My Love Bug is All Buttoned Up!

I just love buttons! You can really use them on anything....from layouts, to cards, to digitals. Our shaped cards leave so much to the imagination that buttons can really help out too. Buttons can be the focal point of a scene or just part of the decoration. It isn't necessary to buy "scrapbooking" buttons either. Find some at an estate sale, a garage sale, the Goodwill in town. Buttons can be anywhere! You can even make buttons or cover up buttons with scraps of paper you have in your stash. Possibilities are endless!

This week's theme at Paper Popsicles is all about buttons. Link up your newly created project HERE to be entered into our drawing for this:

Martha Stewart Crafts Gemstone Glitters, 18 jar pack!

The Scoop:
Beetle card from the Paper Popsicle store (only 99 cents!)
Black cardstock
red cardstock
miscellaneous buttons
google eye
black ink

Check out what our designers did with buttons and a digital image from Paper Popsicles!

I Love to Swap....

I love participating in swaps. There are regular swaps at Scrap That! community here and at What's the Scoop! community Here.
This month I had tags to do for each of them. For one swap, we did journalling tags:
The deets: Craft Paper (Plum Pink), Bazzill cardstock, Maya Road stamp, black ink, Dew drops, staples, ric rac.

For this next swap, we were doing birthday tags.
The deets: October Afternoon (Report Card), Heidi Swapp stamp, ink, buttons, bazzill bling pearls, ribbon, staples, flowers, rhinestones, Bazzill cardstock.

Thanks for looking and Happy Scrapping!

Boom Chicka Boom...and twist your ankle...

Got your attention, eh?

This week's theme at What's the Scoop is Mother's Day and you just have to check out what our designers did with the card templates today! We gave them the high heeled shoe and a chicken! Yup, a CHICKEN! Get it, "mother hen" HA HA HA HA!

Check out here what lovelies they showed us! And don't forget to link us your newly created mother's day projects and snag the digital freebie while you are there too!

Sketchbook Wednesday!

Here is this week's Sketchbook Wednesday challenge at The Digi Shack:

I am a sketch freak and look for ways to think out of the box. I came up with this card using some older papers that i found in my stash (I love being thrifty...). The ties are so cute! The Digi Shack has amazing digitals for only a BUCK! You can participate in any of our challenges or sketches using ANY image of your choosing and you are not limited to The Digi Shack images in order to particpate!

Icecream...You Scream....Melted!

How fitting that our theme this week is ICECREAM at What's the Scoop! It goes so well with our daily named themes: Today is Moosetrack Monday...get it? Moosetracks! YUMMY!
Our card templates, at a mere 99 cents are so economical and versatile. They can be used as cards or they can be used on layouts too. Have you paperpeiced one of our cards? Here is how I do it:

Print out your card template on white cardstock or even scrap ugly cardstock for that matter. Cut out one of the image sides. I used my imagination and free cut the icecream scoops.



Useing the peices, I traced them onto my patterned paper:

VOILA! I embossed the cone and inked the edges:



The scoop on my layout:
Sassafrass printed paper, die cut stickers, and alphas: Nerdy Bird
Cardstock for cone base
Cuttlebug embossing folder
Black marker
Thickers puffy letters

What can you do with our theme of icecream this week?
Head to our site at What's the Scoop and load a NEW project for a chance to win an AWESOME PRIZE! While you are there, check out what the other designers did and browse the store a bit too!
Thanks for looking and happy scrapping!

Yummy Freebie for you Today!

Such a yummy weekly theme this week at What's the Scoop. It's Ice Cream!! The designers all have some great ideas to share with you throughtout the week and Melissa has a Freebie for you. It's only available until Friday, after Friday you can purchase it in the store.

Click on the image and when the image comes up, right click and save to your computer. You will open the image in the software of your choice and print out as desired.

Toooooooot Toooooooooot!

I am excited that two of my layouts were accepted in the new Memory Makersidea book coming out in the spring of 2011! I am super excited that all of my kids will be featured this time. What is baffling is how these two layouts weren't good enough for a couple design teams I tried out for. Oh poo. Maybe next time. I guess it was for the best cuz WAHOO! This will be the second book for me!
Toot toot!

