Write. Click. Scrapbook.

Quick & Easy Card Set

I always think summer will bring more time for one of my favorite pastime...paper crafting, however, this is simply not the case in our household. Even though summer is fun, it brings about lots of disruptions to any sort of schedule that I try to maintain. I still find time to do what I love and my key is to keep it simple!

It seems I always need a card at an unexpected moment so I like to have a stash on hand. One easy way to create a coordinating set of cards is to use an embellishment that includes a greeting or saying on it. I've had this fun set of retro flair, from {a flair for buttons} for a while now and knew it would be perfect for a card set.

I used the same design for all the cards...3 strips of a combination of paper/washi tape/fabrips and flair layered onto a pinked circle or doily.

To start I made an all occasion card and left the inside blank. 

Here is another general greeting with the same design but in a vertical orientation. I included a greeting on the inside, made using the sketch feature on my Silhouette Cameo.

Next I made a congratulations card, again with a greeting drawn using my Silhouette Cameo.

This next card could be a congratulation or best wishes card. I left the inside blank so I can customize it to the occasion.

And last, but not least, is a card that I need far too often...a belated Happy Birthday card. I always have Birthdays on my radar long before they come, but I'm not good at getting the card in the mail. Sad, I know.

Is your card stash getting low? Using this simple design you can whip up several of these in a single sitting. Even better, make a few with leftover scraps on your scrap table after making a layout...another memory preserved and a card (or two) for a friend. I can't think of anything better!

Use Your Stuff: Deconstruct your Collection

It's that time of year: right now, the three scrapbook stores closest to me seem to get in some new line of supplies weekly. It's absolutely thrilling to stop by and see new items. My love of making layouts grows with each glimpse of never-before-seen paper, ribbon, stickers, and alphabets. (You know I have a hard time resisting the alphabets!) The appeal of the new: It's something that most scrappers succumb to. In the face of fresh supplies, our affection for what we already own (that we previously loved just as much) diminishes. Of course, I do buy some of the new lines—but only what I know I will use. I manage this by way of a recent epiphany.

 

Scrapbooking isn't my only craft; I'm also a quilter. And my scrapping epiphany actually comes from quilting and from reading quilting blogs. Quilters are just as interested in new fabrics as we scrappers are in new supplies, but they're far less likely to only use new stuff. They mix in their old fabrics in with the new; they save nearly every scrap to work in to some other quilt. A fabric isn't just used once—you'll find it popping up here and there in many different quilts.

 

Maybe this is because fabric is expensive—at least $10 a yard for the good stuff. You don't want to waste any. But if you do the math, fabric, by the inch, costs about the same as patterned paper. (One yard of fabric is equivalent to about 12 pieces of 12x12 patterned paper; if you pay .80 cents per patterned paper, you're spending $9.60 on a "yard" of paper.) Or maybe it's because you tend to purchase bigger pieces of fabric. But really I think it's simply a different way of looking at supplies. Quilters see their stash as a resource, the place they "shop" from first. The colors and patterns, no matter their age, are simply a medium used to create texture and shape. New stuff is worked in with old stuff to make something that's both useful and beautiful.

I think we scrappers tend to look at our stash as collections. This makes it harder to use our stuff because using it feels like deconstructing the collection. So, instead of shopping our stash, we buy new stuff—and then add it right into the collection. It's a tough cycle to break! When the new stuff comes out each six months or so, your "old" new stuff—what you bought a season before—loses some of its appeal. There in the scrapbook store (or looking at images online), it's easy to become swept up in the "I must have this NEW thing" reaction and to buy only because it is new, not because it will be useful for you. Plus, dare I say this: there's something about using the new stuff that helps you feel like you're in the club, the one that's also using everything new.

 

The only way to overcome that reaction is this way: use your stuff. I know...I might just be repeating myself. Haven't I been saying that all week? Yes! But something magical happens when you deconstruct your stash. You find yourself making things you love with supplies you love. You come to understand which products work within your design approach and which ones don't, which helps you resist the lure of the new. When you're consistently using your stash, the temptation to buy only what is new clears away. You can see your purchasing options in a simple light: I know I will use this, I know I won't use this.

 

You might even find there's a powerful little thrill in saying no to something new. You can acknowledge the beauty of something while still knowing it won't work for you—but only if you know what works for you! The rest of today's post will focus on the skill of knowing what to say no to, and what to say yes to.

 

Creative Energy

Pull out the same older album you browsed through yesterday, when you were looking for trends. Today, don't simply look at it—read it. Give yourself some time, maybe a half hour or 45 minutes, and read as much of your journaling as you can. Think about the stories you've put down, stories that now are much less likely to be lost. Laugh over the little things you might have forgotten if you hadn't written about them. Savor the details that have changed in your life. Remember how it used to be?

 

Next, pick one of your least-favorite layouts in this album. If you were given the assignment to redo this layout, what would you change? What products would you use? What extra details would you add to the journaling? How would the layout redo change the memory you preserved? 

 

Close the album. Put it back on the shelf. Now, ask yourself: what is more vivid, the stories and the photos, or the products you used? For me, there is nearly always a positive memory attached to the making of a layout. It's a sort of memory layer: the memory of the layout's creation on top of the memory itself. But what makes me the most happy is knowing that the stories themselves are preserved, paired with pictures that help illustrate the experience.

 

When you look at your albums in this light, the products you use start to lose their importance. You begin to realize that there are a million different ways you could make a layout with the same pictures—but only one memory you are preserving. The products can enhance (or even detract from) the photos, but they can't change the memory itself. That is what endures.

