Designing for Ellie

For the past two months, I had the honor of helping my friend Marissa with some of the details of her daughter's 1st birthday party.  {Happy Birthday, Ellie!} I was tasked with designing Ellie's invitation around the theme of gardens and ladybugs, using purples and pinks as my color palette.  Thanks to the Cheerful Spring Additions (and a super cute photo of her), I was able to easily create Ellie's invitation in Storybook Creator...

I also created a simple "logo" for her party...

I punched it out using a CM circle punch and then layered it on scalloped circle and a flower cut using the Cricut 2.  Marissa affixed them to the candy kabob favors for the finishing touch...

 

We had tons of fun celebrating Ellie today!  I was glad that I could contribute to this special event using the power of Storybook Creator. 

The Great Journaling Adventure

Yes, it's the dreaded j-word in scrapbooking... journaling.  It tends to strike fear in those new to the craft, but journaling is the most important part of album making.  I, of course, love to put it off until the bitter end.  This can be a little challenging when you're working with pictures from 8 year ago... Such was the case I as I began my great journaling adventure, chronicling my year in Japan: Part I in a massive 12x12 album.

To help with motivation and to get me psyched for the task ahead, I treated myself to the new dual tip CM pens. I love the fresh new colors and the stylish case!

One of the challenges of journaling is that it can be a long process... It takes me time to not only remember and compose the basic facts from my pictures, but I also like to add interesting tidbits and fun facts.  My memory doesn't always serve me correctly, so I am constantly looking up places and people to ensure correct spelling.  My workspace will often look something like this...

A little scary, huh?  I can assure you that the finished product is always worth the effort!  Here are some of my completed pages from this album.

For most of my pages, I don't caption/journal for each photo.  I've been finding that it's faster to write a summary on a Storybox journaling box, one of the most practical items that CM makes!  So here's a peek of a journaling box up close from my "SEL HI English Camp" page...   

Hope this inspires you to start working on all of your journaling projects!  My favorite part of the album making process is slipping on the page protector after all the writing is done... Who doesn't love a finished page?  Now it's on to Japan: Part II...  

May Workshop Update

It's been a crazy month at work! Thankfully, I managed to find some time this week to prepare a set of Sympathy cards for today's workshop.  Whew!  I created 6 cards in sets of two, using a horizontal and vertical layout in each set.  The subtle tones of the Nancy O'Dell Gratitude paper pack provided a nice backdrop for these simple cards.

Celebration Sale!

Since 1995, CM has been celebrating National Scrapbook Day with exclusive products and fun workshop ideas.  This year, they are offering another great sale!

The traditional and digital deals include...
25% off select album pages and protectors
35% off 12x12 Cardstock (excluding Decorative Cardstock)
35% off digital artwork downloads
25% off trimming and tearing tools
15% off additional pages for Hardcover StoryBooks and lay-flat page upgrades
15% off Page Prints and Custom Album Pages as well as their corresponding product credits (10-packs)

Check out CM's Go Digital Facebook Page for a "virtual scrap" and to get inspired by the amazing layouts participants are posting.  Happy scrappin'!

New May Products

I love when my CM order arrives because it's just like Christmas morning! Yesterday I was especially excited because I had ordered a few of the new May products.  You can always preview pictures of the product, but it's never the same as holding the actual item in your hand.


So in my box was the new Stamper System... This is the first time CM is doing anything stamp related, so I'm curious to try it out. Right now this bundle of 4 sets/inks is on sale for $81 ($98 value).

I also purchased the two new 6x6 stack packs (Achievements and Be Young), Just Because Card Set (can't wait to try this out for an upcoming workshop with the Stamper System), and the Color Vibe 12x12 stack pack.  Love these new, colorful products!

But what I was most excited about in my box was the new Tool Kit.  The "Fantastic 5" of scrapbooking tools includes a multi-purpose tool, dual tip embossing tool, reverse tweezers, precision scissors, and an embossing mat. Tucked away in this adorable box, I think this would make a great gift for any crafter! ($25)

Love the cover design with some familiar CM shapes!

Here are the lovely tools inside!

CM has been launching new products about every other month, so check back later in June for another preview!

Cards for a Cause

Our Lioness Arising small group decided to champion the cause of the A21 Campaign {"abolishing injustice in the 21st century"} by writing letters to encourage former human trafficking victims.  Krystie asked me to design cards/stationery for this purpose, and I immediately turned to Storybook Creator for inspiration.

As the organization asks us to "speak life" into the lives of these women, I tried to design the cards with simple, natural elements, centered around two key words: HOPE and BEAUTY.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that through SBC, you can design all 4 sides of a 5x7 folded card. Here are the covers of the two cards...

"HOPE" - Enchanted Power Palette

"BEAUTY" - Reflections Power Palette

Yesterday, we wrote the letters, and though it was difficult to compose our thoughts, the Lord definitely provided us with the words to write... I pray all of our notes will make a kingdom impact on these women.  I was excited that Creative Memories could be a part of this small project to touch someone in a distant place.  I believe that this is another expression of co-founder Rhonda Anderson's mission to "save the world with an album."

Our finished letters - ready to be sent off!

 

Facebook Cover Photo

Since I started blogging, I've become a fan of many other blogs as well.  Recently, I've found myself checking the Creative Memories blog often.  It has become a great source for tips, fun projects, and tons of inspiration for my "to do" list.

In the "Digital 411" section, they blogged about using Storybook Creator to create a Facebook cover photo for the new timeline view.  At work, we recently started a Facebook page, and sadly, our page remained coverless for a few weeks.  But with the help of the guidelines in this post, I was able to set up the project and design away.  It literally took me minutes to create our new cover photo.  I wanted to keep it simple but also add a few design elements... I am pleased with result!  Thank you, Creative Memories, for helping me with a work related task!