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December 31, 2009
A New Year's Calendar Tutorial
Angie asked me to share a super quick tutorial for how to make a mini flip calendar for 2010! The last day of 2009 is the perfect day to share, right? I created one for her featuring elephants of all shapes and sizes (see it below), and then she created one for a friend of hers featuring the romantic leading men of their favorite Jane Austen films (see it here).
This desk calendar is simple and easy to make. It makes a great gift. Here are some instructions:
1. Find a simple calendar template online. Here is the one I used, by Erica Hernandez. Gather some photos (I found mine on Etsy.com), and drag and drop them into the templates in Photoshop. Print them on matte or semi-gloss photo paper, or print the blank templates first and then add the photos. I printed three 3 x 6 calendar pages per 8.5 x 11 sheet of photo paper.
2. Cover the back of your calendar pages with cardstock or patterned papers. I adhered the calendar pages to some Basic Grey papers BEFORE trimming them. That saved time by combining the two steps of trimming both separately into one quick step of trimming both at the same time. (And it looks neater.)
3. Create front and back covers with chipboard covered in cardstock or patterned papers. My calendar pages are 3 x 6, so I used a 6 x 6 piece of chipboard and cut it in half.
4. Bind your calendar pages and covers with a Uni-bind or other binding machine. You can also use a hole-punch and binder rings, or a large binder clip.
5. Add some number stickers and embellishments to the front cover. Adhere some ribbon to the back cover and tie it in a knot around the front cover. This can also be used as a way to stand the calendar up on a desk. Just untie the knot in the front, flip the front cover over, and the tie the ribbon loosely backward around the front cover easel-style.
This desk calendar is simple and easy to make. It makes a great gift. Here are some instructions:
1. Find a simple calendar template online. Here is the one I used, by Erica Hernandez. Gather some photos (I found mine on Etsy.com), and drag and drop them into the templates in Photoshop. Print them on matte or semi-gloss photo paper, or print the blank templates first and then add the photos. I printed three 3 x 6 calendar pages per 8.5 x 11 sheet of photo paper.
2. Cover the back of your calendar pages with cardstock or patterned papers. I adhered the calendar pages to some Basic Grey papers BEFORE trimming them. That saved time by combining the two steps of trimming both separately into one quick step of trimming both at the same time. (And it looks neater.)
3. Create front and back covers with chipboard covered in cardstock or patterned papers. My calendar pages are 3 x 6, so I used a 6 x 6 piece of chipboard and cut it in half.
4. Bind your calendar pages and covers with a Uni-bind or other binding machine. You can also use a hole-punch and binder rings, or a large binder clip.
5. Add some number stickers and embellishments to the front cover. Adhere some ribbon to the back cover and tie it in a knot around the front cover. This can also be used as a way to stand the calendar up on a desk. Just untie the knot in the front, flip the front cover over, and the tie the ribbon loosely backward around the front cover easel-style.
Posted at 04:36 PM
December 29, 2009
Start Your Year Off Right!
Do you ever wish you had a personal scrapbooking coach who sat on your shoulder, reminding you to jot down the cute thing your kiddo just said, to keep track of the inspiring color combo you saw at the paint store, or to just give you a good, swift kick in the heinie to get you started scrapbooking again?
Well, it may not be possible to hire someone to carry your cropping bag and take notes, but you can have your own personal carry-with-you reminder... it's the Scrapbooker's All-in-One Memory Log Book from Kristin Rutten at Log Your Memory.
From worksheets documenting the prices of common items, to weekly challenges, to oodles of space to record your thoughts and memories on a daily basis, the Log Book is the answer to a busy scrapper's prayers! As soon as I opened the package and started leafing through the 392 pages, my heart started a'pitta patting!
Admittedly, I'm addicted to calendars and journals, so this feeds right into my addiction... but even if you don't own six at a time and switch them out, you'll still love the versatility of the Log Book. You can use as much or as little as you like -- leave it on the kitchen counter to record thoughts during the day, or stash it in your nightstand for end-of-the-day downloading.
Her website also includes workshops and classes, a community board, and fun blog!
Now, you're probably wondering why I'm getting you all excited about this book... and here's why: Kristin has generously offered three prizes to Ella readers:
1. One copy of the 2010 Log Book in your choice of perfect or spiral bound
2. One copy of "List My Life" (which you know I adore... I'm all about lists!)
3. A free download of any existing downloadable book in their on-site store
All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite memory of 2009 (don't have one? Make one up!). Hurry, though - contest ends at Midnight 12/31!
Well, it may not be possible to hire someone to carry your cropping bag and take notes, but you can have your own personal carry-with-you reminder... it's the Scrapbooker's All-in-One Memory Log Book from Kristin Rutten at Log Your Memory.
From worksheets documenting the prices of common items, to weekly challenges, to oodles of space to record your thoughts and memories on a daily basis, the Log Book is the answer to a busy scrapper's prayers! As soon as I opened the package and started leafing through the 392 pages, my heart started a'pitta patting!
