I was thrilled I could choose this one for POTW!! Kris went above and beyond to make these class Valentine’s extra special!! I know the kids will flip when they receive these!!

Congrats Kris! Head on over to the gallery or the forum and leave her some love!

-Lisa (kelseyll)

With all the Valentine’s and Spring-y colors in the gallery this one just stood out to me!! I totally thought I would probably go for a pastel colored one since I’m so READY for spring, but after I went through all my faves I kept coming back to this one! Then, come to find out, she is one of our newer members too…so PERFECT!! =)

This is actually a 2-page LO, but I’m picking this one. If you haven’t seen her CREDIT LIST (or should I say “book”? LOL) :giggle: you really should click the image and take a peek!! WOW! Not sure how she got all that on the pages, but I loved the uniqueness of the glow around the journaling, the layering and the bold colors and her beautiful pics!

Candadian Sunset by Debbysrose =)

Head on over to the gallery or forum and leave her some love!

-Lisa (kelseyll)

LuAnn here again welcoming you to another edition of Home Matters -a regular feature here on the blog to give you some new ideas on how to incorporate your scrapbooking talents (and digital supplies!) into your home (or for gift giving!!!).

In my last Home Matters post, I showed you how to create some fun family tree art that would make a great addition in your own home or that would make a wonderful bridal shower or wedding gift.

*sigh* I still LOVE how this turned out!

But today, my project is more geared toward creating with the intent of giving away!! **keep reading – there will be a giveaway at the end of my post!!!**

Talk to any one who enjoys dabbling in Hybrid and they will tell you that “If it can’t run away, it’s game for altering!”  I admit that I frequently hit the clearance aisles and yard sales for anything that I can “Hybrid-ized!!!”

Last year, after Christmas – and by “last year” I mean after Christmas 2009 – I found these really cute baskets with hinged lids on a clearance table.  They just begged to be prettied up!!

The basket was marked $5 with an additional 90% off – making one basket $0.50.  Cha-ching!!!  Score!!

Since the basket had slats painted red, I went with a theme that would work with the red.  What better theme than Valentine’s Day!  Here’s what I came up with…

I used Jady Day Studio’s Love Me Do digital kit on my basket.

After measuring the top of my basket, I opened my photo editing program and went to work creating the top – don’t panic!!  just think of it as a small layout.  Once it was created, I printed it on Epson Matte Presentation Paper using my printer’s best print option.

Next, I cut out the top panel and used my corner rounder punch on the corners.  Using my adhesive tape runner, I adhered the panel on top of my basket lid.  (you definitely could use Mod Podge or even adhesive label paper)

My felt roses were created using felt, my Big Shot machine and a rolled rose die that I bought online.

I used mini glue dots to hold my roses in place after I rolled them.

I found an outline of a rose leaf online and printed it.  Next, I traced around my leaf pattern on green felt and then cut out my leaves.  Using light green tatting thread, I sewed/embroidered the veins on my leaves.  Far from perfect, but a cute touch if you ask me.

I attached my roses and leaves to the lid of my basket using medium sized adhesive glue dots.

I found some cute polka dotted ribbon with teeny hearts on it in the clearance section at Joann Fabrics.  Cost:  $0.50.  I added some adhesive to the back of the ribbon and adhered it around the rim of the basket and across the handle.

Next, I tied some jute string in the center of some oversized red buttons and then adhered the buttons on the sides of the handles.

The handle still needed something so I added 2 leaves and a white rose in the center of the handle.

I’m really pleased with how the basket turned out!  It’s PERFECT for filling and giving to a friend, teacher, Grandma for Valentine’s Day or special occasion!

Want to win this pretty basket?  **and I’ve filled it with Reese’s peanut butter shaped hearts – so it’s ready for you to give away!**

Leave me a comment here on this post and one person will be chosen using random.org as the winner!

Want more chances to win?  Blog, Tweet, and/or make a facebook post about my ScrapMatters Home Matters project and link me up (or let me know that you tweeted about it) in another comment for each that you did.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on Thursday, Feb. 3rd, 2011 (shh – that’s my birthday) – a winner will be chosen and posted here.

Good Luck to everyone that enters!!

ETA:  The basket giveaway is now closed – thanks to everyone who commented.  Our winner using Random.org is:

Congrats to Janine – check your email!!!!

