Write. Click. Scrapbook.

Valentine Week (Day Four)

Welcome back to "Valentine Week"! I have two more days here and two more ideas to share with you, so let's get to it! For weeks now I've been walking up and down the Valentine aisles of Walmart and Target, soaking in all of the girly colors and loving all the heart shaped products. My boys, on the other hand, not so much. Sure, there are a few superhero and sports-themed valentines out there, but the selection is limited. So I decided to create these:

Want to make some?

1) Buy some packets of these:

2)  Download You_rock

3. Print on your paper of choice. (I used glossy photo paper.)

4. Trim and fold around packet of Pop Rocks.

5. Adhere in back with tape or a bit of glue runner.

 

(These could also be adapted to accompany rock candy or even an iTunes gift card.)

Enjoy!

Check back tomorrow for one last Valentine idea. Happy Friday!

and the giveaway goes to . . .

so very many of us are cold and ready for spring. Thank you for your answers. Can'r even believe how clever yo all are. Like this one:

So thoughtful and fun! We scrapbookers love our colors!! And for those of you who mentioned a need for a tourquoise pen, you may want this one:

Thank you, all, for stopping by and taking the time to leave comments. Thank you, too, to JetPens for sponsoring our giveaway. And for providing us with such delightful pen options at such reasonable prices.

Without further ado, our lucky number today belongs to

Congratulations Leslie!! Please send us an email with your full name and email address so that we might get you your gift certificate!

Thank you, again, for being such terrific readers. Beth is back soon with another rockin' Valentine's idea!! See you back soon!

give.away.day. featuring JETPENS.COM

Scrapbooking basics. A good ruler, some scissors, some paper, and a great pen. Or perhaps a whole bunch of pens. Mmm. Pens. Lovely pens. Would you like some new ones? Aren't you glad it is

For our giveaway today, we are offering you the opportunity to go on your very own shopping spree with Jet Pens.

Jet Pens was founded by three college friends who started their online company in 2004. They began selling high-end but affordable pens and notebooks. Many of their pens are imported from Asia and different from those you find here. They have a wide range of pens and pencils, with many of them available for just a few dollars. Today one of you will receive a $25 gift certificate so that you may have a chance to try out their pens. To help you decide, Jet Pens sent Monika and Marnie a handful of pens to try out and report on.

Here is what Monika had to say:

One of my goals this year has been to “explore” my artistic side. (I don’t know that there is an artistic side to Monika, though I do think I have a creative streak running through me! Ha, ha.) In preparation, I purchased this art journal from Etsy and have had it sitting on my craft desk. It’s been staring at me. Mocking me. Begging me to pick it up and create. I’ve been held back by my fear of doing it wrong. And making a mess of it. And imperfection. It’s that whole Type-A, first-born thing.

Tada! a finished page. Whew, took me long enough. The first of many, I now know. There was nothing to be afraid of, silly me. I love it all. Well, except for the words “art journaling” that I stamped in the upper left hand corner, but I have plans on how to make it better just as soon as I finish this note.

So, let’s break down this art journaling creation so that I can share with you which pen, all generously provided by Jet Pens, I used.

To make the doodled border, I used this pen in black by Uniball Signo. I am a big fan of the Uniball brand and I’ve used them in the past. The pen has a good ink flow and I knew it would draw a full, bold line for me.

To fill in the doodled border, this Pentel pen was used. It was my first time trying out this type of pen and I was impressed that it filled in the border so nicely for me, just the way I wanted it to look. It is double-tipped, with the other end being gray, so that you can use it for shading purposes.

For the sections doodled in white, I used the Uniball Signo, the same as the black one, except in white this time. Wowsers! LOVE that white pen. The BEST white I’ve ever used. You won’t be disappointed.

See the words I’ve written? I wanted a very thin, fine line for most of the words and to achieve that look, I used a Pilot pen. This was definitely a good choice for me. Sometimes when I am journaling on a scrapbook layout, I have a lot to write in a very small space and this pen will be my new go-to for just that purpose. The words in bold (let go, explore, fun for example) were written with a Pigma Micron which is no stranger to scrapbookers around the world. Always a good choice.