 

An even more powerful exercise, if you can manage it, is to find someone who doesn't scrapbook to look at one of your albums, and then get her to talk about her reaction. This person could be the subject of your album, or someone else. Anyone who has an interest in your life. You'll notice that her reaction is different than a scrapbooker's would be. As a non-scrapbooker, this person will notice the stories and the photos first, the products second. I realized how profound our written stories are one day when my dad, who has Alzheimer's, spent an afternoon reading my albums. (You can read more about that day here if you're interested.) He was an artistic person, but he never once commented on any embellishment or title treatment or anything else scrap-related. Instead, it was the stories that mattered to him.

 

Your stories are the things that matter, too.

 

Smart Shopping

This week, if you've done all the creative energy exercises, you've gone a long way towards understanding what you really do use on your layouts. Take that knowledge with you when you shop for scrapping supplies. Ask yourself: am I drawn to this because it is pretty, because it is new and interesting, because I recognize it as something I will use? Sometimes the answer to all of those questions is affirmative and I count that as an emphatic yes! I can buy this!

 

When I am faced with all that new product, I try to focus my questions even more:

• What do I already own that's similar? Is this different enough to justify the purchase?
• Is this similar to something else I've already used often on a layout? Does that similarity mean I'm more likely to use this new thing (because it's worked for me in the past) orless (because it feels repetitive)?
• Does this fit into the reality of my scrapbooking or the image of what scrappers are supposed to use? This question helps you think about why you want to buy this new product. As an example: I am consistently drawn to chipboard letters when I'm looking at new stuff. But when I'm actually scrapbooking, I tend to get frustrated by chipboard. Inevitably it doesn't stick (if self-adhesive) or the process of altering it is too time consuming. I know that most scrappers love chipboard. I love it too, in theory; I love it on other people's pages. But in the reality of my layouts, I don't use it that often.
• How will this product help me to tell a story? I find that last question to be the most clarifying. It lets me see the new products in a different light. Maybe a saying on a sticker reminds me of a story I haven't told yet, or of an experience I'd like to write more about. Sometimes color can evoke memories, or textures. Sometimes it is a shape—a leaf can remind me of how summer feels, even in the middle of winter, and spark the desire to scrap a summery story.

Organizing

On my scrapbooking desk, I keep two baskets. One holds the tools I use on nearly every single layout: adhesive, small scissors, big scissors, my favorite snap-off knife, and black pens in various thicknesses. The other holds my most recent purchases. I keep all my new stuff right where I can see it because it makes me more likely to use it. I want to use my new stuff quickly not by virtue of its newness or because I want to belong to the club. Instead, it's so I don't add the new products  to my collection. If I try to implement the new—by working it in with the older stuff—right away, it doesn't get collected. It gets used.

 

Once I've used the new stuff in that basket at least once, then I sort what's left (the sheet of stickers missing a few letters, the rest of the brads, some scraps of patterned paper and half a yard of ribbon) into the appropriate drawer or box. This has an added bonus: it lets everything mingle together. Once I've tossed a handful of, say, paper flowers into my flower drawer, I forget who made it and when I bought it. Instead, when I open that drawer, I just see a resource: a bunch of flowers.

 

Use your Stuff Tip

When I do take the time to alter chipboard, I always love the results. Here are some of my most-used tips:

 

• If I'm altering with patterned paper, I nearly always paint the vertical edge first, with acrylic paint. Some of the paint will, of course, slop over onto the top of the letter or shape. Before the paint dries, I place the patterned paper right on top of the paint, then smooth it down. As it dries, the paint adheres the paper just as well as any glue, and I can skip the gluing step altogether.
• If the chipboard shape I'm using is self-adhesive and reversible, I alter the back side. This doesn't work, of course, for many letters (like F, G, L, and R), but it will work for some (like T, A, and V), and most shapes can be altered this way. I peel the backing off and then start sticking stuff down right on top of the adhesive, which is easier to work with than wet glue. Then I just glue the piece down on my layout.
• If you are in desperate need of two chipboard shapes, but you only have one, try peeling that one piece into two. Most chipboards are thick enough that they can take this abuse! The resulting two pieces might need some sanding or paint to look presentable again (make sure to peel carefully!), but you've solved your desperate plight.
• Although it seems like it would be too thick, chipboard can be sewn. Use a denim needle and a wide stitch length; sew slowly so your needle doesn't break. You also might have to adjust the tension, too. It looks nice when you're finished though! 

 

Use Your Stuff Daily Challenge: Mix old and new

Working with whatever type of product or medium you want, incorporate at least one botanical shape (flower, leaf, grass, tree, etc), one narrow rectangle, and one curvy shape (paisley, fleur-de-lis, swirl, wave, etc). Try for a mix of old and new supplies.

Celeste made this layout using the suggestions in the challenge:

 

I love this layout—the colors, the products, and, mostly, the journaling. I think the products do exactly what products should: they draw your eye to the photo and create a mood that enhances the story.

Here's mine:

 
(Did you see that!? I used some chipboard!) Here is what I mean about mixing old and new. The yellow patterned paper (from Echo Park's For the Record line) is a new one I bought just a couple of days ago; the brown pattern is about a year old, the big flowers are somewhere in between, and I've had some of the small flowers for years. But when I opened up my flower drawer, I didn't look for new. I looked for what worked with the layout I had in mind.

Now that my week is over, I'm really, really hoping some of the tips and exercises I've shared will inspire you to use your stuff, too! 

Use Your Stuff: the Tools Edition

Paper crimper. Lettering stencils. The thing with the long handle that was supposed to make it easy to punch through thick cardstock but instead broke my favorite flower punch. Punches, be they flowers or leaves or raindrops or snowflakes or that infamous cupid. Dry embossing stylus and stencils. 32 pair of decorative edge scissors. 127 different pens and markers, 18 of them green. One heat embossing gun. Circle cutters. Paint brushes. Rubber stamps and acrylic stamps and acrylic blocks. Four different paper trimmers I never could cut straight with. (One big one I can.) Innumerable pairs of scissors. A die cutting machine. 

