Wednesday, April 30, 2008

linky lou


today's post is just me clearing out my link list and sharing some items i found over the past week or so...
  • what a beautiful color scheme (above) - i think it would be great in my bedroom.
  • smashing magazine presents 42 design/tech online magazines. some are for web designers, however a bunch are basic design and print design - great sources for learning about design basics, getting inspiration, etc.
  • e.m. papers offers printable cards and envelopes. a couple freebies on the site - labels, black and white cards, and envelope templates. cool!
  • i'm in love with the collage-y look of this website and marisa avelar's artwork.
  • orange beautiful offers fun downloadable wallpapers - i currently have the one that reads "there are people in the world who think that telemarketing works" as my desktop.
  • wouldn't these trees be so easy to replicate on a card or page?
  • i don't think i'm ever going to get over my love affair with felt. of course, it would help if i started actually using some of my huge stash of it!
  • how wacky is this guy? would you send him money?
  • a tutorial on how to bookbind - loving on the materials she used for the cover of the book.
  • oh my i want this!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

hoop.de.doo



via decor8

whitney english paper and little pretty studio have a new collection of hoop.de.doo bulletin boards. aren't they the cutest? you can buy one or here's a tutorial on how to make your own.

perhaps the reason i was struck by these hoops is the simple use of scrapbook product as home decor. i think that the jenni bowlin bingo card and the 7 gypsies falsh card just look lovely and so inspiring. don't you? of course, who can resist all that yummy fabric.

i'm backing up on things to share with you. i'm going to have to do a quick link multi-post. maybe tomorrow. so check back!

Monday, April 28, 2008

cz's nsd challenges

cathy zielske is hosting a week filled with national scrapbook day challenges over at the studio blog. she's superblogging this week, too. she cracks me up!

here's my layout for the first challenge - a type challenge - use only one font on a page for both the title and the journaling. that's the lovely, charming emily pitts - notice the use of orange for the title. emily, like me, loves orange! :)


so go play, there are prizes! :)



yellowcanoe





i just love the use of type in this mixed media piece by erin lang norris for her etsy shop yellowcanoe. the type clouds in particular really speak to me and of course who doesn't love a good tree silhouette?


she also creates these really cute key racks...

wouldn't these be fun to make either using stamps or patterned paper?
happy monday...oh joy! ;)

Saturday, April 26, 2008

threepotatofour


via bloesem

when I saw these bottles from threepotatofour , i immediately thought of rub-ons on glass vases. beyond that, the color pallet in these photos is stunning - turquoise with pops of hot orange. lovely!

we have a winner

thanks to those who played in the type challenge! i put the names in a hat and pulled out awjwrwmw/jody. please e-mail me your e-mail address and i'll send you a gift certificate to scrap-diner

Friday, April 25, 2008

prima may build a page


here's my take on the prima may build-a-page. I had seen similar flowers on etsy for sale. i cut some circles with my curvy cutter and some circle punches, spritzed them with water (yes me getting all technique-y ha!) and crumpled them up. then i let them dry and layered them to make a flower. the leaves are curled up and somewhat dimensional as well. thank goodness for my niece, lila - she lets me get my girly fix!

want to play along? complete a layout or other project based on the sketch and enter it here: prima's contest gallery (please write build-a-page, may in the title).

on the 25th of may prima will choose a winner from amongst the entries to receive a prima paper pack of their choice! although everyone is welcome to play along, paper packs can only be awarded to US and canadian addresses at this time.

supplies: cardstock (bazzill), digital cutter (silhouette), patterned paper(prima harmony & angelique), brad(prima), font (georgia)

simple felt daisy


via futuregirl

futuregirl offers this tutorial for making the cutest felt daisies ever. i'm loving how fresh and springy they are. so easy to make too!

happy friday everyone!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

confetti



via wish jar journal
i ran across this photo the other day - a random pile of confetti. i've had an idea similar to this for a layout in my head for awhile. i might just need to get out the hole punch and make something.

GHNMNSV16437358

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

enabling



look at all those goodies! paper valise provisions is a treasure trove of unique embellishments and little bits to add that something special to your pages. sigh. i'm loving the pins, tags and labels!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

i can't let earth day go unnoticed


via modish
bombus offers notecards and envelopes made from recycled books atlases, maps and more. they also create gift items like the bowl and cube above. i love the cards with the pop dotted letters. i can see my silhouette being put to good use!

how cute is this?



when i first saw this image, i immediately thought of the scenic route chipboard potty people and how cool it would be to make patterned paper clothes for them. then i read a little further and realized that this is a magnet to be used as a dirty/clean indicator on your dishwasher. how cute! you could totally use the chipboard and make one of your own.



btw, i think the naked one is the dirty one - like her clothes are in the wash? :) you guys crack me up!

Monday, April 21, 2008

the deets on nsd


May 3 is National Scrapbooking Day! To celebrate, Simple Scrapbooks has partnered with scrapbook retailers across North America to host classes taught by some of your favorite Simple personalities. Each class will include fun projects, exclusive giveaways, and meet-and-greet time with the teacher. I’m thrilled to be a part of this exciting endeavor! You can find me at the store below:

Store Name: Wiggles & Giggles
Store Phone Number: 860-529-5899
Date of Visit: Saturday, May 3rd

If you’ll be in the area and have time, I’d love for you to come out and visit me. Please call the store directly for more information and to sign up.

