Happy Mother’s Day blog readers!! It’s a gorgeous spring day here where I am, and I’m anxious for our family get-together this afternoon. I’ve got extra special gifts to give my mom and MIL and I’m excited to see their reactions!

I decided for Mother’s Day it would be fun to comb the SM gallery and highlight some beautiful “Mom” LOs I’ve found. We’ll start with one of mine. Apparently Moms have been on my mind because this is what I scrapped last night (click all images to see full credits).

Looks like Tami‘s had “mom” on the brain lately too!! She scrapped the moment she became a mother for our past NSD “Magical Moment” challenge. LOVE all this “stacking” and white space!

And she scrapped this gorgeous LO of her and her mom. Can’t you just tell they are good friends!?

blondegermanfemale’s been working on an album for her mother, and has been posting LOTs of great mom pages. This isn’t part of her project, but this one that REALLY caught my eye!

GORGEOUS! Love this Mom pic. What a cute page!!

One of our fabulous CTMs, zakirah, scrapped this gorgeous LO for her sister for Mother’s Day. It’s soooo cute!!

scrappykate created this GORGEOUS LO of her mom walking her down the aisle at her wedding. How wonderful! I love everything about this page!

Gosh – there are so many great LOs in the gallery! I’ll have to limit myself to just three more.

Another of our CTMs, Dacia, is also creating an album for her Mom. ALL of her pages are wondrful! I really love this one!

TeresaP ALWAYS has amazing photos, wonderful journaling and a lot of her LOs feature her role as a mother. But this one is just truly outstanding. This photo is absolutely amazing.

Click the image and take the time to read all the jouraling. This is a special page! Thanks for sharing it Teresa!!

Ok – last one! This LO is from another of our designers, Kasia. I LOVE this photo and how it captures the love between mother and son.

Thanks to ALL the featured scrappers, and to all the other wonderful scrappers who post at SM!! You made narrowing this down harder than I imagined it would be!!

I hope you all take the time to celebrate your mother, your grandmothers, or any woman who has meant a lot to you on this holiday! If you have some time to scrap about these women, today’s the perfect day for it!!

Happy Mother’s Day!!

xoxo,

Hi! Linz here with my first ever challenge, and i have to admit that today it was a challenge! I have the whole family visiting from NZ and suddenly I realized that I am hosting the challenge and the page isn’t even started. However, spending time with my family reminds me of all the funny stories we tell. The family legends of entertaining events that are told and retold.

So, I thought that I would make the theme of my challenge: ‘tell a funny story‘. You would think that as the hostess i would be posting a spectacular page, but I have to admit that this is one quickly put together between spending time with my children and playing with my beautiful grandson. However, these photos were immensely funny, I was only sorry that I missed the shot when he actually landed on his backside! I guess we have to face it that we are growing older and swinging from trees might be for the young!

Here is my page.

So, for your challenge, all you have to do is tell a funny story with your photos!! That’s it! Pretty simple right?

Here are some early entries from the very talented creative team . . . hope they bring a smile to your face too.

Dacia

Brittney

Melanie

Wendy

Stacey

Sarah

So, now you have seen what they can do – let’s see what funny story you tell! I’ll draw 1 random winner and pick my favorite entry and both scrappers will receive a $5 GC to the SM shop! Entries MUST be in before midnight (MDT) on Friday May 16th. Post your layout in the SM gallery and then post a link to this forum thread.

Have fun!!

Hi and Welcome to my very own edition of Photography Phriday!

I am so excited to host this blog entry because Photography is something VERY near and dear to my heart! I had bought a Canon Powershot S3-Is about two years a go and found that it was a nice balance between a dslr and a POS and once I started to feel comfortable with my photography capabilities I moved on up to the world of DSLR this past January. Soooo anyhow my love of photography runs more for candid photos. I am very much in love with Emotive (or what I feel is emotive) photography. I of course think taking photos on occasions are very important but I also really want to be able to look back in twenty years when my children are no longer at home with me and remember their emotion and thoughts from any particular day. I want to see a bit of their personality in their photos.

How do I do this? I literally follow them around the house ALL day. They are so comfortable with the camera now that they don’t even bother to look at me. Really though I just don’t mind because their is something very charming about finding them in their natural setting. So here’s a mini challenge. Try to find something in your every day routine that evokes emotion. Something that you just KNOW you will look back on in ten years and have that memory just flood on back to you. You don’t have to scrap it, just savor it.

I would love to share a couple of my photos as an example of what I mean if that’s alright.

Thank you so much for looking, hope you have a fabulous weekend!!

Sarah

Terrific Thursday to you, my friends! Heather (hedderlee) here. I want to take you on a little bunny trail that I’ve been enjoying, away from being glued to your computer digi scrapping and into hybrid land.

Now, if you’re anything like me, the desire to hybrid has been there for awhile – especially seeing all the cool things one can conjure up at home! {swoon} So I’ve let this momentum whisk me away to Archiver’s for a Bind-it-All and chipboard accessories, only to have them collect dust in my closet for a few months. Yet another learning curve to scale. Ack!!! Life is already too hard.

