Write. Click. Scrapbook.

give.away.day. featuring STUDIO CALICO

Apparently April Foster and I have something more than a love of paper and color in common. Apparently she also loved to play Clue. You know the one. With Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, Mrs. Peacock, Mrs White, Mr Green, and Miss Scarlet. (And who didn't want to be Miss Scarlet?!) (Oh, and did you know that while my grandmother's version included a real rope tied like a noose, it didn't include all of the weapons found in the original British version which included an axe, a bomb, a syringe, poison, a walking stick and a fireplace poker!)

April has put together a fantastic January kit for Studio Calico called whodunit. And the add-ons? Colonel Mustard. In the Billiard Room. With the Candlestick. And if you think those names sound awesome, wait until you see these fresh and soothing yellows blues and greens...

Just imagine how fun it would be to have the product in hand to make incredible layouts like these: (almost as fun as playing a quick round of Clue!!)

(layouts courtesy of Studio Calico Design team members April Foster, Jenn Olson, Kimmi Achord, Lisa Truesdell, Nicole Harper & Stephanie Howell)

Love.them.all. Want.it.all. You too? Well, it's your lucky

For our final give.away.day. of 2009, we have teamed with Studio Calico to bring to you their January kit, whodunit (add-ons not included). All you need to do is leave a comment telling us (1) your favorite board game, (2) your most significant scrapbooking accomplishment of 2009, and (3) a hope for the new year. Comments will remain open until 8:00 pm PST. One lucky number will be drawn at random and posted tomorrow. Don't forget it is your responsibility to check back to see if yours is the lucky number!

Now remember, while only one of you will receive this as a gift from Studio Calico, the rest of us can order it for a mere $34.50 plus shipping. And there is no mystery to be solved there. You click over to here, click on the button that says "1 month" (or become a member and save a little each month!) and voila! the kit is in your cart ready for purchase! Miss Scarlet will race you! On your mark. Get set. Go!

2010 Calendar

A Note From Aly

This calendar is simple and easy to make! School age kids can help out taking or choosing photos, and with gluing and trimming. Here are some instructions:

1. Find a simple calendar template online.  Here is the one I used: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/shop/erica-hernandez/87123-digikit-calendar-simple-2010/?source_type=LAY&source_id=1558369.  Drag and drop your photos into the templates in Photoshop and print, or print the blank templates first and then add photos.  I used semi-glossy photo paper for mine, and printed 3 calendar pages per 8.5x11 sheet of photo paper.
2. Cover the back of your calendar pages with cardstock or patterned papers.  I adhered the 8.5x11 sheet of calendar pages to a piece of 8.5x11 smooth black cardstock BEFORE trimming them.  That combines the two steps of trimming both separately into one quick step of trimming both at the same time.
3. Create front and back covers with chipboard covered in cardstock or patterned papers.  My calendar pages are 3x6, so I used a 6x6 piece of chipboard and cut it in half.
4. Bind your calendar pages and covers with a Uni-bind or other binding machine.  You can also use a hole-punch and binder rings, or a large binder clip.
5. Add some number stickers and embellishments to the front cover.  Adhere some ribbon to the back cover and tie it in a knot around the front cover.  This can also be used as a way to stand the calendar up on a desk.  Just untie the knot in the front, flip the front cover over, and the tie the ribbon loosely backward around the front cover easel-style.

A Fresh Dose of Inspiration for the New Year

A Note From Autumn

I made these quote boards as a gift for a friend. They were easy, they were inexpensive, and I love the idea of having quote such as these up on the wall. I’m planning to make another set for myself—it’s a nice project to start the New Year off right.

I’m not sure what the board itself is called, but I got it at Home Depot in a 3’ x 6’ sheet. It’s a quarter inch thick and must be some kind of particle/press board or something, but it’s very sturdy and quite smooth. It was near the plywood and cost about $4.50. I asked the employee at Home Depot to cut it up for me, and I ended up with 12 squares that were 12” x 12”, and another 9 or 10 squares that were 8” x 8”, and I’ve been using these for all sorts of home décor projects. All the boards need is a little sanding and they’re ready to go. 

Then I went looking for pictures. The white flower is from WCS’ very own Elizabeth Dillow, and the other two are from an incredible photographer on flickr, TANAKA Juuyoh http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanaka_juuyoh/. Many photos on flickr are posted under a CC (Creative Commons) license that allows you to use the photos for personal use, as long as you give credit. Be sure to look for pictures that are posted at a high resolution. 