And that's just off the top of my head, without digging for further proof of all the tools I've purchased over the past 15 years of scrapbooking.

The list of scrapbooking tools can start to feel impossibly long. And let's be honest: it's easy to get sucked into feeling like the next, newest thing is going to revolutionize the way you scrap—or at least make the process faster. Here's the thing, though, with tools: you have to find the one that works for you, and sometimes the process of finding it involves buying a lot of items that don't work. (If I'd just bought my big paper cutter to begin with! I could have paid for half of it with the other smaller ones I bought but didn't like. Sigh.) Tools pile up and get overlooked in the process.

Today's focus is on tools, specifically: stamps.

I think that stamps are a divisive subject. People either love them or hate them. The “hate” side comes down on complexity of use—it's hard to stamp the image exactly where you want it. There's uncertainty involved, as you're never really sure how the stamped image will look. Plus: you have to clean them when you're finished!

Despite all the drawbacks, I have a great affection for stamps. I'm hoping that today's suggestions will inspire you to pull out your bucket or box of stamps and use them (or get rid of a few).

Creative Energy
Spend 10-15 minutes browsing through an online catalogue. Here are some to try:

Close to My Heart
LawnFawn
Stampin' Up
Stamps at Scrapbook.com

Make a list of 5-6 stamps you love or think you'd use. What types of stamps are you drawn to? (My consistent favorites are alphabets, paisleys, and floral motifs.) Now, pull out the stamps you own and browse through them, looking for any similarities between what you wanted and what you own.

Since your stamps are already out, do one more thing. Flip through your stack of photos waiting to be scrapped and find three groupings you'd like to work with. Now, pair up those pictures with a stamp (or two). You don't necessarily have to use the stamp. Just think about its possibilities.

Now, the big question: which stamps could you get rid of and never miss? About a year ago, I went through every single stamp I own. I asked myself if, honestly, I would ever use that particular image on a layout. Some I'd used once or twice; some had never touched an ink pad. I kept the most versatile and neutral ones—those that passed the cupid test—and gave the rest of them to a friend who is an avid card maker. Here’s what’s left of the rubber stamps:

 
What surprised me about weeding my stamping stash is this: I use the ones I kept much more often than I did before. I think this is because I have few enough that I keep them out instead of tucked inside a box. They’re each cute enough to look at all the time—and because I see them, I use them. And I’ve never once thought of the stamps I didn’t keep and wished to have them back.

So! This is me, giving you permission to clean out the stamps you don’t need or use. I know this is hard because let’s face it: stamps are expensive! But, you might just find yourself using the ones you keep more often, which means at least you’re getting your money’s worth out of those ones.

Smart Shopping
Make sure you don’t buy stamps you won’t use by asking yourself:

• How will I use this?
• Do I already own something similar?
• Will I be able to use this on more than one or two layouts?
• Does this stamp wow me enough to overcome the negative aspects of stamping?

 Organizing your Stamps
The thing I love about acrylic stamps is they’re so much easier to store! I keep mine in a leather box; within the box they’re grouped into letter stamps (my biggest indulgence) and images (I don’t have many stamps that don’t have some sort of word). On my scrapping desk, I keep my three favorite date stamps, always stuck onto an acrylic block, so I can easily stamp a date with almost zero effort.

Use Your Stuff Tips
Here are some ways to overcome the negative aspects of stamping:

• Acrylic stamps need a cushion, so place your paper or cardstock on top of a mouse pad, then stamp. The resulting image will be much sharper. Celeste taught me this and my stamped images improved vastly once I tried it.
• Solve the cleaning problem by leaving it until you’re completely finished with your layout. Get out your largest acrylic block and use it as a temporary storage; as you finish with each stamp, stick it on that big block. Then clean them all at once by spritzing them with a stamp cleaner and then pressing onto a cloth.
• I never bother cleaning stamps I’ve used with Stayzon ink. Once it’s dry, it’s nearly impossible to clean off. If that ink won’t come off with stamping cleaner, it’s not going to come off onto another ink pad. Why bother?
• When you’re stamping a long title or phrase with rubber stamps, line them all up in alphabetical order at the top of your work space. (I put mine on the window sill behind my desk.) As you stamp each letter, pull it from its spot, stamp, then put it back. You’ll be surprised how quickly you can stamp even something long with this technique.
• Rather than stamping directly onto your layout, stamp on some other paper or cardstock, then cut it out and stick it on your layout. This is far less stressful because if you mess up, you can just start over.
• Embrace the messiness of stamping. You might never stamp a perfect image and, you know? So what? By its nature, stamping invites messiness. Work that quality into your layout and you might find you love the slightly-shabby feel it evokes.

Use Your Stuff Daily Challenge: Tools

Use an alphabet stamp and one other stamped shape, a non-border punch, and a pen on your layout.

Kelly Jeppson made this layout using the challenge as a starting point:

 
No alphabet stamps, but that is OK because the challenge helped her use things she doesn't usually use, which is the entire point of this exercise anyway!

Here's Lisa's take on the challenge:

 

(I totally WANT those shoes!) Lisa stamped her title and the camera image, used a pen to write the date, and punched the butterfly.

Here's mine:
 
I stamped the title quote (which is a rough interpretation of a Shel Silverstein poem) and then outlined the letters with a brown pen. The messy dots and the heart are both stamps, and I used a punch for the date.

Since I had nearly no scraps left from that piece of Basic Grey patterned paper, I used a different color scheme for the card:

 
(on the inside it reads "me: amazed!")

Tell us: how do you feel about stamping? Share your layout if you make one!

