Sugarplum Paperie

Wanted to let you know that this week’s Scraplift Conversion challenge is up on the Shanty blog: Scraplift Conversion & Template #6.

Just stop by the blog to pick it up! And happy scrapping!

I wanted to let you know about a special kit at Scrap Orchard! Have you heard about it?

I have to tell you a little of the back story first… The Sunshine Girls have this tradition of celebrating one another’s birthdays by collecting up some cash and buying something nice for the birthday girl (you may have seen what they got me on my other blog). Well, it was Shauna’s birthday and we were thinking up ideas for her when something tragic happened to a friend of hers. I’ll let her tell you more about it in her own words:

Sincerely touched… the only two words that can describe how I felt when I received this gift from some of my dearest friends in this designing community, The Sunshine Girls. The gift came in response to a request that I had for my birthday. Instead of a gift card for some digi goodies, I asked my dear friends to contribute to a small fund that I had started for a friend of mine. A friend who had recently lost her dh to the war in Iraq. it wasn’t the first first friend that my husband and I have lost to this war, unfortunately it will in all likelihood not be the last. But each time we lose a friend we try and support the family as best we can, and I thought it the least that I could do to send her a small something from me and my dear friends.

In response to my request, not only did these wonderful designers send me my gift to forward on to my friend, they also surprised me with this GORGEOUS kit to sell and to raise even more money for her and her children. Sincerely touched…and why I named the kit what I did… a gift FROM friends, to support and give a gift to another friend, isn’t that what it’s all about?

I wanted to give you a little peak at this kit and encourage you to head over to Scrap Orchard to pick it up. Here are the pretty papers:

And the elements:

And these Flergalious Quick Pages:

Here is a lovely layout, created by Livia who’s one of the Sunshine Sweeties, using of one my papers and flowers from Gift for a Friend:

I hope that this kit will bring much joy to many lives…

Happy scrapping!

Just wanted to let you know about a few freebie templates that you might like to grab. The first one I made for last week’s Scraplift Challenge… since no one played–you little stinkers! Just stop by the Shanty Blog to pick it up:

And also, one of my wonderful CT members, Susanna, created this wonderful template to share with us! Be sure to stop by the Sunshine Blog to pick it up:

And speaking of the Sunshine Studio… guess what’s coming soon? Another freebie collab! Get ready for all the fun:

Be sure to keep an eye on the Sunshine Blog for more details as the big day approaches!

And, as always, happy scrapping!

Even though I design digital creations, when I scrap for myself I mainly scrap with paper. And seeing that I know all the advantages that there are to digital scrapping, my layouts are usually hybrid layouts.

I’ve written two articles in the last two days on the subject and I wanted to share them with you! The first is an article on the Craft Critique blog. It’s mainly a review of my favorite little pair of scissors, called Paper Snips (more commonly known as Cutter Bees). I wrote about how I can’t do hybrid layouts and other paper projects without them! You can check it out here: Craft Crititque - Cutter Bee Scissors.

The other article I wrote was for the Shanty blog on the topic of using digital designs on your paper layouts. Be sure to check it out, too: The Shanty - Hybrid Scrapbooking.

And when you go there, you’ll also find this freebie that I designed:

Just stop by the Shanty blog to pick it up! I’d love to see what you do with this, either in paper or in pixels.

Enjoy! And happy scrapping!

Before I forget (again!), I wanted to let you know about the template I made for this week’s Scraplift Conversion challenge at the Shanty:

You can pick it up over at the blog! Happy scrapping!

I’ve made another template for my challenge at the Shanty! I hope to do this every week. I think it’s fun!

Here is the template:

Just click to visit the Shanty’s blog to see the original inspiration, download the template and play along with us! We’d love to have you!

Happy scrapping!

It’s time for some creative love! Boy, do I have some stunning layouts to show you this week. The girls make it so hard for me to narrow it down to just five—in fact I had to add six this week (eight if you count the links!). If you’re looking for inspiration and layouts to lift, look no further—I’ve got lots here!

