a pre cut peg board for about $5. Here I hang different miscellaneous items that I want to remind myself to use. Since I don't have an entire room at my disposal I'm forced to keep my storage and supplies to a minimum. Shelves originally intended for the small area between the counter and the toilet are the perfect size to hold my small 3 drawer units. By labeling all of the drawers I can find whatever I'm looking for at a glance.
Like many other scrappers I use the plastic coated wire cubes to store my 12x12 paper. I sort my paper by manufacturer to make it easy to find just what I want. Once the inner shelves were secured with zip ties I labeled each shelf by stamping the name of each paper line on a small round metal rim tags and attaching them to each of the shelves. Being organized in alphabetical order definitely helps to cut down on search time when looking for that perfect paper.
In total I was able to create a scrap space that is perfect for me for just under $150. My Finished Space
With so many options out there for storing and organizing your supplies everyone is sure to find just the right combination for them. Some wonderful items available right here at LM are...
-MM Modular Organization system (consists of three different flat panel options, magnetic cups and supply trays, clips, zip bags and more)
-Craft Mates locking organizer with case (perfect for storing small embellishments like eyelets, mini brads and buttons)
-Cropper Hopper vertical storage
and for many helpful hints and tips...
-Simple Scrapbooks: A Simple Guide to Organization
Sorting and purging-
With the rate at which new products are released we'd all quickly outgrow our work spaces if we didn't regularly purge our stash. Besides, how can you fit in all those fantastic new goodies in if your space is all cluttered up with old stuff?!
For me what works best is a regular purge and de clutter schedule. About every six months or so I try to do a thorough job of sorting everything. In order for this to work you have to be totally honest with yourself and be willing to let things go. If I haven't looked at a magazine or idea books in the last six months, it goes. If I haven't used those deco scissors, punches, shape cutters, etc... out they go. There's no reason to hang onto it if it's not being used. And while it's always difficult to get rid of those precious scrap supplies that you once loved... just think of all the great new things you can fill your space with once you've decluttered!
Start the New Year with a new outlook. Sort, clean, purge, declutter and organize. To keep track of your progress take pictures of your hard work and do a layout or a mini album featuring your new space and the transformation.
Design Team Examples
To view all layout ideas and products used, please be sure to visit the Design Team Gallery
 by Kate  by Melissa
January 6,
2005
The Birth of a Scrap Room
By Tamara Morrison
In the first installment of this four part series, join me on my journey from scrapping at the kitchen table to making plans to build a room of my own…
Room for Improvement
I remember when I first started scrapping, and everything I owned (including some really busy patterned paper, about 8 colors of cardstock, a glue stick, and a variety of decorative scissors) fit neatly into a single 13x13x3 box. Back then, I scrapped at the kitchen table, pulling out my box of stuff when I had time to work on some pages, and cleaning it all up in time for dinner. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked for a while.
Before long, my box began to overflow into a couple of page keepers and a sticker binder. I moved to the dining room table, which we rarely used. Although my mess could be seen every time we opened the front door, it was nice to be able to spread out my pages in progress and not have to clean them up by dinnertime every night.
My stash kept multiplying like rabbits, and soon I had purchased a crop tote and an Iris cart. Then I discovered embellishments and bought, among other things, pretty much every eyelet ever made. My table looked like an apothecary, with rows and rows of little jars, tubes, and stackable dishes filled with brightly colored eyelets glinting in the dim dining room light. The lighting, by the way, was perfect for an ambiance-filled dinner for two, but as far as illuminating my workspace…it was really starting to bug me. Two desk lamps later, I had a really bright idea.
On New Year’s Day 2002 I decided a fresh start was in order, and it included me commandeering the loft space which was currently being used as a library. I marveled at why I hadn’t thought of it before. There were shelves, there was decent light…it was meant to be. So I packed up a bunch of books my husband didn’t really need anyway, moved in a table, and set up shop. A couple more Iris carts and some paper shelves later, it really was an awesome space. I couldn’t complain.
But as I sat there scrapping each night, I would look out into the empty space above my living room and think, what a waste. The living room was always cold because of the high ceiling, and it seemed a shame that the big space above it was not being used. We often toyed with the idea of enclosing the open space and making it useable…maybe a bonus room, or a play room. Or, I cautiously mentioned…a craft room? My husband didn’t flinch, so I continued. “What if we added a room for all my scrap stuff, and we could turn the loft into a computer/homework center for the kids? You could have your books back.” He went for it! Quick, call the contractor before he changes his mind!
Stay tuned for installment two next week: Construction begins!
January 13, 2005
Better use of Patterned Paper
by Susan Berg
When I started scrapbooking just about 4 ½ years ago, I used patterned paper almost exclusively. The more themed the better! Oh yes, some of those layouts scare me now. In those days, cardstock was for matting photos, not the foundation of my layout. But a lot has changed! Patterned paper styles have changed and so has my scrapbooking style.
One of the things that I have noticed is that I still tend to rely on a background of patterned paper for most of my layouts. Not that this is necessarily a bad habit, but in an effort to get more out of all of my scrapbooking supplies, I want to improve how I use patterned paper. I would like to have the patterned paper work more like an embellishment than a foundation for my layout. I came to this conclusion after looking at many of the layouts that Miranda and Kate have done.
One of my favorites from Kate is: http://gallery.lifetimemoments.com/showphoto.php?photo=48405&sort=1&cat=fav
She uses a cut out of patterned paper to make a frame/border for the photos. With just a little bit of paper she is able to focus the viewer’s eye to her subject. Using coordinating embellishments continued the feel of the patterned paper throughout the layout.
Since Miranda scraps in the smaller size, she is always cutting down her paper. These three layouts show that you can use the same paper over several layouts and still keep them fresh and unique!
http://gallery.lifetimemoments.com/showphoto.php?photo=48406&sort=1&cat=500&page=3
http://gallery.lifetimemoments.com/showphoto.php?photo=49249&sort=1&cat=500&page=3
http://gallery.lifetimemoments.com/showphoto.php?photo=51042&sort=1&cat=500&page=2
So, for myself, my main scrapbooking goal for 2005 is to start using patterned paper more creatively. I want to choose it carefully, proportion it carefully with the other parts of my layout, and have it add something to my layouts. Additionally, I want my patterned paper to draw focus to the photos in my layout, highlight those photos, and support my layout’s theme and feeling.
How to do this for me wasn’t as easy as it was to decide that I wanted to improve. I tried to keep in mind theories of layout development that I have seen proposed in the past:
- maintaining balance through a variety of different sized patterns
- using color and patterns in large, medium, and small amounts
For this article, I created 3 layouts with these ideas in mind.
I RESOLVE involved 3 different Be Unique patterned papers color-blocked on white Bazzill. To frame the papers, I painted the edges with MM Evergreen. I also used the same paint to stamp my title and date and to paint the edge of my photo matte. I maintained balance by using different sizes of the patterned paper and helped frame the paper with the painted edges. The painting helped contain the patterns to their blocks and kept them from competing with each other or with the photo while still giving the layout a bright and enthusiastic look. You could also do this by matting the patterned papers with a solid paper.
SWEET PAIGE again involved 3 different papers. This was a simple layout. I merely cut 3 pieces, each 3 ½ inches wide, trimmed the bottom, and rounded the corners. These papers support the theme of Halloween but by only using strips of each paper, I am not overpowering the photo. Even though these papers were used in the same amount, balance was provided by the different density of the patterns and the different color combinations. To further support the single photo, I used a fourth paper to create a larger frame as well as the title along the bottom of the page.