I want to let you in on a secret: I finally made myself get out the contraptions and make a little something, and now I’m utterly hooked. Hooked, I tell you. So here is a peek at my humble freshman creations. Rough around the edges in a friendly way. If I can do it, you certainly can:

…a gift for my sister-in-law…
I got the idea and courage to make this 6×6 album in an amazing online digital scrapbooking class. It is based on my all-time favorite quote.

1) I created four 6×6 pages on two 12×12 pages, or eight pages. Scrappy Blue Stones’ Wake Up kit looks amazing in print -
2) I then glued down each page on chipboard – the cover is heavier chipboard than the inner pages.
3) Got out the Bind-it-All to punch holes.
4) Made a mistake, bashed my head against the wall a few times until I realized I could put ribbon through the hole and call it artsy!
5) Added the coil, and voila!

…small gift box for my little girl…
1) I created a template for this project (edited – time’s up! no longer available). SHARIng Creations’ True Delight kit was just the right touch of streamlined innocence I sought after. Thanks, Shari!
2) I pulled out a heavy, cream colored watercolor cardstock out of my craft closet to print out this box. Hence the textured look.
3) I used an Xacto knife and a metal straight edge to cut out the box and score the folds.
4) Then I added some butterfly bling bling, sure to make my daughter overlook the less-than-perfect edges!

Play along with me! {Edited: the template is no longer available. Thank you!} Make sure you post your beautiful work in the gallery!

Hi everyone! Zakirah here sneaking in to announce the winners for last Saturday’s challenge. Our random winner is Chigirl with this layout:

And my favorite layout winner is from Alamama:

Congrats to you both! Chigirl and Alamama, you’ll both get PM’s from me in a while at the ScrapMatters forum. Congrats again! Thanks to everyone who participates! All your layouts are wonderful!

Pen off,

Z

Hello! It’s Wednesday again so I’m here with our Words For Wednesday post. Being a paper scrapper in my pre-digi life I’m quickly getting addicted to hybrid scrapping, so I thought it was time for a little hybrid fun around here! As you all know, Mother’s Day is just around the corner and I’ve always had trouble deciding what to get for my mom. This year’s no different! So, I decided I should just make something! Which is pretty much what I do every year! Hey, she liked it when I was in 3rd grade, why wouldn’t she like it now?! LOL! Well, after lots of pondering I finally decided to make her a little framed quote. I had a picture in my mind of what I wanted this piece to look like, but I just couldn’t find the right colors and elements in my digistash, so I decided to make something! This is what I finally came up with – (don’t worry. My mom is the smartest person I know, but she is VERY computer challenged and will never see this post and spoil her surprise!)

After I print this out at home on my trusty printer and satin photo paper I’m going to let it dry for a good 12 hours just to make sure and then place it in a black picture frame. My finished size for printing is 5 x 7. I wish I had pictures of the final project to show you, but I am a mother of three myself and just haven’t found the time yet! I’m sure you all understand! : ) I just hope I can find some time before Sunday!

And it just wouldn’t be Mother’s Day (or the Wednesday before Mother’s Day) without a little gift for you. So here you go!

Includes: three 12×12 papers, one tied ribbon, one staple with shadow, and one word art rub on

Here is everything you need to make one of these yourself or just make a LO celebrating your mom or mother-in-law or just a friend that you admire.  Or heck, why not get really crazy and make a LO to celebrate yourself?! You deserve it! Just click on the preview to download it. I hope you all enjoy this little freebie and have a great Wednesday before Mother’s Day! Jeni

Hi Scrappers!  It’s me, Kristie (aka Suzie Belle Designs) here to host this weeks Tuesday Challenge!  I was browsing through my layouts and old pictures trying to get some inspiration for this challenge when I found one of my favorite photos of me as a kid- it’s one where I have my favorite blue tutu (that I played with daily) on my head.  Do you have a favorite old photo laying around just waiting to get scanned in and used on a digital layout?  Let’s take a Walk Down Memory Lane this week!  My challenge for you is to download this template from the ScrapMatters store:

and use it to scrap one of your favorite old photos (at least 5 years old) that has a great memory associated with it.  Share your photo and memory with us in the ScrapMatters Gallery and in our Tuesday Challenge Forum and you could be one of three lucky winners.  My favorite layout will receive a $5 giftcard to the ScrapMatters store, and two other layouts randomly drawn will receive my newest kit Riptide!  
 

While you’re waiting for your template to download from here, I’ve posted up some early entries from our wonderful CT for you to peruse and be inspiried by!

Here’s my original blue tutu layout of me when I was 5:

I Love this one of Kate and her dad!

And Katie’s has such a sweet and peaceful feel:

Here’s an old memory of Krista’s little one and his brand new bed:

Sya always does an amazing job with her layering and element placement:

And this picture of Taters and her family is so much fun!