LuAnn

This week I got to interview CT member Tanya Riley!  She is so much fun!  Check it out!

1. Your screen name? Your real name? tanyariley Tanya Riley I know that’s so original, but I like my name.

2. What is your main job/career? My main job is being a student right now. My goal is to be a counselor for families and children when I’m done.

3. Are you married/children/pets? I’m divorced but my ex is still one of my best friends. We have one daughter, Madison, she’s 9 going on 19. She has pretty severe ADHD and she’s been going through testing for Asperger’s Syndrome, but that isn’t definitive. We have too many pets, but my daughter finds them soothing and wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up so I tolerate it. We have 1 dog, Daisy. She’s a black lab that sleeps a lot and causes trouble when she’s not sleeping. Then we have 3 cats; Zoe, the fuzz ball with a girl name; Jake, the rescue with a funny personality; and Holly, the super sweet girl of the bunch that we love to pieces.

4. Where is home for you? Boise, Idaho by choice. My ex-husband had family here so we moved here when I was pregnant. I moved away after we separated to be closer to my own family, but I ended up coming back here. I missed the small town feeling that had all the amenities of a city. It’s a great place to live.

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? Goodness, what isn’t my favorite foods? I’d have to say that I love the empanadas at Tango’s in town, I delight in bbq pork vermicelli at the Vietnamese Deli, and there is nothing like a good juicy burger with the works.

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? That’s easy, Coffee Heath Crunch from Ben & Jerry’s

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? Can we mix them?

8. Beverage of choice? Water. I drink water from a Nalgene bottle 98% of the time but I enjoy raspberry lemonade Crystal Light from time to time.

9. What’s your least favorite food? Lima Beans. They are evil.

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use? I use a PC laptop right now. I have owned both Mac and PC and value aspects of each. I use Lightroom 3 to edit and organize my photos, Adobe Photoshop CS5 to create pages and enhance photos, and Illustrator CS5 to create drawings or tweak things.

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? I have been digi scrapping since late 2003. For months I went to the library and checked out 10 books at a time so I could understand all the tools in the programs I was using. I came across a scrapbook website that is popular still, and felt like I had found the key. That’s when I met my friend LeeAndra. She ended up coming to visit my daughter and I in Washington for 2 weeks and we had a blast. I took a long hiatus from digi-scrapping when my life got really busy with my daughter’s needs and work. Last year (2010) LeeAndra urged me to come back into it. I started with products I purchased here at ScrapMatters and some freebies. I studied the techniques being used and what I liked. Then I went from there. LeeAndra really wanted me to compete in the Queen of Scrap contest and get me completely sucked back in, so I did. That went better than my wildest dreams.

12. What was your 1st LO about? My very first layouts were mostly default settings in Photoshop 7. A lot of them weren’t about anything, just learning techniques. Feathered borders, names, no journaling, poor photo editing. It was the beginning of learning how to use the program. I don’t have any of those very very first experiments but I do have one that I did in 2004 just a few months later. It’s equally bad.

I remade it during the DSD 2010 celebration for a challenge

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? I have been an avid photographer most of my life. I still love to take photos with my Canon XSi DSLR and often find it the source of inspiration for layouts, even when I don’t use the pictures I take. I also read, a lot. I like to bake, but my new lifestyle changes have put baking to the side for awhile. I can’t wait for a holiday or reason to bake something for someone. After I’ve finished my cycle of allergy shots I hope to make gardening a hobby.

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? I think most often the challenge for me is coming up with the theme or idea of my layouts. I’ll work on my layouts for quite awhile before I even realize what the title will be and what it will be about. I don’t scrap every layout with a story in mind before I begin. Since a lot of my photos are not candid shots of life happening, it can be really challenging to come up with unique ideas and stories for each one. I routinely do a photo shoot of my daughter every other month. Sometimes I have a purpose for that, other times we just play dress up and go with that. Most of my candid photos are taken with my cell phone. I have a point and shoot that I have been trying to keep with me. I’ve never really scrapbooked to memory keep. For me it’s just another expression of art that I connect with. I don’t always feel I have a need to have a story for something, but I do wish I had a bit more direction at times.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? My goal in life is balance. I have only just begun to understand an actualize this concept and put it to work in my life. Balance between everything. I find myself learning new things all the time about keeping balance in my life. I would love to continue to learn new ways or have new insight to achieve balance.