(As a side note, my one little word this year is joy...do you see how I snuck it in on this page? I used letter rub-ons from American Crafts for that word.)

I have only good words to say about my purchasing experience with JetPens.com. The ordering process was smooth. The order was received in a timely manner. The packaging was safe and secure. And the big bonus and what will make me want to order what I have in my cart over there? I can use my PayPal account for checkout. Yep, love that feature. I encourage you to become a JetPens.com purchaser today.

Marnie loved them, too:

First, I must admit that I have a bit of a thing for office products, especially pens. I love them. My order included all sorts of different pens. First, I bought my favorite journaling pens in five new colors.

I do lots of journaling on strips, and these pens are extremely narrow allowing me to fit more journaling on each page. That matters to me. If I use a fatter pen, I can write smaller, but it loses its legibility. The Pilot HiTec C pens do not. If you are small handed, the click model is great. If you have bigger hands, you may want to try the capped pen.

Then I saw that they have an entire category for white pens! Seriously? I brought home these three: a Pilot .07, an Uniball Signo .07, and the Uni-ball Signo Broad UM-153, the mother of all white pens. (You may just want to order the ten pack!!) You can see all three together here:

They are all great, but I must say that the Signo Broad was my favorite. It is smoothest flowing. Though certainly wider as well.

I used it again.

And again.

And it is going to be perfect to finish up the Valentine's Day cards this weekend!!

Having a love of grey pens (which are hard to find if you aren't looking for something silver), I ordered the Zebra Serasa. I totally love the color.

And it did a better on textured cardstock than my grey Copic does.

and look how many colors I can buy:

But my favorite new find is the Pilot Frixion pen. It is erasable. Truly erasable. Had I known, I might have just ordered the 12 color set. Or maybe the 24:

I love these pens. They let me make mistakes and not have to start all the way over. Check it out!!

The last things I need to tell you about aren't pens. Though one holds them. I got this and love it.

My goal is to buy another in a different color (there are 13 to choose from!) and separate out my pens my use between the two colors.

Lastly, I got these:

They cut through a glue dot like butter. (If only my fry pan could be so non-stick!!) And see that inner black part? It provides a sort of suspension to ease the burden on your fingers. (But beware of how they close--I caught my finger a time or two between the bottom of the handles before I got the hang of it.)

I love my products. Ordering was slick as a whistle, and my package arrived sooner than expected and packaged with care. Jet Pens was already my goto store as it is the only place I have found my HiTec C's, but now that I have found a few new favorites (white Signos, and those amazing Frixions) I now have even more reason to love them. Please take some time to click through their selection. I was amazed, not just by the different kinds of pens they carry, but also in the wide range of colors and thicknesses. And don't forget to order the 10 pack of the Signo whites!! :) 

If you would like to be considered for today's giveaway, please take a minute and browse the selection at JetPens.com. Then stop back and leave a comment telling us what color of pen would best represent your mood today! And if you were so inclined, you could sign up as a JetPens Facebook fan or join the JetPens Flickr group. One more place of inspiration and one more way to save money!

Comments will remain open until 8:00 pm 9:30 pm PST (due to the technical difficulties, the post this morning was 1.5 hours late, therefore we we leave comments open for 1.5 hours later than normal. Sorry and thank you!). One lucky number will be drawn at random and posted tomorrow. Please remember it is your responsiblity to check back and claim your lucky number before midnight Saturday!!

Valentine Week (Day Three)

Good morning! I hope you're finding a bit of inspiration this week as we count down to Valentine's Day. I love today's printable for its elegant simplicity. I'll be using these little bags to package up some homemade brownies for my kids' teachers next week. I think you'll be surprised at how simple it is to customize plain paper bags!

Want to make some too?

1) Head to Michael's and pick up a package of these bags (they measure 3 1/2" x 2" x 6 3/4"):

2) Download Vintage_bag

3) Prep your bags for printing by gently taping down the back flap with Scotch tape. 

