Paper Pumpkin Promo Code

If you ever feel yourself saying things like this...

• "I'm not creative enough." 
• "I don't have time." 
• "I don't craft; it is too messy." 
• "I am not a crafter; I wouldn't know where to start." 

Then Paper Pumpkin might be perfect for you!  It will come to your house each month with everything you need for an awesome crafting session! And with this great promotion, it is a fantastic deal!  So got to mypaperpumpkin.com and enter HALFOFF2  to take advantage of this awesome offer.  Need more ideas?  Check out this great Pintrest Page! 

After you sign up, Check back with my to see what I have made with my kit!

Create a Project Life MDS Page Template

So far the only thing that I am at all bummed about is with my digital version of the Project Life kits is that I don't have the nifty plastic page pages as a digital template, so I decided to make one.  I went to my trusty friend Pintrest, and found some great Project Life inspiration, and created a spread.  I noticed that most plastic pages seem to take up the whole page, and my first few attempts at making a page fit didn't work because I was trying to squish them into the bleed margins of a 12x12 page.  New plan...Ignore the bleed lines.  That isn't to say I put important stuff there, but I planned on using the whole space with imagery.

So... I created a photo layout page for myself using the Add Photo Box feature, and then editing the size.  I used 4 boxes that were 3.9x5.86, but if you want no gaps, just use the 4x6.  Those went on each corner.  Then in my center colomn, I placed 4 more boxes that were 3.86x2.9.  Again, 4x3 would work.  I moved and aligned until everything was just as I wanted it. Then I selected everything and went to File>Save as Page Photo Layout, so I don't have to do this next time.  Now, when I work, I can use the Photo template again and again.  Yeah!

Did you know that you can drag an embellishment into a photo box?  Well, you can!  Woot Woot! Go to your Add Embellishment tab, Choose the Project Life one you want, Under >Designer Kits, and go from there.

You can also rotate them too when you place them if you need them to go the other direction.  And if you dislike the one you chose, delete it and the photo box wipes back to grey and you start over.

So go through, select your happy little embellishments and photos and finish out the page.  Easy Peasy!

I added a background paper in Gumball Green, and recolored a burlap ribbon to match and used a stamp from the School DaysII set. I added journaling in the yellow box, but removed it to take this picture for privacy reasons.

What do you think?  I'd love to see some other Project Life Templates you come up with using this method so please email me, or comment below so I can check it out!

MDS Monday Sketch Challenge

I found a new challenge blog this week and had to play along because it is an MDS challenge blog, and frankly I adore MDS if you haven't guessed.

I bought a bunch of new downloads this week, hello, no shipping & instant gratification, and had to start messing around with my new goodies.

This challenge sketch uses one of the photo layouts that is ready to go in MDS, and the biggest challenge with this layout is finding imagery that will be long and wide.  Happily I was able to dig into my not to distant past and pull out images from my trip to Hawaii with my hubby.  Bless his work for sending him out there, and my mother-in-law for babysitting so we could go together.  Best week ever!

Here is my entry.  I am using the Playground Project Life download, and you can see other pages I created using this same set here.  Summer Starfruit is really growing on me using this set!  Background paper is from the Sweet Sorbet SAB collection.

MDS Project Life by Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Up! started working with Becky Higgins Project Life this year and I had to try out the new My Digital Studio Playground download for Project Lifeby Stampin' Up!.  I looked at some Project Life sample scrapbook pages to get a few ideas of layouts since I am fairly new to Project Life, and discovered I was easily able to modify some photo layouts in MDS to fit the sizes of the new embellishments.  I did not find a premade template under the other designer pages when you start a new document, which is why I put my own together.  I am working on these for my sister, and love how easy they were to pull together. 

Just a quick tip, I found the Project Life items under Designer Kits>Embellishments, and under the Designer Kits in the Stamp category as well.  They did not pop up as a new heading like "Round Buttons" which I had expected.

One of my favorite parts was that I could resize the size of the stamp sets so that it could work as a title, or little header.  I also love that it coordinates with our SU colors so I can pull in other things with MDS to make it all work together and keep it fresh and fun.  More pages will be coming soon asI have barely begun to play with my new download!

Make a Masculine Birthday Card

 

It was spring break for my children's school last week, and I got to visit one of my good friends, and downline, and do some stamping with her!  It was such fun to be in her new craft room with tons of space to play, and use these great goodies from the spring catalog.  I drove from New York down to Georgia and it really felt like spring there, so warm and sunny!

I made this card as a masculine birthday card. I used Bermuda Bay, Tangerine Tango, an Basic Gray as my color palette.  I love this stamp set, Starburst Sayings (133185), and the coordinating framelit, Starburst Framelit (#132967), because lets face it, I do not want to cut out all those tiny little notches!!  I did notch out the tiny circle to match though because it looked better than using the 1" circle punch as my mat.  My large banner background was also cut out using the Banners Framelits (#132173)  Can you tell I love my magnetic die platform, and framelits??  They make it so easy to line up my images and cut everything out perfectly!  To order, visit my website before June 1st when the occasion catalog ends!  I certainly hope these guys make it into our new catalog which comes out June 2014!

Time to say Goodbye again

Every year I get a little sad when the Stampin' Up! retiring list comes out, and this year was no different.  There is a change though that is important to note.  Unlike previous years, the retiring stamps AND the accessories are only available while supplies last.  Normally the stamps are available the whole time, but not this year, so if you have a favorite on the list, make sure you get it ordered before it is gone.  I tried to order some reinkers for the in colors and found out that they were already gone.

Link to the Retiring Stamp List File

Link to the Retiring Accessories List

There were cute a few Big Shot items in here, dies, folders, and so forth, so make sure you check it out!

Project Life by Stampin' Up!

Becky Higgins is going to be partnering exclusively with Stampin' Up! to introduce an awesome line of products that are just for us as a direct sales company!  Woohoo!  I just placed my demo preorder of some of the new products and can't wait to try them out. 

I had not heard of Project Life before this, so I am really excited to learn more about this really neat new scrapbooking/memory keeping system.  It looks simple, easy, and fun.  Come back soon to see what I was able to make with my new goodies!  Customers will be able to order from me May 1st!


 I love my digital studio, and I am so excited we will also have a digital component as well as the traditional!