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? True Blood, Big Love, Angel, Bones, Dollhouse, Dr. Who (the newer series from the 2000s), Glee, Parenthood, Lie to Me, Good Eats, BBC Robin Hood, Legend of the Seeker, and as far as movies go I have no favorites I like a lot.

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? I have to say that I love having a laptop now. I can be wherever I want to be to scrap or study. Right now I’m in my bed with a laptop table, but I have a desk in my office I can use with a 2nd monitor to plug into. I usually play Pandora or have a show on Netflix going while I scrap.

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? Paper flowers (3d not flat) and paint splatter brushes.

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…? I don’t know if I have any little known anything. I’m very open about my life. I suppose the only thing that a lot of people don’t know about me anymore , I used to teach Lindy Hop and run a dance team.

20. Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style? Eclectic and funky.  I don’t like to box myself into any one style. I leave it open for experimentation. I tend to go towards paper style supplies and do paper style layouts regardless of how I do them. I also seem to have an affinity for clusters and paint.

21. Favorite LOs that you have done?
My favorite layouts are usually the one I’ve worked the hardest on and have taken the longest.

This layout is still probably my favorite. It describes what I think about on an average day and the idea for it came to me and it turned out just how I envisioned it.

This one I loved the theme and the photos. I took them with a P&S when my daughter was 4. I used a metal shop lamp clamped to a broomstick to give the light with a black polyester fabric that didn’t reflect light behind her. I was so proud of the way they turned out. They are blown out but it seems like it fit the  look I was going for.

Finally, this layout I’m very proud of because It was a different style than I had done ever and it was a lot of work. I learned a lot in the process of trying to do a ‘fantasy’ style layout. The results I was really pleased about.

22. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation? Everywhere! I look through galleries, I look in magazines, my photos, websites, and finally the kits themselves. A lot of times I just start picking through a kit because I like it and putting something together and the rest falls in place.

23. Do you have any suggestions for kits you’d like to see in the SM store? I don’t really have any suggestions for kits I’d want to see. The SM store is pretty vast with variety and selection. I do want to see more brushed style alphas though. They are my go to product for layouts.

24. What is one thing you tend not to use on layouts? Fasteners, you know clips, staples, pins. I use stitches and sometimes tape but I rarely use the other fasteners.

25. What is your favorite childhood memory and have you scrapped it?
I haven’t scrapped most of my childhood yet. It’s something I haven’t been entirely ready to do. It’s not that it was a horrible childhood or anything. My childhood memories are scattered around and the feelings I have about some of them are confusing. I have been writing down my memories and thoughts about them to prepare for a time when I will scrap them. I don’t have many photos to correlate with those memories so the journaling will be extensive.

Thanks Tanya for letting us get to know you better!  Check out her full awesome gallery here!

-Lisa (kelseyll)

Yes. I said it. Be selfish. And by that I mean, focus on yourself. As scrappers, we spend a LOT of time documenting the lives of our family and friends. It’s not often that we get behind the camera much less that we scrap pages about ourselves. I’ve read quite a few encouragements to do that over the past couple of years, and really didn’t think I was including myself that much . . . but apparently I’ve gotten selfish because a fellow scrapper noticed that I have a lot of ALL ABOUT ME pages in my gallery.

My challenge to you this week is to take this special Saturday and grab a photo of yourself and document something about just you. If you don’t have a photo, grab your camera and take one. No excuses ~ you can crop that baby down until just your eye is showing, or blend it into the background if you don’t like the way it looks. But honestly, your face needs to be in your albums so everyone knows who the incredible person that crafted all the other layouts is! There’s no limitation on subject matter, although I’m highly encouraging you to include some journaling, even just a few lines.

Here are a few (of the apparently many) of my pages I scrapped all about me:

Here is what our great creative team came up with

By Becky aka hoo-rah:

By Carina aka cinna:

By Kendall aka kendallt:

Challenge reminders:

-You will receive one point for posting in this thread & in the Saturday Special gallery. You can receive an additional point for using new Scrap Matters products; please make a note of new products in your post. And at the end of the month you’ll be entered into a random drawing that could earn you some bonus points!