THE NEXT DAY used 3 SEI Serendipity papers from the “Too” collection. Bits and pieces of each patterned paper provided emphasis to the different parts of the layout while framing the main photo. You see the most of the striped SEI paper, with less of the larger polka dotted paper and even less of the smaller dotted paper. This way, the patterns weren’t competing with each other and taking away from the photos.
So when you pick up your photos for that next layout, think how the patterned paper you choose will impact your final layout. How can you make that paper step up to the plate and work harder on your page?
Design Team Examples
To view all layout ideas and products used, please be sure to visit the Design Team Gallery
 by Kate  by Susan  by Miranda  by Tamara  by Madeline
January 13, 2005
The Birth of a Scrap Room - part 2
by Tamara Morrison
In the second installment of this month-long feature, construction begins on our room addition…
The Excitement is Building
When last we left off, my husband had just given the green light for my new scrap room. You can imagine my excitement! I couldn’t wait for construction to begin.
Because we were building in what was previously open air space, joists had to be attached to the walls for support before the floor could be put down. This is what it looked like at the end of the first day of work:
It was a little scary-looking, with the former balcony area open to below, but that was nothing compared to the following day. The area directly to the right of that balcony is the entrance to the master bedroom. Imagine my surprise when I tried to exit my bedroom (to the right in the photo):
Yikes! It felt a little bit like I was stuck in a M.C. Escher drawing! But by the end of the fourth day, I had a complete floor and it was starting to look like a real room.
Next came the framing of the walls, the flooring, and the drywall (nothing prepared me for the amount of dust generated from sanding drywall, by the way!). Things were coming together, and it was time to start making some decisions about paint, furniture, and storage in my new workspace.
Next week: Installment three – decisions, decisions.
January 20, 2005
More Meaningful Journaling
by Melissa Thigpen and Kate J.
Kate
The Lifetime Moments Team listed their scrapbooking goals for 2005 and Melissa and I both agreed – More Meaningful Journaling is our 2005 focus.
As a scrapbooker, I long stood by the mantra that a photograph is worth a thousand words. By keeping that frame of mind, I long overlooked my scrapbooking obligation to myself and others. Photos are wonderful, embellishments are great fun, but in the absence of meaningful journaling, the finer points are long forgotten. Recently, I perused my journaling on past pages. A page about my unexpected surgery in 2003 made me realize how important the small details are. I caught myself saying “I forgot about that!” a good handful of times. It is amazing the details that you forget over time. By journaling, and journaling well, the memories become more vivid and less likely to be forgotten. For that reason I have set 3 goals for myself in 2005 and have gotten off to a good start with three new layouts that focus on journaling: Grandma’s China, Perfect Pair, and Hawaii 2004.
For 2005, my journaling goals include:
- Remember the details: I will jot notes about the events that I want to scrap. By making notes about the event, I will more clearly remember details that would otherwise be forgotten.
- Include another point of view: This year I plan on putting more than just my voice on a layout. I am not just scrapbooking about myself, so why just include my point of view? My goal is to include my husband and family in my journaling by getting their thoughts and memories of special events and then journaling to include them as well!
- Warm it up: Put more feeling and thought into journaling. This goal is to remember to take time and add feeling to my journaling rather than my quick sit down to print out the few things I remember.
- Take time to prewrite journaling: I usually know what layouts I want to work on for the next few days. Take time from my lunch breaks or any other downtime to outline and revise journaling until it is just right!
Melissa
When I look at the journaling on the pages I’ve done in the last year or two, I notice that it is not consistent. Sometimes it says what I wanted it to say and fits nicely into the design of the page. Sometimes it is wedged into a little space and does not say much. The problem is not that I don’t have something to say or that I can’t get it down onto the paper. The problem is that I most often don’t leave enough room on the page to accommodate the journaling that the page deserves. I get so wrapped up in the photographs and the design that I forget to leave space for the words. Not just any space, either, but a special space intended just for the words to spread themselves out and really express the feelings, facts or ideas that will add to my page design.
For 2005 my journaling goals include:
- Account for my journaling in my page design. Kate’s resolution to prewrite the journaling would work well here.
- Just write more. I used to keep a journal and wrote almost every day but not recently. Getting back to that would not only provide material for my scrapbooking, but also give me more practice just writing.
- Enlist my husband’s help and his digital recorder to collect some of my Dad’s stories.
- Remember that not every page has to be about photographs. A page can be about the story, expressed with words rather than images.
This past weekend as I looked over the challenges for the extreme crop, I realized that the journaling challenges would make for some interesting ways to expand my writing skills. The one that specifically intrigues me is the challenge to write a story in the style of a fairy tale featuring a “princess” (a real person or a fictional princess from folklore). What a great idea, even if I don’t have a page layout idea yet, I can still do some writing and see what comes of it. If you need inspiration for your journaling, check out this thread that lists all of Kara’s journaling challenges. There are some great ideas here to get you started. http://mb.lifetimemoments.com/viewtopic.php?t=58462
A few current products that may provide more inspiration for your journaling can be found in the LM store. Cathy Zielske’s Clean & Simple Scrapbooking not only has some wonderful tips for figuring out what to write but also is one of the ultimate sources for laying those words out on your page. Tracy White has put together The Journaler’s Handbook and filled it with great tips and lists of journaling prompts to inspire you to stretch your journaling skills. Chatterbox, a company with the Make it Meaningful mantra and a contest to match, has come out with a lovely idea book all about journaling appropriately called What to Write. Look for Chatterbox’s traditionally gorgeous artwork in this luxurious hardback book and the inspiration to, well, make it meaningful.
What are your journaling resolutions?
Design Team Examples
To view all layout ideas and products used, please be sure to visit the Design Team Gallery
 by Susan  by Kate  by Madeline  by Melissa  by Debbie
January 20, 2005
The Birth of a Scrap Room - part 3 of 4
by Tamara Morrison
The selection process begins for furniture, paint, and storage…
A Choice Situation
As construction was reaching completion and my new scrap room was becoming a reality, it was time to start making some decisions about the environment I would be working in.
Both form and function were equally important considerations to me when it came to choosing furniture, so I turned to one of my favorite catalogs, Ballard Designs. There was a sawhorse table I had been eyeing for weeks, and it was the perfect centerpiece for my workspace. Roomy enough to spread out or crop with a friend, it had handy shelves on either side to stow essentials, and a sturdy, “get down to business” look that I was sure would inspire me to create. I planned the rest of my furnishings around that piece. 
With the furniture on order, it was time to shift my focus to the walls. I had been collecting paint swatches for months, but the prospect of choosing was overwhelming to me.
I was hoping for color on my walls, but needed to maintain accurate color perception on my layouts. An internet search and visits to a couple of local paint stores turned up some useful information on color selection and types of paint.
The Benjamin Moore website offered much practical advice and was a good starting point for my research. A very helpful Sherwin-Williams employee reiterated the importance of buying paint to sample on the walls rather than relying on those teeny little paint chips. (Benjamin Moore and The Great Indoors offer some colors in inexpensive sample sizes, which are a great, affordable way to try out colors. Some brands allow purchasing by the quart, but most require a gallon minimum, which can be costly if there are several colors you want to try).
It was suggested that I view my selections at different times of day and on different walls of the room to get a true idea of how the paint would look in direct light, shadows, and everything in between. I also learned that a matte finish would absorb light, rather than reflect it back, making it the best choice to avoid casting color on my work surface. My first instinct was to choose a lighter color to avoid overpowering the space, but in fact darker colors will also absorb more light, therefore being more desirable than a highly reflecting lighter shade. And most importantly, I learned that as long as I had a well-lit work area, I did not need to sacrifice color on my walls.
I sampled a couple of colors on the walls and tried to narrow down my choices. 