Use Your Stuff: Alphas

I have a confession: I’ve a teeny, tiny obsession with letter stickers. Sure—chipboard letters are enticing. There’s the flexibility of cutting letters with my Silhouette, or stamping them, or even drawing them on my own. There’s also something to be said for rub-on letters, which are my second-favorite. But when it comes right down to it, my most-favorite, go-to-every-time title (and subtitle and sometimes even journaling) product is letter stickers. They are fast, versatile, and simple. In fact, I think I buy more letter stickers than any other scrapping supply—even patterned paper!

I'm certain you have your favorite lettering supply or technique, too. Alphas are such an essential part of a layout. Today's focus is on all those fabulous letters.

Creative Energy
Yesterday you thought about how you use your supplies. Today, think about your shopping habits. Working with your three favorite colors, try to find the last ten or so lettering supplies that you’ve purchased. Make a list: type, color, brand. Put a checkmark next to the ones you’ve already used. 

Now, within the generic “lettering supply” term, try to get a little bit more specific. What shape of font is your favorite? What size, texture, or mood feels most like you? To answer this question, pull an album off of your shelf (something other than the layouts you looked at yesterday) and flip through it. Pay attention to only the way you made letters. You could even keep a tally, if you want.

Is there a contrast between the lettering supplies you purchase and the ones you really use? That’s a sign: your purchases aren’t as useful as they could be. Try to analyze what draws you to purchase things versus use them. I’ll hold myself up as an example: it’s easy for me to get swept up in the "this is brand new and I have to have it right now" feeling. But when I look at what I really use, I can see two basic categories, script type and very simple types (either serif or sans) of alphabet stickers. I hardly ever use cute types, even if I love them in the scrapbook store. Knowing that, when I’m shopping I can more easily see if my I have to have this right now feeling is based on the excitement of something new or the recognition of something I’ll actually use.

Find the list you made yesterday—the one about your patterned paper preferences. Take a few minutes to analyze the difference between what you buy and what you use, focusing on your favorite lettering supply. Now add to your list—what lettering supply do you use most consistently? What style? Which supplies do you buy but not use consistently? Write this on your list.

Take a deep breath. Pick out three or four alphabet supplies you probably won’t use and put them into your discard box.

Smart Shopping
If I go to the scrapbook store simply because I find myself near one with a half hour or so to burn, it is easy for me to spend too much on stuff I’m likely not to use. Here are a few ways I control my spending when I'm browsing (instead of shopping for something specific, which we'll talk about later in the week):

1. I don’t put anything in my basket until I’ve looked at everything in the store. Once it’s in my basket, it feels like it’s mine, so it’s harder to say no to.
2. Before I put it in my basket, I think about how I would actually use the item. If I can only think of one way, I generally don’t buy it.
3. I give it the Cupid Test. Once upon a time, a long long time ago, I fell in love with a cupid-shaped punch. I adored it! Until I got it home, used it on a layout—a Valentine’s day spread—and then realized: yeah, when else will I use this? If something is so specific to a theme or a holiday that its versatility is lost, it fails my Cupid Test.
4. Bending the rules is allowed! I give myself some leeway so I don’t start to feel frustrated. Especially if something I want is on sale, I let myself indulge on one or two items.
5. If I discover an alphabet sticker that will work on several layouts, I buy two sheets. This alleviates some of my alphabet sticker anxiety. 

Organizing Lettering Supplies
Nearly every layout has some sort of lettering on it, so keeping these supplies organized is useful. What are your favorites? Keep them close to your workspace. The alphabet stickers I use the most are white, black, green, and blue; I keep these in a basket on the shelf above my desk.  The others are all organized by color, so if I need some yellow alphabet stickers, I have to move across the room, but if I need white ones, they’re within reaching distance.

I keep all my raw and white chipboard letters in their own drawer. These are the ones I’m most likely to alter somehow, so I also keep my white and black paint in that drawer. (I like painting the vertical edge of chipboard either black or white, no matter how else I might alter it.)

Rub-on letters are the only products I keep in their packaging. I’ve had too many rub-on malfunctions happen to not store them like this! (It’s always that one last E you really, really need that was accidentally rubbed onto the inside of your storage container, isn’t it?) I also store these by color.

Use Your Stuff Tip
Breaking into a brand-new sheet of letter stickers always gives me a bit of anxiety. There’s that little part of me that worries “what if these would work better on a different layout?” or “maybe this layout isn’t the place for these letters?” I get over this fear by keeping in mind a couple of things:

1. This is not the only “perfect” letter sticker (or rub on or ribbon or whatever I’m having anxiety about using). After scrapping for 15 years, I’ve seen a ton of new releases and learned this essential truth: there will always be something new. In six more months there’ll be a whole new batch of product I love just as much as this one. Saving it for the “perfect” layout is the perfect way to ensure it never gets used.
2. If the word, phrase, or title I’m using the stickers for is very long, I make sure I have enough of each letter before I start peeling off stickers. I usually jot down what I’m spelling onto whatever small scrap of paper is close by; I put tally marks next to the letters I need more than one of. This also helps me to see the words—so I don’t spell anything wrong!
3. I also mix letter stickers quite often. Breaking into two new sheets, or using an old one with a new one, alleviates the anxiety. Plus it makes for a more visually-interesting title!
4. I remind myself often that, in the end, all that really matters about a layout is that I matched a story with a picture. Everything else—even those perfect letter stickers—is just icing.

Use Your Stuff Daily Challenge: Letter Stickers

Create a layout that mixes and matches letter from a black sheet of stickers, a white sheet, and one other color, each from a different manufacturer; find one of your oldest non-letter stickers and use it your layout too.

Here’s Jody Dent-Pruk's take on the challenge. I adore the simplicity of the design combined with the pop of energy the title makes:

 

Our other Jody, Jody Wenke, also took the sticker challenge. I love the detail in that last “O”!