Ok...so I have been holding out!

I have alot of goodies that I was creating with from The Digi Shack, "saving" them for what, I do not know so I decided that I better post them to let you all see some of the things I was creating with these super fun digital images:

This Sweet Peas image was so vintage and cool. I couldn't resist using some watercolors on it and jazzing it up with my Shimmerz.

This has got to be one of my most favorite images!

This one is using a background paper that you can get free at The Digi Shack. Toni has them available in a variety of colors to "try". I think they are very fun!

The bird was actually a freebie from a Digi Day at SNR for The Digi Shack. There are freebies twice a week on the site and also during the digi days the first saturday of every month. I have more goodies to share later from a weekend crop I participated in the beginning of March (I told you I was holding out!). There are layouts to show you in that batch! Anyhoo, thanks for looking and HAPPY SCRAPPING!

Alice in Wonderland Digi Day!

A message to all members of SNR Card Universe

Ok, is everyone ready to step through the looking glass?! Thursday is DigiDay, here at the Card Universe, and our host- Cheeky Radish- is taking us on an Alice in Wonderland themed adventure. This is the very first CU event for Cheeky Radish, and I am seriously excited to see what they have planned for this fun theme! There are challenges planned that will last for 4 days, plenty of time for everyone to play along. There will be fun, friends and visiting, too. Plan to join us Thurs April 15th at 7 PM CST in the Cheeky Radish Group Page: http://snrcardiverse.ning.com/group/cheekyradishdesignsdigitalstamps

Visit SNR Card Universe at: http://snrcardiverse.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

The Digi Shack Design Team Call!

It’s that time again where we are looking for a few fresh faces to join The Digi Shack.

If you LOVE digi’s you’ll love being part of our family! We are looking for new design team members. We’ve recently lowered our prices on our images to just $1 each to do our part in saving the world of paper crafter’s money! We are also adding a few new lines to our shop including some fabulous templates!

Open to:

U.S. and International English speaking applicants

Please read the following very carefully before submitting your application. It is very important that you follow the directions as that too is part of the determining factor of you becoming a DT member

· 3 pictures of your VERY BEST work. Photos must be sized at 640x480. This can either be cards, layouts with pictures or altered items

· A paragraph (not a sentence) about you and why you want to be a Shack Sistah and what you will do to promote The Digi Shack.

· A clickable link to your blog

· A clickable link to your online gallery or galleries

· A list of clickable links to all Design teams you are on. It is favorable that you are not active on more than 3 design teams while you are with TDS.

What is expected of DT members?

If you are chosen to be a Shack Sistah you will be expected to:

· Complete weekly challenges and post to your blog on the challenge day(s).

· Post comments and photos on SNR and PCP and other social networking sites.(this means you will have to have a user account at SNR and PCP)

· You will also be required to leave comments on blogs for all of our TDS fans that participate in our challenges and your sistah’s blogs

· Participate in ALL TDS events where sufficient notice is given.

· It is not required but we encourage all DT members to submit their artwork to magazine publication at least once a month. A list of publications will be provided for you on the DT blog.

You will also be required to participate in Digi Day on SNR on the 1^st Saturday of EVERY MONTH for your term.(this date is subject to change without notice) as well as our monthly Ustream live video feeds (you do not need to have a webcam but you do need to sign up for a free Ustream account so that you can participate in the live chats)

You must use Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome as your internet browser in order to view all of our images – both safer than IE and free to download. Our images are not always visible on IE. This does not mean if you use IE you have to delete it, you just need to use Firefox or Chrome while working with TDS images and blogs. You can have more than one browser installed on your computer and it should not harm or interfere with your system.

You must also know and understand how to use digital images. No special software is required but you must be able to print digital images in order to showcase them. Further, you must have a working knowledge of blogging software and understand the basic principles of inserting links, adding photos, etc.

A digital camera to photograph your work is required. No scanned images please.

