Write. Click. Scrapbook.

Welcome, February!

Welcome, February! The month of love. And one thing we all love is mini albums.

Mini albums are perfect for themed projects. For collecting random photos or random memories. Mini albums can be quick: easily finished in an evening. Mini albums can be made in advance. Mini albums can double as photo books. Mini albums let you express your creativity as it is a short term commitment to a new style. Mini albums can be finished or can continue to grow with your experiences. Mini albums can follow a formula or be completely random. And this is in part what makes them so much fun!

This month, we challenge you to take an evening and put one together. For those of you who make many, we hope the gallery will inspire a new topic or a new method. And for those of you who have never made a mini album before, beware! They are not only fun but addicting! All in a good way, of course.

Thank you for your loyal visits. And comments. And for providing us a reason to be. We hope you enjoy our February gallery:

Mad for Mini's!

CHA Week: Day 1

Hi scrappy friends!  Aly Dosdall here, welcoming you to day 1 of CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) week.  Twice a year the Craft and Hobby Association hosts a conference and trade show where arts and crafts manufacturers from around the world display their products and newest innovations for retailers, designers, and the media to see.  The winter show is usually held in Anaheim, CA, and the summer show in Rosemont, IL.  I had the pleasure of attending the CHA trade show in warm and sunny Los Angeles this week, and I thought you might like a virtual tour of this amazing display of the latest paper craft and scrapbooking goodies, along with some fabulous inspiration.

Here is a run-down of what you can look forward to this week:

Monday: a CHA prep project, some projects from the CHA floor to inspire you, and perhaps a little challenge
Tuesday: launch of the February gallery with tons of inspiration
Wednesday: some of the WCS team's favorite new lines and tools, plus video of some of our favorite manufacturers
Thursday: CHA give away day--you won't want to miss this one!!
Friday: a tour of some of the WCS team's favorite booths
Saturday: some of our favorite trends from the show, plus challenge projects from myself and YOU

CHA prep

Each time I've had the opportunity to attend the trade show I feel like my creative senses are on overload!  There are so many amazing new products and so much incredible talent and inspiration on display that it's hard to soak it all in.  So, this year I went well prepared.  I decided to make myself a CHA notebook where I can easily record everything I want to remember.  Of course I had my camera and video camera on hand, but I needed somewhere to write down notes:

This notebook has 3 divided sections: people, products, and to do.  It also has an envelope and pocket for business cards, and a pocket to keep receipts.  This idea doesn't just work for CHA, though.  If this project inspires you, you can adapt it to meet your needs.  It could be an art journal with sections for color inspiration, design ideas, and future projects.  Or it could be an address book, or an organizer with sections for grocery lists, schedules, and to-do lists.  The pockets could be for receipts and coupons.  Whatever tickles your creative/organizational fancy!  For more photos and details about how to create this notebook, visit my personal blog, Scrap Your Story.

Inspriring CHA projects 

Fun text treatments

 
Bella Blvd released these new alpha sheets with their Sophisticates line.  They've got 4 different fonts, sizes, and styles on one sheet--very cool!  Look what one of their design team members did with them--I just love the varying fonts and styles.

Basic blocking

  
I love the Elements patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket.  This Elements sheet is from one of their new lines, Upcycle--fun, trendy, and playful.  Check out the cool blocking their design team member did on this page using the Elements cards--love it!  Great use of product.

Using shapes as a design element

 
I saw several layouts where different shapes were used as design elements--from simple circles and squares, to rectangles, hearts, and even hexagons.  The left two pages were made by design team members from Lilly Bee Design, the top right page by a DT member from Cosmo Cricket, and the bottom right page by one of October Afternoon's talented designers.

Home decor ideas

 
I love this Basic Grey designer's take on the popular specimen art.  The varying sizes and styles of the butterfly punches/die cuts look so cool!  And how cute is this hanging tree wall decor from the Nikki Sivils booth?

 
What can you do with items from your sewing box?  Well, this Nikki Sivils designer made an adorable threaded button frame, and Jennifer Harkin from Jillibean Soup made this amazing wooden spool wreath!  I love how she wrapped the spools in patterned paper--so clever.

