Here are a couple of new releases from me, including another Dollar Deal product. All new releases are 30% today only, and the Dollar Deal products will only stay that way until the end of February -- then they revert back to regular price, so grab them while you can!
It doesn't matter that my to-read list at Goodreads has 444 books on it; it doesn't matter that I literally have a bookcase at home that's completely full of books I haven't read yet; it doesn't matter that I just went to both the public libraries to which I have access and checked out a stack of books from each. None of those things matter, because when the following 10 books are released this year, I will pick them up as soon as possible! Some of these are books that I've been waiting on for quite some time. Others are from authors whom I've just discovered -- and isn't that a nice feeling, to know that your newest author crush is quite prolific, rather than being someone you have to wait years to get another novel from (hello, Patrick Rothfuss!)
1. The Woman Who Married a Cloud: Collected Stories by Johnathan Carroll (June 2012)
This is probably the release I'm most excited about this year, for several reasons. One, it feels like it has been FOREVER since Carroll released something new. Two, this is a signed limited edition, and I was lucky enough to place a preorder in time. It will take a place of honor among my other signed books (I'm beginning to amass quite a collection, which makes me all goopy-happy).
2. Hide Me Among the Graves by Tim Powers (March 13 2012)
Tim Powers is another novelist that I adore; every time I go to the bookstore, I make sure to check the section where his books are, in case he released something and I wasn't aware of it. This novel is a follow-up, though not necessarily a sequel, to The Stress of Her Regard, and I'm really looking forward to immersing myself in the product of his imagination, intelligence, and sheer genius.
3. Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore (May 1 2012)
I can't wait to step back into the world of The Seven Kingdoms; Cashore's writing is a real treat, and I love that these books really feel like intelligent fantasy written FOR women.
4. The Diviners by Libba Bray (November 6 2012)
Libba Bray makes my list of the best YA authors of all time; she's intelligent, screamingly funny, sarcastic, observant, talented. Her range is astounding, and I'm looking forward to getting into some well-written historical fiction with a supernatural slant again.
5. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness (July 10 2012)
I thought this first book in this series was a great combination of a number of different subgenres that I enjoy: novels featuring academic research, time travel, paranormal. Wrap all that up in one package and it definitely appeals to me. I'm excited to see what some of my favorite historical characters will look like in Harkness's able hands.
6. The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Cathrynne M. Valente (April ?? 2012)
I am not positive that the sequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making will actually be released in April -- nothing seems as set in stone as these other releases are. However, this book definitely makes this list, because I have a massive crush on the first book and cannot wait to continue September's story.
7. The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King (April 24 2012)
The Dark Tower has always been one of my favorite book series, and when I thought that Stephen King might not live to finish the series, I was so distraught. I'm thrilled to see that he's revisiting Mid-world again.
8. The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan (September 11 2012)
This novel has already been released in Australia and (perhaps?) the UK, under the name Sea Hearts. I don't think I've ever come across an author whose work can move me like Lanagan -- her work is powerful, gut-wrenching, and hard to stomach, but it's also illuminating, lyrical, and eerily beautiful.
9. Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak (September 2012)
This is another book where the publication information is sketchy, but I'm hoping that the latest info I've seen is accurate. Zusak is another go-to YA author for me, and I wish he had a more extensive body of work, because it's hard to wait three or four years between books.
10. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (September 18 2012)
Another great new series in the works from Maggie Stiefvater. She's got loads of talent, and she writes the kind of fantasy that I love to read, so really, it's a match made in heaven.
In putting together this list, I came across lots of series that will be continuing with new releases this year. Come back next week for a glimpse at some of the YA and mid-grades series that I'm most excited about continuing this year.
I've got three new products available in the shop today; make sure you check them out, as they're discounted 30% today only!
Jennifer shared a layout with one of the Take 12 templates; these really are so simple to use for the project.