Admittedly, I'm addicted to calendars and journals, so this feeds right into my addiction... but even if you don't own six at a time and switch them out, you'll still love the versatility of the Log Book. You can use as much or as little as you like -- leave it on the kitchen counter to record thoughts during the day, or stash it in your nightstand for end-of-the-day downloading.
Her website also includes workshops and classes, a community board, and fun blog!
Now, you're probably wondering why I'm getting you all excited about this book... and here's why: Kristin has generously offered three prizes to Ella readers:
1. One copy of the 2010 Log Book in your choice of perfect or spiral bound
2. One copy of "List My Life" (which you know I adore... I'm all about lists!)
3. A free download of any existing downloadable book in their on-site store
All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite memory of 2009 (don't have one? Make one up!). Hurry, though - contest ends at Midnight 12/31!
Posted at 07:30 AM
December 24, 2009
It's Not Too Late! Christmas Crafts with Kids
When we heard about these adorable projects that Ella Friend Noel Culbertson and her darling girls whipped up last week, we had to have Noel share her tips with our readers. Noel graciously wrote the following tutorial:
My girls love giving gifts to everyone they can think of, and even more they love making Christmas crafts for them. But the holiday season is a flurry of activity, and Christmas is just a few days away so what we all really need are some super speedy, yet thoughtful, crafty gift ideas. With only a few supplies, most of which you probably have on hand, you and yours will be whipping up sweet gifts and warm memories in no time at all.
Handmade Notepad
My Supplies: cardstock (Stampin Up), patterned paper (October Afternoon), binding (Bind it All), adhesive (Tombo Monoadhesive)
Supplies:
Plain printer paper cut width wise into three strips, 8.5 x 3.5" each. (I just grabbed a stack and cut it up, until I had my desired size stack.)
Chipboard or cardboard for the two covers 8.5 x 3.5 (I used the backing from a patterned paper stack.)
Patterned paper and various supplies for decorating the cover
Wire, ribbon or key rings for binding
Decorate one of the chipboard covers, keeping bulky decorations away from the top 1/3 of the cover. This makes punching holes for the binding much easier. Punch holes for the binding in all layers. I used a Bind it All, but a cropadile or hole punch would work well also. Just make sure your holes line up on all layers. Add wire, ribbon, key rings, etc for your binding... and wallah! You're finished. For thoughtful variations, the interior paper can be changed to fit the recipient. Try construction paper for the little ones, watercolor or sketch paper for the artist you love, even lined for the aspiring author or graph paper for the mathematician in your midst.
Sweet Treat Goody Bags
My Supplies: cardstock, bag and die cut (Stampin Up), pipecleaner, wiggly eye and pom poms (Creatology)
Supplies:
Clear cellophane or zipper bag
Kraft or brown cardstock
Red pom poms
Wiggly eyes
Brown pipe cleaners
Cut kraft colored cardstock with a die cut machine, and fold in half. (Alternatively, cut a square of cardstock long enough to cover the top of your bag, and fold in half diagonally to make a triangle.) Add the wiggly eyes and pom pom nose with tacky glue. Punch two small holes along the folded edge for the antlers. Feed the pipe cleaners through the holes, and twist on smaller pieces to make antlers. Attach topper to your treat filled bag with double stick tape or even staples... and presto! A double homemade treat filled gift.
Ribbon Bookmark
My Supplies: lace (Jo-Ann Fabrics), clear ribbon (Maya Road), metal ribbon clasps and bead (Blue Moon)
Supplies:
Ribbon, cut to about 9 inches long, or to the length plus 3 inches, of the recipient's favorite book
Metal ribbon clasps (found in the bead section of most craft stores)
Jump rings (the little round things that attach beads to jewelry, mine came with the ribbon clasps)
Bead(s)
Pliers
With pliers tighten a ribbon clasp to each end of the ribbon. I used two pieces of ribbon layered together. I used beading pliers with a soft surface, but household pliers will work. Just cover the ridges on the pliers with a small piece of duct tape. Add a jump ring and a bead... and Sim Sala Bim! (Yep, I'm running out of magic words here.) You've got a beautiful keepsake for the readers in your life.
My girls love giving gifts to everyone they can think of, and even more they love making Christmas crafts for them. But the holiday season is a flurry of activity, and Christmas is just a few days away so what we all really need are some super speedy, yet thoughtful, crafty gift ideas. With only a few supplies, most of which you probably have on hand, you and yours will be whipping up sweet gifts and warm memories in no time at all.
Handmade Notepad
My Supplies: cardstock (Stampin Up), patterned paper (October Afternoon), binding (Bind it All), adhesive (Tombo Monoadhesive)
Supplies:
Plain printer paper cut width wise into three strips, 8.5 x 3.5" each. (I just grabbed a stack and cut it up, until I had my desired size stack.)