While experimenting with the different colors was fun, I was finding that nothing was coming close enough to my touchstone ideal color – Bazzill Celery. I ultimately gave up on finding the perfect stock color and took a sheet of celery cardstock to the paint store. They were able to match it perfectly, and I got the exact color I was looking for. The custom color cost a bit more, but the 12x12 cardstock size proved to be a much more accurate indicator of how it would look on the wall. Forget those miniscule paint chip rectangles…I had a spectrum of nice, big swatches sitting on my cardstock shelves! I taped several sheets of celery cardstock around the room and viewed them in different light situations, as suggested for the paint samples, before finalizing my decision - much more frugal than purchasing quarts or gallons of colors to try out!
My last remaining decision was storage. With a husband in the cabinet business, this was the easy part. Inspired by the modular storage systems by Cropper Hopper and Crop in Style, I sat down and itemized my storage needs to determine exactly how many cabinets, shelves, and drawers my supplies required. I measured the wall space where my storage would go, and used graph paper to sketch a rough, scale drawing of what it would look like, enabling me to present the cabinet maker with a clear idea of what I wanted. Then it was hurry up and wait as my storage unit was put in the queue of projects to be built.
Be sure to tune in next week to see if my storage unit is completed in time, and to see pictures of my painted and furnished room!
January 27, 2005
Streamlining the Process
by Madeline Fox
How many scrapbook pages would you like to complete in 2005? One a week, one a day, or simply more than last year? Upon noticing a tally in the signatures of several scrappers at the end of 2004, I decided to do a count of my own, resulting in a final tally of 87 (12x12) pages, a quite sizeable number considering the time it takes for me to complete just one page. Meanwhile, the photos that I want to scrap, the moments that I want to document, the thoughts that I want to share, and the memories that I want to preserve continue to accumulate like snow on the slopes of the Cascades. I needed to dig myself out of this avalanche before beginning my climb to the top. Getting down to business, I first cleaned and decluttered my scrap space, organized and rearranged my supplies, then looked to the mountain ahead, ready to conquer! I set my goal for 2005, increasing it by over 30 pages to 120. How hard could that be? Breaking it down, 120 pages is merely 10 pages a month, 3 pages a week, one page every 2 days! Why was this so hard for me? I’ll tell you why. I’m obsessive! I’m indecisive! I procrastinate! I rethink my designs, color schemes, accent placement, and even photos! And I have a family…’nuff said! So I began to think about solutions. Here are a few good ones that I plan to utilize in order to achieve my goal this year:
Idea Books-From simple to sophisticated, there’s an idea book out there for everyone and every style. Some books are designed around a particular product line, such as KI’s Little Book of Big Ideas and Junkitz Unzipped. Others are geared towards a selected theme, such as Baby, Oh Baby, All About Kids, or the Scrapbook Solutions DVD Birthdays, Holidays and Everyday Life. For an inspiring and varied compilation of page ideas, complete with creative techniques and fresh concepts, choose one of these new books: At Home, Scrapbooking with Faye Morrow Bell, Designing with Simplicity, or The 2005 PK Powerbook. Let the layouts in any one of these volumes be a springboard for your creativity, as you utilize their design, photography, and journalism tips and tricks, incorporating them into a page that is uniquely yours.
Lifetime Moments Gallery-I found one of the greatest resources for fresh and original page ideas right under our noses here at LM…our gallery! Like an online idea book, the gallery is filled with incredible talent! When you peruse the gallery, remember to add those that inspire you to your Favorites, thereby creating an unparalleled resource, an idea book filled with pages that you have chosen based upon your personal taste and style! Browse categories by theme or execute a search of your own. There is even a section devoted to sketches! Speaking of sketches…
Becky Higgins Sketches-These fabulous templates for page design are wonderful tools especially when working with a large number of photos. The sketches help to streamline the layout process, by giving us pleasing page arrangements, ready to be customized by our own choice of papers and page accents. The new book, Becky Higgins Creative Sketches for Scrapbooking, showcases over 50 new sketches, each with accompanying page ideas from talented readers of CK magazine. See how a single sketch can inspire such diverse pages. (TIP: If you don’t have that many photographs, use only one page of a sketch to create your layout.)
Coordinating Products-A tremendous amount of my time seems to go into coordinating the papers, cardstock, and embellishments that I want to add to my page. Choosing just the right alphabet stickers, colored brad or buttons would have me sifting through my supplies, taking out products I hope will match only to find that they don’t quite go together. No more worries! Paper manufacturers are beginning to do a lot of this work for us by introducing lines of coordinating papers, cardstock, AND embellishments. The most recent KI Collections have a selection of matte cardstock, tags, frames, labels, and acrylic accents that coordinate with their patterned papers. Basic Grey has recently added fiber assortments to go with their lines of paper, tag sheets and alphabet stickers. Doodlebug has assembled one of the most comprehensive collections of coordinating products: cardstock stickers, rub-ons, I-lets, tokens, ribbon, ric-rac, ABCs, 123s, sequins, and buttons come in an astonishing array of colors, made to match their papers! Another extraordinary product line is the new Studio K from K & Co. Papers, acetate and vellum combine with frames, words and word tags, tag books, string clasps, alphabets, and full color rub-on transfers. Metal art embellishments in this line include word strips, photo clasps, page corners, and brads. In a bit of a different twist, Junkitz is adding papers (to debut at CHA next month) that match their already coordinated Collectionz of alphabetz, labelz, buttonz, swatchz, and twillz! Halleluiah!
With an abundance of inspiration and products designed for easy coordination, fast yet innovative pages should be within our reach. In order to give everyone a jumpstart on their 2005 layout goals, the Design Team this week has been given the challenge of creating pages that can be recreated in 30 minutes or less! Are you ready? On your marks, get set…..SCRAP!
If you’re interested in what page goals other scrappers are setting for themselves this year, check out this General Scrapbook Discussion Poll. Add your post if you haven’t already! Thanks!
Design Team Examples
To view all layout ideas and products used, please be sure to visit the Design Team Gallery.
 by Susan  by Debbie  by Melissa  by Debbie
January 27, 2005
The Birth of a Scrap Room - part 4 of 4
by Tamara Morrison
In the final installment of my scrap room series, the moving-in process begins…
Moving Mountains
Although still waiting on the completion of my cabinets, the time had finally come to begin setting up my new room. The task was daunting, considering the mountains of scrap paraphernalia I have accumulated, so the first order of business was to do a thorough clean-out. I showed no mercy. Armed with Miranda’s advice in her January 6 organization article, I allowed myself to let things go. The recent reports of upcoming CHA releases helped me to realize that there would be plenty of must-have goodies to acquire in the coming weeks, so out with the old and in with the new. As I cleaned, I borrowed an idea from a friend (thanks, JW!) and sorted my “get rid of it” supplies into coordinating kits to sell at an upcoming garage sale.
Even though most of my supplies were awaiting the new cabinets, my paper shelves were ready to be stocked. I separated my patterned paper by manufacturer for some of my favorite brands, and then dedicated one shelf per color for other brands. One miscellaneous shelf was devoted to designs that didn’t fit into a single color family, one shelf for vellum and transparencies, and one shelf for specialty papers. My cardstock (still in the process of being loaded in the shelves) is sorted by color, with the exception of specific coordinating colors such as KI, which are stored with the coordinating papers.
Again following Miranda’s organization advice, I chose to store frequently used items in plain sight on my bookshelves. Two storage boxes are dedicated to monthly Design Team materials and recent purchases that I want to remember to use. Sturdy magazine files hold idea books. Current magazines are easily accessible from a low shelf when I have a spare second to peruse them, and I plan to add a comfy reading chair in the corner next to the shelves. QuicKutz hand tool and dies, my paints, my ribbon drawers, and some fun knick-knacks all have space on my shelves as well.