I scrapped our December trip to The Parthenon in Nashville with my 2012: The Monthly template. It's a great way to scrap a photo a day, but it also gives you the flexibility of scrapping large events, like trips or family gatherings.
(Note: Jen's layout uses my collab with Karla Dudley, A Life Recorded; my layout features items from my Currently kit.)
February is one of my favorite months at Design House Digital, because that's when we have our Daily Dollar Deals: every day, several brand new kits are released in the shop and for the entire month of February, they're only $1.00 each. Right now, I've got three Dollar Deal products available:
If you haven't grabbed any (or all) of these products yet, make sure you grab them before February is over, because once March blows in, they'll revert back to the original pricing! $1.00 is too good a deal to let pass you by!
Did you remember to take your 12 photos on February 12th for the Ella Publishing Co. Take 12 Scrapbook Challenge? I didn't focus on any particular theme this time around -- I just snapped what caught my eye. But when I sat down to upload the photos I'd taken to the Take 12 Flickr pool, I realized that almost every single one represented something that our family loves, in one way or another (heck, what woman doesn't love a photo of her husband vacuuming the floors, right?) How fitting for February!
If you're still looking for a way to scrap your Take 12 photos, I've got some products in my shop that make putting together coordinating pages really simple: the 2012 digital kit and the 2012 Photo Templates Vol.1 and Vol.2. Here's a look at the digital kit, as well as a peek at a new template (part of a set of 4) that will be releasing on Thursday.
I've been shooting all of my #Take12 photos with my iPhone 4s camera and then editing/sharing them in Instagram. I really LOVE the Lo-fi filter and use it on almost all of my photos.
DESIGN TIP: That sketchy/stampy black border is my favorite. It works great for scrapbooking these photos too, because you can easily erase the white edges, leaving you with just the stamped border, like I did in the layout above.
Are you gearing up for the February edition of Ella Publishing's Take 12 Scrapbooking Challenge? Your reminder email should arrive today (unless you haven't registered for it -- but it's not too late to do so!)
Challenge recap: It's simple. On the 12th of each month, take 12 photos during the course of your day. Use your fancy camera, your phone camera, whatever is handy. Hand your camera off to your husband, your daughter, your son, your best friend -- the more, the merrier! Of course, you aren't limited to just taking your photos on the 12th. If another day works for you, then go for it. Or use the concept as a way to summarize your entire month by pulling together 12 photos at the end of February. And don't worry if you are just getting started -- this is a project that is infinitely flexible! In fact, that flexibility is helped inspire my $Dollar Deal$ product at Design House Digital today.
These quickpages and templates use my Currently papers and elements and are perfect for layouts featuring 12 photos. The quickpages are simple to use -- just drop your photos in and print. Or you can add your own papers and elements to the template to truly personalize your layout just the way you want it. (Might I suggest using items from my 2012 product line: Lifeblocks, Photo Templates Vol 1, Photo Templates Vol 2, Digital Kit) Did I mention these templates/quickpages are just $1.00 through the whole month of February?
These quickpages and templates also offer you another way to make the Take 12 Scrapbooking Challenge work for you. I'm always looking for ways to get my family more involved in my memorykeeping process. My oldest daughter has discovered Instagram and has been participating in a PhotoADay Challenge through the site. (Can I just add that I LOVE seeing her pictures each time she uploads them?) Since she's always got her camera phone with her, I asked her to document a regular day for me; to help her out, I gave her a list of verbs to use to help provide her with some photo ideas -- things like "wearing," "eating," "craving," "listening to," etc. I combined her photos with one of my quickpages for a snapshot of Cass at 15 that I simply adore looking at.
NOTE: This particular quickpage in the kit is an 8.5x11 page. I turned it into a 12x12 page by simply placing the quickpage on top of a 12x12 sheet of digital paper, which I personalized a bit more by digitally coloring the 1's and 5's to represent her age.
