celebrate simple week - day 4

today's my special day. welcome welcome to my blog if you've never been here before. :)

you'll want to check out beth, margaret and rachel's blogs today!

memories...

over the past few years i've had a bunch of layouts published in simple scrapbooks. there are two layouts that i did for simple that no one has ever seen. i had a cover attempt for the february 2008 cover. my layouts weren't chosen, but it was so fun to work with the photos i was given. i thought maybe you'd like to see them! if you click on them they will get bigger.

looking at them now - boy are they similar! lol. what was i thinking?

the way simple scrapbooks did covers was they gave you two photos. three designers created two layouts each for a total of six layouts. the designers are given no information about the photos. basically you create journaling and a title from the photo without knowing anything about them. i think that was the hardest part for me - figuring out the journaling.

BIG PRIZE!

my fabulous sponsor scrap diner has generously donated a $20 gift certificate! if you've never ordered from scrap diner you are in for a treat.

sherine is the faster shipper in the west! she has tons of new product in her

store. thanks sherine for donating a gift card for one lucky simple follower!

all you have to do is answer two trivia questions and you will be entered to win the prize. these two are a little trickier!

name five places that you can find the simple scrapbooks philosophy thriving in a post-simple world.

who designed the celebrate simple week logo at the top of this post?

you have until midnight on saturday may, 2nd to answer each of this week's questions. answer each day on the post for that day. i'll draw winners on sunday morning.

p.s. don't forget to check out beth, margaret and rachel's blogs today!

celebrate simple week - day 3

day 3! wheeee!

be sure to visit these blogs today -
elisha snow, rebecca cooper, marnie flores, cheryl overton

another simple memory...
let's rewind the clock to september 17th, 2007. i check my email around 3:00pm and find an email from angie lucas with the subject "surprise!" heart pounding....palms sweating...i click open the email and it reads..."We would like to invite you to be a 2008 Simple Gal!" i think the neighbors heard me scream! i was so excited - a wonderful opportunity to work with a fabulously creative group of women and a magazine i loved. it was just a dream. sigh.

prize!
today's prize is this collection of paper from heidi grace and cloud 9 designs.

you'll need to answer a simple trivia question correctly to be entered to win! you have until midnight on saturday may, 2nd to answer each days question. answer each day on the post for that day. i'll draw winners on sunday morning.

what was the date on the first issue of simple scrapbooks magazine?

today's special bloggers are...
elisha snow, rebecca cooper, marnie flores, cheryl overton

be sure to check out their blogs for cool prizes and stories! come back tomorrow for my big prize!

celebrate simple week - day 2

day 2! yay! if you've never visited my blog before be sure to poke around a bit. i post daily ideas and inspiration for paper crafting that i find around the web. so be sure to check out the archives if you've never been here!

be sure to visit jenn wozab, elizabeth dillow and candice palmer's blogs today!

simple memory #2

i'll never forget getting an email from beth proudfoot asking me to participate in her color inspiration column in the january/february 2008 issue of simple. first of all, beth proudfoot emailed me! i adore beth's work - she's always been one of my favorite scrappers - and secondly i had never had an assignment for a magazine before. i agonized over that layout - i was determined to use pink on a boy page! ;) here's the layout below. i have beth to thank for asking me to participate! she gave me a chance. thanks beth!

prizes!!!

today i'm giving away this awesome set of stamps from inque boutique.

you'll need to answer a simple trivia question correctly to be entered to win! you have until midnight on saturday may, 2nd to answer each days question. answer each day on the post for that day. i'll draw winners on sunday morning.

here goes...

how many regular issues of simple scrapbooks were published?

stay tuned for another prize tomorrow and don't forget to visit jenn wozab, elizabeth dillow and candice palmer's blogs today.

celebrate simple week - day 1

woohoo! well i guess it's woohoo and boohoo, huh? welcome to the simple blog party. all is not lost people - we are still here. a large group of simple scrappers dedicated to telling our stories! that's what this is about - celebrating the simple philosophy and making sure that we remember all of the other places we can go find inspiration. there will be an exciting announcement coming soon too. i'm itching to tell but it's not quite ready yet - stay tuned!

remember to check out the other simple party bloggers all this week as well! angie lucas cathy zielske wendy smedley lain ehmann beth proudfoot margaret scarborough rebecca cooper elisha snow tina cockburn cheryl overton candice palmer marnie flores rachel gainer jen wozab elizabeth dillow

simple memory of the day! ok i'm going to try and share a simple memory each day. i started scrapping in 2004 - i did a page for a teacher who was leaving our daycare. see below. how embarrassing!