4) Get ready to print! I fed the bags through my printer top end first, with the flap in the back. In the print window, customize your paper size to 3.5" x 6.75". Here's what my window looked like right before printing:

5) Hit print and watch as ordinary paper bags are transformed into festive holiday packages!

6) Gently remove tape, fill with your favorite treats, and garnish with twine or ribbon.

Come back tomorrow for a fantastic giveaway. And I'll return on Friday to share a fun Valentine idea for those special "rockers" in your life. Hope to see you then!

 

Valentine Week (Day Two)

Welcome to day 2 of “Valentine Week”!

At my house Valentine’s Day is synonymous with chocolate, so I would be remiss if I didn’t share at least one choco-centric idea and printable as we count down to Valentine's Day.

How about a little box of hugs and kisses, all packaged up and ready for giving?

(I think this would be a particularly sweet surprise for grandparents.)

Here’s the printable:

Download Hugs&kisses

And a few notes:

1) I printed the PDF on glossy photo paper, but cardstock would work just as well.

2) I cut the XO candy toppers with a 3/4" circle punch and adhered them to the Hershey's Kisses with Glue Dots.

3) The box and twine are from Michael's.

4) I added white crinkly paper filler to the bottom of the box before adding the Kisses.

5) It's perfectly acceptable to nibble on a few Kisses as you work. :)

Enjoy!

I hope to see you back here tomorrow—I’ll be sharing a simple and elegant printable to package more Valentine treats!

 

Valentine Week (Day One)

Good morning and welcome to “Valentine Week” here at write.click.scrapbook! I’m excited to be hosting this week as we count down to one of my favorite holidays! Each day I’ll be sharing a free printable and an accompanying idea to (hopefully) get you in the Valentine’s Day spirit. :)

I thought we'd kick off the week with some personalized paper chains. Perfect for adding a touch of holiday décor to any room, paper chains are also a great way for kids to count down to a special day. Ready to get started?

First download this custom PDF and print it on your favorite cardstock.

Download Love_strips

Then gather the kids along with some markers or crayons and have them “fill in the blanks” with people and things they love. 

Now, you can have the kids cut the paper into strips themselves or, if you’re Type A like me, use your paper trimmer to cut the strips nice and straight for them. :)

Once cut, simply glue, tape or staple the strips together and hang the chain from a favorite spot. Leave “as is” for a festive decoration or encourage the kids to tear one link from the chain each day as they count down to Valentine’s Day.

Ready for more Valentine ideas? Check back tomorrow—I’ll be sharing a rather delicious project!

 

Winter Color

  
photo by Lisa Ottosson

CHA week: day 4

Hey there!  It's day 4--the last day of CHA week here at Write.Click.Scrapbook.  I feel exhausted but sad it's all over, just like I do on the last day of the show.  LOL!  This photo is all of the WCS collective members that attended CHA minus one--Karen Grunberg.  She left the show early, and sadly we missed the chance to take a photo with her.  There's also a mini WCS team member in there--that's Angie Lucas' sweet baby girl.  Angie brought her to the show Monday afternoon and she was quite the hit.

I've had so much fun sharing some of the excitement and creativity from my trip to CHA with all of you.  I hope you've enjoyed getting a peek at what's in store...or should I say, a peek at what's soon to be in the stores?

I'm so excited to share some CHA-inspired projects with you, but before I do that I'd like to share some of the trends I noticed from the show:

1. Wood veneer embellishments and alphas (Studio Calico and Pink Paislee to name a few)

2. DIY embellishment kits (Cosmo Cricket Glubers, Basic Grey Petals, and Making Memories Bravissimo line--DIY layered paper medallions)

3. Banners are still very popular, but have taken on new shapes and sizes

 


4. Paper cones were prolific--especially in the form of wreaths

5. Several manufacturers introduced vintage-inspired lines (October Afternoon: 5 & Dime, Echo Park: For The Record, Pink Paislee: Daily Junque)

6. Lastly, I saw a lot of co-branding between manufacturers, or in other words manufacturers collaborating to release a product (Unity Stamps partnered with several manufacturers to release stamps to match their new lines; Pink Paislee, House of Three, and Tattered Angels worked together on a new line, Core'dinations Cardstock partnered with several companies to release color core cardstock to match their new lines, Xyron and Spellbinders worked together to create some new dies)

 

CHA-Inspired Projects

For the challenge I decided to create two projects: a layout about meeting some of my online friends "in real life".  I included parts of three inspiration pieces on my page--rectangular shapes, basic blocking, and a fun text treatment. Here's my page:

I used papers and die-cut stickers from Echo Park's new For The Record line, as well as brand new chipboard newsprint alphas from Studio Calico, and I included some custom epoxies I made with my tool from Epiphany Crafts. 