Even more frequently used items, such as adhesives and tools, are kept in clear bins on the shelves under my table. The clear bins make it easy to find what I need quickly. On top of my table is a stack of acrylic shelves for sorting pages in progress, planned pages, and recently completed pages.
My computer desk is currently a bit crowded with my scanner, but a custom cabinet is being built that will hold both scanner and printer, along with printer supplies, in the space between my desk and paper shelves. One of my favorite finds was the set of shelves with drawers above my desk. I have no idea what will go in the drawers yet, but I am excited at the prospect of filling them up!
My scrap room is still very much a work in progress, but then I suppose everyone’s is. We are all continually collecting, purging, re-evaluating the efficiency of our space, and adding personal touches as we go. I look forward to sharing more photos of my space in my gallery as the progress continues…and be on the lookout for a scrap room layout from me in the near future!
January 27, 2005
Finding New Uses for Old Tools
by Debbie Hardin
My resolution for this year was to dust off all of those old gadgets and bring some life back into them. You know the ones I'm talking about....Colluzle shapes, lettering templates, punches, and everything else you just had to have but have long since forgotten about. I have decided that I'd spent good money on these goodies and I'm tired of seeing them just sitting there taking up space. My resolution is for these dust collecting items are going to be used in at least 25% of my pages.
I've been trying to come up with ways of using these tools and such in a new and updated way. I remember when I first purchased my Colluzle the big thing was to cut your pictures into the shapes your templates where. Well, that trend has long such gone so there had to be something else I could do with them. Since polka dots are so big right now, the small Colluzle circle could be used to make polka dots on a plain piece of paper. Or use the big circle to accent your pictures on a page. On my FLOWER HOLLY page I used a Colluzle flower template and cut out flowers for an accent.
Lettering templates are another item I've collected that's ended up in the bottom of the iris cart. I tried coming up with new ideas for the templates without cutting out each and every letter. Some of the ways I came up with was chalking inside the letter, using a Versamark pen and embossing the letters, or just use an ink pad and ink inside the letters. I used the inking technique for the letter "H" on the FLOWER HOLLY page. I took a VersaMagic Spanish Olive ink pad and rubbed it over the lettering template until the letter was all colored in.
It's amazing all of the ideas one could come up with when trying to breathe new life in those old dusty tools and supplies. Try digging out your dust catchers and see what new ideas you can come up with!
February 3, 2005
File Folders and Page Tabs
by Melissa Thigpen
January was the time for planning, cleaning, making resolutions and new beginnings. February is the time to get down to business and what better way to do that than with a file full of office inspired products for your scrapbook pages.
Creekbank Creations is a small, family owned company that is full of fun ideas. Their Office Werks line of products has obviously been inspired by various office supplies but reinterpreted for scrapbookers. All of Creekbank’s office creations are cut from Bazzill monochromatic cardstock. Color has arrived in the office in the form of these cute, coordinated rainbow colored supplies.
File folders have been shrunk to a mini size that is perfect to use for embellishment, matting or as a spot to tuck in some hidden journaling, a tag or a note. They come in sets of six and are all cut from coordinating monochromatic Bazzill cardstock so that it is easy to find the color to match your page perfectly. These same tiny folders come in threes cleverly tucked into a library pocket to become the Library File Pocket. On my So Big! layout I actually liberated a couple of the file folders from one of the Library File Pocket sets and opened them flat to use as an interesting background and space for my journaling.
One of the best innovations on the office theme is Creekbank’s Windowed File Folders. These cute folders are just 4x5 inches with a 3x4 inch window cut in the front, perfect to frame a photograph or other element. I used an old Rebecca Sower fresh cut in the one on my Giving Thanks page and hid my journaling inside. Some other ideas are to mount the photo inside and cover the window with vellum for a soft effect or a printed transparency. As an added bonus, the 3x4 inch piece of cardstock from the center is die cut into several little matching tags that can be used as accents along with the file folder. I used the pieces from which the round tags were cut to frame the initial letters of the title on my Giving Thanks page. The Windowed file Folders come in packs of three so there are plenty of coordinating tags to choose from.
Of course, an office staple is the file tab and Creekbank weighs in here with a line of tabs that are also cut from colorful monochromatic Bazzill. Use them to attach to hidden journaling as a pull tab or in a traditional way to the edges of your pages in a mini journal. Attach one, two or more to a photo mat for a little added oomph.
If you want more variation in your page tabs, KI Memories and SEI have both created page tabs as part of their newest paper lines. For my Brown Eyed Boy layout, I used SEI Granny’s Kitchen for the scrumptious combination of brown and blue it offers. From the accent sheet of tabs and labels, I chose to cut one tab in half instead of folding it so that I could use it as an accent at the top and bottom of my photo mat. The Office Slides from Creekbank Creations worked perfectly to frame my title at the bottom of the page.
I know there are dozens of other terrific ways to use these assorted files and tabs. We can’t wait to see your work with all of these great products posted in the gallery to inspire us so get down to business and scrap.
Design Team Examples:
 by Susan  by Tamara  by Melissa
February 10, 2005
Envelopes & Pockets
by Madeline Fox
If you have ever done the laundry of a typical toddler boy you know better than to simply throw the clothes into the washing machine without first checking all of the pockets! Rocks and crayons, coins and other priceless treasures, even the occasional creature are all capable of finding their way into little boy pockets. There are many surprises to be discovered when going through the pockets of a child on washday! This mystery and intrigue also applies to pockets on a scrapbook page.
With pockets and envelopes (basically pockets with a flap), scrapbook pages can become interactive and fun, with an added element of surprise! These page additions can hold tags, mini books, or extra pictures when photos are plentiful. They are great for tucking in a little extra journaling, and freeing up room on the page for other photos or embellishments. With more personal writings, an envelope or pocket can hold your thoughts in private while allowing others to view the page. Perhaps you’ve written a love letter to your child, spouse, or special someone. You could even seal the envelope so that your heartfelt journaling remains undisturbed to be read sometime in the future!
What else can go in pockets and envelopes? Vacation souvenirs such as maps and brochures, menus and ticket stubs can be stored with easy access for viewing. Special keepsakes, such as baby’s hospital bracelet, a lock of hair, or other memento can be tucked away for safekeeping. All sorts of ephemera find a handy home on your pages. Cardmakers will also find perfectly sized envelopes to compliment their handcrafted cards and invitations.
Even with all of these uses, I find myself adding pockets and envelopes more for artistic reasons than anything else. While most people value envelopes and pockets for their ability to hold things, I seem to value them more for what goes on the outside. They become a coordinating backdrop for other page elements, set off photos and add interest to a layout design. Just like tags, envelopes and pockets allow you to create on a small scale…as with a mini-canvas. Decorate with patterned papers, paint, ink, stickers, ribbons, rub-ons and more for a personalized page accent, which may or may not double as a holder of sorts. For the page I did for my son’s Homecoming Dance, the policy envelope is a major part of the page design, helping to anchor the accent elements, bring out the colors in the photos, all the while holding extra photos and journaling about the event.
Envelopes and Pockets at Lifetime Moments
Bazzill has come up with a comprehensive selection of envelopes and pockets in 13 of their scrumptious cardstock colors. A2 and square envelopes are the perfect compliment for homemade cards, 5 3/4" x 4 3/16" and 5 7/8" x 5 7/8 respectively, with lick and seal closures. At the opposite ends of the spectrum are the tiny coin envelopes, measuring 2 1/4" x 3 1/2" with lick and seal closures, and the large policy envelopes, 4 1/6" x 9 1/4", with string tie closure. And don’t forget their library pockets. They’re not just for library cards anymore!