Remember, if you're participating in the Take 12 scrapbooking challenge, we've got a Flickr group where you can upload your photos. We're also using the hashtag #Take12 on social media sites. Don't forget to stop by the blog and check in -- each month you'll have a chance to win some great prizes too!
For some reason, I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water this week. My to-do list is not overwhelmingly long (which is to say it's LONG, but not go-to-bed-and-ignore-it-so-that-maybe-it'll-go-away long), but I just don't feel like I'm really on top of things right now. I've got a cold -- why is it that colds never take their time showing up, so that you can kinda prepare for the fact that you're going to be sick? Instead it's just one day you're fine, and the next day you're sick as a dog. Or at least, that's the way things seem to work with me.
One of the things that I've actually managed to complete this week has been a new kit for my shop. This kit combines a more masculine color palette with a worn texture and some graphic patterns, as well as lots of stitching, stamping, and painting. It's a little bit messy and text-y and perfect for scrapping your right now. It's called Currently, and the papers and elements are available separately.
Here are a couple of sample layouts; the first two are from a couple of our DHD Decorators, Anna and Jennifer, and the third one is a glimpse of a product that I'll be releasing on Saturday as part of February's Dollar Deals promotion. I'll be posting more about that on Saturday, along with a fun new take on the Take12 scrapbooking challenge I'm participating in at Ella Publishing (are you playing too?)
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (5 stars)
I've said it before, that I'm willing to forgive a number of sins if a book is beautifully written -- and that definitely applies here. Morgenstern's prose is simply luminous, so much so that her descriptions of this amazing circus bring it to life as an additional character in the novel. In a way, that is an apt description, because the circus -- and what is created through/within it -- comes to symbolize much of what this story is about. I loved everything about this: the setting, the time period, the characters (both main and secondary), the pacing. It did seem a bit slow at first, and there are complaints about the ending, and it's been mentioned too that nothing really seems to happen. None of those really bothered me at all, although I can see where other readers might take fault with the book. This is one of those instances where I wish the author was more established, with many more novels waiting for me to catch up on. Instead, I'll just wait (im)patiently for her next novel.
Ruby Red by Kersten Gier (3 stars)
I mentioned last month that I was getting annoyed by the dearth of YA series. It seems like every book published for YA these days is the first book in a series (usually a trilogy). That would be fine if each book in the series contained enough action and plot devices to actually power a 300 page novel. However, most of the time, it seems these books are just full of filler, with a few bits of action. It's as though the authors pitched an idea for a great novel -- perhaps 400-500 pages in length -- and the publishers said, "Great! Now let's take that idea and break it into three 300-page novels instead!" That really seems applicable in this instance; nothing gets moving on the plot with this novel until almost halfway in, and then with just a couple of quick jaunts to the past, the book is over and you're left waiting on the next two to see what happens. To be fair, there's a good bit of exposition shared, but it's not enough to require breaking this story into a series. The premise is interesting, but I was annoyed by the main characters. Gwyneth seems more like a 12 year old than a 16 year old, and there are some bits that just aren't believable -- and I'm willing to suspend belief for a LOT of things. Finally, I just thought parts weren't well-written at all, though that might have more to do with the translation than with the original novel. Just a mediocre read, but (of course) I'll probably check out the next two when they're released.
Across the Universe by Beth Revis (2 stars)
I've seen multiple good reviews for this book, but of all the recent dystopian/scifi YA novels I've read recently, this one was by far the weakest. The world-building was decent (despite some negative reviews to the contrary -- sometimes I wonder just how much people retain from what they actually read). My issues really had to do more with style and especially with characterization. I don't think Revis is a particularly strong writer, and her choice of alternating perspectives actually makes that worse. The pacing was jumpy, the transitions were poor, and the character development was inconsistent and weak. I'm not sure I've read a less likeable character than Amy all year long; the bad part is that she is not intentionally unlikeable. I mean, sure, I understand how jarring life would be if you were awakened from your cryogenic slumber years ahead of schedule, but her behavior is utterly inconsistent, her dialogue is annoying, and Revis really needs to let go of all the shouting and screeching her characters seem to do. This book -- the premise, at least -- had a lot of potential, but it was too poorly executed for me.