-You have until the end of January to complete this challenge to earn MOS points.

-Remember no double dipping…your photo and/or layout must be unique to this challenge.

-You don’t have to use Scrap Matters products, but we love it when you do!

Look What’s New at ScrapMatters.com 01/28/2011!!

Happy weekend to you! The month of January is coming to a close,  have you completed all of the Matter of Scrap Challenges you wanted to for January? Monday is the last day to get your layouts in for January.

We have a VERY exciting February planned for you. Have you seen these ads?

I can’t tell you anymore than that… but the news is huge and super fun.

Our designers have been hard at work and there are more than 40 new products in the store this week. Plus, they are on sale, 20% off through Sunday!

The LoveBirds Collection by Jeanine DeOre

The LoveBirds Collection Alpha by Jeanine DeOre

Grandpa Collection Blog FREEBIE by Jeanine DeOre

Love Me Do by Jennifer Labre Designs

Buttoned Up: Sentiments by Krisi’s Kreations & Chelle’s Creations

Just Us Two by LDrag Designs

Just Us Two:add on by LDrag Designs

Hidden Messages by Plum Dumpling Designs

Tuck and Roll by Wimpychompers

Got Chalk? by Wimpychompers

Vault 1 by Wimpychompers
Vault 2 by Wimpychompers
Vault 3 by Wimpychompers

Happy Anniversary by WM squared Designs:

Happy Anniversary – Bonus Alpha by WM squared Designs:

Lovey Dovey Overlays – V.2 by WM squared Designs:

The Places You’ll Go! Amy Stoffel

The Places You’ll Go! layer styles, by Amy Stoffel

CU button stash, by Amy Stoffel

Stamped Foam: combo by Chelle’s Creations
Stamped Foam: black & white Chelle’s Creations

Stamped Foam: primary by Chelle’s Creations

Valentine Printables by Chelle’s Creations

EZ Date Bits V.3 by Erica Zane

EZ Templates 14 by Erica Zane

D.B. Wannabes V.1 by Erica Zane

Oh My Stars {CU Shapes} by Happy Scrap Girl Designs

Hinges {CU} by Happy Scrap Girl Designs

Tiny Alpha by Inspirations from Day

CU Paper Leaves by Inspirations from Day

Welcome to another It’s in the Cards challenge!  Lately it seems I haven’t had the time to sit down and make any cards, so I was happy to have an excuse to dedicate some time to this challenge.  This is probably my favorite challenge we have here at SM.  Since Valentine’s Day is coming up I decided to create a card fitting for the holiday.  Here is my card (using my new kit Adored):

From my card came this template which we’ll be using for this challenge:

Here is some inspiration from our talented creative team:

From Bonnie (cursivesmile):

From Heather (interstitchal) using A Photo a Day by Plum Dumpling Designs:

From Rebecca (reboscraps) using Friday Flea Market by the SM Design Team and the font KK Terri by Krisi’s Kreations:

I hope you’ll join us for this challenge!

Just remember, to earn your Matter of Scrap point for the month you need to photograph and upload your card to the Hybrid Challenge gallery AND post it in the challenge forum thread by the end of February. If you use a new product (within a week of it’s release), make sure to mention it in the forum thread so you can get an extra point!  Let me know if you have any questions.

Jaime (of Simply J Studio)

Hello!  It’s Liz bringing you this week’s Grand Theft Layout.  I was scouring the galleries looking for someone to lift when I realized we have never lifted Whitney!  Which is a shame because her gallery is full of so many fun pages!  I just adore her clustering and titlework.  So your challenge is to pick a layout from Whit’s gallery here and lift it! Please make sure to note which layout you lifted in your credits in the gallery.

Here is Whit’s page:

And here is my lift:

And here is some inspiration from our fabulous CT:
By Jendavey:

Whit’s page:

Jen’s page:

By QuiltyMom:

Whit’s Page:

Jan’s Page:

By Cursivesmile:

Whit’s page:

Bonnie’s Page:

By Melanie3boys:

Whit’s Page:

Melanie’s Page:

Challenge reminders:
-You will receive one point for posting in this thread & in the Grand Theft Layout gallery. You can receive an additional point for using new Scrap Matters products; please make a note of new products in your post. And at the end of the month you’ll be entered into a random drawing that could earn you some bonus points!