A little challenge

Of course I could have spent this entire week posting inspiring projects from the CHA floor, but I've got lots of other things I want to share with you so I kept it down to only a few.  SO...here's my challenge for you:  pick one of the above projects and create something this week inspired by the project you pick.  You could "scraplift" the project literally, or just use a concept from it as a starting point.  Once you finish your project (layout, card, home decor, etc) upload it to our Flickr gallery with the title "CHA-inspired".  I'll create a project inspired by one of these CHA projects (not sure how I'm going to pick just one) and post it, along with YOUR CHA-inspired projects on Saturday.  Sound good?  Great!

Check in tomorrow for our February gallery launch, and I'll be back on Wednesday with some more CHA excitement to share!  Happy scrapping!

 

Mirror

Out of the Box Organization (Day 5)

Welcome to the final segment of the Out of the Box Organization! So far, we've talked about how to get inspired by baking, vintage, and office supplies to set up your scrap space and store your supplies.  Today, we're going to cover how to match storage options to your own organization style.

Some of you out there are "closed container" organizers.   You know the ones--they like things out of sight and tucked away into drawers so when they look around, they have a clean slate to work with.  If you fit this style, you're going to want clean, closed containers to store your supplies, from boxes to tins to drawer sets.

Some of the items from our blog week fit this image:

You get the idea.  With storage containers like these, you can keep your product organized--and out of sight, so it doesn't overwhelm you!

My friend Celeste's scraproom uses closed storage very effectively.  Take a look:

Celeste's scraproom is beautifully decorated (love that print!) and very organized, with drawers tucking away lots of supplies.  Celeste also has some open storage in the baskets on her desk, to hold certain items she wants to be able to see. 

Here's another peek at Celeste's uber-organized desk.  I love it!

Here's another glimpse at Celeste's storage.  All of the boxes keep the Expedit organized and neat-looking while holding tons of supplies!

In contrast to the closed-container scrappers, some of us need things out in the open to remember to use them! You remember the phrase--"out of sight, out of mind!"  If you need to see your items to know you have them, then check out these more open storage possibilities:

 

Open storage items like this allow you to effectively store a lot of supplies without sacrificing the visual benefit of being able to see them!

My scraproom is all about the open storage.

I love using clear jars to store items.

 

I store paper and large embellishments in this dresser (Little tip:  It's a TV cabinet from Ikea with extra shelves!).

 

I adore bins like these.  I could use them for everything, all the time!

 

If you check out my beloved Expedit, you can see how open everything is--open bins, my cake plate, etc.  Wth its little bitty compartments, the Expedit lends itself very well to either open or closed storage!

 

Even my tools get the open storage treatment, with a tool caddy!

And there you have it!  Whether you're an open or closed storage kind of girl, I hope this blog week inspires you to find some out-of-the-box solutions to your scrap supply organization!

~Keshet

Out of the Box Organization (Day 4)

Welcome back to Out of the Box Organization week!  So far, we've looked at how baking and vintage finds can liven up your scrap space and store items neatly.  Today, I'll show you some darling office supplies that can serve double duty in the scrapping workforce!  These items are often inexpensive and, best of all, can be found in any office or home supply store and not just a specialty scrapbook store!

These delectable file folders can sort clippings from magazines, ideas jotted down on scrap paper, paper scraps, and flat embellishments like stickers and rub-ons. 

Consider storing them in a file holder or cabinet and organizing each folder according to whatever system suits you best.

Next up, magazine holders might not be made for scrappy purposes, but they can easily transform themselves into ideal scrapbook storage!  Whether you're storing scrapbooking magazines and idea books or alphabet stickers and paper, these attractive storage options come in dozens of colors and designs, so you can find one that perfectly coordinates with your decor!

A traditional letter holder can be repurposed to hold stickers, rub-ons, and anything else.  This would be a wonderful item to leave on your scrap desk and organize products according to what upcoming projects you're planning to use them for.  You can also store trimmers and other often-used items in these letter holders.