Chipboard or cardboard for the two covers 8.5 x 3.5 (I used the backing from a patterned paper stack.)
Patterned paper and various supplies for decorating the cover
Wire, ribbon or key rings for binding
Decorate one of the chipboard covers, keeping bulky decorations away from the top 1/3 of the cover. This makes punching holes for the binding much easier. Punch holes for the binding in all layers. I used a Bind it All, but a cropadile or hole punch would work well also. Just make sure your holes line up on all layers. Add wire, ribbon, key rings, etc for your binding... and wallah! You're finished. For thoughtful variations, the interior paper can be changed to fit the recipient. Try construction paper for the little ones, watercolor or sketch paper for the artist you love, even lined for the aspiring author or graph paper for the mathematician in your midst.
Sweet Treat Goody Bags
My Supplies: cardstock, bag and die cut (Stampin Up), pipecleaner, wiggly eye and pom poms (Creatology)
Supplies:
Clear cellophane or zipper bag
Kraft or brown cardstock
Red pom poms
Wiggly eyes
Brown pipe cleaners
Cut kraft colored cardstock with a die cut machine, and fold in half. (Alternatively, cut a square of cardstock long enough to cover the top of your bag, and fold in half diagonally to make a triangle.) Add the wiggly eyes and pom pom nose with tacky glue. Punch two small holes along the folded edge for the antlers. Feed the pipe cleaners through the holes, and twist on smaller pieces to make antlers. Attach topper to your treat filled bag with double stick tape or even staples... and presto! A double homemade treat filled gift.
Ribbon Bookmark
My Supplies: lace (Jo-Ann Fabrics), clear ribbon (Maya Road), metal ribbon clasps and bead (Blue Moon)
Supplies:
Ribbon, cut to about 9 inches long, or to the length plus 3 inches, of the recipient's favorite book
Metal ribbon clasps (found in the bead section of most craft stores)
Jump rings (the little round things that attach beads to jewelry, mine came with the ribbon clasps)
Bead(s)
Pliers
With pliers tighten a ribbon clasp to each end of the ribbon. I used two pieces of ribbon layered together. I used beading pliers with a soft surface, but household pliers will work. Just cover the ridges on the pliers with a small piece of duct tape. Add a jump ring and a bead... and Sim Sala Bim! (Yep, I'm running out of magic words here.) You've got a beautiful keepsake for the readers in your life.
Posted at 02:11 PM
December 22, 2009
Our Winners!
Just a quick update this holiday week...
Image from here.
The winner of the Elizabeth Dillow class is Paula Gilarde:
Image from here.The winner of the Elizabeth Dillow class is Paula Gilarde:
<<Ooh! I LOVE Elizabeth and I would be in heaven if I got to take a class from her. I like to check out the gallery at Designer Digitals for inspiration, among other places.
Posted by: Paula Gilarde on Wed, 12/16/2009 - 16:56 >>
The winner of the Fiskars punches is Lisa Hausmann:
The winner of the Fiskars punches is Lisa Hausmann:
<<I love the behind the scenes stuff but design ideas get me everytime! love the blog. love Ella! Merry Christmas!
Posted by: Lisa Hausmann on Thu, 12/10/2009 - 12:33 >>
Email me at comments at ellapublishing dot com to claim your goodies!
Email me at comments at ellapublishing dot com to claim your goodies!
Posted at 08:17 AM
December 21, 2009
Christmas Layout Ideas
When we spotted these adorable Christmas layouts by Valerie Mangan (one of our favorite new discoveries through our submissions page!), we couldn't resist sharing them with you. The fresh color palettes, fun takes on the topics, cool product combinations, and great design approaches really put us in the Christmas spirit. And it proves that three layouts can do a fine job of capturing the highlights of an eventful December.
Here's what Valerie had to say:
"When scrapbooking holiday photos, I’ve always tended to do the big overview 2-page layouts. This year, I decided to focus on a few specific moments. I’m so glad I did because these three layouts truly reflect the spirit of the Christmas we had in 2008."
"I was actually inspired to make this layout when I saw the gold chipboard 'Believe.' I knew I had these great pictures from our annual Santa visit and the word 'believe' was what came to mind every time I looked at them. I couldn’t resist making a layout around this embellishment and telling the story behind of our visit with Santa last year. (Kind of long so it’s hidden on a tabbed card behind the photos). We are in the peak years of Santa-belief in our house. I know they are fleeting, and we might only have 2 or 3 left, if we’re lucky. This layout will always help us recall these special years, and 2008 in particular."
"My son’s reaction to the arrival of his new Curious George toy was so joyful that I knew I would need to document it in a significant way. I knew the photo on the right would speak for itself so I kept the journaling to a single line. This layout will always remind me of my son being that age where Christmas is pure magic and it will remind all of us of the day Christopher and George became best friends."