 

Here’s my take on the challenge:

 

Note how we each used a small themed sticker to add detail to our layouts. Somehow along the line, stickers got a bad rap, but I think they’re perfect for adding pop to a layout. The one I used is ancient; I know I bought it before 2003 because that’s when the store I purchased it from went out of business.

Here’s the card I made with my left-over supplies:

 
The seashells are the back side of that green dot patterned paper. It felt too girly for the layout, but perfect for the card!

So, share: what's your favorite lettering supply?

Use Your Stuff!

 
Welcome to the second day of spring! It’s cold here in Utah, but yesterday one of my daffodils bloomed, so I’ll take that as a sign that it will eventually warm up. My name’s Amy Sorensen, and I’ll be your Write Click Scrapbook hostess this week. 

Before I get to this week’s topic, I need to share just a little bit of my scrapbooking philosophy with you:

1. Parts of your creativity get tied up in the products that you buy. You know that feeling when you’re in a scrapbook store (or at an online scrapbooking site, however you shop) and you find it, the piece of patterned paper or length of ribbon or sheet of rub-ons that you absolutely love and must have without further delay? Your mind hops around with excitement over just how you’ll use it. Then you bring it home and carefully file it away—and it gets lost in the enormous amount of other similarly-loved product. I think that absolutely-loved, must-have-now supply keeps a hold of that creative excitement you first felt; I think it stays there, with that product, until you use it or give it to someone else.
2. Too much product hampers your creativity. Quick: look at your stack of green patterned papers. How many choices do you have? Once you reach a certain amount (and I’m not sure what that is, to be honest), your creative energy is drained by considering potential choices. Having too many options becomes overwhelming instead of inspiring. (If you want to read more about this idea, you can do that here.)  

Those two scrapbooking philosophies bring us to this week’s focus here at Write Click Scrapbook: using your stuff. The goal is to energize your scrapping creativity by shuffling through your supplies— moving some of them out of your scrapping space altogether (donate them to someone else) or out of your various bins, drawers, and scrapping cupboards and onto layouts.  Every day there’ll be a creative energy exercise; these will ultimately help you use your supplies more and shop smarter. I’ll give you an organization tip (because if you can’t find the supply you’ve got in mind, you can’t use it). Plus there’s a daily challenge that relates to that day’s product focus. I hope you’ll play along! 

Today’s topic: patterned paper

Creative Energy Exercise
Flip through the last 15 or so layouts you’ve made. (If you’re anything like me, they’re still sitting in a pile, waiting to be stuck into albums.) Pay attention: how do you use patterned paper? What prints, patterns, and colors are most common? How did you use the papers—the entire sheet as a background? Cut or punched into strips, squares, circles, or other shapes? Layered on top of or below other things? As a background for something else like a photo, title, or journaling? Is there a brand you used more often than others, or a brand you buy often but didn’t find on your recent layouts? What patterned-paper techniques are your favorites? Make a quick list of how you’ve used paper lately.

When I did this with my last 19 layouts (the ones waiting for an album to call home), I discovered something surprising: 12 of those have patterned paper for a background. Before doing this exercise, I would have told you that I rarely use patterned paper as a background. The manufacturer I used the most was Fancy Pants and the technique I used most often was cutting my paper into layers. I also back a lot of my titles—made with solid-colored letters—with patterned paper. 

Once you’ve made your list, grab one container of patterned paper—one that isn’t your largest or favorite. Sit somewhere you can spread out. Keep in mind the list you just made, which gives you a great idea of papers you do use, break your pile up into two: keep and discard. As you make these piles, try to keep in mind what you’ve just figured out: what patterned paper do you NOT use? It might be a specific brand or it might be a pattern. For example, in the store I am drawn to checkered patterns, but when I’m actually scrapping, they almost never “feel” right. I use organic shapes and stripes more. Depending on the size of your stash, try to put 5-10 sheets into your discard pile. Put your discards into some sort of box and keep it handy—you’ll use it throughout the week.  Add that category to your list: patterns you don’t use. 

Smart Shopping
The list you created in the creative energy exercise gives you an idea of what supplies you shouldn’t buy more of. Take it with you when you visit a scrapbooking store so that you don’t forget. For example: I tend to buy a lot of one manufacturer’s paper—but I really don’t use it all that often. When I go into a scrapbook store armed with that knowledge, I can admire that manufacturer’s paper without buying much, because I know the likelihood of me actually using it is small. 

Organization
How do you organize your pattern paper? I used to keep mine organized by manufacturer, because I wanted to keep like things together. Then I reorganized by color. I keep all of, say, my purple patterned papers in one drawer, and all of my purple embellishments (letter stickers, rub-ons, and other stuff) in the drawer above it. When I did this, I discovered that my pages became a bit more visually appealing. Color organization helps me to see more potential in my scrapbooking supplies because now, it’s not a Basic Grey patterned paper, or a Christmas-themed one. It’s just a piece of red pattern. An added bonus: it’s really easy to clean up after making a layout.

This brings up a question, though: those pesky double-sided papers. Nearly every manufacturer makes them now. Which color do I organize by, the back or the front? For me, I nearly always organize by the back side, but that’s because I am nearly always drawn to the back sides of papers. They’re usually more subtle or with a smaller print, and that fits my design approach much better than a large print does. (It also means the backs of my layouts are usually gorgeous!)

 Does the way you organize your patterned papers work for you, or do you spend lots of scrapping time just looking through your stuff? How could you change your organization so it works better for you?

 Use Your Stuff Tip
Before I put away the supplies I used for a layout, I make a card with them. It really only takes about five minutes to craft a card, but only if your stuff is already out. If you use the left-over bits from your layout, they’re already color-coordinated so you don’t have to search for anything. You might not even have to cut anything, if you’re lucky! I make thematic cards if the layout I made also had a theme (so, obviously, a birthday card with a birthday layout) or more generic cards if the layout didn’t have a theme. With just a few minutes, you simultaneously use more supplies and ensure yourself an ever-ready pile of cards.