A letter tray can serve much the same purpose--organize by projects you are planning for the future, favorite products you don't want to lose, or alphabets, rub-ons and tools you reach for all the time!

 

For vertical storage needs, try a magazine sorter hanging up on your wall.  If you scrap a smaller size than 12 X 12, this can be used to house recent layouts.  Otherwise, use it to store alphabets, rub-ons, stickers, and any other larger items.  If you're an "out of sight, out of mind" kind of scrapper, than this can help you remember some items you keep forgetting to use!

If you like to scrap with a lot of electronic assistance--whether die-cut machines, ipods, or anything else--a docking station can come in handy to keep all of those unsightly cords out of the way.  (I could stand to take my own advice on this one!)

Finally, these letter boxes are perfect for storing stamps, inks, flowers, or any other smaller embellishment.  If you are the type of scrapper who likes to have everything tucked away out of sight, these little guys can be your organizational best friends!

Thanks for joining us for "office day" here at Out of the Box Organization week!  Here's hoping you can make some office supplies work for you.

~Keshet

and the giveaway goes to . . .

First, thank you, AdormaPix for sponsoring our giveaway this week. And for creating a book that shows the whole page!!! Awesome!

Next, please be gentle with yourselves and your resolutions. Some of you seemed overwhlemed by your lack of followthrough. Remember, today is a new day and you can begin today. Or you can adjust your expectations to fit your schedules and abilities.

And to those of you finding success with your planned projects, we salute you for your dedication and wish you continued success!

Our lucky number this week belongs to

Congratulations Ally! And do we ever understand the so many ideas, so little time! Please shoot us an email to writeclickscrapbook at gmail dot com so that we might get you to your free photo book!

Keshet is back shortly with more amazing organizing ideas! Stay tuned!

give.away.day. featuring ADORAMAPIX

One of the big names in onilne photography equipment is Adorama.com. Fast, friendly, competitive pricing: they have it all. So you can imagine how thrilling it was to discover that Adorama also does prints, cards, canvases, and photo books! We couldn't wait to try them out. And more importantly, to let you. For today's

we are thrilled to feature

Even though it is only January 27th, and you still have 338 days to complete your resolutions, we thought today we might help you cross two things off your list! Remember how you wanted to finish an album about 2010 and how you also wanted to try something new? What if you paired them together and made a "Year in Review" photo book that you had printed at AdoramaPix? Not only could you put two checks in the "done" column and pat yourself on the back, but you would also have a great keepsake that will last and last.

The reasons for needing a year in review book are self-evident, but why do you need AdoramaPix to print it for you? Two reasons. First, they print their books on Fuji Crystal Archive Photo paper. This matters as the colors will be bright and true and they will last. Second, the Leporello binding system. This matters as it means nothing gets lost in the spine of your book. No more having to account for parts of the page that will remain unseen. The pages are printed as a panorama and the entire two page spread is visible! Really, it's true.

To see exactly how it worked, we had Marnie put a book together and send it in. She put together a Year in Review book featuring one two-page spread for each month, and a few extras for highlights of the year. This was what she received back (And yes, there are three. One 8x8 for her family, and a 6x6 for each set of grandparents. Truly one of the greatest incentives for publishing photo books is how easy it is to add in extra copies.)

Marnie's Review:

Getting started at AdormaPix was easy. Setting up the account was quick and painless. I really liked the program interface. It was simple to follow. Knowing I had created my own full page spread in photoshop, I didn't make use of the AdoramaPix templates but there were several. There were also some fun options available such as adding a white border to each photo with the click of a button. Easy!

Creating the book was also trouble free. Once I added my photos (each page of the book, for me) to my account, I simply dragged and dropped into place. When I realized that I need to scooch all of the pages down, I did not have to clear out and reload, gratefully. AdoramaPix has a drag and drop feature between pages as well. Nifty nifty.

When it came time to design the cover, back and spine, the dimensions were listed right on the loading page, which let me properly size my cover without any trouble. This is especially helpful for the spine, a place I have messed up on other photo books.

The hardest part for me is always the wait. Impatient, I called the company, and they were very helpful, and able to tell me where my book was in the process and when it should be done. It arrived right on schedule! It was packed very well, with much regard given to my books' safety.