"For me, seeing my kids happy and smiling during the holidays is the best part. I really wanted to capture a collection of the ‘smiley’ photos together in simple, playful layout. The candy colors of this Basic Grey collection (Eskimo Kisses) really helped me stick to the plan. These were happy times. This layout will always remind us of that."
To see more darling designs from this talented scrapbooker, check out her blog, Paper and Cookies. There are mouth-watering paper creations galore, but that's not all. We sure wouldn't mind partaking of her baking talents, if we were anywhere near her neighborhood! Baking cookies, making cards...that's what the holidays are all about, and you'll fiind plenty of both on Valerie's blog!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Here's what Valerie had to say:
"When scrapbooking holiday photos, I’ve always tended to do the big overview 2-page layouts. This year, I decided to focus on a few specific moments. I’m so glad I did because these three layouts truly reflect the spirit of the Christmas we had in 2008."
"I was actually inspired to make this layout when I saw the gold chipboard 'Believe.' I knew I had these great pictures from our annual Santa visit and the word 'believe' was what came to mind every time I looked at them. I couldn’t resist making a layout around this embellishment and telling the story behind of our visit with Santa last year. (Kind of long so it’s hidden on a tabbed card behind the photos). We are in the peak years of Santa-belief in our house. I know they are fleeting, and we might only have 2 or 3 left, if we’re lucky. This layout will always help us recall these special years, and 2008 in particular."
"My son’s reaction to the arrival of his new Curious George toy was so joyful that I knew I would need to document it in a significant way. I knew the photo on the right would speak for itself so I kept the journaling to a single line. This layout will always remind me of my son being that age where Christmas is pure magic and it will remind all of us of the day Christopher and George became best friends."
"For me, seeing my kids happy and smiling during the holidays is the best part. I really wanted to capture a collection of the ‘smiley’ photos together in simple, playful layout. The candy colors of this Basic Grey collection (Eskimo Kisses) really helped me stick to the plan. These were happy times. This layout will always remind us of that."
To see more darling designs from this talented scrapbooker, check out her blog, Paper and Cookies. There are mouth-watering paper creations galore, but that's not all. We sure wouldn't mind partaking of her baking talents, if we were anywhere near her neighborhood! Baking cookies, making cards...that's what the holidays are all about, and you'll fiind plenty of both on Valerie's blog!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Posted at 01:12 PM
December 16, 2009
New eBook By the Numbers
We've clearly established that our new eBook, A Year in the Life, contains 174 photos and 24 layouts. But that, my friends, is certainly not all. We'd like to share a few more statistics about the most amazing, incredible, revolutionary, life-changing eBook you'll read for the REST OF THE YEAR.
Inside A Year in the Life, you'll also find:
* 30 pages of delightful ideas
* 12 photo checklists so you won't miss a single photo op over the coming year
* 120 individual ideas of photos to take
* 19 two-page layouts, featuring anywhere between 3 and 15 photos each
* 4 shots of fresh produce (raspberries, green beans, and more!)
* 23 talented designers, all from the Write. Click. Scrapbook. collective
* 37 mini-brads used as journaling bullet points on two separate layouts
* 24 extra "bright ideas" you'll be dying to try
* 13 different ways to include "2009" on a layout, from large titles to photo captions
* 7 scrumptious shots of Francine Clouden's tiny baby boy
* 6 darling digi layouts
* 19 perfectly paper layouts
* 14 different ways to arrange a photo collage
* 1 photo of Jen Wozab's feet
If you didn't think you needed to add this eBook to your collection before, you certainly do now. Am I right?
Posted at 11:43 PM
December 15, 2009
Twofer Tuesday!
We are so excited to announce our latest eBook, A Year in the Life: Scrapbook your year in 24 simple layouts from the Write.Click.Scrapbook. collective! Tons of two-page spreads, digi and paper-based layouts, and multi-photo designs galore!
In celebration of this amazing eBook (can you say 23 designers, 24 layouts, 174 photos???), we've got not one but TWO giveaways this week. And we all know that the only thing better than ONE giveaway is TWO (or more, but let's not get carried away, folks...).
First off, the darling Ms. Elizabeth Dillow is teaching an abfab four-week workshop, Inspiration Defined, over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. If you don't know EDillow, you should! She's the co-founder of Write.Click.Scrapbook., the author of the Scrapbooker's Almanac, a former contributing editor at Simple Scrapbooks magazine, and the mom of three adorable girls (and wife of one adorable guy). She is simply inspiring all on her little lonesome, and I think it would be worth the class fee to just be able to bask in her reflected glory and perhaps touch the hem of her raiment. But knowing Elizabeth, she's got all sorts of amazing stuff planned for her students! And if you want to be one of them... we're offering one seat in this upcoming workshop for a lucky Ella reader.
To enter: Leave us a comment on this blog post, telling us what website(s) you go to for inspiration. Giveaway closes Friday at midnight-ish.
