be AUDacious

new release: be you

Be authentic. Be bold. Be creative.

Just be.

Be you.

That's the message behind my newest collaboration with Sara Schmutz; it's artsy, messy, colorful, vibrant. And for today only, it's 30% off. Make sure you grab it at the reduced price -- it's a great deal. You've got lots of options, too. You can purchase each part individually: papers, elements, alphabet, words. Or you can purchase the papers and elements together, the words and alpha together, or you can grab the whole big bundle (definitely the best deal of the bunch)!

I love the layouts that my creative team and the House Decorators have come up with for this kit -- they are all so expressive and colorful. Let's take a look:

from Celeste

from Katherine:

 from Wendy:

from Carey:


 

introducing my new creative team

I'd like to thank everyone who expressed an interest in joining my creative team. I've got some great features in the works, and I'm excited to have this group of talented scrappers to help me bring them to life. One of those features is a monthly newsletter, which you can sign up for here (there's also a link in my sidebar marked "newsletter" that you can use as well. I've got a lot of content that I'd like to share with you, so I'm hoping you'll sign up and spread the word. Now, let's meet my new team members, shall we?

Tuesday $$ Deal: Timeline Templates + Sneak Peek Freebie

Wow. It looks like I'm being very alliterative today, doesn't it? HA! The sign of a true English teacher, I guess.

Anyway, I've got a great timesaving product up for sale in the shop today as part of our Tuesday Dollar Deals promotion. These Timeline Templates make it easy for you to personalize your Facebook cover photo.

Just drop in your favorite photos and digital papers, accent them with a couple of digital embellishments, and add a quote or word art; the results are gorgeous! Take a look at this example from House Decorator Katherine, who opted for a photocentric layout with a pop of red -- one of the flair buttons from my recent collection. 

Here's the same template from House Decorator Rachel. You can see how easy it is to create a completely different look, just by varying your papers and elements -- Rachel used various kits from our June House Party collaboration. 

House Decorator Jen Hignite used my Whiz Kid kit (just perfect for patriotic holidays, but flexible enough for LOTS of other projects) with the starburst template, which is my favorite. I love those lines of stitching.

Finally, I created a quick little freebie to share with you (just right click on the image and save to your computer -- you'll be able to upload it directly as your Facebook cover photo without having to make any changes). It's a sneak peek at a couple of the items coming your way on Thursday; I've teamed up with Sara Schmutz for a new collaboration kit, and there are a couple of great add-ons you don't want to miss either.

 

Friday Freebie: Embellished Words for I DO kit

A recent addition to my shop is this lovely flower-filled set of papers, elements, and alphabets called "I DO." It's the perfect kit for celebrating weddings or anniversaries; I love the simple elegance of the papers and tiny flowers (and it actually coordinates quite nicely with my Family Rules kit and tags, too).

Here's a peek at some recent layouts from the Design House Digital gallery featuring this kit -- you'll see just how versatile it really can be.

by me:

by Celeste (the frames and journaling cards in the kit are perfectly sized for Project Life):

from Katherine:

I've created a set of embellished words that you can download (just click on the preview below) to use along with the rest of the kit. To make things even sweeter, use the coupon code "IDOfreebie2012" to pick up the full kit for 25% off the full price through the weekend. (Code expires 6/25).

 

 

new layouts to share

I often make the comment here that I have a hard time balancing my scrapping time with my design time. Essentially, it's one or the other -- I'm either scrapping a lot and not designing at all, or I'm designing nonstop and not making any layouts. Right now, it's obvious that my shop is updated weekly, but I haven't shared any new layouts of my own in almost a month. 

So today I sat down, put aside my design work for the day, and focused on just creating a few layouts that I love. I've added so many great kits to my shop over the past couple of months, but I haven't had time to use them, so I remedied that problem. Templates from Crystal Livesay also helped speed the process along -- I rely on templates a lot when I haven't scrapped in a while or need to get a lot done quickly. Each layout is linked to my gallery so that you can see the design credits.

new product: ABC Journal & Photo Cards

This week's Dollar Deal is a new product in my shop that has so many great uses: ABC Journal & Photo Cards (original price $2.99).

Here are TEN different ways you can put them to use in your own memorykeeping projects:

1. PROJECT LIFE: Obviously the journal and photo cards are sized to work perfectly with the Project Life system, both digitally and traditionally. Use the initials to indicate the day of the week, or use them to indicate the subject of your photos, like I've done in the example above.

2. SCRAP YOUR SUMMER: This is a great way to get your kids involved in documenting their summer vacations. Each time you visit a place or complete an activity (covering the entire alphabet is optional), print one of the photo cards with a photo attached and have them journal about the event. 