The quality of the book, it is wonderful. The cover is printed on what appears to be metallic paper, and has a great finish which endured the fingerprints of my little lovelies and their preschool hands.

I love the chunkiness of the book. All the photo books I have ordered in the past have used double sided paper which was glued at the binding. To get the panorama effect in their books, AdoramaPix prints each two page spread on its own paper and then adheres the pages together. This makes for a much thicker book. I liked the feel of it, and loved how it created a wider spine which will look great on my bookshelf.

I wasn't sure when I was building my book if there would be a dead page before my title page, so I reworked my book a little in case there wasn't. And there isn't. The first page you load in will be glued to the inside of the cover. So if you want that page (and the final page) to be plain, be sure to create page one (and page 26) as plain when you upload.

Also, at this time, you cannot create a custom length book. I enjoy a good puzzle, so I wasn't bothered in the least by this, but wanted to point it out. Be sure to check on the page numbers offered before you get started so you can plan appropriately.

But on to my most anticipated feature, the binding. I had high hopes and great skepticism about this binding system. With a standard binding, it can be a bit of a guessing game to figure out how much exactly is going to get visually lost in the binding. The prospect of a flat page with no lost portion sounded too good to be true. I decided to put it to the test.

Planning on an 8x8 book, I created page layouts that were designed on a 16 x 8 template cut in two equal halves for left side, right side. Then I placed a thin white line down the center of the page, which meant it got cut in two with each page. I thought this would be the best indicator of the quality--if the white line weren't perfect, it would be easy to see and to call their bluff. But they called mine! Look how well it printed. Unbelievable!!

I am so very very happy to find a book that doesn't lose any acreage to the middle seam. And I love how the pages stay open without having to crack open the book.

The only other caution I have is that there is a still a tiny bit of the page's top and bottom that will be lost to the overbleed. Not as much as some, but enough that next time I would leave a bit more wiggle room on the pages that went right to the margin.

 

I love my new books. I hope you will try out AdoramaPix. I know they will certainly be my new goto place for books when the center really matters.

For today's giveaway, one lucky number will receive an 26 page 8x8 photo book from AdoramaPix. (Participants must be able to provide an US shipping address). If you would like to be considered for our giveaway today, please stop by the AdoramaPix site and look around at what they have to offer. Then pop back and leave a comment telling us how you are doing on your 2011 projects. Are you waiting til February to begin? did you dip your toe and change your mind? or have you jumped in with two feet and a whole lot of love for something that you are doing? We at Write. Click. Scrapbook. want to help you succeed this year!! From organizing to resolutions to organizing your resolutions to resolutions on organizing. We are here for you!

Comments will remain open until 8:00 pm PST and one lucky number will be chosen at random and posted tomorrow. Be sure to check back as it is your responsibility to claim your lucky number before midnight Saturday!

Thank you to Adorama for providing Marnie with an 8x8 book so that we could review your product.

Out of the Box Organization (Day 3)

So far, we've talked about organizing according to YOUR style and using baking storage to organize your scraproom.  Now, I'm going to discuss another wonderful area to find scrapbook storage:  vintage finds.

Vintage style furniture (whether it's from a flea market or Target) can provide wonderful storage solutions for lots of scrappy odds and ends.

Check out this library cabinet:

Vintage containers, from candy tins to old crates, are a spunky way to store larger embellishments, like alphabet stickers, longer sticker sheets, flowers, and anything else.

I love the classic vintage feel of this tin...

And this snazzy crate...

And this candy tin (can't you just see this one in Grandma's kitchen?)...

And this lovely crate....Ok, I'll stop now!

Check out this example of a crate in use--tacked on to the wall and perfect for ribbon storage!

{from Vicki of Rusty Rooster Vintage}

 

And a vintage tin storing lots of yummy thickers:

{from Stephanie of Just Me, My Soldier, and Our Four Little Chicks}

A classic wire basket can also be fabulous storage for flat items, such as alphabets and sticker sheets.