In celebration of this amazing eBook (can you say 23 designers, 24 layouts, 174 photos???), we've got not one but TWO giveaways this week. And we all know that the only thing better than ONE giveaway is TWO (or more, but let's not get carried away, folks...).
First off, the darling Ms. Elizabeth Dillow is teaching an abfab four-week workshop, Inspiration Defined, over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. If you don't know EDillow, you should! She's the co-founder of Write.Click.Scrapbook., the author of the Scrapbooker's Almanac, a former contributing editor at Simple Scrapbooks magazine, and the mom of three adorable girls (and wife of one adorable guy). She is simply inspiring all on her little lonesome, and I think it would be worth the class fee to just be able to bask in her reflected glory and perhaps touch the hem of her raiment. But knowing Elizabeth, she's got all sorts of amazing stuff planned for her students! And if you want to be one of them... we're offering one seat in this upcoming workshop for a lucky Ella reader.
To enter: Leave us a comment on this blog post, telling us what website(s) you go to for inspiration. Giveaway closes Friday at midnight-ish.
Posted at 07:54 AM
December 14, 2009
The Elephant of the Month Club
Lain and I are both members of the Write. Click. Scrapbook. inspiration collective, and it's been a blast connecting with all of the talent and creativity of the 32 awesome members of the group over the past year. In fact, we even put together an amazing eBook all together, which goes on sale TOMORROW! (The Super Spreads article from our latest eZine gives you a little sneak peek.)
Well, the powers that be over at Write. Click. Scrapbook. put together a fun Secret Santa exchange among the group members, and you are going to LOVE the incredibly thoughtful gift that I received:
Come on! Isn't that sweet? A little handmade flip calendar, filled with pictures of something meaningful to the recipient...what could be better? And you know, I suspect mine came from miss Aly Dosdall.
Just had to share!
Well, the powers that be over at Write. Click. Scrapbook. put together a fun Secret Santa exchange among the group members, and you are going to LOVE the incredibly thoughtful gift that I received:
Come on! Isn't that sweet? A little handmade flip calendar, filled with pictures of something meaningful to the recipient...what could be better? And you know, I suspect mine came from miss Aly Dosdall.
Just had to share!
Posted at 09:37 AM
December 10, 2009
Very Merry!
What could make for a happier day than a giveaway? Feast your eyes on these lil' cuties:
These, my friends, are the limited edition holiday squeeze punches from Fiskars! Fiskars' director of education, Stephenie Hamen, has graciously been hiding a small stash of these in-demand punches for, oh, three or four months for us. How did we rate? Well, Stephenie thinks Ella is cool (she's got good taste!). Also, it doesn't hurt that Stephenie is the absolute fave cuz of our own Jodie McNally. We're connected, baby!
An assortment of punches will go to one lucky Ella reader. All you have to do is tell us, what topic(s) would you like to read about on this blog? Behind-the-scenes stuff? Day-to-day hijinks? Design ideas? Hmmm???
Contest closes Sunday at midnight-ish.
These, my friends, are the limited edition holiday squeeze punches from Fiskars! Fiskars' director of education, Stephenie Hamen, has graciously been hiding a small stash of these in-demand punches for, oh, three or four months for us. How did we rate? Well, Stephenie thinks Ella is cool (she's got good taste!). Also, it doesn't hurt that Stephenie is the absolute fave cuz of our own Jodie McNally. We're connected, baby!
An assortment of punches will go to one lucky Ella reader. All you have to do is tell us, what topic(s) would you like to read about on this blog? Behind-the-scenes stuff? Day-to-day hijinks? Design ideas? Hmmm???
Contest closes Sunday at midnight-ish.
Posted at 08:46 AM
December 8, 2009
We're Everywhere!
Well, not EVERYWHERE, but we've been spotted in some pretty cool places around the web the past week or so. Not only are we getting some great buzz, many of these blog posts include a coupon for Margie Romney Aslett's Vintage Hip Christmas Crafts. Haven't scooped up a copy yet? Grab it now!
- A Matter of Memories
- I'm Just a Girl
- Craft Gossip
- Craftig
- Kiss and Tell Scrapbooking
- Craftblips
- Paper Passion Pixels
- Confessions of a Cropaholic
- Fiskateers
- Craftypod
- ...and more to come!
(pssst... several of these sites are also offering a drawing for a free copy of the eBook! Check 'em out before it's too late!)
Posted at 07:07 AM
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December 7, 2009
MORE eZine Behind the Scenes
On this cold and blustery Monday morning (where I live anyway), I'd like to share some fun Winter projects that were submitted by Ella readers this month through our submissions page! These were all top runners up for our January Scrapbook Ellaments eZine (for the cover and for the Editors' Corner), and while I'd love nothing more than to feature every great project I see in the eZine, I figured the blog is the next best venue!
