Welcome to August!

And with the beginning of a new month comes a whole new gallery! This month's theme is Summer and you can find all of our warm and wonderful creations by clicking on the "Sweet Summer" link to your right. Really! Go ahead. I'll wait.

And if, while you were browsing through the new gallery, you happened to see the adorable jar labels Sara Winnick created, you'll be very happy to know that she is sharing her creation with you!  So if making some strawberry preserves is on your summer to-do list and you're looking for an adorable label of your own, you can download the file here:  

Download Wcs+strawberry+jam+labels

Thank you, Sara!

We also want to let you know that we've made a few little changes around here, based on your feedback. We've added individual gallery and blog post links to our team member pages, just below the photo. So if you click on Autumn's name, for example, in the team member column to the right, you can now link directly to the layouts she has done, and to the blog posts she's written or in which she is mentioned. And each time she or any one of us creates a layout, or writes or is mentioned in a blog post, it'll be added to our individual archives. 

We've also added an archive calendar for another, more direct way to go through previous posts. You can find that at the bottom of the first column to your right.

Before I get into some more fun stuff, we'd like to welcome our newest sponsor ScrapLovers!

They have a great online store and a pretty active community of scrappers over there. We're so glad to have you aboard!

Summertime Fun!

The weather is heating up, the school supplies are prominently displayed in every Target and WalMart around the world, and new school clothes and uniforms are being bought, washed and readied for action. Some kids only have a week or two left to squeeze every last drop of fun left in their summer vacation. Other kids still have over a month to go before the bells ring, the buses roll and the backpacks are heavy with books. 

So in the meantime, before summer officially ends and life gets back to the school year routine, vow to run through the sprinklers a few more times, toss some water balloons, watch some fireworks, and drink a glass or two of fresh lemonade in the shade of a tree or on a porch swing. And don't forget to keep documenting your summer activities:

Where did you travel?

Whom did you visit?
What new adventures did you have?
List the changes you noticed in the abilities of your kids at the pool
Write down the funny things you overheard in the car
Record the family stories you learned of at the reunion
Remember to remember the sunburns, bug bites, and poison ivy

And take note of these summery quotes we found:

To see the Summer Sky
Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie -
True Poems flee.

~Emily Dickinson

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.
~Russel Baker

There's never enough time to do all the nothin' you want.
~Calvin, from Calvin & Hobbes

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.  

~James Dent

And, by all means, take plenty of photos.

Summer shoes on summer feet, tanned legs and bug bites, toes in green grass or in the sand:


The summer treats:

the swim lessons:

the goggles:

The laundry on the line:

 

Roasted marshmallows and s'mores:

And here are some other summertime photo ideas:

the garden growing

the harvest

the stack of books you and the kids have read over the summer

the odometer before and after the road trip

running through the sprinkler

watermelon

the corn on the cob

carnivals and ferris wheels

county fairs and cotton candy

shopping for school supplies and new clothes

Summer Photo Tips

Try turning on your flash in the harsh sun if your subject's face is shadowy
Turn up your ISO as the sun goes down to compensate for fading light
If the sun is bright and your subject is squinting, have them close their eyes until you are ready to shoot and then have the open just before you take the photo
The dreaded self-portrait can take a new and fun twist if you take a photo of your long shadow

 

Summer Mini Album Ideas

What We Did to Stay Busy This Summer
Summer Travel
One Summer Day
Treats We Eat
Our STAYcation

And a bit of eyecandy from Ann Costen. She says, "After creating my summer layouts, I usually have "orphan" pictures - pictures that I printed but didn't fit with the design of my 12x12 layouts. I like to take these pictures and put them together in a "Summer" mini-album that recaps everything we've done. It's easy and quick - especially since I like to keep the design simple!"

What a great idea, Ann!




Summer Scrapping Shortcuts

Put all your summer-themed papers and embellies together in one location so they're within reach and easy to find
Add brief journaling directly on your photos in photoshop
Repeat your page design throughout your album 

Get your inspiration from the August gallery 

Favorite Summer Products

Basic Grey - June Bug and Lemonade Stand collection kits

Cosmo Cricket - Snorkel

Fiskars - Boundary Waters punch

Sassafrass - Me Likey collection kit

Little Yellow Bicycle - Traveler collection

And then to round things out, we thought we'd share some simple recipes with you:

Fruit Cake
Stack 2 or 3 round slices of watermelon like a cake, and garnished with kiwi slices, mango chunks, grapes, etc.

Easy Sparkling Lemonade
Add the juice of 5 (yes 5!) lemons to 1 liter of 7Up!

Citric Acid Lemonade
Combine 2 cups sugar, 1 Tbsp. citric acid, 1 Tbsp. lemon extract, and 1 gallon ice and water.

Enjoy your weekend!