Check out how Stephanie Howell uses a wire basket she found at a flea market:

Even a suitcase can be used beyond travel--check out these adorable little suitcases from the Paper Source!

These little nubmers are perfect for storing any number of small or loose embellishments, from chipboard to metal objects to rub-ons.  The choice is yours!

And that concludes another day of thinking OUTSIDE the box (and into the crate!) of scrapbook storage!

~Keshet

Out of the Box Organization (Day 2)

As it happens, I love baking.  And eating what I bake--but that's besides the point:)

Not only do I love baking, I love baking stuff.  You know what I mean--pretty cake plates, adorable muffin tins, the works.  Even if you don't spend much time kneading dough in the kitchen, you can put beautiful baking supplies to work in your scraproom!  Best of all, they are easy to find and often cheaper than traditional scrapbook storage.

First up, check out the classic baking mold:

 

{This little beauty is from Target)

Something like this would be perfect for small embellishments, such as beads, buttons, vintage ephemera, twine, etc.  You can also adjust the contents easily as your scrap stash changes.

Next, you've seen them hold adorable snacks--the good 'ol muffin pans:

These would be a wonderful storage spot for larger embellishments, but items that are still small enough to get lost easily.  Buttons, crochet flowers, journaling spots, tickets, leaves, you name it--they'd be easy to find and cute to look at it in a simple and cheap muffin pan.

Moving on to slightly larger embellishments, you'd be surprised what a few mixing bowls can do for you:

 

This adorable set from Nest 8 would add color and punch to any scraproom!

Check out how Maggie Holmes uses mixing bowls to house small items:

Tiered baskets meant for fruit and other kitchen items can become comfortable storage for inks, mists, or any other embellishments.

And last but not least, let's turn to one of my most beloved kitchen items:  the cake plate!!

Models like this beautiful vintage milkglass from Etsy can be used all over your scraproom to house small embellishments.  I use mine to store items I don't want to forget I have, or little odds and ends that are hard to store.

 

I'm especially partial to two-tiered cake stands, like this one:

 

Check out how Maggie used a similar model to house her embossing powders and mists:

And there you have it!  I hope this post inspires you to find some beautiful baking items and use them to cook up your scrapping mojo.  

Who knows--you might even end up baking a cake!

~Keshet

Out of the Box Organization

 
Hi everyone, and welcome to Out of the Box Organization week at WCS!!

I know a lot has been said about organization. But as I've discovered for myself, my organization needs shift over time, so I'm always evolving my system and ready to learn something new. This week, I hope to help you discover YOUR organizational style and find out of the box tools to store your scrap supplies.

Instead of searching in craft stores and hobby venues specifically for scrapbook storage, how about looking in your local baking shop, or flea market? What about the nearest branch of Staples or Target? This week, I'll show you some great storage options you can find in local, non-scrapbook-related shops, that will make wonderful homes for all of your beloved scrappy stuff!

To get started, I'll tell you a little bit about myself: My name is Keshet, I'm 25, and I live in a two bedroom apartment in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Our second bedroom is a scraproom that moonlights as a guest room (and gets used nearly every weekend), so I have to keep it (relatively) clean and organized.

 

 

Now, I'm an "out of sight, out of mind" person in general (Which is why I go through mountains of post-its, but that's besides the point!). Because of that, I don't use drawers or closed containers to store my supplies--they are all stored in open bins or out in the open so I can remember I have them!

Items that add color to the room all on their own, such as paints and mists and ribbon, get stored out in the open, where they serve double duty as supplies and decor.

Small odds and ends that could get lost easily, as well as items that particularly inspire me, live on this vintage cake plate that adds a much-needed dash of pink femininity to the room.

If you'll notice, none of my bins are labeled--I am constantly switching product around as my stash evolves and I have more of things like rub ons and less of items such as raw chipboard, which I was often too lazy to alter and use. My organization allows me to keep track of what I have and remember to use by simply scanning my eyes around the room. It works perfectly for me.

Other than an alphabet file container, none of my storage and organizational items were made for scrapbooking, but they all house my supplies wonderfully. Looking outside traditional scrap storage can help you find the right storage for you--and save you some money in the process!

~Keshet