Journaling close-up:
Supplies: patterned paper (Collage Press, Scenic Route, October Afternoon,Basic Grey, Jillibean Soup, Luxe) + rub ons (Hambly) + chipboard (American Crafts) + letter stickers (American Crafts) + pen (American Crafts)
A Note from Scrapbooker Sherry Steveson:
"My favorite part of the holidays is the excuse to bake. When I took these photos of all my favorite holiday treats, I decided to approach the page with a little bit of humor. Journaling about the requirements of the holidays allowed me to share a few of my favorite (and not so favorite) parts of the season."
Supplies: patterned paper (Basic Grey, Ki Memories, K & Company) + Plain white card (used plain and printed over with blue on Canon Inkjet) + Chipboard ( Cosmo Cricket) + Grungeboard (Tim Holtz) + Acrylic Paint (DecoArt) + Texture Paste (Dale Rowney) + Pearl Pigment (Ranger) + Acrylic Gems (Paperchase, Robins Nest) + Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug) + Punch (Martha Stewart) + Dies (Spellbinders Nestabilities) + Buttons (own stash) + Fonts (Trebuchet, Zapfino)
A Note from Scrapbooker Paul Browning:
"The reason I made the layout was to have a record of my creative silliness during last year’s seasonal festivities. At a local crop, for the Christmas party, we were challenged with a competition to craft a Christmas hat. I wanted to make an impact and so designed and constructed the campest snowman ever to be adorned. It was all produced from recycling too, so he’s a 'green' snowman. He is replete with glittered hat, large Elton John-style glasses, Madonna’s conical brassiere, hot red lips, and a tinsel boa. It didn’t win but it certainly gave everyone a laugh and added to the general daftness of the day."
Note: Paul is from the U.K., and this explanation is all the more charming (especially the word "daftness") when read with an internal British accent.
Supplies: cardstock (Bazzill), patterned paper, ribbon, brads (Making Memories), snowflake die cut (Cuttlebug), glitter (Great Impressions)
Supplies: cardstock, stamps, ribbon, ink (Stampin' Up!), adhesive (craft supply)
A Note from Card Creator Tara Liddicoat:
"I have been making my own cards for about 8 years now, after attending a Stampin' Up! workshop put on by a friend in 2001. Since then, my paper obsession has snowballed, with me making cards for my personal use, as well as for sale to colleagues, and my mother has me make all of her cards as well! I love to use 'non-traditional' colours for my Christmas cards, and the girls from my classes will tell you I have never met any Christmas bling that I didn't like. I think I quite possibly have every Christmas embellishment and paper Making Memories has ever made, and my Basic Grey, Stampin' Up! and Imaginisce collections are growing rapidly."
Fun, fun, fun!
Keep an eye out for our next round of page calls, which will go up sometime after Christmas.
Journaling close-up:
Supplies: patterned paper (Collage Press, Scenic Route, October Afternoon,Basic Grey, Jillibean Soup, Luxe) + rub ons (Hambly) + chipboard (American Crafts) + letter stickers (American Crafts) + pen (American Crafts)
A Note from Scrapbooker Sherry Steveson:
"My favorite part of the holidays is the excuse to bake. When I took these photos of all my favorite holiday treats, I decided to approach the page with a little bit of humor. Journaling about the requirements of the holidays allowed me to share a few of my favorite (and not so favorite) parts of the season."
Supplies: patterned paper (Basic Grey, Ki Memories, K & Company) + Plain white card (used plain and printed over with blue on Canon Inkjet) + Chipboard ( Cosmo Cricket) + Grungeboard (Tim Holtz) + Acrylic Paint (DecoArt) + Texture Paste (Dale Rowney) + Pearl Pigment (Ranger) + Acrylic Gems (Paperchase, Robins Nest) + Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug) + Punch (Martha Stewart) + Dies (Spellbinders Nestabilities) + Buttons (own stash) + Fonts (Trebuchet, Zapfino)
A Note from Scrapbooker Paul Browning:
"The reason I made the layout was to have a record of my creative silliness during last year’s seasonal festivities. At a local crop, for the Christmas party, we were challenged with a competition to craft a Christmas hat. I wanted to make an impact and so designed and constructed the campest snowman ever to be adorned. It was all produced from recycling too, so he’s a 'green' snowman. He is replete with glittered hat, large Elton John-style glasses, Madonna’s conical brassiere, hot red lips, and a tinsel boa. It didn’t win but it certainly gave everyone a laugh and added to the general daftness of the day."
Note: Paul is from the U.K., and this explanation is all the more charming (especially the word "daftness") when read with an internal British accent.