Kopp Designs has taken the traditional library pocket and given it an updated look! Kopp pockets are available with cutouts and windows in two sizes and six colors. I used one of the large cranberry-colored Kopp pockets with a window to make a unique valentine for my husband. The opening was perfect for showcasing a vintage postcard image. The front of the pocket was then distressed with ink, layered with torn paper and accented with ribbons and letter charms. A simple tag was cut from a coordinating shade of cardstock to hold my sentiments. Since everything is acid-free this pocket card can be added to a scrapbook page at a later date!
Lil Davis Stationary Collection also has button and string envelopes in a great 4” x 5” size and slash pockets that measure 2” x 3”. Use the pockets when you want a little peek at what’s enclosed, such as with a tag or additional photo, and the envelope when you want something hidden or kept from view.
With pockets and envelopes, it’s easy to add a little mystery and intrigue to your pages. And everyone will love all the little surprises to be discovered…the priceless treasures of your world!
February 17, 2005
Labels & Label Holders
by Kate J.
They go anywhere, can do anything, and are sensible adornments! In a practical use, labeling makes our daily lives easier by noting a place for everything from nails to pens. But really, the designed utility of a label/label holder goes out the window when it comes to scrapbooking. In the hands of a scrapbooker these labels and accessories have been taken to the next level. The variety of shapes, materials, and colors has expanded beyond our ability to keep stock of it all. Quite possibly the perfect embellishment to design a page around or to fill in a bare spot, labels and label holders are ideal! It is hard to resist the clever tools and fun hardware that coincides with such a fun embellishment. Lifetime Moments is here to provide a wide variety of choices for your labeling pleasures.
A variety of products are inundating the scrapbooking market and are making it easy for scrapbookers to enjoy the label look without having to purchase yet another tool – a label maker. Companies have designed colorful and unique labels with beautiful colors that contribute to a successful layout! K&Co. released in 2004 the Studio K Label Word Strips & Metal Word Strips in combination with their latest paper release. Their metal word strips are made of strong sturdy metal backed with adhesive, in beautiful bright colors to compliment your Studio K paper and others alike. Similarly, label word strips are also popular as a page embellishment because of their ease of use (and lovely colors too). These labels are sticker material made to simulate a true label, but without the bulk!
Providing a rubberized way of incorporating the label accent into our layouts, Mobe’ Carbon-14 stamps cleverly allow us to stamp labels! Everyone is familiar with the font and style of the punch labeler, but not everyone has a label maker. The Mobe’ Carbon-14 stamps have the same look without the added cost of a gadget and label tapes! By customizing your paper color or ink color, there are thousands of possibilities to create your very own label design! Also joining the label venue, Deluxe Designs offers a line of creative papers called Label Made. There is one design for each letter of the alphabet featuring fun and uplifting words that begin with that letter. This paper would make a colorful ABC album or crop the pages to make your own individual labels. Possibilities abound!
In a category all their own, label holders have even greater utility than the label its self! They go anywhere, on any layout and can stand alone to embellish or go to town with adornments! Sure, they are still perfect for their intended purpose to highlight a label and to make a date pop off a page, but they can do so much more. Making Memories expanded their metal label holder line in 2004 to include a wide variety of luscious colors ranging from honeydew to cranberry! As such a sturdy embellishment, it can take a lot of adorning. Personally, a favorite look is adding buttons in the label slot. As an example of this idea, Beauty Sleep includes a black label holder with matching buttons and a Junkitz E to coordinate with my layout! It is an easy accent for any page. Tie ribbons around the holder, turn it sideways and mix things up for a great look!
A great progression of the label holder idea, Creek Bank cardstock label holders and QuicKutz label holder dies are a fantastic way to eliminate bulk and customize color selections. Just added to the Lifetime Moments store, Creek Bank Creations Office Werks collection offers an array of colorful options for precut label holders. Available in every color of the rainbow, in 7 different styles, choosing a just one set is a tough task. QuicKutz has also mastered the bulk free label look with their various sizes of label holder dies! Use any patterned paper or cardstock to create a perfectly coordinated layout.
A tried and true embellishment that will stand the test of time, labels and label holders are a classic look for all scrapping projects. Lifetime Moments offers an array of items that make it easy and affordable for each and every scrapbook page to get that label look!
Studio K Label Word Strips & Metal Word Strips
Daisy D’s Label Strips
Deluxe Designs Label Made
Mobe’ carbon-14 stamps
Making Memories label holders
Creekbank cardstock label holders
QuicKutz Label holder dies
Design Team Examples:
 by Susan  by Melissa  by Madeline
February 24, 2005
Miscellaneous Office Supply Crossovers
by Susan Berg
I always thought that I was the only person whose creativity was sparked at work. I thought I was the odd duck that would end a long conference call with pages of doodled notes to use for future layouts. And I felt quite isolated in my idea that if I had a scrapper’s block that the answer lies in an afternoon office meeting. But it is obvious that many of today’s scrapbook designers suffer from the same strange affliction as myself. Office inspired scrapbooking supplies have become a fast favorite for designers and scrappers alike. For the past few weeks, we have looked at several products whose roots can be found in the office supply cabinet. To finish off the month, I want to point out some more scrapper’s favorites that started as boring staples of the office environment, a few of which may surprise you!
The Common Brad a long time basic of the office and school junk drawer, this modest attachment has become the darling of the scrapbooking industry! It can be used to attach vellum or transparencies, can be used without a house-rattling hammer, and is pretty inexpensive. On top of that, brads are now offered in shapes, colors, even with attachments to make stringing your ribbon or fiber easier! So even with function aside, a brad is a sharp little embellishment to add interest to any page!
The Unassuming Paper Clip and its personalized cousin, The Monogram Alpha Clip: As kids were knew these little items were under utilized treasures! What kid didn’t make a paperclip necklace, bracelet, or some kind of GI Joe rescue device? As a quick thinking grown-up, how many times have we grabbed a paper clip to solve a problem like a hanger for a Christmas tree ornament, a broken purse strap, or a daughter’s swimsuit? Yes, admit it! The paper clip brings out the MacGyver in all of us! With that little slip of metal, we can solve any problem! As scrapbookers, we were quick to pick up on this as well. And with creative fashion, these trusty little clips were colored, swirled into fancy shapes, and even alphabetized all while maintaining the basic abilities inherent in the beloved paper clip. Try clipping class information to the side of a school photo, stringing clips along some ribbon or fiber, or just using as an embellishment without the added value of the clip. The new and improved paper clip is more than functional – it is a stylish addition to any layout!
SEI’s Preservation Series Albums take the big brother to the paperclip, the ACCO clip, out of the office and straight to the scrapbook. How anyone can look at a pressboard file folder the same after being shown their adorable application as a low cost scrapbook is unimaginable! Because the covers are a thick cardstock, they are embellishable yet sturdy. Because of the clip holding them together, adding pages is easier than my month-end report! These albums are perfect for those little album needs and will soon be available in even more enticing colors and patterns to match the SEI paper lines!
The Good Old Fashioned Tag: though they may be called garage sales, yard sales, or estate sales, they all come down to the basic tag sale. Mark the price, attach the tag, and hope to find someone who loves something as much as you once did! Little did we know how adorable a tag could be and how they would take over scrapbooking! With many tags created to match paper lines, using a tag for a title, journaling, or an embellishment is easier and more stylish than ever! Tags can be left simple and plain, just adding some color and interest to a page or can be dressed up to be a piece of art all on their own. And with 6,360 examples of tags in the Lifetime Moments gallery these little babies have proven that for every page there is a perfect tag!