If you aren’t in my area but want to participate, check out our complete list of partnering stores (at the bottom of this post) and see if we’ll be at a store near you.

Finally, make a date to visit the Simple Scrapbooks website for a full blown National Scrapbooking Day party, which includes a Scrapbooking Scavenger Hunt Sweepstakes (involving lots of your favorite manufacturers) and unique design challenges from the lovely Cathy Zielske.

All in all, this promises to be one fun-filled day of celebrating. I hope you’ll join the fiesta.

Happy National Scrapbooking Day!

Participating National Scrapbooking Day stores across North America:
Allentown, PA: Kinnon Keepsakes with Beth Proudfoot
Austin, Texas: Ladybug & Co with Lain Ehmann (an all-day crop)
Chantilly, VA: Scrapbooks Plus with Elizabeth Dillow
Quakertown, PA: Memory Lane with Linda Barber
Roswell, NM: Imagine That Scrapbooks with Wendy Smedley
Sandy, UT: Heartfelt Creations with Karen Glenn, Angie Lucas, and Megan Hoeppner

Sunday, April 20, 2008

monday inspiration a little early



photo by jessica from how about orange

your inspiration for monday comes at you a day early because i am out of commission tomorrow with a surgical procedure. nothing serious - more like a test - wish me luck.

how can you not love a blog that has the name how about orange? i love orange and i love jessica's blog. jessica jones is a graphic designer and she is crafty too. she made those cute paper butterflies that i think would look adorable on a page. jessica provides a template for the butterflies, but i know a bunch of you have butterfly punches. you can see more of jessica's crafty ideas here.

christmatypographicalassemblage



some of the letters are a little crooked, but after two hours pulling letters and little items at a crop yesterday i just said the heck with it. i really think i need to hire someone to glue things down. that's the part of scrappin' i don't enjoy. :P any takers?
i can't wait to see what all of you create. please post your layouts in a gallery somewhere and link them to the gastro blog post below by friday evening. i'll draw a winner on saturday. i'm thinking a gift card to scrap-diner!


Friday, April 18, 2008

gastrotypographicalassemblage




now that's a mouthful and such a fun word to say! while reading oh joy! yesterday, i saw this stunning wall of type. according to joy, "lou dorfman's "gastrotypographicalassemblage" is the largest, modern typographic artifact in existence and has been in storage since it was taken down in the '90's."

i love the look of the white letters on a white background with little pops of interesting color in the tidbits throughout. i could see this as a scrapbook page using white stickers with small color photos interspersed throughout. it would make a great page of baby's first words and what a way to use up a bunch of white letter stickers in your stash! if you'd like to learn more about this work, read here (scroll to the right) and see more here.

edited to add: melanie challenged me to use this piece as inspiration and create something. now i'm challenging all of you. give it a shot - post a link to your creation here by next friday and i'll randomly send a rak to one lucky winner. :) i'll share mine on tuesday!

have a great weekend everyone. i'm going to a crop for a cure tomorrow in attleboro, massachusetts. i'll be scrappin' with paula gilarde, suzy, christi, cari, roseann, mary ann, and michelle. fun stuff! i'm almost ready to go.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

fonts anonymous


via smashing magazine.


hi my name is celeste and i'm addicted to fonts.

like purses and shoes, you can never have too many fonts. smashing magazine selects “fresh” high-quality free fonts each month. the selection this month is worth a look through. wendelin and graublau would be great for journaling.


what are your favorite fonts for journaling and titles? even though i have tons of fonts i seem to gravitate towards the same fonts. favs for journaling include rockwell, century gothic and calibri. titles i'm more likely to look around for a font (i use the font thing to organize) - i do use century gothic quite a bit for a clean, classic look.


i recently purchased a silhouette - so i'm even more interested in fonts and dingbats that i was before - if that is even possible!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

if you don't know this creative soul, you will...


because she's busting on to the scrapbooking scene soon. heather bailey, renowned fabric designer, designed a line of YUMMY papers based on her fabric designs for autumn leaves. i was thrilled to see the huge banner up in the booth at cha introducing her to the scrapbooking community. i believe heather's line will be coming out in june or july. her blog is just a feast for the eyes. she shares her creative process and the photography (between heather and her photographer husband) is, well, stunning!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

a first for me


the image isn't that great sorry. i'm teaching a class at wiggles & giggles on national scrapbooking day! i'm so excited - it's going to be fun!

trying something a little different here


from confessions of a pioneer woman

everyday i read or scan an inordinate amount of blogs - craft blogs, style blogs, decor blogs, scrappin' blogs. i see a lot of really cool ideas/creations that inspire me. i'm going to start sharing some of those inspiring items here - hopefully one a week day. i figure share the wealth right?

well guess i should get started huh?

do you read confessions of a pioneer woman? ree is an incredible writer and photographer. i was sucked in via cathy zielske's blog a few weeks ago and now it's a daily stop for me. ree shares stories about her life on a working cattle ranch, as well as recipes, photography tips, and home decor ideas. she also gives her photography away for free! you must read the story of how she met and married her husband, black heels to tractor wheels - you'll laugh, you'll cry - i guarantee it!

anyhow, the other day ree shared her incredible actions for free with her readers. they work with cs2 and they are awesome - very subtle. just last night i installed a spyder (color calibration software) on my monitor. i look forward to using ree's actions to work on about 400 photos that need editing going back to november.

what blogs inspire you? i'll update the places i go on the left soon with some of the places i go! :)