Supplies: cardstock (Bazzill), patterned paper, ribbon, brads (Making Memories), snowflake die cut (Cuttlebug), glitter (Great Impressions)
Supplies: cardstock, stamps, ribbon, ink (Stampin' Up!), adhesive (craft supply)
A Note from Card Creator Tara Liddicoat:
"I have been making my own cards for about 8 years now, after attending a Stampin' Up! workshop put on by a friend in 2001. Since then, my paper obsession has snowballed, with me making cards for my personal use, as well as for sale to colleagues, and my mother has me make all of her cards as well! I love to use 'non-traditional' colours for my Christmas cards, and the girls from my classes will tell you I have never met any Christmas bling that I didn't like. I think I quite possibly have every Christmas embellishment and paper Making Memories has ever made, and my Basic Grey, Stampin' Up! and Imaginisce collections are growing rapidly."
Fun, fun, fun!
Keep an eye out for our next round of page calls, which will go up sometime after Christmas.
Posted at 10:54 AM
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December 3, 2009
eZine Behind the Scenes
I'd like to welcome you to our first-ever "eZine Behind the Scenes" blog post. Did you catch that it rhymes just a little bit? Yeah, that was on purpose.
You may have noticed that our latest (and perhaps even our greatest) Scrapbook Ellaments issue is now up. If you haven't had the pleasure, click here and read until your heart's content.
Here are a few fun nuggets about the latest issue:
1. Ella Readers Rule
This issue marks the very first time an Ella reader has been featured on a Scrapbook Ellaments cover! The contest will be back for the February issue, so keep watching this blog and our submissions page for your chance to be featured on the cover and profiled in our eZine. But first, please pop on over and read all about this month's winner, the talented Jennifer Barksdale. What a find! Where has she been all our lives?
2. The T's Have It
There are two Tamis, one Tammy, and even a Tanja featured in this issue, and only one of them works for us. Everyone else was chosen through our submissions inbox. If your name didn't start with "T" this time around, it looks like you were out of luck. Sorry!
3. Shhhhh!
I'm going to tell you a little secret. Although the "T" names have some weird advantage when it comes to getting chosen for the eZine, it appears that "Sh" names are our most frequent tech-support requesters. If your name is something like Sheryl, Sharlynn, Sherlene, Shari, or Sharon (or any variation thereof), your computer is more likely than anyone else's to have a sudden power failure during an eBook download. So just be prepared. And don't worry, we've got geeks on staff who know how to help.
4. A Coupon? For Me?
For the first time ever, we're offering a special 25% coupon hidden somewhere inside our eZine. You'll have to read through all the articles to see if you can spot it, and then you can enjoy a li'l discount on us. (Well, it's not THAT hidden, but I'm not going to tell you where it is. You'll just have to look for it in Tami Morrison's article. Oops...)
5. You Can Join the Circle of Trust
Are you aware that you can receive a synopsis of our entire Ellaments issue right in your email inbox each month? There's even an exclusive "Deal of the Month" offer in each issue for you to enjoy. Plus, the hilarious Lain Ehmann writes this every month, so you KNOW it's going to be entertaining. Make sure you're on the list by clicking here. (Why am I harping on this? Because a little Poll tells me that 45% of you didn't hear about our Black Friday sale last week, which offered 20% off of EVERYTHING IN OUR STORE. If you'd been on our email list, you could have been first in line! Just saying...)
Okay, tune back in Monday for a few more highlights about our awesome December Scrapbook Ellaments issue!
Peace out, and peace on earth.
~Angie
:-)
You may have noticed that our latest (and perhaps even our greatest) Scrapbook Ellaments issue is now up. If you haven't had the pleasure, click here and read until your heart's content.
Here are a few fun nuggets about the latest issue:
1. Ella Readers Rule
This issue marks the very first time an Ella reader has been featured on a Scrapbook Ellaments cover! The contest will be back for the February issue, so keep watching this blog and our submissions page for your chance to be featured on the cover and profiled in our eZine. But first, please pop on over and read all about this month's winner, the talented Jennifer Barksdale. What a find! Where has she been all our lives?
2. The T's Have It
There are two Tamis, one Tammy, and even a Tanja featured in this issue, and only one of them works for us. Everyone else was chosen through our submissions inbox. If your name didn't start with "T" this time around, it looks like you were out of luck. Sorry!
3. Shhhhh!
I'm going to tell you a little secret. Although the "T" names have some weird advantage when it comes to getting chosen for the eZine, it appears that "Sh" names are our most frequent tech-support requesters. If your name is something like Sheryl, Sharlynn, Sherlene, Shari, or Sharon (or any variation thereof), your computer is more likely than anyone else's to have a sudden power failure during an eBook download. So just be prepared. And don't worry, we've got geeks on staff who know how to help.
4. A Coupon? For Me?
For the first time ever, we're offering a special 25% coupon hidden somewhere inside our eZine. You'll have to read through all the articles to see if you can spot it, and then you can enjoy a li'l discount on us. (Well, it's not THAT hidden, but I'm not going to tell you where it is. You'll just have to look for it in Tami Morrison's article. Oops...)