  
This tool is so easy to use to make custom epoxies or buttons.  All you have to do is open the lid, remove the insert, and place your pattern in the viewfinder.  Then place the epoxy shape into the viewfinder and press it firmly to your pattern.  Then you replace the insert, close the lid and press.  Out comes your custom epoxy, and you can add it to one of their adorable settings to create your own embellishment.  Love it!

I also created a card using a circle shape as a design element, again using the Echo Park Paper Co new line, For The Record:

 Here are some lovely CHA-inspired projects from our Flickr gallery:

I love how Lisa_CT used shapes as a very effective design element for her adorable disney page.

 

Mirrorz created two layouts.  The first uses the Cosmo Cricket Elements paper.  I love how she created a collage to frame her adorable photos.  The second is inspired by the button frame from the Nikki Sivils booth.  I love the woodgrain background and the splash of brown buttons--so beautiful!

 

Veriety if the spice of life made this adorable magnetic tin countdown board inspired by the butterfly specimen art at the Basic Grey booth.  She plans to switch out the tins to match each holiday.  Super cute!

From collective member, Lisa Ottosson--inspired by the colors of some of the challenge projects.

From collective member, Paula Gilarde--inspired by the use of shapes from the Lilly Bee booth layouts:

 

From collective members, Celeste Smith and Marnie Flores, both inspired by the hexagons from the layout at the October Afternoon booth:

ETA: I checked the Flickr gallery right before going to bed last night to make sure I got all the CHA-inspired projects, but Hazel Hamman added these two lovelies while I was sleeping.  =)  The first was inspired by my CHA notebook, and the second by the Jillibean Soup banner from yesterday.  Aren't they beautiful??:

 

Well, that's it for this week!  Thanks so much to our generous give away sponsors (Nikki Sivils, Echo Park Paper Co, and Creative Options), and thanks to all of you who participated in the challenge.  I hope this week has inspired you in some way.  Happy scrapping!

CHA week: day 3

Hi scrappy friends!  Welcome to day 3 of CHA week.  This photo is me with WCS team member, Emily Pitts--she's such a sweetie!  One of my favorite things to do at CHA is to look at the decor in the vendors' booths.  The talent and creativity on display is amazing!  As hard as it was, I managed to pick three of my favorite booths and took some video for your viewing pleasure:

 Epiphany Crafts--I loved their clever and cute vintage display and storage ideas!

   

GCD Studios--They won the best booth of the trade show award--well-deserved!

     

Die Cuts With A View--You've got to see it to believe it!

 

Don't forget about the CHA-inspired challenge from Monday's post. Just pick one of the CHA layouts or projects I posted Monday and use it as inspiration for a layout or project of your own. When you're done, upload an image of it to our Flickr gallery with the title "CHA-inspired". I'll share your projects plus one or two of my own tomorrow. See you then!

 

and the giveaways go to . . .

Nothing is more fun than getting to pick SEVEN lucky numbers!! What a morning! Aly is so good to us!!

Here are our lucky numbers:

Jean, you will receive the new Craft n' Go organizer. Julie, the Echo Park line is yours. Sharon, Jena, Sarabeth, Cheryl, and Kristen, you will each receive a Nikki Sivvils pack of lovelies. Thank you everyone for your comments. We, too, are anxious to decorate our scrapbooks with all the fun new products!

Ladies, please send your mailing addresses to us at writeclickscrapbook at gmail dot com so that we might get you your goods! Aly is back shortly with mor CHA fun. Stay tuned!!