well even back then the clean, simple lines are evident - the photos are tilted which is rare for me now. i made that page without a cutter even. i did journal - it's just hidden. in that little pocket on the page.

as time went on i bought a cutter, went to crops and collected supplies. i fell hard into this hobby. eventually i found simple scrapbooks magazine. it was liberating for me - the clean lines, the stories, the focus on the photo, the lack of clutter - i loved it.

the real changing point for me however was the book, clean and simple scrapbooking. i devoured cathy's book in one sitting. i tried to go to bed that night, but tossed and turned thinking about the book. i finally got out of bed around 2:30am and went into my studio to scrap a page. not only did my page size change - the whole idea of using fonts on my page and the page fitting in the printer was so compelling - i found the stories and ideas just pouring out of me. i didn't go back to bed that night. a simple scrapper was born!

PRIZES!
every day this week i'm giving away a prize. today i'm giving away a fiskars punch and some wonderful stamps!

you'll need to answer a simple trivia question correctly to be entered to win! you have until midnight on saturday may, 2nd to answer each days question. answer each day on the post for that day. i'll draw winners on sunday morning.

here goes...

who was the founding editor of simple scrapbooks magazine and what was the book she wrote that started the simple philosophy?

tomorrow i'll post links to bloggers who have special posts! they have stories to tell and perhaps prizes to give away! stay tuned.

my super special day is thursday so be sure to come back and enter for my big prize of the week!

WOOHOO!

simple scrapbooks blog party starts monday

it's the big send off...the final hoorah and you're invited! i have prizes to give away for each day of the week next week and will be sharing some of the memories i have that made simple such a great venue for me. i'm not alone! you should also check out the blogs of these fabulous ladies for memories, prizes, and more.

angie lucas
cathy zielske
wendy smedley
lain ehmann
beth proudfoot
margaret scarborough
rebecca cooper
elisha snow
tina cockburn
cheryl overton
candice palmer
marnie flores
rachel gainer
jen wozab

so be sure to check back on monday for my first post with a fun trivia question and prize!

freehand scraps may sneaks

this was a really fun kit. be sure to check out the reveal and the gallery on april 30th at freehand scraps! you can click on the photo above for a closer look.

cool silhouettes

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i just might have to try this. love the idea of using pattern and color for a silhouette instead of the traditional black. the link does not have directions, but i found some here. i figure once i get them into jpegs i can use my electronic cutter to cut them out!

always wanted to try digi but...

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how many times have you said this? cropmom might be the answer for you!



cropmom is an online scrapbooking service that lets you create digital scrapbook pages, photo greeting cards and digital art using easy, drag-and-drop online scrapbook software. you can download your photo creations for free to share on the web. or you can purchase your scrapbook layouts as print-quality digital files for printing anywhere you’d like – on your home printer or at your favorite photo service.

cute birdie card

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directions on how to make this and a free printable too!

creative park

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i've linked to individual projects here before. i thought you might want to go ferret around the site a bit. loads of creative ideas and printables!

gift bags made from envelopes

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spring crafty links

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the fabulous gigi kennedy offers up some spring craft links at the kenner road blog. on a side note, if you haven't checked out the kits at kenner road - you should. so full of vintage-y goodness!

more gorgeous tape

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recycled cardboard vase

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so textural!

free ezine

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a monthly downloadable pdf magazine that features art + design + creative lifestyle, and it's absolutely free. i'm lovin' the cover!

cereal box bookmarks

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i don't know why but i think these are fun!

stuck labels

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these labels come in pretty shapes so you can just print them and peel! love this idea!

cover girl

i normally don't discuss my accomplishments here. but i'm super excited about this one! i can't believe that my layout is on the cover of the last ever simple - it came as a surprise because no one told me. it's been a dream of mine to get a cover. the photo was taken by the marvelous tina cockburn and the papers are october afternoon.

here it is before i sent it in. without the huge label sticker across it.

free easter printable

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another little basket

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so cute!

easter crafts from martha

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free templates and how to's!

cute card

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another cut out card using fabric - but patterned paper would work just as well!

printed packing tape

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loooovvvvveeeee this! especially the wood grain one!

woven easter basket

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this uses recycled cardboard food boxes. of course, mine would have to have patterned paper adhered to it!

free card downloads

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paper easter eggs

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love these!

cut out card

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i love this cut out card. it reminds me of the one i made for march freehand scraps (below.)