Let’s start with a little Sunshine, shall we? If you missed the announcement, the Sunshine Girls not only had a huge freebie Easter Egg hunt, we also have just released a collab kit and all sorts of other goodies (see them all here: Sunshine). Here’s a beautiful layout by Amy using pieces from the Mega Collection:

And to see another fabulous Walking on Sunshine layout, checkout this beautiful one by Kate: Sweetheart.

Next, here is a stunning layout by Jessy using the China Blue kit to make an elegant wedding page:

Stephanie also used China Blue to make this lovely layout of her sweet little girl:

And for one more fabulous China Blue layout, be sure to check out Tigz’s: How sweet it is.

Next, here is a precious layout by Shan with her little sweeties using the Sugar Princess kit:

And here is another Sugar Princess layout by Flo. Look at her fabulous extraction!

And finally, here is a beautiful landscape layout by Sya, using a bit of the Sunshine Sweets freebie along with Grasshopper Kisses:

Be sure to click on these layouts to leave these girls some love! They make such pretty layouts, don’t they?

Are you looking for a team to join to work some creative magic for? Be sure that you don’t miss the Sunshine Girls Creative Team Call!

Just visit the Sunshine blog for all the details!

Happy scrapping!

So, something that I’ve been wanting to tell you all about has finally become published news! I’ve been added to the Craft Critique team as a digital reporter (and web-master)!

I’ll be writing articles on digital topics (maybe even web-related things, too) and helping to give the site a new look. I’m excited to get started on that! And–oh, happy day: My first article is live! I’ve been waiting to share this (for what feels like forever)… Ha!

Would you like to learn how to make your photos look better in Photoshop? Then check out my article: Quick Photo Fixes in Photoshop.

I’ve written a little bit about adjusting levels and other quick fixes. Then I reviewed a few actions from Microferk Designs, Amy Eileen and Addicted to Design. I hope you find the article to be informative. And I hope it helps you love your photographs even more!

Happy scrapping!

Okay, okay… I had one last thing on my to do list, and it was to get this week’s Scraplift Conversion Challenge ready for the Shanty’s Challenge Blog! And this week, I made a template to share with you all:

Be sure to stop by the Shanty’s Challenge Blog to pick up this template and play along with us!: Scraplift Conversion and Template Freebie.

And please join us in the challenge! The more, the merrier. Happy scrapping!

Happy Good Friday!

I hope you all are enjoying the Easter Egg hunt. I know there have been a few snags along the way. Be sure to check in at the Sunshine blog this afternoon for a reveal of all the participants and their blogs. (Here’s a clue in the meantime: If you ended up at Amanda’s blog twice, you need to go to Trish’s blog next.)

And I have a new kit in the shop! A little something that’s sweet and full of Springtime goodness: Sorbet Kisses!

I can’t wait to see what my creative girls do with this one! I think this kit will mix in well with some of the other kits and shop freebies I’ve made.

I especially love these flowers! They were made at the request of Flergs (and she even helped to name the kit, too). Megs keeps trying to talk me into making commercial use items and I’m seriously thinking about it after making these flowers for the kit! The pretty button center was a something that Kristi gave me to play with. Want to see a close up?

And then there are all the pretty papers in this kit–each one different! Here is my favorite one:

I’m starting to wonder if my favorite color is still green or if it’s teal now. I just love teal lately. So pretty! I think I put a lot more teal into my kits then I do green! Ha!

Well, I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I’m going to enjoy it and try to relax after all the work I’ve been doing lately to not only get this kit ready for the shop, but also help get the Sunshine blog ready for the Easter Egg hunt and help with organizing the Walking on Sunshine kit (Monica says I should do previews for hire and I will pack all her kits up for her now–LOL!).

Whew! What a crazy week… but have I mentioned how much I love my friends lately? The Sunshine Girls are just the best! I don’t know what I’d do without their love and support, encouragement and constructive criticism. I’m so blessed to know each and everyone of them.

Well, I’m off to pretend like I’m on a holiday! Happy scrapping!