Just to prove that this is the simplest way to make cards, I’m including a card each day, along with the daily challenge. I used these sketches from Kim Hughes’s site to help me with the card designs. 

Use Your Stuff Daily Challenge: Patterned Paper

 Pull out your drawer/file/box/bucket that holds your least-favorite color of patterned paper. Riffle through the entire pile, just to remind yourself of what you have. Pull the bottom three sheets. Use at least one of these on a layout. Put the sheets you don't use on the top of your pile, so you'll see them the next time you pull out that container.

The way that supplies stack up in their containers (older stuff on the bottom) can become a sort of archeological dig—you move backward through your own shopping experiences. Don’t let the age of a supply deter you from using it, though. If you still love it, put it to use and release that stored creative energy!

In scrapbooking, as in life, red is my least-favorite color. So that’s the drawer I pulled out. Then I found a photo that would work with the paper—in this case, it’s a picture of my daughter, Haley, sitting on the stairs on Christmas morning. Since I’ve already told the story of that experience, I told a completely different one. The bottom paper in my red drawer was this flocked-flower one from We R Memory Keepers:

 

Since Celeste makes a lot of digital layouts, she didn't literally dig through a bin of patterned paper, but she did push herself to use a color she doesn't use very often:

 

Lisa also took the challenge. She discovered that she loved these forgotten papers:

 

For today's card, I printed the word “happy” three times at the same time I printed my layout's journaling. Then I just inked the edges of things, stamped the white card (this floral stamp is one of my favorite and most-used stamps), cut out the flower from the last little scrap of paper I had, and assembled:

 
If you take the challenge, make sure to share your layout somewhere—leave a link to your blog on the comments, or put it in the Write. Click. Scrapbook. flickr group. Or, share what you learned with the creative energy exercise. See you tomorrow!

 

Second Annual WCS Holiday Gift Guide + Cute Notebooks to Keep Track of It All

The elves at WCS have been busy searching for 25 terrific gifts for scrapbookers, photographers, or any creative soul! Enjoy!

1. Camera Strap Buddy from Photojojo, $15.00 2. Through the Lens necklace by Lisa Leonard Designs, $54.00 3. Camera pencil sharpener from Urban Outfitters, $12.00 4. Flickr Pro annual membership, $24.95 5. Yesterday & Today workshop by Ali Edwards for Big Picture Classes, $99 6. Studio Calico kit subscription, $29.50/month 7. any pen from Jet Pens—there's one sure to be the pen for you, under $5 8. Smile letterpress print from Roll and Tumble Press, $20 9. Caught on Camera tape dispenser at ModCloth, $21.99. 10. The Parent's Field Guide to Life from Uncommon Goods, $34.00 11. gift card to CharityChoice, any amount 12. vintage camera album at Fred Flare, $14

13. camera pins by Emily Ryan Lerner for Buy Olympia, $4.00 14. Camera Display Panel t-shirt at Cafe Press, $27.50 15. Gratitude journal at Chronicle books, $14.95 16. Subscription to Ancestry.com, price determined by subscription length 17. Stickr vinyl corners from BUTCH & harold, $8.95 18. Expressive Photography: The Shutter Sisters' Guide To Shooting From the Heart edited by Tracey Clark, $19.77 19. subscription to UPPERCASE journal, $72.00 CAD 20. Internet Notes journal at Galison Press, $8.00 21. chalkboard speech bubble from Photojojo, $29.00 22. Old School Letter Set by Paper+Cup Designs at Chronicle Books, $15.95 23. Colorwheel Watch at Paper Source, $32.95 24. Beware of the Photographer t-shirt by Lightsmith at RedBubble, $29.93 25. Double-Page Design by the team at Write.Click.Scrapbook. for Ella Publishing Co., $5.99

You're going to need to keep all your gift ideas organized—enter Monika and Beth to the rescue!

A Note From Monika

So many different images and thoughts come to mind when people think of the holidays, but one thing is certain, we are all list makers. For those of you that are list makers of the old-fashioned kind, as I am, and like paper and pen, let me share a few ideas with you today.


While you might be tempted to keep one for yourself, it’s totally okay to do so because these three notepads are all easily created and can be made assembly-line style. You’ll have notepads galore in no time at all. Wrap yours with a great big, beautiful bow, attach the gift tag die cut accent and you won’t even have to use a gift bag for this present!

Since easy is the name of the game for me during the holidays, I chose to use a coordinated line of products from the SEI Kris Kringle collection. Everything has been designed to mix and match with style and adds that extra little punch of cuteness.

For this first notepad, I used the Kris Kringle assortment pack, which contains 24 sheets of double-sided paper and a sheet of letter stickers. You’re going to fall in love with this assortment like I did, the papers have glitter and gold foil accents as well as textured accents and all have a nice, heavy feel to them.

Using just one sheet of the double-sided, glitter accented Snow Angels paper, I was able to cover a standard 5x7 lined notepad available anywhere. I would recommend purchasing a notepad with a sturdy backing as I’ve used the notepads with a thinner chipboard backing and they are just not as durable. After trimming and scoring your paper, you’ll still have paper left over to add a little pocket inside for receipts or recipes. After choosing your cover embellishments, I used the Gleaming Snow die cut accents
and the dimensional page titles. The gift tag is even included!

Our next notepad takes a simple, raw chipboard notepad found at most craft stores and turns it into a lovely gift by using the 6x6 Kris Kringle paper pad. If I were to use the 12x12 sheet of this same design, I would not have been able to fit the Santa and all the other elements on my notepad at all. As a frequent mini-album creator, I have come to use 6x6 paper pads quite often!



