Write. Click. Scrapbook.

In the Bleak Midwinter

Off the Beaten Path

Is there anything better than scrapbooking, wrapping, crafting, or relaxing to really good music this time of year? Consider adding one of these albums to your holiday collection this weekend! All are available on both iTunes and Amazon, plus other sites/stores where music is sold. While you're listening, spend a few minutes making a playlist of songs you love! You might just need it for a special challenge next week. Happy listening!

Hanukkah Projects

Hanukkah begins tonight at sunset, but in the meantime we've collected a few inspiring things to share today! A special thanks to Sara Rivka Dahan of Creative Jewish Mom for granting permission to share some of her clever (and in some cases, downright gorgeous) Hanukkah crafts and projects. This is just a sampling—her site is filled with beautiful felt flowers, projects for other Jewish holidays in addition to Hanukkah, cooking and gardening tips, and more!

How to Make a Gorgeous Rosebud Bouquet from Felt

felt flowers and table setting by Sara Rivka Dahan

Festive Hanukkah Bunting

bunting by Sara Rivka Dahan

Pretty Patterned Paper Matchboxes

covered matchboxes by Sara Rivka Dahan

Beautiful, DIY Gift Wrap

handmade, printed wrapping paper by Sara Rivka Dahan (and her children!)

Felt Dreidel Ornaments

felt dreidels by Sara Rivka Dahan

Be sure to check out some of these cool Hanukkah supplies and products, too:

menorah and Star of David rubber stamps from Etsy shop NoraJane

Hanukkah gelt pouch calendar from Etsy shop Thymbyl Designs

digital collage elements from Etsy shop Harmonica Goldfish

digital brushes by Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals

digital elements by Jodie McNally at Oscraps

patterned paper available at Shalom Scrapper

Happy Hanukkah!

and the giveaway goes to . . .

Congratulations to Heather T!

Thank you to imaginisce! for a fun and might we say, successful giveaway!! And thank you to all those from the collective for providing eye candy enjoyment. And to our sweet readers, thank you for your comments, and our condolences on not being selected! Though there will be more soon. Maybe not even a week away!Oooh, it's true! it's true!(Did I just spill the beans? uh-oh...)

Heather, please email us at writeclickscrapbook at gmail dot com before midnight Saturday so that we might get you your favorite new tool! and some stuff, too! Merry early Christmas!

give.away.day. featuring IMAGINISCE

Let's begin with a holiday song. Channel your best Jingle Bells Tune...

Dashing through the week
Trying to stay ahead
Getting little sleep
Much to do when kids are in bed.

Make sure no one is missed
There's wrapping still to do
But today we here all insist
That it is time for you.

Oh, GIVE AWAY
GIVE AWAY
It's GIVE.AWAY.DAY.
This one's for you
Some fun for you
On this Holiday Countdown day!

Oh! GIVE AWAY
GIVE AWAY
It's GIVE.AWAY.DAY.
Just for you
Cuz' we love you
A GIVE AWAY today!

For our giveaway today, we are excited to present

imaginisce is a longtime fan favorite and has some fun lines on current release. They kindly sent a sampling of their product to our designers so that we could work some of our magic with their lovelies. Here is what happens when great product meets some amazing talent:

page by Aly Dosdall

page by Erin Sweeney

page by Ann Costen

card by Celeste Smith

 

page by Cheryl Overton

page by Sara Winnick

page by Autumn Baldwin

page by Francine Clouden

page by Cheryl Overton

hot chocolate pouches by Aly Dosdall

page by Jody Wenke

page by Jody Wenke

candle decor by Cheryl Overton

mini-album by Francine Clouden

Christmas Organizer by Melissa Kaiserman

For our giveaway today, one lucky person will receive a sampling of imaginisce paper and products and the star on the tree is that the box will also include an

This amazing little tool creates brads in three sizes, allowing you to make all sorts of lovely projects. The i-top Brad Maker family includes the i-top Brad Maker, Brad Daddy blanks and paper punches in 3 sizes; 16mm, 22mm and 28mm. Now you can customize that extra little bit of texture and sweetness that brads provide. And not only can you use it on your scrapbook pages

page by Marnie Flores

but you will also quickly discover many other fun uses for covered brads.

headband by Marnie Flores

(First, cover headband in fabric. Next, stack 6 red imaginisce flowers on top of 2 green imaginisce flowers. Cover medium brad with same fabric used to cover headband using your i-top tool. Pierce flower centers with covered brad. Adhere to headband. Wear and enjoy!)