5. You Can Join the Circle of Trust
Are you aware that you can receive a synopsis of our entire Ellaments issue right in your email inbox each month? There's even an exclusive "Deal of the Month" offer in each issue for you to enjoy. Plus, the hilarious Lain Ehmann writes this every month, so you KNOW it's going to be entertaining. Make sure you're on the list by clicking here. (Why am I harping on this? Because a little Poll tells me that 45% of you didn't hear about our Black Friday sale last week, which offered 20% off of EVERYTHING IN OUR STORE. If you'd been on our email list, you could have been first in line! Just saying...)
Okay, tune back in Monday for a few more highlights about our awesome December Scrapbook Ellaments issue!
Peace out, and peace on earth.
~Angie
:-)
Posted at 04:08 PM
December 1, 2009
Giving Thanks Digi Mini-Album Tutorial
Today at Ella we are THRILLED (beyond thrilled, actually, but we couldn't think of a word for that -- uber-thrilled?) to have talented digital scrapbook designer Liz Tamanaha of Paislee Press as a guest blogger! Liz has created a super-quick, super-easy, super-cute project that's suitable for any level of digital skill, from non-existent to extra-sassy! Read on for more fun...
Are your favorite moments and memories scattered all over the place?
Why not gather them up and put them in a mini-album?
I know what you're thinking: Who has the time, especially around the holidays? This album is such a breeze to put together, you can complete it in a matter of hours, even in the midst of the busy holiday season. That's right! If I (a.k.a. The Slowest Scrapbooker Ever) can pull this off, YOU most definitely can, too! It's a simple mini-album with a whole lot of heart: A collection of your favorite photos of the year and why you are thankful for these moments, in three easy steps:
1. Pick 10-12 of your favorite photos from this year.
2. Jot down why you are thankful for the moment or memory that the photo depicts.
3. Put the photo and the corresponding journaling side-by-side in the album.
Your top ten moments of the year are now all gathered in one place. Mission accomplished! (For more photos of the album I created, go here.)
This is as close to an "All About Me" book as I'm ever going to get! I'm thinking of doing one of these every year around Thanksgiving time. It'll be neat a few years from now to look through this collection of thankful moments and see how things have changed (or remained the same).
To make this project even easier for you, here is the journaling template I created to make the album. (Note: The template is available as both a .png and a layered .psd file so you can customize it to your heart's content!) 
If you're new to digital scrapbooking and Photoshop, never fear! Check out the tutorial below. Go grab the free journaling template and come back here to follow along as I walk you through the basics of how to create your first journaling page in Photoshop. You'll be pleasantly surprised to discover how easy and fun it is! (Note: This tutorial will work with Photoshop and most recent versions of Photoshop Elements. Don't have PSE? You can download a free trial version here!)
HOW TO USE THE JOURNALING TEMPLATE: A PHOTOSHOP TUTORIAL
1. Open the Quick Page.
Open the quick page in Photoshop (File > open > navigate to where you saved paislee-iamthankful-white.png, select it, and click OPEN. Mac users: simply drag the paislee-iamthankful-white.png icon and drop it onto the Photoshop icon found on your navigation bar).
Your screen should look something like this now:
2. Add Your Text
Select your text tool.
Click on the file and drag your mouse to create your text box. Once you get the shape/size you want, release your mouse button.
Once you release your mouse, you will see a blinking line (that is your text cursor). Begin typing. Use the text tools at the top of the navigation bar to change text properties (font, size, color, etc.).
3. Customizing Text Color with the Eyedropper Function.
Here's what the page looks like so far with my journaling. It looks fine, but I think it would look better with a bit of color. I'm going to make the date and the first sentence red to match the heart. You can get exact color matches very easily in Photoshop using the eyedropper tool (this is one of my very favorite functions in Photoshop!).
HIGHLIGHT the text you want to color, then click on the Color Swatch Box at the top of the navigation bar. A color pop-up window will appear, and your mouse icon should now look like an eyedropper. Click on the heart and the color will change to red, as easy as that!
Click OK to confirm the color change. Your journal box should look something like this now. And your page is done! If this is your very first Photoshop creation, CONGRATULATIONS! There's just one last step...
4. Last Step: Saving the Layout
To save the layout, I recommend saving several versions: One as a .psd file (with the layers) so that you can go back and modify the layout, and a flattened .jpg version (a high-res file for printing, and a low-res file for posting online).
Saving the file as an editable .psd file:
FILE > SAVE AS > name of file.psd (make sure the file extension is .psd!)
Saving the layout for print:
1. Flatten your layout file: LAYERS > FLATTEN
2. Save the file as a high-resolution .jpg file: FILE > SAVE AS > name of file.jpg (quality = 10)
3. Save the file as a low-resolution .jpg file: FILE > SAVE AS > name of file.jpg (quality = 3)
For more information on saving files and file formats, check out this article in the October issue of Scrapbook Ellaments.
Posted at 07:22 AM