The Secret Life of the CD: Who doesn’t love a cd? Whether a DVD containing a favorite movie, a cd of new music, or even one with precious photos, everyone loves the storage and functionality of a cd! Much more compact that the old reel to reel systems in the 1960s and sturdier than the floppies of the 1980s. But what about attraction? Whether it was a musical artist or game software designer that first thought of making a cd nice to look at, it is scrapbookers who have taken it to the next level! The altering madness has run amuck beautifying plain boring cds everywhere! In addition to that, Chatterbox has gone a step further! With their cds already matching the Chatterbox rooms, they are all set for additional embellishments or to store your favorite photos on! Why not use one to hold favorite photos from the past year and include on an end of the year layout?
Stencil Letters! Say it three times because Chatterbox, Kopp, and Making Memories have all figured out that the classic stencil is a fun and versatile addition to the scrapbooker’s tool belt! Brad them down, paint them, sand them, cover them with fabric, and tie them with ribbon! Stencils add a fresh look to titles, monograms, or a journaling block!
The Most Transparent Theft: of an office supply by the scrapbooking community is obviously the transparency! Any paper can be dressed up with a simply overlay by Karen Foster, Artistic Expressions, Daisy D, Karen Russell, or Sarah Heidt. The benefits of transparencies are numerous. They can separate precious photos from non-acid free items. Photos and other embellishments can be layered above and below the transparency for added depth. And they can be cut up to use individual pieces or provide accents across multiple pages. Decorated with sayings, thoughts, titles, or words, these little babies let your photos shine through while adding sizzle in a quick and efficient manner. Would we expect less from a tried and true office staple?
The Surprising Rub-On: Maybe saving the best for last? How many people actually knew that these little gems have been used for decades in the appraisal and real estate industry? They came to my attention almost 5 years ago when I was looking at an appraisal and realized that the bright red arrow I was looking at was not computer generated. Soon I found numbers, letters, and words. Sadly, the fonts were boring, the words unusable in scrapbooking, and I gave up my thought of using them in my scrapbook. Boy did I feel like I had missed a promotion when they took over! Now you can find them in every color of the rainbow, dozens of fonts, and made to match our favorite paper lines! Rub-ons are so popular because of their versatility. They can be used on almost anything: acrylics, paper, cork, buttons, tags, metal, photos, etc. With all of the great variety offered in the Lifetime Moments store, watch out because even more are on their way with CHA releases!
Most of us are not lucky enough to be surrounded by scrapbooking and creativity on a full time basis. Whether a stay-at-home mother or a working mother, we cannot focus our entire waking hours to scrapbooking. Finding creativity in our every day environment and bringing it to our scrapbooking table is a must! For me, maybe it is the orderliness of the business world that drives my creativity to break through?
Design Team Examples:
 by Susan  by Madeline
March 3, 2005
Fancy Pants
by Melissa Thigpen
One of my favorite new companies this year has got to be Fancy Pants Designs. It may have just made its debut just last month at CHA but owners Jodi and Jared Sanford have been involved in the scrapbooking industry for the past five years. Jodi has designed layouts and products for several other companies and certainly has her finger on the pulse of the industry as she has demonstrated with her wonderful designs for Fancy Pants.
If Fancy Pants has made a splash in the business, it must be a splash of paint. Each line of paper patterns is rendered in rich colors of acrylic paint giving it a texture and depth that is just delicious. The sticker embellishments boast painted surfaces, silk flowers, buttons, twill, inked edges and stitched elements that match the current trends for imaginatively embellished pages without adding bulk. The paper itself is high quality and heavy enough to use as a base for your entire layout.
Fancy Pants includes four lines of paper that give us scrappers a choice of four great color combinations. Ice Cream Parlor is a confection of bubble gum pink, orange sherbet and green pistachio, colors that seem to me as fresh as spring. Grandpa’s Closet has a warm combination of blues and browns that seem to be made for those boy pages. Baby’s Nursery combines pastel colors and painterly designs for a soft look that is perfect for those baby pages. Locker Room is a rough and tumble sort of color scheme that combines the grey of sweats with the blue of jeans and a rich, warm red and orange. I think Locker Room is my favorite.
The first time I saw the Locker Room line of paper, I thought it was perfect for the photographs I took during an outdoor birthday party my son attended. It was a cowboy themed affair that included lots of denim, red bandanas, pony rides and hay rides through the winter woods and, of course, my son’s bright orange jacket in every picture. For this page, titled Fun, I chose three photos that show the fun of the rides and time with friends. I matted the photos and embellishment stickers on a single piece of gray cardstock that was dry-brushed with white paint for a rustic feel that matched the patterned paper. The mat is mounted on a sheet of Locker Room Red that has a strip of Locker Room Stripe along the right side. Rub-on letters and chip board embellishments finish the page.
Baby’s Nursery is not a concept that I usually identify with a five year old boy, but the soft colors and painted textures seemed perfect for the ice cream theme of my next page. To create Ice Cream, I started with a sheet of cardstock and inked the edges to echo the inked edges of the paper and embellishments I would use. Various strips of patterned paper featuring stripes, dots and diamonds make the background. The focal point photo was converted to black and white leaving only the ice cream cone in color. A series of smaller photos along the bottom of the page show alternating color and b&w shots of William’s progress in eating his cone. The journaling block is white cardstock with a few embellishment stickers over which I printed my journaling. The title is KI Memories icicles alphabets.
I found Fancy Pants papers to be very versatile. The great colors and textures will make a perfect jumping off point for all kinds of wonderful layouts. I am looking forward to seeing more Fancy Pants layouts in the gallery soon. Design Team Examples:
 by Susan  by Melissa
March 10, 2005
Arctic Frog
by Susan Berg
Sequels never seem to meet our expectations. Break through record artists frequently suffer from the “sophomore blues” while follow up movies are disparaged by critics for lacking in originality. Of course they lack in originality; they are a sequel. Exceptions to this second season let down are the new collections from Arctic Frog. While the original 4 lines were innovative and fun, the 6 new lines take it to a new level!
Garden Party with its spunky pinks, browns, and green is fashionable for all those great girl, Easter, or picnic layouts!
And Business Casual isn’t just for Fridays with navy, khaki, brown, and beige. Who knew work all those guys around the office could be so scrapbook inspirational!
For the younger set, Arctic Frog presents Play Clothes. Sunny afternoons, Legoland, being a kid all require Play Clothes and the primary colors in this collection make your layouts as fun as the times shown!
For the even younger set, Carseat Couture offers the sweetest of colors and patterns to snuggle up to even the crankiest of baby layouts! Bibs, Hats, Onesies, and Snugglies all designed with your layette layouts in mind!
Teal and yellow come together in Tennis Anyone to satisfy the fun and outgoing layouts in your life, while Rainy Weather is perfect to cheer you up during those not so sunny days with soothing blues and creams!
Since I love the concept of different clothing lines and the great color combinations so much, I decided to do some investigative reporting and talk to the creator of Arctic Frog. The things I found out make me love the lines even more!
Susan: What made you decide to start your own paper company?
Alannah: I had two collection designs finished. I was working for another scrapbook company at the time I did them and I'd done a LITTLE product development for them so I pitched them the ideas for my collections. They said 'maybe' and while they were encouraging for me I knew it was going to take the corporate wheels a bit to start turning to get my designs going and I just was too impatient for that. So I said 'thanks but no thanks' and started Arctic Frog to launch my collections on my own.
Susan: Do you want to tell us a little about your scrapbooking experience?
Alannah: I started scrapbooking when my oldest (Carter) was 11 months old. I started out with Creative Memories. That was about 1999. I won CK HoF in 2001 and started working as a page designer for a few different scrapbook companies shortly after. With one of those companies, that evolved into a bit of product development and that's what probably gave me the 'bug' to do my own product.