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (4 stars)
I waffled over whether to give this a 3 star or a 4 star rating; if I split it down the middle, Goodreads would force me to round up, so I'm going with 4 stars. :) First of all, this is another instance where I'm in love with everything that makes up the "package" of this novel: the square shape, the glossy pages, the amazing art -- so full of lush, vibrant color -- by Maira Kalman, the blurbs on the back cover from other popular YA authors, sharing their own "got dumped" stories. I have no qualms about e-books, but this is definitely an instance where you'd miss out of much of the reading experience of this novel if you only opt for a digital copy. As for the story itself...With my taste in reading material, there's no question that I'm willing to suspend ALL KINDS of disbelief for the length of a story. But asking me to believe that this is a 300+ page LETTER written to her ex-boyfriend is stretching things. I'd have been much happier just reading Min's side of the story -- even with her speaking directly to Ed -- and would have preferred, I think, the ambiguity of not knowing if she's actually speaking to him, writing to him, etc. Asking me to believe that this was all a letter included in the box of things she's returning is just asking me to believe too much, for some reason. What I liked most about this story is that it's a story about the reality of relationships; to that end, I think Min and Ed are both portrayed authentically. I thought that Min got a little long-winded at time; sometimes those stream-of-consciousness descriptive paragraphs were quite lovely, and other times, they just were too damn long. Another reviewer commented that this is a book for adults, even though it looks like a book about and for teens, and I agree with that. This is a story for those of us on the far side of an ended romance, safely removed from the perils of high school (aww hell, who am I kidding? even college and beyond) relationships. There was so much of my younger self that I recognized in this book, and the me I am now could only symphathize all the more with Min.
The Girl Who Was on Fire by Leah Wilson (3 stars)
The English geek in me absolutely LOVED the idea of this book; my literary criticism courses were some of my most favorite classes in college. The English teacher in me sees so much potential in this collection as well; I think the Hunger Games trilogy offers a great way to bridge current YA literature not only with classic texts but also to units in history, economics, politics, media, and more. Unfortunately, many of the essays are poorly edited with factual errors (it's Dolly the sheep, not Polly) and several of them are too "chatty." There's nothing necessarily wrong with a chatty tone, but in several cases it actually distracts from the main point of the essay. So all in all, this is a mixed bag; still, many of the ideas in these essays offer excellent discussion points for the trilogy.
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (5 stars)
I always think about the term "guilty read" when I think about the Percy Jackson books. It's not that there's anything embarassing about these; it's not that they're poorly written or derivative. It's more that, regardless of any small flaws they might have, I still grab them the minute they are published and then proceed to devour them, enjoying every minute of the story. As a result, I almost always give them a 5-star rating because I can't really be objective about them. In this instance though, I think Riordan is back in top form. Characterization is top notch -- with both old and new characters facing several challenges -- and the plot zips right along, with humor and tension and thrills. Riordan knows his audience, it's clear, but he delivers a read that will entice even more readers to join them.
Abandon by Meg Cabot (1 star)
For the life of me, I cannot understand why Meg Cabot is so popular (there are a number of other authors I feel the same about: James Patterson and John Grisham top the list). I've read a few of her novels, and while the general idea is always promising enough to make me pick them up (despite what I'm almost 100% assured I'll find inside), the execution without fail makes me wish I'd never bothered. Pierce is one of the most annoying characters I've seen in some time, and like Meena Harper from Insatiable, she's weak-willed and too willing to count on the men in her life to save her. The other characters are no better -- but I can't really say much more about them because they were so minimally developed. My biggest issue, though, is Cabot's plotting and pacing; she spends too much time hinting at things to draw them out before finally just coming out and saying them. It's annoying, and my guess is that it's done to just draw the book out long enough to -- dammit! -- turn it into a series. Because nothing happens. Really. Lots of things are set up to happen, but nothing happens, except a bunch of things that happened earlier and are told in a jumble of flashbacks and disjointed scenes. It's just a mess. That's harsh, but I can't help it -- I was just so frustrated by almost everything in this novel.