3. MY LIFE, MY LOVES MINI ALBUM: Cathy Zielske created a great album project based on Amy Krouse Rosenthal's Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, and this concept is basically the same format. These photo cards make it simple to make a mini album documenting, in alphabetical order, all the things you love about your life. Slip the finished pages into a 4x6 photo album, bind them, or have them printed into a hardcover book.

4. WEDDING WISHES: This is a simple wedding idea. Print out the 3x4 cards and place them at the reception table. Have guests write WISHES for the wedding couple on the cards (they can choose a card using their initial, or as I've done, the first letter of the wish they are making). This can also be done for birthdays, Thanksgiving (in place of gratitude cards), or anniversary parties. These cards can be bound into a small album, or they can be slipped into baseball-card page protectors (these normally will hold at least 12 cards per page). 

5. TEACHING AIDES: Laminate the cards and slip them onto a binder ring. Give your young child a dry-erase marker and have him/her practice writing all the words that begin with a particular letter. For older children, print the journal cards on sturdy cardstock and use as a place to record often misspelled words. 

6. SCAVENGER HUNT: Add images of common objects you might find on vacation, for example, to the photo cards and print them out. Have your kids keep track of all the times they see this object, or have them record when and where they see it -- this would work well for a zoo or aquarium trip.

7. A-Z READING CHALLENGE: Goodreads has a number of great reading challenges, and the photo cards would make a great way to complete and record the A-Z reading challenge. The goal is to read one book for every letter of the alphabet. Use the journal cards to record your thoughts, or add the book cover to the photo cards. The best part? These cards are color-coordinated with my Reading Freebie. 

8. GUESTBOOK: If you have lots of houseguests, printing out the journal cards and keeping them tucked in a little box where guests can pull one out and sign it, with a short note, before they leave is a great way to keep a memory of their visit. To make the memory even more visual, add a photo on the back side of the card. 

9. FAMILY INFORMATION: Use the cards to record birthdays, anniversaries, or other important dates. Record phone numbers, addresses, and other information. Print out the photo cards with a picture of each family member at the start of a school year, and record basic school information (schedule, extracurriculars, teachers, etc.) 

10. BE CREATIVE! I want to hear how YOU would use these cards! Leave a comment below and let me know your fun ideas. I'll choose a response using random.org, and the winner will get a $10.00 gift certificate to my shop. All comments must be posted by midnight on Thursday night (EST). 

 

layout share

Just a quick post -- I couldn't help but share this beautiful layout that DHD Decorator Katherine  made with my Ahoy Love! kit. PERFECT!!! Turns out that Kat's layout has been picked up for publication in an Australian scrapbooking magazine -- CONGRATULATIONS!

Here's one made by our newest Decorator, Rachel. I love the simple grid design -- it's a great way to show off a variety of patterns. The blocked initials are a perfect touch, too!

scrapping sports photos

Cass has just finished track season, and high school soccer starts conditioning in just a couple of weeks. It's also time for her to start training for cross-country season by logging as many miles as she can over the summer. Cami's competitive soccer team has a final tournament this summer, then they're off for a bit before beginning summer practices to prepare for the fall season. 

Around here, sports are just a daily part of life. Both of the girls are active in a variety of sports, which means that we spend a lot of time on the track, the course, the soccer pitch. It also means that I end up with lots and lots of photos from these events. The problem is that after a while, the pictures all tend to look the same. 

So what do you do with hundreds of pictures of your kids running, or kicking a soccer ball, or batting at home plate, or shooting a layup?

The biggest tip I can offer is this: Don't even attempt to scrap them all. There's nothing that can squash your creativity faster than lots of pictures of the same thing. Instead, pull out the best photos -- the ones that capture great shots, fun moments, or other memories that you want to remember, and forget about the rest. (To be honest, I delete the rest of mine, but if you want to keep them, you can easily have them printed and just load them into a traditional photo album).

Here are some options for different types of pages that I've made it a habit to scrap during our sports seasons.

A SEASON OVERVIEW: 2010 Season
Every sport that my kids participate in have some type of season-ending celebration, whether it's a school banquet or a party at the local pizza place. I like to combine those pictures with a copy of the game schedule for the season, including wins and losses, as well as any other stats that might be appropriate (for cross-country, that includes times, team results, locations, distances, and more). Pages like this, for both team and individual sports, are a great way to show growth over a period of time, and they help to capture the little details that might otherwise get lost. 

 

TOURNAMENTS AND POST-SEASON COMPETITION: I Love To Run
Whenever my girls compete in tournaments or regional and state events, I create a layout to capture the special nature of that event. After all, not every athlete gets to participate at regionals or state, so this is something I want to commemorate. 

 

A REFLECTION ON THE SEASON'S GROWTH: XC 5K
Each sport and each season brings with it a new set of obstacles. I make it a habit of creating a layout, written TO my girls, talking about these challenges and how they handled them. These layouts are a reminder of the hard work and dedication they've put in each season, and they serve as encouragement and praise. Sports aren't always about the good times, and these pages help to remember that even when it's really hard, it's worth it to keep fighting.