Susan: Anything behind the name of the company?
Alannah: It's honestly a brainstorming session that ended with my two favorite Bazzill cardstock colors, Arctic (blue) and Leapfrog (green). Then Lily, the logo frog, was kind of for my two boys. I always knew I wanted something catchy for a company name, something that would stick out in a crowd.
Susan: Other than that comfy t-shirt, where do you get the ideas for the paper lines and color combinations?
Alannah: Everywhere, really! Gift wrap, Pottery Barn catalogs, any kind of catalogs really, advertising, graphic design magazines, well yea, everywhere LOL. Right now I have a pic of an athletic top ripped out of a 'gym clothing' kind of catalog hanging on my wall that will be a pattern in my next collection somehow. I see something that catches my eye and I'll just snag it to hang on my wall or sketch it out in my little black book that 's always in my purse so I can capture ideas when they strike.
Susan: Which is your absolute favorite line and why? (I know….the tough question)
Alannah: Not all that tough...it's always been Surfer Boy. It was the first collection I designed and I did it with my boys in mind. It's probably the one closest to my heart
Susan: Any intentions for offering embellishments (brads, ribbons, buttons, whatever) to the lines?
Alannah: Good possibility that’s all you'll get out of me right now! HA
Susan: How about some hints for possible future collections to look for?
Alannah: No hints, but there will be a few collections for summer release and possibly a couple in the fall. I'm not out of ideas yet and don't plan to be any time soon
Susan: Do you still have time to scrapbook?
Alannah: Honest truth? Not really. I do it 'on demand' when I need something for assignment, a class, or to fill a hole in the gallery but it's been a long time now since I just scrapped for the fun and enjoyment of it. I really do miss that part, a lot. But right now my time goes either towards Arctic Frog or my family, there's just no time left over for scrapbooking. Hopefully that will evolve a bit the older the business gets and I can slide in a weekend here and there with my friends.
With two boys, a company named after two terrific Bazzill colors, and 10 collections of paper that coordinate so well, Arctic Frog has the perfect patterned paper for whatever your layout calls for! And, while Alannah knows that her favorite collection is Surfer Boy, choosing which one is the favorite in your wardrobe may not be as easy!
Design Team Examples:
 by Miranda  by Susan
 by Melissa
 by Kate
March 17, 2005
Scenic Route
by Madeline Fox
Festival \Fes"ti-val\, n.
1. A time of feasting or celebration; an anniversary day of joy.
2. Revelry; conviviality. Syn: Feast; banquet. Also festivale, as in Scenic Route’s newest line of patterned papers for scrapbooking. Syn: feast for the eyes, celebration of color, amusement park of patterns!
Have you “scene” it? The newest collection of 36 patterned papers from the Scenic Route Paper Company, called Festivale, is a sight to behold. It’s like a fabulous stroll through a street fair, being bombarded from every angle with color and pattern, one stall more intriguing than the next. Every way you turn there’s a new combination of colors, patterns that inspire, and interesting applications of typography.
It’s the beautiful colors that grab your attention and continue to intrigue. Each of these artistically crafted papers is printed on a thick sturdy cardstock in jewel-like colors in schemes ranging from cool blues and greens on white to the dazzling multi-colored diamonds on worn. If clean, geometric and bright tickle your fancy, you’ll find papers in the collection perfectly tailored for you. The crisp white background contrasts nicely with diamonds, circles, squares, stripes and flowers, to name a few of the patterns that grace these papers. If a more shabby-chic look is your “cup of tea” the papers with the worn, tea-dyed background should fill this niche nicely. Either way, you’ll find appealing patterns in gorgeous colors that are easy to incorporate into any variety of page designs.
My favorite pattern… (Well, OK, second to the funky chickens maybe)…has to be the modernized Harlequin diamond design. Much to its credit, the Festivale line takes this classic pattern to a new level, with the addition of color and visual texture unlike any I’ve ever seen. The mélange of colorful diamonds, softened by a bit of distressing and a layer of text is the perfect start to any page. Pick your base color, because these diamonds can be found on either a bright white or more subdued “worn” background.
Another standout pattern is the large daisy design, Big Yellow Daisy or Big Red Daisy, on a background of text on white or text on worn respectively. Apples, pears, or colorful flowers are other pattern options, in addition to stripes in a multitude of colors and styles. The many scripts also lend themselves to great paper compositions when layered with a coordinating pattern or two. The “almost solid” is a great anchor for a larger pattern. In my page, Good Neighbor, the large daisy design would be overwhelming if not tempered by the addition of the green script and matching accent envelope.
I can’t forget to mention the wonderful papers of word art. There are Spring Words, Adventure Words, Expressions, and more. Even a page of chicken jokes! Gayle, on her Shabbat layout, has strategically placed a section of one such paper so that the words, believe and discover, are advantageously displayed alongside and above her photos.
Are you wondering how all of these colors and patterns can be found on just 36 sheets of paper? Well let me tell you! (This is the best part!) The entire line is comprised of double sided cardstock papers, where each pattern has a coordinating flip side. This is such an awesome feature, a definite advantage when you design pages using multiple patterns! It also makes it easy to design cards, folders, bookpockets, accordion tags, etc. with no worry as to how the “other side” will look. Stripes, scripts and solids back each of the larger designs!
First drawn to the artistry of the Festivale line, I then began to appreciate the finer details that make working with these papers a real joy. New to the store and sure to enhance any paper crafting project are this line’s cardstock sticker words and monograms and an appealing array of great alphabets. Also available are six vellum designs, including a diamond pattern, words, and large alphabet.
Next time you’re in the store, take the Scenic Route and explore their newest offerings. You’re sure to find just the right papers to compliment your memories!
Design Team Examples:
 by Miranda  by Susan  by Madeline  by Kate
 by Tamara
March 24, 2005
American Crafts
by Miranda Isenberg
COLOR!!
American Crafts is all about it! From their vibrant patterned papers and multi colored alphabet stickers to the fresh new look of their coordinated ribbon, American Crafts has the perfect palette for YOUR pictures!!
It’s happened to us all at one time or another… if you’re like me it seems to happen more often than not! You get your pictures back from the developer and discover… one person is wearing green, one is wearing pink, one is wearing blue… and on and on. How do you choose what color theme to use on your layout when there are so MANY colors in the pictures and not one obvious dominant? Reach for the American Crafts that’s what!
What is one of the few days in every year that thousands of scrapbookers everywhere take pictures with just about every color of the rainbow in them??? Why Easter of course!! I’ve discovered that American Crafts papers are the PERFECT papers for every one of those Easter pictures! They literally just cry out to be used with pictures of dying, painting and coloring the Easter eggs, Easter baskets, egg hunts and visiting the Easter Bunny!
One of my favorite Easter pictures is the picture I used in this layout. I’ve been looking at this picture since 1998! Just WAITING for American Crafts paper, stickers and ribbon! “The Bunny”
Susan shows off some egg dying pictures with mixed patterns (Confetti and Random Stripe) and the Milan Color Set 2 alphabet stickers. “Dye Time 2004”
The Simply Chic line boasts more than a few similarities to the highly popular second line from American Crafts, the Monogram Series. For one, both lines have a coordinating solid on the backside of every pattern! Perfect for making photo mats or journaling blocks that fit right in with the colors of your layout! Another common feature are the ‘word’ papers. In the Simply Chic line this means a solid color cardstock weight paper… with a single word in the runway font (the same font used for the alphabet stickers). These papers are the perfect solution to the creative title-impaired scrapper! The work is done for you! For this simple layout using the smile paper I added American Crafts Sarah Script (color set 1 & 2) and Doodlebug alphabet stickers to extend the title so it reads, “You make me smile”. A little bit of the new American Crafts ribbon (pink gingham) and my layout was complete! “You Make Me Smile”
How many parents have pictures from a day spent at a theme park or Chuck E Cheese? The games, the rides, the characters, the people in different colored shirts everywhere… talk about color overload! Susan shows us the perfect way to deal with this by combining the pictures with the colorful simplicity of American Crafts stripey paper. Even with all the different colors in them, the pictures stand out… as opposed to just certain people or objects IN the pictures jumping out at you. “Happy Birthday Paige”
Be sure to stop by the store today to pick up some American Crafts and add a little color to your pages!