The Disappearing Spoon (and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the Periodic Table of the Elements) by Sam Kean (4 stars)
I enjoyed this. Chemistry was one of my favorite classes in high school; that was a long time ago, so I'm surprised (happily) at how much I remembered. Kean has a very approachable style, although some of his sentences can get a little clunky and long. Still, he has a knack for drawing out the interesting parts of these stories, as well as the humor, and I thought that he moved from element to element, story to story, nicely.
The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai (3 stars)
I really waffled back and forth on this book. My experience might have been a bit different, I think, if I had read it instead of listening to the audio version. I think the reader (who sounded just like Lea Michelle from Glee) annoyed me enough that I tied her too closely to the main character (Lucy) to remain objective. Still, I found Lucy to be obnoxious, and I'm thinking I would've been annoyed by the things she says and does regardless of a narrator's voice. Essentially, I think there are a couple of different stories going on here; the story about Lucy herself, and her background and where she comes from and how she comes to know herself, is one -- and it's the one I found most interesting. The story of Lucy's friendship with Ian and their subsequent adventure is okay -- it's a lot more telling than showing, and it requires that you ignore some pretty big plot holes and implausible choices. There's also some really clever story parodies going on, and a lot about books and how books can save you, as well as the day-to-day type stuff that takes place in a library -- and all of those things were good. It's just that those three parts didn't really come together evenly for me, and that's ultimately what impacted my opinion of this book.
A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper (3 stars)
I didn't even know this book existed. I originally picked up The Fitzosbornes in Exile from the public library and noticed that it said "The Montmaray Journals #2" in really tiny print on the front cover. So I had to track down the first novel before I could read the second. I'm of mixed minds about this novel; I think the characters were interesting, although some of them just aren't developed enough to fulfill the roles in which Cooper places them. The novel is told through a series of journal entries, which works well enough, despite the intrusion of the author's hand pretty heavily in some of the more descriptive passages. The journal entries carry the plot forward nicely, for the most part; I did get a little annoyed with the "Oh no! What's that?.....(time elapses)....You won't believe what just happened. I will try to write it all down..." stylistic device. There are some twists that I'm still on the fence about, but overall this was an okay read.
Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King (5 stars)
So I wrote a short little review here, but then I decided that in no way did it do credit to this book, so I'm going to sit down and write something much longer, because this book freakin' deserves it. There is so much to say -- I just don't know that I'm up to the task. But I will try. In the meantime, go find this book -- from your local bookstore, online, at your library, off your friend's bookshelf -- and read it. Then go find everything else that King has written and read those books too. Then we'll talk.
**edited 2/1/12 I have spent days -- DAYS -- trying to write this review in my head, but nothing I write does this book justice. Bullying is a difficult topic to portray honestly, I think. There's a lot of risk in getting too sentimental about it -- as adults, we sometimes talk about how we got bullied in school or how someone we know was bullied or whatever, but we forget that, no matter how terrible things might have been for us, time and distance DO alter our perspectives. We also run the risk of oversimplifying things, or looking at the issue from a limited viewpoint (which can't be helped sometimes -- it's hard not to filter stuff through your own experiences). But King writes about bullying in a way that is raw but not graphic, a way that is honest and unflinching but still somehow hopeful and gentle. She addresses this issue from so many different points of view, in such a subtle manner. The characters are skillfully drawn, the dialogue is so realistic; every sentence King writes is clear and vibrant and cuts to the bone. (And the ants, omg, the ants! They are the best!!!)