Here’s the download link again in case you missed it above:  DOWNLOAD

Can’t wait to see what you come up with! 

Kristie

The winners have been selected for last week’s template challenge. Everyone did really great work and I had a difficult time choosing. Our randomly picked winner (which was random because I copied every layout and stuck it in a folder on my computer and then I closed my eyes and clicked on a few and this is the one that was picked) is

SCRAPPIN5KIDS with this adorable 2 page layout.

My favorite layout certificate goes to SUZYQSCRAPS. I just kept coming back to this layout. I love the colors. That bold orange really just sticks out. I love the brads or whatever circular elements they are behind her photo and the adorable word art. And the ADORABLE baby certainly doesn’t hurt things.

Congratulations! I hope to be getting you your gift certificates later today.

I don’t know about you, but a cute desktop really perks up my computer time! So, using our fabulous new “Mother Nature” collab, I’ve put together a little desktop freebie for you especially for May!

You can pick it up here. It comes with two different sizes!!

Enjoy your desktop makeover!!

xoxo,

I am so sorry that this is so late. With the different time zones I am actually already on Monday and my Monday morning has been a bit crazy. So I apologize! Hope you can forgive me.

I have the priveledge of spotlighting the lovely Leah. She is new to ScrapMatters as a CT member, but not new to the scrapping world. Here is what I found out about her:

What is your main job/career?
I’m a school psychologist by trade. I work with students aged 3 – 14 manifesting behavioral, social, academic, and emotional difficulties. My particular areas of interest include autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. I’m currently on extended hiatus while I’m at home raising our son.

Are you married/kids/pets?
I’ve been happily married for 7 (holy cow – how did that happen?) years to my best friend, Colin. We have one absolutely amazing and adorable son, Liam, age 3, who is the primary subject of all my layouts.

Where do you call home?
We live in a very rural part of Connecticut along the Connecticut River. It’s quite beautiful and picturesque…we couldn’t imagine living anywhere else!

What are your three favorite foods?
Do I have to choose? I love fried shrimp with lots of lemon. I grew up in a suburb of New Haven, Connecticut, home of Yale University and THE BEST pizza in the country (seriously!) So, I’m a real pizza aficionado. I also really like Japanese cuisine – teriyaki chicken and shrimp (no real surprise there!)

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
A local ice cream shop serves the most amazing flavors – one of which is a homemade vanilla with chunks of brownie in it. SO yummy!

Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks?
Sweet…without a doubt! I’m a sucker for fruity and/or gummy candy. I’ve been known to eat an entire pound of gummi bears in one sitting.

What is your favorite beverage?
This may sound boring, but I only drink water. I’m addicted to Fruit 2 0. I drink 3-4 bottles a day.

What is your least favorite food?
Anything with mayonnaise or a similar slippery or slimy texture. Ew!

PC or Mac?
I’m equally well-versed in both platforms, but I prefer a PC.

How long have you been digi-scrapping/How did you get into it?
I stumbled upon the digiscrap phenomenon in November of 2006 while surfing on a mommy message board. I was immediately entranced by the way a person can manipulate photos and other ephemera into digital works of art. I asked for Photoshop for Christmas of that year…and I haven’t stopped since!

What program do you use to digi-scrap with?
I have both PSE (my first program which I learned on) and now I have upgraded to PSCS3. It’s ironic because as a former designer, I actually preferred the ease and simplicity of PSE!

What are your hobbies besides digi-scrapping?
I love gardening, shopping, photography, and travelling.

What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you?
I have a tough time journaling my thoughts. I try to have the photo and the surrounding art do all the talking.

What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking ?
I’d really like to take a few advanced photography classes. I really would like to perfect the technique.

What are your favorite books/authors?

Oh, I am a total book nerd. I love classics such as Catcher In the Rye, To Kill A Mockingbird, and The Bell Jar. Also, more modern novels by Wally Lamb (I Know This Much Is True, She’s Come Undone), Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper), Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night Time), and Alice Sebold (The Lovely Bones.)

What are your favorite movies?
I love comedies….the more ridiculous and mindless the better. I loved Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, Clueless, Billy Madison, Bring it On, Borat, Napoleon Dynamite, Dazed & Confused…I have a million favorites. In stark contrast, we also watch a lot of documentaries: Supersize Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Bowling for Columbine. I’m also partial to 80s John Hughes classics such as The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

What is your favorite quote?
I have so many. I like “While we try to teach our children about life, our children teach us what life is about.” So true.

What is one of your goals for 2008?
We’re in the process of building our dream home from the ground up…and it’s really trying our patience and testing our frustration levels. I’d like to be able to complete construction and move in with as little hassle and upheaval as possible

I scanned through her gallery, and I found so many amazing LO! Go to the link and have a look for yourself at more of her wonderful creations: http://scrapmatters.com/gallery/index.php?cat=10668. She is so amazing and we are so excited to have her here at ScrapMatters!