Design Team Examples:
 by Miranda  by Susan  by Madeline  by Tamara
March 31, 2005
Scrapworks
by Kate J.
Many ingenious and innovative products from CHA have flooded the Lifetime Moments warehouse this month, but none as highly anticipated as the new Scrapworks line have excited me more! From brand new ideas to reinvented products, Scrapworks is gonna knock your socks off this season.
Introducing clever new looks for letter stickers and frames comes Scrapworks bumpers as letters and frames. Think rubber cushion, think 3 dimensional, and think fantastic. They are said to be inspired by the automotive gasket. Imagine the soft pliable feel, and then imagine how perfect this product is to scrap with. There are no harsh edges to scar your page protectors or bulge your pages. With a slim profile and a delicate texture, this product adds that 3D element to your pages while keeping the bulk away. Bumpers come in 8 cool colors, adhesive backed, and includes 72 pieces per pack (including solid letters and silhouettes).
New from CHA, Colors and Skinny are two new paper lines that are bold, fun and nothing less than exciting. Each paper family is introduced with 24 new patterns that are double sided and printed on a lush textured paper (appreciated best in person). Both lines are daring in graphics and color. Using unexpected color combinations, Scrapworks is setting new trends that are sure to inspire us all.
Stickers have sure come a long way in the last few years. The sticker craze of past years has likely burned some of us out on stickers all together, but thankfully Scrapworks has reinvented and reworked the sticker in a way that compliments rather than detracts from your masterpiece. Reintroducing but reinvented – the Scrapworks Alphadots and letter stickers are now even easier to incorporate into your layout. Alphadot letters and words are now in sticker form (previous Alphadots were punch outs without adhesive backing). You can easily peel and place the Alphadots without any fuss! In similar fashion, Scrapworks Label stickers compliment Colors ’05, Skinny ’05, and Breeze paper lines. These label stickers are a perfect, simple, and stylish adornment to finish off a layout in style!
And with great delight, I give Scrapworks Tailored Tabs, Tailored Alpha Tabs and Tailored Letters the highest marks of all! Beautifully designed and impeccably made, the finishing detail on these tabs and letters is remarkable. Similar to how a perfectly tailored pair of pants fit just right – that is exactly how tailored tabs & letters fit on a layout – just right! The tabs and letters all come in the latest 8 colors that coordinate with Breeze, Colors, and Skinny paper lines from Scrapworks. All tabs and letters come backed with adhesive for easy mounting to photos, ribbon or where ever you desire.
Other additions include new Scrapsmart album colors and an embellishment kit to compliment the Breeze line. For extra inspiration, the Lifetime Moments design team has created a collection of layouts to inspire your Scrapworks pages. You are sure to have fun with these great products!
Design Team Examples:
 by Melissa  by Susan  by Madeline  by Kate
March 31, 2005
Color Wheel Basics
by Melissa Thigpen
Color is central to scrapping. It is the first decision I make when I am preparing to scrap. From the time I started scrapping I would pull out five, six, ten sheets of cardstock or patterned paper to lay my photos on to see which color combinations I liked best. As time has passed and I have done more learning and thinking about color, the process has become more deliberate and the results bolder and more interesting. I had known the basics of color theory already, but learning and thinking more about colors and how they relate to one another had definitely helped move my scrapping up to the next level and it can do the same for anybody’s.
In discussing color, the basic vocabulary is a must. Much of this will be familiar to many of you already but some may not.
primary colors - red, blue and yellow. Every other color is some combination of two or all three of the primary colors.
secondary colors - green, orange and violet. These colors are made up of equal amounts of their neighboring primary colors on the color wheel.
tertiary colors – blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange and red-violet. These six colors are each a combination of a primary and a secondary color.
hue – any pure color not containing white or black.
shade – a combination of a hue and black
tint – a combination of a hue and white. This can also be referred to as a pastel.
tone – a combination of a hue and gray.
neutral – a combination of any hue and its opposite on the color wheel. These are the browns and tans. Neutral tones are very popular for vintage and shabby chic looks because they have an aging effect. Walnut ink is a great way to add neutrals to your color scheme. http://gallery.lifetimemoments.com/showphoto.php?photo=4717&page=9
achromatic colors – black, white and gray. Black and white are basically dark and light. When you use black and white film you are just recording the patterns of light and shadow on your subjects. Working with grays can be tricky though because most gray papers are actually very subtle tones of other colors.
saturation – the intensity of a color. A lower saturation yields a paler color while a higher saturation yields a more intense color. Often it works well to use colors with the same intensity together so that one color does not overwhelm the rest. Most color coordinated pattern sets use this rule so a set like SEI Softy is all low intensity pastels, SEI Sporty features higher intensity brights and SEI Savory features richly saturated, earthy reds and greens.
A good place to start exploring the relationships among colors is the color wheel. This is a handy tool that can range from the very simple, as illustrated in this article, to the large and detailed. Detailed or simple, the color wheel is a great way to determine color relationships at a glance. Once you get the hang of a few color relationships, you can start combining them with greater confidence.
monochromatic – one color. Monochromatic color schemes use shades tones and tints of a single hue for contrast. This is a very basic color scheme and also tends to be a low contrast scheme. The gradations from light to dark are often gradual and are least likely to overwhelm a photograph.
analogous colors – hues that fall next to one another on the color wheel. These color schemes tend to be easy and natural to work with because they are so closely related to one another due to their proximity.
triad – a set of three hues that fall equidistant on the color wheel. Overlaying an equilateral triangle over the color wheel will illustrate a triad. Blue, red and yellow form a triad on the color wheel. Triadic color combinations are higher contrast and livelier than the previous two color schemes.
complimentary colors – colors which lie opposite one another on the color wheel. These include, for instance, red-green, blue-orange, yellow-violet. These produce the greatest color contrast and can either be very effective or overwhelming. One way to keep a complimentary color scheme from being harsh is to use a complimentary color in small amounts as an accent.
Bazzill Basics new color wheel
Now Bazzill has come out with a new color wheel based on its line of monochromatic cardstock sets. Each section of the wheel shows the appropriate set of monochromatic cardstock colors by name. By turning the wheel, you can reveal the various relationships of cardstock colors. The two windows opposite one another show the complimentary color arrangement. Three of the windows fall into the triangle pattern that reveals a color triad. The three windows clustered together on one side of the circle shows a nice analogous color scheme.
By playing a little with the wheel, you can even easily find a guide for creating a split complimentary color combination. Simply choose a color in the window opposite the three window cluster on the wheel. Turn the wheel to the right or left one space. Two of the windows will reveal the colors immediately to the right and left of the compliment of your original color choice. The combination of these two colors and your original color choice create a split complimentary scheme.
You can go on to find closely matching colors among your supply of patterned papers by comparing them to the colors on the color wheel to work them into your color composition. We think the Bazzill color wheel is a wonderful little tool that will make working with color relationships easy, fun and virtually fool-proof.
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