The imaginisce team has also done some amazing things with their i-tops. (WARNING: Once you click over you will get a bit lost in the wonder, so be sure to come back and leave your comment so you can win!)

If you would like to be considered for today's giveaway, please tell us what scrapbooking product you are hoping to get this holiday season. If it is something with a link, leave it so we can see it too! Comments will close at 8:00 pm PST and the lucky number will be posted tomorrow. Don't forget to check back to see if you are the lucky number as you only have until Saturday at midnight to claim your gift! Can't wait to see what's on your lists!

First Annual Holiday Gift Guide For Scrapbookers

We've put together a few great finds from around the internet—enjoy!

28 Camera Drawings, $20, $50, $200 / Sweetwater Advent Kit, $23.95 / 2010 Veer Calendar, $26, $44 / Retro Bird Bookplate, $21.99 / Waterproof Name Labels, $6.50 / L Letterpress Machine Combo Kit, $149.99 / Chartreuse Dots File Folder Set, $27.95 / Keep Calm and Carry Spoof Printable 2010 Calendar, $5.00 / Log Your Memory Calendar 2010, $19.95

 
Susy Jack Paper Goods, $20 / Holga Starter Kit, $70.00 / Sarah Jane Studios Family Tree, $19.50 / The Small Object Crafty Organization Idea Cards (50), $12.00 / dog collar any scrapbooker would be proud of, $16.99 / Petals Aplenty Family Tree, $65.00 / Gorillapod, $39.75

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

A Note From Rebecca

Being nearly 9 months  pregnant this Christmas has definitely meant I’ve been finding as many ways as possible to simplify our holiday celebrations this year. One thing the kids always love to do is give their friends a small Christmas gift the day before Christmas holidays begin; I didn’t want to do away with the tradition altogether but certainly wanted to do something quick and easy this year. This is what we came up with:

 

project by Rebecca Cooper

 
Some yummy jolly ranchers + a cute holiday tag = easy yet fun holiday gift. If you’d like to put together some of these holiday treats yourself then feel free to download the tags here:

Download Holly jolly

I used Futura and Amelie fonts to create the tags, as well as a few scraps of ribbon, a Revolution diecutting machine and a Fiskars punch. Quick and easy!

Magic Lights

photo by Autumn Baldwin

A Note From Autumn

I’ve had a hard time in years past getting a great picture of my Christmas tree. I’ve tried a few different approaches and haven’t been really pleased, until I found instructions for taking this cool out-of-focus-lights shot. I got this idea from a thread on the photography board at twopeasinabucket.com. I can’t remember who posted the original instructions (sorry!) so just be grateful to the helpful people over there. Oh—and it looks even cooler with colored lights. Here’s how to get this look using your DSLR:

1. Wait until evening, especially if your tree is near a window. You don’t want extra light in the picture.
2. Use a lens with a low aperture setting (I used a 50mm 1.8 lens), put the camera on AV setting, and set the aperture as low as it can go. If you don’t have a low aperture lens, it’s a little harder to get this effect, but it can be done. Stand as far away from the tree as you can and zoom in until the tree (or just the top portion of the tree) fills up the entire picture. The farther your lens is zoomed, the more out of focus you’ll be able to get the picture (out of focus = bigger circles of light).
3. Compose your shot and press your shutter button halfway down to focus. Then find the little button on your lens that says AF and MF, and change it to MF, which is manual focus.
4. Find your manual focus ring and start turning it one way or the other to get the picture out of focus. As the picture gets farther and farther out of focus, the tree lights will turn into larger and larger circles. Snap a number of pictures, turning the focus ring a little more for each one. Your shutter speed is going to be quite slow, so be sure to brace yourself as you snap away.  (Don’t worry about a tripod - a little camera shake isn’t going to matter much since the picture is out of focus anyway.)
5. Choose your favorite shot, and if desired, used Photoshop Elements to brighten the picture and add “Merry Christmas” using the free font New Romantics from dafont.com.

Do you have a cool Christmas tree shot? Post it in our flickr gallery and tell us about it in the comments!

The Benefits of Winter

photo and quote from Rebecca Cooper

Fun Weekend Craft: Add Something New To Your Tree!

A Note From Celeste

 

Sometimes the simplest ornaments are the most fun to make. For these personalized ornaments, I simply adhered Making Memories Glitter Stickers and coated the stickers with metallic glitter. The boys love seeing their name on the tree and I love the graphic punch.