-You have until the end of January to complete this challenge for January MOS points or wait to post in February for February MOS points!

-Remember no double dipping…your photo and/or layout must be unique to this challenge.

-You don’t have to use Scrap Matters products, but we love it when you do!

Can’t wait to see your pages!

I am a white space and one-photo scrapper, so since that’s my thing that’s the theme of my template! No rules; you can spin it, flip it or use it as is! BTW, I think this is the first time I’ve hosted the Tuesday Template Challenge so without further ado here is my debut…

Download here: http://www.4shared.com/file/qN7zbTzj/25_Jan_Tues_Template.html

Here are some examples from our amazing CT to inspire you…

My page that inspired the template:

By Kat:

By Jen:

By Becca:

By Becky:

By Bonnie:

By tsmspt

Challenge reminders:
-You will receive one point for posting in this thread & in the Tuesday Template gallery. You can receive an additional point for using new Scrap Matters products; please make a note of new products in your post. And at the end of February you’ll be entered into a random drawing that could earn you some bonus points!
-You have until the end of January to complete this challenge for January MOS points or wait to post after 31 January to have your page count towards February MOS points.
-Remember no double dipping your layout must be unique to this challenge.
-You don’t have to use Scrap Matters products, but we love it when you do!

I am pretty stoked to see what you all do with this!
Jami

Happy Monday! Kelli here stopping by with a little Home Matters to get your week started.

I don’t know about you, but I have tons of photos that don’t always find their way into frames around my house. Sometimes it’s due to lack of initiative on my part, but many times it’s simply because I can’t find that “just right” frame for my picture. That was exactly the case with this family photo we had taken a year ago. I l.o.v.e. it, but didn’t feel that any frame “did it justice.” So, what’s a gal to do? Create her own frame, of course! I know what you are saying, “I can’t do hybrid” or “that’s too hard.” Let me tell ya…if I can do it, you can to!

I headed out to my local arts and crafts store and picked up a wooden 5 x 7 frame and came across a great piece of wooden wordart that I knew would be the perfect addition. I already had most of the other supplies on hand from other projects, including: a sanding block, black paint, Modge Podge, wood glue, and distressing ink. 

I started by removing the glass and sanding all the sides and edges of the frame. I also took this time to sand the wordart I purchased.

After wiping the frame and wordart with a damp cloth (to remove the grit) and allowing it to dry, I was ready to apply my paint. I applied two coats just to make sure there was adequate coverage.

While my paint was drying, I scoured the awesome shop here at ScrapMatters, and finally decided on a kit – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow from Plum Dumpling Designs. I decided on the paper I wanted to use for my edges and selected the elements I wanted to include along the sides of my frame and printed them. I inked the edges of my paper that I would be using for the frame and allowed it to dry.

Then I lined the paper up along the front side of the frame, flipped it over, and traced the photo opening. I’m sure that I could have saved some ink and set this up in my scrapping program to only print what I needed. However, it worked out better for me  (and my brain) to go this route today.

Next, I cut out the space for my photo opening and trimmed a little excess paper away. After making sure I liked the way everything looked lined up, I applied Modge Podge to the back of my paper and glued it to the frame taking extra care to make sure there were no bubbles and that it was even.

While my paper was drying, I cut out all of the embellishments and applied a few coats of Modge Podge being sure to allow adequate dry time between each. 

At this point, both the frame and wordart are ready for some sealant. I apply a coat of Modge Podge to each, allow to dry, and then lightly sand.

After repeating several times, I feel that they are both protected and I am ready to start piecing everything together. I lay the embellishments out until I am happy with their placement and then Modge Podge them in place. I apply a bit of wood glue to the back of my word art and position it. After sitting under some books for a few hours (to make sure the wood glue is set), my frame is ready to take it’s place on my mantle.

I really love how the wooden wordart adds some extra dimension and weight along the bottom.

Now, what are YOU waiting for? Come on, I know there’s something you’ve seen in the gallery or surfing the net that’s made you think “I can make that.” You can, just take a few steps outside of your comfort zone. You just might surprise yourself!

-Kelli (kellig)