I used Photoshop Elements to size my pictures at 6” x 6”, then added a digital sanded overlay (houseof3.com), and my text. You want to be sure to choose photos that have some area of consistent light or dark color where you can add your quotes. If the entire picture is too busy it will be very hard to read the words over top. (I did add a low opacity white gradient under my quotes to make them show up better, but that’s purely optional). And if you aren’t comfortable with Photoshop, you could use letter stickers or journaling strips right on top of your photo to add a quote. 

Then I simply used Mod Podge to attach the pictures to the middle of the boards (Mod Podge under the picture only, let it dry, then Mod Podge the entire front of the board, right over the picture). I hammered a picture hanger to the back of each board—you have to be careful not to hammer these in quite all the way, or they’ll come all the way through the way through the board and stick out the front.

All three of my quotes are from the book One Bright Shining Hope, by Gordon B. Hinckly, former President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A Head Start for Christmas 2010

A Note From Tina

Want to get a headstart on Christmas 2010? Before you pack up your holiday decorations for the season, grab a handful of tags and make some super-quick, super-easy gift tags with the seasonal scrapbooking supplies that are probably close at hand anyway. Slip them inside a box of Christmas stuff as a gift to your future self—when you open up the box in a year, you'll probably have forgotten you made them but will thank yourself for being so thoughtful!

tags by Tina Cockburn

It's hard to part with all the happy holiday mail you've been receiving this month—but realistically, you can't keep every Christmas card, right? Try recycling some of those cards into something functional and pretty! These were made with a Stampin' Up die and a Sizzix Big Shot, but you can make them the old-fashioned way, too—check out this great tutorial at Junk Mail Gems for step-by-step instructions with photos!

ornaments by Tina Cockburn

Snow Angels

 

 

Happy Boxing Day!

A Note From Jody

Boxing Day is celebrated outside the United States on December 26 (though the public holiday is often moved to a Monday depending on the calendar). It is celebrated slightly differently in the countries that observe the day, but here in Oz it is the day of rest after Christmas. You eat leftovers (and there are always plenty), there is swimming and picnics at the beach. The cricket is on and so is the Sydney to Hobart yacht race (a famous race Down Under). It's all about relaxing with the family and playing with your new toys.

 
Last year I lay on my sister's daybed, a gentle breeze blowing by, the sound of the kids in the pool in the background, a cold drink at my side and I started and finished the last Twilight book (perfect day to do so, no one bothered me). Yes, I love Boxing Day. But I'm sure the freezing snow is fun too! : )

Merry Christmas!

photo by Elizabeth Dillow

and the giveaway goes to . . .

Congratulations goes to Lisa who said:

You are the lucky number on this Christmas morning! You must have been very nice this year! Please email us at writeclickscrapbook at gmail dot com by midnight Saturday to claim your gift! Thank you to all and we wish you all a very merry Christmas day!

give.away.day.

It's our last singing giveaway (unless of course you beg me to continue!!) so let's dig deep and sing aloud this time. It's from the Sound of Music, My Favorite Things. And a one, and a two, and...

Start with a photo
And add a good story.
Pick out a paper,
We don't need much more-y,
Put it together,
And add a few things,
Your creativity suddenly sings . . .

Find a good sketch,
Get your trimmer and glue,
Clear off your schedule,
You've fun things to do,
Let loose the juice that flows deep in your springs,
Your creativity suddenly sings . . .

Take our your keyboard,
And Photoshop software.
A photo, some actions,
You've got a free hour.
Clipping and masking and layering,
Your creativity suddenly sings . . .

When the bug bites,
When the need strikes,
When you're feelin' rad,
Just simply get out all your favorite things,
And suddenly you're all bad!

For today's giveaway, we have a smattering of our favorite thing to help your creativity sing! Some Jillibean Soup Papers,

 

some October Afternoon paper,

an Unity Stamp Company stamp set,

and a bit of Basic Grey as the cherry on top.

Today, we want to know about your favorite things. Tell us your favorite scrapbooking companies and you will be considered for our giveaway today. Comments will remain open until 8:00 pm PST. One lucky number will be drawn at random and posted tomorrow. It is your responsibility to check back to see if you are the lucky number and to notify us by midnight Saturday, so don't forget to check back in! Have a merry Christmas Eve!
 

Icicle Treat Boxes

A Note From Aly

These are super easy and fun for kids. I printed the free downloadable template from Mirkwood Designs on the back of the patterned paper. I cut it out, glued it, filled it with candy, and added a tag and ribbon. I hang one for each child on the tree to find on Christmas morning.  

You can find the template by clicking here! While you're there, check out the other downloadable templates available—you're sure to find a last-minute gift idea!