You will be required to promote TDS by placing a clickable blog button on your blog. (This will be provided to you by TDS if you are chosen to be on the team)

You must have a blog that is updated at least 3 times a week.

You must be willing to commit to a 3 month term (June 1, 2010-Sept 1, 2010)

You will be required to check the DT blog daily to check for updates or new events. This is our main form of communication.

You must be willing to work under short notice. I am not a planner and more often than not, I plan things at the last minute.

Failure to comply with the above terms may result in termination with or without notice.

What do DT members get as part of being on the team?

You will receive free TDS images! This round we are doing things a bit different. Once selected as part of the DT you will receive 3 images of your choice to create with to announce your position on the team. Once I see that these three images are used you may choose 3 more and so on. I’ve found that if I freely give out images then they are not being used to showcase TDS. This isn’t just about getting free images, your position on the DT is to showcase and promote The Digi Shack. As long as you are creating with our images and showcasing them, you will receive all of your requested images. Please remember that this is a serious commitment and I expect that you treat it as such if you are chosen. Please do not apply if you can not commit.

Monthly we will be releasing new images and you will automatically be sent those images before the release date so that you can sneak peek those new arrivals. Those new releases do not count towards your images of choice.

If you think you have what it takes to be a Shack Sistah email your application with DESIGN TEAM in the subject line by May 15, 2010 – Any applications with anything more or less than DESIGN TEAM in the subject line will be disqualified.

Good luck!

Dippin' Dot Digitals!!!

Sewing on your scrapbooking projects adds so much dimension and flair. Stitching on projects can be accomplished using a machine, handstitching, faux stitching, drawing the stitches, and using stamps.

Today I would like to expand the handstitching category:

The Possibilities
You can stitch with thread, ribbon, yarn, raffia, jute, fibers, and embroidery floss, such as DMC. Floss is inexpensive, widely available, and comes in every shade imaginable. Plus you control the thickness because each floss is made up of 6 strands. Use them all, or just one or two. Or use one or two strands of more than one color.
Once you've had a little practice, you'll start sewing on everything.

A few ideas:

- Create your own backgrounds and borders by piecing together cardstock blocks or strips.

- Embellish and attach diecuts for a custom, dimensional look.

- Create paper or fabric pockets to hold journaling blocks, extra photos, or simple memorabilia.

- Stitch around lettering and titles.

- Embellish journaling blocks.

- Draw attention to a photo by stitching on the mat

- Adhere vellum to your background. (Vellum is translucent, so it will often show the glue that lies beneath it. Try stitching it on instead.)

- Create decorative handmade accents that you attach to a page. One popular technique combines sewing with tearing. Sew along an edge first, then tear just on the other side of your stitches. Push the torn edge up.

Take a look at what the designers did at What's the Scoop with the Paper Popsicles' digitals this week and how they incorporated stitching.

What can YOU do? Create a NEW project using stitching in some way and load it HERE with Mr. Linky. Who knows, you might be "scooped" on Saturday and you just might win our weekly or monthly RAK!

Sketchbook Wednesday!

The Digi Shack has a new sketch today:
This weeks challenge is a fun little sketch. Our DT's interpretations of this sketch is just amazing. Check them out (their blogs are to the right) and leave them some LOVE! We invite you to join in on the fun and create a card using this sketch - turn it, flip it, shrink it or enlarge it. The possibilities are endless. Please post your links using Mr. Linky HERE.

I love this image that was newly released this month. It is available in The Digi Shack store for only $1.00! Thanks for looking and Happy Scrapping!

Beat to the Sound of UR Own Drum!

Did you miss me? After a week in Florida with my family, I am back! I missed crafting but I was glad for the break! Today there is a new freebie at The Digi Shack:
Be sure to head over there and grab it while it is there. While there, check out the other images she has for sale, most of which are priced at only ONE DOLLAR! Toni always has unique digital images to share and these drums are no exception! Thanks for looking at Happy Scrapping!

Helmar Adhesives Giveaway!

Helmar is generously sponsoring this Easter Layout Challenge with us and 1 lucky winner will receive these wonderful Helmer adhesives.