 

CAPTURE THE ACTION: Trackstar
I use burst mode a lot when I'm shooting sports pictures, and I loved the progression of these track shots, so I try to make sure that I scrap at least one page that focuses on the girls in action.

 

EMPHASIZE A "BIG" GAME: Run Like You Mean It
Every athlete has that star moment -- the race where he finishes in the top 10, the game where she scores the winning goal. I think that moments like these deserve their own layouts. 

 

If you've captured the pages above, here are some other techniques you might want to try, if you are looking for alternatives to the typical sports page. Some offer topic ideas, while others focus on photography or design techniques.

GIVE YOUR KIDS A VOICE: Just for Kicks
Cami had to write an article for class at school about her greatest achievement, and she wrote about making the competitive soccer team for her age group. I thought it would work perfectly with these photos from her fall season. Plus, using the article here meant that I could toss the typed copy -- one less set of papers to have to file and keep.

 

CELEBRATE FRIENDSHIPS: Run Like Girls
Some of the best friends my daughters have made have been through their sports teams. I try to create a least one page each year featuring these same friends, so that we can look back and see how much they've grown and changed over the years. Even though these pictures are just a couple of years old, Cass and her friends always giggle at how "little" they looked her. (Elementary soccer pictures get even more giggles!)

 

INCLUDE THE WHOLE TEAM: Calloway XC
I end up with pictures of more than just my daughters (I really enjoy shooting sports, and I know that the other parents appreciate getting pictures of their kids, just like I love it when they share their photos with me!) Creating a grid layout like this is an easy way to include everyone. 

 

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE COACH: Meet the Lakers
Coaches play a key role in guiding and developing players, and capturing a couple of shots of them for your scrapbook pages is a great way to remember this. Whether you've got a photo of your coach in action or a posed shot, make sure it makes it onto one of your layouts.

 

INCLUDE AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS: Coaches' Award
Trophies, certificates, medals, plaques -- awards should definitely find a place in your scrapbooks. Provide some background on what the award means, and include any other details about it. One of the things I like to do is record the audio from awards presentations and include a key quote or two from the coach. It's really nice to get their words on the page as well.

 

INCLUDE CAMPS AND PRACTICES: Futskilz AllStar
If you've got pictures from camp or practice, create a page with them. It's another way to document all the hard work that goes into preparing for a great season.

 

COMBINE ACTION SHOTS WITH POSED PHOTOS: Soccer Rockets
If you purchased a team and/or individual photos from a professional photographer, you can choose to scrap those separately, or you can combine them with action shots on one layout. Again, this is a great way to get an overview of the entire season. 

INCLUDE MULTIPLE PHOTOS WITH PHOTOSHOP TECHNIQUES: Genuine You
This layout is a combination of a couple I've mentioned in this post -- the reflection layout and the action photos layout. The journaling talks about  how hard this year was to transition to the varisty level after years of competing on the middle school level. For the photo, I merged 5 different action photos (taken with the camera on burst mode) of Cass. I also converted the background to black and white and kept the photo subject in color.

 

  USE PHOTO EXTRACTIONS AND TEXT TECHNIQUES: JV Soccer
I think extracted sports photos look awesome, especially against a white background with graphic text elements. In this instance, I played off the double C in soccer, because my daughter plays for Calloway County -- so I colored those two letters in red. 
CREATE A PHOTO COLLAGE: JV Soccer
There are lots of great templates that will allow you to combine multiple photos from a season into one simple layout. Even better, something like this could be framed and given as a coach's gift or presented to other members of the team.

 

CREATE TWO-PAGE LAYOUTS: Alumni Games
One of the easiest ways to scrap all those sports photos is to use two-page layouts. If you aren't comfortable creating two-pagers, use a template. 

 

surprise sale, layouts, and more!

We've got a surprise SALE! going on at Design House Digital today -- 100 kits randomly chosen and on sale for just a buck! There's a great variety of my products in this sale including my newest paper pack Ombre: Chevron (and you might as well grab Ombre: Dots and Stripes while you are at it), Count Your Memories Part One, some perfect-for-Project Life products like my iConic Banners and Chalkboard: This Life cards. In addition, there's my Modern Fall Patterns paper pack, Expectantly Yours Date Tags, Everyday Celebrations Full Kit, and my Distressed Alphabet. All are excellent products, and you don't want to miss a chance to score them at just $1.00 each! Don't forget that everything else in the shop is 30% off right now as well, as we wrap up our Mad March Memories celebration! (Have you voted today?)

There are tons of great new kits available at One Story Down today, too. I had a chance to do some scrapping this week -- and man, does it feel great to be recording memories on a regular basis again. Here's a look at what I was able to create with some of these great new kits.

 

coming soon...