The thing that has stayed with me the most about this novel is that this is a YA novel that I think EVERY ADULT NEEDS TO READ. If you care about kids and you want to take a stand against bullying, then you read this book and you do what King suggests: you ACT.
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (3 stars)
I could go as high as 3.5 stars for this. I realize that's just an average rating, and honestly, this is a really well-written book, in many ways much better than just average. The characters are well-developed, the setting (a dystopian Gulf Coast) is exceptionally well-drawn, and the pacing is deft. But even though I love dystopian novels -- and I appreciate the environmental theme developed so adeptly here -- the story itself just didn't draw me in. It was an okay read, but I just didn't feel connected to any of the characters. That wouldn't stop me at all from recommending this to others; it's a good book, but it just didn't hold my interest.
That feels like what I've been doing all day long -- playing catch-up on all the things that I meant to do at the end of this week but didn't. I was out of town on Thursday and Friday, and I spent all day Saturday helping my mom and aunt begin the process of cleaning out my grandparents' house, as well as organizing my sister's craft room/spare bedroom.
There are several things from this weekend that I want to remind you of.
I have a sweet little FREE printable that I created for Ella Publishing Co.'s celebration of National Wear Red Day last week. If you didn't visit during Day 1, Day 2, or Day 3, you really missed out on some great projects.
The printable uses items from my Jar of Hearts element and paper pack at Design House Digital. Shemaine Smith created some gorgeous hybrid tags and a card with these printables; take a look.
Speaking of DHD, February brings back our Daily Dollar Deals. Every day during the month of February, we'll put a couple of new kits in the shop for just $1.00 and they'll stay at this price the entire month!
I introduced my first Dollar Deal product on Saturday: a set of word arts that coordinate perfectly with my 2012 product line (Photo Templates vol 1, Photo Templates vol 2, Digital Kit). You can use these for digital projects or print them out to use them in your Project Life albums.
Finally, I'd like to announce the winners of my giveaway featuring flair badges from Shelley Haganman's fantastic Etsy shop:
Dawn M., Jennifer, Anna, and Sue -- congratulations! The four of you will each win a set of Shelley's cute badges to use on your crafting projects. Send your mailing address to me at audneal at gmail dot com and I'll get those in the mail to you by the end of this week.
Don't forget about the {a flair for buttons} giveaway going on; get the details at the end of this post!
I've got three new products up in the shop today. First up is a paper pack with a matching element pack, featuring hand-drawn images and a sweet color scheme. Jar of Hearts is perfect for celebrating love, all year long.
Here's a sweet layout from Jen P featuring my newest designs. (Isn't her little girl just adorable?)
Here's another great inspiration layout from Mandi; love how she used the page borders (tags and ribbons)!
I'm also releasing a flexible new set of date tags that I absolutely LOVE. There are so many ways to dress these up: you can clip papers or photos to the clipping mask along the top (the black bar), you can back the cutout letters with patterned paper, you can fill in the black bar, you can fill the cutout letter with color, you can change the black outline to another color...you get the picture.
Just a reminder that February is National Heart Month, and Ella Publishing Co. is celebrating with three days of heartfelt stories and projects leading up to National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 3. Yesterday, the team shared layouts and stories of how heart disease has impacted their lives or the lives of loved ones. Today's layouts focus on moving forward to a heart-healthier future. My layout talks about the struggles I have when it comes to meeting my health goals, as well as my incentive for being more diligent.
credits: papers (Today boy'ish papers by Karla Dudley at Design House Digital), numbers and forever brush (Today brushes by Karla Dudley at Design House Digital), tape, stitches, and tag (Right Now elements by Karla Dudley at Design House Digital), dotted alpha (Dotty Alphas by Karla Dudley at Design House Digital), acrylic number 4 (Numbers Essentials 2 by Karla Dudley at Design House Digital), font is Century Gothic
February is National Heart Month, and Ella Publishing Co. is celebrating with three days of heartfelt stories and projects leading up to National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 3. For the rest of the week (today, Thursday, and Friday), the Ella blog will be featuring stories and projects from team members who have been affected by heart disease. I encourage you to visit the blog and read the incredible stories that Rachel and our other team members have shared.