The CHALLENGE: Create a springtime layout that includes at least 3 pictures and the word spring in the title. Your layout can be any size and 1 or 2 pages.
Link your entry to this challenge HERE. Entries can be linked up until Wednesday April 21 at midnight. A Helmer designer will choose a winner and it will be announced on Thursday April 22.

Wednesday Sketch Challenge!

Today on The Digi Shack, you can see a sketch challenge! I so love sketches so I couldn't wait to use what Toni created for us:
Using the funny fish, Huffyfish, I took one of the sentiments from the store too and cut off the T and added an F for a pun on FIN (get it?!?!?!)

I used a shaped Jam Jar card from Paper Popsicles as the fish bowl on this one too. Let's see what you can do...go to The Digi Shack and post your creations with the sketch!

Ribbon Therapy!

It is time for another installment of weekly CHALLENGES! This week's challenge will be to use ribbon on your projects. Our Designers came up with some spectacular projects! Ribbon can be used for so many fun things. Here, I used bits and pieces to create somewhat of a faux background on my card:

We would love to see what you come up with at Paper Popsicles! How can YOU use ribbon this week? Don't forget to load your project(s) using Mr. Linky HERE. For each entry, you get a chance to win the rak at the end of the month!

Ruff Day?

Today's challenge at The Digi Shack is to use an image and create a card that is anything but the standard A2 or square card. EASY PEASY for me seeing as though I LOVE LOVE LOVE Shaped cards! This one I made free hand (much easier when you buy the templates at Paper Popsicles my friends!)
I used the Ruff Day Dog and sentiment and colored the image with my water color pencils. I just focussed the coloring on the edges and watered it down toward the center of the image to create some depth in the field. The paper was the backside of some Cosmo Cricket from last summer's paper lines. I had an old felt frame from Fancy Pants (remember those felt packs?). I love using my old stuff up. It makes me feel so goooooooooood.
Try your hand at a nontraditional shaped card and load your link on The Digi Shack site today! Thanks for looking and Happy Scrapping.

Manic Monday!

Head over to The Digi Shack today and snag your FREEBIE IMAGE! Here is what I did with it!
I laughed when I saw this. I always joke that when my boss leaves town, the rest of the directors party in her absence. One person is in charge of the keg, one for tap, one for the frosty mugs, etc. I send an email out to all of them including my boss just for giggles. This card will be perfect the next time she leaves.......**giggling**
Thanks for Looking and Happy Scrapping!

Egg--citing Stuff!

I try really hard at work to keep things light and fun. Life is too short to be so serious folks. That's why when one of my staffers asked if any of us balanced eggs on their ends on the first day of spring, I jumped on it. I asked her to bring in some eggs so we could try on Friday...just to test to see if our great earth was in balance. VOILA (and yes Marlene...and you know which Marlene you are...it is not wahlah...it starts with a V) it worked! Knowing that my 11 year would find this super cool, I tried it today at home with an egg and here you go:
Have you tried this as a kid? Super fun stuff here!

MARCH 20TH is the first day of spring, or vernal equinox as astronomers would have it. "Vernal" means "of or pertaining to spring." "Equinox" means "equal night." As the angle of the earth's inclination toward the sun changes throughout the year, lengthening or shortening the days according to season and hemisphere, there are two times annually when day and night are of more-or-less equal length: the spring and autumnal equinoxes. These celestial tipping points have been recognized for thousands of years and have given rise to a considerable body of seasonal folklore INCLUDING BALANCING EGGS ON THEIR ENDS!

Designer Papers and Digital Images!

The Digi Shack is challenging scrappers everywhere to create a project using one of their images and designer papers. Here I used the Ruff Day dog and my new Crate Papers, Pink Plum Collection.
Here is a close up. A rhinestone was used for his dog tag. I used a glitter pen for his collar.

I decided to put the sentiment that goes with the dog on the inside this time.

Why don't you check out what the other designers did. Their blogs are to the right in my sidebar :). If you like this image you can find it HERE in the store.
Thanks for looking and Happy Scrapping!