After trimming just a bit off the side of the 6x6 paper, I adhered it to the bottom of the front cover and then wrapped a trimmed piece of the black patterned paper from the front over to the back cover.  Adhering a holiday sticker where the two papers meet, I jazzed it up with a punch of color as did the All Around the House page title sticker, which gives the cover some dimension.

That plain inside cover, no worries...I didn’t forget to embellish it either. Using the same black patterned paper from the front cover, which reminds me of snowflakes falling, I used another of the Gleaming Snow die-cut accents titled All Through the House and elevated it with some pop dots. Ca-ute!

Don’t leave yet, I have one more list keeper to share. This time, I cut my paper to size and covered the front of a simple spiral bound notebook, which I was lucky enough to find with 2 pockets inside! Using a few of my punches and some scraps which I layered behind several SEI die-cut accents, this little notebook will be fun to dig out of my purse while on my holiday shopping, gift-buying, grocery shopping rounds!


And any of these notepads would be perfect journals to jot down stories and conversations that you want to make sure to include in your December Daily albums—and for keeping your gift-giving lists and thank-you note writing needs organized and close at hand!

May your holidays be full of good memories, good times and a few moments to craft!

A Note From Beth

materials chipboard shape (My Mind's Eye) + notebook (Michael's)

This cute little notebook is the answer to all of my list making needs this holiday season. Found in the dollar bins of Michael’s, I added a couple chipboard shapes to make it fun and festive!

A special thank you to SEI and My Mind's Eye for their generous sponsorship of our second annual WCS For the Holidays celebration!

Let's Go Shopping!

I am hoping you are back, with or without your homework done. There are no grades, so please no distress. I could tell you that there are only 109 days until Christmas and that photobooks make excellent holiday presents, but that might be perceived as pressure, so I will refrain!! heehee!

Thank you for leaving your comments. I am now totally insecure and fearing your expertise! Seriously, I am no photoshop expert, so please know that I will do my best and that I need you to ask all sorts of questions so that I may clear up the confusion that I am certain I will cause! ::nervous giggle:: And for those of you who know a shortcut or a better way, please leave your suggestions so that we may all learn together.

Marnie's Homework Completed

So I am a bit indecisive. Here are my potential albums:

• another cousins album - exactly the same but new photos, and updated info
• addresses I have had - a compilation of the places I have lived
• things I love about you - a digital version of Sara's book from last summer (especially since the Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday line was released, just yesterday. yippee skippee!)
• our love of the pool - featuring all sorts of pool pictures - I have so very very many

How did you do? Did you come up with an idea?

Today's Assignment

It is Tuesday and I promised you that today we would be choosing your paper and embellishments. Now, for those of you who are solely paper scrappers, your world of shopping is about to increase exponentially. Digi shopping is all things delicious. No closing hours. Instant gratification (in the form of instant download. yeehaw!). If I may speak boldly for a minute, I might suggest that you establish a budget for your project. It is amazingly easy to get carried away and there is no shopper's remorse--no returns--in digi land. So be thoughtful.

When I create a photobook, I work with the same routine as when I make a paper mini album. Normally, for layouts, I am a create-as-you-go kind of gal. I usually only reach for sketches when I need to use more than one page (double page layouts are my nemesis) or I am in a rut. But for minialbums, everything is predetermined. (A couple of weeks ago I made an album for Donna's summer week and let loose with wild abandon, letting every page be its own deal. It was fun, but also incredibly boundary pushing for me. Certainly neither my norm nor my comfort zone.)

Using a formula approach for mini-albums helps the album have continuity and helps me to be effective with my time. Think of it as variations on a theme. With repeating elements in the design or papers, standard to each page, the variations come with changing embellishments.

For me, when making a photobook, my strategy is best accomplished with a digital kits. Much like buying a line of coordinated papers, or ordering a coordinated kit, using a digikit for books means everything will be similar in color, design, and purpose.

There are many kit choices available, but here are some of my favorite designers:

• Paislee Press - using Paislee Press makes me feel sophisticated. Their kits lend themselves well to photobooks, as is evidenced by their own templates. With soothing colors and a clean, modern, minimalist feel, the embellishments are spot on for adding that perfect little "je ne sais quoi."
• Libby Weifenbach - Libby's designs are bright, fun and a bit thematic. I find myself reaching for them often for cards, announcements, and tags. Her products are easy to use and mix well.
• Crystal Wilkerson - Crystal is my go-to girl for making pages. Crystal is perfection with dots, stripes, and lightly distressed bright pastels. Her collections have deep selection, and terrific journaling spots, all created with colors and patterns that make my heart stop.
• American Crafts, Echo Park, and Cosmo Cricket - these new digital releases make an easy back and forth between digi and paper. All three are regulars in my paper drawer, so the ease of use for the digi products is remarkable. You can find American Crafts at Daisy Trail, and Echo Park and Cosmo Cricket at Jessica Sprague.

Hints for shopping:

• find a digikit that has the same groove as your favorite paper
• keep the color/mood of your photos and book's purpose in mind
• make sure the package has the kind of elements that you would use in your normal life (if you use buttons and ribbon, find that. if you like border punches, find that.  if you use journaling tags, get some. if you have never used a flower in your life, maybe don't buy them now...)

Go forth and shop! Enjoy!

Today's Eyecandy

In May, I completed my first semi-successful attempt at a-photo-a-day. In my effort to also journal every day, I tried to download my photos each morning and then make a daily layout or two. I have all the layouts sitting in chronological order (my preferred storage method for these types of pages) in an album. When the month is finished, I will have it printed. Until then, it will just sit at VioVio and wait for the final pages to add in. Here is the work in progress.