I was honored to be asked by Rachel to tell my story; as those of you who've known me for a while know, my dad died of a heart attack at age 44 almost 12 years ago. Each year, in May, I've commemorated this loss with a post here on the blog. Most of those posts end up on scrapbook layouts so that I can keep them, and Rachel's invitation gave me the opportunity to tell the story I posted on the 10-year anniversary of his death.
To read my story, you can visit the original blog post; the journaling was pulled directly from here.
Credits: papers and elements: LoveLoveLove digital papers and elements by Robyn Meierotto (Design House Digital); frames: Pinned by Audrey Neal (Design House Digital); font: Olivetti Type2
This week, Design House Digital has a SUPER event for you… in celebration of the Super Bowl we have some fun and games of our own – scrappy style! Here’s what is going on Sunday, January 29th – Monday, February 6th:
• 25% off Everything In the Shop
• Super Bowl-inspired Challenges
• Hosted Chats on Super Bowl Sunday (all times in MST):
Saturday, February 4th
12 PM – Jen Allyson
1 PM – Karen Funk
2 PM – Karla Dudley
3 PM – Shannon Hegarty
4 PM – Erica Coombs
Sunday, February 5th
12 PM – Robyn Meierotto
1 PM – Allison Waken
2 PM – Katherine Hansen
3 PM – Sarah Schmutz
4 PM – Gennifer Bursett
• The Super Gallery Bowl Prizes:
Play along all week long in our Super Bowl-inspired challenges, and you could win a $5 gift certificate to DHD. In addition, one Super Gallery Bowl Grand Prize Winner will receive Photoshop Elements 10! This winner will be chosen from all qualifying* layouts submitted to the Super Gallery Bowl challenges this week. That’s right… the more challenges you complete, the better your chances to win!
*Qualifying layouts must contain 100% DHD product and be inspired by the challenge. Upload layouts to the Super Gallery Bowl 2012 Gallery for entry in the grand prize drawing, and post a link to your layout in the individual challenge threads to be entered for the gift certificate prizes. Layouts must be submitted by 11:59PM MST on February 6th.
I couldn't resist the change to play along with a layout of my own. If you follow college basketball, you might have heard about a small western Kentucky school that's making big headlines: my alma mater (and current place of employment) Murray State University is currently the only undefeated D1 team in the country! That's right! It's an amazing time to be a Racer, that's for sure!
credits: circle tab, white papers, date strip (Jen Allyson, Up to Date Part 1, Design House Digital); gray paper, chevron paper, button, banner and brad (Gennifer Bursett, Up to Date Part 2, Design House Digital); photo cluster template (Audrey Neal, 2012: Photo Templates Vol. 2, Design House Digital); alphabet -- recolored (Gennifer Bursett, Favorite Things 2, Design House Digital); paint splatters (Gennifer Bursett, Toolbox: Mists, Vol. 7, Design House Digital)
Shelley Haganman has an awesome Etsy store where she sells flair buttons, which are perfect for all kinds of scrapbooking and crafting projects. She's got so many great designs!
I'm especially excited about her two recent additions, both of which use some elements from my Just My Type digital collection. Shelley was kind enough to send me a couple of sets for a fun little giveaway here on the blog.
I'm giving away 2 blue sets and 2 yellow sets, so that's 4 winners! Just leave a comment here on the blog to enter. For additional chances to win, tweet about the giveaway and post about it on your Facebook page. Just come back here with a link to your tweet and status update. The giveaway ends at midnight CST on Friday. I'll use random.org to select the winners on Saturday.