Edited: the link isn't working as the site isn't recognizing it as public. I have asked for some help and will let you know when it comes! Thanks!

Today's Freebie

Today's little giftie was created using all sorts of elements from Libby Weifenbach. There are four sets of cards. Just print, cut in half (along the grey line), fold in half, add a note and send! (Or write it and leave it in the drawer for a year or two like I do... Seriously have mailing issues. Working on it.) I hope you find these cards useful!

Download Congratulations card

Download Happy day card

Download Hello card 

Download Thank you card

Thank you for stopping by. Please leave us word as to what album you decided to make. Or a list, if you are as good as I am at making decisions.

Have fun shopping. The hard part starts tomorrow. Don't forget to drink lots of water, and get lots of rest!! I adore you and you applaud your efforts!

writeclickscrapolympics

It is Olympic season. And being the good Canadian I am, I could not pass up the chance to celebrate with you. With the men's hockey misery of the '88 Calgary Olympics a faded memory, we Canadians cried and shouted with the success of Alexandre Bilodeau, thrilled for the home court curse to be a thing of the past. Have you an Olympic moment that touched your heart? I love them all. Watching years of dedication and training climaxing in what for some is but a moment is breathtaking to me. I cry when they fall. I clap when they land their jumps. I hold my breath as they wait to see if their times and scores are enough. Man, I love the Olympics!

Back to our week... I will spare you my tales of a curling bonspiel victory in the ninth grade, or of skating lessons at age 4, but I will ask you to join me this week in participating in our writeclickscrapolympics.

Get your slide ruler waxed and ready. Your photos sharpened and sized. Feel free to get some cool new wcs gear as well. Events begin tomorrow. I'd suggest a good night sleep (and refraining from all poppyseed--best to be safe!).

To begin, we would love for you to leave a comment telling us from whence you come. Our stats show that we have had visits from 136 countries. Honestly, that blows me away. Our team represents four of those 136: Australia, Canada, France, and the United States. (Though, some of us are expats and immigrants, who may call another land home. If this is you, too, tell us both your resident country as well as where you call home.)

Assignment #2 is to email someone who lives in a country different than you and tell them about us and invite them to come visit. Let's see how many of those 136 can come visit this week!

Thank you for stopping! Go buy a shirt and we will see you tomorrow!

Supplies for 2010

And now that you are armed with a few more ideas to help you create a yearly review page, document your resolutions, scrapbook your goals, and maybe even start a monthly album project, here are some supplies that you might need to help you with your scrapbooking in 2010 (you'll have to excuse me while I link you over and over to Two Peas - this is the site that I am most familiar with. Feel free to provide any links in the comments you think other scrappies might swoon over).

For the ambitious scrappers among us, a complete Year in Review book, digital style:

 

For the ones who simply want a single page to cover the year:

 

 

Digi journaling cards that could potentially help you with that resolutions page:

I love the vintage look of these Jenni Bowlin calendar cards (also in black/red and yellow/red). These would be great for page accents or even a mini-mini-album:

Jillibean Soup Red Calendar Journaling Sprouts (also in green, brown, and black) would be perfect for a date accent or adding a cohesive element to a month-by-month album:

The larger size of these Jenni Bowlin 6" Circle Die Cut Calendars would be great for a mini-album:

 

This Creative Cafe Calendar Kit would be a super easy (and colorful) way to create monthly review pages as you go:

Maya Road 2010 Black & White Calendar Sheer Accents:

 

Carina Gardner's IMPRINT v.4 digi brush and stamp kit would make super a super cool addition to your digi and hybrid stash:

These 7Gypsies Gypsy Year stamps aren't brand new, but they are still fancy and flourish-y and useful year after year:

Kate Teague's Monthly Bits are cute digi calendars that can be added right to your digi creations or printed and trimmed for your hybrid pages:

For the Project 365-ers:

 

A classic little digi kit to make a diary for recording your daily life, with a single spread for every week of the year:

And with that bit of enabling, my week here on the blog is complete. Thank you for joining me, and I wish you all the best in 2010!

give.away.day. featuring LIBBY WEIFENBACH

Another holiday song to start our day. Channel your best Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. Let's begin!

You love our site
Think it's awesome and bright
We happen to agree
So here's somethin' for free
Give.away.day.'s coming to you.

We've made our list
We've checked it twice
We know you're a bit naughty,
But mostly nice, so
Give.away.day.'s comin' to you.

We dream of scrapbooks when we're sleeping
Then make them when awake
We love to share ideas with you
And give you stuff to make.

Oh it's give.away.day.
For you today
It's holiday time
Which means we're fine
With everyone winning today.

Today we have teamed up with Libby Weifenbach. Libby is a fantastic digital designer. This season, she teamed with Tracey Howard to create a bright and festive kit, Fra-Gee-Lay. Our darling and delightful Cheryl used Libby's kit to whip up a bit of home decor magic in that amazing way that only she can:

Now we know that as December winds down, your time is precious (and running out) so we didn't want you to have to make your own from scratch.Therefore, for our giveaway today, everyone wins! All you need to do is pop on over to Libby's blog where you can download the file to make your own awesome Merry Christmas eyechart. While you are there, be sure to jot down the code Libby has provided so that you can pick up the Fra-Gee-Lay kit for $2 off! Again, for everyone.

But that's not all! Because some of us still haven't our cards done, we wanted to help a bit more. Marnie used another of Libby's kits to make a Christmas and a Holiday card for you.

Again, hop on over to Libby's blog and you can download them for free. (They are 5x7 and use a 4x6 photo that has been resized to 5x3.33. The font is Futura Md.) (And no, sadly (teehee!), they won't have Marnie's kids' pictures on them!

We hope your holiday season is bright and cheerful and that no one will be too disappointed that this giveaway is for everyone! Enjoy!